The Cheat's Guide to Crochet Bunting

 I've been doing some crochet bunting. I have been known to do the odd granny square now and again. Not very often, mind you, but I do love them. I also like to stop off, from time to time, at the fab Attic 24 blog, mainly to marvel at Lucy's creative talent, but also because I'm originally a Yorkshire lass and, as much as I love my hectic London life, it's a great way to get my fix of 'up North'.

I've been amazed at the response, of all you crocheters out there, to Lucy's request for  classic granny-style crocheted bunting for the forthcoming Yarndale woolfest. The sheer generousity of all you hookers out there giving up your precious time and energy and your even more precious yarn stash to what is clearly going to look nothing less than SPECTACULAR.

Of course I had to have a go didn't I - how could anyone resist such a great little mini challenge. I just did the one - nothing special. Let's face it there is such an array of amazing colour combos on the Yarndale Flickr page. I simply couldn't compete.

This was just a quickie for me and nothing special but I must admit I'm pretty taken aback by how so many people have said "How nice", and "ooh that would be great for my.....", and "I'd love to be able to do that". Turns out this crochet bunting lark is a little bit exclusive - I forget that a lot of people are not able to crochet, and even those who can....it takes time. I'd have LOVED to have made a whole garland but this was a teeny-weeny project that I had to shoe-horn in-between everything else on my to-do list. 

It was this predicament that gave me an idea.... Just a bit of fun, let's say. If you can't have proper crocheted bunting.... what's the next best thing? Can you guess?

 Here's what I did.....

Looks like crochet bunting, I hear you say. Look closer...

Ok then, a bit closer?... Got it? . 

Printed crochet bunting!

If you can't have the real stuff, this has got to be the next best thing. From not too far away you'd never know. 

I've put together a printable PDF of granny-square-style crochet bunting in five different colouways. Just print out, cut round carefully, punch holes at each corner and string up. 

Now, anyone and everyone can have crochet bunting, whether or not they have the time or the knowhow. Looks great strung up at any party, or think what a nice little bit of quirkiness it will add to a vintage stall display. Watch people's surprise when they realise it's not the real thing. Your very own little trompe l'oeil. Just make sure you print it on a good a quality paper and a high quality media setting, and you'll have 'em fooled. And here's an idea - how about using iron-on transfer paper, or even printable cloth.... for crochet-print fabric bunting.

Here's the best bit - It's free to all thredHED Facebook Page Fans. Maybe you'd like to take the time to crochet the real thing - here's Lucy of Attic24's tutorial if you do... but if not, you can get my printable version

HERE 

Follow @thredHED

Baby Brights....Buggy Blanket

I'm hoping that those of you who have downloaded the pattern of the Buggy Blanket featured in my last post are enjoying making it as much as I did. In fact I enjoyed working with that particular stitch so much, I wanted to do another one straight away. It's rather addictive, and it just so happened that one of the mums in my neighbourhood was having a baby. Another perfect excuse.

So.....as a follow on from my last post I thought I'd provide you with a new update of my latest buggy blanket to show how versatile the pattern is. I can't believe how popular it's been - it seems we're well and truly ready for the new, Mid-Century-look pastels - I thought as much. 

Having said that, let's face it - not everyone likes the softer, paler shades....so how about a different, bolder colourway? 

I am equally fond of brights and was curious to see how it would look, so I thought I'd experiment with another variation of the pattern in brighter colours.

Here I chose some real tropical zingers. I used Stylecraft Special DK in Saffron, Aspen and Silver and King Cole Comfort Baby DK in Sorbet. They are good quality acrylic yarns, which are soft, and which wear and wash well - so important with a newborn.  This time I left out the black accent which I thought may have been a little too much in this case. I just continued with the same colour of the stripe. Works just as well. Great summer colours.

We're midway through a heatwave in sunny London at the moment. Right now, blankets are out of the question, but heatwaves here are few and far-between and don't last for long. The warmth of the orange yellow and turquoise-blue shades will carry nicely on through to the autumn, and beyond. 

The beauty is that you can use any DK, or if you have a stash of 4ply you can use a double strand. For the more creative among you, the options for different stripe and colour combinations are many. What would you do? - would love to hear your ideas.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have donated this pattern to charity.

P/hop is a charity knitting/crochet project that raises funds for the emergency aid organisation Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders.

Designers donate their patterns to P/hop, which are then available for you to download. The idea is that you decide the amount you wish to pay based on the amount of pleasure you get from knitting or crocheting your P/hop pattern. There is no fixed amount - it's up to you what you pay. You can get more details HERE 

The pattern comes as a downloadable PDF with clear instructions and easy to follow charts for those of you who prefer something more visual.

Make special gift to give to a Newborn and, at the same time, turn your enjoyment of crochet into vaccines, midwives and malaria treatments . 

 Get the pattern HERE via P/HOP and adapt.

Follow @thredHED

Retro Baby....Buggy Blanket

I was recently very excited to hear that a couple of good friends of mine, old college pals, were expecting a baby. As well as being absolutely thrilled to bits for them, I'd been wanting an excuse to do a baby blanket.

These are discerning friends... and certainly no slaves to fashion or fads. This one had to be special.

I chose crochet, because, let's face it, there's nothing cooler at the moment than wrapping your precious little bundle in something blatantly unique and handmade. I wasn't sure 'Homespun' would be their style so I decided to go for luxury, as in good quality artisan.

Most important of all - colour.  We've seen lot's of lovely things done for babies in 'brights' over the last couple of decades, and they are still fab,.... but this time I fancied a change.....

I'm liking the growing resurgence in pastel colours, not the sugary style that instantly springs to mind  -  this time the more subtle, subdued shades including, grey, stone and all manner of creams. It coincides nicely with the rediscovery of our love of 50s and 60s vintage, and when well combined can look gorgeous.

Finding the right colours can be tricky. Yarn companies, have never been known for being at the cutting edge of fashion - although they are slowly catching up, so you have to be canny and mix 'inter-brand' with those of a similar weight and composition. For a yarn that's very washable and quick to dry but which wears well and holds it's shape nicely, a wool/acrylic mix is ideal. I used Stylecraft Life. Beautiful and soft, good quality, it comes in a nice selection of shades and is pretty reasonably priced. I chose Mint and Silver. The ice-cream yellow I wanted was a little more hard to find so I used Wendy Jubilee in Vanilla, a beautiful soft dk yarn which is the same weight and composition as the other.

Marc Jacobs A/W 2012-1013

The pattern is a bold stripe, bordered by finer bands of the same colour. with a fine black accent to give it that quirky mid-century feel. Crocheted in one of my favourite stitch styles, and similar to that used by the fabulous Marc jacobs in his Autumn/winter 2012- 13 collection. A small pompom on each corner gives a nice luxury finish. Check out this fabulous simple tutorial from 'I Like Big Bows' on how to make mini pompoms

Measuring approx 78cm x 76cm it's the perfect portable size cover for the buggy, and for carrying around. 

Its lace-like construction makes it a light cover in the summer months, but thick enough to slip inside the foot-muff for extra warmth when the weather gets colder.

I don't get the chance, very often, these days, to give to charity, but I do try to as often as I can. In these times of austerity our charities are struggling more than ever to raise much needed funds, and so I have decide to donate this pattern to a worthy cause.

P/hop is a charity knitting/crochet project that raises funds for the emergency aid organisation Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders.

Designers donate their patterns to P/hop, which are then available for you to download. The idea is that you decide the amount you wish to pay based on the amount of pleasure you get from knitting or crocheting your P/hop pattern. There is no fixed amount - it's up to you what you pay. You can get more details HERE 

The pattern comes as a downloadable PDF with clear instructions and easy to follow charts for those of you who prefer something more visual.

Make special gift to give to a Newborn and, at the same time, turn your enjoyment of crochet into vaccines, midwives and malaria treatments . 

 Get the pattern HERE via P/HOP

For the fabulous origami bow pictured above, you can find the instructions at :-
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-bow.html

Follow @thredHED

Make Your Own Buttons

I've been working on a new little cardi for my daughter. I've been trying to get it done for the summer despite being busy with various things including what currently seems to be the worlds most demanding 4 year old - I'm hoping it's a phase. 

It was designed to go with her new 'best dress' and it's finally finished, but...here I am again. The button dilemma. I've delved into my my stash, but..... nothing. Nothing that will match, tone or even remotely go with the lovely unusual 'Bluebell' colour I've used.

So...here's what I came up with. A crochet button. Made with...wait for it...no less than....

a humble Roman Blind Ring

and yarn of your choice.

....and I thought it'd be nice to share it with you. From what I can see it's very similar to the style that is known as the 'Dorset Button', although in this case it's crocheted. 

I've used DK yarn and a 2mm crochet hook to make it nice and firm. Want to see how it's done? 

HERE'S THE FREE TUTORIAL

Cardi pattern soon to be published...watch this space...

Follow @thredHED

Plan B... Quick Flower Fix

A few months ago I planted some tulips. I love'em - they're one of my fave flowers and I was hoping that by now, the time of year when it's usually beginning to warm up , that my (very bare) mantelpieces would be graced with little jars of home-grown Tulips. OH, NO, not a chance. It's currently 2 degrees out there and it snowed practically all day yesterday. It's almost April, British summertime begins next weekend and it's fffreezing. MY poor ol' Tulips aint having any of it. Well, ok, whatever...but I was determined to have flowers so....plan B (take note Mr Osbourne). 

I thought about knitted or crocheted flowers but I fancied a bit of a change and perhaps something I could do with the little one, a bit of origami perhaps? This is not something I normally do, so I needed instructions- and it had to be seriously easy....and seriously easy it was. I found a nice little tutorial online and, well, you can see I now have flowers. I think they look great.

What's more, the Easter hols are coming up next week - would make a good project to do with the kids.

Click Here for Origami Tulip

Click Here for Flower Stem

Follow @thredHED

Keep 'em Cosy...Girls Legwarmers

Okay, so it's March, and great - yes, spring is definitely on it's way, but here in the UK that doesn't really mean too much weatherwise. It can still be really quite cold. Just last Tuesday we had a corker of a day. Beautiful sunshine - a real teaser of summer days to come. It was great..everyone was out...off to the park, tidying up their front gadens. Those of you who live in my lovely East London neighbourhood, that strange woman you saw skipping down the street - that was me. That's how chuffed I was to see the sun. .....But, and it's a big but, I did say it was a teaser. It's now damp and drizzly...and cold...we've had snow this week, and it's not forecast to warm up any time soon. Argggghhh. Just when you thought it was time to cast off those woollies. Stop right there - what were you thinking?

Even more keen to embrace the shedding of the clothes are our little ones. Now they've had a taste of that sunshine, they don't want to wear their boots anymore. There's no point replacing the tights they've already grown out of because they're not going to fit next year either. So here's a simple free pattern to cover that gap between legging and socks and to keep their little ankles cosy. Kiddies legwarmers. The simplest of patterns - knits up quickly in any DK yarn, looks great, and is a good pattern for beginners. Can be knitted on normal or circular needles - whichever you choose. The number of rows and stitches are the same - only diiference is a seam to sew up at the end, which is pretty straightforward. The pattern is to fit a 3-5 or a 6-8 yr old. See pattern for details.
 Pictured here in one of my current favourite funky fluoros.  Those colours are here to stay for a while so use 'em and abuse 'em.

This style is knitted in New Fashion DK by Woolcraft in shade 'Melon'.

Click Here For Free Pattern

Follow @thredHED

A Quick Trick.....Button Makeover

I have, in my come-in-handy store, a box of buttons - all shapes and sizes and colours. Some of them I've had for years - lots that I just haven't been able to use because the colours are, let's face it, pretty awful. I can't just throw them away, it  feels so wasteful. Buttons can be difficult to get hold of, and you can't buy them for a few pence any more. Then there's finding the right colour - much harder than you always think it will be.

In my humble opinon details are important and a good button can make all the difference to the finish of a lovely handmade piece. There's nothing worse than having spent hours of your precious time making something beautiful, only to go and spoil it with a a trim that just doesn't do it justice

If I can't find buttons to match or tone, I've found a nice simple way of getting what I need.

Unsurprisingly in my stash I also have a box of nail varnishes. From back in my 'girl about town' days when I had time on my hands to apply it, when I didn't wash half as many dishes as I do now and it didn't chip after five minutes.

There they sit in the hope that, one day, I'll  have the time to use them before they go all thick and gloopy.

However... Ive found another way to use those lovely little bottles of colour. Yep, you guessed right - buttons. Nail Varnish is as good for colouring buttons as it is your fingernails. There are so many different shades out there these days - if you don't have the colour you need it's bound to be in the shops somewhere and most of them are really not expensive.

Here's what you do:-

All you need are your buttons, a bottle of nail varnish in or matching the colour of your choice, and some double-sided sticky tape.

Peel off a legth of the double-sided tape - enough to easily fit all of your button on, and stick them down firmly with the right side facing up. These keeps them firmly in place.

Paint the buttons carefully with the nail varnish, not forgetting the sides of the buttons. Being stuck to the tape allows the to be manoevered around easily. You may need to apply two or more coats, depending on the colour and thickness of the varnish.

Allow to dry for several hours, preferably overnight, so that the nail varnish has dried to a nice hard finish.

Lift off from the tape, and there you have your new matching buttons.....ready to sew onto your garment.

Very Inportant - Make sure the buttons are completely dry before you use them. Nail varnish is hard to remove, particularly from fibres.

 Tadaaahhh!

It really is that simple. Yes, and so obvious. I've been doing it for years. It wears pretty well too as buttons really don't get anywhere near as much action as your fingertips, so the varnish dries nice and hard and doesn't chip.

...And there are some some great options here. You can have pearlescent, two-tone, smooth and glitter finishes - and my current favourites fluoro seen above after having painted a couple of pretty awful plastic buttons. Aren't they fab - they look geat as a contrast on a neutral background. These colour buttons are pretty hard to get hold of, particularly in small packs of the same size - believe me, I've tried. 

This is a great little upcycling project. By doing this not only will you be saving money, you'll be using what you would have otherwise probably thrown away, and best af all you'll be getting something unique that looks great.

Follow @thredHED

Yo Mums!

Just couldn't let this weekend go by without a big shout out to all you mums out there. It's the most imprtant job in the world - don't you forget it .....and if you ask me, it can be damn hard work sometimes. 

Happy Mothers Day ladies. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

'Yarn Bouquet'(pictured above) made with Stylecraft Special and King Cole Big value DK.

Poppy, Pelargonium and Lavender flower patterns from '100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet' by Lesley Stanfield.

Poppy Leaf, Pelargonium Leaf and Lavender Leaf patterns by thredHED©. 

For information contact ThredHED

Follow @thredHED

No Splashing out.....Crocheted Bath Mat

A nice relaxing hot bath - the perfect antidote to a hard day. Cleansed, warm, relaxed and smelling gorgeous - the last thing you want is to step out onto cold, hard, slippery tiles or floorboards. A soft, warm, dry bath mat is a vital element of that bathtime experience. But.... a bath mat, l find, can be a difficult one. You don't want to just buy any old bath mat. Yet, the usual scenario (for me anyway) seems to be - search, find a few that are unusual but a little too quirky or gimmicky, then find one I love - but it's way out of my price range, and I mean WAY out. I normally end up going to the nearest chain and getting something homogenous that I don't really want. So what's a simple ol' homemaker like me to do? Here's what.....

Crochet (and knitting for that matter) is big these days - and we aint just talking popularity. Larger hooks and needles, super thick yarn, even rope are being used to create the most gorgeous super- chunky soft creations. What could be better. Not only do they look good but, once you've adjusted to the new weight and dimensions they make-up in super-quick time. In some way it's use is limited - most items of clothing would be too heavy, but WOW, it opens the door to a whole new load of soft furnishing posibilities.

 

You may have gathered already that I'm a big fan of our local 99p store, and can often be seen there rummaging around. I had in my 'come in handy' stash a pack of cotton string I had found there a while ago. Basic but soft, and a nice neutral colour, which when crocheted with a double strand gave a lovely soft but meaty thickness - in fact perfect for a bath mat.

Crocheted in a simple ladder-style pattern using pretty basic stitches it has a textured stripe which looks stylish in a contemporary homespun way, and the 100% cotton content combined with the construction gives it just the right amount of absorbency.

A neat picot border finishes it off nicely. A little bit unusual, it's an expensive and unique looking finishing touch - but a real bargain. would look particularly good with a free standing bath. 

 

I've been using mine for a while now. It's totally washable and wearing pretty well - in fact i'm going to make another. It can be made in any cotton providing the correct thickness can be acheived, and in different colourways - the options are endless. The construction is very simple and would be great for a beginner. If you can't get hold of the cotton string, a suitable alternative could be two strands of chunky gauge cotton, or one strand of super chunky(bulky)cotton. Here's where you can get the pattern....

Click Here For Crochet Bath Mat Pattern

Item can be made to order

For details contact thredHED

Follow @thredHED

An Old Favourite........Girls Crochet Snood

Hats, scarves and all manner of accessories are now beginning to appear everywhere and I've noticed that the seasonal renewed enthusiasm for knitting and crocheting woolies is starting to build momentum, so I thought it would be a good time to post this. I've been meaning to for a while now but somehow it didn't seem right when it was 21 degrees, even though I knew there would be people shivering on the other side of the world.

Anyway, here it is..... the junior version of my oh-so-basic crocheted snood, which I featured on my blog last year with every intention of providing a pattern. The adult version has been very popular and I've had a good few requests for the version for little ones that I pictured in the original post. It is crocheted in the latest chunky style and knitted in a circle so there are no seams to sew up et the end. Super quick and easy to make and great for beginners. Can be made up in as little as just one evening.

The kids snood (or cowl or tube scarf as they are otherewise known) is starting to hit the streets and the shops. It's perfect for cosying up the lttle one as the journey to school gets colder, and so practical - no fastenings or bits flapping around and so easy to take on and off.

..And here's an idea for something a little bit more quirky. Fluoro accessories are super-trending this season. Why not make it up in fluorescent yarn - there are some great neon-yarn colours out there at the moment, and let's face it - no one can carry off these brights better than our little ones.

The pattern may be adjusted for variations in width and depth and best of all it's still freeeeee...

Here it is.......

Click Here For Pattern

Item can be made to order. For information contact thredHED

Follow @thredHED

Little Werewolf

Halloween - it's fast approaching. The shops are full of scary props and decorations and the kids (and grown-ups too perhaps?) are looking forward to dressing up.
Here's an idea for a a quick costume you can make using my Bear Hat no 2, some imagination and a little bit of help from Youtube.

 

All you need is a bear hat, some white and black(mix the two to make the grey) facepaints, a steady hand and this Werewolf face-painting tutorial from Beatrice R on You tube. It comes complete with scary music and it's fabulous. I did a simpler, toned-down variation - perhaps a bit more child friendly ie. quicker - they just can't sit for too long, and managed to create my very own little monster.

Doesn't have to be a werewolf, can be a Witches Cat or any other scary creature.

Happy Halloween!

Click Here for Bear Hat Pattern 

Click Here for Facepainting Tutorial 

Follow @thredHED

Back into the woods....Bear Hat no.2

I can't believe we're already heading into Winter. Seems like only weeks since we were looking forward to the Summer.
Now the days are getting shorter and colder over here in the northern hemisphere I thought it would be nice to give you another version of my Bear Hat... let's call it an update.

This one is a slightly different fit to suit the style and a little more versatile - possibly more suitable for a boy as well as a girl, having said that, a few older girls - even women have  expressed a keen interest.

I'm sticking with the the double strand of fur/eyelash and 4ply yarn as it's such an excellent combo for cold weather  - not heavy and ultra warm, with the Trapper style flap this time, to keep those little ears cosy. Well, I say little ears - it comes in sizes up to adult. Who says only the kids should get to wear the fun stuff?

It knits up on big needles in only a couple of evenings, and makes a great pressie. There's plenty of time to start making them for Christmas.

Watch out for the 120g pack of eyelash yarn in your local UK 99p Store. It crops up every now and again  - an offer far too good to miss.

Click Here for Bear Hat 2 pattern

Hat can be made to order. For information contact thredHED

Follow @thredHED

Junior Jubilee

Red, white, blue, flags, balloons, bunting, painted faces, street parties - schools, nurseries, church halls, pubs, everywhere! Seems that even the least likely patriots of us have caught the Jubilee bug, particularly here in London where the 2012 Olympics are looming on the horizon. It's not even worth taking down the decorations - might as well just keep them up until September.
Wishing you all a lovely and not too soggy (weather forecast is dire of course) weekend of celebrations.

Patchwork Flag Dress by thredHED
Pattern is available to order.
For information contact: thredhed@btinternet.com

Follow @thredHED

Little Chukka....Baby Desert Boots

Desert boots - they're everywhere at the moment, and don't we just love 'em! A great design classic and never out of style for those who know how to wear them (big salute to those old Mod friends of mine - you know who you are). Now the tiniest member of your family can be just as cool as mum, dad or older siblings and have their own pair. Stretchy and cosy, they tie on and look great on either a boy or a girl. Pictured above in cool cotton demin yarn (also trending big-time for summer this year) with contrasting laces for extra authenticity, or why not try a contrast sole.

Can also be knitted, and felted, in wool for when it's a little colder. Shown here in a versatile neutral Shetland yarn.

Each boot knits up in one piece, apart from the laces, with a single seam to stitch up. A small amount of shaping to follow but easy and super-quick to knit with a very simple way of fastening.

Makes a great little gift to celebrate a the birth of a new baby, and will be appreciated and used.... I looked all over for a pattern like this when my daughter was 3 months old and couldn't find one - so I made my own. They use only a small amount of yarn and are a good way of using up those little leftover oddments.

If you're feeling adventurous, why not check out my new stripey version.

 Find the pattern by following the link below.

Get Pattern Here

Item can be made to order. For information contact:
 thredHED

Follow @thredHED