MOST POPULAR POST EACH MONTH IN 2015

JANUARY
I didn't do any posts in January 2015 so adding the most popular one from December 2014
Woollen Cushions

FEBRUARY
Chunky Monkey Cal

MARCH
Chunky Monkey CAL

APRIL
again its the Chunky Monkey CAL as it was followed in stages

MAY
Alpaca coat

JUNE
Solid Granny Square Pillow

JULY
Baby Ripple

AUGUST
Fair Isle Mandala

SEPTEMBER
Freeform Circles

OCTOBER
12 weeks of gifting Suz Socks

NOVEMBER
Snowflakes and stars

DECEMBER
WEEK 10: Circle in a Star Wrap

Always surprises me what has been the most popular post each month.

Thanks for your support and for buying the books

Wondering what 2016 will bring....

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Granny Square skirt

Been struggling to get 'into' anything since Christmas...lots of sample squares but nothing was grabbing me until today.... 
A Birthday present granny square skirt for someone special in 10 colours joined with charcoal/black in merino

About 10 Days to complete the skirt

UPDATE: About and hour to do 10 x 2 rounds then another hour to join them together may be and i need about 90 + so around 20 hours to make with another couple of hours for the waist band and hem edging stitch 2/3 days it should be done 

Also making a New Granny Shell jacket from my jumper pattern

BLOCK STITCH AND INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH

This is still one of the most looked at posts....all about 

Block Stitch from 2012

HOW TOO HERE

Still a favourite stitch and some of the projects I have used the stitch

Block Stitch Baby Blanket in Life

 Interlocking Block stitch

for a Noro Cowl

PATTERN HERE for the block stitch section not the edging stitch 

Block Stitch in a Rainbow of Merino Colours for a throw

Block Stitch in the round

Block Stitch Square and Circular cushions

Interlocking Block Stitch Purse

Block Stitch wrap

Block Stitch throw in Merino

Interlocking V stitch similar 

12 WEEKS OF GIFTING Week 12 Mini Shawl and Flower Pin

 PATTERN HERE

OPTION 2 FOR EDGING HERE

CRAFTROOM: Another sort out.....

I'm a bit of a hoarder....but aren't all crafters/hobbyists?

I've been trying very, very hard to be ruthless with this latest sort out. 

Everything had got piled against the units and i couldn't get to any of them down this end of the work room

So my two old Ikea sofas, battered and marked but still so comfy, have been bolted together to make a huge day bed for me, the boys and my stash.

Covered in all the cushions and pillows it makes me smile every time I sink into the dent, usually with a couple of the boys for company and often in the early hours.....If I get up in the middle of the night to work i now have a snug space to work in and hopefully can fall asleep in, again.

A car full of rubbish ready for the skip and a bag for the WI.

My cosy crochet space is looking a lot tidier and even more cosy with my new day bed creation...

And I'm pleased to say I can also see some of the floor again 

still a little bit left to do... 

last few bags to be boxed...moths and pure wool don't mix!

Decided I needed a fold up table with draws in...Ikea Norden is perfect, then I will have a table if i need it but it won't take up lots of space most of the time.

Just looking out for a second hand one..if you are in the Shropshire/Cheshire area and have one for sale let me know.

Nostalgic look back at the last 5 years of work room layouts

the day we moved in above..empty or what?

filling up

 the blue look

early days..... over 5 years ago it didn't take me long to fill it up

12 weeks of Gifting week 11.

WEEK 11: MOSS STITCH COWL

Worked in the round so an even number of stitches is required

US Terms, UK terms in brackets

4 & 5mm hook

Background colour either Oatmeal or Black, 
plus 10 Limited Edition 'spot' colours

NOTE: Moss stitch can be a little tighter than a lot of stitches so I do suggest you do a test piece first and use the change of hook size. 

COWL PATTERN

Ch 110 -120 sts, 4mm hook, in BG Col, sl st into a large circle making sure you do not add a twist.

ROUND 1: cont. in BG Col, sc [dc] in every stitch, sl st to complete. 

 ROUND 2: Change to a 5mm hook for the moss stitches will help stop the tightening of the stitch 

Cont. in BG Col, sc [dc], in first st, ch1, miss a st, sc [dc],  in next st, ch1, miss a st, repeat to end finish with a sl st into first sc [dc]. do to cut off BG Col, yarn.

 ROUND 3: Change to fist 'spot col, repeat round 2 working the sc [dc], into the ch1 sp, sl st to complete round. Cut off and weave in end

ROUND 4 & 5: Pick up BG Col, repeat round 2, working the sc [dc], into the ch1 sp, sl st to complete round

ROUND 6: repeat row2, Next spot col.

ROUND 7 & 8:repeat row 2, Background Col

ROUND 9 -32 repeat moss stitch in the spot pattern

repeat the coloured spot row every 3rd row

rows 3,6,9,12, 15,18,21,24,27,30 are the moss stitch rows in colours

rows 1,2, 4,5, 7,8, 10,11, 13,14, 16,17, 19,20, 22,23, 25,26, 28,29, 31,32 repeat the moss stitch background colour

EDGING STITCH

top and bottom of cowl, 

Round 1: sc [dc] in the first st, ch 5, miss 3 sts, sc in next st, ch4, miss 3 sts, repeat to end sl st to complete, continue in BG Col.

Round 2: 6sc [6dc], in every ch5 loop. sls t to complete cut off and weave in ends

Option: add a flower or motif as decoration

FLOWER MOTIF

In col, of choice, a finger wrap of 8 wraps, for padding.

ROUND 1 & 2: in first col, 12sc [12dc] into circle, repeat over the top, with 14sc [14dc], covering the first row of 12sc [12dc], sl st to complete.

ROUND 3 & 4: att,  BG Col, 2sc [2dc], in each st, repeat over the top of the first set of sc [dc]. 

ROUND 5: cont' in BG Col, sc in fist st, ch3, miss a st, sc [dc], in next st, repeat to end, sl st, to complete making 14 small loops

MOSS STITCH IN ROWS HERE 

how to turn 

A picture selection of colour combinations

 Space dyed yarn and a background colour can look very interesting

 Rainbow Spots

 Moss stitch makes great borders when worked every row a different colour

Moss stitch as stripes, work alternate rows of 2 colours

 changing colour every few rows with the one yarn and using a space dyed yarn for the other has created a very tweedy, woven look to this bolster cushion

very simple black and white stripe moss stitch, alternate colour first white then balck then white again and then black...creates the vertical stripe.

link to 12 WEEKS OF GIFTING 
YARN PACKS AND PATTERNS