Are you joining in the Crochet Sock Along 2018?

Hello! Are you joining in the Crochet Sock Along 2018? If you know me, even a little, you will know that I am addicted to crocheting socks and you have probably guessed that I am joining in the fun! This crochet along (CAL) is being hosted by The Crochet Circle Podcast and Crochet Luna with an accompanying blog hop organised by Crafty escapism. The blog hop kicked off on the 15th of September and you can find that post on top tips for crocheting socks here.  I am really pleased to have been asked to take part in the blog hop and I will share a post on the 13th October focussing on colour and colour patterns.

my latest pair of crocheted socks

Last week I finished this pair of Sweetheart Socks by Vicki Brown working in Paintbox Yarns sock wool and West Yorkshire Spinners Signiature 4ply for the contrasting details. I really enjoyed making these and watching the colours emerge as I went along! You can find the pattern here.

I was crocheting fast to finish these socks and have time for a breather before the CAL starts this Saturday! I quickly decided upon Rohn Strong's Le Becque Socks as the pattern I would be following and ordered a skein of 4ply hand dyed SW merino/ nylon/ stellina blend from Vicki Brown Designs in a beautifully soft, pale purple colour called Mascari. It has subtle variations in tone and shade and SPARKLES! I love it and think it will work up beautifully in this design by Rohn.

my skein from Vicki Brown Designs

Then, I saw an instagram post by Tamara of Crafty escapism with news that Vicki Brown had released a special pattern for the CAL with yarn kits available too! A few clicks later and I had placed an order!

Magdalen Sock Kit

So, it turns out I will be crocheting 2 pairs of socks which should be achievable for me - I will certainly give it my best shot! Are you joining in too? I should add that if you are a knitter, you can join in too, the more the merrier!

Marta xx

Two Finished Projects!

Hello! I am back this week with two finished projects to share with you! Firstly, my Skimming Stones Shawl and secondly, with the yarn leftover, my Malvern Cowl. As well as using the same yarn, both patterns were written by the same designer, Joanne Scrace!

finished Skimming Stones Scarf

finished Malvern Cowl

Kat Goldin and Joanne Scrace together form The Crochet Project and back in June they hosted a Mystery Crochet Along (MCAL) with the Skimming Stones pattern. Each week for 5 weeks a small part of the pattern was released without a single photo of what the finished shawl would look like! Hundreds of people joined in and there was a lovely community feel in their private Facebook Group and on Instagram.

detail of Skimming Stones Shawl

The recommended yarn for the MCAL was Carlisle Fingering by Eden Cottage Yarns and there were special kits available online. There was an alternative yarn suggestion, Milburn 4ply (85% blue faced leicister/ 15% silk), and I decided to go with this because I preferred the more solid looking colours. I bought the kit with 6 balls (2x main colour, 1x each of the 4 contrast colours) and also an extra ball of pale pink because I felt like mixing things up a little! This yarn was a joy to work with - it felt so soft and luxurious against my hands. I had a lot of fun following along with this project and enjoyed watching the unusual shape develop. I was a bit of a rebel and chose to ignore the set pattern of colours and introduced each colour in a random yet pleasing order.

edge detail

When I had finished my shawl I looked at how much yarn I had left, and together with the ball that came in the kit but didn't use, I reckoned I had enough to crochet a Malvern Cowl. I had had my eye on this pattern for a while and felt it would be a fantastic way to use up all of my yarn. The spike stitches give this pattern a real edgy look which I love and the stripes quickly built up to form the cowl. One change I made to the pattern was to twist the tube shape before sewing together to help to give it drape (I wasn't using the recommended yarn here and it was feeling slightly too rigid).

detail of Malvern Cowl

So, there you have it; two cosy items for winter crocheted out of 7 balls of yarn with next to nothing left over and I am really pleased with them both!

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

Pattern Release; Fields of Lavender Cardigan

Hello! I am super excited to be ready to release my Fields of Lavender Cardigan crochet pattern today!! This pattern is possibly my favourite of all the patterns I have designed so far and I am really pleased to be able to share it with you at last!

cover photo for my Fields of Lavender Cardigan

The pattern includes two sizes; 3-6 months and 6-12 months, it is suitable for intermediate crocheters and it's written in UK terms throughout. The intricate lavender stalks may look like a complex design but I can assure you, they are not as tricky as they look to create!

I chose King Cole merino blend DK for this design for two reasons, firstly it's a superwash wool (a must for baby garments) and secondly because the finished cardigan will be really warm and snuggly for the little one. You will need 3x 50g balls for the smaller size and 4x 50g balls for the larger size.

cuff and waistband detail

The garment is constructed from the waist up, splitting into 3 sections at the armpit and then the sleeves are crocheted seperately before being sewn up and sewn into position.

the lavender stalks

The pattern is currently available as a pdf download from my Ravelry store and for the first week it will be on special offer for only £1.80. If you would like to purchase and download a copy you can find it here.

back of the cardigan

Look out for more pattern releases coming very soon - I have another winter project for you in the next week or so ...

Until then,

happy hooking,

Marta xx

Pattern Release: Calunna Hills Cowl

Hello! It's been a while since I released a pattern, despite having several at the almost-ready-to-release stage, so I am really happy to be able to share this one with you now! It's the Calunna Hills Cowl, designed in Cascade 220 Heathers 100% peruvian highland wool.

It's rated BEGINNER level and only requires double crochet, half treble and treble stitches (all UK terms), yet at the same time it has enough variety in it to keep a more confident crocheter interested. The pattern calls for Cascade 220 Heathers - a yarn I really love and wrote a blog post all about (which you can find out more about here).

All my patterns are tested before being released and I was fortunate to have 3 lovely testers for this pattern! The close up above is by Laura - @goslingandplumb on Instagram. Laura used Rowan Pure Wool aran in these wonderful hilly colours which I love!

The selfie above was taken by one of my other testers, Marisa - @mariwish on Instagram - and I was really happy to see a photo of the cowl in action! Marisa used Drops Alaska in this gorgeous "grellow" combination. I have a third online friend who is testing out the pattern in US terms for me, the final step in the pattern writing process for me. I will add the US terms as soon as they are available.

The pattern is available as a pdf download from Ravelry or Etsy.

Happy hooking,

Marta xx

Fields of Lavender Cardigan - the design process

Over the last few weeks I have been working on various crocheted cardigan designs, with most of my focus being on the Fields of Lavender Cardigan, pictured below in 0-3 month size. This new design came about in an unusual way for me, it was suggested by one of my pattern testers, Jill Porter. 

Jill had tested out the pattern for my Fields of Wheat Hat (above - photo used with kind permission) in a beautiful purple coloured yarn and when she posted it online she received comments about how the wheat stalks looked like lavender and suggestions for designing a cardigan using the same motif. You can see Jill's pretty Instagram photos here. You can see my photos of this hat design in my last blog post.

After doing a few calculations (sighing once again at how much maths is needed in the crochet design process!) I was ready to start and using spare white pure wool in superwash DK I began to turn my hat design into the flatter format required for a cardigan. One thing which really pleases me about crocheting baby garments is the speed in which they are finished, I quickly had a completed design that I was pretty much happy with. There were a few niggles that I wanted to sort, the collar line wasn't quite right for starters, but overall I was satisfied and ready to embark on the next version using lavender coloured wool.

The lavender design is crocheted in King Cole merino blend DK which I have chosen for both its superwash qualities and because it is warm and cosy for a baby to wear. On this second cardigan I worked the design in the next size up (3-6 months), so that I will have a variety of sizes to offer when the pattern is published.

All the cardigan needs now is buttons, which sadly I can't buy in my town (I have tried the button boxes in the local charity shops, but no luck this time) so the buttons will have to wait until I am next off out on an adventure. The next steps in the design process are pattern testing and photography, both of which I am looking forward to!

Free Crochet Pattern; Cabled Boot Cuffs

This month's pattern is for a pair of boot cuffs, designed in Artesano aran wool which provides a cosy and stylish addition to any boots.

The pattern is suitable for those with intermediate level of crochet ability.

There are 4 adult sizes available; small, medium, large and extra large. The photos show the medium size.

My pattern is for your personal use. If you follow my pattern and go on to sell the item, please state that I am designer. Thank you!

Materials

Small [medium, large, extra large] 1 [1,2,2] x 100g skein Artesano aran (132m / 144yds per 100g) any colour, I used “birch”

7 mm crochet hook

tapestry needle (for sewing in ends)

4 x 2cm diameter buttons

needle and thread for sewing on buttons

Tension

11 stitches x 8 rows in  a 10cm² / 4 inch²

Abbreviations (UK terms)

ftr foundation treble

ch chain

st stitch

dc double crochet

htr half treble

fpttr front post triple treble

blo back loop only

prev previous

cont continue

rep repeat

RS right side

patt pattern

Notes

The pattern begins with foundation treble stitches. If you are unfamiliar with how to do foundation stitches it is worth looking up on you tube. You could substitute these stitches with regular chain stitches and a row of trebles. Please note that if you take this option you will finish up at the wrong end of the boot cuff - simply reattach the yarn and carry on.

The front post stitches (fpttr) are worked into the front post of the stitches 2 rows below.

The turning chains all count as 1htr and the 1st stitch is missed. At the end of the row work 1htr into the turning chain.

The left and right cuffs differ slightly to allow the button overlap to fall correctly on each side. When starting the left cuff leave an 80 cm tail of wool - after completing the rows this will be used to add the button loops down the side. The right cuff has the loops on the opposite side - an extra length of wool needs to be joined in for this.

Pattern

Left Cuff

Foundation Row Using 7 mm hook, leaving an 80 cm tail, ftr 30 [38,46,54]. Turn

Row 1  Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr into each st across, 1htr into turning ch. Turn (30 [38,46,54] stitches)

Row 2 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1fpttr into each of next 2ftr (foundation row), miss 3 st *1htr in each of next 4htr (row 1), 1fpttr in each of next 4 ftr (foundation row), miss 4 htr* rep from * to * 1 [2,3,4] more times, 1htr in each of next 4htr, 1fpttr in next 2 ftr, miss 2, 1htr in each st until end, 1htr in turn ch. Turn

Row 3 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr into each st across, 1htr into turning ch. Turn (30 [38,46,54] stitches)

Row 4 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr in each of next 2htr, 1fpttr in 1st 2fpttr (row 2), 1fpttr in each of next 2fpttr (row 2), *miss 4htr (row 3), 1htr in each of next 4htr, 1fpttr in each of next 4fpttr (row 2),* rep from *to* 1 [2,3,4] more times, 1htr in each st until end, 1htr into turning ch. Turn

Row 5 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr in each of next 8st, *1htr into next htr catching blo of fpttr of row 3, 1htr in each of next 7st* rep from * to * 1 [2,3,4] more times, 1htr in each st until end, 1htr in turn ch. Turn

Row 6 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1fpttr in 1st 2fpttr (row 4), miss 3st, *1htr in each of next 4htr (row 5), 1fpttr in each of next 4fpttr (row 4), miss 4htr* rep from * to * 1 [2,3,4] more times, 1htr in each of next 4htr, 1 fpttr in each of next 2fpttr, 1htr in each st until end, 1htr into turning ch. Turn

Row 7 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr in each of next 12st, *1htr into next htr catching blo of fpttr of row 5, 1htr in each of next 7st* rep from * to * 1 [2,3,4]  more times, 1htr in each st until end, 1htr in turn ch. Turn

Row 8 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1fpttr in 1st 2fpttr (row 6), miss 3htr, *1htr in each of next 4htr (row 7), 1fpttr in each of next 4fpttr (row 6), miss 4htr* rep from *to* 1 [2,3,4]  more times, 1htr in each of next 4htr (row 7), 1fpttr in each of next 2fpttr (row 6), 1htr in each st until end, 1htr into turning ch. Turn

Row 9 As row 7. Finish off, weaving in ends.

Button loops Using long 80 cm tail from ftr, RS facing, Ch1, working down side 1dc into next 2 end of row, ch2, 1dc into each of next 5 end of rows, ch 2 1dc into each of next 2 end of rows. Finish off, weaving in ends.

Right cuff

Foundation Row Using 7 mm hook, (no need for long tail) ftr 30 [38,46,54]. Turn

Row 1  Ch2 (counts as 1htr), 1htr into each st across, 1htr into turning ch. Turn (30 [38,46,54] stitches)

Row 2 Ch2 (counts as 1htr), miss 1htr, 1htr in each of next 5htr ... beg patt as left cuff

Row 3 - 9 As left cuff, with button space on opposite side

Button loops

RS facing, join wool at top left corner, ch1, working down side 1dc into next 2 end of row, ch2, 1dc into each of next 5 end of rows, ch 2 1dc into each of next 2 end of rows. Finish off, weaving in ends.

Finishing off

Using photo as a guide sew buttons on.

I hope you will enjoy following this pattern. 
Look out for more free patterns at mrsdaftspaniel.blogspot.com
Follow me on Instagram @mrsdaftspaniel

I am listing this and all my crochet patterns for free this month on Ravelry - go have a look here!

Happy hooking,

Marta xx

Geometric Hat Pattern

This week I have finalised the pattern for my Geometric Hat! I did most of the designing on this hat back in September but didn't get as far as transferring my scribbles into neatly typed up format! I won't make that mistake again in a hurry - I ended up having to make another hat to make sense of it all! 

finished hat, with optional pompom

This hat uses spike stitches to create the surface geometric pattern. I had fun playing around with the placing of the spikes and I'm happy with how this one turned out. I have designed the hat in two adult sizes, large and medium.

me and Gwen, wearing matching hats! 

My friend Gwen came around for a cuppa and a catch up on Sunday and we had chat about my latest projects. When she tried on the purple version of this hat it suited her so well I said she could keep it if she modelled it for me! 

Gwen modelling the hat

I really like the above photo - it will be the cover shot for the pattern. The model's beautiful hair, dusky lilac cardigan and the wintry backdrop show off my design perfectly. A big thank you to Gwen for modelling for me!

This pattern is at the testing stage and I hope to publish it at the end of the month.

Edit: The pattern is now available for £3.60 in my Ravelry Store (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/geometric-beanie-hat) and in my Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/462743720/geometric-beanie-hat-crochet-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_4)

Marta xx