My Current Favourite Hook: The Clover Soft Touch

Hello! For every crocheter, there's that one hook. You know, the one you reach for time and again, the one that feels like an extension of your hand. Today, I'm here to sing the praises of my own personal crochet bestie: the Clover Soft Touch. I should say that this is not an affiliated or sponsored post and that all opinions are my own. 

This little wonder isn't fancy or expensive, but it ticks all the boxes for me. Let's break down why it's become my go-to hook:

 

Comfort First:  

Crocheting can be hard on your hands, especially if you tend to grip your hook tightly. The Clover Soft Touch boasts a shaped plastic handle with a smooth, rubber thumb grip handle that's a dream to hold. I can crochet for hours without feeling any strain or cramping.

 

Glides Like a Dream:  

There's nothing worse than a hook that snags on your yarn, making every stitch a struggle. The Clover Soft Touch has a tapered point which glides effortlessly through the yarn, creating beautifully even stitches. 

 

Size Does Matter:

The Clover Soft Touch comes in a whopping 21 sizes, from 0.5mm hooks perfect for delicate threads to 6mm for working with chunkier yarns. Also, if you're just starting out, they offer handy sets of 9 hooks that cover the central range of yarn weights.

 

Kind to Your Wallet:  

Let's face it, crochet supplies can add up quickly! The beauty of the Clover Soft Touch is that it's very affordable. You won't break the bank adding it to your collection, which leaves more room for that gorgeous yarn you've been eyeing up!

 

Bonus Tips: 

If you're on the hunt for your own favourite crochet hook, I highly recommend checking out some reviews online or visiting your local craft store to see if they have any available for you to handle. I also made a YouTube video last year all about the different types of crochet hooks which might be of interest to you, you can watch it via the embedded link below.

Finding the perfect hook is definitely a personal journey, but trust me, the search is worth it! Have you found your own crochet soulmate? Share your favourite hook and why you love it in the comments, I'd love to know!

The Clover Soft Touch 4.5mm hook was my choice for this year's Lazy Days CAL kits. It's my current favourite hook and I want you to try it and see for yourself how lovely it is to use. Kits are still available, but are selling out fast! Click here to order yours today, not forgetting your 10% off discount code: LAZYDAYS

I hope this post has been useful for you. Do let me know in the comments what your favourite hook is!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Help! I'm a sock addict!

Help! I seem to have become a sock addict! I am currently on my 8th pair since starting in September last year! I am going to share my sock making journey here, mainly through photographs because as you know I take lots of photos as I am going along, mostly to post on Instagram.

current pair!

I began by making a pair of socks for myself simply as a way of using up all the scraps of 4ply yarn I had kicking about. I followed a pattern by Joanne Scrace called Evesham Socks and I quickly fell in love with the sock making technique!

1st pair - for me!

I realised that socks would make a lovely Christmas present for my sister's fiance, Mat, so I made him a pair of Everyone (Needs) Socks by Kat Goldin. He loved them but my sister, Aimee, loved them more so I made her a pair of self coloured ones.

2nd pair - for Mat

finished!

3rd pair - for Aimée

After Christmas I found myself in need of inspiration for a project so I asked my youngest son, Alex, if there was anything he would like me to make for him - he replied "socks please!". His pair use up lots of scraps like mine - he chose the order he wanted them in. The pattern is another of Joanne Scrace's called Mamble Socks.

4th pair - for Alex

a good fit!

Time for another pair for myself! I asked my husband to pick out a ball of West Yorkshire Spinners sock wool from our local yarn shop, Fluph, and he picked me a lovely soft pink colour - I love it! This pattern is Hop Socks by Vicki Brown.

5th pair - for me!

cosy!

Onto another family member - my eldest son this time. His feet are on the large size - UK size14 - so this was definitely a labour of love! I chose another Vicki Brown pattern - Fallen Leaves.

6th pair - for Niall

long socks!!

Pair no.7 were soon underway! I stumbled across 4 balls of vintage sock wool in our local charity shop and decided to use them to try another Vicki Brown pattern Winter Wonder. Of all the designs I have tried, this one is definitely the fastest! It's worked in tramline stitch which was a new stitch for me and I absolutely love the results. I made them with no real recipient in mind but then found out it was my friend Moira's birthday and I knew she would appreciate them.

7th pair - for Moira

curled up

Of all the sock patterns I have tried so far, I felt that Fallen Leaves had the best squishy texture so I decided to make a pair for myself. We are heading into much warmer weather now, so will need to wait a while to wear them but I am looking forward to autumn already!

8th pair - for me!

What about you? Do you have a favourite sock pattern? Please share them with me in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

Marta xx

Yarn Review - King Cole merino blend DK

Today I thought I would continue with another yarn review - this time King Cole merino blend DK. These review posts are not sponsored by the wool companies, it's simply me, adding my thoughts and opinions on the yarns I like to use.

I have used King Cole merino blend DK for a wide variety of projects, from large blankets to teenie amigurumi to baby cardigans - it's a fantastic all purpose wool! Not all the yarn, but a significant amount of it, was King Cole merino blend DK in my Sophie's Universe Blanket (pictured below).

One of the reasons I love this wool is the amazing range of colours it is available in - there are 45 different colours ensuring there is a colour for everything and a colour for everyone! I enjoy making and designing amigurumi in bright colour combinations and I like choosing just one colour to make hats and baby cardigans. My most recent crochet project (and the prompt for this blog post) uses the gorgeous mustard colour!

King Cole merino blend DK is a superwash wool making it ideal for baby and toddler garments. It's nice and soft too which is lovely to work with and lovely to wear because it is not itchy. There are 104 metres in a 50g ball which works really well when pulled from the centre and worked from the inside out. King Cole merino blend DK is widely available online and in many local yarn shops. 

The friendly amigurumi monster called Malunna (pictured above) was designed and crocheted in King Cole merino blend DK. I love this colour combination - blues and oranges have always been a favourite of mine. If you are interested, the free pattern for this monster is available in my Ravelry store here. 

Have you used this wool before? What do you think of it? I am interested to know your opinions - please pop a comment below xx

Working with a Pattern Editor

I have been designing crochet patterns for about 5 years now and this year my goal is to reach an even bigger audience. My patterns have been available on Ravelry.com for a few years and recently I started adding them to Etsy. On Ravelry many of the patterns are free with several of them proving very popular, which is fantastic!

In January I began a new design for a hat which caught the eye of one of my followers on Instagram. Sam, known as @samsimplemelody approached me and asked if I would like to try out the services of her new technical editing business. I of course jumped at the opportunity, fascinated by how exactly the process worked.

So, after having my pattern tested by two of my online friends, Michelle Willis and Jill Porter, I sent a copy of the pdf to Sam to have a look. I received a quick response and a brief idea of what to expect. Within a week my pattern was returned to me with an overlay of changes which needed to be made and changes which were more optional, down to individual preference. I have to say it looked like my pattern was riddled with mistakes but once I began working through them they were easy to fix.

After I had made the changes I sent the updated pdf back to Sam for another look. There were still a few tweaks needing to be made (my fault, some of my corrections had brought to light new problems!) which were again added in overlay form. Once these were sorted the pattern was sent back for final approval. The whole process was very satisfactory and I now have a pattern that I am very pleased with!

If you are interested in having a crochet or knitting pattern technical edited then I would thoroughly recommend Sam! Her new blog, A Simple Melody, has details about her technical editing, what to expect and pricing.

Crocheting at Loch Tay

Last week I was fortunate to head into the heart of Scotland to Ardeonaig, Loch Tay. I was a parent helper on my middle son's Primary 7 adventure week; a residential holiday with lots of outdoor based activities. Of course, I brought along a new crochet project!

Loch Tay, viewed from our house 

on the evening of our arrival

Last month I had received "The Shawl Project: Book One" by Joanne Scrace for The Crochet Project as a birthday present, so this seemed the ideal inspiration for a new WIP to take with me! I chose some random, no label yarn which had been passed on to me and decided on the "Transposition" pattern. 

Crochet, tea and a beautiful view!

The children had a fair amount of free time to explore the grounds so I had some time to sit down, take in the view and crochet! The pattern is easy to understand and written in 4 sections which are very easy to memorise - an ideal project if you are going to be distracted.

I crouched down in the grass for

this atmospheric shot of Ben Lawers

in the clouds

I accompanied the children on a hike one day. We climbed up into the hills which gave us fantastic views of the loch and surrounding mountains. Ben Lawers, across the loch from us, is the 10th highest peak in the UK and I remember climbing it when I was 17! On our final full day we sailed across Loch Tay and back in a gig, a substantial sized sailing boat. 

The "Dawn Treader", our trusty boat

shawl progress

Back home now, I am about two thirds of the way through the shawl and it is working out beautifully. I shall enjoy finishing it and remember my special time away as I do so.

Yarn Review; Three Bears Yarn

I thought it would be interesting to start a series of blog posts reviewing my favourite yarns. At the moment I am working with Three Bears Yarn, affection, DK (double knitting) so I will start with this yarn!

my yarn delivery!

I ordered from Three Bears Yarn after following them on Instagram for some time. They post lots of colourful photos there including many reposts of other people's projects which gave me a good idea of how it was to work with as well as the many endorsements from satisfied customers. For me Instagram is a fantastic place to find inspiration, new friends and new wool, fabric etc ... there's a whole new blog post in that! 

I had decided to follow Spincushions latest mystery crochet-a-long (CAL) and the special 29th of February yarn pack (29 balls for £29!) that Three Bears Yarn had on offer seemed like an excellent choice for this new project. You can find all the details of Spincushions CAL here.

first square

I began the CAL last Monday morning when the first part was released and I loved crocheting with this 100% cotton straight away! It feels very soft and smooth which makes it easy to crochet with. Unlike many cotton yarns I have worked with, this one does not split when I am working, which creates a very neat finish. I think you will agree the stitch definition is amazing too!

4 squares complete

Three Bears Yarn is based in Lancashire in the UK. It was founded in 2015 out of Blackburn Yarn Dyers Ltd. and is a family run business with real passion and enthusiasm for producing quality yarns. 

I am enjoying the mix of colours in this yarn pack and having fun putting different combinations together. I have a feeling this blanket is going to be lovely and colourful! 

I love this yarn!

You can follow my work in progress on Instagram and on Ravelry where there will be lots more colourful photographs. 

Has anyone else tried this yarn? If you have, share a photo in the comments below, I would love to see what you think.

Marta xx