Cornflower Cowl: A Dreamy New Crochet Pattern

Drumroll please! ... I'm here today to announce another crochet pattern release; my Cornflower Cowl. If you've been following me for some time, you'll recognise this beautiful cowl as part of my Winter Coorie Collection, but due to popular demand, I've decided to offer it as a standalone pattern! Yay!

 

You can indulge in the luxury of this lacy cowl, inspired by the delicate beauty of cornflowers, this dreamy piece is a delight to crochet and to wear. The Cornflower Cowl is a mindful crochet project with a meditative chain stitch and cluster pattern. The finished cowl has a light, airy feel that will keep you cosy in style.

 

This intermediate-level pattern is written in both UK and US terms. While there aren't any video tutorials, the pattern does include a schematic and a stitch chart for easy reference.

 

Pattern details:

• Requires 3x 50g balls of King Cole baby alpaca DK - my sample used the colourway Damson (this is such a soft baby alpaca yarn)
• You'll need a 5.5mm crochet hook (a bigger hook than you'd usually use for this thickness of yarn) and a tapestry needle for sewing in ends
• Worked in the round
• Available on my website and in my Ravelry store

 

As usual, I'm offering an early bird discount code: there's 25% off the pattern with the code CORNFLOWER Fancy 50% off future early bird releases (of course you do!), simply subscribe to my mailing list here.

 

I hope you'll love this cowl pattern as much as I do! Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

New FREE Crochet Pattern Alert: The Tay Beanie

 

IT'S PATTERN LAUNCH DAY!

Hello! I'm always excited about pattern launch day but this beanie pattern is especially exciting beacuse I've lined it up to launch on the day of The Scottish Yarn Festival at Errol Showground, Perthshire which is also today! I've designed my Tay Beanie using the Clan DK wool from The Scottish Yarn Festival and it seems fitting to release the pattern into the world on this special day!

I've spoken at length in previous blog posts about how much I LOVE this wool, but if you missed those you can find them on my blog here.

The Tay Beanie pattern is FREE for you here in this blog post with the option to upgrade to the paid-for pattern on either my website or on Ravelry. The paid-for version has another two sizes plus a video tutorial to accompany the pattern. It also includes my prompts for taking the pattern and creating your own spin on it, something I love to encourage! Use the code BEANIE for 25% off the paid-for version!

To make this beanie, you'll need:

• 1x 100g skein of The Scottish Yarn Festival Clan DK (230m/ 100g, 80% Shetland/ 20% Cheviot), I used colourway Sinclair. Link to buy yarn  https://thescottishyarnfestival.com/our-custom-yarn

• 5.5mm (I/9) crochet hook

• Needle for sewing in ends

The full instructions to make the medium size hat are below, in both UK terms followed by US terms! If you make one, don't forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see!!

Tension 

6.5 stars x 8 rows per 10cm (Star Stitch pattern in rounds, unblocked with 5.5mm hook or required hook to achieve gauge). No time for gauge swatches? At the end of Round 5 of the Crown, the diameter should be approximately 11cm.

Measurements

Medium size: to fit 53-58cm; finished hat circumference 58cm; brim to crown height 20cm. My medium sized sample used just under 60g of yarn.

For the small and large sizes visit my website or Ravelry to download the paid-for pattern.

Abbreviations

UK terms		US terms
bptr	back post treble    ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	bpdc	back post double crochet
ch	chain	ch	chain
chsp	chain space	chsp	chain space
flo	front loop only	flo	front loop only
fptr	front post treble    ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	fpdc	front post double crochet
fptr2tog	front post treble 2 together   ⇨  ⇨	fpdc2tog	front post double crochet 2 together
htr	half treble    ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	hdc	half double crochet
htr2tog	half treble 2 together   ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	hdc2tog	half double crochet 2 together
RS	right side	RS	right side
ss	slip stitch	ss	slip stitch
st(s)	stitch(es)	st(s)	stitch(es)
tr	treble     ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	dc	double crochet
tr6tog	treble 6 together   ⇨  ⇨  ⇨	dc6tog	double crochet 6 together
WS	wrong side	WS	wrong side

Notes 

• Begin at the Crown and work down to the Brim in rounds with RS facing at all times. Do not turn at the end of rounds.

• Some testers found that they went up a hook size (or two!) for the Star Stitches. If you feel your Star Stitches are too tight, go up a hook size then back down a hook size for the Brim. You can try on the hat for size & fit after each reset round of Star Stitches.

• If you’d like more length to your beanie add extra rounds of the Brim section.

• Stitch counts are only given at the end of rounds with a change of count from the previous round. If there is no stitch count stated, it’s unchanged since the previous round.

Special stitches

• Star Stitch is worked over 2 rounds. In the first round you will tr6tog/ dc6tog with the first part of each tr/ dc worked as follows; in chsp just made, in mid side leg of last star worked, in lower side leg of last star worked, in same st as last leg of last star, in each of next 2sts, yo, pull through all 7 loops on hook, ch1 = tr6tog/ dc2tog made. To complete the stars you will work a round of (1tr, 2htr)/ (1dc, 2hdc) in each chsp around - be careful not to miss the last chsp before the ss join! A reset round is then worked to bring the stitch count back down.

• To begin a round of Star Stitch; ch4, then tr6tog/ dc6tog with the first part of each tr/ dc worked as follows; in 2nd ch from hook, in 3rd ch from hook, in 4th ch from hook, in the same space as joining st at end of last round, in first st, in 2nd st, yo, pull through all 7 loops on hook, ch1 = tr6tog/ dc6tog made

• Front post stitches (fptr/ fpdc) & back post stitches (bptr/ bpdc) are worked in almost the same way as regular trebles/ doubles except they are worked around the post of the stitch instead of in the top.

I’d like to thank my tech editor Ruth Brasch for checking over the fine details; my testers (their photos are in the collage above) - Gillian Clifford, Mary Dodds, Daniela Haible, Carmen Heffernan, Raffaella Invernizzi, Angela Lawton & Hannah Wingfield; my photographers, stylists - Niamh Mitchell & Joy Saunders; my model Niamh Mitchell! Thank you everyone, this design wouldn’t have been possible without all your help. xx

Video links 

I’ve made two YouTube video tutorials to help you with this beanie. If you purchase the paid-for pattern on my website or on Ravelry, you will have access to my introduction video which talks you through the construction of this beanie. 

How to work back post/ front post ribbing  https://youtu.be/WH21Ohlq4IE

How to work the Star Stitch  https://youtu.be/2Y4v6VxATuc

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.

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

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.

Are you ready for a crochet sock challenge?

Hello! Last week I cycled 123 miles, which, if you'd asked me if this was possible at the start of the summer, the answer would definitely have been NO! No way! On days 1 and 2, I did two short cycles (about 6 miles) then did 28 miles on day 3! The rest of the week was a mix of shorter ones and longer ones, finishing with 33.5 miles on the final day - my longest cycle ever! I did it all with my husband David, who had the week off work, and we had a fantastic time exploring the area we live in! 

Now, I wouldn't consider myself a super fit person and whilst I do go out on my bike every couple of weeks, it's certainly not for anything like 30+ miles! At the start of last week when we'd seen the weather was perfect for cycling (I do not like cycling in the wind!), we challenged ourselves to cycle 100km.

David uses the Strava app which tracks your journey and gives you stats including distance, elevation, speed etc - this is what we used to keep a note of our distances. However, pretty soon we realised we were going to beat the target of 100km and set our sights on 100 miles instead - which we also smashed!

I'm so glad we challenged ourselves likes this; we spent a lot of time together, breathed in much needed fresh air, met hundreds of lovely people, got fitter (our stats on the last day were amazing!) and we had so much fun in the process! I'm so chuffed with myself for achieving my goal!

When was the last time you pushed yourself to do something? Why not take on the challenge of crocheting socks? If you've never done it before it may feel a little daunting, but like me on my bike journey, as you go throught he process, you'll feel more confident and you'll be so pleased with your results at the end.

I've written several blog posts all about crocheted socks (they're a bit of an obsession of mine!), they might help persuade you to give them a go!

• Crochet sock terms demystified

• Socks, socks, socks, socks and socks!

• How to design socks that fit! 

• My 5 tips for crocheting socks

If you're still sitting on the fence, I've put together a kit with everything you need to crochet a pair of socks (plus a few surprise extras!). It's available for pre-order now and will be ready to ship at the end of the month. Take a look at the kits on my website and consider challenging yourself!

There's 10% off the kit with the code LAZYDAYS10

The Lazy Days Sock pattern comes with links to over half an hour of video tutorials to keep you right because I'm passionate about helping you succeed with socks! You can do it and I'll be there to help - you can get in touch if you come across any issues.

Got any burning questions? Leave me a comment and I'll happily get back to you.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you want a bigger discount on these kits, sign up to my mailing list here.

 

Crochet pattern bundle release!

Hello! I'm so excited (and also a little relieved!) to be able to sit down and tell you my first crochet pattern bundle is ready for you! I have worked so hard behind the scenes for the last 5 weeks curating this bundle and a lot of the work involved opening an e-commerce site to be able to sell on too. I don't know about you, but I struggle with technology and it's all been a very steep learning curve. I shared the first glimpse of my website with you last week and since then I've fixed a few issues (listening to your feedback, thank you!) and I'm much happier with how it looks.

What is my Pattern Plus: Colour bundle, you ask? It's a crochet pattern bundle PLUS video tutorials, written tutorials and practical colour exercises to help you make the most of colour in crochet.

Colour is of massive importance to me when I'm crocheting and it's often something that people compliment me on, so I made the decision to share my love of colour with you!

Patterns included:

• Air Balloon Beanie
• Banjo Socks
• Printer Ink scarf
• In The Groove cushion cover (phot above, exclusive to this bundle!)

I've chosen patterns which use multiple colours for you to have fun with using your new knowledge of colour.

Patterns are all in UK terms and they include either videos, charts or both to help you succeed.

Tutorials included:

• Choosing colours (written)
• Playing with colour (written)
• Introduction to colour theory (video)
• Working with a colour mood board (video)
• Choosing colours for crochet projects (video)
• Case study (video)

You can buy my Pattern Plus: Colour bundle on my website now for the crazy early bird price of £15.00 (that's 4 patterns PLUS all the extras for just £15.00!). No code required.

If you have any questions, please get in touch and I'll happily answer them for you.

Until next time,

Marta xx