Top 5 Crochet Hat Pattern Recommendations

Hello! I'm writing to you today to share some crochet inspiration; the weather has suddenly turned cold and wintry here in Scotland, and I'm feeling motivated to crochet lots of cosy hats, all the hats!

I've worked up one of my own designs 3 times in the last few weeks - the Saturday Beanie - and I'm really keen to share the links for this one and for a few of my other ones with you. I was actually in Edinburgh without a hat recently (a huge oversight on my part!) and I really noticed how cold I felt without one; hats are perfect for keeping you warm during the colder months.

 

My Top 5 Crochet Hat Pattern Recommendations:

 

Fields of Wheat Beanie: (Above) This is my most complex looking hat but it's not as tricky to crochet up as you might think! The wheat stalks are created by looping chains through each other and I've made a video tutorial to guide you throught he process. Construction is in two phases, the crown is crocheted first (from the bottom up) and the brim is added at the end, it's back post/ front post stitches. Find the pattern on my website here and on Ravelry here.

Tay Beanie: My most recent crochet pattern release! I love this one, full of interesting texture - if you fancy learning the star stitch, this is an ideal small project to give it a go! It uses top down construction and the ribbing is front post and back post stitches. I crocheted up my sample in The Scottish Yarn Festival, Clan DK; the stitch definition and warmth are both exceptional. Find the pattern on my blog here.

Elsie Beanie: If you're keen to try a more unusual construction method, this one is worked sideways! Rows of linked half trebles create a super drapy fabric which is ideal for the slouchy look this beanie has. I have written the pattern for two different yarn weights; DK and 4ply, both are included in the one pdf. Find the pattern on my website here and on Ravelry here.

Click here for your copy!

Saturday Beanie: I named this one the Saturday Beanie because its construction and stitches flow so quickly off the hook you can easily make it on a Saturday, ready to wear on a Sunday! It's a top-down design and uses extended double crochet stitches and back-loop-only ribbing. Find the pattern on Ravelry here.

Barista Beanie: (Below) This slouchy hat is worked in 6 distinct sections, it's also crocheted in a mix of rows and rounds so it keeps you're interest. The ties are worked at the end and close the hat off neatly at the crown. It was first published in the August 2018 Crate Crochet subscription box in Australia and it's a design I'm still fond of today! Find the pattern on my website here and on Ravelry here.

I hope you enjoy these crochet hat designs of mine! I'm always happy to hear your feedback and answer any questions, so please feel free to share your thoughts with me.   In the meantime, do stay warm and cosy, Marta xx

Show Mum You Care with a Bouquet that Blooms Forever: 
Free Crochet Flower Pattern for Mother's Day!

Hello! Are you looking for a unique and heartfelt gift for your mum this Mother's Day? Ditch the wilting flowers and pick up your crochet hook! Mother's Day is on the 31st of March this year in the UK and this blog post features a free and easy crochet flower pattern, perfect for creating something beautiful and lasting that your mum or mother figure will cherish.

This easy crochet flower pattern is perfect from beginners onwards and can be used for many decorations. With just a magic loop and two basic stitches, you can quickly whip up a bouquet of blooming love for the most important woman in your life.

So, grab your yarn, crochet hook, and a cup of tea, and get ready to create something special for your mum this Mother's Day! I took some of my finished flowers, glued them to blank cards, added stems in black pen and gave them as cards. I even added buttons to the centres of some of the flowers.

This is a BEGINNER level crochet pattern, written in both UK & US terms

You will need

A small amount of yarn in any thickness you choose!

Appropriate size of crochet hook for the yarn you've chosen

Needle for sewing in ends

I used DMC Natura Just Cotton (100% cotton, 310m/100g, 4ply weight yarn) & 3mm hook.

Notes

You’ll need to know how to make a magic loop. I've made a YouTube tutorial if you’re unsure, go take a look!

UK instructions

ch - chain

dtr - double treble

ss - slip stitch

Begin with a magic loop, [ch3, 2dtr into loop, ch3, ss into loop] 5 times. Cut yarn. Pull the starting tail to tighten the magic loop. Weave in the ends on the back.

US instructions

ch - chain

tr - treble/triple crochet

ss - slip stitch

Begin with a magic loop, [ch3, 2tr into loop, ch3, ss into loop] 5 times. Cut yarn. Pull the starting tail to tighten the magic loop. Weave in the ends on the back.

Crochet Chart

The chart above will be a handy guide to visualise the placement of each stitch of the flower. This can make it easier to follow along, especially if you're new to crochet. Once you've completed a few flowers, the process will become automatic and you'll be whipping them up in no time - the muscle memory will kick in, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can create a beautiful bouquet of crocheted flowers!

💡 Top tip! If you leave your ends long these can later be used to sew your finished flower to your project.

This pattern is completely free for you to enjoy and share with your fellow crochet enthusiasts.

If you find this pattern helpful and would like to show your appreciation, please consider 'buying me a coffee'! It's a small way to support my work and help me continue creating free, high-quality crochet patterns for you to explore. Whether you choose to support me or not, I hope you have a blast crocheting these beautiful blooms!

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Free Crochet Beanie Pattern!

Free Crochet Beanie Pattern!

Hello! I'm super excited to announce the release of my new free crochet beanie pattern, the Perth Beanie! I designed this crocheted beanie with a few things in mind: Firstly, I wanted to create a hat which was both stylish and functional - I love the way it fits snugly around the head and ears, keeping you cosy on even the coldest days. Secondly, I wanted to create a beanie which showed off the gorgeous Scottish provenance wool from The Scottish Yarn Festival at its best - I think I pulled this one off, I'm so happy with the texture I created!

You'll find the the medium size FREE crochet beanie pattern below, or you can upgrade via my website or Ravelry to all 4 sizes PLUS a 10 minute bonus video guiding you through the textured section. 

The four sizes available with the full pattern are Child, Teen, Medium (adult) and Large (adult), with plenty of scope within the ranges to get the fit you really want. As with all my more recent patterns there's a section at the end with suggestions for how you can take my design and add your own twist to really personalise it and create something special (paid-for version only). Check out this blog post of mine for loads more inspiration on personalisation.

Whether you're a seasoned crocheter or you're much newer to the craft, I'm confident that you'll love crocheting the Perth Beanie. It's a fun and rewarding project which will produce a stylish, practical beanie that you'll cherish for years to come.

Come and Make Friends With my Lazy Days CAL

One of the things I really love about crochet is the way it brings like minded people together. In my last few emails I've been telling you all about my Lazy Days Kits, but here in this email I'd like to explain more about the Lazy Days CAL and how it will operate.

If you haven't come across the term before, a CAL is a Crochet A-Long where a group of crocheters get together and work on the same (or similar) project at the same time. This usually takes place in the virtual world, although there can sometimes be opportunities to meet with others locally too.

Over the years I've made so many good friends through CALs. Most of them I've never met in real life but some I have and some I plan to meet in the future. It's a reminder to me that there are good people out there and they fill my life with happiness (you know who you are if you're reading this).

I'm going to kick off my Lazy Days CAL on June 23rd 2023 which gives you plenty of time to stash dive or buy yarn if you're not going to be using my kit.

The pattern is now up on Ravelry and on my website, so you can see the details there and I've set up a special discount code for you JUN23 will give you 10% off the pattern!

The recommended yarn for this project is 75% superwash merino/ 25% nylon in 4ply/ sock weight/ fingering weight. To bring out the best of this design I suggest that you go for something that's all one colour, or something tonal or something with light speckling or mottling. Any yarn with high contasts or bold colour changes will make the finished wrap look too busy. You will need approximately 170g of yarn.
 
The main place I'm going to hold the CAL is in a chat group on Instagram. You can send me a message on Instagram once you've bought the pattern and would like to be added to the group (find my Insta icon link at the very foot of this email). This will be a friendly space where we can share photos, ask questions and generally cheer each other on.
 
I've done this in the past for other pattern releases and it's a great way to work on a longer term project like this and to make new friends in the process. So, don't be shy, come and say hello! 
 
Did I mention that there will be PRIZES? There will be multiple categories and prizes which I'll announce nearer the time!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Pre-orders Now Open for my Lazy Days Kits

Hello! Looking for a relaxing way to spend your free time this summer? Pre-orders are now open for my most relaxing crochet kit ever! 

This kit includes everything you need to enjoy crocheting a beautiful wrap, including:

• 2 full skeins of high-quality yarn from The Wool Shed

• An ergonomic crochet hook

• Detailed, printed instructions for crocheting your wrap

• 4 little extras, including stitch markers from Labours of Love Crochet and a vinyl sticker from Qwerty Cat Shop!

• Plus an organic cotton drawstring bag to keep it all together with the illustration from Katie Birdie on it.

This wrap begins in the centre, one half is crocheted and then the foundation row is worked into for the second half, which is a repeat of the first half. The pattern repeat is super easy to remember which makes it an excellent choice for those lazy summer days.

I'm running this as a CAL (Crochet A-Long) and you have the option of buying the kit or buying the pattern and using your own yarn. The CAL launches on the 23rd of June and I'll give you more info on the yarn requirements in a future blog post.

Whether you're a confident beginner or a seasoned crocheter, the Lazy Days Kit is perfect for you with its easy-to-follow instructions and carefully curated contents. You can be sitting back and creating a gorgeous wrap this summer. You can have 10% off the pre-order price with the code LAZYDAYS10

So, what are you waiting for? Pre-order your Lazy Days Kit today!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

 

Crochet Pattern Release: Gorse Cowl

Hello! It's a crochet cowl pattern release day! I went out one beautiful afternoon last week (that's me modelling the cowl for those of you who don't know me!) with my eldest and their fancy-pants camera and we shot some brilliant photos! The subject was a crochet pattern called Gorse Cowl which I always wanted to have photographed in front of gorse bushes in their prime and every year I seemed to miss the moment - until now!!

I wish you could've been with us that day in the sunshine, surrounded by the heady aroma of gorse - it was truly wonderful. The dog came with us, so did my youngest and my eldest's fiance and we all tried to describe what the smell was like - coconut and freshly baked cake we decided. However, my eldest is one of those people who can't smell gorse. Apparently it's a thing, some people simply can not smell it. Such a shame, they're really missing out. Can you smell it?

So, it may be a bit of an out of the blue announcement for you this week, as I wrote the Gorse Cowl pattern, had it tech edited and tested back in 2019 but didn't ever get the photos taken to launch it! Crazy, huh?

Let me tell you a bit about the pattern: 

It's a möbius cowl with a unique crocheted-in-the-round design hiding all your pesky ends, so you can express yourself with yarn without the hassle of sewing in all of those ends. 

 

I designed it in Di Gilpin Lalland, which is DK weight 100% scottish lambswool. It's a gorgeous yarn to work with and comes in so many rich, earthy tones including the yellow I chose. It made me think of the gorse bushes I see flowering so abundantly at this time of year, and so the cowl got its name!

The pattern is rated as intermediate and is written in UK terms. There's a video tutorial showing you how to work the main pattern, which is a really straightforward, mindful pattern once you get going.

 

To crochet your Gorse Cowl, you will need: 

Di Gilpin Lalland, 50g balls (100% scottish lambswool, an 8ply/DK weight yarn, 175m/50g)  

• 1x Beechnut - Colour A
• 1x Ruby Red - Colour B
• 1x Coille - Colour C
• 1x Furze - Colour D

5.5mm crochet hook (or appropriate hook to achieve gauge)

Plus a large needle for sewing in your 2 final ends, stitch marker keep track of rounds and scissors.

You can find the pattern on my website here and on Ravelry here.

I'll have more information about the yarn and possible substitutes in my next blog post. If you have any questions in the meantime, please ask! 

Until then, happy crocheting!

Marta xx

So much crochet to share with you!

 I'VE SO MUCH CROCHET TO SHARE WITH YOU!

Over the last two weeks I've been focusing on the crochet side of my business rather than the admin/ content side of my business. This has freed up so much time and as a result I have A LOT of crochet to share with you!

I chose to slow down, get off the hamster wheel, spend time with family & friends and with my crochet and I feel much better for it. Today is Tuesday as I'm write this and it's my first day back at it. I feel fresh and ready to return. 

So, what have I been crocheting? Here goes, in no particular order ...

I have finished my Lazy Days Wrap! It needs blocking but the crocheting part is done! I did also get the pattern written up, tech edited and sent to testers! Whoop!

This wrap is going to be released as a CAL (crochet a-long) some time towards the end of May. Sign up to my mailing list for more details coming soon!

My Battenberg Blanket has received a lot of attention! I had a really lovely day out with my mum to Stonehaven (further up the east coast from me, we went by tain which gave us wonderful sea views).   Anyway, whilst there we spent a good while in Baa!, the local wool shop! Amongst other purchases, I came a way with 2 balls of Crazy Zauberball by Schoppel. The colour changing quality of these balls enables me to crochet multiple different coloured squares for my blanket from the one ball of wool.   I started the Alchemilla Shawl by Kat Goldin. This is being run as a CAL by The Crochet Project to mark their 10th anniversary!    The recommended yarn was out of my budget, instead I purchased some yarn from a friend on Instagram who was having a destash. It's True 4ply Botany from Rowan which is now discontinued but a really lovely wool nevertheless.    It's not too late to join this CAL (it only started last Friday) and I have an affiliate link to the Hub - The Crochet Project's membership site which I thoroughly recommend you join. Take a look here and you can recieve £3 off the first 3 months membership with the code HUBINTRO.   I've been working on my crochet blanket design. The blanket is now all in one piece and the ends are all sewn in! The pattern has been written up to this point as well and all there is to do now is the border.   This blanket (which doesn't have a name yet, I'll announce a naming competition soon!) is also going to be a CAL and I'm keeping the final section a secret, so you'll have to make do with a folded photo for now.   I have added a few rows to my Not So Granny Wrap. This is another pattern from The Crochet Project (I really do LOVE their patterns!)   It's a pattern which requires lace weight yarn which I have hardly ever worked with but I'm finding it easy going actually. I'm using yarn which was passed on to me by a friend and I thought I'd never use it so in turn passed it on to my mum. I went looking through her stash when I was looking for yarn for this project and pinched it back (cheeky, I know!)   There's even been time for a spot of knitting! I cast on the Portmoak Moss Beanie Hat by Louise Mossam a few days ago and I'm really enjoying it.   This pattern is available in issue 2 of The Journal of Scottish Yarns which is out now (I have a pattern in there too!). It's a fairisle design and I'm finding the written pattern and charts easy to follow. Until next time, happy crocheting, Marta xx PS. If you enjoyed reading about my current WiPs, tune in to my latest podcast episode where you'll find me showing them off and talking about them in more detail.

4 Ways To Get Help With A Crochet Pattern

Hello! This week I'm here to pass on some crochet wisdom to you: my 4 ways to get help with a crochet pattern when you get stuck! It will of course apply to kniting and other crafts, so it will be super useful I hope!

If you find yourself in a pickle with a crochet stitch or pattern I have 4 top tips to help you get out of your tangle.

1. YouTube is a fantastic resource:

YouTube is your friend for pretty much every stitch and stitch combo out there! Just be careful to follow videos in UK terms if your pattern is in UK terms/ US terms if your pattern is in US terms or you could find yourself in an even bigger mess!  

2. Ask a crochet friend:

Maybe you know someone who crochets, ask them - they'll be happy to help. If you haven't joined a crochet & knitting group, I thoroughly recommend you do! Not only will you have hands on help to any problem, you'll meet like-minded people and gain some awesome new friends!

3. Check for errata:

Patterns bought online will be updated by the designer if mistakes are spotted after publication and a new copy of the pdf should be made available. If the pattern is in a magazine there will be an errata section on their website or sometimes in the next issue. 

4. Ask the designer: 

If you're completely stuck with a crochet pattern, the designer might be able to see where you're going wrong or it's possible that there's an issue with the pattern. Always be polite; remember pattern designers are humans too!

If you're more of a beginner, it will be super helpful for you to read my 'How To Read & Understand A Crochet Pattern' blog post which you'll find here.

I hope these tips are useful for you! If you'd like to receive my weekly wisdom straight to your inbox, sign up to my newsletter here. 

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx 

This pattern started life whilst waiting in the queue at the supermarket!

Hello! It's pattern release day for my Fields of Wheat Beanie and I'm promoting it straight away to Pattern of the Month, giving you 10% off this crochet design throughout the month of March.

I love this crochet pattern, it's definitely one of my favourites! Did you know it began one day when I was waiting in the queue at the supermarket? The lady in front of me had a leather bag with strips of leather looped through each other in such a beautiful way I just had to recreate the effect in crochet! 

This design was first published in British Fibre Art Magazine, issue 23 and in November last year I included it in my Winter Coorie Collection, however this is the first time it has been released as a stand alone pattern.

The intricate wheat stalk motifs are more complex looking than you might think, they're definitely not as tricky to achieve as they appear to be! 

Juniper Moon Farm’s baby alpaca wool was chosen for this design because it’s so soft & delicate against the skin. I've tried working it up in wool from UK Alpaca and it makes a good substitute.

There are 6 size variations created with different hooks in conjunction with different numbers of repeats. It's an intermediate level pattern and it's written in UK terms. 

For 10% off this pattern use the code MAR23 on either my website or Ravelry.

Don't forget to tag me if you make one so I can share on social media and there's a £10 voucher too for every photo I share here in my newsletter!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you'd like to receive my blog posts straight to your inbox and find my biggest discount codes, hop on my mailing list here.

Lazy Days Socks pattern release

Hello! I had a really good weekend catching up with friends & family and now I feel refreshed and ready for the final week of prep before my CAL starts on the 6th of September! On Saturday we celebrated my Uncle Bruce's 70th birthday with a barbecue by the beach and multiple games of rounders - great fun, you can imagine the friendly rivalry! On Sunday, a much quieter affair, my eldest and his girlfriend were round for tea and board games, a lovely way to end the weekend.

So, I did all the tech stuff yesterday (Monday), with multiple uploadings (a big tick off my list!), and my Lazy Days Socks crochet pattern is now available to download from my website, Ravelry and LoveCrafts!

I've added the option to buy the pattern as a pdf together with the project bag. Please note, this is not the full kit, it's simply the bag, which, I must say, is a lovely, organic & Fairtrade drawstring bag with Katie Gammie's illustration for the CAL printed on the front.

The CAL starts on the, Tuesday 6th of September and you can join in with your kit or with your own choice of sock yarn. I'll be opening up a chat group on Instagram, please send me a DM if you'd like to be part of that. We'll cheer each other on, answer any questions that pop up and share photos there.Tag your posts on social with #lazydayssockcal so I can see them and repost to my stories and share a few of my favourites here. 

You can have 10% off the Lazy Days range with the code LAZYDAYS10 - the same code is valid for the pattern, the project bag & pdf and the full kit, only on my website.

Whichever way you choose to join in (even if it's cheering from the sidelines this time round), I look forward to crocheting socks with you soon, 

Marta xx

Pre-orders for my super-special crochet kits are now open!

 

Hello! Launch day is here at last and I'm so glad I can finally share these super-special kits with you! They are now open for pre-order on my website and they will be shipped to you at the end of August, ready to start the CAL on the 6th September!

Each kit includes - 

• Fairtrade, organic cotton drawstring bag with the CAL image printed on the front
• 100g skein of exclusive hand dyed yarn from The Wool Shed (75% superwash merino/ 25%nylon, 4ply, 400m/ 100g)
• 4mm crochet hook
• 2 metal stitch markers
• printed copy of the Lazy Days Sock pattern
• 3 surprise extras!

NOTE: This kit is only available for shipping within the UK
You can save 10% off the kit price when you use the code LAZYDAYS10). The kits are available from my website at the pre-order price of £55 and with your 10% discount they are only £49.50!

HURRY though, I'm only producing 100 of these special kits - when they are gone, they're gone!

The pre-order news went to my mailing list first thing this morning and they've been selling fast which is brilliant!

These kits are a collaboration between illustrator Katie Gammie (Katie Birdie) and hand dyed yarn business owner Liv Spencer (The Wool Shed). Recently I've brought Ruth Pedlow (Labours of Love Crochet) on board too, asking Ruth to produce all the stitch markers for me. You can read more about this collaboration in this previous blog post.

I'd like to thank Katie, Liv, Ruth, all my testers (Angela, Carina, Clare, Sara, Sarah & Ulrika), my tech editor Catherine and to Alexander for the model photography. Thanks to you to for all your encouragement on this journey - leaving comments on my blog, sending me emails, comments and DMs on Instagram (and now TikTok too!), it's helped me so much. 

© The Wool Shed

If you have any questions about the kits, please ask! 

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx