Yarn painting

Have you ever painted with yarns? Have you already tried tapestry crochet technique?

Basically you crochet with two or more colors of yarn traveling the other color always along "inside" the stitches. Tapestry crochet allows you to create a piece of crochet that plays with color changes and flat patterns.

For some great tutorials and inspirations visit:

LittleWoollie 

MyPoppet 

Lebenslustuger

Snowflake granny pattern

Snowflake granny is perfect holiday projects. Crochet yourself a garland to string over the mantle; embellish your holiday gifts with a snowflake granny; use them as Christmas tree ornaments; really, there are so many uses for them! Did I mention they only take about 20 minutes to make?

With white yarn Ch 6, sl st to the first ch to make a ring.

ROUND 1

Ch 5, count as tr+2ch, *1tr, 2ch* 7 times, sl st to 3^rd chain of beginning chain 5, in total 8tr

ROUND 2

Sl st inti the first ch2 space. Ch3+3tr cluster into the same ch2 space, ch5, *4tr cluster into the next ch2 space, ch5. Repeat * 7 times. Sl st into the top of the first 3tr cluster. Fasten off.

ROUND 3

Join red color into top of any tr cluster, ch 1, doesn’t count as a stitch.  *1dc into the same space, ch2, 1tr into the tr of the first round, ch2, repeat *7 times. Sl st into the ch1 of the beginning of the round.

ROUND 4

Sl st into the ch2 space. 1dc into the same space, ch 3, dc into the next ch2 space, ch3 around, in total 16 dc and 16 ch3 spaces.

ROUND 5

Sl st into the ch3 space. Ch 3, count as tr, work another tr, ch 2 and 2tr, all in the same space. You made a corner. *Ch 2, dc in next 3ch space, ch3, dc in next ch3 space, ch 3, dc in next ch3 space,ch 2, 2tr+2ch+2tr in next ch3 space. Follow this* scheme round.

If you want your square to have a diamond shape rather than square one, block it by stretching two diagonal corners. 

Pattern and photo tutorial for Christmas ball is HERE!

CHRISTMAS BALL

My big crochet Christmas project this year is red and white Christmas tree.

GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES…

Red and white cotton yarn

3.0 mm crochet hook

darning needle

scissors

ABBREVIATIONS (US terms)

ch – chain

slst – slip stitch

hdc – half double crochet

I worked this pattern in rounds, using two separate half circles to cover the ball. The two pieces are then slip stitched together.

ROUND 1

Ch4. Sl st into the first chain to form a ring. Ch 2, work 9 hdc into the ring (10 stitches in total). Join with a sl st to the 2nd chain.

ROUND 2

Ch 2 (counts as stitch). Hdc 2 times into each stitch (20 stitches total). Join with a sl st to the 2nd chain.

ROUND 3

Ch 2 (counts as stitch). *Hdc 2 times in the next stitch and hdc once into the next stitch. Repeat from * around (30 stitches total). Join with a slst to the 2nd chain.

ROUND 4

Ch 2 (counts as stitch). Hdc once into every stitch (30 stitches total). Join with a slst to the 2nd chain.

ROUND 5

Ch 2 (counts as stitch). *Hdc in the next two stitches and 2hdc once into the next stitch. Repeat from * around (40 stitches total). Join with a slst to the 2nd chain.

ROUND 6-8

Ch 2 (counts as stitch). Hdc once into every stitch (40 stitches total). Join with a slst to the 2n chain.

Repeat rounds 1-8 for the second half of the ornament.

ASSEMBLY

Place the crochet half circles on the ball and pull it down as far as it will go. Line your joining seams for both halves to make your ornament look best..Sl st into the (back) loops of every stitch around the ornament.

Decorate your Christmas tree!

A Perfect Day

This is not so much whether this day will be a “perfect day” but is much more to try to understand what a simple day means to you. It’s different for each person — for me, it might mean some meditation, some new recipe that I found, new crochet project. Take a minute to visualize what it means to you.

Mandala - in memory of Marinke

Marinke

Baby blanket

Stool cover

Doily hoop

Pillow cover

Making of pillow cover

Creative paper cutting / book review

As with most Japanese craft books Creative Paper Cutting is very beautifully photographed and presented. There are clear instructions on the different ways of folding paper, cutting and all you need to do to make the various patterns is to trace or copy them from the book. This book will get you started easily. All you need are scissors of craft knife and paper. It’s a great Christmas present for craft loving people and a great resource for self made paper Christmas decoration. A clever part of the book shows you how to use candy wrappers and shopping bags for free paper and inspiration. It gives you a good launching point for experimentation, as well as many different projects to do as-is.

Rug

Pattern note

Rug is crocheted holding two strands of cotton together, as if holding only one strand with a 6.0mm crochet hook.

1^st round: ch 8, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring

2^nd round: ch 4 (count as dc and ch1), 1dc, ch1 - 15 times into ring. Join with sl st to 3^rd ch of ch4, 16dc

3^rd round: sl st into next ch 1 space. Ch 5 (count as dc and ch2), Miss next dc. (1 dc in next ch1 space, cj 2. Miss next dc) 15 times. Join with sl st to 3^rd ch of ch5.

4^th round: ch 1, *1sc, 3dc,1sc in next ch2 space. Miss next dc. Rep from * 15 times. Join with sl st to first sc.

5^th round: sl st in each of first 2dc. Ch 3, 4 dc in same space as last sl st. Drop loop from hook. Insert hook from front to back in top of ch3. Pull dropped loop through - beg popcorn made. Ch 5. Miss next 4 sts. *5 dc in next dc. Drop loop from hook. Insert hook from front to back in 1^st dc of 5 dc group. Pull dropped loop through - popcorn made. Ch 5. Miss next 4 sts. Rep from * 14 times. Join with sl st to beg popcorn.

6^th round: sl st in each of first 3 ch of 5 ch. Ch 1. 1 sc in same space as last sl st. Ch 8. Miss next pocorn stich. 1 sc in next ch 5 space. Ch 8. Miss next popcorn stich – 15 times. Join with sl st to first sc.

7^th round: sl st in first 6 ch space. Ch 1. (1 sc, 2 hdc, 7 dc, 2 hdc, 1sc) in same ch 8 space. Miss next sc. *1 sc, 2 hdc, 7 dc, 2 hdc, 1sc in next chane 8 space. Miss next sc. Rep from * 14 times. Join with sl st to first sc.

8^th round: sl st to the center of 7 dc group. Ch 1. 1 sc in same sp as last sl st. Ch 6. Miss next 2 dc. Yoh and draw up a loop in next dc. Yoh and draw trough two loops on hook. Miss next 6 sts. Yoh and draw up a loop in next dc. Yoh and draw trough two loops on hook. Yoh and draw trough all loops on hook – dc2tog made. Ch 6. Miss next 2 dc. * 1sc in next dc. Ch 6. Miss next 2 dc. Dc2tog. Ch 6. Miss next 2 dc. Rep from * 14 times. Join with sl st to first sc.

9^th round: 3dc in each ch 6 space.  Join with sl st to first dc.

10^th round: ch 3 (count as dc), dc in each st around. Join with sl st to first dc.

11^th round:  ch 3 (count as dc), dc in same space. *dc in next six dc. 2dc in seventh dc. Rep from * around. Increase made.

12^th round: No increase, just rep round 10.

13^th round: Increase every 8^th dc space.

14^th round: No increase, just rep round 10.

15^th round: Increase every 9^th dc space……and so on.

Crocheted rug

Basket

Stool

Stones

Revamp frame

Fantast / Bečej/ Serbia

Papier mache glass

Altered book xmas tree

I’ve been seeing a lot of theses lately and as I like them so very much I gave it a try.
Don’t hate me for ruining a book, but this one just gained new life.

Jam jar

A simple little crochet cover for my glass jar made out of yarn leftovers.