So, while I’ve been hooking up stars, holly and garlands a whole gang of crochet designers have been sharing their makes too. So, as I wrap up my blog until the New Year for my annual social media break here’s my round up of some great patterns you can find right now: I am definitely making a few of these cracker hats by Emily. They … Continue reading The Best of the Rest
I love sprouts. Boiled, sauted with chesnuts and bacon, fried leftovers, even shredded in salads. I just can’t resist them. Now I have “sprouts a la crochet”! This garland is hanging in my kitchen, strung with lights and making me smile. It might be the ultimate in kitsch, but I love it! These little sprouts are easy to make. I used DK cotton and a … Continue reading Sprouts!
Another one of my very early designs for Inside Crochet, these felted baubles have become a Christmas tradition. I love to find new ways to decorate them. Hand stitched with beads or covered in sequins, they always look spectacular. Remember to use a natural fibre such as wool or mohair, not a superwash wool or they won’t felt. Of course, you can make the same … Continue reading Felted Baubles
Years ago, when I designed these decorations for Craftseller, hardly anyone had heard of Hygge, and the Scandi phenomenon was still a twinkle in Instagram’s eye! But, I loved the simple colours and decoration and was very happy that they re-appeared the next year in a different magazine (same publisher) where they were declared “on trend” – probably the first – and only time I’ve … Continue reading Scandi Baubles
Here’s another little free pattern for you. These Mistletoe leaves look lovely hung in bunches or used to decorate a wreath. You can even sew them onto brooch pins and wear them all through the festive season. Here’s the link to my 2016 post, where I showed readers how to crochet mistletoe. Continue reading Mistletoe
I have a soft spot for these. Not only so they look impossibly cute, they were one of the first of my patterns to be published in Inside Crochet back in 2012. They look very pretty strung with ribbon and hung on a tree, but they will also fit a newborn. You can buy the pattern on Ravelry, or hop over to Love Crochet, where … Continue reading Cute Little Booties
Type the words “crochet Christmas pudding” into any search engine and you’ll pull up thousands of photographs and ideas! Over the years I’ve come up with several ideas and often my favourites are the simplest. A combination of cream and brown wool, topped with a few red beads or sequins and some green leaves can give you several options. Tiny puddings look so cute strung … Continue reading Christmas Puddings
Welcome back! I’ve just opened Day 4 of my advent calendar and I’m starting to feel very festive. It won’t belong before I succumb to the charms of a gingerbread latte and curl up on the sofa to watch Elf (the best Christmas film ever – except for Die Hard of course!!!) Inspired by Elf and in an attempt to bring some more traditional colour … Continue reading Jingle All the Way
Yes, eagle eyed readers have seen this wreath before, especially when Simply Crochet magazine featured it on the front cover of the Crochet Christmas collection in 2016. I just love these bright colours! This pattern can be bought from Ravelry or for the special price of £1.00 plus VAT on Love Crochet. You can choose to follow my bright colour palette or stick to more … Continue reading A Bright Bauble Christmas
I used to love making gingerbread dough when my daughter was little, Rolling it out, cutting the shapes and then best of all we would go to town with sparkly sugar balls, sugar strands and icing. These crochet versions might be a “healthy” option, but they still give you lots of opportunities to decorate and embellish. Raid your button tin, use up all those oddments … Continue reading Gingerbread Man Pattern
Well, it’s the 1st of December and with no apologies I’m launching into a full month of festive crochet! I love this time of year. I Welcome the dark afternoons as an opportunity to light the fire, wrap up in snug blankets and crochet. While others will tell you this time of year makes them glum and tempted to hunker down and wish for spring … Continue reading A Granny Cool Christmas
Hello there! well, it’s been a while since I dropped by. But, I have been very busy and have lots of news, patterns and “secrets” to share. First of all, I still have a few copies of the “Woman’s Weekly Guide to Crochet” for sale via Etsy. You can order a signed copy, with a personalised message here (just let me know the message you’d … Continue reading Books, Books, Books
