Crochet Shawl Heaven

We had a long weekend this weekend, which was rainy, windy and cold, the perfect weather for curling up with a nice hot drink and crocheting. Not that one needs an excuse to crochet!

What's On Our Hooks:

This week I have started a new project. The Florentina Triangle Shawl By Annie Design Crochet, using a colour cake from stash. It is a two-row repeat that is quick to work up and makes a really pretty pattern. I am absolutely loving it, a very relaxing pattern that you don't have to think about.  The colours are so pastel and pretty. Colour changing yarn is quite addictive as you want to keep crocheting to see the next colour change!

Miss C also has a new project, the Tiara Sweater, which is part of the   #makenine2022mal that we are participating in as mentioned here. She is using Mayflower 1 Class Sock yarn from Hobbii in the gorgeous colour Ocean Blue. It is a very interesting pattern with lots of different stitches and a lovely lace pattern starting to emerge. 

Miss C has made some progress on her second Gorse Sweater. It has been put aside since starting a new project, the Tiara Sweater.

After completing the neck on the Desert Irony Poncho I have moved on to the body. The colours are looking beautiful, I like the soft pastels. Upon reflection one of the colours we had chosen to use the Indigo, is too dark and detracts from the other colours. Looking at the basket of yarn now, it is very different from the others. We have decided to omit it and use another softer colour. This has put this project on hold for the moment as I will have to order more yarn.

Finished Objects:

Miss C has completed her first pair of knitted socks, using Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in "Tobacco" for toes, heels and cuffs and Wisdom Yarns Pix in the "Street Art" colourway. She has done an amazing job and has come a long way with her knitting. You can read about her knitting journey here.

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Autumn Crochet.

We hope everyone had a lovely Easter. We spent an enjoyable, relaxing long weekend away, catching up with family, that we haven't seen in a long time. The weather is really starting to change with cool crisp Autumn mornings and evenings. In preparation for the cooler weather, we have been crocheting sweaters, gloves, and scarves. 

What's on our hooks:

Miss C made a Gorse Sweater by Eleven Handmade a couple of months ago, as mentioned here. She really loved it and has started making another using Hobbii Tweed Delight - Wisteria Bloom. The colour is absolutely gorgeous. She has only been working on it for a few days and has already made great progress.

Using one of our favourite crochet patterns, the Winter Wishes Scarf we have made significant progress on our current projects. Miss C has almost doubled the size of hers, using Country Naturals 10 ply Toffee. My navy one is almost complete with a tiny bit to go before the keyhole. We went to Lincraft, whilst we were away and purchased some cute buttons to add the finishing touch to our scarves. 

We have also both begun working on our Gelato Gloves by Nancy Said, which we didn't manage to finish for the Love Your Stash CAL. This is a lovely pattern that has very good instructions and is a joy to crochet. We are using leftover yarn, from the Little Stories Cowls to make matching gloves. 

The neck has been started on the Desert Irony Poncho by Crafternoon Treats. I am looking forward to making this using yarn from stash. 

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Up North Cardigan Progress.

My Up North Cardigan is progressing really well. It is a very easy crochet pattern and works up so quickly. I think it is the perfect pattern to crochet as a beginner in garment making. I pinned the cardigan together at the shoulders to see how it was looking. I absolutely love it! It is a perfect fit and I am so looking forward to wrapping myself up in the cooler weather. The Bendigo Woollen Mills Bloom 8 ply Marble Statue yarn is looking gorgeous. I have basically finished the main body, one sleeve, and have begun work on the second sleeve.

Even though Miss C has made more complex garments, after seeing mine she has been inspired to make one for herself.  She has the Bloom yarn in Plum which she will be starting soon.

We have both been crocheting more Winter Wishes Scarves. One which is almost complete, using Red Heart Aran Charcoal Print. I love the way the variegated yarn has worked up. The other is in Country Naturals 10 ply Toffee. It is such an enjoyable pattern to crochet with a variety of stitches which creates a very textured scarf.

Miss C has started a pair of Rhinebeck Roomies knitted socks using a pattern by the Crazy Sock Lady. She is using a Fiddlesticks yarn that is now discontinued. She has made the large size using 72 stitches and loves the pattern. The last socks she made were using DPN this time she is using circular needles. Aren't the colours just gorgeous?

In addition to our crochet projects we recently made some journals using scrapbooking paper. They were inspired by our favourite podcaster Kathryn of Crafternoon Treats. A lot of fun was had mixing and matching papers and finding embellishments to complete the covers. We are really pleased with the finished products and looking forward to using them. Although they are almost too pretty to use!

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C

Sock Extravaganza!

This week Miss C is taking over the blog, with her knitting journey and how she came to start crochet.

I have had many experiences with socks, crochet and knitting, not all of them successful!! Last year, I made a pair of crochet socks for myself, using a free pattern online, with some King Cole Zig Zag sock yarn. I can't remember the colour, however, I think it has been discontinued. I was very pleased with this, and I then decided to crochet socks for my whole family for Christmas.

 I was using the Segue Socks pattern by Deanne Ramsey of Addydae designs, and Happy Sheep Magic Sock Wool as the main colour (Hot 'n Spicy) and Mayflower 1 class sock yarn (Deep Sea) as the toes, heels and cuffs. I was pleased with the finished object, however, they did not fit the recipient. After that, I sort of abandoned that idea, but it was still in the back of my mind.

I watch a lot of podcasts, knitting and crochet, and have been seeing heaps of gorgeous socks and decided that it would be a  great first knitting project! Before I started crocheting a couple of years ago, my Grandma had tried to teach me to knit. It was a simple garter stitch blanket, but somehow, I managed to drop stitches and add them and do all sorts of things, driving my grandma insane. Finally, we decided it was a lost cause, and later, I started to crochet after my mum and grandma went to crochet lessons at the local library. We later became locked down in 2020, developing my love for crochet, like so many others, being stuck at home.

I found some DPN's, which were the wrong size, just to see if I could figure it out. I followed the "Vanilla Socks on DPN's" video tutorial by The Crazy Sock Lady, and miraculously, I managed!! I ordered Knit Pro Zing DPN's in 2.25mm, and have started again with socks for the whole family, and will gift them for Xmas. I have started with my brothers, I used Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in the "Tobacco" colourway for toes, heels and cuffs and Wisdom Yarns Pix in the "Street Art" colourway. I am so pleased with how they have turned out, and they actually fit!!! They are cuff down and I did 72 sts (Large size in Kay's pattern), 5rnds ribbing, 15rnds leg, heel flap and gusset, 8.5inches on the foot and then the toe.

I am super excited that I can now knit socks, and I can't wait to fill our sock drawers!! I ordered some needles so I can try magic loop.

Until next week,

Miss C

Love Your Stash CAL Roundup

The Love Your Stash Cal is at an end and we thought it would be nice to recap all the things that we managed to make in just three months, using only stash yarn and finishing wips. We have really enjoyed  participating. A battle of wills ensued, as I have been very driven to complete lots of projects using stash, whilst Miss C has been a little frustrated with me as she loves to start new projects and purchase new yarn. We reached a happy medium and I think we have done really well. You look at some projects, like the yarn buddy, that only needed the pocket sewn on and wonder why on earth you didn't just finish it? 

1.  Deep Forest Crochet Beanie - Using chunky yarn that was gifted to us I made a gift for my sons birthday.
2.  Cake Cozy - Using 8 ply acrylic held double I made a handy cake cozy for me, as I really needed one to keep my yarn from rolling around.
3. Crochet basket - Using 3 strands of 8 ply acrylic yarn held together I made another very useful basket to store yarn.
4.  Screwball Ice Cream Shawl - A shawl using yarn from stash that was not suitable for another project made a beautiful shawl.
5.  Gelato Gloves - An unfinished project from last year that is now completed and ready to wear.
6.  Little Stories Cowl - Using yarn that I purchased last year, I made this gorgeous cowl in this lovely purple yarn.
7.  Little Stories Cowl - Using yarn that was left over from a blanket, Miss C made a charcoal cowl and used some pretty yellow floral buttons.
8. Little Stories Cowl - Using yarn left over from the border of the Victoria Shawl Miss C made another cowl.
9. Victoria Shawl - A shawl Miss C made last year that needed the ends sewn in and blocking is now completed.
10.  Soft Petal Button Wrap - A wrap that was started last year and sat awaiting a button and the ends sewn in,was completed my Miss C.
11.  Project Arm Bag/Basket - Using two strands of 8 ply acrylic from stash I made this basket. It has turned out perfect and I will be making another for my mums walker.
12. Yarn Buddy - A project that was forgotten about for around 18 months was finally finished. It only need the pocket sewing onto it.
13. Key Largo Lace Wrap - Miss C was originally planning to make this as a wrap, but it was a cotton gradient cake and by the end, she was a bit sick of it! She made it shorter, and joined the ends, making it into a cowl, which she really likes.
14. Dish Scrubbies - A very useful birthday gift using tulle from another project.
15. Pan Protector - Whilst getting out a fry pan for my mum, I noticed she used boring paper towels to protect them and I remembered I had seen the pan protectors in a magazine. I thought I could crochet her one of those for her birthday. I simplified mine a little and didn't do the embellishment in the centre.

It was really fun participating in this challenge and I think we have done very well with what we achieved.

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xx

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