Crochet Now Magazine | Milo the Mindful Moose

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

The latest issue of Crochet Now magazine is focusing on the importance of being mindful and there’s nothing more mindful that a bit of quality ‘me’ time crocheting! So if you are looking for a new project to get lost in the stitches, then how about Milo the Mindful Moose!

Milo the Moose enjoys getting out his yoga mat and unwinding after a busy day! Are you interested in yoga or mediation? I used to enjoy going to yoga classes before I had children and have recently been considering trying to find a local class again that I could go to.

But of course I also use the rhythmic motions of crochet as a conscious way to slow down a bit, be present in the moment with my stitches and relieve stress – and that’s what Milo is all about!

Enjoy taking the time to hook up Milo and his tasselled yoga mat, he makes a quick and easy project and would be the perfect gift for any yoga loving family and friends.

For my Milo I used some of my favourite Ricorumi DK with a 3mm hook. If you are not not familiar with the yarn it is 100% Cotton which comes in 25g [57.5 meters] balls. I went for calming teal and brown tones, just 1 ball of Wood (073), Cream (002), Aqua (074), Slate (080) and Teal (040). I love Ricorumi DK for amigurumi as it comes in the cute little balls in loads of different colours so I can usually find the shades that I’m looking for.

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Issue 78 is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you make up Milo the Moose I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! And finally you may wish to make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, discounts or new pattern releases are available.

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

Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected, thank you for your support.

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29Dec2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Exclusive Care Bear Toys

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Another day, another bear! But these next patterns are a couple of bears that I’ve been super excited about sharing with you – because they are CARE BEARS!!!!!

That’s right!!! Care Bears!!! If you are a child of the 80’s, like I was, you may just understand the excitement I had to be given the opportunity to create a couple of the iconic characters for the latest issue of Crochet Now Magazine (Issue 76)!

I got to choose which two Care Bears I’d like to try and bring to life and, as Cheer Bear and Grumpy Bear were a couple of my favourite’s, (though I’ve always had an especial soft spot for Grumpy Bear) it seemed only appropriate that I definitely include him.

Although I was only 3 when Care Bears were first launched I do remember that the Care Bear movie, when I was around 7 or 8 so, being one of the first movies I went to see at the cinema!

I didn’t have a cuddly toy Care Bear but I did have a poseable plastic figure of Grumpy Bear, and I did collect, probably like so many of us, the stickers for my Panini Care Bear Sticker album (I seem to remember the special stickers were furry – do you remember those?), and I definitely remember sticking out my tummy in the playground to perfect my Care Bears stare!

So it has been such fun to create the two Care Bears – a real nostalgic project which I thoroughly enjoyed! Do you remember the Care Bears? Who was your favourite?

For my Care Bears I used some King Cole Cotton Soft DK with a 3.25mm hook. The Cotton Soft was a yarn completely new to me; if you are not familiar with it either, it’s an incredibly soft 100% cotton yarn, availan that comes in 21 different colours. It’s used often for baby makes and summer knits so the palette has a lot of pastels, but there are some nice bright primary colours included as well – which is what I used for Cheer Bears tummy rainbow.

❤️ SAVE THE CARE BEARS ON RAVELRY ❤️

Issue 76 is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you make up any of the Care Bears I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! And finally you may wish to make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, discounts or new pattern releases are available.

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

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18Oct2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Christmas Pusheen & Friends

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m super excited to tell you about the latest issue of Crochet Now magazine as it’s rather a special issue for me! Get set for a purr-fect Christmas with eight new festive Pusheen the Cat patterns in an exclusive 36 page supplement available with Issue 74.

© Crochet NOW magazine – Supplement available with Issue 74

You may remember in December last year Crochet Now magazine featured a little Pusheen I’d designed in a wee Christmas hat. I was delighted to be given the opportunity to create some more of her iconic looks in crochet.

There’s eight new patterns altogether; Pusheen in a scarf and Christmas hat with her friend Sloth, and there’s also a large cookie for Pusheen to hold, a festive wreath, candy cane, large mitten and present, and a Christmas Hat (that fits Sloth) to help create your own Pusheen Xmas scene.

For Pusheen I used some of the same Ricorumi DK yarn ‘Pusheen’ shades I used before, bringing in some more colours like Candy Pink, Turquoise, Caramel and Chocolate, all with a 3mm hook, for a lovely wintery palette.

If you are not familiar with Ricorumi DK yarn I can definitely recommend. It’s some of my favourite yarn to work with and it comes in the cutest 25g (57.5m) balls which is perfect for making these little multicoloured amigurumi characters.

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I’ve actually got another pattern in this issue, you may remember Alina the Ballerina from an issue of the January issue of Your Crochet and Knitting magazine. Well in Issue 74 there’s another chance to make your hooks dance to make up this cute dancing doll.

This elegant doll is dressed to perform in her ballet slippers and tutu and is ready to twirl away to the music! This Alina has been made with Cascade 220 Superwash yarn, which is a DK yarn available in 101 different colours with a 3.5mm hook. She would make the perfect gift for any little girl who loves to dance!

❤️ SAVE ALINA THE BALLERINA ON RAVELRY ❤️

Issue 74 is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you make up any of the Pusheen patterns, or Alina the Ballerina, I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! And finally you may wish to make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, discounts or new pattern releases are available.

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

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21Sep2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Poinsettia Gnome

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Okay, not to alarm anyone but there are only 95 days now until Christmas – and in crafting circles it potentially becomes that time to crochet faster!

I personally ADORE crocheting Christmas ornaments and decorations, it’s one of my favourite seasons and I think it’s a lovely way to begin to get into the festive spirit. Plus they also make fab little gifts – and I’ve got just such a pattern in the latest issue of Crochet Now magazine.

A little, scandi style, Pretty Poinsettia Gnome! Adorned with a traditional wintry flower, I think this little gnome would make the perfect stocking filler for your loved ones this Christmas.

I used Ricorumi DK for my gnome which is a favourite yarn of mine to use for amigurumi. If you are not familiar with this yarn it is a DK weight 100% cotton, specially developed for crocheting cute amigurumi characters. It comes in cute 25g (57.5m) balls which makes it perfect for little amigurumi projects such as this one.

If you were looking for some for your stash Deramores currently has a special offer on for 5% discount if you buy 5 balls, 10% discount if you buy 10 balls – and as it’s only £0.99p per ball it’s not going to break the bank. And there’s also a special offer to September (until 26 Sept) for £5 off when you spend £30+ with the code 5tash with free shipping on orders of over £28.

I used a 3mm hook for my gnome and the only other things you will need to make him are toy stuffing and some gold seed beads.

Traditionally gnomes are known as symbols of good luck, dating back to when gnomes were believed to be household spirits responsible for the care and prosperity of the family, so a great addition to your house. My finished gnome is 20cm tall (from tip of the hat to the bottom) so perfect as a little ornament for a shelf or desk during the holiday season.

I honestly had so much fun creating this little guy that I’m thinking that he might need some seasonal buddies; for Spring, Summer and Autumn! So watch this space…

❤️ SAVE POINSETTIA GNOME ON RAVELRY ❤️

Issue 73 of Crochet Now magazine is packed with 41 seasonal patterns that you’ll love in a 100 page magazine – you can just see my little gnome on the bottom of the front cover (so exciting!).

It’s available to buy from your local supermarket and some newsagents or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up the Poinsettia Gnome I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

26Jul2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Kawaii Coffee House Characters

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

A few months ago I was asked by the lovely folks at Crochet Now magazine if I’d to create some fun amigurumi’s to accompany a stitch marker set that they were giving away with Issue 71.

The cute stitch marker set was based around a coffee house theme; there was a mini cup of coffee, a little donut and an tiny ice-cream with cute little smiley faces. I couldn’t resist such a fun project!

I used Paintbox Cotton DK for the characters which, if you are not familiar with, is a DK weight 100% Cotton which comes in 50g (125m) balls so there is a lot of yarn to play with. I used 1 ball in Light Caramel (409), 1 ball in Bubblegum Pink (451), 1 ball in Spearmint Green (426), 1 ball in Paper White (401) and 1 ball in the aptly named Coffee Bean (411) to make all the characters – and I still had yarn left over.

The suggested hook size for the yarn is a 4mm but I used a 3mm as I like to go down a couple of hook sizes for my amigurumi sometimes to get a tighter gauge (and to prevent holes which stuffing could come out of!).

I think I did quite a good job of colour matching to the stitch marker set, but luckily Paintbox Cotton DK comes in 56 different colours so I had plenty of choice. It also makes it a great yarn for amigurumi making, in fact I’ve used it a few times on different patterns.

And if you on the look out for some more cotton yarn for your stash LoveCrafts have actually got their July Sale on right now, up to 70% off knitting and crochet yarns on purchases until the end of July – you’re welcome!

The finished characters end up from 17cm tall (for the ice-cream), 12cm (for the coffee cup) and 9cm diameter for the iced donut, so perfect little mascot or desk top height.

I used some pieces of felt and my trusty glue gun for some elements of the faces and embroidered on the other details to finish them off with the right look and I was really pleased with how cute they turned out.

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Issue 71 of Crochet Now magazine is packed with 39 summer patterns that you’ll love in a 100 page magazine, and it comes with the exclusive stitch marker bracelet set with the 3 super-cute original café-inspired stitch markers!

It’s available to buy from your local supermarket and some newsagents or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up the Kawaii Coffee House Characters I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

1Jul2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Boardwalk Breeze Wrap

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

The Brighton Beach edition of Crochet Now magazine (Issue 70) has tried to capture the feeling of holidaying in a lovely seaside town. There are loads of wonderful projects for staycations or vacations – including a new wrap design by me.

The Boardwalk Breeze wrap is a colourful, cotton addition to anyone’s wardrobe, it’s light and bright for summer but will keep that evening breeze at bay as you take a stroll along the beach.

The wrap was inspired by a combination of stripy boardwalks and the seaside pastel colours you see on colourful beach huts.

I used Cygnet Cotton for this wrap which was a totally new yarn for me, though I have used other Cygnet yarns. It’s a DK weight 100% Cotton with a subtle twist for beautiful stitch definition and gives a perfect drape to lightweight crochet projects.

It’s also available in a spectrum of bright rainbow and summery pastels – I used 8 different colours with a 4mm hook, to create my wrap.

The finished shawl measures 180 cm in length and 45 cm in depth when blocked so it’s lovely big wrap and the cotton makes it a cool and comfortable accessory to wear. You’ll definitely be turning heads as you walk along the promenade with this lovely bright summer wrap!

The pattern is very beginner friendly with easy row repeats of the sections, making it a great mindful project – or a perfect easy pattern to take with you on holiday.

❤️ SAVE BOARDWALK BREEZE WRAP ON RAVELRY ❤️

Issue 70 of Crochet Now magazine is packed with 55 patterns and comes complete with a broomstick crochet pattern book, a Paddington Bear supplement book and a broomstick crochet stick and 3.5mm hook.

It’s available to buy from your local supermarket and some newsagents or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up the Boardwalk Breeze Wrap I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

28May2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Momo the Rainbow Monkey

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’ve been up to monkey business in the latest issue of Crochet Now magazine! For Issue 69 I took on the challenge of creating an amigurumi from a multicoloured yarn cake – and Momo the Rainbow Monkey was the result!

Momo the Monkey is a sweet little fellow made up from sectioning off the coloured sections of a ball of Rico Creative Chic-Unique yarn in Candy (Shade 005). This was a brand new yarn for me, which is always a fun prospect, and as it was a yarn cake there was quite a lot of yarn for me to play with.

If you are not familiar with the yarn it’s classed as a chunky (bulky) weight, and is made up from 75% Acrylic, 15% Wool, 10% Polyamide. It comes in 200g balls (310m) with the recommended hook size as 6mm (US size J), though I used a 4.5mm hook (US size 7) hook to create tighter stitches for my monkey.

Rico Creative Chic-Unique yarn is of quite a unusual construct – two threads, with different colour gradients, are combined in order to create the colour mix. As the colour parts have a different lengths and there will always be different shades which hit each other in the twist, makes for a unique ball of yarn and an exciting challenge for me to create an amigurumi from!

What I did first was to wind coloured sections of yarn into balls, then onto bobbins, which gave me a wonderful gradient of corresponding shades to play with for my little monkey.

I chose a monkey because they are my youngest daughters favourite animals. She has always loved monkeys and has two monkey toys that she usually carrys around with her.

We are hoping to take her to the zoo when they open so she can see a real life monkey (for the first time that she’ll remember) and so when it came to planning what to make with this yarn monkey’s were on my mind.

The name Momo is also a homage to her as that is the first name she gave to one of her monkey toys (the other one is called Coconut!).

I was pleased with how Momo turned out in the end, and I like him in rainbow colours, but you could always make him in browns and creams for a more natural looking monkey.

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If you want to see how versatile Rico Creative Chic-Unique yarn can be then look out for the other design made up from the yarn in the same issue of Crochet Now.

Issue 69 of Crochet Now magazine is packed with 35 patterns and comes complete with an exclusive Peanuts crochet hook with matching stitch marker.

It is available to buy from your local supermarket and some newsagents or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up the Momo the Monkey I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

5May2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Parisian Plait Wrap

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Time seems to be zooming by at the moment, we are already in May! It was only January last weekend I swear it! I realised I haven’t had chance to tell you yet about the new pattern that’s available in the latest issue of Crochet Now magazine.

Issue 68 is out now with a range of Parisian and Spring themed projects including cute cardigan’s, a chic beret and a new wrap design from me called ‘The Parisian Plait Wrap’.

The idea for the Parisian Plait Wrap was to create an easy mindful one ball project, where you could use your favourite gradient yarn cake to make a textured wrap inspired by French plaits.

For this pattern I used Hobbii Cotton Kings Twirl and a 3.25mm hook (US D/3) to create a light and airy pattern with a nice drape and chevroned edges. Hobbii Cotton Kings was a completely new yarn to me so I was quite excited to give it a try. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a cake-yarn that’s 100% cotton made up of 4 thin cotton threads (for a 4ply / Sport weight) with long colour changes.

Peach Danburite, the shade I used, almost has a dip dye effect as it runs from a peachy colour to a sort of sky blue – not necessarily colours I would have thought to put together but I loved how it looked in the finished wrap.

I would say don’t let the fact that there are 4 thin cotton threads put you off this yarn; if you just ignore them and crochet how you usually would, you soon forget how the yarn is made up.

There was a great tip though that I saw on the website, that works for this type of yarn, and that is to run all the threads through a small bead before you start crocheting to help the threads stay together throughout the project – brilliant idea!

The elegant wrap looks great teamed up a summer dress but it could also be worn as a scarf. It would be a great project to take with you on holiday as all you would need is a yarn cake, a hook and the pattern.

It was a great mindful project to work on, and I enjoyed designing it and creating it, and as it only uses simple stitches and chains this wrap would be a perfect pattern for beginners.

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Issue 68 of Crochet Now magazine is packed with 53 patterns in this issue and also includes two supplements; a Hook Nook pattern collection and Rowan Yarns Summer Crochet Collection, so even more patterns for your money!

Crochet Now is available to buy from your local supermarket and some newsagents or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up the Parisian Plait Wrap I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

20Jan2021

Crochet Now Magazine | Petrok the Puffin

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Hi folks! I hope you are all safe, well and happy. We are still in lockdown 3 here in the UK – but as I write this, the use of the first vaccines are being rolled out so we can feel that glimmer of hope and optimism. But in the meantime we can just hope to find some time to settle down with some crochet – and if you are looking for something new then you might want to check out the latest issue of Crochet Now magazine.

Issue 64 is out now with a range of ‘windswept’ themed projects including blankets, wall hangings and a new little amigurumi from me.

Meet Petrok the Puffin! He’s a short and stocky little fellow with a fondness for herring and playtime. His bright beak and pretty spearmint plumage always turn the heads of his other puffin pals.

The spearmint plumage was actually made with Paintbox Cotton DK, which is lovely yarn to work with, and a 3.25mm hook. I used six colours of Paintbox Cotton DK in total to create Petrok, but there was a fair bit left of the 50g balls so there would be enough to make a couple of puffins if you wished to.

I love the opportunity to create something new and a puffin was actually a creature that I had on my list that I wanted to make at some point. It’s also a bird I’ve always wanted to see in real life, they just have such a cute appearance.

The beautiful Isles of Scilly is one of only a handful of sites in the UK where you can go puffin spotting. Back in 2005 we had a holiday there which turned into rather a momentous trip as Mr KCACO.UK asked me to marry him.

Whilst we were there we went on a sea safari boat trip, from St Mary’s, to see if we could spot a glimpse of the elusive bird. Unfortunately we didn’t! We saw seals and gannets, but no puffins – so it’s still on the bucket list!

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Issue 64 of Crochet Now magazine is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up Petrok the Puffin I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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

18Dec2020

Crochet Now Magazine | Wonderland Gang

Posted in Crochet, Magazine, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Winter is well and truly here now and it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a crochet magazine or two! And if you are looking for a wonder-ful project, then I might just have some for you in the latest edition of Crochet Now magazine.

You have just been able to spy a couple of them on the bottom of the cover of Issue 63! Anyone here a fan of Alice in Wonderland? It was one of my favourite books as a child and I think I wore out our VHS of the Disney movie, so it was such a delight for me to have the opportunity to design The Wonderland Gang!

The Wonderland Gang are made up of four of the classic Alice in Wonderland characters. First we have Alice ready to meet all kinds of curious creatures! And what would Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland be without the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat!

Now you can tumble down the rabbit hole with this charming set of Lewis Carroll’s famous characters and create an all-new amigurumi adventure.

For Alice and friends I used some of my favourite Ricorumi DK yarn with a 3.25mm hook which comes in the cutest 25g balls which is perfect for making these little multicoloured amigurumi characters.

❤️ SAVE THE WONDERLAND GANG ON RAVELRY ❤️

I couldn’t resist having a little Wonderland photo shoot of my own! And whilst I love all the characters, I have a special place in my heart for The White Rabbit, in fact my eldest daughter has said I need to make her one!

Alice in Wonderland is one of those books that have remained enduringly popular with readers old and young, and these much loved characters are perfect for Wonderland fans and book loving family and friends everywhere.

Issue 63 is packed full of 41 patterns for crocheters of all abilities and it’s all about snuggling up with some frosty-inspired crochet makes such as blankets and wall hangings.

Crochet Now magazine is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

If you hook up The Wonderland Gang I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!

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