Sea-Weathered Treasure (and a mini-flower garland tutorial)

Tom came back to me today with a new piece of sea-weathered pottery for my collection. I have 2 handfuls now...aren't they beautiful?

And those bright threads I blogged about recently haven't done much - I'm making a teeny tiny flower chain to wear as a necklace. Some look more like flowers than others - they need a bit of moulding!

They're each roughly the size of my pinky finger nail. 

Chain 12

Sl st into 6th chain to make circle

2 double crochet

Slip stitch into centre

Flip tail over and repeat 5 times on the other side of the tail

Chain 12...repeat...

I have about 15 flowers now...unfortunately I think I need about 40!!

Tutorial: Crochet Necklace

This is a little tutorial for the crochet necklace that I made in my last post here.

I made the decision to keep the single strand instead of with the scallop edging...but I had a pattern ready so here it is. I'll be trying making dozens of these once I get hold of some more materials! 

Stop at step 3 if you simple version or carry on to add fancy edging (like teddy's displaying).

 1. Pick your materials...

I have a limited craft supply with me at University but I managed non-the-less. Pick a thread (be it wool or crochet thread) and then find a set of beads which you can thread on. Obviously they need to be able to pass over the eye of the needle which will hold your chosen thread.

I used 62 beads and size 3.00 crochet hook.

I wanted a very long necklace which I could wind around my neck 3 or 4 times - you can use your artistic licence with this!

2. Make your button-hole...

Use that artistic license again with this. I used the following, but I was using wool not crochet thread and quite a large crochet hook. You may need more chain and more single crochets with smaller thread/hooks.

8 chain, slip stitch to form a ring

15 single crochet into ring

Pick up the tail and chain 3

Drop the tail and chain 4

3. Crochet in your first bead...

This is easier than I expected. Snuggle the bead up close to the last chain, yarn over and do a chain as if the bead wasn't there at all!

Chain 7, add 2nd bead

Chain 7, add 3rd bead

Repeat

You will need to keep pushing the beads away from your crocheting - don't worry, it's not a hardship.

4. Add your edging...

You can choose any edging you want at all! I found hundreds on blogs and on pinterest but settled with a simple scalloped edge to get me started. So after you have crocheted in your last bead...

Crochet 7

Turn, skip one chain and single crochet

Skip one chain and do 5 double crochet into this chain

Skip one chain, single crochet

2 chain to get you over the bead (with smaller beads, this may only need to be one chain)

single crochet into second chain after bead

5. Finish off...

When you get back to your button hole, weave in your tail from the beginning and the end.

Sew on a button or large bead to secure.

Some edging patterns want you go up one side and down the other so you may need to travel the length of your necklace a third time...good luck!

As I said in my previous post, I still need to block my necklace - soak in warm warm and then pin to the ironing board, slightly stretched until dry. This makes it keep its shape better!

And there you have it! A simple, classy necklace. I can't wait to try this in lots of bright colours and with snazzy beads.

Crocheting Pearls Darling

Sew today Teddy has been helping me make a crocheted necklace! Pinterest has inspired me - in my head I had a looong necklace, quite simple, which I could loop around me neck a few times.

I rummaged through the vintage suitcase I use as my craft stash and the only beads I had which would fit on my thinnest wool were nobbley pearls...which I love.

 This is what I ended up with! I really like it actually. Apparently it needs blocking which makes it holds its shape better. Soak in warm water and then pin to the ironing board, slightly stretched.

Thing is, I got a bit carried away and tried a scalloped edging - now I'm not sure if this will work...anyone have any preference - plain or with edging? I made the pattern up too which I can post if I go for the scalloped type. Do you think it would lay flat on my chest or curl up and look messy? Choices choices!

I would love to try this with proper crochet thread, a tiny needle and seed beads - there's no end to different colours and different edgings you could play with...I feel a new obsession coming on.

They were sew quick that really, I have no excuse to not make more!

A Knitting Sampler

Started to practice knitting and all the different stitched out there! Very uneven and knobbley...but that's what samplers are for I suppose! Using up all the scraps of wool that MummySew and I have kicking around :)

Crochet WIP

This is something that MummySew and I are creating together - a massive mohair granny square blanket! Although the granny squares are giant squares I have to admit.

 We have quite a stash of them now! 16 in fact. Aiming for 25 which should be double bed throw size. 

It works quite well since I can do some in Glasgow or on placement and Mum can do some in Leeds. Better keep at it! 

MummySews previous mohair blanket is so warm and snuggley, despite being crocheted and hole-y, I just had to have one for myself!!

Fairy Mice!!

Courtesy of MummySew...what on earth could be better?? She's holding a little silver star *eeep!*. Her pattern was from Alan Dart and he calls them fluffy fairies! I just can't find the pattern online anymore. Found it! He has it for free - he's a genius! Click here

  

On a more simplistic note - felt mice for your christmas stockings! Loving the whiskers, although I unfortunately can't remember where I got their pattern from! Found him! He's a seriously cute mouse tutorial from Rhythm and Rhyme (which is a really lovely blog).

Yoda (ish)

 My first 3D crochet project!!! Admittedly, he doesn't look much like yoda (no-one seems to be able to recognise him) but I'm chuffed with him :) his toes are cute. His pattern came from happytogether - very good for beginners like me! Takes a bit of getting used to though, working out differences between american and english pattern reading. Hopefully I can hone my skills over 2013!

Little Hearts

I taught myself a little bit of crochet today :) 'The Blanket' uses UK trebles...but I wanted to expand my repertoire a little so I made a little sampler from here and learnt to do US dc, sc and sl st from videos on you-tube (I do have a life - honest. This is done in my study tea breaks!). Its a little messy as I don't have my tension right yet...the journey begins anyway.
On a completely unrelated note - I adore these books :) The illustrations are fantastic; the plots brilliant; the writing refreshingly simple. I only wish i could read and crochet at the same time!