LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine | Angels and Skittles Part 2

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

A couple of blog posts ago I mentioned a FREE three part crochet-along that I’d been working on for Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine. Well I thought I’d pop by to say that you can pick up part 2 now – and part 3 is on it’s way very soon!

© Let’s Get Crafting Magazine – Issue 125

Following on from Santa Claus and Mrs Christmas, in Issue 25, we have two sweet elf skittles and a stripy ball. Don’t let the stripes put you off if you are a beginner – they are the perfect opportunity to practice some easy colour sequences. And you can learn a new technique by giving the ball an even stripier finish with a touch of surface crochet too.

❤️ SAVE CHRISTMAS SKITTLES – PART 2 ON RAVELRY ❤️

And I’ll just share with you a little sneaky peep of the last two skittles in the collection…they’ll be available in issue 126 which is out on 29 October 2020, and topcrochetpatterns.com soon after. For the latter you just need to create an account to access this free pattern (and many more.)

I also had fun creating a sweet little angel for this edition. For many years as a child we had an angel at the top of our Christmas Tree.

Did you know that angels would be placed at the top of a Christmas tree to symbolise the significance of the angels who appeared high above Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus on the first Christmas.

Although in more recent years we’ve had a star at the top of our tree I think there’s always a place for an angel at Christmas – what tops your tree if you have one?

❤️ SAVE SWEET ANGEL ON RAVELRY ❤️

There are lots of other fab things in this month’s edition including some gorgeous knitted designs that really make me want to develop my (very) dusty knitting skills! I especially love the knitted nativity, for years now I’ve been wanting to handmake a nativity scene – maybe this year I’ll work on that a little more.

And as usually the magazine comes with a yarn pack which includes the relevant size crochet hook and knitting needles for the projects inside.

LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine is available in major supermarkets and newsagents across the UK or if you’re not able to get to the shops right now you can get a digital version of the mag from Pocketmags (the free cover gifts are not available via this digital subscription).

If you hook up either the Christmas Skittles 2 or the Sweet Angel 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, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

23Sep2020

Crochet Now Magazine | Sweet Sighs Shawl

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

I think 2020 is definitely going to be the year of the shawl for me! Today I’ve got my third shawl release of this year to share with you – and it’s a design that was definitely born from the current pandemic situation we find ourselves facing together.

The Sweet Sighs Shawl, which is out now in Issue 60 of Crochet Now magazine, is a lovely easy shawl that includes elements of repetition and texture to help you exhale from the stresses of the day!

I think I mentioned before that lately I’ve really enjoyed working on patterns that I can easily memorise, where I can just get lost in the stitches, and I can just make. That’s totally what this shawl allows you to do, it’s perfect for a bit of mindful stitching, while watching TV or listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks – just simply hook away, relax and unwind!

To make things as easy as possible I’ve designed the Sweet Sighs Shawl to work with any of those beautiful yarn cakes that lots of different yarn companies produce. I do so love a yarn cake, there’s something so satisfying about them don’t you think, and this shawl, including the fun tassels, just takes up one 150g / 435m ball.

For my shawl I used one ball of King Cole Curiosity which was actually a new yarn for me. It’s 100% Premium Acrylic yarn that comes in a varied range of different shades. I used Ocean which, as you can probably imagine from the name, was a stripy cake of variegated marled blues and whites.

The days are definitely starting to get cooler now, and shawls are such a great thing to have as an autumn accessory as they are so versatile. I like to wear mine looped around my neck like a scarf, but depending on the vibe you are going for you could style it in a few different ways – and I love to see the blue of this shawl teamed up with jeans!

❤️ SAVE SWEET SIGHS SHAWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

Crochet Now issue 60 is available in supermarkets and online from CraftStash and you can also read Crochet Now digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

If you hook up the Sweet Sighs Shawl 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

17Sep2020

LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine | Nutcrackers and Skittles

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

It’s September, which is the time when many of us crafters start thinking about Christmas crafting – we need the time to prepare right! So with that in mind Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine have started the Christmas crafting countdown…and I’m helping with a couple of new seasonal designs.

© Let’s Get Crafting Magazine – Issue 124

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without games is it! You stuff yourself silly, watch the Queen’s speech, then… anyone for Uno? Monopoly? Our family usually has a tradition of holding a Christmas party on Christmas Eve where we all play games!

And now you can add a handmade touch to your games collection this year with a new FREE three part crochet-along. Over the next three issues of Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine, starting with issue 124, we are going to be making six skittles, plus ball, that you can gleefully enjoy knocking down!

First up is the classic Father Christmas and his beloved wife which you can access for free over at topcrochetpatterns.com. You just need to create an account to access this free pattern (and many more.)

❤️ SAVE CHRISTMAS SKITTLES – PART 1 ON RAVELRY ❤️

And I’ll just share with you a little sneaky peep of the next two skittles in the collection…they’ll be available in issue 125 which is out on 1 October 2020, and topcrochetpatterns.com soon after.

I also had fun creating a seasonal nutcracker soldier for this edition. I actually have a bit of thing about nutcrackers, I love them! I think I’ve designed two nutcrackers in the past before now, and it was really fun to come up with something new.

Did you know that Nutcracker dolls are most commonly made to resemble a toy soldier? This soldier has a smart red uniform, purple boots and hat, smart braiding and a big smile! I think he would make rather an endearing addition to your seasonal decor.

❤️ SAVE NUTCRACKER ON RAVELRY ❤️

There are lots of other fab things in this month’s edition including some gorgeous knitted designs that really make me want to develop my (very) dusty knitting skills! And as usually the magazine comes with a yarn pack which includes the relevant size crochet hook and knitting needles for the projects inside.

If you hook up either the Christmas Skittles or the Nutcracker 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, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

15Aug2020

Simply Crochet Magazine | Granny Square Day 2020

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

Hooray, hooray, it’s granny square day!

If you’ve not heard about Granny Square day before it’s an international online celebration on instagram which this year falls on Saturday 15 August 2020.

Granny Square Day was started 6 years ago by US crocheter Susan Regalia, who recognised that Instagram’s grid format could be used to replicate the block arrangement of a classic granny square blanket online.

Others soon joined in the fun and Granny Square Day was born! Simply Crochet magazine then took over the reins of Granny Square day in 2015.

This year, to coincide with the 100th edition of Simply Crochet magazine, the magazine put together a special supplement of 100 granny square designs which featured some fabulous patterns by some awesome designers – and I’m really excited to say that you can find three new granny square blocks by me.

For the granny square purists out there I tried to feature some of the customary granny square clusters in each of the designs. Though what I wanted to do was play on the traditional and come up with something fresh and new.

The blocks range in skill level too from the more simple to getting a bit more involved so there’s something for every skill level.

The first design is the closest to a traditional granny square, it’s called ‘Summer Lawn’ and features classic granny treble (double) crochet clusters with a bit of surface crochet for a fun summery square.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘SUMMER LAWN’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

The next design is called ‘Heritage’ and my inspiration for this one was actually Minton tiles. Mintons was a major company in Staffordshire pottery who founded his factory in Stoke-upon-Trent back in 1793 – there’s lots of places still locally where you can see examples of his tiles.

I wanted to create a timeless looking block that would look good in a variety of different colours to complement all types of interiors – just as the tiles were designed to do.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘HERITAGE’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

And finally I designed the ‘Casablanca’ square which in my head is a romantic unisex type of block. I was really pleased with how this one came out – it could certainly have been inspired by an upscale club in a moroccan city don’t you think! Here’s looking at blue kid 😜

❤️ SAVE THE ‘CASABLANCA’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

To me granny squares are nothing to do with ‘grandmas’ – they are just a super fun way to show how fun and versatile crochet can be! There’s something for everyone in the Simply Crochet squares and motifs supplement from more traditional looking squares to modern contemporary designs.

I used Rico Ricorumi for these blocks which is a DK (Light Worsted) weight 100% cotton yarn that I had in my stash, but the designs would work equally well in other fibres and yarn weights to make bigger or smaller blocks.

Simply Crochet issue 100 is available in most supermarkets and newsagents and digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

You can read more about it over on the Simply Crochet Magazine’s blog but it’s really easy to get involved (as long as you have an Instagram account). Just take a photo of your granny square and crop the photo so it fits the full square shape of an instagram post and use the hashtag #grannysquareday2020.

Your square will then be added to the virtual blanket! To see the blanket, search #grannysquareday2020 – you will need to be viewing in Instagram’s standard three-wide format to get the full effect. Or use hashtag #grannysquaremakes2020 for any granny square general photos.

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

If you hook up any of the squares 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

24Jul2020

Crochet Now Magazine | Summer Wrapsody

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

You may have noticed I’ve been on a bit of a shawl and wrap designing kick recently, they are one of my favourite things, aside amigurumi, to make! I just love how many different combinations you can come up with to make something new – the possibilities are endless!

So I really enjoyed creating a new wrap for Issue 58 of Crochet Now magazine which incorporates four different stitches – allow me to introduce Summer Wrapsody…

This shawl was designed with sunny days in mind! It’s perfect to wrap around your shoulders to shelter from a cool sea breeze or to see you through a summer wedding or garden party pinned up with a sparkly brooch (though sadly the latter option might have to wait for a while). I’m loving the combination of yellows teamed with the blue in the magazine styling – so summery!

Summer Wrapsody is a classically shaped rectangular wrap that combines lace panels with solid sections to create a shawl that is lightweight yet cosy when it needs to be. It’s the perfect project to be worked on in summer in gradient yarn for a fun ombre effect, and is a nice mindful project mingled with different stitches for interest.

I do so love a Scheepjes Whirl! And that’s what I used for Summer Wrapsody in the lovely yellow shades of Daffodil Dolally (Shade 551) combined with a Scheepjes Whirlette in Ice (Shade 860) – but there are so many different combinations you could make this wrap in.

And this would make a super holiday project as you only need to take 2 balls of yarn with you to get a complete wrap – perfect for a bit of crochet project packing!

I do so love this wrap and I hope you will like it too. I think it’s a super easy way to ‘wrap’ up a chic summer look!

❤️ SAVE SUMMER WRAPSODY ON RAVELRY ❤️

Crochet Now issue 58 is available in supermarkets and online from CraftStash and you can also read Crochet Now digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

If you hook up Summer Wrapsody 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

22Jul2020

LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine |Bottle Holders and Surfers

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

There’s just a few days left to pick up issue 122 of Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine where I’ve got a couple of watery themed projects for you to try.

The first one is a Kimmy the Surfer – who everytime I see her I start singing ‘Surfing Safari’ by The Beach Boys in my head! She’s a water loving amigurumi, complete with wetsuit, who loves a bit of aqua fun! I think she would make a really fun gift for any surfer or bodyboarding fan.

© Let’s Get Crafting Magazine – Issue 122

❤️ SAVE KIMMY THE SURFER ON RAVELRY ❤️

I also had fun creating a water droplet bottle holder for this edition, and the great thing is that particular pattern is also available for FREE from the Top Crochet Patterns website right now.

❤️ SAVE WATER BOTTLE HOLDER ON RAVELRY ❤️

There are lots of other fab things in this month’s edition; the patterns I particularly love are Helen the Giraffe by Sarah Louise Read, who is super cute, and Terry the Olympian Pig by Sarah-Jane Hicks is just such fun!

There are lots of vibrant patterns in this months edition along with news, articles and tips. It also comes with a six yarn pack a hook and knitting needles.

If you hook up either Kimmy the Surfer or the Water Bottle Holder 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, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

10Jun2020

Crochet Now Magazine | Pelagia Shawl

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

Issue 56 of Crochet Now magazine is out now and nestled amongst lots of lovely designs is a new pattern from me which is quite possibly one of my favourite shawl designs I’ve ever made! Allow me to introduce the Pelagia Shawl!

My inspiration for the shawl pattern was a bloom of jellyfish moving through shimmering water. Last year our family went on holiday to Anglesey and there was a beach there where the sea was just filled with jellyfish – I’ve never seen so many!

It was a design that, in my opinion, truly came to life when taken from the page and was crocheted up in the gorgeous Scheepjes Stardust yarn.

I’m already a fan of Scheepjes Stardust yarn, you may remember I used it for the Shining Light Wedding Wrap (get the free pattern here). It’s a soft and gentle blended yarn of mohair, wool, acrylic and polyester metallic thread. The yarn does have a halo around it, but it’s not super fluffy, and it feels nice and luxurious without it being too costly.

You can’t really see it on the photos but the yarn contains fine sparkling fibers that add an elegant shimmer when they catch the light – my inner magpie is in love with them. Aside from the sparkle and the light airy feel of the yarn I love the fact that it’s also soft without being scratchy like some sparkle yarns can be. I don’t think it will be the last time I use Scheepjes Stardust yarn!

It’s classed as a DK weight (Light Worsted / Sport Weight) and I’d say it’s definitely on the finer side of that spectrum, but I’ve found a 3.5mm (US size E/4) hook works perfectly to create the stitches and drape I was looking for.

For this design I chose Virgo (Shade 664), which is a gradient yarn with ranges from darkish almost maroon colour, through to white, with all blended pink shades in between. I wouldn’t normally class myself as a ‘pink’ person but this is a really pretty colourway and was just spot on for what I had envisaged.

Everytime I look at this shawl I just fall in love with it again! I hope you all will like it too. It’s such a light and airy shawl, with that lovely subtle hint of sparkle, which I think would integrate perfectly with any modern wardrobe.

❤️ SAVE PEGAGIA SHAWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

Crochet Now issue 56 is available in supermarkets and online from CraftStash and you can also read Crochet Now digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

If you hook up the Pelagia Shawl 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

29Apr2020

LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine |Flamingos and Monsters

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

Hey folks, how are you doing? Just a quick blog post today to say that I’ve got a couple of cool projects out now in issue 120 of Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine.

The first one is a Monster Rucksack that I think your little monsters will love as much as I do! It was such a fun design to create and is a great stash busting project!

© Let’s Get Crafting Magazine – Issue 120

The thing with monsters is that there is no right or wrong way for them to look! You could get really creative with buttons, zips, poppers or ribbon and create something truly unique for your kids to carry their essentials. I have to say that the two models did an amazing job of showing the rucksack off too!

Instead of crocheting some backpack straps I decided to investigate using some pre-made straps. The ones I used were these ‘Backpack Replacements Straps‘ from Amazon, which I was really impressed with – I would definitely use them again in future projects. They worked really well, especially as the rucksack was a large one, they gave the back a bit more support, and the straps also won’t stretch overtime.

❤️ SAVE MONSTER RUCKSACK ON RAVELRY ❤️

I also had fun creating Kathie flamingo for this edition. I had a play with some colour-work to create something a little different and not your average looking flamingo.

Using fun different coloured stripes for interest, but still keeping some of the traditional pink, I think I’ve created something fun and new whilst still making sure it intrinsically keeps the look of a flamingo.

❤️ SAVE KATHIE THE FLAMINGO ON RAVELRY ❤️

There are lots of other fab things in this month’s edition some of the patterns I particularly love are Bath-olomew the Elephant by Sarah Louise Read, his little rubber ducky is just so cute, and the cover star this month, the Land Girl by Sachiyo Ishii, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the VE day landing, is just wonderful!

I’m also quite excited about the pattern for Winnie the Pooh that appears in this issue from the fab looking Winnie the Pooh Crochet Book by Megan Kreiner, he’s a bit of a favourite of mine so I think I’m going to have to make him!

There are 35 patterns in this months edition along with news, articles and tips. It also comes with a six yarn pack a hook and knitting needles.

If you hook up either the Monster Backpacks or Kathie the Flamingo 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, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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22Apr2020

Crochet Now Magazine | Pomtastic Tassel Basket

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

Issue 55 of Crochet Now magazine is out now and I’ve got a brand new pattern inside that I’m quite in love with! Allow me to introduce the Pomtastic Tassel Basket! It’s a fabulously large basket, complete with pompoms and tassels for a fun finish, that’s perfect for storing lots of yarn in!

One of my favourite things to make is a basket; as a person who just seems to accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’ I just find it so satisfactory to be able to make storage solutions! I wanted this design to be a nice large basket so it’s got a circumference of 107cm and a height of 29cm – which means there’s more than enough room to hold all of your yarn for a big project.

I used Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK in four different colours (Wheat, Shrimp, Apricot and Fuchsia) combined with Ecru Stylecraft Craft Cotton (DK) worked doubled with a 5.5mm hook. It may seem that a 5.5mm hook is quite small for working two lots of double knit, but I was aiming for a nice tight fabric.

It was my first time working with Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK but I really like it, I think there’s about 30 odd different shades, so lots of choices to come up with some fun and modern colour combinations.

The large pom poms and tassels on the sides worked really well in the cotton too – I think it was my first time making either tassels or pom poms in cotton rather than acrylic!

With this design I also tried to overcome the challenge of having the basket become too floppy – which can happen when you are trying to make a larger basket. The key to a good basket, I’ve found, is having a sturdy base. This foundation is then and it’s supported by working in double stranded cotton with a nice tight stitch pattern which helps the sides stand up on their own.

❤️ SAVE POMTASTIC TASSEL BASKET ON RAVELRY ❤️

Crochet Now is available in supermarkets and online from CraftStash and you can also read Crochet Now digitally at www.pocketmags.com and it comes with a pom pom and tassel maker – perfect for if you want to get making the basket!

If you hook up the Pomtastic Tassel Basket 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

3Apr2020

Free Crochet Pattern | Deramores Bunny Rabbit

Posted in Amigurumi, Crochet, Deramores Designer Shop, Designing, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Hey folks, hope you are all okay out there in the strange world in which we find ourselves at the moment! But ‘don’t worry, be hoppy!’ – I’ve got a brand new FREE pattern to share with you all today.

You can tell it’s nearly Easter when I’m making all things bunny themed! This is my third bunny themed pattern I’ve released so far this year!

What I love about this Bunny Rabbit, though you can’t really tell from the photograph, is that the dungarees are removable, there is even a little hole in the bottom for his tail to poke through. His pockets are totally functional too – perfect for stashing away a little carrot or two.

The pattern includes details on how you can make some of the Bunny Rabbit‘s favourite snacks!

For my little bunny I used Deramores Studio Baby Soft DK which I’d not used before but it’s sooooo nice! It’s lovely and soft, and has anti-piling technology too which I love. I’ll definitely be thinking of using it again in another project, it would make such a soft blanket for instance.

Deramores Studio Baby Soft DK comes in 19 different colours at the moment, and it’s not just all ‘baby’ pastels as the name ‘Baby Soft’ suggests either. There are a couple of bright colours in the mix – and I hope they’ll add some different colours in the future (it would be nice to see a red!)

The Bunny Rabbit design is available as either a single pattern, for FREE in my Designer Shop, or as a kit with everything you need (pattern, yarn, stuffing and eyes) to make the Bunny Rabbit.

❤️ SAVE DERAMORES BUNNY RABBIT ON RAVELRY ❤️

If you were looking for more cute animal projects to hook up there are dogs, cats, donkey’s and horses all available in my Deramores Designer Shop

I think rabbit lovers everywhere are going to go hopping mad for this cute little bunny – so hop to it and pick up your free pattern today!

As always if you hook up the Bunny Rabbit I hope you’ll tag kcaco.uk and Deramores on Instagram or share your projects in my Facebook group as I love to see your finished work!

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

Keep Calm and Crochet On U.K

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Tag Archives: Heather C Gibbs

LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine | Angels and Skittles Part 2

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Crochet Now Magazine | Sweet Sighs Shawl

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LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine | Nutcrackers and Skittles

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Simply Crochet Magazine | Granny Square Day 2020

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Crochet Now Magazine | Summer Wrapsody

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LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine |Bottle Holders and Surfers

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Crochet Now Magazine | Pelagia Shawl

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LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine |Flamingos and Monsters

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Crochet Now Magazine | Pomtastic Tassel Basket

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Free Crochet Pattern | Deramores Bunny Rabbit

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