My crochet pattern of the month for September is ...

Hello! It's suddenly September and I know that many of you are starting to crochet warmer items for the months ahead, so I have chosen socks as my featured pattern this month.

My Fabulous Socks! are a toe up design using extended stitches to create excellent stretch around the foot. The pattern includes a link to my YouTube tutorial showing you exactly how to create these stitches.

The cuffs are worked in rows of back loop only stitches, creating a snug finish around the ankles.

100g of sock weight yarn is sufficient for each of the sizes. I used Paintbox Yarns sock yarn in Stripes - Rainbow, but any sock yarn will work for this pattern.

I've rated this pattern as intermediate level. If you've never crocheted socks before but have are confident beginner level onwards, you'll be absoloutely fine with this pattern. 

Throughout the month of September you can use the code SEPT21 at the checkout on Ravelry to receive 20% off this pattern.

If you have any questions you can drop me a comment below or you can send me a DM on  Instagram, I'm more than happy to help you out. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you crochet a pair too, I'd love to see!

Until next time, happy crocheting, 

Marta xx

A few days away and looking forward ...

I had a lovely few days away last week, staying at my sister, Aimee's, house in Norwich and also visiting the coast of north Norfolk. I hadn't been to stay with her for over 2 years and it was an absolute joy to see all the crocheted items that I had gifted to her and the family over the years. The blanket above was the second granny square blanket I made and it's good to see it still being used!

I also spotted my sample for my Luxury Crocheted Floor Rug by my niece's bed so snapped a photo of it too! It's over 5 years old and still going strong - Erika Knight Maxi Wool is amazing! This pattern is FREE in my Ravelry store, you can find it here.

We spent a day around Holt, Blakeney and Salthouse - such a beautiful little corner of the world. It left me feeling refreshed and ready to crack on with pattern writing too!

I'd started a pair of mitts before I left and found the break helped me focus and finish them with ease. I love it when a pattern behaves itself and works out just how I hoped! I'm really pleased to have received yarn support for these mitts from Vicki Brown Designs - 75% superwash merino/ 25% nylon sock yarn in Teal - it's such gorgeous yarn to work with!

The next steps for this one are adding the additional sizes (I'm hoping it will work in at least 4 sizes, maybe more) and then sending it to my testing team to see how they get on crocheting them. I look forward to sharing the pattern with you in October!

You can subscribe to my mailing list to keep up to date with my pattern releases, receive discount codes, free patterns and more! subscribe here

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Crochet Pattern of the Month for August - with a discount code!

Eeeek! We're well into the 2nd week of August and I haven't announced my Pattern of the Month!

This month I have chosen a hat pattern because I know many of you are turning your attention to creating accessories for the winter months here in the northern hemisphere (elsewhere in the world you may be able to whip one up to wear before the cooler weather is behind you!). 

It's a delicate looking beanie which is crocheted sideways. It has lovely drape to it created by modified linked trebles - if linked stitches are new to you this is the perfect small project to give them a try! The pattern is a simple 4 row repeat which will soon become very rhythmic and mindful. 

The pattern is available in 4 sizes; child, teen, adult - M & adult - L.

It's also written for two yarn weights; 4ply or DK - full instructions are given for both weights so you can choose whichever you prefer working with (or try it out in both!). When choosing your yarn, go for a solid or semi solid colour because the overal look of this crocheted beanie is a knitted in the round effect - definite stripes give away this illusion!

I chose a faux fur pompom to finish it off but you could also make a traditional pompom or if you're not a pompom fan you could do what some of my followers have done and omit the pompom altogether!

You can find this pattern on Ravelry and on Lovecrafts, you can also use the code AUGUST21 to receive 25% off (but only in my Ravelry store). 

If you have any questions about this pattern - from initial yarn choices through to sewing in your ends - please reach out to me in the comments or Instagram DM.

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Synthesizer Sock - crochet pattern release!

 

I'm super excited to bring you my latest crochet release - my Synthesizer Socks pattern! This is my fourth sock pattern and I feel it's my best yet - I've combined all my knowledge and experience into its construction. 

• It's a toe up design with a crossed stitch pattern on the upper foot formed of half trebles & extended double crochet stitches on the sole for stretch and durability.
• The ankle is finished with a cosy, fold down cuff.
• I've made several YouTube videos to help you succeed with this pattern because I really want you to feel confident about crocheting socks! My pattern should be clear to follow, but if you find yourself stuck the videos should help.
• 1 skein of sock yarn is sufficient for the S, M & L sizes, 2 skeins will be required for the XL size.
• This pattern has been tested in all the size variations, resulting in a pattern that you can trust.
• I'm here if you need help! You can add a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram.

The pattern is currently available on Ravelry here and as soon as it's been approved I will add the link to Lovecrafts too.

I would like to thank my wonderful team of testers - Laura Dimmon, Fiona Feeney, Julie Letton, Tammy de Nobriga, Carina Rego & Hannah Wingfield. These ladies worked so well together inside my Instagram testing group, encouraging and helping each other out. The crochet commuity is a truly wonderful place!

My eldest son, Niall, helped me out with the model photography and loaned me his synthesizer and recording tech for the flatlay photos. Thanks Niall! It's me modelling the socks in front of the woodburning stove on one of the hottest days of the year!

I hope you enjoy this pattern, please tag me on Instagram if you make a pair, I'd love to see! I also love to watch people taking one of my designs and truly making it their own. Crochet is a wonderful way to really let your imagination run wild and I positively encourage you to do so with a few ideas at the end of the pattern to get you thinking.

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