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crochetime

~ So many patterns, so much yarn, so little time: story of my hooky life.

crochetime

Tag Archives: crochet

Roses And Daisies cushions ta-daaah!

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, My ramblings, Ta-daah!

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

crochet, cushions, jan eaton, roses and daisies

Here the are!!!!! The two cushions you’ve been seeing glimpses of over the last two months. It’s amazing what a difference these two colourful cushions have made to the brown couch.

Because the front and back of each one is different there are four different ways of displaying them on the couch alone!

I really can’t decide exactly where and how I want to display them. They were made for the couch, but they also look good on the chair in front of the window…

and on the storage box stools.

To recap the details of the cushions:

Front:

The flowery squares pattern is the Roses and Daisies Throw from Melody Griffiths book Crocheted Throws and Wraps. I made 16 squares for each cushion.

I used Rowan Handknit Cotton in Mist as the background colour. The flowers themselves are done in Rowan Handknit Cotton, Drops Paris and Stylecraft Cotton Classique in various bright shades.

To join the 16 squares for each front panel, as well as to join the front panel to the back panel, I used Lucy’s method, which you can find here.

Back:

Chocolate Box from Jan Eaton’s book 200 Crochet Blocks.

There are links to both the books on the right of the blog.

Hubby really loves the cushions. He even helped to choose the colour and sequence of stripes for the chocolate box squares for the back. He loves the bright turquoise, so I used it as the last round for one cushion. When it came to doing the second back, I was asked to please add more red because he really likes the bright red. So sweet! Out of the two cushions he has “called dibs”  on the one with the turquoise back.

When I have to arrange crochet pieces I always do the arranging on the coffee table. I’d arrange, walk away, come back, swap them around, walk away, make a cup of tea, come back and arrange some more. Eventually I’d declared “I’m happy” and then start crocheting the pieces together.

Well… on Friday evening I was in the kitchen after having declared “I’m happy” when Hubby walks in.

He says “I think we need to talk about the squares”, takes my hand and walks me to the coffee table.

“Those two bother me. It’s too  much green together. We have to fix it”.

Aaaaaah, bless! I gave him the biggest hug ever and we started to swap and rearrange squares until it was perfect. That’s how we spent our Friday evening. The hooker and her amazing husband.

Even though he really loves the striped stopper, the identify crisis blanket and now these two cushions he asked me to please stop making things for the house now because “I can feel my manhood slipping away”. Those were his exact words.

Our house is really very small so these bright, hard to ignore crochet items really pack a punch when you walk into a room. I totally get what he’s saying. It’s only the two of us and, well, he has to live here as well. And it’s not as if he’s unsupportive or forbids me from crocheting at all. He just knows his wife (and I think he’s seen my queue on Ravelry which might have scared him a bit.)

As he suggested, I’ll focus on cardigans and sweaters for myself or gifts for others for now. At least for the forseeable future (read: At least until next Winter when I might be able to convince him that we need a afghan to liven up the brown couch a bit more…)

Until then, we’re enjoying our lovely, bright, cheerful cushions.

Applique to match

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in Etsy, My ramblings, Other people's crochet, Pattern

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

crochet, crochet applique, crochet pattern, Etsy

When I launched the pattern for my crochet wall clocks, I said that in stead of crocheted circles to indicate 12, 3, 6 and 9 you can use any applique motif, as long as the hands of your clock are able to move over it freely.  To quote myself:

I’m thinking stars, hearts, cupcakes.

The Gods of Crochet must have been reading my blog and sent inspirational hooky vibes to the owner of OneandTwoCompany. This young nurse is selling applique crochet patterns in her Etsy shop, which include exactly that: the most beautiful stars, hearts and cupcakes! Can you believe it?!  

 
 
 
 

 

She also sells patterns for whales and hedgehogs that would work well with my clocks. I’m especially loving the hedgehogs!

 
 
 

 

Can you see it? A white clock face with a brightly coloured whales or hedgehogs (or both!) on 3, 6, 9 and 12?! It would be sooooo cute!

Ooh, and what about this scene. Absolutely perfect*!

 

OneandTwoCompany sells many other applique patterns, but I think only the ones I mention here, would work on my clocks seeing as they are flat enough.

PLEASE NOTE: I have to point out that her finished items (apart from the hearts pattern) are a bit big for the standard size clock, so you would have to:

  1. either keep going in pattern rounds for the clock face so that the clock is large enough to accommodate the applique; or
  2. use a 4 ply yarn and smaller hook for the applique.

Even if you haven’t bought my clock pattern, I’m sure you will find something to decorate with OneTwoCompany’s cute applique. Hats, scarfs, blankets, towels, cushions – just about anything! 

The patterns start from as little as $2.50 (roughly £1.62) so what are you waiting for?  I certainly didn’t wait…. *I bought the cloud, tree & houses pattern. Not sure what I will be using it for yet, but inspiration will hit soon enough I’m sure. 

Pattern stashing is like yarn stashing isn’t it? You know you love it, you know you have to buy it, and you know that you will (probably, eventually) find a use for it. Right?

Terrific Tuesday

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, My ramblings, Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

200 crochet blocks, chocolate box, crochet, jan eaton, stripe, Terrific Tuesday

On a Monday I can still remember the fun I had over the weekend, Wednesday is the middle of the work week, on Thursday I start getting hopeful and on a Friday I can taste the weekend. But what about a Tuesday? It’s so…. just there. Weekend memories are too far away and the upcoming weekend might as well be a year away.

What we need is a bit of colourful inspiration to get us going on a Tuesday, don’t you think? A pretty picture, beautiful scenery or colourful imagery. Yup, that’ll liven up Tuesdays and turn it into a terrific day!

From now on I will go through my photos every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

This is the back of one of the Roses and Daisies cushions. Isn’t it totally cheery?! The pattern is called Chocolate Box  from trusty ole Jan Eaton’s 200 Crochet Blocks (you can find a link to the book on the right of this page). I was about three rounds in on this one, when I knew I was going to HAVE to make a whole blanket out of Chocolate Box blocks some time very soon. It’s just too good not to – much like a box of chocolates…

Chocolate Box square

Seeing as its Valentines Day, here’s a another chocolates box for all you hookers to get your teeth hooks into – crochet style!

Source: toinenkerros.wordpress.com via Kitiza on Pinterest

I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday and a surprising Valentines Day!

Natasja

Helmien’s infinity scarf

11 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, Pattern, Ta-daah!

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

crochet, crochet pattern, free pattern, myPicot, yarn

Helmien and I have known each other almost 20 years. We were in High School together in South Africa, went our different ways after High School and then in 2009 – 14 years later – I bumped into her at London Waterloo station.  What’s the odds, and what a happy coincidence! We are obvioulsly meant to be in each other’s lives no matter where on earth we are.

It was for Helmien that I made the second infinity scarf. She saw mine last month and asked whether I would make her one as well. Of course I would!! I used the same brand of yarn, Garnstudio Drops Delight, but her scarf is in shade no. 15 (mine was shade no. 10). I used two balls of shade no. 10 that I had left over for Helmien’s scarf, because she really loved the bright greeny-blue shades.  (By the way, until 29 February, Drops Delight is discounted by 25%. Just saying.)

I also followed a MyPicot Openwork and Lace pattern like I did for mine, but for Helmien’s infinity scarf I used pattern no. 2030. I can highly recommend the MyPicot patterns. Seriously. Give it a go.

Doesn’t she look beautiful?!

Here we are in our (almost matching) scarfs.

Love you, my friend!

Teacup crazy

09 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings, Pattern

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

crochet, crochet pattern, free pattern, Lionbrand, teacup

You all loved the teacup and saucer that I found on Etsy yesterday so much, I thought I’d share another one with you: a teacup pincushion! It even has a little teabag peeking out. So cute!

It’s a bit more practical than yesterday’s teacup, but just as pretty.

Imagine crocheting it in a pastel colour and adding some flowery embroidery?! You can find the pattern here (you have to log into the Lionbrand website to access the pattern).

Anyone fancy a cuppa? Cucumber sandwich and scones maybe? Ooh, I’m off to the kitchen now for my favourite, English Breakfast with soy milk *little finger in the air*

Fancy a cuppa?

08 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in Etsy, Other people's crochet

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

crochet, Etsy, sugar syrup, teacup

I love this quote I saw on Pinterest the other day:

Where there’s tea, there’s hope.

I agree wholeheartedly! It’s a British thing, and it’s so true. A cuppa is my answer to any calamity. Coffee makes you buzz and edgy, but tea soothes and calms. Aaaahhhhh.

My go-to beverage when I’m crocheting, is then of course tea. Crocheting on the couch with a cup of tea works miracles! Imagine therefore my utter delight when I saw this crocheted teacup and saucer on Etsy! Isn’t it brilliant?!

Obviously it’s not made for drinking, but who cares? It’s genius and pretty and combines my two favourite things!

 

The maker of this beauty is whichgoose. Her Etsy shop is filled with other beautiful, whimsical items. To make this cup and saucer, I think she probably used a sugar syrup to wet the crochet and then draped it over a proper cup and saucer. I’ve tried this technique before with a fruit bowl and it works like a charm. It takes a while to dry completely and it is a bit, okay a lot, sticky but it works and it’s cheap. 

The trick is that you have to use double the amount of sugar than water. So if you want 50ml of syrup, use 50ml water and 100ml sugar. Then just bring it to the boil and drop your crochet work into the syrup until it is soaked through. Pick it up with some sort of kitchen utensil (it’s extremely hot, so be careful) and try to press out as much of the syrup as possible, before draping it over your upturned bowl/cup/whatever. To make cleaning up easier for yourself, wrap the bowl/cup/whatever in cling film before draping the wet sugary crochet over. Then just wait a few days for it to dry. Easy peasy.

Look how clever the people at Urban Outfitters are with crochet shaped bowls.
Apples may be a bit tricky to get right, but if you crochet a doilie and drape it over a bowl, it can look like this. Very effective and unique. Give it a go!

Now for a cup of tea. Ten sugars or twelve?

Terrific Tuesday

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings, Other people's crochet, Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

crochet, leg warmer, legwarmer, stripe, Terrific Tuesday

On a Monday I can still remember the fun I had over the weekend, Wednesday is the middle of the work week, on Thursday I start getting hopeful and on a Friday I can taste the weekend. But what about a Tuesday? It’s so…. just there. Weekend memories are too far away and the upcoming weekend might as well be a year away.

What we need is a bit of colourful inspiration to get us going on a Tuesday, don’t you think? A pretty picture, beautiful scenery or colourful imagery. Yup, that’ll liven up Tuesdays and turn it into a terrific day!

From now on I will go through my photos every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

You can’t get any more colourful than these fabulous striped leg warmers by Mademoiselle Mermaid.   They’ll cheer up any day! (If I had legs like this model I wouldn’t need any cheering up. Ever.)

Source: etsy.com via Natasja on Pinterest

 

I hope you have a terrific Tuesday, friends!

Natasja

Cufflettes

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, My ramblings, Pattern

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

crochet, crochet pattern, free pattern, Mollie Makes, wrist warmer

Cufflettes. Say it slowly. Savour the sound. It sounds so deliciously French* and classy, doesn’t it? 

But what am I going on about? Cufflettes? It’s the name of a pattern for, what is commonly known as, wrist warmers. Oh, cufflettes sound so much better don’t they?! 

The pattern was designed by Kalurah and is available as a free download from Ravelry. Just click here.

I crocheted  these cufflettes last winter (it only took a couple of hours) and had to get them out again this week. I wear them over my fleece gloves because the wrist section of the gloves are just not long enough – when temperatures reach 1 degree every little piece of exposed skin need to be covered!

I just love how these look peeking out under a sleeve, or worn just as they are. I, of course, jazzed them up a bit with mismatched buttons. I really do have a thing for buttons.

If you like wrist warmers, you will fall in love with the wrist warmers on the cover of Mollie Makes issue 10.

They scream vintage, lace and Victorian. Have a look on the Mollie Makes blog, here for more information.

*I’m currently reading “Madame Tussaud” by Michelle Moran which is set during the French Revolution. All the men in the book seem to be wearing coulettes (knee-breeches) so that may be why “cufflettes” has such a French ring to me. Cufflettes. Cufflettes. Ooh, I still love that word. It could so easily have been cuffextenders, or longcuffs, but no. It’s cufflettes. Beautiful!

Good vibrations

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Natasja in Etsy, Folksy, My ramblings

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

clocks, crochet, Etsy, gratitude, postive thinking

I just have to share the amazing afternoon I’ve had with you. It’s crochet and yarn related, but it’s so much more.

Sunday before last (the 22nd of Jan) I sent a message via Ravelry to a lady who inspires me every day with the amazing, colourful, creative crochet she does. It’s because of her and her lovely blog, that I got hooked on crochet. I wanted to thank her for all the inspirational blog posts and free patterns she so generously provides, by giving her one of my clocks. In the message I gave her a choice between two of the clocks in my Etsy shop. One a pastel flowers clock, the other a retro red circles clock. The retro red circles clock has been in my shop since the very beginning, with more than 700 views and featured in 8 treasuries on Etsy. I knew people liked it, but no-one bought it. The pastel flowers clock has been my best seller, so I hoped that one of these two options would appeal to her.

Unfortunately, to this day, she has not replied. Which is actually a good thing, because…… both of these clocks were sold on Folksy! The pastel flowers clock sold the 25th of January (3 days after the Ravelry message), and the retro red circles, was sold this afternoon (9 days after the Ravelry message) TO THE SAME PERSON! Lynn, who I found out today also has a Folksy shop selling lovely embroidered and hand drawn cards and collages (please go have a look!), was so happy with the flower clock that she bought the second one for her study!

The pastel flower clock is in hanging in her studio. She even wrote about it on her blog.  I’m so happy to see my clock in its new surroundings, proudly ticking away in someone else’s creative space!!! I’m also loving her wall full of inspirational images!

When I packaged the flower clock, I included a flowery brooch for her, as a little something pretty just to say thank you (you can see it on Lynn’s wall below and to the left of the clock). Yesterday I sold a flowery brooches on Etsy to a lady from Brixton who had bought one about two months ago – another returning customer!

I honestly don’t think these are coincidences. Whenever I give something with love, even if I just offer it and the person doesn’t accept the offer, I receive. It’s such a powerful, wonderful law of the Universe and it astounds me every time it happens.

In another happy twist, I’ve been in the mood to crochet a cardigan of some sort for myself but wasn’t sure what I wanted to make. I dabbled with the idea of a lacy wrap, but the pattern I like is in Portuguese and even though it includes diagrams, I’m not sure it would be a fun exercise…. I also couldn’t find a good substitute for the Pingouin yarn they used in the pattern.

In the end I went with my first instinct: a Garnstudio cardigan from their 2012 Spring collection that I fell in love with when I saw it for the first time last week.

Source: garnstudio.com via Natasja on Pinterest

 

The yarn I bought for this, is Drops BabyAlpaca Silk. Baby… Alpaca….Silk! It’s the very first time I will be working with something as luxurious as this and I’m super excited. Even more excited because as I was placing the order for the yarn, which came to £28.90 for the 8 skeins, the retro red circles clock was sold for £20, so the super duper fantastic yarn only cost me £8.90. It’s a sign of good things to come I think!

P.S. Sales of the clock pattern is coming along nicely as well. To date nine have been sold so there are nine entries into the draw for the square clock that I blogged about here. If you want to be in the draw, you have until midnight Friday 3 February to purchase the pattern and be entered into the draw. Good luck!!

Terrific Tuesday

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings, Terrific Tuesdays

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

crochet, LIer, sheep, Terrific Tuesday, true self, unique

On a Monday I can still remember the fun I had over the weekend, Wednesday is the middle of the work week, on Thursday I start getting hopeful and on a Friday I can taste the weekend. But what about a Tuesday? It’s so…. just there. Weekend memories are too far away and the upcoming weekend might as well be a year away.

What we need is a bit of colourful inspiration to get us going on a Tuesday, don’t you think? A pretty picture, beautiful scenery or colourful imagery. Yup, that’ll liven up Tuesdays and turn it into a terrific day!

From now on I will go through my photos every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

Crocheters love wool, ergo we love sheep so I’m sharing this photo taken in Lier, Belgium in September 2008 with you.


Lovely as sheep are, in life, humans shouldn’t be sheep. Let you heart and your true self lead you so that you don’t have to follow the pack. If you absolutely have to be a sheep, be the black sheep – at least he stands out.

Natasja

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