Tackling jacquard crochet

It's halfway through January and I thought

by now I'd have done a lot of yarn work.

But I do have a good excuse why that didn't happen.

My oldest son has been home for the holidays,

and I drop everything anytime I've got my whole family together.

Things have now returned to normal so

I've picked up my hook again 

and tackled a project that I've had on hold.

since 2009 (2 years!!)

This pattern is made mainly using a technique
called jacquard crochet.
It's basically a technique that works with
strands of colours hooked into the back loop.

When I first tried it I was having a lot of difficulty
with the tension since jacquard crochet

is much tighter and less stretchy than regular crochet.
I'm a tight crocheter as it is so
that didn't help.

I also found all the new techniques

a little overwhelming so I

put it aside until I felt more confident.

 I've decided to start completely over again.

Here is a picture of how far I've gotten.

I'd love to say that the stitches are quickly sliding off my hook,

I won't even tell you 

how many hours I've spent on this so far,

but what's different now is that it's a bit 

easier and I now see it as doable.

Some things I'm still struggling with

and I'll post more specifics 

about them in a later post in case 

you want to give this a go yourself.

Happy 2011

Mirror with vintage doilies

I've been working on redoing my workspace,

painting walls, new storage units, etc 

but with Christmas coming, 

I have had very little time for crafts.

But I did manage to make this quick

project for my wall.

 

This is made from an inexpensive Ikea

mirror and some vintage doilies I

bought at a garage sale ages ago.

Marie Claire Idees.....inspiration

I'm always thrilled when I can find this magazine

since it is so difficult to find here.

I love these yarn related projects

especially the chandelier.

This lovely wreath is made with cotton cord, 

buttons, cloth, snaps and other

sewing supplies.

These pots look wonderful decked out in

their knitted covers.

I can only imagine how nice it would

be to sit outside on these chairs 

sipping hot chocolate.

How lucky are the birds that live in this house!

Last but certainly not least

check out this chandelier.

I may have to adapt this idea to 

my bedroom light.

Making a few Christmas Ornaments

I've noticed some really cute ornament patterns
this year and I've finally found some time
to make a few.
All of them are from free patterns.

First up is this pretty star that I
made for my friend Star
(also known as Coltpixy).
This one actually took a bit of work
but I'm really happy how it turned out.



The hexagon is a  variation of Priscilla Hewitt's
sunburst granny square.
 I used this great tutorial from Daniela Herbertz
to turn a hexagon into a star.

Aren't the mushrooms cute!
And they are easy to make:
pattern is from Drops 0-723
Drops are posting a free pattern
each day leading up to Xmas.

I've been seeing a lot of cute trees
and the good thing is that you
really don't need a pattern for these
since they are so simple.



The bauble is from the
very talented Lucy from Attic24.
I've never made anything from her site before
but I now know why everyone loves her patterns.
Here is the link
which includes step-by-step instructions
to guide you (including pictures).



This little gem I bought from the

talented Woolly Fabulous.

I love how she combines thrifted materials
with zippers....Brilliant!

A necklace of flowers

Well.... it started out as a necklace.

But the flowers didn't want to lay flat,

they wanted to twist and turn as real flowers often do.

So I decided to turn it into a mini garland.
That way they can be used
to decorate a doll house,
or be draped over a window,
or circle the neck of a beloved bear.
I'll see what my 2 year old niece decides to do
when she receives it for Xmas.

Details:
I used this great free pattern:
http://www.brigitte.de/wohnen/selbermachen/haekeln-blumenkette-1021662/2.html
although I did use a different flower.
The pattern is in German but
there are pictures to help you.

I used a pretty, soft sock yarn which is probably
why the necklace wanted to twist.
I'd like to make this again but in a worsted weight.
It's a lovely pattern and
written so that the leaves, stems
and the base of the petals
are all worked continuously.
I think it would make a lovely
embellishment.

I'm in love with the monkey

This little guy has been finished for quite a while.

He's been keeping me company while I finished up a few other projects.

I must say that....

"I've grown accustomed to his face

He almost makes the day begin
I've grown accustomed to the tune he whistles night and noon
His smiles, his frowns, his ups, his downs
Are second nature to me now
Like breathing out and breathing in
I was serenely independent and content before we met
Surely I could always be that way again and yet
I've grown accustomed to his looks, accustomed to his voice
Accustomed to his face"

My Grandma used to play 'My Fair Lady' on 

her record player when I came to visit 

because she knew I loved it so much.
I would stand in front of the mirror,
and twirl and twirl to the music,
(I was around 5 years old).

I adapted this little guy from this great free pattern.
I wanted him to be a lot smaller so I
used a fingering weight yarn and
went down a hook size.
I also changed his body shape.

A crochet monkey, a vintage curtain and ginko leaves

Even though monkey is only partly finished

I thought he would enjoy going outside to

enjoy a beautiful autumn day.

Although monkey and I have spent only

a little time together, he and I have bonded.

Maybe it's because we have similar tastes..

obviously he likes vintage fabrics and

we are both fascinated by ginko trees.

But he is more impatient than I am.

I'm enjoying watching how his shape unfolds

as I make changes here and there.

But he is constantly rushing me to finish,

not concerned whether his legs curve

slightly inward, 

or if his shirt should be striped or plain.

But I forgive his restlessness,

for he is young.

Help!......anyone know how to make these lovely thrift store coasters?

Look at those lovely flowers all held together
with what looks like simple knots.
But how are they done and what is the technique called?
I'd love to know!



I flipped the orange one over so that you could see how it is tied together.

2 small crochet bags and a monkey head

I've finished the green bag and 

again I have to say how much I love this pattern.

You can find the free pattern for the flower burst bag here.

The designer is Yasmin Gamal and

her site is called "The C side of me".

She also has some lovely bag patterns for sale

at really reasonable prices.

The poor little monkey who has no body yet

will be a present for my new nephew

who was born in June.

I had a hard time deciding on what to make him

and then I remembered this monkey pattern.

I'm making him smaller than the original

and I'll probably change the shape of his body a fair bit.

Wrapped in yarn

Can I please have this for Christmas, please!!

Instructions for making a scrappy teacosy

 

 Please note that I am going to totally

revamp this pattern.

 When I first made this teacosy I didn't keep

notes as I really didn't expect that anyone 

would want to make it.

So I made a second cosy and wrote up general instructions.

Now that I look at it 4 years later I realize that it would

work better to start at the top and also

to give line by line detailed instructions.
 

With that said 

if you haven't started it yet you might want to 

wait for the newer version.

I will put the link to the newer version here

and eventually close this post down.

Thanks for understanding.

added....July 2012

Back in February I made the top cosy and was asked 

if I could post the pattern (my apologizes for taking so long).

I made a second one for a larger pot (above)

and diligently wrote down each row and each stitch count.

But because there are so many different shapes 

and sizes of teapots

I thought it would be much more helpful if

I explained the steps involved

instead of giving you a list of numbers.

That way you can make a cosy that fits

your pot instead of mine.

 

 This cosy is made, starting at the bottom.

It's important to keep trying your cosy on
your pot as you work on it 

so that you can make the necessary increases/decreases.

I flipped my teapot upside down on my lap

while I worked to make things easier for me. 

At first, as you work the first few rows

the cosy will not want to stay on the pot.

I found that it helped to temporarily tie the opening 

(under the handle) closed with some yarn.

As you get further into the cosy

it will stay on easier. 

I untied it when I got nearer to the top 

of the spout.

When you are finished the cosy
you will go back and add a buttoned closure
to this opening

so that it hugs the bottom of the pot snuggly

but still allows the cosy to

be easily slipped on and off the pot.

(If you prefer you can add extra chains in section one

so that the closure can be worked at that stage.)

Teacosy:

I worked my cosy in hdc but feel free to

experiment with other stitches.

I worked 2 rows of each colour for the body

and I ended rows with 2 chains for turning.
I do not tell you where to add the increases/decreases,
trust me.... your pot will let you know.

There are 4 sections to the body.
The size of each section will vary with different pots.

The cosy in the picture below is shown upside down so the hole you see at the top is actually the
bottom of the cosy.
This was the second cosy that I made. Note that in this picture I have used the second option
in the instructions where I have added a tab (it's temporarily pinned to form a closed circle.)

And here is a shot showing the opening for the spout.
The cosy is shown right side up.
Notice for this teapot that the opening for the spout starts really low.

Body:

1. Bottom section: This is worked in rows leaving an opening only for the handle.
The instructions don't include the tab under the handle, you can add that when the cosy
is finished. (Or you can add more chains and work the tab).

Make as many loose chains necessary to go from the the edge of the handle around the pot to the other edge of the handle. I found that my yarn stretched so I took that into consideration.

Add 2 more chains for turning.

Work rows of hdc turning at handle.

Your last row should just touch the bottom of the spout.

2. This section is worked leaving both the handle and the spout open.

You will now work 2 sides separately. 

Each side will be worked in rows between the handle and the spout.

Work on one side first...making as many rows necessary to reach the height of 

the top of the spout (on most teapots you will reach the top of the spout before the handle

....but not always).

When you are finished side one break yarn.

(If you finish on your first row of a colour then leave a longer tail (long enough to make a full row of hdc around the pot.
If you finished on your second of a colour then just leave the usual tail length. 

You'll see why in section 3).

Join new yarn to second side and finish that side to same height as first. Break off yarn as usual.

3. This section is worked with an opening only for the handle.

You probably only have to work a couple of rows for this section.

Join new yarn to the first stitch on side one (handle side)...or use dropped yarn.

Work across side one to the spout, then make enough chains to go across the top of the spout, then join to second side ( I made a slip stitch in first st, ch 2 then put my first hdc into sl st)

Continue crocheting across second side turning at handle.

Continue working rows back and forth until you reach the height of the top of the handle.

4.This section is worked in rounds not rows.
Crochet across until you reach the handle top, make enough chains to go across the handle
then continue working in rounds

You should be making quite a few decreases in this part...

to give you an idea; I went from 68 st to 55 st over 5 rows.

I ended just under the ridge of the top opening. You might have to end with sc for the last row

if necessary.

Lid: 

This is basically a circle with a hole in the centre for the knob

I worked the entire lid in dc.

I chained 16 joining with sl st.

Remember that you are making a dome so you really are just making less increases

to the normal pattern of a flat circle.

Finishing up.
If you haven't added a tab for under the handle you should add it now.
I just attached the yarn to the bottom edge and chained enough stitches
so that I could form a small tab below the handle.
I made a space for the button by making a few slip stitches.

I also crocheted a row of slip stitches along the edges of the openings for the spout and handle
just to clean up the edges.
I used the loose tails of the rows instead of using a new piece of yarn so that it wasn't
edged in a single colour.

Please let me know if something confuses you

and I'll try to clarify it.

As usual I ask that you do not reproduce this pattern

or claim it as your own.

Please feel free to link to my page.

postcards from around the world

I was tired of only seeing bills in my mailbox
so a little while ago I signed up to a cool site called
Postcrossing.
Here's how it works.
You are given the name and address of
someone from around the world and 
you then send them
a postcard.
Once they receive it your name and address is sent
to a totally different person who will send
you a card from their corner of the world.


It's a wonderful surprise to receive them.
I've gotten 4 so far...
from Germany, Slovenia, Belgium and Seattle.
All have written a little about themselves
and their area.


I have sent cards to Kenya, Taiwan, China,
The Netherlands and Wyoming.
The chipmunk card on the right is going 
to a little 3 year old from Germany.
I hope she likes it.

Flower burst bag

First Christmas present done.
(Not the best picture as it is raining here).

I really like how this turned out.

It's the perfect size for a little girl to hold

all her treasures in.
It's 6 inches tall by 7 inches wide.

I made this one with Bernat Satin and used this 

great free pattern by Yasmin Gamal.

It only took 3/4 of a skein so it cost

 about $3 to make.

I've bought some green organic yarn

to make one for another niece
so I'm curious how different it will look
(other than one is pink and one is green :0)

Wip: a little bag for a little girl

I'm starting on my Christmas presents earlier this year.

This way when I change my mind a million and

a half times it won't actually be late December 

by the time I finish it.

I started off with a very simple but pretty bag for 

my 2 1/2 year old niece.

She is a girly girl and I never know what she

will like. Also her mum really isn't a fan

of handmade things.

So I picked something that doesn't take a long

time to make.

So far I'm loving this bag!

The pattern is for an adult so I shrunk it down by

using a 4.5mm hook and crocheted really tightly 

(hard on the hands).

You make the flowers first, joining them as you go.

Then you make the bottom part and

attach it to the flowers.

Then all you have left is to make the top.

Easy peasy!

Tea lover's roundup

Most people know that although I love coffee,

I am a bit obsessed with tea.

So I was excited to learn that Ms. Muffin

over at the wonderful blog Muffins and More

is celebrating the month of September by 

featuring tea related posts...cool eh!

I'm looking forward to pouring myself a cuppa

each morning (sorry coffee) and

seeing what goodies Ms. Muffin discovers.

And it's not too late to submit a tea related

project of your own.

So pop on over

(click on her cute button in the sidebar)

And what would a post be without a picture.

scrappy stool cover

I've been looking for a small stool that was just

the right size for my husband to put his feet on.

I found one on the curb that was

 a bit torn but was the perfect height.

 I originally planned to sew a cover for it

but I've been looking for ways to

use up my stash yarn so that is when

I decided to crochet this cover.

The centre part is the free pattern

called Sunburst granny by Priscilla Hewitt.

Ravelry link here.

I continued working double crochet in rounds,
adjusting the fit as I went which was sometimes
difficult because my cat pounced on top of it
each time I tested to see if it fit.

I made 2 rows of each colour and when I reached
the edge I continued making double crochet but
with no increases.
I also worked the first row that went over the edge
into the back loops only so it would fold over nicely.

Here is a picture showing a peek at the stool
and also to show how it is removable so
that it can be washed.

stool wip

stool wip
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

Playing around with colours...not sure if the last blue will
work but it will be easy enough to rip out if not.
More details when finished.

Crocheting using a knitting pattern

 I borrowed Susan Anderson's cute book

Itty-Bitty Nursery from the library

and fell in love with her cute

pacifier clips.

I knew that there was no way that I could knit

them but I wondered if I could crochet them

using the pattern as a guide.
I chose the elephant because it's cute but
also because it is made up of simple shapes.
This is how it turned out.

I started by substituting a single crochet 
for the knit stitches.
This worked well and even the gauge
came out the same.
Then I tried a couple of ways to handle the
increases/decreases, none worked.
Each resulted in incorrect stitch counts.

So what I did instead was

I looked at the stitch count at the end of each row.

and made the number of increases/decreases

necessary to get the right number of stitches.

I then spread out the increases and decreases 

as evenly as possible in each row. 


Obviously if you are comfortable with 
knitting a small toy on DPNs then that's
the way to go.
But I'm not so I'm glad that,
at least as far as this pattern is concerned,
I was able to produce a decent crocheted clone!

Getting back into crochet

I haven't crocheted since March for a few reasons.....

vacation, family get togethers, hot, humid weather, gardening, 

and I've gotten back into reading every day.

(I just finished The Girl who played with Fire).

Great book! 

I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd one which, 

unfortunately, is also the last.

So I decided to start small by making these booties.

 I changed them up a bit by slanting

the strap to the side.

I'm fairly happy with them although 

the pattern has a mistake in it

and it took quite a while to get the correction.

I hope Sebastian likes them.