I have been blown away by your love of the Ivy Mandala, my inbox has been pinging non-stop as people have been downloading the pattern.    What a lovely way for me to celebrate National Crochet Month 🙂

National Crochet Month isn’t over yet and there are still plenty of things to discover and offers to find if you follow the Crochetville facebook page.

And don’t forget, until midnight GMT on 31st March 2017 you can download Ivy free from Ravelry if you use the code IVY on checkout, and receive 10% off all other patterns in my Ravelry store if you use the code CROMO17 on checkout (one use only per customer).

Happy crocheting xxx

During the month of March, Crochetville organises a blog tour to celebrate National Crochet Month.  Almost 100 designers from around the world participate and today is my turn.

The theme for the blog tour this year is GLAMPING and I thought I would first share some of my experience of glamping.  I confess I have never slept under canvas of any type and when asked about my experiences I didn’t even think I’d been glamping!  But I have been on safari in Africa and had some memorable nights in the most wonderful glamping type safari lodge.  This is the room and view

The ‘bungalow’ was built into the hillside and thatched with open sides (with mossie-proof curtaining at night) and a lovely little terrace/balcony with a view to die for.   Waking up at sunrise watching the elephants on the plains from the terrace was mesmerising.  The furniture was all locally made and very rustic and the textiles were fantastic.   The lodge is called Elsa’s Kopje and is built on the hill where Elsa the lion roamed.

Looking at these photos again reminded me of the colours of Kenya, which was in drought when I visited, and it inspired me to start using this little collection of yarn that I have had in my stash for ages.  You’ll have to wait and see what I make 🙂

Whilst preparing for this blog I decided to design something which you can all make –  a colourful mandala.  I had been aware of crochet mandalas for some years but was never inspired to make any until 2 years ago.  Mandalas have great spiritual significance, and crocheted mandalas are not used simply for decoration; they are used as colour therapy and in meditation, and can be so soothing to make.  At the time I designed my very first crochet mandala I was in need of a soothing lift and playing with crochet and colour was the perfect therapy for me.  So I thought what better way to share the joy of crochet with you this month than a special mandala.

So this is the one I designed for NatCroMo, it is called Ivy Mandala:

It is small and has texture as well as colour.  The pattern can be found here.  If you purchase through Ravelry and use the code IVY on checkout you will be able to purchase it for free.  This code is valid until the end of March (midnight GMT on 31st).

In addition, in celebration of this month of crochet all my patterns on Ravelry can be purchased at 10% discount until the end of March – use code CROMO17 at checkout (one use per person).

March isn’t over yet and there are more blogs and offers planned by Crochetville – so keep your eye on their website and join in the fun!

Happy crocheting xxx

 

 

Today is the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere.   It started miserable with clouds and rain in abundance.   But just after lunch the clouds drifted apart, the sun popped out a few times and now it’s come out to play.  So I took a break from my desk for a little wander outside to see all the signs of life springing up in the garden and the fields:

Some tulips about to open (looks like the slugs have been having a feed on some of the leaves!), a small clump of primrose and just over the fence in the rough meadow signs that the primrose has been self-seeding – this little patch was a joy to behold and the meadow will not be mown in this area for quite a while!

And further afield evidence of the badger foraging by pushing up the turf, blackthorn in blossom and in the well/spring there is evidence of just how wet it has been.

Before too long the leaves will open on the trees and in the hedges and more life will well up.   I love this time of year!

Happy spring xx

 

 

…. a special blog post, a new pretty little mandala pattern and an offer!

Until then….happy crocheting xxx

The weather has started to warm up here in England and I have been on several walks recently, just locally on the lanes near home.  There are lambs in the fields, the cattle have been let out from their winter homes and the bulbs have been pushing their noses up, heralding that spring is coming.

So to celebrate that spring is on the way I have decided to publish a floral bunting pattern, one which has been lurking in my files for 6 months, Chelford Bunting.

This is perfect for Easter and a great stashbuster.

The pattern is available on Ravelry here, and until midnight GMT on Sunday is 50% off if you use use the coupon code SPRING on checkout from Ravelry (one use per customer).

Happy crocheting xxx

 

 

 

 

March is National Crochet Month in USA, but this has spread rapidly all over the globe so I prefer to call it International Crochet Month.

If you are a Ravelry user you will know that there are all sorts of activities planned for the month, and plenty of offers as well.

I am joining the fun and spreading some crochet love too!    From now until the end of March (until midnight GMT on 31st March) I am offering you a 10% discount off my patterns on Ravelry.  This discount can be applied once only per person, so if you have several patterns you want to buy you should purchase them all at the same time, just use  coupon code CROMO17 on checkout on Ravelry to obtain the discount.

You can find my Ravelry patterns here.

Watch out for more interesting activity and offers on my blog and Ravelry during this month of crochet love 🙂

Happy crocheting xxx