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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Pin it for later:
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, 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.
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.
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.
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!
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:
Go to the main roundup post and scroll to today’s date.
Follow the instructions to get today’s blog post link and / or coupon code.
Click the link and scroll down the designer’s post until you see the download button.
Download the pattern to your device or library!
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)!
This pattern bundle of crochet men’s accessories won’t last for long. It will only be available until Thursday, 21 September2023.
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.
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
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.
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).
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!
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!
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.
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 (facebook, twitter 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!
Pin this project:
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
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.
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.
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!).
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!).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 FadeShawl (which I will be releasing soon) for which Jess dyed up a gorgeous 100g skein to go with five 20g sparkly minis.
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!
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?!
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
Subscribe to the blog
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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
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.
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.
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 4mm – 5.5mm / US size G/6 – I/9) for the yarn.
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’.
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 SUBSCRIBEyou can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.
If you hook up the Delani Diamond C2C scarf 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! 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
Subscribe to the blog
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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
I have to say that this year feels like it’s moving very fast – I can’t believe we are nearly in May and I’ve not had chance to share a crochet new kit I’ve just added to my Etsy shop! My best laid plans of sharing it in February didn’t happen, but that’s okay, you just have to do what you can do don’t you!
But now allow me to introduce my newest mini crochet kit for the Love Gnome!
Much like the mini crochet kits I released last year (see all the mini crochet kits here along with a big kit) this one was released at the February Crochet Sanctuary where I was kindly allowed to bring a pop up shop to share with the other guests a range of my KCACOUK, Yarnybobs and Dear Ewe products.
It’s becoming a little bit of a tradition to create a new kit for these pop up’s and I have to say I really enjoy the process of coming up with something new – in fact a brand new kit, launching at the April Crochet Sanctuary will be coming soon!
So show a little love with the crochet Love Gnome! This adorable little gonk, with his hat pulled over his nose, would make a cute addition to your home or you could make as a gift to someone special.
Each kit contains 30g of Scheepjes Catona, the 16mm wooden bead, an eco cocktail stick, a small amount of white acrylic yarn for his beard packed in a reusable heart shaped bauble. The kit also comes with 10g bag of stuffing in small reusable organza bag (separately from the heart as it wouldn’t all fit in) so you have everything you need to your little Love Gnome.
There’s also the optional tool extra, via my Etsy shop, of including up a premium bamboo 3mm hook (US approx. size D/3) if you don’t have one of those to hand.
These bauble crochet kits have always proved popular at the crochet sanctuary and I’ve seen lots of lovely examples now of projects that have been made from my mini kits.
If you have been working on a pattern from one of my crochet kits I hope you’ll share your WIP and finished project 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 sign 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
Today I’m going to share the last of the patterns I created for the April 2023 edition of I Like Crochet magazine. Bright and cheerful, and an excellent stash buster, allow me to introduce the Patchwork Puppy.
A great pattern for all the dog-lovers out there, this perfect patchwork pup is fab for using up any part balls of yarn you have hanging around! With his colourful tummy and eye patch he’ll win over fans of every age.
I created my pup with a 3mm hook and various colours of Ricorumi DK which, if you are not not familiar with it, is a100% cotton yarn which comes in 25g [57.5 meters] balls. I love Ricorumi DK especially 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.
As well as the patchwork puppy (and the flower hair accessories and countryside pillow) the April 2023 edition features loads of lovely seasonal patterns and a range of interesting articles. If you SUBSCRIBEyou can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.
If you hook up the any of the designs in this issue 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! 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
Subscribe to the blog
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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
How is it already nearing the end of march already? I can’t quite believe how fast this year is going by! I’ve not yet told you about the second design, of the three, that I created the April 2023 edition of I Like Crochet magazine. This next design is inspired by bright cheerful Spring walks; allow me to introduce the Countryside Pillow.
The layered landscape of the countryside on a bright day inspired this pillow. Next weekend is one of my favourites time of the year here in the UK as our clocks go forward.
It means we’ll gain an extra hour of daylight everyday, making it so much more bright and cheerful all round. That of course means that we have longer days to crochet by – woo hoo!
For my pillow I used a combination of John Arbon Textiles yarns and a 3mm (US closest size D/3). The main section of the pillow is made with 200g (250m per 100g) of Appledore yarn which is 40% Devon Closewool / 40% Romney / 20% Exmoor Blueface.
I then combined this with some of their Appledore Mini DK skeins (25g / 62m) and some Knit by Numbers Mini DK skeins, which is (at the time of writing this) is 100% Merino to create the hills and valleys on the front of the pillow.
I really enjoy crocheting with both of these yarns, each skein is dyed with a beautiful vibrancy to create a palette of shades that work together beautifully.
Crocheted using the altered berry stitch and a smattering of different yarns and colors, this pattern could also be a great stash buster to create a landscape at sunrise or sunset, fields of green or fields of wheat.
As well as my flower hair accessories and countryside pillow the April 2023 edition features loads of lovely seasonal patterns and a range of interesting articles. If you SUBSCRIBEyou can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.
If you hook up the any of the designs in this issue 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! 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
Subscribe to the blog
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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
I’m delighted to say that I’ve got three brand news designs in the April 2023 edition of I Like Crochet magazine. In this issue they’ve put together 16+ fresh spring patterns meant to get your creativity flowing, allow me to introduce the first pattern of mine; the Bouquet Bobby Pins and Barrette set.
With the clocks going back at the end of the month, here in the UK, we are looking forward to that cold weather fading and signs of life bursting from the once-frozen ground! It’s hard not to get excited about the new season head: spring!
I love Spring, it’s such a period of anticipation of warmer weather, allowing us to spend more time outside, and I look eagerly for those first flowers to bloom.
So it’s time to tuck these botanical pins into your locks for a whimsical spring look. The pattern allows you to arrange and design your own placement for the flowers and leaves for each pin allowing you to customize to your heart’s content.
I used Scheepjes Maxi Sweet Treat, which is a lace weight yarn for my hair accessories with a 1.75mm (US size 6) hook. The yarn is 100% Cotton; 142 yards 140 meters / 25 grams and I used six different colours, (519 Freesia, 395 Willow, 247 Bluebird, 252 Watermelon, 411 Sweet Orange, 266 Light Orchid), but you could make in any colour to match a theme or outfit.
The only other things you will need to make your floral clips are the blank hair accessory pieces to add your flowers to. I used these Cabochon hair clips from Etsy which were perfect, along with these diy barrettes (also from Etsy), and this is the glue gun I used (also from Amazon) which I can recommend.
From holidays to weddings these hair clips are perfect for adding some Spring zing to your outfits.
As well as my flower hair accessories the April 2023 edition features loads of lovely seasonal patterns and a range of interesting articles. If you SUBSCRIBEyou can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.
If you hook up the Bouquet Bobby Pins and Barrette 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! 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.
I’ll be back soon to tell you about the other two patterns that are available in this issue.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Subscribe to the blog
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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
Hi folks, I’ve got a brand new FREE pattern to share with you today, the Dýnami Cable Earwarmer. A great first crochet cable project to create a quick cosy headband.
The idea for this headband came about all because of my friend Sharon who is currently raising money for MIND as she prepares to run the London Marathon (you can watch some of her prep YouTube videos here). As part of her fundraising she was doing a few coffee morning sales, where cake and crochet were combined, and a few of her crochet friends were going to donate some crochet items to help her raise some funds.
As we chatted about what we could provide I got to thinking about headbands / ear warmers, something that runners could potentially use, and plus it’s a cute and cosy accessory for us non-runners out there! So I put my name down for some ear warmers and decided to come up with a brand new design in honour of Sharon’s venture.
The name of the headband ‘dýnami’ comes from the word ‘strength’ in Greek as I was thinking about marathons and having that stamina to run 26.2 miles (42km) – I couldn’t do it so thank goodness for people like Sharon who have the focus and dedication! Plus MIND is a great charity to raise money for, I’m sure everyone knows someone who’s life has been touched by mental health challenges – I know mine has.
So as I’m on a bit of a yarn ban this year (because I seriously have enough yarn to fill a shop) instead of buying I went stash diving for these headbands. I knew I wanted something wool, as wool has the ability to manage moisture and regulate temperature, which I thought would be useful if you did want to use the headband whilst out for a run.
In my ample stash I found a load of different colours of Drops LIMA Mix. I actually have no idea what my original plan was for the yarn, as they were a few random different colours, but it was pretty much exactly what I was looking for to create the ear warmers. I would suggest that a solid shade yarn, rather than a variegated yarn, would work best for this patterns so you can see the textured cables.
I actually don’t know why I haven’t used the Drops LIMA Mix before now because it’s LOVELY! I thoroughly enjoyed crocheting with it. The DK (8ply / Light Worsted) yarn comes in 50g (100m / 109yds) balls and is a squishy mix of 65% Wool and 35% Alpaca which is beautifully soft and pleasant to work with.
Scroll down for the free version of this pattern but I’d recommend the purchase of the ad-free PDF Pattern if you’d like all the instructions and pictures in a nice document which you can print and take notes on without relying on your phone or an internet connection.
Before we get to the pattern if you would like to contribute to Sharon’s fundraising for MIND, before 23 April 2023, then you can on her specific charity page although this pattern is free, if you purchase the PDF pattern before this date any income generated I will pass over for MIND too.
The pattern below is written just in UK terms but you can view a handy conversion chart here on the blog.
Materials
Skill Level: 3 – Intermediate
Yarn: Double Knit, 8ply / yarn weight #3 (Light),
50g (100m) Drops LIMA mix
Drops LIMA mix used in photographs in shades Beige Mix 0619, Off White 0100, Dark Grey Mix 0519, Jeans Blue 6235, Deep Taupe 5610
A single 50g ball will make 1 adult ladies sized headband to fit an approximate 22 inch / 58cm circumference sized head if you match gauge. You can continue the pattern to make a bigger size but you will then need an additional ball of yarn.
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Obtaining the correct gauge is critical to this project for two reasons; if you do not match gauge then either your item will be bigger or smaller than the specified finished size, and as cables are a bit of a yarn eater then you may run out of yarn. Try going up or down a hook size to meet gauge and/or if you know you crochet loosely maybe make sure you have extra yarn before you start.
Finished Sizes:
Pre-schooler/Toddler Size: follow pattern, stop after row 65, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 43cm / 17 in long)
Child Size: follow pattern, stop repeats after row 69, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 46cm / 18 in long)
Adult Ladies Size: follow pattern, stop repeats after row 77, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 58cm / 22 in long)
Stitch Guidance
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
Double Crochet (dc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Half Treble Crochet (htr): Yarn over, insert hook in indicated st and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all three loops on hook.
Front post double treble (FPdtr):
[ … ] Repeat section in square brackets until specified
( … ) Repeat section in curved brackets into one stitch or space
Pattern Notes
The ch1 at the start of a rnd does not count as a st
Pattern
MATERIALS
Yarn Required: 50g / 100m / 109yds of Double Knit, 8ply / yarn weight #3 (Light)
Yarn Used in photos:
Drops LIMA mix used in photographs in shades:
Beige Mix 0619, Off White 0100, Dark Grey Mix 0519, Jeans Blue 6235, Deep Taupe 5610
About the yarn:
Drops Lima Mix; DK; 50g / 100m / 109yds65% Wool, 35% Alpaca
A single 50g ball will make one headband to fit an approximate 22 inch / 58cm circumference sized head if you match gauge. You can continue the pattern to make a bigger size but you will then need an additional ball of yarn.
Hook Size(s): 4mm (US size G/6).
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size may be different.
You will also need:
· A yarn needle
· Stitch Markers
Gauge: 5htr = 2.5cm (1”)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but if your gauge does not match the gauge stated then your finished item will be a different size.
Finished size: Guidance provided for adjusting the headband for different sizes given in the pattern.
STITCH GUIDANCE
Chain (ch): Bring yarn over hook from back to front and grab it with hook. Draw hooked yarn through slip knot and onto hook.
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
Double Crochet (dc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Half Treble (htr): Yarn over, insert hook in indicated st and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all three loops on hook.
Treble (tr): Yarn over, insert hook in indicated st and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops on hook.
Front Post Double Treble (FPdtr): Yarn over hook (twice), insert your hook from front to back to front around the post of the stitch indicated, yarn over, pull up a loop, (yarn over, pull through 2 loops on your hook) 3 times.
PATTERN NOTES
Right side (RS): This indicates the right side of your work
[ … ] Repeat section in square brackets until specified
PATTERN
The ch1 at the start of a row does not count as a st.
You may find it useful to add a stitch marker to the first / and last st of a row.
Row 1 (RS): Ch17, 1htr in the 4th ch from hook, 1htr in each st across until the end, turn. 15sts
Row 2: Ch1, 1dc in each st across until the end, turn. 15sts
Row 3 (RS): Ch1, 1htr in the next 2sts, miss 2sts from the last st worked on current row and 4 sts two rows below [FPdtr around the post of the next 2sts, then working back over the FPdtr you’ve just made, FPdtr in the two missed sts], 1htr in the next st, FPdtr in the next st, 1htr in the next st, repeat [ … ] once more, 1htr in the last 2sts. 15sts
Row 4: Ch1, 1dc in each st across until the end, turn. 15sts
Row 5 (RS): Ch1, 1htr in the next 2sts, [FPdtr around the post of the 4sts (the FPdtr) two rows below, 1htr in the next st, FPdtr in the next st, repeat [ … ] once more, 1htr in the last 2sts. 15sts
Repeat rows 2 – 5 for the pattern;
Approximate measurements given below for different sizes, however for best fit measure the head in question and work until the band measures 1cm / 0.4 inches smaller than required as the headband will stretch.
For sizes greater than the largest size please note you will need more than one ball of yarn.
Pre-schooler/Toddler Size: follow pattern, stop after row 65, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 43cm / 17 in long)
Child Size: follow pattern, stop repeats after row 69, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 46cm / 18 in long)
Adult Ladies Size: follow pattern, stop repeats after row 77, follow directions for seaming and wrapping. (approx. 58cm / 22 in long)
Fasten off the yarn on your last row but leave a long yarn tail attached.
FINISHING
Join the two ends of the headband together with the right sides facing each other.
Loosely slip stitch along the row, pushing your hook through both layers of the headband for each stitch, so that you create a seam.
Thread the tail of the yarn through a darning needle and sew a couple of stitches before trimming off the excess. Turn the headband right side out.
And that’s it, enjoy your new headband!
If you enjoyed this pattern please give it a love, or leave a comment or review on the platform you got it from – and 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! 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.
