Discover Your Inner Designer: How to Crochet the Perfect Cowl, Part 2

Hello, I'm returning, as promised,  with the second installment of my two part series on designing your own crocheted cowl. I hope you found the first part useful and have perhaps even begun to think about your first möbius cowl crochet design. However, if you missed that blog post, not to worry, you can find it here.

Crocheting Your Own Möbius Cowl Design: Step-by-Step Guide

Once you're happy with your cowl design idea, gather your materials and follow these steps:

1. Work out how many pattern repeats, if any, you're going to need (for a super simple one stitch cowl, there won’t be a pattern repeat): I suggest the circumference of your möbius tube should be around 40cm, but this will depend on the length of your pattern repeats, it may be a little less or  a little more. So, for a 5cm pattern repeat you will need 8 repeats to achieve a round of 40cm (thus creating a tube which is 20cm across).

2. Create a Foundation Chain: Begin with the appropriate number of chains based on your calculations in step 1. Join to work in the round, making sure your chain isn’t twisted.

3. Work Your Stitch Pattern: Follow your chosen stitch pattern to create the desired length of your cowl (I suggest around 80cm).

4. Colour changes: If you’re using more than one colour, yarn can be carried up the inside of your cowl. If it’s a longer jump, cut the yarn and knot the two ends together after joining - with this design method all ends will be hidden inside the tube.

5. Join the Ends: To achieve the möbius twist, with RS turned out, line up both ends of the tube & add a half twist to one end to offset the line up, pin in place. Thread the long tail on a needle & sew the ends together with mattress stitch. Sew in these 2 final ends.

Click here to receive your copy

Tips for Success: 

• Write notes as you go: Keep a notepad or use your phone to keep track of everything you do. It will make it so much easier to come back to, especially if you decide to make a second one or write up the pattern!

• Practice Makes Perfect: I know it's a cliché, but practice really does make perfect, so don't be discouraged if your first attempt isn't quite how you imagined it would be. Simply enjoy the learning process and go along with your own journey of creating. As with all things. It does get easier (promise!).

• Ignore Imposter Syndrome: This kind of follows on from my tip above; try not to compare yourself too much with established crochet designers. They will have been doing this for much longer than you, they'll have more experience and will have made all sorts of mistakes along the way.

• Show Off Your Creation: Share your masterpiece with the world! Post photos on social media of your process and your finished cowl to inspire others.

Next steps:

Did you know I’ve written a course to help you write up your first crochet pattern? If you’re ready to take your scribbled notes to the next level and publish your crochet pattern, check out my How To Write Up A Crochet Pattern Course which will guide you through all the steps in the writing up process. I really encourage you to give this a go and, as always, I'm on hand to answer any questions you have.

Final Words of Encouragement from Me:

Designing and crocheting your own cowl is a very fulfilling experience that allows you to express your creativity at the same time as crocheting a functional accessory you'll cherish for years to come. So, why not discover your inner designer (I bet you’ll surprise yourself!), go gather what you need and embark on this exciting crafting adventure!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Discover Your Inner Designer: How to Crochet the Perfect Cowl, Part 1

Hello! As you probably know, crocheted cowls are a much loved accessory, offering the perfect blend of warmth and style. However, if you’ve been crocheting for a while now, have you thought about designing your own cowl? This can be an immensely rewarding experience because your cowl will be unique. No one else will have one quite like it!. I’ve just finished designing and crocheting my River Never Sleeps Cowl (pictured above), so in this 2 part blog post series, I'm going to guide you through the essential steps of designing a crocheted cowl which perfectly reflects your personal taste and style.

I’m going to lay out the steps for designing a möbius cowl which is a cowl that’s worked in the round as a long tube and sewn together upon completion. The twist in a möbius cowl creates a continuous loop with a subtle but nonetheless intriguing visual effect. The way the fabric drapes and moves is different from a standard circular cowl (worked up and down the way), adding a touch of unique style with the twist highlighting stitch patterns in interesting ways. One huge advantage of the möbius cowl is that all the ends are hidden in the inside, which is especially good news if you choose to work with multiple colour changes!

First Up, Inspiration: 

Before jumping into the technical side of things, take a moment to gather your inspiration: browse through crochet pattern books, magazines and online platforms like Pinterest and Ravelry to explore different cowl styles, stitch patterns, and yarn choices. You may wish to sketch out some ideas, but this is not essential - it depends on your way of working.

Stitch Patterns:

Next I want you to choose the stitch pattern for your cowl. For this construction method, you’ll be working in the round, so choose a stitch pattern which works well in the round - the right side will be showing all the time. Most stitch patterns can be adapted to work in the round, but there are some exceptions. Perhaps you crocheted a hat or a sweater recently and you liked the stitch pattern you used? Well, if it was crocheted straight (without any increases) this will work well for a cowl. You are looking for anything from a 1 round repeat to a four round repeat (let’s keep it simple for your first one, ok). Another place to find stitch inspiration is in a stitch dictionary, although these are usually written for rows of stitches so you’ll have to do a bit of figuring out to switch to rounds, but it’s certainly doable. Searches on Pinterest, Google etc will also bring up stitch patterns and combinations.

• Simple Stitches: Explore basic stitches like double crochet, half trebles or trebles for a clean and classic look.

• Textured Stitches: Stitches such as bobble stitches, popcorns, or shell stitches will all add depth and visual interest.

Gorse Cowl - another of my möbius cowl designs

Yarn Choice:

The yarn you use will have a huge impact on the look of your finished cowl. At this stage you may wish to crochet up a practice version in stash yarn, in which case as long as it’s roughly similar to your final vision, yarn choice isn’t so important. However, if you’re going for it with this version, then here are a few things to consider.

• Fibre Content: Consider the warmth, drape and texture you want to create. There are lots of different wools to choose from as well as cotton, linen, acrylic and blends.

• Weight: Choose a yarn weight that complements your chosen stitch pattern and desired drape. As a general rule of thumb, the finer the yarn the softer the drape and the warmer the finished cowl (because more body heat is trapped in the fibres). However, I have crocheted up a few cowls in chunky yarn and they look fab!

• Colour: Select a colour or colours which resonate with you and complement your wardrobe. This is a chance to show the world your personality!

Size:

For this exercise, the finished depth of your cowl will be around 20cm and the finished width of your cowl (after joining with a twist) will be around 36cm. The 20cm measurement will be worked in the round as a tube, so it will actually be a round of 40cm. The 36cm width before sewing up will be a long tube of around 80cm in length.

Click here for your free copy

Swatching:

Create a swatch, in the round, to ensure your stitches match the vision you have in your head. It doesn’t need to be as wide as your intended cowl width, just enough to try out the pattern and check how it looks and drapes. You may need to play around with stitches or hook sizes to achieve the look you have in mind. 

Note down the following details for later:

• The length of your pattern repeat in centimetres.

• The height of your pattern repeat in centimetres (although you can simply crochet until you reach the desired length, this measurement is less important)

• How often you envision any colour changes.

This is the end of Part 1 of this two part series on designing your own cowl. I'll publish Part 2 next Friday here on the blog or you could sign up to my mailing list to have it delivered straight to your inbox.

If you decide to have a go at this project, be sure to tag me in your photos on social media, I'd love to see! Any questions? Leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

My Latest Garment Design For Moorit, Issue 6!

photo courtesy of Amelia Claudia Photography

My Latest Garment Design For Moorit, Issue 6!

I gave you a sneak peek at something which I had to keep secret for AGES in my last email - my latest garment design for Moorit, issue 6! Gosh, it really was hard to keep that one quiet because I was so excited to have a piece accepted by such a prestigious crochet magazine!

 
For those of you who haven't come across Moorit before, it's a fantastic magazine which aims to elevate the status of crochet. Here's a snippet from the Moorit website which explains its values:
 
"Moorit is an independent crochet magazine based in Scotland and run by Alyson Chu. Launched in 2021, it was imagined as an antidote to the dearth of print publications made especially for crocheters. Focussing on wearable, modern garments and accessories made in natural fibres, Moorit is a high-end craft magazine with true indie spirit."
 
I've been buying the magazine since the very first issue came out and it is such a beautiful thing to behold each time a new issue is released, they just keep getting better!

 

photo courtesy of Amelia Claudia Photography

Today I can tell you a little more about my new design and share further photos, which I'm sure you'd like to see. The theme for issue 6 is balance and as soon as I found this out I was buzzing with ideas for a two colour garment! I was in the middle of a garment grading course with the super-knowledgeable Lynne Rowe, so the timing was perfect, I could put my newly learnt skills to use!
 
If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that my favourite yarn thickness to work with is 4ply (fingering weight), and I wanted to use this thickness to create a lightweight drape to my design. I decided to form the jumper of two sections: an upper section, crocheted in horizontal rows and a lower section crocheted in vertical rows. Two different textures which would counterbalance each other, which gave my sweater the name Counterbalance.
 
Alyson at Moorit chose a very similar yarn to the yarn I had suggested in my proposal, but I was very happy with the swap, it was Eden Cottage Yarns Milburn 4ply (85% British Bluefaced Leicester, 15% Mulberry Silk). I had used it before and I can tell you, this stuff is a dream to work with!! The colours I used were Crocosmia and Dusk - two colours which definitely balanced each other.
 
I began by crocheting all the lower panels, and if you go on to crochet this sweater, that's the way I'd suggest you go about it too. The upper panels came next before the seaming and finally the back loop only ribbing around the neckline. 
 
Moorit 6 is currently at the pre-order stage and you can check out the options (digital/ print or even a subscription) here. You can also view the other designs in the issue - there are some beauties - I can't wait until my copy lands on the doorstep!

That's all for now, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

 

New Pattern Published In The Journal Of Scottish Yarns!

Hello! I'm really pleased to be able to share one of the secret projects I was working on in June this year - I have a new pattern published in The Journal Of Scottish Yarns!

It's called the Sunset Song Top and it's a vest style sweater which can either be worn alone or used as a layering piece. I took my inspiration from the many beautiful sunsets I watch from my window as I crochet and from the novel Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

I'm especially happy with the styling on this one and the way the garment suits both men & women and both young & old; it's very adapdable depending on the look you're going for!

I chose a lightweight yarn from J. C. Rennie, their Supersoft 4ply which is 100% wool, in 3 colours to create the look. The garment is crocheted from the bottom up in 2 pieces which are worked flat and then seamed together using mattress stitch. Instructions have been carefully graded for 9 sizes - a big thank you to the tech editor Samira Hill for her help with this.

In the photo above you can see the beginnings of my design journey. When I started the ribbing worked out exactly as planned and then I swatched to see if the stitch idea I had would work well in the J. C. Rennie yarn - looking particularly at the drape and stretch. I was pleased with this so went ahead with stitch and row calculations for the body of the top.

 
All in all, I'm chuffed with how this design worked out. There's opportunity to go as wild as you like with the colours or to go super simple and crochet it all in one colour! Like I said last week - the choice is yours! 
 
You can buy The Journal of Scottish Yarns, issue 4 on their website and in many local yarn shops in Scotland and beyond.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. Be sure to tag me on social media if you make a Sunset Song Top!

My crocheted sock pattern in Cosy Life Boxes!!

 Photo credit: Cosy Life Boxes

Hello! This week I'm feeling extremely happy because a collaboration I've been working on since last November has finally come together and I can share it with the world!

The latest box from Cosy Life Boxes features one of my crocheted sock patterns!! 

I can't tell you how giddy I felt with excitement when I read the message from Amanda from Cosy Life Boxes, inviting me to design for her! I think I may have caused my husband permanent ear damage with the amount of squealing I did!

For this box, Amanda chose Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Extra Fine (3ply weight, 75% baby alpaca/ 25% nylon) in two of their natural colourways; Wolf and Travertine. She also invited knitting designer Helen Birch to write a pattern for knitted socks, giving people the choice of crochet or knitting.

When I received the yarn it spoke to me immediately and I could envision the finished sock - I love it when this happens! I quickly set to work and the pattern did come together smoothly, just as I hoped it would.

Then there was the waiting. It's always so hard to keep things like this quiet - although I did mention it in passing as "an excinting project I can't talk about just now"!

As you can tell from the photo above, it's a toe-up design, worked in the round with a heavily textured upper foot. There are gusset increases before the heel turn and heel flap are created, allowing for plenty room across the instep.

I loved creating these socks, my 10th crocheted sock pattern, and I hope you enjoy them too!

To order your own kit, with all the expertly curated extra goodies, click here.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Are you lefty crocheter?

Hello! I'm looking for some feedback today - specifically from left handed crocheters! Before you scroll on ... if you're not a left handed yourself, perhaps you know someone who is that you could share this with? 

The need to answer this question has popped up because I saw a post celebrating International Left Handed Day by one of my followers on Instagram last week and it got me thinking; what can I do as a designer to make life easier for left handed crocheters?

I've created a simple Google form with a few questions which shouldn't take more than 3 minutes to complete. If you are left handed and you'd like to help me with this research, please take the time to fill it out.Your answers should help me improve my patterns for you!

Thank you in advance for your help with this. Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you're not signed up already, please sign up to my mailing list to be kept in the loop about all my crochet news and receive the biggest discount codes for my website!

Teenie, Tiny Bunting crochet pattern release!

 

Hello! I have a lovely crochet pattern for you to work up and add to your Spring decorations! If you've been following me for a while, you may remember my Teenie, Tiny Bunting from this time last year when it was my free pattern - maybe you got it as a 'thank you' for being on my mailing list? Anyway, since then it's been sitting in my "no longer published" folder until I dug it out the other day, gave it a bit of a dust down, added a sprinkling of Spring freshness and it's now been uploaded to LoveCrafts and Ravelry! So if you missed it last year, here's your chance to get your hands on the pattern. 

My Teenie, Tiny Bunting is perfect for hanging on an Easter tree, across a vase of flowers or draped over a photo frame to add a pop of colour to your home! This is a super simple crochet design that’s also quick to make up, crocheted using embroidery thread and a 2.5mm hook. It's a beginner level pattern, written in both UK & US terms with charts and a video tutorial demonstrating the invisible join.

I love that It's a great way to use up scraps of embroidery thread you may have, you know how much I love to stash bust! 

Sign up to my mailing list to be forst to know of all my releases and to receive the biggest discounts here.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Would you believe that I was banished from knitting group in Primary School?

Yep, I was banished from the knitting group because I was so bad and was sent to go and make peg rocking chairs with the boys! I was 11 and every Friday afternoon the class was split in half with the girls doing knitting and the boys making things with wooden clothes pegs. I seemed to be constantly at the teacher's desk needing help, I really struggled - dropping stitches, knitting too tightly, adding stitches! One afternoon my teacher had had enough and I was banished to the boys' corner to make a rocking chair out of clothes pegs! Naturally I found this humiliating but I'm glad it didn't put me off forever.

Fast forward 20 years and I took up crochet followed by knitting and I realised that instead of creating a tangled mess I could actually make something beautiful with yarn. I started making scarves & hats and soon delved into the world of amigurumi. By this time I had a degree in Fine Art (specialising in Sculpture) and found that the sculptural aspect of crochet was something I enjoyed playing around with. 

I'm sharing this story with you today following a poll I ran on my Instagram Stories this week. My question was "Have you crocheted socks before?" and I was astonished at the result that 65% of people replied with "no". I then published a post on Instagram asking for feedback in the comments or via direct message, asking what put people off and what would help convince them to try. Answers to this varied - some were unable to find a good pattern, some felt a video tutorial would really help, some people thought that crochet would be too gappy for socks, some were worried about starting but not being able to get answers from the pattern designer if things didn't work out, others simply couldn't get their heads round the heel. 

Next week my Synthesizer Sock pattern will be released and I'm confident that this pattern will address all these hang ups ...

• The pattern has been tested in all its sizes by a team of 6 testers, reassuring you that most of the little errors and niggles have been ironed out. If any further errors do pop up (I'm only human) you will be sent an updated pdf.
• I've spent a lot of time over the last week putting together videos for each stage of the pattern - a total of over 30 minutes worth of video - I think I have everything covered.
• The extended double crochet stitches of the sole fit snuggly together creating a really good stretch but also a flatter finish under foot.
• I'm here and committed to answering any questions you may have about my pattern. You can reply to any of my emails or you can drop me a message on Instagram, I'm more than happy to help!
• And that heel? My advice would be to make sure you are relaxed, free from distractions and take each line at time. Try not to overthink or second guess what's coming up, focus on the row you are on.

I would love to see more people crocheting socks! I'm sure that once you try a pattern you will be hooked and want to try another one, especially with all that pretty sock yarn out there!

If you can't wait till then to give socks a go, check out my previously published sock patterns. Ravelry here and Lovecrafts here. 

Marta xx

Book Review - Crocheted Succulents by Emma Varnam

Hello! This week I have a gem of a crochet book to review for you - Crocheted Succulents, Cacti & Other Succulent Plants to Make by Emma Varnam. I was super fortunate to win this book in an Inside Crochet magazine giveaway, especially as it was already on my must read list! The book arrived signed too which makes it super special.

Flicking through I saw so many inspiring photos of different cacti and succulents to crochet, I knew it was going to be tough to choose which one to start with. There are a few that require specific types of yarn, such as fluffy eyelash yarn for the Old Lady Cactus, but most of the designs call for regular DK weight yarn in cotton or acrylic.

I like the way that each succulent or cactus is introduced with a short paragraph about where in the world they're from and their characteristics as a plant - every day is a school day! I chose the Saguaro for my first project, simply because I needed to stash dive on this occasion and I had some DMC natura that was a good green, together with a tiny oddment of Paintbox Yarns cotton which would work for the soil. I didn't have any florist's wire to keep the "arms" in shape, but paper clips worked just fine! 

I'm happy to report that the design worked up beautifully and I had no issues with the pattern (I should add at this point that this is not a sponsored post, all views are my own). The instructions are clear to follow and set out with plenty of colour photos. If you're new to crochet, there is an excellent getting started and a crochet techniques section at the back of the book. There's also a section devoted to displaying your plants and how to crochet plant pot cosies. So, I would thoroughly recommend this book - there's something in it for every level of crochet ability and enough patterns to keep you busy for a long time!

Here's a final photo of my finished Saguaro hiding amongst my other houseplants, just for fun! I hope you found this book review enjoyable and useful. Have you got a favourite crochet book you think I should take a look at? Is there a book you'd like me to review? Let me know in the comments or send me a direct message on Instagram @marta.mitchell.designs

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

June round up - what have I been up to?

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well? It's been a while since my last post because I've been having issues with my laptop (technology, urgh!). Today I'd like to get back into it by sharing with you some of the things I've been up to this month. Let's dive in ...

At the start of the month my Sunshine Patch crochet competition came to a close and I am pleased to announce the winner was Jane Reid (@created.uniquely on Instagram). I was amazed by the variations and was blown away by some of the creativity on show! The collage above shows some of the entries and you can see Jane's winning coin purse in the bottom left. 

One project that I have returned to this month is my hexipuff blanket. This is a knitted blanket designed by Tiny Owl Knits which features hundreds of 3D knitted hexagons. It's been in hibernation since the end of 2020. Basically, I pull out, work like mad on it, get fed up with it and throw it back in a corner - this has been going on for nearly 2 years, it's definitely a slow craft! However, I can say that, as of this morning, I have kept up with one hexie a day for the whole of June! Whoop!

Another long term blanket I've been working on is my crocheted scrappy blanket. For this one I'm using all sorts of leftover odds and ends of sock weight yarn to create a wavy, bobbly blanket. It's progressing well, I add a few rows most days and I'm enjoying the way the colours are forming. My followers on Instagram are going mad for it too - it's one of my most popular projects! Many of you have asked if I'm publishing the pattern and due to its popularity the answer is a resounding YES! I just need time to finish it and then get lots of pretty photos ...

At the end of May I started a new crochet design for a pair of socks and I'm really pleased to have finished the design, written up the pattern and sent it off to testers! It's my 4th sock pattern and it was a real joy to work on, things went very smoothly. I used Rusty Ferret sock yarn for the design in a bright pink colourway called Concoction 52. The colourway is semi-solid creating lovely little hints of subtle colour change which I love! I'm half-way through crocheting my second pair, testing out the smallest size (it will be available in 4 adult sizes). I plan to release the pattern in July so, if you haven't already, please subscribe to my email list to be kept in the loop on this one. You can subscribe here.

And finally, I finished this cute little donkey! I absolutely love making amigurumi and I'm particularly fond of the designs by Pica Pau Yan. I've so far made about half a dozen of them and they never fail to disappoint me. I really appreciate the attention to detail in the designs and the fact that the animals all have clothing or accessories - it gives them so much character.

Well, looking back like this I can see it's been a busy month (there were a few things I didn't share in this post too) and I'm looking forward to seeing what the month of July brings! What about you? Did you have a productive month? Why not leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you,

Marta xx

Playing about with adding Liberty fabric to crochet

Hello! This week I've been playing about with adding pretty Liberty fabric to one of my crochet projects and I've been having a lot of fun with it! I love the way that fabric totally changes the way a crocheted item looks and how the different texture & surface pattern brings the whole thing to life.

The project I've been working on is an amigurumi wolf pattern. She is called Iris and she is the follow up to Agnes the bunny pattern that I created in 2017. The Agnes pattern includes a photo of the bunny wearing a Liberty Tana Lawn dress with the caption "Feeling creative? Why not make your bunny a dress!" - I certainly wasn't feeling creative or experienced enough at the time to write up the instructions for the dress I had cobbled together!

Fast forward 4 years and I decided to create another amigurumi pattern in a similar style to Agnes. I decided on a wolf because I knew the proportions would work out similarly and because wolves have large enough ears to embelish with fabric. Don't worry, she's definitely a friendly wolf!

I used Agnes the bunny as a template for the main body parts which gave me the opportunity to refresh her pattern at the same time (as I've mentioned here before, my pattern writing style has changed in the last few years and it's much more consistent now). Obviously the ears, snout and tail are very different and I had fun designing those elements. I used the same yarn as I had for the bunny, but a different colourway - Juniper Moon Farm extra fine baby alpaca in Travertine. Agnes is free to download from Lovecrafts here and from Ravelry here (please note that Ravelry may cause issues for people with visual disturbances, proceed with caution).

For Iris' ears I used Liberty Tana Lawn in Ffion because I had a little scrap left over from an english paper piecing project which was the right size. When it came to the dress I couldn't choose between Betsy (the grey pattern) and Poppy and Daisy (the brighter red, yellow & blue pattern) so I popped a poll in my Instagram stories to see what my follwers liked best. The vote was a near 50/ 50 split so I decided to make 2 dresses, one in each fabric! Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments.

I used my sewing machine to make the prototype dress in Poppy and Daisy and besides a few minor adjustments I was happy with how it went. For the Betsy dress I wanted to make it entirely by hand, firstly to check it was possible and secondly because it's easier to stop and start for taking photos. The dress pattern will be accompanied with step-by-step photos because I want it to be as clear as possible to follow.

The good news is that the dress pattern will fit Agnes the bunny and Iris the wolf which I am really chuffed about! At the moment the entire pattern is with my testing team and when I have their feedback and once I've done the official photo shoot the pattern will be ready to release - hopefully in the next couple of weeks. 

Until next time,

Marta xx

Bee Happy - child's scarf crochet pattern published!

Hello, I'm on a roll with the crochet pattern releases this year with yet another pattern published this week! The latest pattern is my Bee Happy child's scarf - a practical, cosy accessory with a fun twist - there's a honeycomb shaped pocket with room for a little amigurumi bee! 

This scarf is designed for a young child, 3-8 years of age. It's inspired by my 4 year old niece who does not like layering up to go out in the cold and I thought the little bee would make putting on a scarf more fun. The bee can go along for all her adventures!

To make the scarf you will need just 3x 100g balls of Paintbox Yarns wool mix aran (50% wool/ 50% acrylic); 1x pure black, 1x champagne white, 1x daffodil yellow. You will also need 2x 6mm safety eyes and a small amount of toy stuffing. The pattern is rated intermediate; the scarf is worked in linked half trebles and the bee is crocheted in the amigurumi style.

The pattern is available from Lovecrafts here. This listing has direct links to the correct colours of yarn sold on Lovecrafts, so only 1 payment required. It's also available to download from Ravelry here.

I designed the pattern at the end of last year and quickly had it tested ready for release in the new year. However, I was holding off for a photo shoot with my niece to show it off at its best. With the current Covid restrictions I can't see her and her family at the moment so decided to go ahead and publish without model photos. I can always rerelease once we do get together later in the year! I hope you like the current photos, I tried to aim for a playful look.

I'm chuffed that I am keeping up with blogging this year too, next post shouldn't be too long,

Marta xx

Recent crochet pattern releases

Hello everyone, I'm excited to announce the release of 2 crochet patterns; my Bandwagon Mitts and my Elsie Beanie. The photo shoots for both patterns were done on the same day and they do go well together.

Last week I published the Bandwagon Mitts design and I'm pleased with the response so far. They are the perfect pair of mitts to wear on a winter's walk - indeed, I wore them to go sledging on several occassions! The pattern begins with a stretchy rib worked as a long strip, next it's joined to make a round and then crocheted up to the fingertips in a continous spiral. A gap is made for the thumb and the thumb is crocheted in at the end. It's rated intermediate level.

You can find the Bandagon Mitts pattern on Ravelry here and on Lovecrafts here. The pattern is available in 6 sizes ranging from child to adult XL and requires between 50g of DK weight yarn for the smallest, to 150g of DK weight yarn for the largest. On Ravelry one of the download options is for a full photo tutorial accompanying the pattern, ideal if you are fairly new to crochet.

Here I am wearing the Bandwagon Mitts and the Elsie Beanie throwing a snowball at my eldest, Niall, who was my photographer for the afternoon!

Yesterday I published my Elsie Beanie pattern. This pattern was originally a collaboration with Crate Crochet Subscription Box in Australia, and the pattern was exclusive to subscribers. I wrote the pattern for DK weight for the box but since then added a 4ply weight version too. Again, it's an intermediate rated design. If you purchase the pattern your pdf will include both versions - you can find it on Ravelry here and on Lovecrafts here and if you're quick you can catch it at the early bird price of £2.50.

The Elsie Beanie is crocheted sideways and has a lovely drape to it created by modified linked trebles. If you haven't tried linked crochet stitches before this small project is perfect for you to give them a try. The pattern is a simple 4 row repeat which will soon become very rhythmic and mindful. There is an accompanying YouTube video which will help to keep you right here (note to self - film in landsacpe next time!). These last 2 photos were taken by Niall back in May 2020 and show the DK version of the hat.

I hope you like these new patterns, please do share your photos online if you follow one (or both!) I do love to see them.

Catch you soon,

Marta xx

Happy Scrappy Blanket Instructions

Hello everyone! I'm starting this year's blogging off with the FREE instructions to crochet your very own happy scrappy blanket! Does that sound good? This is a blanket I began making last summer, working just a few rows at a time as the mood took me and allowing it to gradually grow as scraps of sock yarn became available from knitted or crocheted sock and shawl projects. I'm using the term "instructions" rather than "pattern" because I'm simply going to give basic information for you to use and make this project your own.

So, what do you need? Lots and lots of scraps and odd balls of sock weight yarn. If, like me, you are addicted to knitting or crocheting socks and shawls you will know how quickly these leftovers mount up and it seems a shame to leave them and not turn them into something beautiful. Of course, this blanket would work in thicker or thinner yarn too - simply adjust the number of chains at the start. If you don't have a stash of scrap yarn you could always skip the collecting stage and buy sock minis, many indie yarn dyers sell these (I caved and treated myself to 1 or 2 pretty skeins such as this one below from Lichen and Lace which I bought from Loop London).

UK terms and standard UK abbreviations.

Using the appropriate hook for the thickness of your yarn, begin by chaining a load of chains to the length you would like the width of your blanket to be. Chain a multiple of 6 + 4 (I chained 184, my finished blanket is 90cm across excluding border). 

Turn, 2tr in 4th ch from hook, (miss 2ch, 1dc in next ch, miss 2ch, 5tr in next ch) across to last 6ch, miss 2ch, 1dc in next ch, miss 2ch, 3tr in last ch. Cut yarn.

Row 1. RS facing, join new yarn in top of ch3 at beginning of last row (ch1, 1dc in same sp), miss 2tr, (5tr in next dc, miss 2tr, 1dc in next tr, miss 2tr) across row to last 3tr, miss 2tr, 1dc in last tr. Cut yarn.

Row 2. RS facing, join new yarn in 1st dc of Row 1 (ch3, 2tr in same sp), (miss 2tr, 1dc in next tr, miss 2tr, 5tr in next dc) across to last 6st, miss 2tr, 1dc in next tr, miss 2tr, 3tr in last dc. Cut yarn.

Rows 1 and 2 form the pattern, just keep going until your blanket is half the length you would like it to be. Next, with RS still facing, you are going to work into your chain stitches and begin crocheting out in the opposite direction. You can begin this stage at any time, I liked to work on both ends simultaneously.

RS facing, join yarn in 1st ch (ch3, 2tr) in same sp, (miss 2ch, 1dc in next ch, miss 2ch, 5tr in next ch) across to last 6ch, miss 2ch, 1dc in next ch, miss 2ch, 3tr in last ch. Cut yarn.

Continue as before, repeating Rows 1 and 2 until you have the same number of rows each side of your foundation chain (or perhaps do 1/3 in one direction, 2/3 in the other - the possibilities are endless here, I'm simply giving you a starting point). For reference, I worked 68 rows (57cm) in each direction.

Once you have crocheted the blanket to the size you're happy with, it's time to an add the side borders - these edgings really bring the blanket to life!

RS facing, beginning in either top left corner, join yarn into the side of the last tr created (ch1, 2dc) in side of tr, (ch1, 1dc in side of next dc, ch1, 1dc in side of next tr) across to end. Cut yarn.

Row 1, RS facing, join new yarn in 1st dc, (miss 1dc, ch1, 1dc in chsp) across to last dc, 1dc in last dc. Cut yarn.

Row 2. RS facing, join new yarn in 1st dc of Row 1, (1dc in chsp, miss 1dc, ch1) across to lastdc, 1dc in last dc. Cut yarn.

Work Rows 1 and 2 until you are happy with the width (I did 13 rows on each side).

To finish off the blanket I went right around the whole blanket in crab stitch (also known as reverse double crochet) to give a slightly weighted corded edging. You could simply go round with dc stitches if you wanted - or any other variation. I would love to see how you interpret these basic instructions and make them your very own. You can email your photos to martasecocrafts@gmail.com or share them on Instagram, tagging me @marta.mitchell.designs and using the #marta.mitchell.designs hashtag - please help share the love! Also, if you enjoy this pattern you can find lots more of my patterns on Ravelry and Lovecrafts.

Until next time (I'll try not to leave it too long this time!),

Marta xx