Stylecraft 2016 Blog Tour and the Blog Stars

Thank You Stylecraft for including me in your Blog Star Line up. There was a taster of the blog star last year with the Blog Tour with the Limited Edition Yarn Pack 

BLOG TOUR 2015...link to the 2015 tour if you were unlucky and missed it

The Blog Stars had our first official get together last Saturday.... it was great to meet most of the team of bloggers and Hi to those who couldn't make it, hope to meet you at the next meet in January.

BLOG TOUR 2015

This was my most popular free pattern I did for last years blog tour. I wear them all the time and my Bead N Bezel Necklaces have been very popular, I am always being asked about them

several new colours and variations in the making right now

Yarn Stories Merino and Merino/Baby Alpaca mix

 wool beads waiting to be felted

How to make the simple Buttons and the Gem Necklace
Bead 'n' Bezel

BUTTON PATTERN

US Terms in Balck UK Terms in red Brackets

One finger wrap of 10 wraps.

ROUND1:sc [dc], into the circle 12times, sl st to complete.

ROUND 2: 40+sc [40+dc], into the circle over the top of round 1

 continue until you have a dughnut for a button and continue to fill the hole for a Gem
 NOTE: don't pull the stitches tight but not loose either.

Turn Gem over this is the side that will be on view

A doughnut for a button,

A Gem...fill the hole completely about 50-60+ sc [dc]. 

NOTE: How many sts you need will depend on your tension the figures are a guide, but all your button or Gems need to me made the same, so after the first one, make all buttons and Gems with the same number of sc [dc]

leave a long end for sewing

add to projects as decoration or as actual working buttons...the middle button is through a button hole in the mini bag above

Making a Gem Bezel 

Three finger wrap of 8 wraps

Round 1: 32sc [32dc], into the circle sl st to complete.(32sts)

Round 2: sc [dc], in every st, sl st to complete. (32sts)

Round 3: 2sctog [2dctog], x 16 times (16sts)

Round 4:2sctg [2dctog], x 8 times (8sts)

Round 5: 2sctog [2dctog], x 4 times (4sts)

Round 6: 2sctog [2dctog], x 2 times (2sts)

cut off and leave a long end for sewing 

turn the bezel inside out and reshape, pull long end through middle st, 

place a Gem inside the cup bezel pulling end through the middle of the bezel, 

the gem should sit snug inside the bezel,

Tie the two ends together one from the gem and one from the bezel

sew off the gem thread and use the bezel thread to join the gems in bezels 

together. 

Thread the long end to one side of the Gem, over stitch with small stitches the the next Gem.

Make several and sew together in a straight line for a bracelet or with a slight curve for a necklace.

LENGTHENER

Attach yarn to one bezel add a length of ch st, to fit.

Row 1: sc [dc], in every ch st sew off end securely

HAPPY HOOKING

Make a set of Gems in the colour of your choice and join together in a variety of different designs.

In a triangle of 3, in a long row long enough to make a complete necklace, or join 7, 8 or 9 Gems together for a necklace

or 5 together as a bracelet or make a statement ring with a singe Gem

 This necklace is made in Merino and Alpaca