Pattern of the month for September

 

Hello! Here's a blog post full of pretty photos to brighten up your Monday! The photos are of my Elsie Beanie and they make me smile because the model shoots for both versions were very memorable experiences.

The pic above was taken on a sunny day in May. It was 2020 and restrictions had lifted ever so slightly causing us to wander slightly further from home - there was a sense of adventure! My youngest was modelling for me and my eldest was taking the photos. We also had the dog with us and she had a great time sniffing around in an area we hadn't been to for ages! Also, a vintage map was involved which gave us lots of funny looks from passers by but we didn't care!

Back home, I used the map theme together with some of the other props to create this flatlay which I really enjoyed putting together. 

The olive coloured Elsie Beanie is the DK (8ply) version of the hat. It's crocheted in rows of modified htr (UK) stitches.

I decided to make the pattern a 2 in 1 pattern and wrote a fingering weight (4ply) version too! I absolutely love the drape in the finer yarn, people comment that it looks knitted, which is interesting.

The photo shoot for the orange version was so much fun because we had snow! It was February 2021 and snow had been forecast for weeks but kept missing us (I do get very excited about snow and I fancied doing this photo shoot in the snow). Finally it came - and there was lots of it and it lasted for about a week, good times! I love the photo of me throwing a snowball at my photographer, my eldest!

In September I'm bringing back Pattern of the Month with my Elsie Beanie as the star! You can have 10% off the pattern on my website and on Ravelry with the code SEPT22 

There are links below take you to my website and to Ravelry, both have all the information you need - I thought I'd switch things up and share a little of the background in this email!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Looking back and looking forward

Hello! I've had a busy week packing up crochet kits and getting them shipped off around the world, so this is a quick blog post recapping what I got up to in August and looking forward to my plans for September. 

The little collage grid below has my Lazy Days Crochet Kit in the centre and also showcases my August projects ...

• I finished Hector Rhinoceros by Jan Schenkel (I also finished Darwin Turtle but he didn't squeeze in)
• The Wristlet Clutch Purse was completed too. Pattern by Nicki's Homemade Crafts
• I crocheted about 45cm on my scappy blanket - the most I've ever done in a month!
• I had a go at lino printing for the first time since high school. The kit I used was from Shape Of Home, a Scottish craft company.
• A new crochet hat design was started and I love the direction it's going in (photo at the top of this email)
• And, as I've shared before on here, I did A LOT of cycling with my hubby!

So, what's new for September? I'm quite excited about September actually - I feel a change in the air already and it's renewing my enthusiasm and inspiration. I also CAN NOT WAIT to start wearing woollens again - bring on the cooler weather!

Here are my September plans and goals ...

• My Lazy Days CAL starts on the 6th September and I'm excited about joining in with my second pair of Lazy Days Socks!
• I'm going to release my Fields of Wheat Beanie! This one has been a long time coming and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you all.
• My Scrappy Blanket III will be finished, written up and sent to testers this month, whoop!
• The courses on my website are going to get their overhaul. You can still pick them up at the BARGAIN early bird price now!
• There will be another pattern release which I'm keeping quiet about for now (and have been for some time, hee hee!)

And who knows what else September has in store? I don't know about you, but I feel there are all sorts of new possibilites out there!

Until next week, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. It's not too late to join in and buy your Lazy Days Socks pattern, pattern & project bag combo or full kit! There is 10% off the range on my website with the code LAZYDAYS10

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

5 tips for working with dark coloured yarn

Hello! I started a new WiP this week in dark blue, almost black yarn and I suddenly remembered what a strain working with this colour of yarn can be!

Have you ever worked with dark yarn and got yourself in a bit of a muddle too? These yarns can be tricky to work with because the stitches don't show up as clearly as they do for lighter coloured yarn, causing us to put our hook or needle in the wrong place and possibly add or loose stitches.

I'm here today with 5 tips for using dark coloured yarn ...

1. If possible, sit by the window or with really good lighting on your work. Daylight bulbs could be your friend if you need to work in the evenings.

2. Count your stitches at the end of each row/ round. This way if you have made a mistake, you don't have so much to frog!

3. Don't strain your eyes! If you are really stuggling to make out the stitches only work on your dark coloured project for 20 minutes at a time and then switch to something else. 

4. Add a lighter yarn as a contrast. This isn't always possible, but if you think it works with your pattern add in sections of lighter yarn - then you have some rows or rounds where you're working into a lighter coloured stitch.

5.  Go high tech! Lights which hang around your neck and glowing crochet hooks are available - you could give them a try, particularly if in the winter!

I have a bonus tip from a follower too! Place a white cloth on your lap while you're working - the white will shine through the spaces and help you identify them! 

On this occasion, I chose to go with tip no. 4 - the dark yarn was just too much for me! The photo above is a sneak peek of my latest design - stay tuned for more to come on that!

I hope this is helpful if you're ever crocheting with dark yarn. Sign up to my mailing list to receive tips like these, straight to your inbox and to find out what that new project is going to become!

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

It's ok not to be perfect!

Hello! I'm going to share something big with you. Something many of us don't talk about because we feel that everything has to be super perfect. Are you ready?

When I'm crocheting something, my project almost always has a mistake in it.

There, I said it! There will always be something like a little issue on Row 17 where I had one extra stitch and did a decrease to make the stitch count right. Or maybe Round 7 made no sense to me, so I did my own thing. It happens all the time and it's fine. 

Crochet, I find, is really forgiving of an extra stitch or two here and a dc instead of a htr there. What I'm trying to say is - don't stress, nobody is coming to check you made the cardigan perfectly - you'll notice of course - but nobody else will, I promise!

In the Heel video for my Lazy Days Socks, I tell my viewers not to worry if they are a stitch or two out at the end of the section because crochet hides little errors like this so easily, no one will ever know.

If you're new to following a sock pattern, there are likely to be a few small errors. It's far better to let go of perfectionism and accept that there might be tiny wonky bits than to get all stressed out about the flaws. 

So, relax and enjoy the process! 

With realistic expectations in mind, are you interested in buying my Lazy Days Crochet Kit (pictured above withoutthe little surprises) and giving crocheted socks a go? Like I say, there are videos for all the steps, guiding you through the construction.

And if you end up with an extra stitch here or there, who cares, right?

I'll be back on Friday, until then, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. Don't forget your discount of 10% with the code LAZYDAYS10

Are you lefty crocheter?

Hello! I'm looking for some feedback today - specifically from left handed crocheters! Before you scroll on ... if you're not a left handed yourself, perhaps you know someone who is that you could share this with? 

The need to answer this question has popped up because I saw a post celebrating International Left Handed Day by one of my followers on Instagram last week and it got me thinking; what can I do as a designer to make life easier for left handed crocheters?

I've created a simple Google form with a few questions which shouldn't take more than 3 minutes to complete. If you are left handed and you'd like to help me with this research, please take the time to fill it out.Your answers should help me improve my patterns for you!

Thank you in advance for your help with this. Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you're not signed up already, please sign up to my mailing list to be kept in the loop about all my crochet news and receive the biggest discount codes for my website!

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.