Tag Archives: free pattern

Crochet Flower Sun Hat – Free Pattern

Leave a reply

Hey all!

Finally it seems like summer has made her appearance! The temperature here in Malta is in the high 20s (Celsius), there is a nice cool breeze, skies are blue and days are getting longer. No more COVID restrictions – life is good and it’s definitely the best time of the year!

In warmer weather, I normally switch to using cotton yarns for my projects – that way, I can continue crocheting all year round 🙂 

I have long wanted to make a granny square sun hat – and finally, I got round to it and have made a few. The pattern I used is free and you can find it here : https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/how-to-crochet-a-flower-sun-hat.html

For my hats, I used Katia Menfis yarn and a 3mm hook. 

So, without further ado, here are the hats I have made so far  – A great big thanks goes out to Ylenia & Alex for being such good sports and modelling them along with me !

This is just the beginning – I’ve got lots more bucket hats which I have been working on -so keep an eye out for more posts in the coming days.

And, don’t forget to use sunscreen and stay hydrated! 

Moi 🙂
Alex
Moi 🙂
Ylenia

Easy Knitted scarf

Leave a reply

It’s been quite a few years since I last knitted anything, as normally I prefer crochet. But, I came across this lovely yarn, and needed a project to use it for (I know – that’s the wrong order of doing things – i.e. you should have a project in mind, and then you find the material – but I’m sure crafters know exactly what I mean and are likely guilty of the same!)

Anyhow, the yarn I used is Katia’s Easy Jacquard – and it came with a free pattern (you can find it here: https://www.katia.com/EN/patterns-autumn-winter-woman-set-8030-430.html) . My version is somewhat different as I wanted a thicker scarf. To achieve that, I worked the whole scarf in rib stitch. See below:

Instructions:

Using 4.5mm needles, Cast on 46 stitches.
Row: Repeat (K2, P2) till end of the row.
Make as many rows as you like till the scarf is of the desired length. (I used the entire ball, and my scarf is pretty long)

This is an ideal pattern to follow while watching your favourite shows – if you are like me, I can’t just sit and watch a show, I have to be doing something as well.

Hope this inspires you to pick up your hooks or needles and get crafting!

Pot holders – Farmyard Collection

2 Replies

I came across a wonderful set of farmyard inspired tapestry crochet potholders and have been busy as a bee crocheting away a whole range of them – they are simple but really cute.

Here are some of the ones which I have made – they make real cute sets! I always use mercerized cotton for these as it is heat resistant. These are made using either DK or 4-ply cotton and a 4mm or 3.5mm crochet hook – of course the 4-ply using the 3.5mm hoot results in a smaller pot holder, but it’s still a pretty decent size.

I have made some others (which are not a set – and you can see the below). I’m not very fond of the goose with the purple background – it does not seem to look as neat as the ones where the background is light.

My next post will also be more pot-holders – but this time, it’s my own design and they are Grand-Prix inspired 🙂

So stay tuned and in the meantime – why not try making these!! Patterns are by Raffamusa Designs and are freely available on: https://raffamusadesigns.com/tapestry-crochet-potholders-farmhouse-collection/

Crochet Granny square handbag – getting ready for spring!!

1 Reply

Hey fellow crafters!  With the weather getting a little warmer, I thought that a nice spring handbag would be a great project – so here is one I made up.  I used mercerised cotton DK in 3 colours and a 3.5mm crochet hook.

20210228_124809

Each side of the bag is made by joining 9 granny squares, and then joined by crocheting single crochet through adjacent aligned squares. Below is the pattern of the granny square seen in this bag.

The granny square pattern

LRM_20210228_125530



Abbreviations (US terms):
CH – chain
SC – Single Crochet
HDC – Half double crochet
DC – Double Crochet
TC -Triple Crochet
DC2TOG – 2 DC together (for instructions of how to do this please refer to external link)
DC3TOG – 3 DC together also known as cluster stitch (for instructions on how to do this, please refer to this external link)

Round 1 : Using grey yarn, in a magic ring, CH, 8SC, join with slip stitch into the 1st SC to complete the ring. (8 stitches)
Round 2 : CH, 2SC in  each SC from Round 1, all the way round. Join with slip stitch into the 1st SC to complete the ring (16 stitches). Cast off.
Round 3 : Using the lilac coloured yarn, join the any SC from Round 2, and CH 2. In the same SC, DC. CH, Repeat (DC2tog in next SC, CH) all the way round . Join with a slip stitch into 2nd chain of the first 2 chains which you started the round with.  Cast off. (16 Stitches, 16 spaces)
Round 4 : Using the grey yarn, join in any chain space made in Round 3 and CH 2. In the same chain space, DC2tog, and CH 2. Repeat (DC3tog, CH 2) all the way round in each chain space from round 3. Join with a slip stitch into the 3nd chain of the first 2 chains which you started the round with. Cast off. (16 stitches, 16 spaces)
Round 5 : Using the white yarn, join in any chain space made in Round 4 and CH 3. In the same chain space, 2 DC. 3 HDC in next chain space. 3 DC in next chain space. (3 TC, CH2, 3TC) in next chain space – this forms the first corner of the granny square. Repeat {3DC in next Chain space, 3HDC in next chain space, 3DC in next chain space, (3TC, CH2, 3TC) in next chain space } 3 times. Join with a slip stitch into 2nd chain of the first 2 chains which you started the round with.  Cast off.

Joining

Once you have completed all 18 squares, join them by aligning 2 squares next to each other and using SC to join the corresponding stitches . I used the lilac yarn to do this, but you can choose the colour of your choice. Do this to create 2 panels of 9 squares joined together (one for the back and the other for the front of the bag).

To create some depth in the bag, with the external side facing you, join lilac yarn in any corner or panel and DC in each stich all the way around 3 of the sides of  the panel and cast off – do this for both front and back panels of the bag. Then, place the front and back panels on top of each other, so that the side where there is no DC rows aligned and with the inside of the panels facing you – i,e. this inside out. Using lilac yarn, join the panels on the 3 sides which you did a row of DC by doing SC through DCs on both panels – i.e  the SC would go through the DC on front and back panel. This way, the join which is created will be on the inside of the bag. Do this all the way round the 3 sides.  Do not cast off yet! Turn the bag the right way round . Do SC in each stitch on the edge which is the opening of the bag- this will define the opening of the bag nicely. 

Handles

This is always somewhat of a challenge – what handles to make ? I decided to try something different and came across a lace like design – while the pattern is for a much finer yarn, it has worked very well with DK too and I think make ideal fancy handles! Here is the tutorial of how to make them – though the video is not in English, it is very easy to follow. 

LRM_20210228_125612
  I am now off to make some more in other colours! Hope this has inspired you to make your own. Please share and Happy crocheting!

Showcasing my biggest project to date

Leave a reply

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 Janie Crow (https://manjrisplace.wordpress.com/2020/08/17/fruit-garden-cal-complete/).

I made this as a special gift, so, of course, I couldn’t post any photos before it went to it’s new home.

It is much more spaced out that 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!

Crochet multi-colour Pencil Case / make-up bag/ toiletries pouch – Free Pattern

Leave a reply

Hey all! Hope you are doing fine and churning out fabulous projects! If you need some inspiration, here is an easy one which I designed and made from nylon crochet thread (the same that I used to make the belt in my previous project ). Again, thanks to the stiff and abrasive nature, it lends itself really well to this pouch / case. The pattern is quite straight forward – it’s mainly single crochet (US Terms).  Here is the pattern :

I used a 1.4mm crochet hook for this project.

CH – chain stitch
SC – single crochet

YO – yarn over

Start with 61 CH

Row 1: skip first chain and 1 SC into remaining 60 CH, ch 1 and turn

Row 3-9: 1 SC into each of the 60 SC from previous round, ch 1 and turn.

By the end of the last round, you will now have a rectangular piece, which will be the base of the pouch/case.

Row 10: In this round, you will be working all around the rectangular piece just made. 1SC into the back loop only of each of the 59 SC from previous round. Make 3SC in the last SC from previous round. 7SC down the short side of the rectangle, 3SC in the first stitch of the long side, 1SC in each of the next 59 SC, 3SC in last stitch of long side, 7SC down the other short side. Slip stitch into the first chain made at end of round 9. CH1 and turn.

Row 11: SC in the first SC from last round. Place a stitch marker between the CH and the SC just made as it will become hard to identify end of a row since will will be working all around. 4SC, 3CH, skip 1 stitch. (5SC, 3CH, skip 1 stitch) all the way round – N.B. you will end with 2 or 3SC. Slip stitch into first CH. Remove stitch marker.

Row 12-13: CH1, SC in the first SC from last round. Place a stitch marker between the CH and the SC just made.  4SC, 3CH, skip ch space madein last round. (5SC, 3CH, skip 1 stitch) all the way round – N.B. you will end with 2 or 3SC. Slip stitch into first CH.  Remove stitch marker.

Row 14: CH1, SC in the first SC from last round. Place a stitch marker between the CH and the SC just made. 4SC, SC over the 3 chain spaces from rows 11-13, into the Stitch skipped  in round 11. . (5SC, C over the 3 chain spaces from rows 11-13, into the Stitch skipped  in round 11) all the way round – N.B. you will end with 2 or 3SC. Slip stitch into first CH.  Remove stitch marker.

Rows 15-42: Repeat Rows 11-14  7 more times.

Row 43-47: CH1, SC in the first SC from last round. Place a stitch marker between the CH and the SC just made. SC into each stitch from row 42. Slip stitch into first CH. Remove Stitch marker.  Cast off.

If you would prefer a deeper pouch,  repeat rows 11-14 till you get the desired size.

Once ready, sew in a zipper and voila! Your pouch is ready!  It’s fantastic for school – but you could also use it as a make-up bag, or for keeping toiletries.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Crochet multi-colour Belt – Free Pattern

1 Reply

Hey fellow crocheters,

I recently bought some rather nice nylon crochet thread because I really liked the colours. Nylon is quite stiff and abrasive , so you have to be careful what you use it for. I  decided to make a belt. The pattern is quite straight forward – it’s mainly single crochet (US Terms). However, even though the nylon is stiff, I did a double layer as I felt that the belts should be pretty stiff. Here is the pattern :

I used a 1.4mm crochet hook for this project.

CH – chain stitch
SC – single crochet

YO – yarn over

Start with 11 CH

Row 1: skip first chain and 1 SC into remaining 10 CH, ch 1 and turn

Row 2: To create a double layer SC, put hook through the backloop only of the SC made on row 1 and also the loop left over from initial chain stitch (see marked image below).  Repeat till end of row, ch1 and turn.

pic1

Row 3 :  From now on, the double layer sc will be easier to make.  Insert hook through the leftmost loop in the sc just made on last row, and in the remaining loop in the corresponding stitch in the previous row. Repeat till end of the row, ch1 and turn.

pic2

Keep working this way till you reach the desired length.

For the buckle, I used 2 brass hoops, recycled from an old handbag . 

belt

Hope this has given you some ideas!

Happy crocheting!

The Virus Shawl

Leave a reply

Hey everyone! Hope you are all enjoying summer and safe ! I might have mentioned once or twice, or a hundred times that I love winter – I am totally a winter person. I love being able to snuggle with soft, warm woolly things – so it is no surprise that I make a lot of winter projects.

Firstly, a little disclaimer about the title of this post and the name of this pattern i.e. “The Virus Shawl” – this name and pattern has been around for years and has nothing to do with COVID-19.

I have made a few shawls so far, but it’s always been a challenge to properly show-case these without a model. I have asked politely, then begged and even tried to bribe my lovely daughter into being my model – but with no luck . So, I now am a proud owner of a mannequin!

Here is one of the shawls that I made . There are several free patterns available online.  However, here is one you could refer to – it includes a written pattern in form of graph as well as YouTube videos for both right and left-handed crocheters. If you do try making this, I would love to see your creations! Please feel free to share in comments to this post : https://www.woolpedia.de/english/crochet-tutorials/shawl/

N.B. I used a variegated 4-ply yarn, and used a 4-mm hook.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Fruit Garden CAL – Complete

3 Replies

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 Janie Crow) 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!

Fruit Garden CAL – progress

Leave a reply

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.

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 COVID-19 impact 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 feel a lot softer. The other difference I noted is the Schachenmayer 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 .