CROCHET FOR KINDNESS

Hope you will all join up and share at least one piece of you crochet.

A new group worth a look make and add a note to a hat or scarf and leave it for someone in need to find 

Now I can see the worth in yarn bombing!

Make 2015 a time for sharing your love of crochet with someone in need

Kelly Kennedy has started a Facebook group up so give a little or a lot

This is a poem you can add to the gift to be used anonymously 

Rainbow Flower for Baby Hat

Cute little flower with a rainbow of petals to go on the baby hat
 

PADDED FLOWER CENTRE 

make a finger wrap of 7 wraps

 

Round 1 2 and 3: sc into the circle first round should be 12 sc but leep going over the top of the first round until you have almost filled the centre hole about 40sc, and you need to have 14/16sts showing to make 7 or 8 petals Use the rounded side as the front

 

 should look well padded like  little dougnut

 Petals: make each petal in a different colour, attach first colour, ch3, 2tr, ch3, sl st into first st, cut and weave in ends

 miss a st, repeat with second colour....make 7 petals

  the flower can be use like this

OR

attached to the hat with crochet ch sts around the edge of the centre as below

 

 

 

Daisy Granny Square wrap......

8 PETAL GRANNY SQUARES WRAP

WRAP OR IT MIGHT END UP AS A THROW IF I HAVE ENOUGH YARN and I don't loose interest lol

YARN: Rooster Aran in a selection of colours about 16, 4 in shades of green 

Black Aran as background

HOOK: 5mm

Ch5, sl st into circle, magic circle or a finger wrap of 4 wraps.

ROUND 1: 16sc into circle, sl st to complete (16sc)

ROUND 2: 8 Cluster sts. 2dc in first st, 2dc in second st, cluster tog, one in every 2 sts, with ch3 between each cluster making the 'FLOWER' sl st, to complete. (8 petals)

ROUND 3: 3dc ch3 3dc in the first corner, ch1 3dc in side sp, ch1 repeat for all sides, sl st to complete. (3granny shells for each side)

ROUND 4: join as you go black round. 3dc ch3 3dc in first corner, ch1 3dc ch1 3dc ch1 side, repeat for all sides, sl St to complete. ( 4granny shells for each side)

Make row of 3 motifs 13" (33cms) x about 14 rows may be 15 rows for a wrap around 60" (52.5cm)

A simple and quick baby and toddler hat

A really simple and quick baby hat pattern today...helping out a friend from Facebook who has like a lot of people, come unstuck with the US and UK terminology

So let me clarify terms first

I think and work in US Terms, on my blogs it is always US terms, but the books and most of the patterns I write for commissioned work are in UK Terms.

So i am always converting my patterns from US to UK terms.

It has become a simple process for me.....

BUT lots of people can find it a really confusing and difficult task to do.

Couple of golden rules to help

1: If the pattern says single crochet (sc) its an American pattern, sc as a term does not appear in UK patterns.

2: Look carefully at any pictures you can usually tell what the stitch is with a little practise.

Most patterns say, but not all....an assumption is made that you will know and that leads to wasted time and frustration.

Please don't give up if you make this mistake I would hate for anyone to give up on one of the most wonderful of craft skills.

above is a medium size in Stylecraft Special weighs 29g

SIMPLE BABY TO CHILD HAT PATTERN

US terms

dk and a 4mm hook.

I've had years of making hats not just crochet one either and head sizes vary a huge amount but as a guide I'm adding the list below

APPROXIMATE SIZE CHART FOR CHILDREN

SMALLEST SIZE is about 14" (35.5cm) circumference, stretching to about 16" (40.5cm)

about 0-6months

MEDIUM SIZE is about 16" (40.5) circumference, stretching to about 18" (45.75cm)

12months +

LARGE SIZE is about 18" (45.75cm) stretching to about 20" (49.75cm) and maybe even into 21" a small adult size depending on your yarn and tension

After that you start to get into adult sizes, my head is small and measures 21" but I have made toddler hats bigger than my head...so you can see how they can vary.

I usually make my hats in stripes changing colour every round but for this pattern i will write it as if you are using one colour only

DC in US Terms is 3 sts on hook, yo through 2 sts, yo through 2sts, stitch made.

PATTERN smallest size

Worked in the round, no turning and can be made with a colour change for every round

ch4, do a magic circle or a 1 finger wrap of 4 wraps (my favourite, no ends to deal with)

FINGER WRAP

Round 1: ch2 (counts as first dc, i wont repeat this again) 11dc into circle, sl st to complete. (12dc)

12DC

Round 2: 2dc in all sts, sl st to complete. (24dc)

24DC

Round 3: 2dc, in first st, 1dc into next st, repeat this 2, 1, 2, 1 for the round. (36dc)

36DC...you can see that the 2sts line up with the 2sts of the round below

Round 4: 2dc in the first st, 1dc in the next 2 sts repeat this 2,1,1,2,1,1 for the round, sl st to complete. (48dc)

48DC..again you can see that the 2sts in one st line up so you can always tell how many stitches you should be doing, ie: 2 in 2 and 1 in 1

Round 5 - 16: 1dc in each st, sl st to complete. (48dc)

This hat can be finished here with no extra edging stitch or you can add your favourite stitch, so long as it fits to 48sts.

SHELL STITCH EDGING

Shell stitches use 4 stitch per shell so anything that can be divided by 4 will take a shell edging that will be evenly spaced.

SHELL EDGING

Round 17: Continue from the sl st you finished round 16, miss a st, do 5dc into the next st, miss a st, sl st into next st, repeat for the round. (12shells)

TO MAKE THE BIGGER SIZES

Repeat above pattern to round 4

Medium size

Round 5: will be 2dc, 1dc,dc1,1dc repeat giving (60dc)

Shell stitches use 4 stitch per shell so anything that can be divided by 4 will take a shell evenly.

Large size

Round 5: will be the 2dc,1dc,1dc,1dc repeat (60dc)

plus

Round 6: will be 2dc, 1dc,1dc,1dc,1dc (72dc)

I will say that in between sizes can be done but that might make it complicated for the beginner so i will keep it to 3 sizes for now.

Hope that helps

 This 2colour stripe is in Stylecraft Alpaca, and Aran, weighs 29g too, but is the small size

I'm making a rainbow one at the moment in the medium size..picture to follow

Happy Hooking

CROCHET: New Star/Snowflake pattern.

Change of layout to Suz Place...easier to find patterns and how too's...on the right hand side just click on picture to take you to the original post.

Sorry its taken me so long to get this far, still lots more I want to do but opening up the blog again.

I will work on adding more links to old patterns and sharing a few new patterns.

Im afraid I have neglected the blog for a long time. I'm finding it a lot easier to use the ipad and add updates and even patterns to Facebook these days...so if you want to catch up on Facebook just click the Facebook icon on the right hand side.

Work has taken priority I'm afraid and i havent had any time to play for a while now......

But the second book is finished, it's with the publisher GMC, being edited and turned into another book full of crochet inspiration....well the piblisher was pleased enough with it to ask me to do book 3 already...so pleased and still having to pinch myself.

 Hopefully the second book will be out next May 2015

SNOWFLAKE PATTERN
US terms UK terms in red brackets

 Above in cotton 4mm hook

The design work is on going and I am finding it difficult to share patterns with you all just in case its a pattern needed for that work but I will try my hardest to share a pattern a month with you.

Above snowflake is in a Wool Blend Aran..a bit scratchy but lovely to look at.

5mm hook.
I've been making cushions from it but had a little left over
Cushion album on Facebook if you want a peek

I've also been playing around with C2C scarves...again another album on Facebook.
the prettiest below made from left over yarns i've used in the new book.

With Christmas just around the corner.....Today's Pattern is a new Star/Snowflake

They are quick to make and can be used for drinks mats, hanging decorations, or joined together if you wanted to make a shawl or wrap.

Left soft or stiffened.

I tried the pattern in a number of yarns and it works really well in everything so far.

Depending on what you want to use your star for.

The one below is made from Wendy Celeste with teeny tiny sequins in it. 

4mm hook for this version

 The light is awful at the moment but you can just see the sequins and it isn't quite as dark as the picture shows more a Pale Champagne colour...ooops! complete with a stray cat hair it seems.

PATTERN: 
USA Terms UK Terms in red Brackets

finger wrap of 4 wraps.

Round 1: 12sc [12dc],into circle, sl st to complete.

Round 2: 2dc [2tr], into first and second sts, ch7, 2dc [2tr], into next 2 sts, ch7 repeat to end (6 loops)

Round 3: Continue, ch2 as dc [tr], 5dc [5tr], into next ch loop, ch3, 5dc [5tr], into same loop, 5dc [5tr], ch3, 5dc [5tr], into next loop repeat to end.

In the last loop you will do 5dc [5tr], ch3, 4dc [4tr], as the first ch2 will be the last dc [tr]. Sl st to complete. (6 star points).

Stop here if you want stars, cut and weave in ends.

Block or join as you go as many as you want to make a wrap.

FOR SNOW FLAKES CONTINUE:

Round 4: Continue to Ch6, sl st into ch3 sp, at point,

ch5, sl st into ch3 sp, ch6 sl st into ch3 sp, ch5 sl st into ch3 sp,

ch6 sl st into triangle sp at dip of point and repeat for all points.

Make single stars or snowflakes for mats or decorations, or join several together to make a shawl or wrap joining at the ch6 loop only.

add a chain loop or a garland chain for decorations

 Below Snowflakes made in dk Alpaca,Chunky Acrylic, and a dk wool

Happy Hooking x