By Helen

crochet rainbows…

Last weekend in the UK, the weather turned very showery.  One minute it was sunny: the next minute heavy showers.  The up-side of the showers, were the beautiful, beautiful, rainbows that filled up the sky.  There really is something very special about seeing a rainbow, and imagining the possibilities that you could find at it’s end.   The rainbows made me smile and made me remember the wonderfully optimistic sentiment: when it rains: look for rainbows.  Browsing on Folksy I came across this amazing piece of art by artist Sarah Francis…

Unfortunately (or fortunately for my purse) the artwork was out of stock: but it got me thinking about crochet.  At the bottom of my stash, I found some yarn by Louise Harding: the mottled grey colour reminded me of the moodiness of the sky, just before a storm…

Add a few crochet flowers in rainbow colours, pinned on the wreath using shimmery pins (to represent rain drops) and ta-dah…

A rainbow inspired crochet project, started and finished during one long rain shower.  So, next time it rains: remember to look for rainbows and you’ll never know what it at the end of the rainbow until you look. 

Happy crochet and happy searching…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

walking in the countryside…

Are you enjoying the lovely sunshine?  I certainly I am.  The only down-side to all this sunshine is that crochet takes a back-seat, as I want to be out and about.  Si and I decided to really enjoy the sunshine and go on a long walk.  Well six miles: quite long for us – I don’t know about you?  It is a walk that we have been meaning to do for a long time, but somehow have never got round to it.  Like out visit to Birmham Rocks we’ve been meaning to go for eleven years now: but somehow never got round to it.  Tut-tut to us.   The sun was shining, we were up and about so we decided to do the walk from Helmsley,  a beautiful market town nestled in North Yorkshire, to Rievaulx Abbey and back again.   Naturally I took my camera, so you can come along with us…

The walk started in Helmsley, I can’t stress just how lovely Helmsley is, if you can visit it: do.  It has everything; tea-shops, antique shops, pubs, bookshops, charity shops, a wool shop, a brilliant Friday market, even a castle…

After walking away from the castle, we found ourselves in dappled shade of woodlands full of wild flowers…

Passing by a gentle meandering steam…

With beautiful a bridge spanning the stream…

Baby geese enjoying the steam and sunshine as much as us…

After an hour or so of pottering along, we were treated with a view of our destination…

Arriving at Rievaulx Abbey we treated ourselves to a light lunch in the tea-room then spent a happy couple of hours wondering around the Abbey..

After that we made our way back along the same path to Helmsley.  We both really enjoyed the day and are now planning lots more walks.  It really is good for the soul to be out and about!  I can’t wait…

crochet forget-me-not bracelet…

For June’s crochet flower of the month, I was inspired by all the forget-me-nots that I saw when out walking in woodlands.  I hope you like it…

In case you do, here’s how I made it…

I gathered together all the bits and pieces I would need: forget-me-not blue yarn, a teeny-tiny crochet hook (for the DK yarn I used a 2mm hook), ribbon, hook and eye (for the fastenings), beads, needle, scissors and glue…

I love how the acid green ribbon looks against the forget-me-not yarn…

I started by tying the hook and eye to the end of the ribbon…

Decorating the ends of the ribbon with some beads…

I crocheted three forget-me-knots, using my blossom pattern; next I sewed little yellow beads to the centre, and then glued them to the ribbon…

Leave the glue to dry, then ta-dah…

Your very own crochet forget-me-not bracelet.  Let me know how you get on…

crochet inspired by yo-yo patchwork…

I love that inspiration is all around us.  Usually when I am stuck for something to crochet, I look to nature and find myself crocheting flowers.  My inspiration doesn’t always come from nature.  Sometimes it hits when I’m wondering around York, looking at the amazing architecture (more about that in another post).  Sometimes I get inspiration from looking at the work of other very talented people out there.  Sometimes I get inspiration from visiting museums and galleries.  My latest crochet combines that last two: other people work and a visit to a museum.   I often visit the Quilt Museum, in York, I’ve mentioned it before.  On my last visit I came across the cutest little yo-yo patchwork (also known as Suffolk Puff patchwork).  I had to know more.  Thanks to the wonder of the internet I came across an amazing blog Sew Recyled.  I knew that I had to have ago: crochet style.  While I was flicking through one of my favourite crochet books Crochet Throws and Wraps by the talented Melody Griffiths: I came across instructions for crochet yo-yo patchwork / Suffolk Puffs.  Perfect…

I crocheted lots…

Using a wonderful yarn, by King Cole…

I decided to attach my crochet to a cushion cover…

I love how the colour change of the yarn gives so much variety from one ball…

I really think that the possibilities are endless, changing the yarn and hook size, you could have some real fun!  Crochet meets patchwork: a very happy combination. 

walking in the sunshine…

Here in England the weather-men tell us that it has been the coldest Spring in years: I am not surprised, I am still wearing winter clothes and my toes have forgotten what it feels like to be in sandals.  Yesterday, the last day of May, the sun shone: so I put on my sandals and went for a walk.  I didn’t go very far, just wandered along the river bank, close to where I live in York.  The river is so close that it is less than a minute from my front door.  I am very lucky: if you turn left at the end of my street you can be in the centre of York in ten minutes, if you turn right and walk for ten minutes you wouldn’t know that you were in the city.  The walk was soooooooo pretty; the river banks were full of wild flowers and the hedges quite literally sang, with all the birds hiding in them.  One of my favourite things was seeing the blossom still on the trees with the bright blue sky behind….

Just lovely, it made my heart sing.  The blossom and blue sky made me hopefully that we will have a Summer full of sunshine and warmth.  Today is the first day of June, and do you know what?  The sun is still shining, so maybe, just maybe...

Hope that the sunshines for you?  Have a good weekend...

xxx

crochet and cream tea…

We’ve been away; we’ve been to Cornwall to stay with Si’s parents.  Last time we visited, we had just started remodelling our home.  This time it was lovely to visit without the phone going every half hour with the builders telling us of the new problems he had found.  We were soooooo lucky with the weather, it was cold but dry – which suited me just fine.  I thought you might like to see a few of picis?  Ready?

Woodlands full of Bluebells…

Woodlands full of Wild Garlic…

Wondering around one of the woodlands, I came across this yarn bombed tree…

Beaches full of pebbles…

Lots of time for cream teas…

My father-in-law tells me that I made my cream tea, wrong.  Sorry P!  Apparently putting the cream on first is the Devon way of doing things.  Who knew that the placement of jam and cream could be so controversial?  I hope I haven’t offended anyone?  It's just the way I like it!

Lots of time in the evening for crochet…

A lovely, lovely short break in Cornwall! 

crochet blossom…

I thought that I’d share with you my crochet blossom pattern.  It is perfect for May and was May’s crochet flower last year.  The pattern is one of my very favourite.  I use it, quite literally, all the time.  I use it to embellish hats (the green one), wreaths and phone socks.  One of my favourite uses was when I needed hair clips in an emergency…

To crochet the blossom, so that it looks like blossom, I used Debbie Bliss’ Angel, but any fluffy yarn would be prefect.  For easy of seeing the stitches in the pattern I have crocheted it using some DK which I had.  Hopefully you can see the difference…

Gather your yarn, you don’t need much, and a hook which suits the yarn you are going to use.

Working into a magic circle, **3ch…

1tr, into the magic circle…

3ch…

ss ** into the magic circle…

Repeat ** - ** four more times, so you have five petals…

Don’t worry if your magic circle gets bigger and bigger!  After your last ss, finish off and pull the ends of the magic circle…

Weave in the ends and decide what to embellish!  Or secure to branches, to make your blossom bloom…

NB - To turn your blossom into a hair clip, stitch a bead into the centre of your flower, attach a kirby-grip and wear with pride!

 

felt flower…

Really sorry that there hasn’t been a posting this week: I have had a very hectic week at work, parents moving home and on top of that a nasty cold.  Other than doing what I have had to do, I haven’t felt like much else: that has included crafting.  I know it’s not like me at all: normally when the going gets tough: I get crafting.  I know that this is a temporary blip and that in a few more days, of rest; I will be back to feeling like myself and back crafting.  I know this because my head is all-ready beginning to whirl with all the projects that I want/need to do; crochet, braiding, baking, fabric flowers and lots more beside.  One thing I have managed to craft this week is a variation on a fabric flowers.  Normally when I make fabric flowers I use ditsy print, oh how I love ditsy print.  But when your head feels a bit ditsy, you don’t really want to be looking at it!  I needed something a bit chunkier to work with.  I had some felt left over from other projects, so I thought that I’d give that a go.  I am quite pleased with the results, although they need to be made with a little more care (again that will come when I’m feeling better).  I think that they’ll make great brooches or hair clips...

What do you think?

cute crochet collar…

How that Spring is definitely here, I decide to bravely go outside without a coat:  relying on just my cardi to keep me warm.  I found a lovely bright red cardigan, in a really soft yarn, in a local charity shop for just £2.50.  It was love at first sight: it had to be bought.  The cardi looked great: but I thought that it could do with a little-something, just to make it something really special.  It needs a cute crochet collar.  A friend gave me a pattern written by the very talented Nicky Hale, for Arabella, the cutest little crochet collar I had ever seen.  The pattern is bri-lli-ant!  So well written and with a clear chart.  After a couple of hours crochet, I was ready to attach the collar to the cardi.  I was sooooo pleased with the result.  Are you ready for a ta-dah moment?  Here goes…

Not bad for £2.50, the end of a ball of King Cole Bamboo Cotton and a couple of hours!

crochet flower for April: Primula / Primrose…

Now that Spring is here: I decided it was time to cheer up the front of my home, with a hanging basket.  After spending a happy hour browsing York’s Newgate Market, I came home with some Primulas. Or are they Primroses?  I’m not sure, I think Primroses are pale yellow and Primulas are stronger coloured (if you know let me know).  Anyway, I came home with five, in fact, for the bargain prices of three pounds (perfect just in case Spring isn’t here and the late frosts attack them).  Don’t they look cheerful…

So colourful and zingy…

They got me thinking, Primulas (or Primroses) would be the perfect flower to crochet for April.  So, get your crochet hook ready, here’s how to crochet yourself a Primula (or Primrose) posy or table centre.  Like with many of my crochet flower patterns, I suggest you use any yarn that you have to hand and a crochet hook which works with the yarn.  I used two contrasting colours, so the cute little centre really shows up.

With yarn A make a magic loop (sometimes called a slip ring or magic ring)...

2ch, 9dc into the magic ring…

Slip stitch into the top ch, to join together…

Finish off, pull the ring tightly to close the ring and secure the ends, so that they don’t get in the way.  Change to your second colour.

Join B into any stitch, secure with 1ch…

*work htr, tr, dtr, htr, dtr, tr, htr, into next dc, ss into next dc* …

Repeat the above instructions until you have five petals, finish off and secure your ends…

Crochet a few more Primulas and pot…

Perfect for little table centres, and Primulas (or Primroses) that don’t have to worry about the frost getting!

Happy crocheting!

NB - All crochet terms are UK terms.