Crochet Shawl Spectacular

We have been busy working on our crochet garments and finishing our last few projects for the Love Your Stash CAL. This week we thought we would showcase some of our beautiful crochet shawls. Shawls are one of our favourite items to make. Miss C in particular loves them. There are so many gorgeous patterns and lets face it you can never have too many! 

Amazing Grace Angel Wing Shawl

I have made two of these stunning shawls and I just love the frilly border. The first one I made was with a gradient cotton cake and it is one of my favourites. The second one was for Miss C and I used sock yarn which was glorious to work with and used a contrasting cream border for a bit of pop on the edge. It does work up quite slowly as you are using a 4 ply yarn and by the end there are a lot of stitches, but the finished result is so worth it.

Courtship Shawl

We have made a few of these in different colours for ourselves and gifts. It is a well written easy to follow pattern and makes a beautiful  thick cosy shawl as you use an Aran weight yarn. We didn't do a gauge swatch, so ours didn't end up quite as large as the designers, but still lovely.

Screwball Ice Cream Shawl

This shawl has been my nemesis. The finished result is absolutely stunning and I believe it was worth it. I learnt a new stitch the bobble stitch and it really gives the shawl impact. Would I make another one......... I don't know!

Halo Shawl

It took Miss C a long time to find the perfect pattern for this magnificent Kid Mohair Yarn. It is an easy to follow pattern and looks amazing. She is very pleased with it after blocking, it really opened up.

Virus Shawl

This was the very first crochet shawl that Miss C made when first started crocheting two years ago at age 11. Looking back at it now, she can see many mistakes she made being a new crocheter. She has since made a couple more and really enjoys the pattern. It is the perfect pattern for gradient yarns. It is easy to follow, engaging and works up quickly.

Fragrant Shawl

The fragrant shawl was the first shawl Miss C made in a 4 ply cotton gradient cake. The pattern was easy to memorise, and didn't take away from the beauty of the yarn. It is a beautiful soft drapey shawl and gorgeous to wear.

Victoria Shawl

Miss C's Victoria shawl is one of her favourite shawls ever. It is Stylecraft Batik DK yarn in the Mushroom and Plum colourways. The pattern is gorgeous, it is easy to memorise, but keeps you interested the whole way through. She will most definitely be making more.

Such Simple Shawl

Miss C had a yarn cake and was looking for a shawl to make. She  was drawn to this one as it was the same yarn. She only had one cake so hers is smaller, but is perfect to wear around your neck as a neckerchief style. It is a simple easy to work up pattern.

Until next week

Samantha & Miss C XX

Nightmare Screwball Ice Cream Shawl Completed!

Work has begun on our winter garments! We are making sweaters and cardigans. Miss C has made two beautiful crochet sweaters before and is now making a gorgeous colour work sweater. For me it is my first ever cardigan.

Finished Objects - Crochet: 

The troublesome Screwball Ice Cream Shawl, as mentioned in this post is finally finished! More unpicking and frustration was involved, however, I am so thrilled that I persevered with this crochet project, and now have a beautiful shawl to wear. The yarn used is  Stylecraft Batik DK in the "Indigo" & "Rose" colourways.

Some of the yarn leftover from the shawl, and some additional yarn that Miss C had frogged from a Waroo shawl she made and didn't like, will be used to make a Desert Irony Poncho by Kathryn of Crafternoon Treats. This yarn will be perfect for this design as it is the same yarn she used in her pattern. As some of this yarn was Miss C's, I have decided to make it as a gift for her. The colours are; Mint, Rose, Graphite, Indigo, Silver and Heather.

What's On Our Hooks:

Samantha:

I have just started my first crochet garment, the Up North Cardigan, a free pattern by Make & Do Crew. After searching for the perfect pattern I finally fell in love with this one. Yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Bloom 8 ply in the Marble Statue colourway, which is looking fabulous. I hope this will be a real staple piece in my wardrobe.

My Project Arm/Basket as mentioned here has been put aside, whilst finishing the shawl. The middle section is completed and I have made some progress with the sides. I hope to have it finished soon.

Miss C:

Miss C has made great progress on her crochet Prim sweater. It is her first ever colour work garment and she is enjoying it, even though it is very slow going using a 4 ply yarn and alternating colours every second row. The colour work is finished, and she has separated for the sleeves. It seems to be fitting really well, and she can't wait to finish it!  Bendigo Woollen Mills Multicoloured sock yarn in the Pastel Dream colourway as the main colour, and Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply Navy as the contrast colour.

Her Little Stories cowl is coming along nicely, using Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8 ply in the Smoke colourway. The buttons that she has chosen are bright and fun and I think that it will be nice to have a pop of colour on this plain cowl.

We are working together to make more crochet Gelato gloves as part of the Love your stash CAL, which finishes at the end of the month. 

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xxx

Handmade Gifts For Upcoming Birthdays.

For as long as I can remember, I have always made handmade gifts for my family.  Looking for inspiration and planning the things to make is so much fun. Handmade gifts are considerably more thoughtful and personal than buying something from the shops. This year we are trying to hand make the majority of our gifts, whilst using what we have in our stash.

The Winter Wishes Scarf by Sweet Potato Three is now complete and I am really happy with it. A stunning crochet birthday present, which I am sure the lucky recipient will love. I enjoyed working on this pattern and have already started another one.

Number 1 son showed an interest in beanies. As his birthday is in winter it is a perfect crocheted gift for him. Using the Deep Forest Beanie pattern by Ninoska Benitez Vásquez and some lovely chunky yarn that was kindly given to us Miss C made the perfect crochet gift. 

Number 2 son expressed a problem with having to put his hand towel and bath towel on the same towel rail, causing his hand towel to fall off when removing his bath towel.  I thought that I could sew a Quick and easy towel topper using a free pattern from Treasurie, for his upcoming birthday. I absolutely love her blog and Youtube channel, which has tutorials that are quick and informative. I repurposed an old shirt that was the perfect colour, to use for the top and a towel that I already had.

Another birthday gift that Miss C has been working on is some crochet dish scrubbies made using tulle. She has made these before and they are fabulous. Once you have used them you will never buy store bought ones again! They last really well and get stubborn stains off dishes with ease. A quick and easy project that makes a very practical gift.

Until next week

Samantha & Miss C xxx

Using what you have in your yarn stash.

As well as projects that we have recently purchased yarn for we are really enjoying using yarn from our stash. It helps you to think outside the square. Leftover yarn from a finished project takes on a new life, as you start to look at the yarn differently and find new and interesting ways to use it.

Finished Objects - Crochet:

This week I completed the Little Stories Cowl, that has been on my wish list for awhile. The pattern was very enjoyable and I learnt a new stitch along the way. I am thrilled with the colour - Biggan Design merino yarn in Royal Purple, which was lovely to work with.  A future project will be a hat from a new book I recently purchased with the leftover yarn.

My Courtship Shawl is now complete. A lovely easy to follow pattern. Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10 ply in the "Navy" colourway. I have never worried about gauge on shawls before as the size hasn't been important. If you like this pattern, it would be best to do a gauge swatch as mine ended up much smaller than the picture so I needed to do more repeats and buy more yarn.

What's On Our Hooks:

Samantha:

Whilst looking for a pattern to sew a basket to use on my mums walker, I stumbled upon a cute crochet pattern for a Project arm bag/basket by Jayda In Stitches. Again using stash, I have begun work on a test one first to see how it goes and whether it will be big enough for her needs. I am really enjoying working on it as it is quick and easy, using two strands of yarn held together.

Some crochet projects are a dream to work on and others a nightmare! I have been working on the Screwball Ice Cream shawl out of a book that Miss C received for Christmas. I would consider myself an advanced beginner crocheter, having made quite a wide variety of projects. I have found this pattern confusing to read and it has caused me quite a lot of grief. After finally deciphering the pattern so that I could move forward it was still not looking right. A discovery of a mistake much earlier on, sadly  involved unpicking from row 33 back to row 19.😞 Hopefully now I will be back on track and able to make some progress as it is looking really pretty.                                                                                                                                                                              

My Winter Wishes Scarf is coming along nicely and I am loving the pattern. The different stitches create a lovely texture. 

Miss C:

Inspired by Mum's Little Stories Cowl, I decided to start one for myself. I found some yarn leftover from a blanket and although it is not a colour that I would normally purchase, I started looking at it differently and realised that it is a wonderful colour that will go with so many things.

Future Projects:

Samantha:

I have not made a cardigan before and have decided to make the Up North Cardigan using Bendigo Woollen Mills Bloom 8 ply - Marble Statue

Miss C: 

I recently made a Gorse Sweater and loved it so much that I am making another using Hobbii Tweed Delight - Chai Latte

I have never done colour work before and found these two lovely patterns that I am really looking forward to making.

Prim Sweater - Using Multicoloured 4 ply sock yarn - Pastel Dream as the main colour and Lux 4 ply - Navy as the contrast.

 Quill Cardigan- Using Lux 4 ply - Navy as the main colour and Multicoloured sock yarn - Pot Pourri as the contrast.

Until next week 

Samantha & Miss C XX

A very productive crafty week!

It has been a very satisfying week where I have completed some crochet and sewing projects and made progress on others.  I am really motivated to finish things and it feels so good to be able to put them to use.

Finished Objects - Crochet:

My first finished object is my latest basket. I absolutely love making crochet baskets, they are so handy for storing yarn and so many other things. I only had a few rows to do and now have completed it and filled it with yarn!

I made myself a very useful Cake Cozy using stash yarn to hold my yarn to stop it rolling around. I have made some for others in my family but never for myself!  I made it smaller than the original and think it is the perfect size.

Finished Objects - Sewing:

I am extremely excited to have finished my Ironing Board Organiser and can't wait to use it. The fabrics are so bright and colourful and make me smile. I made a slight change,by putting velcro on the bottom of my pincushion so that I can take it with me over to the sewing machine.

What's On Our Hooks:

Samantha:

My Courtship Shawl has come out of hibernation, I started crocheting it a few months ago, but I ran out of yarn. I now have enough to finish the project and have started working on it again. Using Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10 ply in the "Navy" colourway.

I am really enjoying working on my Winter Wishes Scarf, a pattern by Sweet Potato 3. I am using Hobbii yarn Tweed Delight in the "Ivory Neon" colourway. I am not enjoying the yarn,it is very inconsistent. Some parts are quite thick and then others are incredibly thin.

Miss C:

The Key Largo Lace Wrap is another item that Miss C is trying to complete for the Year Of the Finishing. Using Hobbii Yarn Sultan in the "Pink Dragon Agate" colourway.

This is a shawl from the "Romantic Crochet" book written by Emma Escott of Lulu Loves Crochet. Loving the pattern and can't wait to work on it some more. Using Hobbii Yarn Metallico Fine, and the colourways are (from left to right) "Night Blue", "White", "Powder" and "Rose Pearl"

My Lacy Cocoon Cardigan is also from the Romantic Crochet book. Using Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4 in the "Delicate Light Blue" colourway.

I have also started crocheting a Granny Stripes Blanket using all of my fingering weight scraps. The original pattern is written for DK weight, but I used Knitty Natty's Project Page for the amount to chain etc. for fingering weight yarn. Also, I wanted to use every scrap of my yarn, so I am not tying off the yarn every 2 rows as the pattern specifies, I have just altered it a little to continue without cutting it.

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xxx

Make Nine 2022 Plans

During 2022, we have decided to take part in the #makenine2022mal that is hosted on Instagram by Amy, of @noblecharactercrafts. This is a participatory MAL to make nine projects that you have been wanting to make for a long time. If you want to find out more about the MAL, or participate yourself, have a look at the hashtag on Instagram.

The crochet patterns that we are planning to make this year are:

1. Habitat Cardigan by Make & Do Crew, using Happy Sheep Woolpower, from Hobbii in the "Deep Turquoise" colourway.

2. Key Largo Lace Wrap by The Cozy Cottage Crochet, which we have in progress, using the Hobbii Sultan in the "Pink Dragon Agate" colourway.

3. Tiara Sweater by Eleven Handmade, which we are planning on making in Mayflower 1 class sock yarn, in the Black Bean colourway.

4. Semarah Sweater by Eleven Handmade.

5. Gelato Gloves by Nancy Said, which we have now finished, and they were made in 4 Seasons Pure Wool Entwine 8 ply, from Spotlight, in the Turquoise colourway, as well as some scraps for the contrast and flowers.

6. Winter Wishes Scarf by Sweet Potato 3, which is also in progress, using Hobbii Yarn Tweed Delight in the "Ivory Neon" colourway.

7. Late Summer Love Story by Nancy Said, which we are planning on using Happy Sheep Baby Wool in the mint colourway.

8. Goldenrod Sweater by Eleven Handmade, which Miss C has completed. Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply in the "Petunia" colourway.

9. Gorse Sweater by Eleven Handmade, which Miss C has also finished. Hobbii Tweed Delight in the "Amber Glow" colourway.

See you next week for an update on all our projects.

Samantha & Miss C xx

The Year of the Finishing

 

This year, we have decided to finish all of those UFO's that everyone has lurking in the corners and actually put them to use instead of having them sitting in a project bag. As well as this, we would like to make some of the projects that we have been dreaming about for a long time.

Over the next few weeks, these are the projects that we would like to try and finish, or make some significant progress on:

My Ironing Board Organiser, which was a project I thought would help me be more organised, but it is sadly unfinished.

A pair of crochet Gelato Gloves that I really need for the coming winter, as they did not get finished for last winter! This is also one of my Make Nines for this year. I am using Pure Wool Entwine 8 Ply from Spotlight, in the Turquoise colourway, as well as a small scrap of cream coloured wool for the contrast. 

Miss C would like to finish her Key Largo Lace Wrap, in a gradient cotton cake, the Sultan cake from Hobbii, in the Pink Dragon agate colourway. 

Another thing that has spurred this on is the Love your stash CAL that The Cozy Cottage Crochet is hosting, all about using yarn that has been in your stash, as well as giving some love to your old WIP's. The thread is in her Ravelry group if you would like to take part.

See you next week, where we will show you our #makenine2022mal plans for the MAL that Amy of @noblecharactercrafts is hosting on Instagram. 

Samantha & Miss C xx