Recently, I completed a lapghan on commission for a lovely elderly lady. I did not follow any pattern, but made it up as I went along. I used a variegated yarn and 4.5 mm hook. Here is the end result.
I am particularly pleased with how the edging came out. I used a surface crochet technique to create the beige edging. Here is a close-up:
Hope it inspires you!
Hi all! I’m really pleased to share with you photos of my biggest project to date – a large blanket which I adapted from the Fruit Garden design by Jane Crowfoot.
I made this as a special gift, so, of course, I couldn’t post any photos before it went to its new home.
It is much more spaced out than the original pattern, and I think that the plain squares actually (dare I say) “improve” the overall effect by giving each different flower room to shine.
I hope this inspires you to put your own twist on patterns! N.B. If anyone needs the pattern for the plain square, please drop me a line or comment below and I will write it up for you. Happy crafting!
Hi all! I’m really pleased to share with you photos of the completed lap blankets. It was great fun and to be honest, I’ve been feeling a bit at a loose end now that these are over.
I will definitely use some parts of this pattern by Jane Crowfoot for other projects, such as cushion covers, but more on that when I actually do make them!
While I do have some smaller projects on the go, however, I am now on the lookout for the next big one….if anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to message me!
If you’d like to see where this project started, including details of the pattern and my progress along the way, have a look at my original Fruit Garden CAL post →
It’s been a while since I last posted – and it’s not because I have no projects completed or on the go, but sheer laziness on my part in taking photos of my work! I am much happier with a hook, or needle in hand than setting the scene and taking the pics! So today, I decided that, come what may, I needed to pick up my handy mobile phone and snap a few shots.
Anyway, back to the Janie Crow CAL which I started a while back – I had ordered the yarn pack for the light colour scheme as the other one was out of stock, but my heart was set on the dark scheme too.
If you’d like to see the pattern details and where I started, have a look at my original Fruit Garden CAL post →
Here is where I got to so far using the original colour scheme (n.b. the CAL is not yet over – we’re still around halfway)
As I could not find the yarn packs in stock for the dark scheme, I opted to find similar shades locally in a different brand of wool (Schachenmayr). Due to the impact of COVID-19 on shipping, not all colours were available, and not wanting to wait for more shipments to arrive, I went with a few alternatives. You can see the outcome below.
I have to say that I much prefer the quality and feel of the Schachenmayr acrylic yarn to the Stylecraft one. It feels a lot softer. The other difference I noted is the Schachenmayr yarn is a little thicker – so the end result is a bit larger – but I don’t mind that and I’m quite happy with the outcome.
I still have quite a stash of yarn, so maybe I will make yet another blanket in a totally different colour scheme of my own design 🙂
If you are following the same CAL, I would love to see your work! Please feel free to share.
Update: Want to see how it all turned out? You can see my finished Fruit Garden blankets here: Fruit Garden CAL – Complete →
A little note: I originally wrote this post in May 2020, when the Fruit Garden CAL was just getting underway. I’ve kept the original post below as part of my crochet journal, so references to pattern releases and dates reflect what was happening at the time.
I recently came across a post in one of the Facebook crochet groups for a most beautiful Crochet-Along (CAL) project inspired by embroidery works by May Morris, daughter of William Morris. I could not resist – so I signed up, bought the yarn pack and have just started.
As we have just started, only the first part of the pattern has been released, and I can say that it is written very clearly. The designer has also provided a Youtube video, in which she has shared some really good tips. I will surely be applying some of the tips to all my projects henceforth – so very worth taking a look.
Here is my first set of tiles. (Note that these are not blocked yet as we will be blocking them at the end of the project. Also, the threads you see in the corners are actually being used as stitch markers.)
I find the most efficient approach to making multiple tiles in the same pattern is to first do one completely, so you familiarise yourself with the pattern, and then work on the remaining colour by colour. So, in this set, I did one tile completely, and for the remaining 7 tiles, I first crocheted 7 flowers, then did the green background for all 7, then proceeded to do the parchment part. There is no rule about how you should do this, it’s just a matter of preference.
At the time I started the CAL, the pattern was available in two colour recipes, with another version planned for the second run later in 2020. Of course, you could also come up with your own colour combination. I even saw a monochrome version of the tile which someone tried — and it was quite pretty — but I love colours, so it wasn’t for me. 🙂
If you want to give it a try, the pattern remains available to download, free of charge, from the Stylecraft Yarns website here.
See the finished Fruit Garden blankets →
I’m so happy with this gorgeous baby blanket, which I made for a friend. It’s using the same technique as in my last post, Colourful Lapghan →.
I’ve been rather busy putting this very colourful lapghan together. It’s similar to the Colourful Lined Baby blanket I made some time back. Hope you like it! I’m now working on one in pastel colours. Check back soon for updates!
Hello fellow crocheters! This is one of the most beautiful stitches I have come across which is quite simple. This stitch is also known as Bavarian Crochet, and the beautiful Wool Eater Blanket pattern was designed by Sarah London.
If you’d like to give it a try, Sarah’s original instructions are still available free online, with step-by-step photographs:
The Wool Eater Blanket – Free Pattern →
I made 12 squares and then joined them by crochet to make an afghan.
For each afghan, used 3 shades of a colour and white for the border. As an estimate, I used approximately 150g of each coloured wool, and around 200g of white.
I would love to see your creations and answer any questions you may have – so please drop me a line. hope you find this inspirational! Happy crocheting!
