WIP Ta-Dah Double Whammy!

I am very happy to announce that I have completed not one, but TWO projects! (This is a big deal for me, the WIP queen!)

They are the focus of my latest YouTube video...

What's on my hook

First is my Hotel of Bees Shawl

After the crochet fail a few weeks back, I was determined to make things right and finish this beautiful pattern. I am over the moon with the result! 

The Hotel of Bees Crochet-A-Long is being hosted by Sandra of Cherry Heart and Sam of Betsy Makes. The shawl pattern is by Christina Hadderingh, and I crocheted it using Fyberspates Scrumptious Sport Superwash 4-ply yarn. It feels so soft and wonderful!

I'm in the final stretch of the Missed Kingfisher Shawl

I plan on wearing it in my next YouTube video so keep watching! The Missed Kingfisher shawl pattern is by Joanne Scrace for “The Shawl Project: Book Two”, from The Crochet Project, and I'm using Eden Cottage Yarns Titus 4-ply in Rambling Rose and Oakworth 4-ply in Compost.

Next on my hook will be another Spun Gold Shawl, which I'm making as a gift for a friend, using some beautiful Juniper Moon Farm yarn:

The Spun Gold Shawl is by Kat Goldin for The Crochet Project. I bought the yarn, 

Juniper Moon Farm's Herriot Fine baby alpaca/nylon 4-ply yarn from Pins & Needles. 

And I was gifted a ball of the delicious, coveted Watermelon Shawl Gradient Yarn by Hand Dyed by Kate! I can't wait to make something scrumptious with it! 

What!?! I’m knitting?

Yep, I'm trying to finally get my head around knitting! 

I've tentatively started the Match & Move shawl by Martina Behm, using the juiciest yarn! This is Hill View Farm's Superwash BFL sock yarn in ‘Shades of Flamingo’ and I'm also using ‘Shades of Coral’.

What’s in my hoop

The final YouTube tutorial for my Herb Embroidery sampler is up and running! I finished with the fly stitch for the background fronds. 

The tutorials are forever on my channel, so feel free to give it a go anytime! The original pattern design can be found HERE.

I also show some of the sampler herbs being used for some summer placemats I'm working on!

Pour yourself a cuppa and have a quick visit with me on YouTube!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Crochet Fail & Stitching Therapy

Hello everyone! I've been MIA for a few weeks - we went to Norway for the Easter holidays, then after we came back it took me a good week or so to get settled back in real life!

But I've finally uploaded my latest YouTube video, where I talk about my most recent crafty shenanigans, including a massive crochet fail...and how embroidery provides a perfect antidote when I'm feeling all fingers and thumbs.

Skiing in Norway...

What's on my hook

I started a shawl on the airplane to Norway, and I finished it on the flight home! 

This is the beautiful Parallel Bars Shawl by Sarah Shrimpton of Annaboo’s House. I hooked it using 

YanTanTetheraYarns Mether yarn in "Dirtwater", which isn't the prettiest of names but was the prettiest of yarns!

I'm joining in the Hotel of Bees Crochet-A-Long hosted by Sandra of Cherry Heart and Sam of Betsy Makes. The Hotel of Bees is a beautiful crochet shawl pattern by Christina Hadderingh, and the pattern can be found here. 

I'm afraid this is where my epic crochet fail comes into play, but you'll have to watch the video to see what has happened. Regardless, I'm enjoying hooking it with the luscious Fyberspates Scrumptious Sport Superwash 4-ply yarn!

Progress is being made on my Missed Kingfisher shawl

The pattern is by Joanne Scrace for “The Shawl Project: Book Two”, from The Crochet Project. I'm using EdenCottage Yarns Titus 4-ply in Rambling Rose and Oakworth 4-ply in Compost. 

I also talk about some very useful yarn needles, Susan Bates Finishing Needles, which I purchased from amazon.co.uk.

What's in my hoop

I've uploaded more stitch tutorials on my YouTube channel, so you can learn how to do more of the flowers from the Herb Embroidery!

Nearly finished!

There's also some progress on a quilt I'm making for my daughter...plus the woes of Beavers uniforms...pour yourself a cup of tea and come have a visit! 

You can find me here on my YouTube channel. Thanks for popping by!

Chrissie x

Slow Crochet & a Stitch-Along | YouTube Show Notes

Greetings fellow crafters! In conjunction with my new YouTube videos, I'm going to share information on my blog that I talk about on my channel. If you haven't seen me live and in action yet, you can find my YouTube channel HERE.

Starting with the latest episode, Slow Crochet & a Stitch-Along...

What's on my hook

I'm making good progress on the Missed Kingfisher shawl by Joanne Scrace for “The Shawl Project: Book Two”, from The Crochet Project.

I am using Eden Cottage Yarns, Titus 4-ply in Rambling Rose and Oakworth 4-ply in Compost. I think it looks rather delicious! I've dubbed it the Missed Cupcake Shawl.

Also on the hook is the Peach Pocket Tunic pattern by Eline Alcocer, crocheted with King Cole Cottonsoft DK in Colour 713 Lilac.

I'm making the monthly mandalas in Simply Crochet magazine using Namolio linen threads - it gives the mandalas a completely different look to regular yarn! I usually use a 2.25mm hook or thereabouts...

So far I've finished two mandalas

And the third is underway!

New on my bookshelf is “Every Which Way Crochet Borders” by Edie Eckman. I review it in the show, it is a great addition to any crochet library!

What's in my hoop

Time to kick off the Stitch-Along! If you've never embroidered before, or if you have and just fancy an easy-peasy project, then this stitch-along is for you!

I'm using the simple Herb Embroidery design I use for teaching beginner's embroidery workshops - the design features a number of basic stitches, all used to create pretty herbs I doodled from my herb garden. You can download the pdf file in the link below:

Herbal Embroidery Pattern

I will be making short video tutorials for all the stitches we use in the design, including how to transfer a pattern to fabric, how to prepare your thread and how to do basic stitches.

All you need to get started is a 10-inch square of fabric (I'm using linen, but any fabric you can easily pull a needle and thread through will do!), an 8-inch embroidery hoop, scissors, an embroidery needle, and a selection of threads in colours you'd like to use for the flowers. I've used greens, purples, yellows and a bit of pink, Plus wee bits of white and brown...

I hope you play along, and share your creations with me! Let's hashtag them #herbembroiderySAL on social media, shall we?

Happy crafting!

Chrissie

Shell Stitch Scarf

Handmaiden Maiden Hair yarn shimmers on a sunny Spring day!

One of the joys of teaching crochet workshops at local haberdasheries is that I get to see (and play with) the latest yarns as soon as they arrive in the shop.

When Katia came out with their Air Alpaca yarn, I wanted to hook it up right away. So soft and fluffy!

Katia had sent small samples of the yarn worked up in different knitted stitches – and one crochet stitch sample caught my eye. Rows of shells, stacked row on row, with no chain row in between, which I typically see with shell stitch patterns. The closeness of the shells made a beautiful dense fabric with a lovely texture.

But no pattern for this little sample could be found. Not on the sample's label, not on the Katia web site, and the yarn rep didn’t have any answers, either. But I was determined to make a scarf with this stitch, so I took the sample home and to figure it out myself!

The great thing with crochet is that, with some scrutiny and patience, you can ‘read’ many crocheted items. This shell stitch fabric was pretty easy, once I figured out the number of chains in the foundation row.

I’ve made a few scarves already; the original Katia Air Alpaca scarf was given to Bunny’s harp teacher for Christmas, and I’ve made another with the luxurious Handmaiden Maiden Hair delicate yarn, pictured above.

Shell Stitch Scarf

Materials

I used:

2-1/2 skeins of Katia Air Alpaca (25g/115m/126yd per skein) and a 4mm hook

or 1 skein of Handmaiden Maiden Hair (100g/300m/328yd) and a 5.5mm hook

and I’m currently making one with chunky yarn and a 6mm hook, so feel free to experiment!

Finished size: My latest version, with the Maiden Hair yarn, is 150cm/59in long, 15cm/6in wide after blocking.

Pattern:

UK terms

US terms beneath

Ch 34

Row 1: 1 dc in 2^nd ch from hook; *skip 3 ch; [3tr, ch 1, 3tr] in next st; skip 3 ch; 1 dc in next st; * repeat from * to * to end of row. (4 shells)

               US: 1 sc in 2^nd ch from hook; *skip 3 ch; [3dc, ch 1, 3dc] in next st; skip 3 ch; 1 sc in next st; * repeat from * to * to end of row. (4 shells)

Row 2: turn, ch 3, 2tr at the base of ch3; *dc in ch space of previous row’s shell; [3tr, ch 1, 3tr] in previous row’s dc;* repeat from * to * two more times, ending the row with 3tr above the previous row’s dc stitch. (3 shells, 2 half shells on either end of row)

                US: turn, ch 3, 2dc at the base of ch3; *sc in ch space of previous row’s shell; [3dc, ch 1, 3dc] in previous row’s sc;* repeat from * to * two more times, ending the row with 3dc above the previous row’s sc stitch. (3 shells, 2 half shells on either end of row)

Row 3: turn, ch1; *[3tr, ch 1, 3tr] in previous row’s dc; dc in ch space of previous row’s shell;* repeat from * to * three more times, with the last dc at the top of the ch 3 of the previous row. (4 shells)

                US: turn, ch1; *[3dc, ch 1, 3dc] in previous row’s sc; sc in ch space of previous row’s shell;* repeat from * to * three more times, with the last sc at the top of the ch 3 of the previous row. (4 shells)

Repeat rows 2-3 until your scarf reaches the desired length, finishing with a Row 2. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing off: I experimented with hooking this pattern halfway, then working an identical piece the same length and stitching the foundation rows together – this would give two halves with the same pretty scalloped edging on the ends. However, I wasn’t happy with the join in the middle, regardless of whip stitch, double crochet join, etc. It just looked too obvious. So I’ve made a shell edging row to crochet onto the starting edge of the scarf:

Shell stitch edging worked in chunky yarn

Edging: Right side facing, attach yarn to the first chain of the row, ch 3, 2tr at the base of ch3; *1dc in the base of the shell of the first row; [3tr, ch 1, 3tr] in the base of the dc of the first row;* repeat from * to * two more times, ending the row with 3tr above the first row’s dc stitch. (3 shells, 2 half shells on either end of row)

                US: Right side facing, attach yarn to the first chain of the row, ch 3, 2dc at the base of ch3; *1sc in the base of the shell of the first row; [3dc, ch 1, 3dc] in the base of the sc of the first row;* repeat from * to * two more times, ending the row with 3dc above the first row’s sc stitch. (3 shells, 2 half shells on either end of row)

Happy crafting!

Chrissie 

Seed Stitch Infinity Scarf Pattern

Is it possible to fall in love, I mean *true love*, with a crochet project? If so, then I am head-over-heels for my seed stitch infinity scarf!

It ticks all the boxes for a crochet crush: beautiful texture, an easy pattern (by that I mean I can simultaneously crochet and carry on a conversation!), a useful item, and in this case, the most sumptuous yarn in the most perfect shade of pink!

It all started with the indulgent birthday purchase of two skeins of Juniper Moon Farm’s Moonshine yarn – a super-fine alpaca, silk and wool blend, sooo soft and snugly. I couldn’t decide what to make with it, so while searching out different crochet stitch combinations I found the seed stitch and knew it would fit the bill.

This pattern is perfect for my Beginner’s Crochet Courses, so I will be including it in the final handouts and sharing it with all my Crochet Clubs. And you, too!  

Seed Stitch Infinity Scarf

Materials

I used:

2 skeins of Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine (100g/180m/197yd per skein)

or 3 skeins of Sublime extra fine merino wool DK (50g/116m/127yd per ball)

or a DK yarn of your choice, with at least 360-400m/400+yd of length – feel free to mix colours, try cotton yarn, acrylic, anything that you fancy! I want you to enjoy this pattern and feel you have the confidence to make it your own!

4.5mm hook

Finished size: My pink scarf was 122cm/48in long, 19cm/7.5in wide – but again, have the confidence to make it longer if you want. I am five feet tall, so I don’t have the neck and shoulders to carry off a large infinity scarf. This is a forgiving pattern in terms of tension and size, so do what suits you!

Pattern:

UK terms (US terms)

Ch 27

Row 1: dc (sc) in 3^rd ch from hook; *tr (dc) in next stitch; dc (sc) in next stitch; * repeat from * to the end of the row, finishing with a dc (sc) stitch. Turn your work. (25 sts)

Row 2: Ch 2, dc (sc) in second stitch – this is the top of the tr (dc) of the previous row; tr (dc) into next stitch (top of the dc [sc] of previous row); *dc (sc) in next stitch (top of previous row tr [dc]); tr (dc) in next stitch (top of previous row dc [sc])*. See how the stitches alternate row on row?

Repeat from * to *, ending with a dc (sc) in the turning ch2 of previous row.

 

Repeat Row 2 until your scarf reaches the desired length. Here’s a tip: I always test the length of an infinity scarf or cowl by carefully pinning together the ends with safety pins and trying it on. This way I know if I need to make it longer, if it looks too bulky, etc. Once I’m happy with it, I fasten off, leaving a long tail, then use this tail to stitch together both ends of the scarf (I just used a simple slip stitch with a yarn needle).

I just love the texture of the seed stitch.

I think I'll be making more patterns with it. Cushion cover, summer wrap with a light cotton yarn...but for now I’m actually hoping for more chilly weather so I can get more use out of my new scarf!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie

Crochet with The Spice Girls

When my lovely virtual pal Sandra from Cherry Heart asked if I’d like to take part in the Spice of Life Crochet-A-Long, I happily added one more WIP to my list!

Photo courtesy of Sandra at Cherry Heart

How could I refuse a gorgeous delivery of yarn from Black Sheep Wools and a fun pattern that guarantees a Christmas gift ticked off my list?

Any combination of DK yarn can be used for the project, and Black Sheep Wools has special Spice of Life yarn packs using Rico Classic Baby DK and Stylecraft Special DK. Left to my own devices, I’d use my typical, safe shades of taupes and soft blues, greens and pinks. So I decided to go for the Stylecraft version, as Sandra used the Rico pack, to get me out of my comfort zone and into some bright and unusual shades. (My rainbow-loving Little Flower already has a claim on the finished blanket...)

This CAL suits all levels of experience, so I shared the info with my Crochet Club a few weeks back. The response was fab – I have a merry band of 12 joining together to make the blanket! Of course, a group this size deserves a name, so introducing...

* * * The Spice Girls * * *

(cue rolling eyes and groans, but I just couldn’t resist!)

We are meeting this Tuesday for the first of a series of CAL evenings outside of our regular Crochet Club. I can’t wait to see all the different colour palettes, and what better motivation to keep hooking as the autumn evenings close in?

I’ll share The Spice Girls' progress on the Spice of Life Facebook page. Black Sheep Wools has a dedicated Spice of Life page on their web site, and of course I’ll keep snapping away for Instagram (chrissie_crafts)!

Are you joining in the fun? Tell me all about it!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x (aka Crafty Spice)

Blog Hop: Beginner’s Guide to Crochet – My Crochet Fail

I’ve long been a fan of Annaboo’s House, admiring the super-cute amigurumi, hooking up my own makes from Sarah’s wonderful tutorials (especially the korknisse!). And just a few months ago we realised we actually live quite near each other, so we’ve been meeting up to chat and crochet and eat cake – what more could a gal want?

A book full of Sarah’s crochet creations, that’s what! She’s just released her first book, Beginner’s Guideto Crochet, and to celebrate I’m taking part in a fun blog hop all about our early crochet experiences.

My urge to crochet started when my eldest daughter was about two years old. I appreciated the crocheted baby blanket my mother had made when my Bunny was born, I loved the crocheted hangers that accompanied every new outfit that Mom and Grandma gave to her. But I never even entertained the idea of picking up a hook myself.

But motherhood changes you in so many ways, and along with the nesting instinct came a strong desire to make. Nurturing, baking, singing, loving... it all magnified by about a gazillion when I became a mom. So it seemed only natural that I asked my two female role models to teach me how to take a little hook and a string of yarn and create something beautiful.

I made a dishcloth.

Pretty, isn’t it? Well, hmmm. It’s been well used and washed over the years. It was made with great determination, perseverance and patience. And pretty pink variegated Lily Sugar n’ Cream yarn.

But it is wrong. All wrong. My first project was a Crochet Fail.

Can you guess? Have you made the same mistake? Row by row, stitch by stitch I crocheted in the front loops only, so the cloth is all ridges.

And the edges then buckled when I crocheted all round. Sad, worn little cloth.

When my mother pointed this out to me, I was disheartened. The whole thing was wrong, and it took me an age to make. But then the stubborn, feisty side of me piped up – hang on a minute, what’s so bad about this cloth? It is made up of neat little ridged rows, it is absorbent and practical, and it is pink! It is not a Crochet Fail, it is a Crochet Success because I did it!

As I tell my students who attend my beginner’s crochet course: “If it’s consistently wrong, it is right! You’ve created a new stitch!”

Ain’t no one gonna tell me I’m wrong!

The dishcloth was followed by a flurry of other little crochet creations, amigurumi, scarves, blankets, granny squares. You can see many of them in the archives of this blog! I shared my love of crochet with my craft group, taught a few friends as the years rolled by. Then through word of mouth, about two years ago I was asked to trial a beginner’s course. And now I seem to teach crochet here, there and everywhere, building my Crochet Army! What a great way to make new friends – the classes soon led to various Crochet Clubs held each month, where we hook all evening, chatting and inspiring and creating.

Speaking of creating, here’s something I’m working on for Little Flower’s new bedroom, which I will unveil for you all as soon as I can get that last coat of paint on the walls:

Given the grey clouds outside my window at the moment, I like looking at one with silver lining! The pattern is from Sarah’s new book, but I opted for a smaller version of the t-shirt yarn she used for hers:

I chose King Cole Smooth DK yarn in a soft grey, it has a pretty sheen that makes the cloud less dreary and goes well with the silver lining.

The silver lining is simply two strands of Anchor Metallic Thread hooked together around the edge. Easy peasy! I have further plans for this hopeful little cloud, you just wait and see...

The pattern is one of 20 beginner’s projects, available as a printed book as well as an eBook. And lucky Sarah is a craft ambassador at Stitch Craft Create – check out her curated page for lots of crochet goodies!

Now this blog hop must hop along...I would like to nominate one of my favourite crochet designers, the ever-inspiring Sandra of Cherry Heart, to share her beginner’s tale...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Long-awaited ta-dahs

One of the reasons I started my blog nearly two years ago is because I wanted some inspiration to finish my works-in-progress. I finally, finally finished one of my favourite WIPs:

Ta-dah, Ta-Dah, TA-DAH!!!! I could hardly believe it when I stitched the last stitch of this Dr. Seuss homage. Sam-I-Am shouldn’t have taken so long, really. It wasn’t the most impossible embroidery, it was just rather slow going at certain stages so I felt the need for a break. Sometimes for months. Ah well, we got there in the end!

Little Flower loves it, so it will go in her room, which we are currently redecorating. She actually was the impetus to finish Sam-I-Am; she loves Green Eggs and Ham so much and can read it by herself now. She saw the embroidery and asked if I could finish it specially for her – how could I say no? My five-year-old bookworm...caught here on my iPhone after her bedtime, she snuck out of bed to read more of the story!

Hey! Get to bed!

My New Year’s Resolution was to not buy any new yarn until I completed the mountain of crochet WIPs I accumulated last year. I need to tame my inner fickle magpie, flitting from one project to another when a pretty new yarn pops up in the shop!

So far so good (nearly, I did buy some Smooth DK on sale for £1 a ball, but that doesn’t count – who could pass up that kind of bargain?). My big finish this week was the gorgeous Textured Throw from Erika Knight’s Crochet Workshop:

A most inviting seat, no?

I started this throw months ago using King Cole Gypsy super-chunky yarn and a 10mm hook. It works up so quickly, but it took me ages because shortly after I started it, I began teaching more and more crochet workshops and leading the crochet clubs linked with each venue’s classes. 

I’ve had so much fun spreading the hooky love, but it has taken a big bite out of my own personal crochet time. I have to make sure I don’t get RSI by crocheting into the night when I’ve been teaching during the day. So projects are slow going, but very satisfying nonetheless.

This is the perfect winter blanket, soooo snuggly warm!

I also managed to finish a new shawl...

How much do I adore this shawl? I fell in love with Louisa Harding’s Amitola yarn, and opted for a colourway out of my comfort zone of pastels and neutrals. The vivid blues and rich browns were too tempting to pass up.

After drooling over images online for weeks, I broke down and ordered Puur Haken by the super-talented Maaike at creJJtion. No, I don’t speak the language, but yes, the photos are inspiration in themselves, and the diagram gave me all I needed to create the zomersjaal myself!

I love the shell pattern so much, I made creJJtion’s fingerless gloves, also using a shell pattern, with Louisa Harding Orielle yarn – a Christmas gift for myself, I couldn’t resist the subtle gold thread running through the yarn, giving it a little sparkle!

Onward and upward. I have a cushion to finish, then a pretty pink scarf, oh and a poncho-sweater-type-thing I forgot I even started about a year ago! Don’t mention the hexie blanket...I think there’s a ball of chunky scarlet yarn partway hooked into a snood...then I’ll attack those spring yarns in their juicy colours...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Craft therapy in a chaotic world

What is it about cutting up fabric

and sewing it back together again

that is so gratifying?

Why does choosing yarn in beautiful colours

and spending a few hours basically hooking it into tangles and knots

make the tough realities of life just a bit easier to take?

How can a needle and a few bits of coloured thread

yield small beauties that put the ugliness of the news into the background for a while?

Craft is the perfect antidote to the horrors of the world around us.

We crafty folk find happiness in sharing our knowledge

One of the workshops I teach

One of the classes I take

inspiring new friends

Teaching a new friend to sew on a rainy afternoon

enjoying the company of old friends

Enjoying decadent treats on Craft Night with Jooles!

The news has been getting to me lately. It’s all too much sometimes. I switch off the radio and reach for something to make, something to take my mind off all the negativity.

Craft therapy. In these tumultuous times, we’re all holding onto our creative gifts, enriching our family lives with simple makes

I've been making snowflakes with linen thread and iridescent thread hooked together...

And while conflicts spread the globe, so too do our creative connections

We’re sticking together, we crafty folk, we’re reaching out across the vastest distances to share the simplest of pleasures in this complicated world.

Craft therapy.

Don’t you wish a news report would end not with the weather, but with a Craft Update?

“And in Surrey this evening, Chrissie Crafts has finally finished her daughter’s quilt! A lovingly made patchwork in shades of rose and aqua, Chrissie reveals exclusively to us that this will be Bunny’s Christmas present. Well done, Chrissie.”

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

P.S. I first wrote about craft therapy a few weeks after starting my blog. You can read it here.