Your squares for Crochet For Kidneys Part 3

02 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 3

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket

Crochet For Kidneys Part 3 is in full swing people! So far I have received two complete blankets and 15 strips of six squares!

The crochet contributions you see below come from France, England and Germany and each one is absolutely perfect and beautiful.

I was especially blown away by the two completed blankets. So much hard work and love have gone into each square. Both Tamika and Emma & Sandra used a cheery array of squares in happy colours. Thank you so, so, so much ladies – your work is beautiful and I really appreciate the time and cost that went into making these blankets and getting them to me.

emma and sandra tamika

We even have a knitted strip of squares. I didn’t even realise it was knitted until I read Carina‘s note! Carina’s mom, Angelika, isn’t a crocheter but wanted to join in CFK3 because her husband, Carina’s dad, is very ill with several illness and being 80 years old there is no hope for a new kidney for him. Knowing all about kidney failure first hand, Angelika really wanted to help in our charity project. I’m so glad she did! I love her knitted squares! If anyone else wants to knit up squares, follow her example – the strip of six squares are perfect!

Helena lives in England.

Sonja is from Germany

Carina blogs at haekelmonster.wordpress.com and is from Berlin

Trish is from France

Jude lives in England.

I also have to mention Trish to you. I adore her brightly coloured squares. And there are so many of them! But wait, there’s more. Really there is more: she emailed me to ask if she can send me more! (I actually thought that Carina’s Mom’s knitted squares were a forgotten strip of squares from Trish, because they are so similar. Whatever knitted stitch was used, it is amazingly similar to SC crochet stitches.)

Thank you each and every one who sent me a colourful, cheery, strip of squares. I can’t wait for the 1 November deadline so that I can start putting together everyone’s contributions into blankets!

As seen on TV (Gilmore Girls)

18 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by Natasja in As seen on TV

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

crochet, crochet blanket, crochet on tv, Gilmore Girls, Gilmore Girls crochet

It’s been a while since I’ve seen crochet on TV, but luckily you fabulous blog readers email me when you spot something for me to investigate. This time it was Joanna who asked me whether I’ve seen the Blue Blanket On The Couch in Gilmore Girls. She desperately wants the same blanket for her home. Joanna said that she blanket appeared in Season 5. I watched the whole season but couldn’t see a crochet blanket anywhere. Eager to help her out and to see what the fuss is about, I did a few searches in Google Images and found photos of two crochet blankets! One appears in Season 7, and the other is the blue blanket that Joanna emailed me about. Whoo-hoo!

First off, this beautiful Red Roses throw can be seen on Lane’s bed in Season 7, Episode 16

I think the Chinese Rose In Square pattern by LubaDaviesAtelier could easily be used to create a throw like this.

In stead of one round of yellow like in Luba’s photo for her Etsy listing, make at least three rounds in white. When you join the squares together you will have 6 rows of white between each rose, which should give you an effect like the Gilmore Girls Red Roses throw.

Now for the Blue Blanket On The Couch that kicked off my Gilmore Girls crochet scout.

I can see why Joanna would want to make this blanket. It’s such a pretty throw with a vintage feel to it. To replicate it, I think the High Noon Square from the book 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares is the one to go for. Use the pattern, but do it in a duck egg blue shade.

For the wide ruffle border, I suggest Border 45 from Edie Eckman’s Around the Corner Crochet Borders book. You would have to repeat the first few rows a few times (the rows before doing the scallop edging) to get it to be as wide as the Gilmore Girls blanket.

So that’s it. The two crochet blankets in Gilmore Girls located, dissected and ready for you to replicate!

Crochet a caravan keychain

28 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by Natasja in Camping, My crochet, Pattern

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

camping, caravan, crochet, free pattern, keychain

We’ve now been camping for a month and as you can probably tell from my post-weekend blog posts, we love it! Since I love crochet too, it would only follow that I will crochet camping / campervan / caravan goodies and here is the first one: a caravan keychain.

crochet a caravan keychain You can whip this caravan keychain up with scraps of yarn in less than a hour.

You will need double knit or light worsted cotton yarn in two shades and a 4 mm crochet hook. Also light grey yarn for embroidery and two small black buttons.

I wrote the pattern in US crochet terms. In UK crochet terms, the SC = DC, HDC = HTR, DC = TR, TR = DTR.

Caravan body. Make two:

Row 1: With colour A (blue in my example) chain 11, SC in the 2nd chain from hook (10 sc)
Row 2: Chain 1, 2 SC in same stitch, 10 sc, 2 SC in same (12 SC)
Row 3: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (12 SC).
Row 4 Chain 1, SC in each stitch (12 SC). Change to colour B (white in my example).
Row 5 – 7: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (12 SC)
Row 8: Chain 1, sc2tog, 8 SC, sc2tog (10 SC)
Row 9: Chain 1, sc2tog, 6 SC, sc2 tog (8 SC). Fasten off.

Door:
Row 1: With colour A chain 4, SC in the 2nd chain from hook (3 SC).
Row 2 – 4: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (3 SC). Change to colour B.
Row 5 – 6: Chain 1, SC in each stitch. (3 SC). Fasten off.

Window and doors:
Use light grey yarn and backstitches to embroider the door onto one of the caravan panels. Use french knot for door handle. Use back stitch to embroider the window. The bottom line of the window should be worked over 4 SC. Work one side diagonally across two rows. The top upper line of the window will then be worked over 3 SC. Space the window and the door one SC apart.

Repeat the window design on the the second caravan panel, replacing the door with a second window.

Chain:
With colour B chain 22 and fasten off. Use the tail end to sew the chain onto the wrong side of one of the caravan panels, positioning it at the top left corner. Make sure not to stich through to the right side when sewing on the chain.

Finishing:
Sew on a small black button on each caravan panel, positioning the buttonholes in line with the bottom of caravan. Using neat overhand stitches, sew the two sides together with matching yarn.

Caravan keychain front with words

Caravan keychain back

I hope you enjoy making the cute caravan keychain. Please link your keychains to the pattern on Ravelry so that I can see all the happy hooky caravans!

Crochet For Kidneys Part 3 is go!

07 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 3

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet4kidneys

We are making blankets for kidney dialysis patients again! Do you remember Crochet for Kidneys Part 1 and Part 2? Did you help make blankets by crocheting purple and white squares for Part 1, or colourful hexagons with white borders for Part 2? So many of my lovely readers sent me crochet motifs I was blown away. Crochet For Kidneys grew from seven blankets in Part 1, to 14 blankets in Part 2 which John and I delivered to the hospitals on 27 November 2012 and 13 March 2014 . Who knows how many blankets we’ll have for Part 3!!!

For the design of the Part 3 blankets, we are combining the shape of Part 1 with the colours of Part 2: squares in any colour and any design, as long as the last round is white. It’s going to be soooooo cheerful and pretty!

You can make any square design, as long as the last round is white and the total size is 15cm from side to side. My free Granny Square in Bloom pattern will work really well as long as you make the last round white. Step by step photo tutorials for Granny Square In Bloom, and a traditional granny square, can be found here. Granny Square In Bloom has also been translated into UK / Australian crochet terms on Spincushions blog here.

If you need more inspiration, Jan Eaton’s book 200 Crochet Blocks is filled with patterns for squares designed to be 15 cm squared.

But unlike Part 1 and Part 2, this time in stead of loose, individual squares I would like you to send me STRIPS OF SIX SQUARES JOINED TOGETHER please. Most people sent me very close to, and most of the time much more than, six squares. However it was a mammoth task for me to join up all the motifs into blankets. Considering that we doubled our blanket count for Part 2, I am sure we will increase that number even more for Part 3, in which case my Joining Job will be even greater. I’m sure you guys will understand and not mind spending a few minutes joining up six squares. Right?

Seeing as the last round of each square is going to be white, we will join the squares in white as well. Please use the Slip Stitch join method as described in the first photo of this Simply Crochet Magazine link or follow the join-as-you method shown here.

As for the yarn, please do not use wool as it may shrink or felt when the recipients wash their blankets on a too warm wash. Acrylics in Double Knit or Light Worsted only please.

The deadline for me to receive the 6-square strips is Saturday 1 November 2014. John and I will be delivering the blankets to the Royal London Hospital on 27 November 2014 (the 2 year anniversary of the kidney transplant operation).

crochet for kidneys part 3

Please share your squares, ask questions, comment and be part of the Ravelry group here, Tweet and Instagram using #crochet4kidneys and join the Facebook group here. Most importantly start making and joining people!! Wouldn’t it be great if we can make more than fourteen blankets this time? Tell your crocheting buddies and spread the word please. You can even use Pinterest to pin the picture in this post.

I seriously can’t wait for the first strip of six colourful squares to arrive! If you need my address, please use the Contact Me form.

Terrific Tuesday

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Anthropologie, crochet, crochet bunting, Vinnis

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 and Pinterest likes every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

A friend of the work colleague who I made granny bunting for (I blogged about it here), loved the bunting so much that she also placed an order. I was more than happy to oblige. This is what it looked like last week Friday when I was sitting outside crocheting granny bunting. There is no way that I can crochet without tea in my favourite somewhere-between-a-mug-and-a-teacup Anthropologie drinking vessel and mini doilie coaster. So many colours, patterns and crochet together in one square photo!

You know I don’t do pink, but I really love that strawberry ice cream shade of pink Vinnis Nikkim. It’s in my Etsy shop for £3 a ball. The grey and white mini doilie is also for sale in my Etsy shop. (No-one is buying it so I may as well use it. Right?)

Wishing you all a Terrific Tuesday.

Natasja

A white baby blanket

17 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, Ta-daah!

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby blanket, crochet, Simply Crochet magazine

Sirdar baby blanket
I’ve been crocheting a baby blanket for a lady at work and now it’s time to share it with you. Lynette suffered from a major illness last year (I don’t know the details, I just know she was at death’s door) but miraculously recovered, only to find out a couple of months later she was expecting again. She already has two teenage children and wasn’t planning on getting pregnant. I think Baby No. 3 is a second chance, don’t you agree? I mean really. She was near death, recovers and then falls pregnant. There must be more to it than just “a unexpected pregnancy”. Knowing how special this baby is I put a lot of love into her blanket. You would too, wouldn’t you?

First step was to find a pattern. There are thousands of baby blanket patterns out there. Luckily, just before Lynette asked me to crochet her a blanket, I had my yearly magazine clear-out. For some reason I decided to keep the Simply Crochet Summer 2012 issue. It was one of their early issues, before they had their make-over. There isn’t really anything I would want to make for myself in that issue, but I kept it anyway. Strange how that works…. or not so strange because that issue contained a beautiful baby blanket pattern by Sirdar! I showed it to Lynette and she loved it.

Sirdar baby blanket pattern

That pattern is for a newborn baby (61 x 76cm), but Lynette wanted something bigger that could be used for longer, so we decided on dimensions of roughly 76 x 89 cm. I used the same yarn as suggested by the pattern, so it was just a case of making a longer foundation chain and adding a few extra pattern repeats. I ended up with a 72 x 92cm blanket. I realised I could (should?) have added two more pattern repeats in the row which would have brought it closer to the 76cm width, but I think the length will make up for the slightly smaller width.

white baby blanket

The wavy “cosy cuddles” pattern is easy to do and you get into the rhythm of it quite quickly, but it looks much more complicated. The pattern doesn’t call for a border but I like adding borders to blankets. It just feels unfinished without. It also helps to bring a blanket to the desired size… I chose border no. 99 from Around The Corner Crochet.

border 99

The nitty gritty of the white baby blanket:

Pattern: Sirdar Wave pattern blanket (Cosy Cuddle)

Publication: Simply Crochet Summer 2012

Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly 4 ply

Hook: 3.5 mm

Border: Around The Corner Crochet border #99

Size with border: 72 x 92cm. 23 Pattern rows, with 13 pattern repeats per row.

The blanket is now wrapped and tagged with Ravelry tags, ready to give to Lynette on Monday. (I love my Ravelry tags. It’s printed on thick card and on the bag are care instruction symbols that you can circle with space to write the fibre content of the yarn. It’s only $5 for a pack of 6. If you make a lot of crochet for others as gifts, this is really handy.)

Ravelry tag

I hope Mom and Baby likes the blanket. I enjoyed making it and put a lot of love into it. I can see why people enjoy making baby blankets – it’s quick, satisfying and you are making something warm and snug for a tiny person. I like that.

Terrific Tuesday

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

colour palette, crochet, hand painted tiles, V&A museum, Vinnis

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

xxxxxx

Vinnis colour palette blue and red tiles

Yesterday I showed you a collection of all the beautiful things I saw at the V&A Museum but today’s Terrific Tuesday focuses on only one of the inspiring pieces: Turkish tiles made at the Iznik potteries near Istanbul in 1580. They might be more than 400 years old but they can still inspire us with their beautiful colour. The Vinnis Nikkim yarn in this colour palette is available here.

Wishing you all a Terrific Tuesday.

Natasja

Terrific Tuesday

01 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

crochet, crochet fashion, granny squares, wearable crochet

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

xxxxxx

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24727785@N08/2332267691/

I just love this granny square skirt outfit. I’m also imagining it in soft greys, or cream and beige. Going on my To Hook List sharpish!

Wishing you all a Terrific Tuesday.

Natasja

Granny square bunting with the help of great books

23 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Natasja in Book reviews, My crochet

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

book review, crochet, crochet book, crochet bunting, triangle granny square

A friend at work recently asked me to make crochet bunting for her garden. There’s a lot of patterns around for crochet bunting but they are either to frilly or to plain for me. What I wanted was a basic triangle that could be made with at least four colours. Something like a granny square, but not square. I found the perfect solution in Crochet (DK), a hard cover book by DK. The book was sent to me by the publishers to review a couple of months ago. I’m ashamed that it took me so long to do the review, but in my defence I don’t want to review a book unless I could use of the book’s patterns. The bunting order was the perfect opportunity to do my review, so here it is.

Crochet (DK) is a step-by-step guide with clear photographic technique instructions and over 80 crochet designs. Beginners wishing to learn how to crochet will find all the stitches and techniques twinned with beautiful projects to build up confidence, whilst experienced crocheters can choose between classic and modern crochet makes. Projects cover items for the home, to wear, toys and bags. The book also contains handy info on crochet terms, symbols and abbreviations and teaches how to follow crochet patterns.

The projects are beautifully photographed and you will love the big A4 pages of prettiness.

Crochet (DK) can easily become the crochet go-to compendium. The book really teaches everything there is to know about crochet, has beautiful projects to make and the photography and styling is just lovely.

DK also sent me a copy of A Little Course In Crochet. It’s part of a popular series of learning guides from DK that explain everything and assume nothing.

The two books are very similar, with A Little Course In Crochet being a more concise version of Crochet using the same photos and teaching the same techniques and stitches, only in a smaller format.

Don’t think that the smaller book is any less useful, or not worth buying. It’s just as beautifully laid out and teaches you almost everything that Crochet does, just with less projects and less of the “fancy” crochet techniques like broomstick or Tunisian crochet for instance. DK managed to squeeze in everything you need to know into a smaller book by writing a lot of the instructions on the photo itself, as opposed to writing it out as text next to the photo like in Crochet. You can see this in the example below for fastening off stitches. (I laid A Little Course In Crochet on top of Crochet.)

Fastening off

Just like Crochet the project photos also fill a whole page, so it’s just as visually pleasing.

project basket

I feel very grateful that DK sent me these two beautiful books. I won’t ever have to buy an instructional crochet book ever again. If I had to pick which one I prefer, I would say bigger is better, and go for Crochet. It’s just so beautiful to page through and there are quite a few projects that I would want to get my hooks into. If you want to know all about crochet, you may as well get the book that really teaches absolutely everything.

As for my granny bunting, I made it by combining the Party Bunting pattern with the triangle granny from the Tools & Techniques section.

Party Bunting pattern

Granny square triangle

This string of seven bunting flags will be given to my work colleague tomorrow. She asked for “easter colours” so I used a combination of Vinnis Nikkim and Stylecraft Cotton Classique. I enjoyed making these bunting flags and found it very easy to follow the patterns in Crochet.

IMG_7111 Granny square bunting IMG_7118 granny bunting flags

Crochet is currently on sale on Amazon for £15 (RRP £25), and A Little Course In Crochet is £4 on Amazon (RRP £9.99).

*These books were sent to me by the publisher. I did not receive payment for doing the reviews. The opinions are my own. There are affiliate links in this post, which help me run my blog.

Progress on my Crochet Mood Blanket 2014

02 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Natasja in My crochet

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

#crochetmoodblanket2014, crochet, crochet blanket

It’s been a long time since I showed you any photos of my Mood Blanket. I made an initial summary of my colour choices and I gave you a glimpse into A Day In The Life of a Crochet Mood Blanket, but no photos.

On Saturday morning I took advantage of the hour of sunshine and lay the blanket out on the patio table to take photos for you.

In case you’re wondering, I’m using Hayfield Bonus DK and Baby DK, and the pattern for my squares is Lacy Cross from Jan Eaton’s book 200 Crochet Squares.

crochet mood blanket 2014 in progress

Being 6 months in, I can truly say, hand on heart, that my moods are

all

over

the

place.

More so, around the middle of the month – I blame hormones. On the up side, I don’t have a lot of red squares which is a good thing – red is the colour I allocated to stress.

Are you taking part in Crochet Mood Blanket 2014? Have you learned anything about yourself in the process of documenting your daily mood~~swings~~?