Unravel is a yarn festival at Farnham Maltings in UK.  The 11th Unravel is held this weekend from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th February – 3 days of lovely yarn inspiration!

It has workshops and talks as well as over 70 exhibitors selling all yarny related fare.   I have never been to Unravel, but I know people who live more local to the event who go every year and they tell me it is one of the best yarn festivals in the UK.  Some of my favourite indie yarn dyers will be there.   So one day I will visit.

Although I am not there I will have a virtual presence on the Willow Knits’ stand.   Willow Knits has the most luscious silk yarn which Anne dyes in beautiful colours.  I have the privilege of working with Anne on several projects.  At her last outing at Waltham Abbey she took some kits of my designs, some patterns and copies of my book.  The kits are a new collaboration using Anne’s glorious yarn and a crochet scarf design of mine – called Silk Sorbet.   If you haven’t tried silk yarn before, then these are a great introduction to the glories of working with pure silk as they include just 50g of 4ply yarn at a great value price.

Silk Sorbet is the 2-colour scarf on the left of this photo.  Doesn’t the silk yarn glow?

At Unravel Anne will launch a new collaboration kit – the Bilateral Mitts.  These are unusual in that they are knitted and crocheted.   There are 2 variations in the pattern – a simple version where the knitting is straight and would be good for those who are not confident knitters but can crochet and a more challenging version where the knitting is in the round so would be good for a confident knitter who just wants to try a little crochet.  The kit uses 50g of worsted weight yarn and is also at a good price and a great introduction to the yarn.  I can’t show you a photo of the kits yet as they are being created as I type – but this is a photo of the simple mitts.

After Unravel Anne will have these kits available in her etsy shop.

If you do go to Unravel, I would love to hear what you think and even see any photos you take 🙂

More information on Unravel can be found here.

Happy crocheting xxx

 

 

 

Part 2 of the 2019 Blanket CAL – Down Memory Lane – has been published.  If you purchased the pattern on Ravelry you will have received an update linking to the update in your library, which includes the full written pattern for each of the new squares and the charts.  If you are following the free version read on for details of where to find this week’s 2 squares.

These are 2 favourites for different reasons.  First is Agathi which is named after the maker/owner of a lovely shop in Kassiopi, Corfu.  You can read all about it and find the free pattern here.  All I have done for this CAL is add two rounds of trebles (US dc) to make  the square the correct size.

The second is based on one I designed for the Friends Around the World Anniversary CAL 2 years ago – it is called Flower Compass.  This is a favourite because it is one of those designs that almost hooked itself!  I started with a little flower and it just grew organically.  You can find the pattern here.  All I have done for this blanket is add one round of trebles (US dc).

Both of these designs would work with one or more colours.

Next week one of the designs is not based on a free pattern, and it uses front post stitches so you may wish to brush up on your front posts!

Don’t forget to share progress – here or on Facebook or on Ravelry

Happy crocheting xxxx

 

 

Today’s the day!  Part 1 of the Down Memory Lane Blanket CAL is now available on Ravelry.   Part 1 is an easy start with 2 simple squares.

If you have purchased the pattern you should have received notification from Ravelry that it has been updated.    There are 2 versions – UK and US crochet terms, so make sure you select the correct one.

If you are following the free version then Motif 1 is a sold motif found here and Motif 2 is a more lacy motif found here.  In each version you need to make 10 rounds to get the correct size.

Both these photos are of the unblocked motifs.   I recommend you block before joining!

I always start blanket CALs with easy motifs, as they help you work out your size/tension and allow you to play with your colours without getting stressed over a more complex design.  These 2 are also pretty sturdy squares which give good weight to the blanket, which makes it a proper blanket not a throw!

Motif 1 is also useful in working out your yarn requirements.  I worked out it uses an average amount of yarn for all the 12 designs of motif, so is a good guide as to how much each motif will use.  Here’s a brief guide on how to do it:

First make the motif in yarn you know the weight and meterage (or yardage) of.   Then measure your motif. Using this measurement work out how big you want your blanket to be – so if the motif is 25cm and you want a blanket 150cm square then it will need to be 6 motifs square – that’s 36 motifs.  Whatever size you want let’s just say the number of motifs you want is N
Now weigh your motif – it doesn’t matter if you weigh in grams or ounces. Let’s just say that weight is W
For the motifs you need yarn with a total weight of N times W, but you need to add a margin for joining, colour matching/changing and a border. I recommend a minimum of 10% (which works for a very small border and if you are careful with colour matching) or 20% (which works well with a larger border) or 25% (if you aren’t confident about colour matching and/or don’t really know what you want to do for a border).
So take N by W, add 10%, 20% or 25% and then divide by the size (weight) of skeins/balls for the yarn you are using.

The estimating works if you are using all the same yarn throughout the blanket, if you use different brands of yarn then you should look carefully on the ball band to find out how many m or yd are in each brand – they vary quite a lot. If yours vary, then you’ll have to do some more maths to work out your requirements. Essentially you need to work out the meterage or yardage of your motif, rather than just the weight.

The blanket I have is 7 by 7, so needs 49 squares.   I made 4 of each of these first 2.

Please join the discussion on Ravelry here and feel free to ask any questions.

Until next week….Happy Crocheting xx

Here in the UK it is definitely winter. We have had snow this week and temperatures well below freezing. This is perfect blanket making weather and a good time to introduce my 2019 Blanket CAL.  As usual this is a mystery but here is a sneak peek:

Whilst preparing for this blanket design I reflected on all the squares I have designed over the last few years. Many of them are favourites which I return to regularly but when I looked I realised that my ‘squares’ blankets all had slightly different sizes.  So the concept developed of a blanket using my favourites but which would all be adapted to the same size. This blanket is called Down Memory Lane.

Today I’m introducing the CAL and providing information on requirements.

YARN and HOOK
I’m using a double knit (DK) yarn and all of it is from my stash, double memories for me!
As usual with DK yarn, I am using a 4mm crochet hook (US G/6)

MOTIF/TENSION
The motifs are square and each motif is approx. 25cm (10”) square after blocking.

MOTIF DESIGNS
There are 12 motif designs, and you can use as many or as few as you like.
8 of them are variations of motifs that I have published free, either on this blog or on Ravelry.  So you could use just these motifs if you like.  I will provide an explanation (here on the blog) of how to adapt the free patterns to the correct size.
4 of the motifs are variations of motifs in the Winter Blanket CAL 2015 and Wrapped in Memories CAL 2018. There will be a special offer on the pattern price for those who have previously purchased either of these patterns on Ravelry. Details will be available on Ravelry in the discussion group here.

TIMING
The first 2 designs will be published on 9th February, the other 10 will be published 2 at a time and weekly thereafter.  Photos of the new motifs will appear on this blog.

SIZE
You can make the blanket any size you like.  The blanket I am making will be 7 motifs square – a total of 49 motifs.  It will be just over 1.8m/71in square with a small border, which makes it a large throw or double bed size.  In DK yarn, my blanket including borders uses a total of 19 x 100g skeins, with skeins of between 220m and 250m each.

ADAPTABILITY
You can use any yarn you like, as long as you use a suitable hook size. And you can make it to any size you like. It is a perfect stash buster.

COLOUR SCHEME
Some of the motifs in this design work well in just one colour, but most work well in several colours.  I’m using 9 different colour groups in my blanket.  For me, it really is a perfect stash blanket 🙂

You have a week to start thinking about your blanket. So until then….happy crocheting xxx

I am a bit addicted to yarn clubs and there are some luscious clubs out there! I’ve seen clubs range in price from £20 to £40 per month for one skein of yarn. Paying over £20 per month for one skein of yarn is costly to some people but for me it is well worth it. The first yarn club I joined was The Natural Dye Studio, and I so miss their lovely yarns.  The one I’m in currently is Triskelion Yarns sock club – oh my, I love the surprise of the yarn and colour each month 🙂

I am delighted to say I have found another yarn club which I think is very good value. Not only that but the company is North West based (so fairly local to me), the yarn is spun in Yorkshire, dyed in Lancashire and the company take their environmental responsibility seriously, are a living wage employer and are members of an ethical supply chain. All of which makes me feel good when I purchase from them.

I stumbled upon their yarn club before Christmas, the thing that struck me first was the colour of the yarn in the December box. There are 2 x 100g skeins of natural yarn in each box and December had teal and grey. I had been thinking of a shawl design in just those colours for some time, so I had to give it a try. This is what I received:

The box was delivered in a larger cardboard box and the yarn was wrapped in lovely tissue paper – not a hint of plastic anywhere.

As well as the yarn, there was a lovely pattern for a crochet cushion and the buttons required to finish it. There were no gimmicks included (I don’t need a new crochet hook each month, nor extra stitch makers, teabags or sweets!).
The great thing is the price – it starts at £21.95 per month for two skeins – For December that was 800m of Bluefaced Leicester 4ply yarn.

It wasn’t long before I started crocheting. The yarn is lovely to work with and is slowly becoming a new shawl.

I can also say the company customer service is great. I was confused when purchasing as I wanted a one-off box before committing to a monthly subscription. I thought I’d ordered December but orders had actually closed and I’d ordered a January box. However, when I queried it they sent me the December box very promptly without a quibble.

Three Bears Yarns also do cotton in different weights, and some Bluefaced Leicester aran. I look forward to trying these in due course.

Now I have to confess I joined their affiliate scheme. It was an accident really, I wanted more information and somehow managed to sign up. So please be aware that if you click on the link on the top right of the page and subsequently purchase from Three Bears Yarns, then I will receive a small commission. I am not in any other affiliate schemes, and I did think twice before adding the link, but the company environmental credentials swung it for me.

In due course I’ll share my new design with you, meanwhile I’m enjoying working the yarn.

Happy crocheting xxx

2018 is drawing to a close.  This is my opportunity to reflect on my design achievements for 2018 and start planning for 2019.  When I looked at what I had designed in 2018 I was astonished to find 26 new designs, ranging from small brooches to large blankets – how did I fit it all in?  Here are some of my 2018 designs:

I am a little late in planning 2019 but perhaps that is because I have started slowing my pace already.  I am trying to free up some time for  ‘me’ in 2019, so I can do some spinning, sewing and weaving.   So I plan to organise myself better and clear some space in my cupboards so I can select my crafts more easily.   As for designing, maybe I’ll slow a little but I do have a blanket CAL planned for early 2019 and I have a new shawl design on my hook, so it doesn’t feel any slower than normal!

I hope you enjoy your New Year celebrations and that 2019 brings you all you wish for.

Happy crafting xxx

 

Today is the last day of the traditional Christmas Mandala CAL and the final part of the pattern has been released. So I can share the full Mandala:

I have had great fun watching daily progress on the CAL and plan to do another CAL next year!

Happy crocheting xxx

 

 

The period between Christmas and New Year gives many people the opportunity to take holidays and have an extended break and others have no choice by having enforced holidays as businesses close for the season.  So this is a great time for a little CAL fun and it has become a tradition for me to hold a mandala CAL over this period.

Once again I have designed a colourful mandala and this year I will release it in 6 parts – one per day from 26th to 31st December 2018.   The mandala has 16 rounds and each day between 2 and 6 rounds of the pattern will be released.  So the mandala CAL will take a little time to work up each day and playing with colours in your mandala at this time of year helps brighten up your day (which is rather grey in the UK at this time of year!).

If you want to join in you can find the pattern here. It’s just the introduction part for now, but it does include the materials required and the stitches used. And there is a discussion group on Ravelry here. And if you buy the pattern before midnight (GMT) on 26th December, you can get 75% discount by using the coupon code CHRISTMAS

I  used pastel colours this year – here’s a peek:

Of course, you could use any colours you like, so don’t be afraid to experiment!  It will be lovely to see what colours everyone chooses 🙂

Happy crocheting xxx

Today the final Advent CAL patterns have been published, there are now 12 patterns in the ebook.

I always like to make snowflakes at Christmas and this is the one I designed for the CAL:

As well as the snowflake, there are some mini decorations – circles and triangles each in 2 styles.  These are super quick to make and can be used as decorations, bunting, gift tags or whatever your imagination tells you!

Finally a tiny flower brooch, perfect as a last minute thank you gift.

There’s still more than a week to Christmas, so time to hook up some final presents.  Don’t forget if you join the CAL in my Ravelry group you could be in for a prize!

Happy crocheting xxx

It’s Saturday – that means part 3 of the Advent CAL: The 12 Gifts of Christmas is live! This week it is pretty and personal – which means 3 very pretty gifts for personal use.

A little pin cushion called Iced Fancy because it was inspired by Iced Fancy cakes.   This is a perfect little stashbuster using up lots of little leftover dk yarn.  It has 2 different edges to choose from for the base.  Why not make one as a present and box up with some cakes?

Precious Gift Bag – using texture and beads to make a lovely little bag/pouch.  This could be used to package a small present or as a jewellery pouch.  Finished size is approx. 15cm (6″) high.

The Linen Mitt is a design for using natural products in the shower.   I have trialled so many shower mitts this year in search of the most practical and plastic free.  This works well for me, creating just enough lather whilst also being open enough to dry quickly and naturally – and being linen there are none of those nasty microfibres making their way into the drains.  Wrapped up with some pure soap this would make a perfect gift for the eco conscious.

It is difficult to decide which is my favourite this week, but based on use the Linen Mitt must win as I use mine everyday and  am so thankful that I no longer use plastic shower puffs.

The 3 patterns have been added to the ebook here:  The 12 Gifts of Christmas.  There are now 9 patterns in the ebook and the last 3 will be added next week.

Please do join in the Advent CAL on Ravelry here.

Happy crocheting xxx