Another Little Flower Pattern

Imaginative title, I know.

I just wanted to create another little pattern for a flower.  The reason was exciting, I was off on a spa weekend with some friends.  Squeal.  Whenever I'm in a spa (every weekend - in my dreams) I'm always worried I'm going to end up with someone else's robe.  I don't think you'd even know until you tried to open your locker and discovered you couldn't because the key in your pocket isn't yours!

Last year, for a similar trip, I made everyone the flowers I made for my brother's wedding.  The pattern for those is here.  I think for me one of the highlights of our spa trip this year was that several people had kept and remembered to bring, the flower I'd made for them the previous year.

This year's flower is a more pointy affair.  It wasn't based on a particular type of flower, I just liked the idea of playing around with the petal shape.

Pointy Petal Flower Pattern

US terms.  Hook Size can be anything but I made these using DK yarn and 3.5mm Hook

Round 1: Chain (Ch) 4 and slip stitch (sl st) together

Round 2: Ch 2 and 12 double crochet (dc) into the circle, sl st together.

Round 3: Ch 1, 2 single crochet (sc) inn each stitch, and sl st together

Round 4: Ch 4, skip 3 stitches and sl st into next stitch, repeat to end

Round 5: sc, half double crochet (hdc), 2dc, 1 treble crochet (trc), 2dc, hdc, sc and sl st into each loop and finish off after the final petal.

Alternative Round 5 (for when you have very little yarn leftover!): sc, 2hdc, 1trc, 2hdc, sc and sl st into each loop and finish off after final petal.

To create the flowers for the spa I used tiny little scraps of yarn from my stash so I used the alternative round 5.

I am lucky that people know how much I love yarn and so I get some as presents.  This means that I have enough colours so that everyone can have a different coloured flower.  I simply added a safety pin to the back of the flower and then you have your very own robe marker!

New Sewing Machine

I was very lucky this Christmas and I got such lovely presents, particularly exciting was my very own sewing machine.   This is a very new craft for me, I've never been a seamstress before.  I have tried, but never really got on with sewing machines, or anything that has needed sewing.  Since having children, I've had to learn how to hand sew a bit - sewing on buttons and badges.  I've even managed a couple more complicated sewing projects, you can read about them here and here.  My poor Mum did try and teach me, but it never seemed to click, my siblings could manage fine and then I would mess up whatever it was that Mum was trying to get us to do.  But now, finally I'm going to crack it, well at least that is the plan.  I tried learning knitting as my New Year's  Resolution three years running and never mastered it, but I have my fingers crossed for sewing.

I got the same machine that my daughter has, and it is fab.  I love that they come in different colours, mine is yellow (my favourite colour).  It also helps that when I get stuck she can help me and it made threading it for the first time a breeze. It is a little embarrassing to have to ask your 9 year old for help, but she has been very good.

So far I have made a toddler dress out of an old shirt, it was meant to be big enough for my daughter, but doesn't quite(!) fit. The idea came from here, and I loosely followed the instructions on the tutorial.  

My daughter did try to squeeze into it, but I would guess it would fit a 2 or 3 year old.  You can see the quality of my work in these pictures.  It is going to take a while before I can produce something really beautiful.  Now it is hanging up in a cupboard and I'm not sure what to do with it, it isn't good enough to give to someone, but it is the first thing I did on my machine so I don't want to chuck it either!  

I also turned an old t-shirt into a shopping bag.  The top had a stain on it so I used the parts I had cut out to create some fabric flowers which I attempted to sew onto the bag, and then promptly broke the needle on my sewing machine.  

Doh.  In the end I reverted to a glue gun - this is probably an improvement on some of the materials I've been known to fix clothes with - sticky tape, staples  and paper clips...

Anyway, despite breaking the needle on my machine I'm really pleased with this, it is actually usable, and it gave me a chance to try sewing something stretchy.  It was easier that I thought - no doubt some false confidence for when I next try making something!

I'm planning on something a little more adventurous next time - outfits for World Book Day dress up for the kids for school.  I need a princess cloak and some wizard robes.  Could be interesting! 

Anthropologie Inspired Hat

I have seen a number of patterns inspired by a beautiful hat sold by Anthropologie (not available any more, if the link I followed was correct), but none of them quite matched up to the parts I really loved about this hat. Here is a picture of the original hat:

It has taken a while, but I have come up with a couple of versions of this hat, including the parts of the hat I love best.  I'm writing this in US terms as I know a friend who prefers US terms wants to use it.

I particularly liked the cluster stitch that I think is included on the original hat and wanted to include that.  I personally think that making a cluster stitch is easier than actually explaining how to make it, but I'm going to try!  

There are probably a couple of more tricky stitches involved in the creation of this hat, I'll try and describe them below.  I know there are probably better explanations out there, and I'd imagine video tutorials if you get stuck, or feel free to write a comment and I'll try and explain it better!

Cluster Stitch Explanation:

Start with Yarn Over hook (YO)

Hook into space/stitch (in this pattern it will always be into a space)

YO hook

Pull your yarn through 2 loops

Repeat the above two more times

Then yarn through the remaining loops

Hopefully that makes sense!  I checked one of my books and it says: "A cluster is made exactly like a decrease except that the stitches are all worked in a single stitch or space before being gathered together at the top."  That probably makes more sense, although I tend to fudge my decreasing if I can't be bothered to check the actual method each time!

Front Post Double (FPDC)

With this stitch the only real difference is that instead of working into a stitch or a space you work around the "post" created by the stitch from the previous row.  

Start with YO hook on one side of the stitch;

Put your hook through the hole from the back to the front of the work ;

Then on the other side of the stitch push your hook back the other way from the front of your work to the back;

YO hook;

Pull your yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook

Then pull your yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook.

This should create a ridge effect on the hat.  To create the ribbed look you also need a Back Post Double stitch.  Which is created in the same way as the Front Post Double Stitch, but you need to do insert your hook around the "post" of the stitch from the previous row in the opposite way.

Back Post Double 

Start with YO hook on one side of the stitch;

Put your hook through the hole from the front to the back of the work ;

Then on the other side of the stitch push your hook back the other way from the back of your work to the front;

YO hook;

Pull your yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook

Then pull your yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook.

Crab Stitch

You create this by working the wrong way - so instead of going from right to left along the crochet row you move towards the right.  It feels weird to begin with, but once you get the hang of it, it is fine.  I like the way it finishes off a crochet piece.

This time the ridge is on the inside of the hat.  Thinking about it, maybe I do these the wrong way round!  I guess it doesn't matter so long as you are happy that you have the ridge in the place you want it for finishing the hat off.  I tend to crochet so that the I'm looking at the inside of the hat.

Couple of other things to mention.  I used a 5mm hook and just some normal DK yarn.  At the beginning of each Cluster Stitch Round you should slip stitch into the space, chain 2 and start the cluster stitch sequence.

Hat Pattern

Magic Circle and chain 2

Round 1: 1 cluster stitch (CL ST) + 1 chain(CH) - repeat  x 6 slip stitch (Sl ST) to finish 

Round 2: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH* into each space between the previous rounds clusters SL ST

Round 3: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 4: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 2 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 5: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 3 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 6: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 4 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 7 - Round 12: *1 CL ST +1CH* in each  space and SL ST at end of round

Round 13: 1 Half Double Crochet (HDC) in each stitch all around, SL ST at end of round

Round 14 - Round 17: Chain 2 FPDC all around and SL ST at end of round

Round 18: *3 HDC in one stitch, SL ST in next 2 stitches* all around.  If not quite a repeat I squeezed in 1 extra by only SL ST in one before the last 3HDC.

Alternative Finish to the hat - the ribbed look, you complete the hat as above until Row 14

Round 14 - Round 17: Chain 2,  *FPDC in next stitch, BPDC in next stitch*  SL ST at end of round

Round 18: Crab stitch around and then SL ST to finish.

I used a couple of flower patterns for these the first one is one I've already described here.  The second one is a fab pattern from here.  I love it and I once spent a week just making them as I was having so much fun!

I hope you enjoy making this pattern, if it doesn't make sense please let me know, although I know I can create a hat using this pattern I'm hoping other people will be able to as well!

Flowers for a Wedding

Not real flower arranging mind, I always seem to struggle with that effortless look some people can achieve.  No, I was asked to make some crochet flowers as napkin holders for my youngest brother's wedding.  I did know they were having a few guests, but it certainly felt like a lot when I had finished this little bundle:

I had fun playing around with which colours to put where, which ones went well together.

On the day each table different colour flower (and herb).  It was a lovely day, I'm sure my brother would say that it was totally down to the crochet flowers!!!

On the day I totally forgot to take any pictures of them in situ.  Duh.  Luckily my son obviously thought they looked nice and took a couple of photos of them for me. Excuse the lack of focus.

I created the flower pattern a while ago, it was based on a couple of others, and different things I liked about them.  My pattern uses different stitches which I think makes it look quite interesting, it also has quite wide petals because I like that too!  Flowers and hearts were some of the first patterns I learned when I started to crochet, because I wanted to put them on cards. I also wanted something quick to see if I could do it.  So I hope that this isn't too tricky for beginners out there and that you enjoy making some quick  flowers. 

Easy Flower Pattern - UK terms

R1:    Magic Circle (or Chain 4 and slip stitch into a circle)

R2:    Chain 2, 9 treble crochet into the centre, slip stitch to join (you should have 10 stitches)

R3:    Chain 1, 2 double crochet into each treble crochet from the row before slip stitch to join (there                 should be 20 stitiches now)

R4:    Chain 2, 3 treble crochet into the 1st stitch, slip stitch into the next 2 stitches, then *4 treble                     crochet into next stitch anfd slip stitch into the next 2 stitches to the end

You should end up with 7 petals and everything working fine, but if you weren't concentrating on your counting and either have too many or too few stitches don't worry these will work with 6 petals or 8 petals too!  If you look carefully you can definitely see a 6 petal flower in this bunch!

The Easter Tree

Happy Easter.  Here is our Easter Tree.  Apparently it is quite tricky to photograph!

As well as the little felt lamb I showed you here, I also crocheted a few flowers for it.  We had some Easter stickers in my craft drawers and we used those to make some more decorations.  There are a few bought decorations as well.  

The kids decorated it with all the bits and bobs (well until they couldn't work out how to put any more on and then the Husband had to do it!).

I want to create some more chicks to put on there next year.  Hope everyone is having a fun day. 

Felting onto Clothes

There are times that I see something and straight away I want to have a go myself.   This time I saw this, and immediately ran out (well ok, I didn't actually run!) to the charity shops to find a suitable jumper.  50p later, I returned with an orange jumper one size too big.  Ahh well, it doesn't really matter does it?  At this point I should have taken a before photo, but I didn't.  I just wanted to get straight to the crafting I'm afraid, you'll have to imagine this as the plain orange jumper it was before I decorated it.

I didn't really know what I wanted to do, so I just played around a bit.  I didn't have much time before the school run, so I only got the top layer done (again, photos should have been taken, but weren't).  I showed my daughter the jumper as soon as we got in.  She was pretty impressed, and had some helpful ideas about what we should do next.  So I have to admit, that the colour scheme and the shapes made were really just what she said I should do.

After the last time we felted and it ended in injuries for all of us she wasn't too keen on getting involved, that was until I found one of her old tops which had got ruined with oil.  She set about decorating and designing her new top straight away too.  Luckily there were no injuries this time.

I've no idea how this will wash, I'm going to assume that it will need a low/hand washing setting and keep my fingers crossed.  In the meantime I'm really pleased with the result and I think I'll be trying it again with some other tops now I know it works.

Crafts Fair Buys and Fun with Molds

My parents and I went to a craft fair recently.  I figured that this year I would write a list of the things I planned to buy.  Normally I'm a bit of a magpie - ooh I like that, or ooh I need that.  So the plan was to buy the following:

• Some big sharp scissors for cutting fabric.  I will turn that duvet cover I've kept for 3 years into a crochet rug;
• Ring blanks.  Both my daughter and I want to make some rings;
• Clip On Earring findings;
• Coloured paper.  I love finding pretty patterned paper, but when I come to make cards I struggle to figure out which patterns I can use with what, and besides I have a bit of a stockpile of patterned paper.  Oops.
• pretty flower beads like these.  I saw these bracelets and fell in love immediately,  I now need some similar beads!
• Good value yarn, lots of balls in the same colour.  I want to make something for me.
• Little gems - because you always need these;
• Double sided sticky tape;
• Black/dark coloured embroidery thread

I did manage to find everything on my list, well actually the flower beads I found weren't actually beads, but they were still pretty and perfect for adding to the ring blanks.

Oh, and the earring findings.

And I'm sure they'll look beautiful on cards too, if I can bear to part with them.  I made some cards for friends with my lovely new paper and some of the gems got a look in too.  The bird stamp set is also new.

The yarn and scissors were for more long term projects, so hopefully you'll get to read about the amazing crocheted rug from an old duvet cover sometime in the not too distant future.  I have a couple of projects I have to finish before I can find the patterns I want to use for the yarn.  And yes, I know I should probably find the pattern first and buy the yarn next, but I don't seem to work that way!

I did find something to buy that wasn't on my list at all, but I am so pleased I did!  I saw some molds like these and these.  I couldn't decide which ones to buy, I wanted them all!  I ended up with 3 different packs of molds, with a variety of shapes, flowers, butterflies, owls, birds, cupcakes,strawberries and bows.  I wanted to play straight away, but sadly the air drying clay in the house belongs to my daughter, so I had to wait until she came home from school.  Luckily she loved the idea as much as I did and we had already made a whole load of shapes before tea time!

I decided to have a go with the home made air drying clay I had used before and then my son wanted a go too, so I made another batch.  It definitely does work with the home made air drying clay, but it doesn't have such a pretty finish on it afterwards - it feels quite rough whereas the clay feels lovely and smooth.

For jewellery I think you'd need the bought clay although you might get away with it for ear rings.  I want to try it with hot glue and fimo too to see if I get different finishes.  So far it has been super easy to use these molds and I'm so pleased I bought them.

Asymmetrical Crochet Flower Necklace

I was getting an outfit ready for a night out last week, and decided I needed a new necklace to go with it.  I had spotted this on Pinterest recently which advises you on what type of necklace goes with what kind of neckline.  I'd love to say that I followed this, because it seems to have some really great ideas, but I also keep spotting asymmetrical necklaces and loving that look, so that is what I decided to create.

As I could remember seeing a lot of them, I thought that it would be easy to find something that someone had already done and just copy it.  Maybe I was just not typing in the right search terms, but in the end I just decided to go for it and see how it turned out!

I made 3 twisted flowers, of different sizes.  I started with chains of about 35, 27 and 23 - I can't remember exactly.  To make these flowers I follow the below pattern and a 3mm hook. (UK terms)

Chain a length of crochet - depending on how big you want it.

Row 1: Treble crochet into the 3rd stitch from the hook, *chain one, skip one stitch and treble crochet into the next stitch* Repeat until end of row.

Row 2: half treble crochet, 2 treble crochet, half treble crochet and slip stitch into each space until end. 

Leave longish tails, roll the flower up, when you're happy it looks flower like start sewing together.   This pattern was what I could remember of this flower pattern, so it is very similar, but does create a slightly different looking flower.

I had some cord I had bought to make beaded wrap bracelets a while ago, and recently I bought some clasps to go at the end of the cord.  I would like to say I simply threaded the cord through, but I'd sewn up the flowers quite tightly, and so I sort of had to yank it through.  Anyhow I managed to do that and knot either side of the flowers, so that they stayed where I wanted them and then I added the clasps.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.