Free Crochet Pattern |Mini Tapestry Christmas Tree Decorations

Posted in Crochet, Designing, Free Patterns, Pattern Release, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I love making Christmas decorations so when I got to try some Creativa Fino from Anchor Crafts (review of which you can read here) and as it’s December that’s what I decided to make.

You can scroll down to the written patterns and the charts for the Christmas Wreath and Christmas Tree mini tapestry pillow tree decorations below, but if you are new to tapestry crochet you might want have a look at my mini tapestry crochet tutorial first.

Mini Tapestry Crochet Christmas Tree Decorations:

Materials:

Yarn: 4ply / yarn weight #2

1 x 10g Anchor Creativa

Blue (Shade 00269)
Green (Shade 00418)
Brown (Shade 00257)

Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.

Hook: 2.5mm (US size C/2)

You will also need:

1 x Anchor Grey Stranded Cotton (232)
A yarn needle
1 x Small red bow
8 x Small Red / 8 x Small Silver Beads
1 x Small Star or Snowflake button
Small amount of polyester toy filler

Gauge: 5dc = 2cm (0.78inches)

Finished Size: 7 x 7cm (2.75 x 2.75 inches)

Abbreviations:

st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
cc = change colour (see guidance for details)

Stitch Guidance:

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.

Pattern Notes:

Changing Colour:

When changing to a different colour, pull the new colour through the last two loops of the previous st to complete that st. Continue in the new colour, following the pattern. Change colours in this manner, whenever indicated on the pattern.

Tapestry Crochet:

When changing to and from a colour carry the unused coloured yarn along with you and crochet over the unused colour as they are carried along, when turning carry your yarn up the side of your work to use on the next row.

Surface Crochet:

Start by attaching a slip knot to the back of the crochet area then from the front of the work, insert your hook into the stitch nearby and start working chain stitches on the surface of your crocheted area, continue to work in this way according to the design.

Christmas Wreath (Make 2):

Row 1: With Blue; ch14; 1dc in the second ch from hook and in st along until end, turn. 13sts

Row 2: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 4sts, turn

Row 3: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 2sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 7sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 3sts, turn

Row 4: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next st, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 2sts, turn

Row 5: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining st, turn

Rowd 6-8: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 2sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the next 7sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 2sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining st, turn

Row 9: Repeat row 5

Row 10: Repeat row 4

Row 11: Repeat row 3

Row 12: Repeat row 2 – cut green yarn at the end of this row

Row 13: Ch1; 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the second ch from hook and in st along until end, turn. 13sts

Fasten off and weave in ends.
With Green surface crochet around the outside of the wreath shape.
On one side of the wreath shape sew a small red bow and eight red beads around the wreath – see photo above for more details.

Christmas Tree (Make 2):

Row 1: With Blue; ch14; 1dc in the second ch from hook and in st along until end, turn. 13sts

Rows 2-3: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 4sts, cc to Brown, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 5sts, turn

Row 4: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Brown, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 4sts, turn

Row 5: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Brown, 1dc in the next st, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 6sts, turn

Row 6: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next st, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 9sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 2sts, turn

Rows 7 – 8: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 2sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 7sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 3sts, turn

Rows 9 – 10: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 4sts, turn

Row 11: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 4sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next 3sts, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 5sts, turn

Row 11: Ch1, 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the next 5sts, cc to Green, 1dc in the next st, cc to Blue, 1dc in the remaining 6sts, turn – cut green yarn at the end of this row

Row 13: Ch1; 1dc in the same st as the beginning ch1, 1dc in the second ch from hook and in st along until end, turn. 13sts. Fasten off and weave in ends.

With Green / Brown surface crochet around the outside of the tree shape.
On one side of the tree shape sew small star or snowflake button at the top and eight silver beads for baubles on the tree – see photo for more details.

Finishing:

Place both wreaths / Christmas tree pieces together, attach blue yarn through both pieces and neatly work 1dc/sc along each edge with 5dc/sc in each corner. Stuff as you go. Fasten off and weave in ends
With Anchor Grey Stranded Cotton Ch30, fasten off but leave long yarn tail.
Attach to the top centre of each pillow decoration as the hanging loop.

Charts:

I hope you will join me in hooking up some little pillow decorations, they are really fun to make! I hope you’ll tag me on social media or link any projects to Ravelry so I can see – I love to see what you make.

Many thanks to Anchor Crafts for supplying the yarn so I could make this pattern for you.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

18Dec2018

Tapestry Crochet: Step-by-step mini tutorial

Posted in Crochet, Designing, Free Patterns, Pattern Release, Tutorial, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

So yesterday if you were here on the blog you will have seen my review of Anchor Creativa Fino yarn that Anchor crafts kindly sent me to try. I also shared with you a little sneeky peep of the free patterns I’m sharing with you today.

I thought I’d do a bit of a double post today, in this post I’m going to first talk about how I do tapestry crochet working in rows to make it easier, for folks that haven’t tried it before, to go onto the patterns for both decorations next.

Tapestry crochet is one of those that might seem a little intimidating because it can involve a lot of different yarn colour changes, but I’m going to show you below how easy it is – and how to weave most of your ends as you go!

The main thing you need to know is that you will be working normal UK double crochet (US single crochet) stitches. The only difference is that you will carry additional yarn along with you and working over it as you crochet the row.

Step 1:

Work your rows and stitches as the pattern indicates as normal…

Step 2:

Then on the next row where you have to change colour, lay your second colour along your row and work over the top of it until it’s time for you to actually change colour…

Step 3:

When changing to a different colour, pull the new colour through the last two loops of the previous stitch to complete that stitch…

Step 4:

Continue in the new colour, following the pattern. Change colours in this manner, whenever indicated on the pattern…

Step 5:

When you get to the end of the row carry your yarn up the side of your work…

Step 6:

Then carry the unused coloured yarn along and crochet over the unused colour to work the next row…

And that’s pretty much it! Keep working the steps above until you have finished the tapestry part of your work as indicated in the pattern.

There are often two types of instructions available for tapestry crochet patterns; a written pattern and a pictorial chart. For a pictorial chart you usually work one UK double crochet (US single crochet) per square indicated.

In the pattern coming shortly I’ve included both the written pattern and a pictorial chart for both the Christmas tree and the Christmas wreath crochet decoration so you can decided which you prefer.

Many thanks to Anchor Crafts for supplying the yarn so I could make this pattern for you.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

17Dec2018

Anchor | Creativa Fino Yarn Review

Posted in Crochet, Designing, Free Patterns, Pattern Release, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I had a lovely email recently from Anchor Yarns to see if I would like to review some of their yarn. I’d heard of Anchor crafts through their embroidery threads but I must confess that I hadn’t realised that they also had a range of cottons suitable for crochet.

I enjoy doing the research into yarn companies because they often come from such a rich heritage! And Anchor crafts are no different; the brand can trace back it’s history all the way to 1866 originating in Scotland. As years passed the manufacture of Anchor threads moved from Scotland then to Germany and today, the Anchor brand in Europe is manufactured by Mezcrafts in Hungary.

As well as supply yarn they also seem to have a great ethos as a company; they mention on their website that they are continuously building and improving their ecological footprint by looking to reduce CO2 emissions, have minimal textile waste and through low water consumption. All good stuff!

Anchor offer a wide variety of yarns of different thicknesses and compositions suitable for many craft techniques but for crochet they sent me some of their Anchor Creativa to play with.

So let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics we:

Weight: 4ply / Fingering Weight (2)
Blend: 100% Cotton
Yarn Ball Weight: 50g
Yarn Ball Length: 125m
Wash instructions: Machine Wash 40°C
Price: £1.90 (at the time of this post)

It’s available in a whopping 72 solid shades in 4ply (and in 8ply) but I was sent a nice selection of six different colours to play with.

It’s really nice yarn to use, it’s very smooth, not rough to work with and as a cotton is great for home decor items and wearables as it’s machine washable – ideal for easy care! The recommended hook size is 2.5mm (US size C/2) which I found to be spot on for me, and I had fun trying out a couple of ideas, but I’ll share a little sneaky peek of the first idea I came up with now…

As it’s Christmas and I love making Christmas decorations I had the idea to make some little Christmas pillow decorations for the tree. They are a great beginners project to tapestry crochet (of which I’ll share a bit of a photo tutorial), they are quick to make (easily finished in an evening) and so make a fabulous little project for either you or as a seasonal gift for a friend.

Check back tomorrow for the pattern and tapestry charts for both the Christmas tree and the wreath Christmas crochet decorations.

Many thanks to Anchor Crafts for supplying the yarn so I could make this pattern for you.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

12Dec2018

Three Bears Yarn | The Great British Textile Box Product Review

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Pattern Review, Product Review, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

So recently I was approached by Three Bears Yarns to see if I would like to review their Great British Textile Box. Review a box full of delicious quality British wool…oh go on then I said…you’ve twisted my arm – if you’d like to send me one over, I said, that would be very kind of you…(cue me dancing with glee).

Not long after a fabulously designed box was delivered by my nice postman (all postman are nice that deliver yarn aren’t they!)…

But before I get to the unveiling of the inside of the box maybe you want to know who Three Bears Yarns are and what the Great British Textile Box is?

Three Bears Yarns are a company that originates from the heritage of Blackburn Yarn Dyers founded in 1915. I first became aware of Three Bears Yarns earlier this year and have been following them with interest since then. I love the fact that they are passionate about what they are producing and are keen to put Lancashire (British) textiles back on the map.

I would say Three Bears Yarns are probably best known for their delicious range of 100% cotton yarn on Aran (Worsted), DK (Sport) and 3ply (Fingering) weights which comes in over 70 shades across the weights…

I’ve used some of their cottons for a few projects now for Dear Ewe (the Lime Crush Baskets and Fat Bottomed Rustic Basket) and really liked it and have some more projects coming up in 2019 (so watch this space).

Three Bears Yarns also now offer a range of British Blue Faced Leicester Aran wool (available in eleven stunning shades) and are branching out into filling the Great British Textile Box with other yarn spun in Yorkshire and dyed in Lancashire.

The Great British Textile Box is a monthly crochet subscription box filled with 200g of beautiful yarn that comes complete with a crochet pattern available in both UK and US terms. Each month you’ll receive:

200g of quality British Wool
A unique crochet design to craft
Accessories included

So back to the box…nestled in some turquoise tissue paper were two beautiful skeins of the finest Falkland Merino DK yarn.

It’s unfortunate that this blog isn’t equipped with squidge-o-vision because it’s the kind of yarn that begs to be squished a bit! When I got it out I was delighted by how soft it felt.

Aren’t you always a bit worried when you hear wool – and think scratchy? Not a jot with this Falklands Merino, it’s soft as a cloud! The two skeins were cream and taupe coloured and the pattern design that accompanied the yarn was for the Hannah Hat and Gauntlets designed by Jacinta Bowie.

Now unfortunately I can’t tell you about the pattern booklet as they had run out so I only had an emailed copy of the pattern to work from. But the pattern I had (in UK terminology) was clearly set out and included a chart; there was also a link to a useful video tutorial on how to do the crocodile stitch. However I would say the hat design would perhaps be a bit tricky for a beginner and would be more suitable for an intermediate crocheter.

I decided to make the hat because I fell in love with it! Crocodile stitch is such a fun stitch to do and it makes an amazing texture! The recommended hook size for the hat is a 4mm (US size G) but I really wanted to make the hat for my 2 year old so after a bit of calculating I went down to a 3.5mm (US size E-4).

And the finished hat came out beautifully, just the right size for her head, though if you make the pattern as written it will fit an average size adult head.

Now my toddler, even with bribery, didn’t want to play mummy take photos so I had to improvise to show you the finished hat…yes it is just possible that I have a gin glass as large as a toddlers head…

The pattern does come with instructions on how to make and add twisted cord to add to the bottom of the ear-flaps which I didn’t add just because it was for my little one.

The yarn is just perfect for the design and is a delight to work with; as it was so easy on the fingers it meant I really enjoyed making up this hat and the texture of the finished hat – augh! Isn’t is just awesome!

And one final picture because you just have to see the top of the hat…so clever!

I don’t know if any of the patterns included in the boxes will be available after the subscription boxes at any point (in case you were wondering) but I do have a feeling that all future designs are going to be a match for the yarn so super lovely!

By the time of this post I believe that the December Great British Textile Box, this time with 200g of a Bluefaced Leicester and Masham blend of yarn, will be sent to subscribers soon with another beautiful pattern (also by Jacinta Bowie) of a stunning cushion. So I think there will be accessories, house decor items and other items, for a bit of variety, to crochet with each box.

I think it’s obvious that I loved the yarn and enjoyed the pattern but what I also like about the Great British Textile Box, as far as subscription boxes go, is that the contents are very luxurious, the patterns so far seem gorgeous, and it’s all at a very reasonably priced £21.95 (roughly $31.57) per month. It’s also a great way to learn more about wool yarn blends if that’s something you might be interested in.

For someone who is also a bit unsure of subscription boxes it’s free to cancel any time and Three Bears Yarns also offer free UK postage on all boxes (and also free delivery to other selected countries – see their website for more details)

Many thanks to Three Bears Yarns for supplying me with a box free of charge so I could tell you all about it.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

2Oct2018

Marriner Yarns | 100% Mercerised Cotton Review

Posted in Amigurumi, Crochet, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

A few months ago I was approached by the company Marriner Yarns to see if I would like to review some of their products. They weren’t a brand that I was familiar with so I said sure – if you’d like to pop over a sample for me I’ll have a look at it.

I was expecting maybe one or two balls of yarn – what I wasn’t expecting was a huge parcel full of cotton, double knit, chunky, super chunky and variegated yarn! Just look at this lot…

For this post I did a little research into Marriner Yarns and was surprised to discover that they are one of Britain’s oldest suppliers of knitting yarns and accessories (dating back to 1784). I love the fact that they use British Wool in their wool range and I fell in love reading about their own special flock which they are currently growing; you can read more about that on their blog – those little lambs are just darling!

As well as wool blends they are also big suppliers of different acrylic yarns. Now I know acrylic yarn isn’t everyone’s favourite but I use a lot for my design work, I like it and think there is a definite place for it – and I certainly don’t think it means, as a rule, that just because it’s acrylic that it’s lacking in quality. They are some beautiful acrylic yarns out there which is usually available in an array of different colours. If you are just learning crochet for instance using acrylic yarns can actually be a really cost-effective way to get started and find your favourites.

If you are looking for a large range of different yarn types and weights then Marriner Yarns definitely have the variety – and at prices that won’t break the bank. And they have some very pretty colourways like this Heritage Double Knit…

And I also like the hues of the Empress Chunky…

What a lot of stuff to play with! Being a crochet blogger certainly comes with it’s perks!

As I work a lot with cotton I decided to give some of that a try first. I love cotton for amigurumi though it’s also great for garments (as the natural fibres mean it’s breathable) or for house decor items.

The cotton I selected from my package was mercerised, which means that the cotton fibre has been treated in a way to make it stronger, it reduces fabric shrinkage (which you obviously want for garments) and the process gives the yarn a silky shiny lustre – which I quite like for ami’s.

Marriners 100% mercerised cotton range is classed as a double knit (8ply) comes in 9 different colours: Berry, Cream, Oatmeal, Violet, White, Azure, Cyclamen, Asparagus and Poppy and it’s suitable to be used with any DK pattern.

So let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics we:

Weight: Double Knit (3)
Blend: 100% Mercerised Cotton
Yarn Ball Weight: 50g
Yarn Ball Length: 201m
Wash instructions: Machine Wash / Wool Wash 30°C
Price: £2.95 (at the time of this post)

I actually had a little amigurumi project in mind that I wanted to work out so I chose the Violet and the Cyclamen which I planned to mix with some of the White. Incidentally the recommended hook and needle size for this yarn is 3.25mm – 4mm (US size D/3 – G) but I chose my trusty favourite 3mm (C/2) for a tighter amigurumi stitch.

I was very pleased with the vibrancy of the colours and I really like the hues of the purples. When crocheting the mercerised-ness of the cotton (I’m claiming that as a word!) allows the yarn to slide through your fingers which means I also found it very easy on the hands to work with.

I can’t comment on any of the other yarn I received yet, as I’ve not had time to play with them, but I will say that the Marriner cotton is comparable to other mercerised cottons I’ve used and good value for money. I’d use it again for another project – though I’d love to see more colours made available!

So do you want to see a little sneaky peek of the pattern I came up with?

He’s not quite ready to meet you quite yet but pop back tomorrow for the FREE pattern release of Rascal the Raccoon!

Many thanks to Marriner Yarns for supplying the yarn so I could make this pattern for you.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

8Aug2018

Yarn Review and New Project | Scheepjes Stardust

Posted in Crochet, Designing, For Adult, Getting Crafty, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I love it when I find a new yarn to play with! Stardust yarn was released by the Dutch company Scheepjes at the end of 2016 but it was a new yarn to me. I came across it when I was searching the web for a particular yarn to make a wedding shawl (more on that later) and when I saw this yarn I just KNEW it had been what I was searching for.

I really wanted something a little special for this project and Stardust contains really fine sparkling fibres that add a gorgeous shimmer when they catch the light. I must confess I was a bit worried about the scratchy element, like some sparkle yarns can be, but I need not have worried, when this yarn turned up it was super soft without being scratchy.

So let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics we:

Weight: Double Knit (3)
Blend: 11% mohair, 11% wool, 75% premium acrylic, 3% metallic polyester
Yarn Ball Weight: 100g
Yarn Ball Length: 540m
Wash instructions: Cool, gentle hand wash only.
Price: £5.80 (at the time of this post)

Stardust is available in 9 solid and 5 long variegated shades, each named after a star constellation – which I love! Who doesn’t want to hook up the stars!

I chose Capricorn (Shade 653) for my particular project but it just might be that I have since purchased some more Stardust since then…

I may just have bought some Pisces (Shade 654), because I fell in love with the gorgeousness of the blue, and maybe some Virgo (Shade 664) also fell into my basket because I was born in September so I had to! What can I say…I know I’m a yarn addict!

I’m not usually much of a pink person but the Virgo is such a delightful variegated combination…and you can just make out the hint of shine I was talking about.

It’s hard to catch the lovely sparkle in a photo, this yarn is much better in real life and when it’s made into a garment it’s best – it needs movement to make it really shine!

Stardust comes in large 100g / 540m balls which means you could easily make a project out of one ball. The particular blend of different yarns creates a lovely lightweight fabric when worked up with a lovely drape – just perfect for a shawl or wrap. For my wrap I ended up using 3 balls which still isn’t going to break the bank – especially for a luxe handmade shawl.

I so enjoyed the effect this yarn creates when worked up, seriously can’t say enough about the sparkle, so decided to stick with a fairly simple design to let the yarn do the talking. Like most fluffy yarns it’s not the easiest to frog if you go wrong which was another reason I kept the pattern simple. I’ll let you have a little peep at the design I came up with…

The free crochet pattern for the Shining Light Wedding Wrap will be coming to the blog soon!

Have you worked with Stardust yarn – what did you think?

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

1Nov2017

Wulla Super Bulky | Yarn Review and Free Wulla Wreath Crochet Pattern

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Getting Crafty, Inspiration, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this yarn however I have not been financially compensated by the supplier to write this review. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of using the yarn.

Well I don’t think Christmas could come any chunkier than with the Wulla Wreath! I’m very excited to share this free pattern with you today for a true statement keepsake wreath just perfect for the holiday season – though I’m tempted to leave mine up all year!

Back at the beginning of October the lovely Caz, an indie spinner and dyer, from Wulla Yarn placed a call out for designers on Instagram to see who fancied experimenting with her amazing giant yarn.

Isn’t it incredible! Well as you can imagine I REALLY wanted to get my hands on some of that lovely stuff to have a play! So I dropped Caz a message with my idea and, luckily for me, she decided a collaboration would be a great idea.

If you aren’t familiar with Wulla Yarn it might be because they are relatively new on the yarn scene. Started in April 2017 Wulla was born out of Caz’s desire to make big, bold contemporary yarn to inspire crafters to explore and create. The name ‘Wulla’ is a corruption of the word Wul, the Anglo Saxon for ‘wool’, and combines Caz’s love of history and her drive to do something new!

This yarn is serious stuff with a recommended hook size of 12-15mm or bigger! So let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics we:

Weight: Super Bulky (7)
Blend: Wool
Yarn Ball Weight: 400g
Yarn Ball Length: 60m
Wash instructions: Cool, gentle hand wash only.
Price: £28.00 (at the time of this post)

Like many types of hand spun yarn the thickness and texture differs slightly along it’s length but, that to me, lends to it’s undeniable charm.

To me this yarn had statement piece written all over it and so I decided I wanted to try and create a giant hunky chunky wreath. I chose to make my wreath with the un-dyed yarn as I think, although it’s neutral, the light natural cream colour has a lovely elegancy about it.

The wreath works up very quickly and, although a bit fiddly when you start off until you find your flow, it’s suitable for beginners to make as the pattern is essentially just giant UK double crochet / US single crochet stitches.

Add the Wulla Wreath to your 💗 Favourites and Ravelry Queue for a print friendly of this page please scroll to the bottom of this post and click on the Print & PDF button.

Yarn: Super Bulky Undyed Handspun Giant Yarn / 60m / 400g
Hook: I used my 25mm hook – but smaller would work too, you might just need to experiment.
Size: 35mm
Gauge: Establishing the correct gauge is not critical to this pattern.

Abbreviations:

st(s) = stitch(es)
dc/sc= UK double crochet / US single crochet

Stitch Guidance:

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and pull through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.

You will also need:

35mm / 1.4 inch Polystyrene Wreath (I got mine from Hobbycraft)
D ring (or something similar) for hanging the wreath
Cotton Thread / Needle
Large Pom Pom Maker (Mine had a 85mm / 0.3 inch diameter)

Pattern:

Rnd 1: Make giant UK double crochet / US single crochet’s all around the wreath – I found the easiest way to do this as follows;

Add the yarn with a slipknot on to your hook.

Put the wreath in front of your yarn

Pull up a loop of yarn through the middle of the wreath with your fingers

And pop it around your hook

Then bring your yarn over your hook

And pull the loop through all loop on hook (this includes your slipknot loop for the beginning only). And that’s your first stitch made.

Continue to work in this way all around the wreath; if you get any twisting of the yarn, straighten it as you go and push your yarn / stitches together so that none of the polystyrene shows.

On your last stitch to do not join; cut your yarn and pull the tail all the way through the stitch, then thread the tail under the loop of your first stitch.

Then pull the yarn into the centre of the last stitch to create an invisible join.

Finishing:

Make three giant pom poms, I used my Clover Grand Pom Pom Maker just because I think the tool makes fabulous pom’s but you could use cardboard circles with a 88mm (0.3 inch) diameter. All pom’s should be tied leaving a 30 cm / 12 inch piece of yarn for hanging; if using the wulla yarn you should make sure your knot is secure, then trim off one of the pieces of yarn to leave one ‘strand’.
Attach pom poms onto the bottom / back of your wreath
Attach a ‘D’ ring onto the top / back of your wreath

And that’s it!

I’m completely in LOVE with the texture and the look of my Wulla Wreath, I think it’s just delicious – and I have to admit to keep stroking it a bit.

And if you want to have a go at making your own wreath the lovely Caz from Wulla Yarns has a special offer for all you lovely KCACO.UK readers. For the whole of November her fabulous meta yarn has a 15% discount in her Etsy shop if you use the coupon code: KCACO1

If you have a go at making a Wulla Wreath don’t forget to share your finished projects with me on your favourite social media sites: Ravelry, LoveCrochet.com, Facebook page or Facebook group, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and if you are featured in my newsletter you could win a pattern of your choice!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

2Aug2017

Yarn Review | Patons Tahiti

Posted in Crochet, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this yarn however I have not been financially compensated by the supplier to write this review. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of using the yarn.

Whilst Paton’s Tahiti range isn’t exactly a ‘new’ yarn on the market it was a yarn that was new to me. I have to say that fingering yarn is not something I have worked with very much – mainly because I feel slightly intimidated by tiny hooks! That said I’m always excited to try some new yarn play so I was most excited when I was sent a sample of Tahiti ‘Wildfire (Shade 7623’) by the lovely folks at laughinghens.com.

I wanted to create something just out of this one ball and so I got out my hook and waited for that inspiration. And you know what, I discovered that actually using a small hook made a refreshing change…but more about that shortly. Let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics first shall we:

Weight: 3 Ply / Fingering
Blend: 99% Cotton, 1% Polyester
Yarn Ball Weight: 50g ball
Yarn Ball Length: 280m / 306yds
Wash instructions: Machine wash 40°
Price: £5.50 (at the time of this post)

So now we know a bit more about what we are dealing with I’ll tell you a bit more about the yarn. Paton’s Tahiti comes in eight different shades all inspired by elements and nature. With names like ‘cyclone’, ‘peach beach’ and ‘jungle’ it’s perhaps not surprising that the tonal range is vibrant and the colour transitions are long and smooth. As you know I love working with any style of variegated yarn; I find it such fun to watch the colours reveal themselves turning any project, as if by magic, into something special! As a designer I also love how anything that you crochet with yarns like this will look totally different dependant on the size of your project and stitches used – sooooo many possibilities!

The touch of polyester gives the yarn a slight stretchiness which would work well for lightweight garments as it creates a light, flexible fabric which returns back to shape when worn. This cotton doesn’t have a firmness about it that some cottons have, so it wouldn’t work for something like a hat – unless you were looking for something a little more floppy.

The recommended hook size for the yarn is a tichy (eek!) 2mm-3mm (US size 2/0 or C/2) however even though, for my design, I was working with a tiny 2mm I found the yarn really nice and easy to work with.

You know what I decided would be a great design for the hot weather of summer – a lightweight skinny scarf! The scarf pattern will be ready for you next week! But because I love you I’ll let you have a little sneaky peep at it…

I have to say I really enjoyed working on this design, it was great for hooking on the go – that lady hooking on the bus to work; yes that was me!

I’m also muchly in love with the rich colours of this yarn and the contrast between the purples and orange on the final scarf well I just adore them…but you’ll have to wait till next week for my reveal!

In summary if you are looking to make some lightweight accessories like shawls, baby wear, fine knits, or something I really want to have a go at some point, socks then you should give Paton’s Tahiti a go! If you are interested in owning some of this yarn for your very own then it is currently available for purchase via laughinghens.com

Until next time, happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

24May2017

Yarn Review | The Yarn Collective Pembroke Worsted

Posted in Crochet, Designing, Inspiration, Works in Progress, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this yarn however I have not been financially compensated by the supplier to write this review. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of using the yarn.

Luxury yarn – sometimes you just have to splurge and get that hand-dyed loveliness that you’ve got your eye right!? Or does it seem a bit scary?

I like to think of luxury yarn as my ‘special’ occasion yarn…it’s something I’ll use when I want to make something for a ‘special’ someone – especially if it’s anything that is going to worn a lot. Anything that you want to last and perhaps become an heirloom well that’s where luxury yarn comes in. Whether you are making something as a treat for someone else or because you are going to put a lot of work into a beautiful pattern, I’ve learnt that it often pays to choose a luxury yarn.

I recently had the pleasure of designing with some of The Yarn Collective Pembroke Worsted yarn which just oozes luxuriousness from every fibre!

Oh so lovely and squishy!

From that first squish when I got it out the packaging I just knew it was going to be a pleasure to crochet with…and it really was! But more about that in a moment, the first thing we need to establish, to be all proper and yarn reviewy, are the vital statistics of the yarn which are:

Weight: Worsted | 10ply
Blend: 100% Merino Wool
Yarn Ball Weight: 3.5 oz/100 g
Yarn Ball Length: 200m / 219yds
Wash instructions: Hand-wash
Price: £16.90 (at the time of this post)

Pembroke Worsted yarn comes in 10 different shades designed by Bristol Ivy, an influential American knitwear designer, all inspired by the rich, pure tones of gems and minerals. It’s hand painted in small batches using a combination of solid shades and close tonal colours to create perfectly blended varicoloured skeins.

The Yarn Collective

Honestly this yarn was a dream to work with! It’s a lighter worsted yarn with a recommended hook size of 4.50mm (US size 7) – though I found it’s very adaptable dependent on the design.

I have designed a brand new pattern with the stunning icy grey-greens of ‘Tellurium’ (shade 308). I love working with variegated yarns – it really keeps things interesting as you work and the colour changes in the Pembroke Worsted are pleasingly regular and add a lovely dimension to a pattern. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for my big reveal but I can give you a little sneaky peep…

So if you are looking for a versatile worsted weight luxury yarn that will create beautifully soft, yet durable projects then I would definitely recommend The Yarn Collective Pembroke Worsted yarn.

If you are interested in having some of this beautiful yarn for your very own it is currently available for purchase via loveknitting.com

Well until next time, happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

15Feb2017

Medieval Colours Yarn Review

Posted in Crochet, Inspiration, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

A few weeks ago I received a fabulous email from the owner of Medieval Colours to see if I’d like to have a play with some of their yarn (I know! I LOVE my crochet job!).

Medieval Colours are a unique sort of yarn shop inspired by heritage and history – especially Medieval history. Just imagine gloves in the same colour as a Viking tunic or maybe a scarf made from yarn dyed from a plant which was used by monks to make ink. As a bit of a history fan I was very excited and intrigued by the concept!

They dye 100% cheviot sheep wool from plants that have been traditionally used for dying for centuries. It’s an ecology friendly way of dying as yarn, with no added chemicals, as the only dyes that are used are from plants and minerals bought from gardeners or hand picked in the meadows and forests of the United Kingdom.

Do not adjust your filters!! The dyed colours of this yarn really pops! I got some of the gorgeous orangy red madder dyed yarn in Aran (Worsted Weight) to play with – but more about that in a moment…

This yarn is a strong durable yarn ideal for outerwear or for home accessories. If crocheted with small stitches it produces a nice firm fabric, almost like a woven cloth, which holds its shape really well. As the yarn is 100% wool it could also be used for felting (have you tried my free mini felted heart pattern yet?).

I got a lovely catalogue with my yarn which contained shade details. I couldn’t believe how vibrant all the colours were!

The beautiful range of natural colours available are:

Blue (Woad)
Bright Red (Madder)
Bright Yellow (Weld)
Dark Red (Madder)
Green (Woad and Weld)
Intense Red (Madder)
Light Brown (Oak Bark)
Olive (Weld)
Orange (Madder)
Pale Yellow (Weld)
Pinky Brown (Madder)
Yellow (Tansy)

You can see all the colours on the Medieval Colours website.

Medieval Colours yarn is available directly via order on the website and comes in 50g or 100g balls. As well as yarn for knitting and crocheting Medieval Colours also supply embroidery threads and offer a dyeing for order service.

So what did I make…do you want a sneak peep…

Make sure you check back next week for your copy of the FREE Renaissance Pouch Bag pattern!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

Disclaimer: I received a sample of yarn to write this review. I have not been financially compensated by the supplier to write this review. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of using the yarn.