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Category Archives: Part 1

Stylecraft Yarns won and to be won

25 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 1

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The title of this post sounds like a Chines take-away doesn’t it? “Chow mein and wonandtobewon please. No chopsticks, I need a fork” Hahaha

Moving on….

I won Stylecraft Espresso yarn in a giveaway through Twitter. Yeah! Free yarn! Stylecraft tweeted that the next person to like their Facebook page, would win five balls of Espresso yarn. My timing was perfect and the Gods of Crochet were on my side again: I won! When they tweeted my name as the winner and asked that I get in contact, I told them that I would not keep the winnings for myself, but rather give it away as a raffle prize at the Kidney Research UK event on 9 November. Paying it forward, sharing the yarn loving and all that 😉

Espresso yarn

But wait, there’s more. When Stylecraft heard that I will be giving away my winnings they said they would send me a little something extra for the event!

What they sent was Stylecraft Special DK in pinks, oranges and white. You know I’m not a huge fan of pink, but the combination of pink and orange really does look scrummy *quoting Mary Berry*. Stylecraft asked that I “be creative” and use the yarn to create something for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I kept half of the yarn for that (I will show you what I made for Breast Cancer Awareness in a follow-up blogpost) and the other half is a second prize for the raffle. Score!!

pink style craft

Thank you Stylecraft for being so generous. I’ve always loved using Stylecraft yarns – my Identity Crisis blanket was made using only Stylecraft Special DK, and their Cotton Classique is a brilliant DK cotton at a very good price. Now that I know how generous the Stylecraft Yarns people are, I’m an even bigger fan.

If you want to get your hooks into these prizes, you would have to buy a £1 raffle ticket at the Crochet for Kidney Research UK event in Thames Ditton on the 9th of November. 15 Days to go to the big day!!!

If you can’t come to Thames Ditton, Loveknitting.com sells a huge selection of Stylecraft yarns here and until midnight 27 October they are giving 10% discount on all DK yarns if you use the code DOUBLEORKNITS. And remember, if you put in my name (Natasja King) in the “Referred By A Friend” box at checkout, you will get 15% off on your first order at Loveknitting.com!

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Your purple and white squares

20 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 1

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While I was on holiday last week, four more packets of squares for the blankets for the Crochet For Kidney Research UK event arrived! These four packaged contained 48 squares – that’s enough for one blanket made up of 8 rows of 6 squares! Ladies, between the four of you, you’ve crocheted a whole blanket! Whoo-hoo!!!!

A huge shout-out to Helen who single-handedly crocheted 30 squares.  That’s two-thirds of the blanket. You’re a rockstar Helen.

Lorraine

Alison Helen Poppy

Jane Czaya also tweeted me a picture of squares made by her crochet students. Jane has even been selling raffle tickets to the ladies of her crochet group in Lewes who cannot be at our event on the 9th of November. How great is that?!

Jane tweet

I’ve received a total of 99 squares, so that’s enough for two blankets without counting Jane’s crochet student’s squares or the squares of those coming in person. I’m soooo happy! Thank you to everyone who has sent squares so far.

We still have 20 days to go. Maybe we can have three blankets by then? Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Smiling kidney in a square crochet pattern

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 1

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The Crochet for Kidney Research UK event now has it’s very own, unique, especially commissioned granny square featuring a smiling kidney! The pattern was designed by the very talented Carolina Guzman of One and Two Company.

Click on the picture below to view the PDF of the pattern. It’s cute isn’t it?

Kidney granny square patter

Back in August 2012 I blogged about hand towels that I embellished with crochet applique. I used a combination of two of One and Two Company’s designs – Cow Pig and Farm and The Tree The Houses and The Cloud. You can see the towels in this post. Knowing what Carolina is capable of, she was my first, and only choice, when I needed someone to design a kidney shape. Carolina didn’t disappoint. Not only did she design a crochet kidney applique shape, she also converted the shape into a granny square. Brilliant! She did all of this whilst submitting work to Design Wars 5, heavily pregnant and for free!

Carolina has 76 crochet patterns, and 86 crochet applique patterns on her website. This lady is a crochet design machine! She designs baskets, security blankets, garlands, rattles, and more. As for the applique – don’t get me started. Each and every one is just so cute damn cute: cars, rockets, reindeer, butterflies, snails on a branch, VW camper, penguins – there are just too many to mention. What I like most about Carolina’s work is her style, which comes through in each and every pattern. You can always spot a One and Two Company design. She has a colourful simplicity to her designs. You know exactly what it is, but it’s paired down and simplified so that it is easy to crochet without too much fuss. Her patterns are a breeze too – it’s written and charted so anyone can follow. I think One and Two Company designs and patterns are absolutely brilliant.

Here are three squares that I whipped up over the weekend. I had a great time playing around with the facial expressions of the kidney. *There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say*. I used this website for instructions on how to embroider the eyes, and this one for the mouth. This tutorial on doing a running stitch on crochet was also helpful. For the middle square I just did plain ole french knots for the eyes, but I think the embroidered eyes look better. What do you think?

Stephanie’s pattern shows three rows of shells, but to get my square to 15cm I added two more rounds. I used Vinni’s Colurs Nikkim in Dark Purple, Lilac, Violet and White.

Smiling kidney crochet square

If you make any Kidney Granny Squares, please share it on Carolina’s Ravelry Group here, and on the Crochet for Kidney Research UK Ravelry event page here.

I’m so excited about our blankets for dialysis patients! What do you think? Do you like the smiling kidneys?

Jane the crochet teacher

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 1

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I have another little update on the Crochet for Kidney Research UK event.  Not only will you be able to buy raffle tickets, take part in a quiz, listen to talks by a living kidney donor and recipient, drink tea and eat someone else’s cake, but you will also get the opportunity to see Jane Czaja demonstrate how to crochet the donated squares together. (Please note though that Jane will only be there for the first hour ie. 10:30 to 11:30.)

Jane has a considerable amount of crochet experience dating back to childhood, crocheting her own clothes in the 1960/70s and teaching crochet at Adult Education Classes in the 1980s. She has recently moved back to the area having been in Lewes for a couple of years where she was teaching Crochet to Beginners and Improvers.

Jane’s Nice & Easy Workshops are now held at Creative Quilting in Hampton Court Village. Crochet appointments are also available at Jane’s Nice & Easy OneToOne Crochet Surgery (no amputations necessary just help with crochet). Details can be found on www.janescrochet.com and you can follow Jane on twitter @janescrochet.

I mentioned Jane briefly in this post where I shared the blessings and good vibrations I’m experiencing in organising the event. This post is about that very Jane who has donated a place in one of her crochet workshops, and donated a crochet basket like the one below, as raffle prizes. Thank you very much Jane for sharing your expertise and your support!

crochet basket by Jane

Are any of my blog readers making purple and white squares? Are any of you planning to attend the event on the 9th of November? I’d love to hear from you!

As for me, I’m working on my chevron scarf at the moment, but I’ll be making purple and white squares (using Vinni’s Colours Nikkim of course) for five days nonstop from next Friday: John and I are going on a short holiday to Spain! What better time for some relaxed purple and white hooky action?! Sun, sea, paella, chorizo and crochet. Can. Not. Wait.

Ravelry Group and Event

10 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 1

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If you a Ravelry member you may want to join the group I set up for the Crochet for Kidney Research UK event on the 9th of November. It’s the perfect place to chat to others, get updates, and share your white and/or purple squares with the rest of us.  Just click on this link to take you straight to the group page.

A handy feature of Ravelry groups is that you can add an event. If you are joining us, you can use this feature to let me know that you’ll be there. It will be great to see my blog readers in the flesh!

Ravelry event

Since I started the group, I have read tales of ladies either losing someone to kidney disease, or happy stories about loved ones surviving kidney disease. It really puts things in perspective, and it’s what keeps me pushing through for this event to be a success.

At the moment I have 11 lovely ladies who have promised to send me squares, and one who is attending the event. Obviously I need more squares, and definitely more people to attend, but I’m positive that all numbers WILL increase.

I will soon be posting photos of the squares I’ve made so far, and as I receive your squares, they will be photographed for the blog as well. I can’t wait to see the blankets take shape!

Do you recall that I said there will be a crochet quiz? Boy, do I have a surprise for you! A lovely sponsor has already sent me the gifts for the winning table. More details to follow soon.

In the meantime, please spread the word about the event and try your bestest to come along. I’m so looking forward to having many of my lovely blog readers there.

Crochet squares and a get together

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in Crochet For Kidneys, My ramblings, Part 1

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Do you have any plans for Saturday 9 November 2013? Fancy getting together with a few other crocheters to crochet squares for a charity and/or make up finished squares into blankets? You can also join in a crochet quiz and try your luck with raffle prizes. How do you feel about baking and trying out other’s home bakes? Does this sound like your idea of a Saturday morning?  If so, you’re reading the right blog. I’m arranging all of this, and it’s in aid of Kidney Research UK.

crochet poster purple 9 nov

When:  9 November 2013 from 10:30 to 13:30

Where: The Vera Fletcher Hall 4, Embercourt Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT70LQ. More information on the location here. The hall is 50 yards from Thames Ditton station, which is on the South West Trains line between London Waterloo and Hampton Court. Parking is also available in the area around the hall.

Why Kidney Research UK: My husband, John, met someone who suffered from full kidney failure a year ago. Pieter had been on dialysis for 4 years and on the Organ Donor’s List. John was so moved by his suffering and story, that he decided he would donate one of his kidneys to him. Over the months of compatibility tests they became the best of friends, during which time we learnt that they were a very good match. The transplant operation was on 27 November 2012 and went extremely well. John’s donation also made history by being the first directed altruistic organ donation in the UK. It’s now 9 months later and they are both in very good health. Pieter wants to pay it forward and recently became a Board Member of the Kidney Research UK “Making EVERY Kidney Count” appeal, . Pieter has committed to raise £150,000 over three years. I want to help him in the only way I know how: crochet.

How will we help Kidney Research UK?:

1. By crocheting squares to be made into blankets for dialysis patients. Around 20,000 people receive dialysis every year. It’s an extremely unpleasant thing to go through. I’m hoping that lovingly made crochet blankets will help make the dialysis session just a little bit better.

You can start crocheting squares now. Any design of square, as long as it’s close to 15cm squared and you stick to shades of purple and white (as these are the official colours of Kidney Research UK). Please do not use wool as it may shrink or felt when the recipients wash their blankets on a too warm wash. Acrylics and cottons are best. I have purple and white 100% cotton yarn for sale in my Etsy shop that will be excellent for these squares. 25p From each ball sold also goes to Kidney Research UK. You can find the cotton yarn here.

You can make a traditional granny square, or my Granny Square in Bloom square, until it reaches 15cm squared. Step by step photo tutorials for these two patterns can be found here. The pattern has been translated into UK / Australian crochet terms on Spincushions blog here.

If you need more inspiration, Jan Eaton’s book 200 Crochet Blocks (there is a link to the book under the Books I Recommend section on the right) are filled with patterns for squares designed to be 15 cm squared.

Just remember that all squares have to be shades of purple and/or white and no wool.

On the 9th of November we will start crocheting the squares together into blankets, and crochet more squares.  If you can’t attend the get together, please post your squares to me. Squares from all over the world are welcome – the more the merrier.

2. Sales of raffle tickets. On the day we will sell raffle tickets for fun prizes. This blog post gives an idea of what will be raffled and also a sneak peek at the crochet quizz prizes.

3. Sales of coffee & tea. The cake to go with the coffee & tea is up to you….

4. Sales and donation of baked goods. Think of your entry fee to the crochet along, as something baked. Anything along the lines of a cake, cupcakes, muffins or tarts.  Everyone’s baked goods will be sold with the tea & coffee and all proceeds go to Kidney Research UK.  You can price your slices / goods whatever you think it’s worth. If baking isn’t your thing store bought goodies are absolutely fine.

3. Raising awareness of the work that Kidney Research UK does: Kidney Research UK will show a short video and Pieter and John will talk about their experiences in receiving and donating a kidney.

Things for you to do:

  • Please register on this page if you intend to come to our event on 9 November, or if you need my address to post the squares. We need to know how many people to prepare for, so please only answer Yes to the first question if you know for sure that you will be there.
  • Start making purple and/or white squares.
  • Line up the village baker/mother-in-law/neighbour to bake your entry fee, check out the cake aisle of your local Tesco, or browse through your recipe books.
  • Tell your crochet buddies and ask them to send squares or to come along on the 9 November.