Its quite difficult to think of a first blog post, something that isn’t going to sound to daft, so, I’m going to start with a bit about why I’ve decided to start a blog, the simple answer is to share my love of crochet, yarn and all things crafty.

I also want to share with you some patterns I have written myself, also my work using fellow talented crocheters patterns.

Today though I’m going to share a few sneak peeks at a large pattern I’m currently working on and a little review of my first look at scheepjes colour craft.

(sneak peek at current project, you can find the bee pattern at attic24 )

This current project is already a hit with my children and I can already see it will be the first of many (atleast 3) Its made using mainly scraps which of course meant I needed to buy a few more balls of cotton, but all of those details will be released with the pattern within the next few weeks.

Scheepjes has been hitting my newsfeeds lately with the 4ply whirl yarn which looks truly beautiful, I however will be using the colour craft for the first time to make a blanket for my friends boy bump, I have chosen the following colours Rotterdam, Bastogne and Barneveld.

On first arrival (order from Wool Warehouse) the colours seem brighter then stylecraft special DK yarn it also is a lot softer then the stylecraft yarn, so for a special baby blanket that isn’t going to break the bank it seems like a good choice, I will be making a simple zig zag crochet blanket with it, will update as I go.

First blog post done eeepppp!

 

Boom! Baby, baby!

Everyone I know, apart from one friend who is adding to her girl tribe, everyone is having boys! It’s like a boy epidemic amongst my friends at the moment. Anyway one of these beautiful Mama’s to be is my buddy Lisa, she is having her second baby is August. Which doesn’t leave me a lot of time to get this blanket done (my fault not hers)

So after picking the yarn which is scheepjes colour craft in shades; Rotterdam, Bastogne, Barneveld with a 4mm hook.

I decided that I would try my hand at the mathetics (not my strong point) behind a chevron blanket, it didn’t end well. I had a couple of attempts at the chain length and the right distance between the peaks which was perfect. But for some reason it kept growing on one end………only one thing for it google search! Now originally I wanted to use a dc(tr)  stitch throughout my blanket, but it was proving difficult to find one without gaps in for little fingers and toes to get caught in. Until I stumbled across this wonder womans blog bright and beautiful crafts and found her single crochet pattern, worked in the back loops, with the beautiful defined zig zag I was looking for.

 

so far so good, its going to need a blog at the end and I’m thinking just a simple single crochet edging, and because I never learn I’m thinking of doing the cream sections  in a hdc stitch but we shall see how that turns out.

Will regularly add little updates on this blanket on later blog posts of follow its progress over at Yarn circus

I made this baby cardigan for my youngest daughter, 2 years ago now. I bought some Hand dyed merino yarn it was beautiful, until in my sleep deprived state I stuffed it in the washing machine……it shrank…….. Now its a lovely felted cardigan for the teddy. I will have to dig in the teddy pit and find it, to show you guys.

So when I wrote ( I use that term loosely) this pattern, it was on a small square of paper. I’ve recreated the pattern, made some adjustments. it is a fairly simple pattern, made using various stitches ; sc, tr, shell stitch and picot edge.

So hopefully I haven’t over explained it and it will perfect for any little baby, if you do make this cardigan please share a picture of it with me using #ycmermaidcardi, so I can check out all your beautiful creations and colours. I think one in turquoise with a star applique would be totally cute.

without further ado here it is –

 

 

Mermaid cardigan –

this size fits up to 3\4 months

You will need –

100g of DK yarn

5mm hook

2 Stitch markers

scissors or yarn cutter

a large eyed needle for sewing in ends.

note, this cardigan is worked from the neck down.

1. ch 56
2. 1hdc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 hdc in to the rest of the chain, ch2 turn (turning 2 chain doesn’t count throughout pattern)  54.
3. *1hdc in next 4, 2 hdc in next stitch* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn  64.
4. *1 hcd in next 5, 2 hdc* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn  74.
5. *1 hdc in next 6, 2 hdc* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn 84
6. *1 hdc in next 7, 2 hdc* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn 94
7. * 1 hdc in next 8, 2 hdc* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn  104
8. *1 hdc in next 9, 2 hdc* repeat * * until last 4, hdc in each, ch2 turn  114
9. ( now we are making armhole, use stitch markers here to keep count if you wish ) 15 hdc (ch5 skip 26 stitches) 32 hdc (ch5 skip 26 stitches) 15 hdc  72.

9A. now this is a bit tricky to explain, first you need to check the cardigan is the right way around, you can tell by the chain.

then you to ch 1 and insert hook into the loop on the hdc of row 9, (the loops you will be working with are the second loops from my finger.

sc in to the first stitch then picot (ch 3 slip stitch into the first ch)  * 3 sc then picot * repeat * * all along the front of the cardigan and follow-up the arm holes there you will put your stitches in to the top of the hdc as you normally would.

once you have completed the first arm hole, you will be continuing in the hdc loop along the back. ( photo shows tour last armhole stitch placement, stitch marker shows the first hdc loop on the back.)

above picture shows where you will start the second armhole. complete the second armhole and the front. ch 1 and slip stitch into the top of row 9, so working under the last row (see picture)

10. ch2 (doesn’t count) hdc in each stitch including the armhole chains, ch1 turn 72

11. sc * skip 2 stitches 5tr in the next skip 2, sc* repeat * * until last 3 stitches, sc in each one, ch1 turn  72

12. sc * skip 2 stitches 5tr in the next stitch skip 2, sc* repeat * *until last 3 stitches skip 2 and 3 tr in the last stitch  62 (note, you should be sc in the top of the middle (3rd tr) of previous round, then you should be putting  your 5 tr in the sc of previous round. ch1 turn  72

13. sc in all the tr from previous round and hdc in each sc of previous round, this is to level out the cardigan. ch3 turn  72

14. tr in each stitch, ch3 turn 72

15. 1 tr in next 10, 2tr in next, 1 tr in next 10, 2 tr in next, 1 tr in next 26, 2tr, 1 in next 10, 2tr, 1 in the next 10, ch3 turn  76

16 – 24. 1 tr in each, ch3 turn  76

25. 1 tr in each,  ch 1 turn 76

26. sc * skip 2 stitches 5tr in the next skip 2, sc* repeat * * until last 3 stitches, sc in each one, ch1 turn

27. sc all around the edges, I recommend that you sc along both front edges twice as this gives a neater finish.

*** you may make and sell products from my patterns but if ou do, I ask that you link back to my post. Also I worked hard on this please don’t copy and post this pattern or claim it as your own, this applies to the photos as well.

I’m always happy to help with any problems with my patterns, just leave me a comment and I will get back to you don’t forget to #ycmermaidcardi

 

 

 

 

I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so when I saw a Instagram Harry Potter swap I had to take part. This was my first ever swap so I was a little nervous, but I had a super swap pattern Charlotte who is just the most lovely person and fellow Hufflepuff.

She had provided me with some pictures of thing she liked and Hermione was one of them so using the pictures as inspiration I created this super sparkly slightly rustic wall hanging.

I’m not going to give a full step by step method as this chart can be used in c2c, bobble or sc (like I have done) however I will give a brief summary of what I did.

Method –

Using double standard sequins yarn (wasn’t a nightmare at all hahaha) I started at the bottom, creating a point and increasing steadily with 2sc in the last stitch on each end until I had the desired triangular part.

I then simply worked back and forth carrying the yarn and following the changes on the chart……. which is here.When I had finished, I used some gold thread to go around the book for an edging and binding type effect.

The stick proved to be the hardest thing to find, but attaching it is quite simple, you simply sc over the stick and back into the stitches as you would normally. If you have a wonky stick like I did then make sure it doesn’t twist around.

I then added a big puffy tassel it’s probably a little bigger then I expected but it helped to weigh it down a little

 

that’s it really feel free to tag me on Instagram (yarn_circus ) with your creations. Also pop over to my page to see the rest of my swap goodies yarn circus 

 

You may make and sell products from my pattern but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Making these patterns is hard work and I try to recreate them to share with you so I ask that you don’t copy and post this pattern as your own this applies to the photos as well.

I’m always happy to help with any problems with my pattern. just leave a comment and I will get back to you, Happy Hooking