Cosy Socktober: Super Snug Crochet Socks!

Hello! We're well into October and for many crocheters and knitters this means SOCKTOBER - the month we get creative making super snug socks and sharing pretty photos of our socks on social media! Apologies, I thought I had published this post, turns out it was sitting in drafts! Doh!

To celebrate this special month I'm offering you 10% off my Fiddle Socks crochet pattern (pictured above). If you've been put off the idea of crocheting socks because most patterns use 4ply/ fingering weight yarn, this is the pattern for you because it calls for 8ply/ DK weight yarn! It also means they work up QUICKLY so you're more likely to get them finished in a month!

This design packs a traditionally shaped heel with a flap, turn & gusset to make sure they FIT and STRETCH perfectly over your instep. The half treble V-stitch (UK terms) gives a super snug and comfy texture on the leg and upper foot.

Not crocheted socks before? No problem, this pattern comes with SEVEN (yes, seven!) video tutorials to guide you through the process. So, if you're looking for a crochet sock pattern to take part in Socktober, this is the one for you!

Use the code SOCKS at the checkout on my website or on Ravelry to claim your 10% discount!

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

 

How To Handwash Woollen Items

Hello! Last Friday I shared a tip with my newsletter subsribers about how to handwash woollen items to ensure they last for many, many years to come. I had a few replies to my email asking for more info about exactly how I wash mine, so I thought I would expand on my quick tip further and write it up as a blog post.

Wool is a natural fibre which can react badly when handled wrongly, and we want to avoid using harsh detergents or high heat when washing it. Here are more thorough instructions on hand washing because it's the gentlest way to wash handmade woollen clothing.

To hand wash your woollen items, follow these steps:

1. Fill a basin with lukewarm water (approximately 30°C, not much hotter!)
2. Add a small amount of no-rinse wool detergent.
3. Stir the water to mix the detergent through. 
4. Turn your woollen items inside out if you can.
5. Place your items in the basin.
6. Soak them for 10-15 minutes.
7. Gently squeeze the items to remove excess water. Do not wring!
8. Use a large towel and wrap your items in it, squeezing out even more liquid.

If you're wondering which no-rinse wool detergent I use, it's Soak and my favourite scent is Celebration.

Drying your woollen items

It's best not to machine dry woollen clothing. To dry your woollen items, lay them flat on a dry towel or drying rack in a warm (but not hot!), well-ventilated area. If you have blockers, go ahead and use them. You can dry outside but avoid placing your items in direct sunlight because this can cause unexpected colour changes.

By following my tips, you can help to keep your handmade woollen clothing looking and feeling its best for many years to come.

I hope this post was useful for you. If you liked it, please subscribe to my mailing list to receive posts like these straight to your inbox.

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

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.

How To Cheat At Swatching!

Hello! This is one of the best crochet hacks I've ever shared on Instagram, it received a tonne of engagement - How To Cheat At Swatching - and I thought I'd share it with you here in case you missed it (you know how fickle the algorithm can be!).

The hack is simply to crochet an L shape instead of a square, which cuts down on about 30% of the crochet time!

To do this; start as usual & crochet 3 to 5 rows, then start the next row but turn after about 5 stitches, leaving the remaining stitches unworked, crochet into these 5 stitches only until your height is about the same as your width.

A few things to note! 

• You will need to work less rows for thicker yarn/ more for thinner yarn before beginning the leg of the L.

• Again, thicker yarn may only need 4 stitches and thinner yarn more like 7 - use your judgment here.

• This hack is not suitable if you need to get a good idea of drape, simply because there's less fabric to play with.

To watch my reel on Instagram, click here.

If you'd like to dive deeper into the topic of gauge swatches you can read my popular post; 6 Top tips For Better Swatches here.

Learn the rules then break them like a pro! 

Until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you'd like even more crochet hacks from me, sign up to my mailing list and I'll send you a pdf with 25 Top Tips Every Crocheter Needs To Know

How To Crochet The Alpine Stitch

  

Edit: This crochet pattern has now been released, you can find it for FREE here on my blog!

Hello! Firstly, a quick update on where I'm at with my Perth Beanie crochet pattern (pictured above). Testing is almost finished and that has been a really enlightening process for me. My testers picked up on a few things that I would never even have thought about. One testers was confused with the term "counts as a stitch" vs "does not count as a stitch" - not an issue with the pattern exactly, but something which I understand yet forget that not everyone understands the difference between these two terms. This is something I will address in a future email/ blog post.

Something which is possibly new to you is one of the stitches in my design - the Alpine Stitch - have you tried it before? I love it for its dense & squishy texture! There's a new video tutorial from me up now on YouTube demonstrating this wonderful stitch - if it's a stitch you're not familiar with, please do check it out! 

I'll be back in touch soon with details of the pattern release, until then, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. If you can't wait and are itching to start a new project, please have a look on my website or on Ravelry and see if there's something there that takes your fancy!

9 Top Tips For Attending A Yarn Festival

Hello! There are lots of yarn festivals going on at the moment (anyone off to Yarndale this weekend?) and I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my 9 top tips for attending a yarn festival, helping you to make the most of your experience. 

1.  Plan ahead. Take a look at the list of vendors in advance and if there are any you're especially interested in check out their website or social media platforms to find out what they're currently up to. Similarly, if any new vendors jump out at you, go and follow them online, find out more about what they do. Some vendors have special offers, exclusives or advance orders that you can pay for in advance then pick up at the show - again, worth checking out!

 

2.  Set yourself a budget. Attending a yarn show can be a bit like going into the world's biggest sweet shop, so it's a good idea to be realistic before you go about how much you will spend. You can always support small businesses you admire but don't buy from by taking photos at their stalls and sharing them on social media or adding them to your list for the future.

 

3.  Go with projects in mind. It's a good idea to look at the patterns in your Ravelry library, other downloads or books and plan which yarns you need to buy. If you go armed with "I need 6 skeins of BFL fingering weight for this jumper" it gives you focus and helps prevent you from coming home with a skein of this and a skein of that. 

 

4.  On the day have your ticket handy on your phone or printed out. This saves you from faffing around looking for it when you're at the front of the queue (and gets you in faster!)

 

5.  Stay hydrated. Take plenty water with you, these events can get very hot & sticky with all the people in one building!

 

6.  Don't be shy! Talk to vendors, ask questions, show them things you've made from their yarn or patterns. Also if you recognise anyone else on the day from the yarny community don't be afraid to introduce yourself - build connections, you never know where they'll lead!

 

7.  Have a fairly swift look around first before commiting to any purchases (unless there's something exclusive you know there are only limitted numbers of). Go round and simply soak everything in - perhaps even go outside for some fresh air before heading back in for a closer inspection.

 

8.  Bring a notepad & pen! There will be items you want to take note of, email addresses and websites to swap ... all sorts of things! This one comes from experience - I didn't take either and really needed them!

 

9.  Take lots of photos! There's so much inspiration at a yarn festival, so snap away so you remeber it later. Ask people if they're happy for a selfie with you or ask someone to take your photo. Share online too to help the event and whoever/ whatever is in your photo to gain recognition.

 

What about you? Have you got any tips you'd like to add? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

I'll be back next week with more tips and crochet news - if you'd like to receive these posts straight to your inbox, consider subscribing to my mailing list.

Until then, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

How To Choose A Colour Palette For Crocheting

Hello! In this blog post I'm going to give tips for choosing a colour palette for crocheting, because I don't know about you, but I am LOVING all the colour combos appearing on social media and in my inbox from indie dyers for the upcoming MKAL from Stephen West! There are so many gorgeous combinations out there for a gradient with 4 skeins of yarn - it's such an inspiration. Whether you're a crocheter and a knitter or you just stick to crochet, these combos are everywhere at the moment, you can't miss them!

But, what if you want to join the MKAL (or follow a pattern using 4 skeins of yarn) and you'd like to put your own combination together? Perhaps you have stashed yarn you'd like to use or maybe you'd like to treat yourself to some new yarn and create your own unique combo?

I'm going to share a technique from my Colour & Crochet Course which will help you choose your next colour palette. It begins with creating a mood board, so go grab a pile of magazines or newspapers, some paint cards or fabric samples, scraps of wool, small items from a nature walk - whatever else you have to hand - and get creative! If you don't feel like getting hands on, you can use Pinterest, or it's new sister app Shuffles, for this exercise - you can search for millions of different images and if you don't want to share your board with the rest of the world you can set it to "secret". I’ve also recently used Canva to create some collages - search in their Elements, select “photo” - there are hundreds to choose from!

For your colour theme, you might like to choose autumn, or sea scapes or perhaps a festival vibe! Don't think too hard about the bits & pieces you're adding, just go for it and see what becomes of the process. Once you have your mood board, you should be able to pick out recurring colours and put them together. Look for two colours you like and pair them together, then make a trio, then add a fourth ... before you know it, you'll have your 4 colours.

Fancy giving it a go? If you do, please share on social media and TAG ME, I'd really love to see!

Want to dive deeper? This is just one of the exercises in my Colour & Crochet Course, there are lots more to help you gain confidence in choosing colours. The course also includes 5 of my crochet patterns which use more than one colour so you can put your new found knowledge to immediate use! 

Here's a testimonial from one of my happy customers:

"Marta's color course is very enjoyable as well as helpful. I'm so glad I purchased it as I feel more confident about choosing my color pairings."

Holly-Marie

 

 

I'll be back soon, until then, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

PS. To receive these blog posts straight to your inbox, please consider subscribing to my mailing list. There's a free pdf waiting for you when you do: 25 Top Crochet Tips Every Crocheter Should Know!