EDWARD'S MENAGERIE...Brilliant books from Kerry Lord

I'm going to be a first time Grandma soon [so excited] and wanted to make some crochet animals for Raspberry 

[when i was told at Christmas it was the size of a Raspberry so my nickname for baby]

I didn't want to spend time designing so went for one of the best crochet animal books around. 

Kerry Lord's TOFT animal books are brilliant.....

Easy to follow you do need lots of stitch makers and to read the pattern first!

I've made 2 Simon Sheep, Bridget the Elephant and Georgina the Hippo in the last 4 days

Cant stop now i've started and each one gets better and better.

Using Aran weight yarns that i have to practise with anything smaller hurts my arthritic fingers a bit but Aran weight gives a lovely size animal 

Simon Sheep mark 2, i didn't read the pattern and in the early hours of the morning accidentally swapped the head for the body so needed to make some adjustments to the head.

Mark 2 all tied up so i can do the loopy woolly coat as instructed but for me,

 it was easier to do this before i stuffed it and joined all the bits together.

Georgina the Hippo...i love 4th animal i made.

Bridget the Elephant was the 3rd animal she's got a twist in her trunk but i actually like that...cute

Loving the book and would highly recommend it to anyone

They look so different depending on where you put the eyes and ears 

 the first sheep i made and a few mistakes but I love him x

thanks to Kerry Lord and TOFT, for some great books

DAY 1 CROCHET WIP'S ADVENT CALENDAR

CROCHET WIP's ADVENT CALENDAR 

DAY 1 

A Head Band/Ear warmers
Wanted a double version but not enough of the yarn i wanted to use so had to settle for a side layer

5mm hook

US Terms

to fit my head 21":

Base chain: 15sts

ROW 1: [14th and 15th ch, counts as first dc], 4dc, miss 2 sts, 3dc, ch1, 3dc in middle st, miss 2 sts, 4dc, turn,

repeat for as many rows as needed

join with a sl st, after each st, to join into a circle to fit.

Add a band to cover join

Base chain: 11sts

ROW 1: 2dc, miss 2sts, 3dc, ch2 3dc in middle sts, miss 2 sts, 2dc, turn and repeat for as many rows as needed

join around the main head band, with sl sts, after each st, to make into a circle.
sew off all ends

simple shell stitch centre decoration

colours aren't true as the light wasn't good but its soft aqua blue

PATTERN: BEAD N BEZEL PATTERNS

BEAD AND BEZEL PATTERNS

HERE

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

Alpaca beads are so soft...

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

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

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

My "Less Baggy" c2c pattern in detail

Thanks Hookers for a fabulous crochet weekend in Bala...some of the girls asked for my c2c pattern 2013, in one place and easier to find so here it is...

Have fun.

CROCHET: A Less 'baggy ' C2C Square Tutorial 

This tutorial will give you a C2C with no visible holes, unless you pull to piece to reveal the holes, i close and firm c2c

 Explaining the C2C block by block.

US Terms in black UK Terms in brackets in red

C2C patterns can be made in one plain yarn...great texture, 

stripes... so a pattern can be made when you join small blocks together,

 or you can just make a large striped piece...square or rectangular

Above every row is a different colour so lots of ends...when i change colour i cut and pull the last colour straight though the last two sts on the hook.

Then I add the next colour through the same pair of stitches, hold both ends and crochet over the top of them so no ends to deal with at the finish.

Below a space dyed yarn c2c triangle scarf

space dyed yarn gives an automatic stripe with no effort and no ends to deal with.

I have broken this tutorial down into blocks not rows hoping to help those crocheters who are really not understanding the C2C pattern, with its twists and turns and decreasing.

CLOSER/FIRMER C2C TIP
Want a less 'baggy' open look?.....use 2ch as the replacement dc [tr], use 5ch for the turn not 6ch. Also use sl st. and not sc [dc], when joining the blocks together

Personally i would always use 2ch as a replacement for dc [tr], in all my work because of the baggy look 2ch gives....give it a try and see what you think

 C2C HOW TOO BLOCK BY BLOCK
 Increasing the Blocks and Decreasing the Blocks

Block 1: sl knot on hook, ch5, 

1dc [1tr], in 3rd sts from hook, 

1dc [1tr], in next 2 ch sts, the first 2ch sts, become the ch sts you crochet into on the next row.

 Block 2: ch5, 1dc [tr], in 3rd st from hook, 1dc [1tr], in next 2ch sts, 

fold up first block up to hook, sl st or sc [dc], into corner of the first block.
NOTE: depending on how close I want the finished piece to look I will use either sc [dc], or sl st to join to the next block

Block 3: ch2 counts as first dc [tr], 3dc [3tr], into ch sp.

Block 4: ch5, dc [tr], in 3rd st, from hook, 1dc [1tr], in next 2ch sts, fold up the main body of c2c, to the hook, sl st/sc [dc], in the corner of the next block

Block 5:ch2, 3dc into ch sp, sl st/sc [dc], into corner,

Block 6: repeat block 3

Block 7: repeat block 4 this is the end turning block.

Repeat this pattern to the size you require 

Blocks 8-10: repeat block 3

Block 11: repeat block 4.

Blocks 12-15 repeat block 3

Block 16: repeat block 4

Keep repeating the mid row blocks (block 3) and the
end turning block (block 4) pattern until your c2c is the size you require 
TO CHANGE COLOUR

Cut and pull first yarn though st

put hook back though both the last 2sts

pull new colour through last 2sts.

ch5, 1dc [1tr], in 3rd st from the hook, 1dc [1tr], in next 2 sts, 

fold main body of c2c up to hook and continue as before crocheting over the ends as you go any ends left use a bodkin to weave in

To Decrease.

Stop INCREASING THE BLOCKS when your piece gets to the size you want.

Turn before the ch5,

sl st or sc [dc], into top of next 3 sts, sc [dc], into ch sp, 

and continue to 

 repeat block 3.....ch2 as first dc [tr],  3dc [3tr], into ch sp, sl st/sc [dc],into corner of next block....

continue to end of row stopping before the last block turn and repeat sl st/sc [dc], across the top of the last block continue with block 3 and repeat turn

repeat decrease both ends until you have a completed square 

To make a rectangle only decrease one end and continue to increase the other until you have the size you want then decrease both ends.