Graceful Gull MAL | The Reveal & Pattern Release

Well wowzers, September is flying by! It’s probably the right time to say good-bye to the summer and time to finish off the last bits and bobs of our summer Graceful Gull make-along.

The Graceful Gull shawlette draped over a stick on a beach in front of the ocean

The 15th of September was the last ‘official’ day of the latest make along that has been hosted by The Yarn Whisperer and myself. From the 31 July until now we have enjoyed a relaxed summer make along project with lovely fellow crocheters. And now I get the opportunity to share my finished Graceful Gull Shawlette, and it’s pattern, with you!

Close up of the Graceful Gull Shawlette pinned with a shell shawl pin draped on a mannikin in front of a lake.

Inspired by the swoop of a graceful gull this pattern features textured stitches on two curving wings to create a unique and lightweight shawlette.

As always it’s been an absolute delight to work with Kitey and his gorgeously coloured yarn, I love these collabs we do – it always provides me with an opportunity to work with gorgeous yarn which in turn makes the design process super enjoyable. And this years colourways were such a lovely summery palette, I really enjoyed working with them.

Close up of a basket with the Graceful Gull makealong hand-dyed yarn inside.

If this is the first you’ve heard about the Graceful Gull MAL you can read more about it here but in a nutshell it’s the result of a wonderful collaboration between myself and Kitey, aka The Yarn Whisperer, of a unique crocheted shawlette designed with a special hand dyed yarn in mind.

It’s made us both incredibly happy to see the photos of folks sharing their progress with us on social media, and I hope you will continue to do so as you finish your shawlettes’ if you haven’t had chance to make it yet.

Collation of Graceful Gull works in progress made by others as part of the summer make along.

Although the official end date of the MAL has come to an end DO NOT feel any panic or worry that you didn’t keep up or haven’t even started yet. The deadline was there just for those people that like a deadline, for everyone else, enjoy it when you have the time to use the yarn and / or make the shawlette – there is no rush to this crochet makealong! And sometime in the future you will have a beautiful finished object that you can gift for someone special or to enjoy yourself.

❤️ SAVE GRACEFUL GULL SHAWLETTE ON RAVELRY ❤️

The crocheted Graceful Gull Shawlette; a light and airy shawlette is wrapped around a mannikin in front of a lake.

Now that the MAL is over, I have listed the pattern in my usual pattern stores for you to make your own version of the Graceful Gull Shawlette.

I would suggest four different colours work best; 100g of white, 2 x 50g of different greys and 20g of orange with a 3mm (Closest US size D/3) hook.

The pattern has a written version, a chart and comes with a bonus pattern to make your own Sea Stone Paperweight – Kitey and I always like to add a little extra something for those scraps of leftover yarn if you have any! The pattern comes with all explanation of stitches used and is available in either UK or US terminology.

Close up of the crocheted Sea Stone Paperweight - bonus pattern with the Graceful Gull Shawlette.

We do hope that you’ve enjoyed this fun make-along, I know Kitey and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Important MAL update

After six make-alongs, for the last three years, Kitey and I have decided to give ourselves a bit of a break for the remainder of 2023 (as it’s been a busy year so far for both of us). So this is your forewarned notice that there will be no new winter make-along for 2023.

But don’t you worry, this isn’t the end! In fact we are just shaking things up a little and are coming back with a new schedule for 2024 and TWO new make-alongs to look forward to (we’ve already got them planned). The first one we will be looking to release in the Spring with details coming out in Jan / Feb 2024 – so watch this space!

Collage of Keep Calm and Crochet On UK and Yarn Whisperer Collabs featuring Solstice Garden, Whispers of the Sea, Mellow Mallow, Dragonfly River, Peppermint Pageant and Graceful Gull.

Peppermint Pageant (and previous MALs)

And if you are looking for a new WIP Kitey has created some brand new Peppermint Pageant kit colourways especially for 2023 – check out the new colourways in his shop. There’s some gorgeous teals and blues to place with, and the Aran yarn is just joyous to crochet with.

AND all the patterns for our previous make-alongs (Solstice Garden, Whispers of the Sea, Mellow Mallow, Dragonfly River and Peppermint Pageant) are available from my pattern shops if you want to hook something up from your own stash – if you are a newsletter subscriber make sure you check out your exclusive discount code!

Make sure you are signed up to the blog (or my newsletter) and The Yarn Whisperer’s newsletter to be the first to know when the new collaboration project is revealed!

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Pinterest of the Graceful Gull Shawlette crochet pattern by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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

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Just for Him Event | September Blog Hop 2023

I’m excited to say I’m going to be taking part in a new crochet blog hop! From 1 – 21 September I’m one of many designers taking part in the the ‘Just for Men’ event.

A collage graphic of many of the designs available in the Just for Him Event blog hop running from 1 - 21 September 2023.

If you’re not sure what a blog hop is it’s basically an online networking event hosted by folks, in this case, in the crochet blogging community. You can think of it as a virtual scavenger hunt, where you will find new designers to follow and get free patterns while you’re at it! You’ll “hop” to each designers blog to get the free pattern details. By doing this you help the us as designers grow our businesses (thank you!), all while receiving a free crochet pattern for yourself (yay!)

This particular event is being run by Two Brothers Blankets and Sunflower Cottage Crochet and will feature 21 fabulous crochet designs for all the dads, granddads, husbands, sons and men friends out there!

Each day beginning TODAY, Friday 1 September, at 11am UK time (6am EST) a brand new pattern will be shared and there are loads of fabulous designers and designers taking part.

Full graphic list of the designers taking part in in the Just for Him Event blog hop running from 1 - 21 September 2023.

AND you lovely crocheters will be able to get each pattern as a free PDF download for 24 hrs with the coupon code that will be provided!

In this Just for Men blog hop, you’ll find crochet men’s and unisex accessories for all your needs. You might want something that:

  • Adds a dash of colour to a favourite outfit,
  • Is a modern and stylish men’s garment,
  • Or features more masculine or unisex stitch patterns,

There are some really fabulous designs on offer in this event and something for everyone!

Another collage graphic of many of the designs available in the Just for Him Event blog hop running from 1 - 21 September 2023.

And of course I have a brand new pattern to share with you – and I’m in love with the texture of this one! I’m going to leave it as a surprise as to which day of September is my day, and what my design is, but I can say it’s a brand NEW cowl design. So watch this space, and don’t forget to keep an eye out on social media for the links to the coupon codes to get that days free pattern.

How the event works:

  1. Go to the main roundup post and scroll to today’s date.
  2. Follow the instructions to get today’s blog post link and / or coupon code.
  3. Click the link and scroll down the designer’s post until you see the download button.
  4. Download the pattern to your device or library!
Button graphic to visit the round-up page for the Just for Men Blog Hop pattern bundle of 21 patterns

Patterns will only be available for 24 hours from 1pm to 1pm GMT (8am to 8am EST) the next day.

If you can’t wait for everyday in September, because you want all the things now, then there is also an option to purchase the exclusive pattern bundle for ALL the patterns from the blog hop for just £11.82 ($14.99) – a saving of around £60 ($75)!

Just for Him Event. 21 Crochet Patterns Especially chosen for the men in your life. 19 Fabulous designers. 1 fantastic event. Free PDF Pattern each Day. Bundle available.

This pattern bundle of crochet men’s accessories won’t last for long. It will only be available until Thursday, 21 September 2023.

It includes all 21 designs featured in the event bundle that you can download to your favourite device. You’ll then be able to print out individual patterns as your convenience.

Button graphic to purchase the Just for Men Blog Hop pattern bundle of 21 patterns

And that’s it! A lovely new free PDF pattern to get crocheting for yourself or a fabulous bundle of patterns from 19 fabulous designers. Be sure to give my fellow designers some love as they share their work on each of the blog hop days.

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

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Your Crochet and Knitting Magazine | Bears and Gnomes

Will you be mad with me if I tell you that there’s only 117 days till Christmas…that’s about 17 weeks…or 4 months, it’s gonna be here before we know it! As crafters it’s always nice to get a little head start on things and that’s just what you’ll get with the latest issue of Your Crochet and Knitting magazine.

Everyone needs a Festive Ted! This Christmas mascot is sure to become a family favourite with his colourful stripy shirt and a Santa hat.
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Your Crochet & Knitting Magazine Issue 35)

Everyone needs a Festive Ted! This Christmas mascot is sure to become a family favourite with his colourful stripy shirt and a Santa hat.

Festive Ted stands on a desk between a stone and a plant. He's a lovely pop of colour on this plain background.

He’s was a really fun character to make, and I would say is perfect for adventurous crochet beginners that are looking to extend their amigurumi skills.

❤️ SAVE THE FESTIVE TED ON RAVELRY ❤️

Meet Magnus the Gnome! Inject some Scandi fun to Christmas with this cheery colourful chappie
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Your Crochet & Knitting Magazine Issue 35)

Meet Magnus the Gnome! Inject some Scandi fun to Christmas with this cheery colourful chappie. You can style his fluffy beard in lots of different ways – how would you style yours?

Magnus the Gnome crochet pattern is available in Your Crochet and Knitting magazine issue 35.

Another enjoyable character to make, and I would say is perfect for crochet beginners who are looking to make their first amigurumi.

❤️ SAVE THE MAGNUS THE GNOME ON RAVELRY ❤️

Your Crochet and Knitting magazine. comes complete with an exclusive 4.5mm crochet hook, 4.5mm knitting needles, and 6 balls of yarn and is packed full of simple and fun festive makes and seasonal toys to knit and crochet.

Issue 35 is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

Front cover of Your Crochet & Knitting magazine issue 35
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Crochet Now Issue 97)

If you make up either the Festive Ted or Magnus the Gnome I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter 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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Simply Crochet Magazine | Granny Square Day 2023

Get your hooks ready, it’s granny square day! It’s time to share your square with the crochet community and be part of the biggest online crochet event of the year!

Our favourite crochet holiday returns with Granny Square Day 2023 on 15th August!
© Simply Crochet magazine 2023

If you’ve not heard about Granny Square day before it’s an international online celebration on instagram which this year falls on Tuesday 15 August 2023. Granny Square Day was started several 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 2018.

Simply Crochet is thrilled to be celebrating another granny square day on Instagram and they want everyone to join in! All you have to do is hook, snap and share using the hashtag #grannysquareday2023 resulting in the BIGGEST VIRTUAL CROCHET BLANKET IN THE WORLD!

Image of the front cover of Simply Crochet magazine along siede the free gift and the granny square day supplement.
© Simply Crochet magazine – Issue 139

As previous years Simply Crochet the latest issue of the magazine (Issue 139) comes with two supplements to get your hooks sunk into – A colour theory booklet to help level up your crochet skills and a book full of 52 granny squares to celebrate Granny Square Day with one square a week for a whole year!

And I’m really excited to say that I’ve designed two brand new granny square for this supplement – excitingly you can actually spy one of them on the front cover!

The first design is what I would say is a granny square for purists as it features the granny square stitch (UK 3 treble cluster / US 3 double crochet cluster), it’s called ‘Bobble Burst’ and a lovely bit of texture in a colourful square. It’s been classed as an easy peasy design – perfect for beginners.

I really like how this block turned out, it feels quite appropriate for a Spring / Summer project and would look great combined to make a blanket or even a bag.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘BOBBLE BURST’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

Granny Square 'Bobble Burst' alongside some Ricorumi DK yarn.

In the supplement the blocks range in skill level; from the more simple to getting a bit more involved and my second design has been grouped in the slightly more tricky range – but I’d say it’s still an easy enough square for advanced beginners. It’s called ‘Flower Fiesta’ and I’d describe it as a fun bit of beginners tapestry crochet.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘FLOWER FIESTA’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

I used Rico Ricorumi for these blocks, with a 3.5mm hook (US E/4) which is a DK (Light Worsted) weight 100% cotton yarn that I had in my stash, but the designs would work equally well in any DK yarn or in fact with other fibres and yarn weights to make bigger or smaller blocks.

Granny Square 'Flower Fiesta' alongside some Ricorumi DK yarn.

I know they aren’t for everyone but I’m a granny square fan, to me they are nothing to do with ‘grannys’ – 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 A year of Granny Squares supplement from more traditional looking squares to modern contemporary designs.

Simply Crochet issue 139 is out now and is available in most supermarkets and newsagents and digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

Desktop scene with lots of small Ricorumi yarn balls and some colourful crochet squares.

My Squares:

Hit the button below for more block fun! Free squares will link directly to my blog or, where relevant, to a PDF of the pattern.

If you hook up any of the squares I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! 

I hope you enjoy this day of crafty celebration that brings together our fabulous hooky community!

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

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Crochet Now Magazine | Jardin de Fleur Blanket

Inspired by the iconic artist Frida Kahlo I’ve got a brand new blanket pattern to share with you today.

A bright and colourful indoor scene with lots of plants and bright ceramics. On a chair is draped the Jardin de Fleur crochet blanket.
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Crochet Now Issue 97)

Allow me to introduce the Jardin de Fleur blanket which is available in Issue 97 of Crochet Now magazine. It’s a design I’m hoping might infuse your living space with a bit of Frida Kahlo’s creative spirit!

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits and use of bold vibrant colours, and she’s become a recognisable historical figure partly because of her characteristic style and image.

A large crochet motif blanket made up of geometric shapes and bold 3D flowers in draped across a bed.
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Crochet Now Issue 97)

Kahlo often embraced representations of flowers in her work, alongside geometry, to suggest that even if things look opposite, and shouldn’t seemly go together, we are never separate from nature. As a crochet designer I find that nature is a never-ending source of inspiration for me and so guided by Kahlo’s ideas I knew I wanted to use a flower motif combined with something else to create a unique look.  

In the end I combined bold 3-D flowers with geometric diamond shapes in lovely bold colours to create a distinctive work of art for your home. The finished blanket is made up of four different motifs and is approx. 143 x 109 cm (56 x 43 inches) in size making it a great to cuddle up with on the sofa.

A bright and colourful indoor scene with lots of plants and bright home accessories. On a chair is draped the Jardin de Fleur crochet blanket.
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Crochet Now Issue 97)

For my blanket I used Stylecraft Special DK with a 4mm hook in 4 different colours; White (1001), Dandelion (1856), Lipstick (1246) and Lobelia (1825). I think many of us have a Stylecraft stash of yarn for various projects, though if you’re not familiar with it, it’s a versatile 100% acrylic yarn that I’ve used many many times for various crochet projects. It’s available in a large selection of shades, and it’s a soft, durable yarn which is machine washable – making it great for blankets.

❤️ SAVE THE JARDIN DE FLEUR BLANKET ON RAVELRY ❤️

Issue 97 is available to buy from your local supermarket or you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines

Front cover of Crochet Now magazine issue 97
© Practical Publishing 2023 (Crochet Now Issue 97)

If you make up the the Jardin de Fleur Blanket I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter 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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Happy MAL day | Graceful Gull starts today!

Image of a seagull perched on a wooden pole against a cloudy blue sky.

The Yarn Whisperer and Keep Calm and Crochet On UK logos are in the top right hand corner.

Text reads Graceful Gull Crochet Make-Along, 31 July-15 September 2023. www.keepcalmandcrochetonuk.com

Happy MAL day folks!

I hope you are ready for our Graceful Gull shawlette make-along – today is the official start day (though of course you can start whenever you like). I’ve designed our shawlette to be a unique lightweight accessory which I hope you’ll enjoy as a crafty summer project.  

All the folks that ordered the exclusive Graceful Gull MAL kit should have already received the gorgeous Yarn Whisperer yarn (plus fab extras), and the pattern went out to everyone a few days ago (from Kitey – so maybe check your junk mail if the pattern doesn’t seem to have appeared).

Image of 4 skeins of hand dyed yarn on top of shells and drift wood, there is a wooden crochet hook alongside the yarn.

The exclusive colourway that Kitey has come up with for this summer is so pretty! It contains a 100g (425m) skein of a natural ice-cream colour alongside two 50g (212m) skeins of beautiful gull greys; one lighter and one darker. Then we have a wonderful pop of colour with a 20g (85m) mini skein of feet and beak tonal orange.

Kitey has also outdone himself with the packaging this year – all the Graceful Gull kits were packed in fish and chip boxes, how fun is that, I love it!

Image of a 'traditional fish and chips' box which was used to pack the Graceful Gull crochet make along kit. This is sitting on a bed of sea shells and drift wood.

And in amongst the kit there are the cutest crochet accessories from the fabulous Mrs G Makes. Continuing the seaside theme she has created the most adorable little chips and ice-cream stitch markers – a cute and prefect addition to the kit!

Close up of two silver stitch markers on top of a piece of drift wood. The stitch markers are of a packet of fries and an ice-cream.

I’ve loved working with the Graceful Gull colour palette this year. The cool tones of the greys really felt wonderfully summery, but I equally enjoyed the modern edginess of the inclusion of the pop of orange colour! I can’t wait to share the finished shawlette with you, but I’m going to keep it a secret still for now until everyone has started their projects.

For the full information about this particular make along (MAL) you can find all the details here (or via the top menu of this blog under the tab ‘CALS AND MALS’). But generally the idea is that the MAL is a relaxed event designed to be made during the summer months.

Image of a cardboard fish and chip box resting on a collection of shells and driftwood. It has been open to reveal skeins of yarn wrapped in tissue paper, there is a yarn whisperer sticker holding the tissue paper together.

The MAL will run from today (Monday 31 July 2023) until Friday 15 September 2023 giving everyone plenty of time to make the pattern. You can of course start the pattern at anytime you wish, this deadline is just there for those that like to have one.

There will be support for the pattern as usual in my Facebook group; the KCACO-UK Crochet Community Group and in Kitey’s Virtual Stitch-n-B*tch zoom sessions. This years he’s also holding MAL start ‘hook on’ Instagram Live parties at 10am and 6.30pm – see full details on Kitey’s Insta page.

SHARING WITH THE #GRACEFULGULLMAL COMMUNITY

We hope you’ll share your photos with us on social media (facebooktwitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – we’d love to see what you make! We will be sharing our progress with the hashtags #gracefulgullmal #kcacouk #yarnwhisperer #mrsgmakes. If you’re blogging, feel free to leave links to your post(s) in the comments here.

You also 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 – I’ll just say that Kitey and I have already planned projects for well into 2024!

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Pinterest collage for the Graceful Gull Summer 2023 Crochet Makealong from Keep Calm and Crochet On UK, The Yarn Whisperer and Mrs G Makes.

We do hope that you enjoy this fun make-along; Kitey and I can’t wait to see your wonderful Graceful Gull shawlette’s come to life!

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

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Carry on Crafting Festival 2023

Last weekend I attended the Carry on Crafting Festival at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex. It was a wonderful event and I thought I’d write a post all about the crafty days I spent there.

© Carry on Crafting Festival 2023

The Carry on Crafting Festival is new to me and I always like to attend a show that I’ve not been to before to see what it’s like. It is a two day festival, this year on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July and it’s held about 200 miles away from where I live.

However a superstar friend offered to drive us both down there so I booked a room to stay in locally and we headed off Friday morning so we would be ready for the show start at 9.30am the next day.

Image of the stalls in a field at Carry on Crafting

Yarn shows and craft festivals always seem to be such great events. A chance to gather with fellow creatives and admire stalls from independent sellers. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends and see some familiar faces!

In fact I bumped into the lovely Eleonora from Coastal Crochet (you can read the designer interview I did with her here) who it was great to catch up with (as you can see I look a bit overexcited!).

Photo of me standing next to the lovely Eleonora from Coastal Crochet.

I also got to have a quick chat with the lovely Kitey otherwise known as The Yarn Whisperer (my MAL partner in crime) which is always a blast – though we do have a tendency to talk ten to the the dozen and get a bit over excited about things (we may have been chatting about future MAL plans!).

Headshot selfie of Kitey (aka The Yarn Whisperer) and me.

There were loads of many wonderful stands and I did buy a few bits and bobs. As you would expect at a ‘crafting’ festival it wasn’t just yarn (though there were a couple including Kitey’s (The Yarn Whisperer) and Bex (The Pigeon’s Nest).

I will confess to buying some yarn and stitch markers (I can’t help myself!) from Kitey from his tarot collection (to go with some I already have) and some pencils (which I love!) and a fun yarn related sticker from Bex.

Image of the outside of Kitey and Bex's tent, featuring a lovely array of colourful crochet and yarn. There are people inside and outside perusing the items for sale.

I was excited to see in the flesh some of the new kits that Kitey had put together for the Peppermint Pageant. This is the first time a new colourway for one of our MALs has been put together after the MAL has finished. The new colourway is so pretty and I believe will be available in his shop soon once his end of show stock take is done.

Close up of the Yarn Whisperers stall where you can see the Peppermint Pageant stocking hanging from the ceiling and new packs of colourways on a shelf alongside other rows of colourful yarns.

The only other bits I ended up buying whilst I was there were some lovely stickers and keyrings to give to my kids and of course the food.

There were several food stands to choose from, prices were reasonable and I would say the sort of prices you would expect at a show. Options ranged from chips, burgers, Mexican food, jacket potatoes and crepes.

Image of a hand holding a crepe next to a blackboard sign advertising crepes.

The timing of the show was brilliant, being at the start of July meant it didn’t interfere with the school holidays. We were also quite fortunate with the weather; all the stalls for the show are outside and it was nice to have a walk around in the sunshine.

We did have a few showers but it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits it just seemed to add more fun to the experience.

The South of England Showground is huge and there were plenty of spaces set up with seating where you could stop for a bite to eat or just sit, chill and crochet. It’s so nice to see folks able to get back together again in a relaxed way – something we definitely missed during COVID times.

Many of my friends were camping so we all sat together for most of the time, gathered around their tents, crocheting and laughing so much that my ribs were sore afterwards (what a tonic!). I also couldn’t resist getting a souvenir Carry on Crafting glass – used as a refillable option from the bar. I loved that eco friendly offering instead of plastic glasses.

Close up of a cute half pint glass that says Carry on Crafting Festival.

As there was a large group of hooky friends attending the lovely Jess (Hook and Cwtch) and Amanda (Mrs G Makes) and I decided to put together a special collab. It meant we could sit around working on the same project which is always a special thing to do.

The pattern I created is called the Festival Fade Shawl (which I will be releasing soon) for which Jess dyed up a gorgeous 100g skein to go with five 20g sparkly minis.

Close up of the Festival Fade colour palette created by Hook and Cwtch.

This was then combined with a fabulous tote bag, yarn cosy and cute caravan stitch marker from Amanda.

Although I’d already completed my Festival Fade Shawl in the original colours Jess, being the sweetheart she is, dyed me up a new special colourway which meant I could join in crocheting the project too. Such a kind thing to do and I really enjoyed working on it again without having to do the thinking part!

Hookers on Tour Festival Fade collab kit; a tote bag, a yarn cosy, to create a crochet shawl in 100g skein of varigated blues and greens and five 20g sparkle minis ranging from blues to pinks.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the show, and although it was a LONG way to travel to it was most certainly worth the trip. I think I’ll definitely be back to Carry on Crafting Festival next year – who knows I might see you there?!

Image of tents all in a row lit up at night with fairy lights on and bunting.

I’d love to hear about any yarn shows you’ve attended recently, and what you enjoyed about them – drop me a comment below.

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

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I Like Crochet Magazine | Delani Diamond C2C Scarf

Hi there! How are you all doing? It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post; life and stuff has just been so busy that there doesn’t seem to have been much time for anything else! However, I am still beavering away on various projects behind the scenes and one of them I can finally share with you. Allow me to introduce the Delani Diamond C2C scarf which I created for the August 2023 edition of  I Like Crochet magazine.

A young woman looks straight at the camera, she is wearing the colourful Delani Diamond C2C crochet scarf.
© I Like Crochet – August 2023

Although summer is in full swing before we know it we’ll be swapping iced tea for hot cider and our t-shirts and shorts for something warmer – and as crafters it’s always good to get a head start on a project!

The Delani Diamond C2C scarf is a crochet design that combines an eye-catching chequered pattern created with the engaging corner-to-corner (C2C) method. I really enjoyed making this project and I love how it turned out; those big blocky diamonds were just the look I was aiming to create.

The blue, cream, burgandy and rust Delani Diamond Crochet C2C scarf is shown on a white mannikin against a backdrop of ivy.

For my scarf I used the gorgeously soft and squishy Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted which is a 100% Peruvian Highland wool. The strong fiber has an excellent balance of structure, loft, and drape that serves a wide variety of uses and works very well for a scarf.  It also has excellent stitch definition which you can see with the gentle texture you get with C2C designs.

I’ve used the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky before, and really liked it, and I can say the same for the worsted (Aran weight) yarn. It’s really lovely to work with, really nice and soft and with a plied twist so it’s not splitty. I used a 5mm hook (US size H/8) which is in the range of the hook suggested (between 4mm5.5mm / US size G/6 – I/9) for the yarn.

Close up of a basket of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes yarn in worsted weight. The colours are cream, burgandy, blue and rust.

There are so many colours to choose from in this range but I couldn’t resist the ones I chose as they all had ‘Heather’ in the name of them – so literally made for me! I used Mink Heather the lovely creamy beige , Delft Heather a gorgeous royal blue, Persimmon Heather the fabulously rich rust colour and Rooibos Heather the beautiful rich maroon colour to make up my ‘diamonds’.

💕 SAVE THE DELANI DIAMOND C2C SCARF ON RAVELRY 💕

Full length photos of a woman looking straight to camera snuggling into the colourful Delani Diamond C2C crochet scarf.
© I Like Crochet – August 2023

This scarf is sure to turn heads and add a touch of style to your outfit.  Just follow the pattern and watch the checked design come to life stitch by stitch. Whether you’re new to crochet or have some experience under your belt, this project is well within your reach.

And it was such a delight to see that the Delani Diamond C2C scarf was this months cover star! As well as my scarf pattern the August 2023 edition features loads of lovely seasonal patterns and a range of interesting articles. If you SUBSCRIBE you can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.

Front cover of I Like Crochet Magazine - August 2023

If you haven’t heard of  I Like Crochet magazine before it’s a US bi-monthly digital magazine which is published by the creators of AllFreeCrochet.com. With it being a US publication patterns are written using US crochet terminology – if you are not sure how that differs you may find my post British vs. American Crochet Terms: What’s the difference? of use.

If you hook up the Delani Diamond C2C scarf I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter 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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Crochet Society Podcast Episode 2: Designer Interview with ME!

Something very different for me today! I’m usually the interviewer but this time I’m the interviewee! I had the opportunity to speak to the lovely Kate Heppell from The Crochet Society.

Crochet Society Podcast 
Episode 2: Becoming a Designer with Heather Gibbs.

Images of Heather Gibbs, the Crochet Society Podcast logo and Kate Heppell.

If you haven’t heard of the Crochet Society before it’s a little bit of crochet luxury delivered direct to your door. Every box from Crochet Society is full of a mystery mix of high-value yarn, crochet goodies and highly collectable extras, chosen by an expert design team to inspire new ideas.

Example of Crochet Society Box © Practical Publishing 2022 (Box 35)
Example of Crochet Society Box © Practical Publishing 2022 (Box 35)

I’ve had the pleasure of designing several different projects for the boxes over the years, and it was lovely to have the opportunity to chat about designing, the crochet community, what we are binge watching and more!

The whole chat is 32 minutes long, so the perfect length to enjoy a cuppa and maybe sneak in a few stitches whilst you listen along.

Crochet Society Designs by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK (Heather C Gibbs).

Saifi the Squirrel, Briar the Bunny, the Argon triangular scarf and the Parisenne Knot Scarf.

The easiest way to listen to the podcast is via a podcast app on your phone or tablet. The podcast is listed on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and Google Podcasts, so if you use any of those apps you should be able to find it by searching for Crochet Society. You can also listen via the link on the Crochet Society blog.

Although it’s slightly cringeworthy listening to your own voice back I did enjoy chatting to Kate for the podcast, and I want to thank her and the team for offering me the opportunity to step out of my usual comfort zone!

Crochet Society boxes are available by subscription via the website, and past boxes are available, if there are, from Craftstash (whilst stocks remain).

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

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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 affectedYou can read more about my affiliate links here.

Finished Object | Juniper Cowl by TL Yarn Crafts

I’ve been awfully busy recently, with some secret squirrel projects, and so I started thinking about things that I COULD share. It occurred to me that I don’t always show any of the finished objects that I’ve made. I think it’s always nice to see what folks have finished isn’t it – I’m always checking people out (in a non creepy way) if I spy a bit of a crocheted item on their person, don’t you?

My Juniper Cowl by TL Yarn Crafts was definitely a case of me seeing someone else wearing it and deciding I needed to make one too! There was a period of time, when several of us, who attended the The Crochet Sanctuary, had a bit of a craze on Juniper Cowls. Everyone was making them, everyone was wearing them, and of course I couldn’t miss out on that.

A hand is holding a crocheted work in progress on a desktop, On the desk there is a wooden yarn bowl with a multicoloured Scheepjes Whirl inside.

There was so much inspiration to be had from all the fabulous ones I’d seen, but I thought I’d try something a little different to see if it would work. So the original pattern by the fabulous designer Toni Lipsey calls for 10 different coloured mini skeins of fingering weight yarn, and don’t get me wrong I’ve seen some fabulous variations using mini skeins, but as I’m trying to do a bit better at using up what I’ve got I wondered if a Scheepjes Whirl might work as a substitute.

Made from a 60% Cotton and 40% Acrylic blend, Scheepjes Whirl‘s are a favourite of mine to create accessories as they are simultaneously lightweight, breathable and have a beautiful drape. 

Close up of the crocheted Juniper Cowl on a desk top made with a Scheepjes Whirl

They have a generous twist to enable speed while working the yarn and to help prevent splitting, and each colourway also has a unique twisted ply which adds to the distinctiveness of each colourway. I personally LOVE the way the colours blend together in these Whirls, it’s so subtle and the effects are usually gorgeous. The colour I used was a Woolly Whirl called Sugar Sizzle (shade 472), but any type of Whirl or colour I have no doubt would work.

Scheepjes Whirl yarn cakes are a fingering weight yarn (4ply) that are 1000 m / 215g which is more than enough for a shawl or wrap. So even though it was a bit less than the 250g of fingering weight / 4ply that the pattern calls for I thought it would work. The pattern calls for a 4mm (US size G/6) hook but as a Scheepjes Whirl is more suited to a smaller hook size I went with a 3.5mm (US size E/4) to see what would happen.

A close up of the drape of the crocheted Juniper Cowl, by TL YarnCrafts shown on a mannikin against a background of ivy.

I find working on someone else’s pattern very relaxing because all the thinking has been done for me – and that was definitely the case with this project. It was my take out and about project coming with me on car journeys, the playpark and the hairdressers! It’s also a great mindful project to tackle whilst watching TV or listening to a good audio book.

I really enjoyed making this cowl, and I love how it turned out. It’s a great pattern! I have to say it’s a finished item that I’ve used regularly since I’ve worn it. I might just have to make another at some point, though this time I think I’ll defiantly be looking at what hand dyed mini’s I’ve got because that would just be such a delicious project.

The crocheted Juniper Cowl, by TL YarnCrafts made with a Scheepjes Whirl is shown on a mannikin against a background of ivy.

Do you have a favourite finished object that you’ve made recently? I’d love to hear about it – let me know in the comments below.

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