Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Friday 28 June 2013

Hexagon Crochet Motif # 2 - Pattern & Tutorial

Hexagon Crochet Motif
Ch 4, ss to join


Hexagon Crochet Motif
Round 1
3ch, 11 dc, ss to join


Hexagon Crochet Motif
Round 2
 ch 1dc into sp between dc;  
*2dc into sp between dc* rep *to* 11 times
= 24dc

Hexagon Crochet Motif
 Round 3
 3ch. 1dc into sp between 2dc, 1dc into next sp
*2dc into next sp between 2dc, 1dc into next sp*
Rep *to* 11 times
36 stitches


Hexagon Crochet Motif



Hexagon Crochet Motif


Hexagon Crochet Motif
 Round 4
3ch, 1dc 1ch into sp between 2dc
*2dc, 3ch, 2dc, 1ch;  2dc 1c into each sp between 2dc*
Rep *to* 5 times
2dc, 3ch, 2dc, 1ch into last sp between 2dc
ss to join

Use the join-as-you-go method to join your crochet hexagon motifs

Wednesday 26 June 2013

WIP's on Wednesday #1

Works In Progress this Wednesday:
 
Red Rose
Pruning the Roses


Daisy Granny Squares
Daisy Babyghan
 
Giant Box stitch granny square
Top to Bottom:  Flower Granny Squares, Block Stitch Babyghan, Daisy Babyghan, Hexagon Scrapghan

Daisy Granny Squares - Pattern

Feeling a bit cold this morning - sitting in the sunniest spot in my craftroom with a hot cuppa and my laptop!    I have quite a few orders to fill but my fingers are too cold to get started!

One of the commissions I am busy with at the moment is a lilac, grey and cream baby blanket.   There is still quite a lot of work to be done on the blanket but I thought I might share the pattern for the squares I am making with you in the meantime....



Crochet Daisy Centres
Lovely Daisies

Still absolutely loving the daisy centres I found here - she has a brilliant tutorial on how to make them too.  I wanted my squares to be a bit more "open" so I did not follow her pattern for the subsequent rounds.

This is how I made mine:

First two rounds = the daisy

Third Round
Join new colour in space between two petals
3 Ch;  2dc; 1ch, *3dc, 1ch* in each next 11 spaces
Join with a ss

Fourth Round
Worked into spaces between clusters
3ch, 2dc, 1ch;
*3dc, 3ch;  in next sp; 3dc, 1ch in next 2 sp* rep *to* 3 times
3dc, 3ch in next sp;    3dc 1ch in next sp
ss to join


Daisy Crochet Granny Squares
Lilac & Grey Granny Squares

Fifth Round
Join new colour into first sp after cnr
3ch, 2dc 1ch;  3dc 1ch into next sp
*3dc, 3ch, 3dc, 1ch into cnr, 3dc 1c into each of next 2 sp* rep *to* 3 times
3dc, 3ch, 3dc, 1ch into last corner, ss to join
  
Daisy Granny Squares
Five rounds of the first "joining square"


Join as you go
Joining the squares - starting corner


join as you go
Joining the squares


join as you go
Joining the square onto already joined squares

For a more detailed explanation on "joining as you go" see my Hexagon #1 Tutorial HERE

I find it quite difficult to "write" a pattern - so if you find any errors or have any suggestions please leave me a comment!

These squares are such fun to make that I ended up making way too many of them - have set them aside to make another blanket when I have a bit of time.

Stay warm ...... and happy crafting!

Hexagon Crochet Motif #1 (Flower Hexagon) - Pattern & Tutorial

Here is the pattern for the motif used to make the HEXAGON #1 BLANKET

Crochet Hexagon Motif Tutorial
Ch 4, ss to join.   3ch, 11 dc, ss to join


crochet hexagon motif tutorial
 3ch, 2dc into sp between dc, 1ch;   
* miss next sp;  3dc into next sp, 1ch* repeat *to* 5 times

crochet hexagon motif tutorial
3ch, 2dc, 2ch, 3dc into 2ch sp; 
*3dc, 2ch, 3dc into next 2ch sp* repeat *to* 5 times

crochet hexagon motif tutorial
In sp next to corner 3ch, 2dc, 1ch:
*3dc, 3ch, 3dc, 1ch in cnr sp, 3dc 1ch*
rep *to* 5 times;  3dc, 3ch, 3dc, 1ch, ss to join

crochet hexagon motif tutorial
Start joining on a free corner - 3dc, 1ch into working hexagon
1 sc into cnr of completed "joining" hexagon


crochet hexagon tutorial
1ch, 3dc into working hexagon to complete cnr
1sc into next sp on "joining" hexagon
3dc into sp between cnrs on working hexagon

crochet hexagon tutorial
When you reach an "inside" corner where hexagons are already joined
3dc into corner of working hexagon, 1 ch
sc into first "joining" hexagon;   1 sc into second "joining"  hexagon
1ch, 3dc into working hexagon


crochet hexagon tutorial
The joined hexagons

crochet hexagon tutorial 
A closer view - joining multiple crochet hexagons

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Hexagon Crochet Motif #1 - Afghan

Just returned from the food hyper -  had to do a quick bit of grocery shopping.   Picked up some yarn too (really eeuwky colours - but that was all they had).    I'm sure I can challenge my brain to make something interesting (an idea is already forming)!

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for inspiration to use up a few skeins of red and dark brown yarn    I had inherited my Great Granny's crochet books, patterns, hooks and yarns when she passed away - so I snuggled into a sunny corner of my craft room with a cup of hot mocha chocolate and the wooden box full of Granny's handwritten / drawn patterns.

I was particularly delighted to find three patterns for hexagon motifs (which were not named but simply numbered).  

The motif I used for this Afghan was "Hexagon #1".    Granny's pattern did not stipulate colour change.   I just played around with the rows until I was happy with the result - using alternatively a single colour, and a different colour for each row:

You can find the photo tutorial and pattern for Hexagon #1 HERE


Hexagon Motif Crochet Afghan
The start of the project - and some beautiful Roses from my youngest
Hexagon Motif Crochet Afghan
I love the contrast of the Roses against the Hexagons
Hexagon Motif Crochet Afghan
Starting to see a pattern

So warm and colourful!


hexagon motif
A close up of the border






hexagon motif
Very "country cottage"
These hexagons work up to a very warm and soft textured afghan.     I must say I am quite chuffed with the result.

Until next time ...... happy crafting!!

Crochet Owls

Happy Tuesday!

While hopping around the internet I found these lovely little crochet owls!

I just had to make a few for fun!


crochet owls

Unfortunately there were no bright colours in my stash - so I am going to have to get some and make another brightly coloured batch.

Jacquie used beads for the eyes but I had some "googly eyes" and glued them on instead.


 crochet owls

Have a "hoot" crafting!

Monday 24 June 2013

Diagonal Box Stitch Afghan - Shades of Blue

Enjoying a sublime cup of Orange Tea, relaxing in my lazy chair with my laptop.

My cat just ran into my craft room - gave me a really nasty look - her usual "morning corner" has been taken over by my photo props.    She has now somehow managed to squeeze herself in behind the props and is looking decidedly grumpy!

But without further ado and as promised HERE- Shades of Blue Diagonal Box Stitch Afghan! 
diagonal box stitch crochet afghan

The yarn I used in this project was actually from another project which I had frogged!    No planning (or much thought) went into how much yarn was needed for this project.    Of course I ran out of three colours a good couple of rows before I finished.

I left it unfinished for a couple of months trying to find a match for the colours.     Almost five months later still no match!.    Nothing quite as annoying as an almost finished project just lying around - had to make a plan.   I completed this diagonal box stitch afghan using baby blue and went on an internet search to find something to add a bit of Oomph to the plain corner.  Found a pattern for some lovely hearts which I appliqued on (rather badly!)   Added a border of 3 rows dc, 1 row ch and sc.


Box Stitch Crochet Afghan

Oh I love blue!


box stitch crochet afghan

And did I mention how much I love blue??


box stitch crochet afghan

Lunch time!    Think I am going to have a toasted cranberry chicken mayo!    Ooh yum - always used to have that for lunch at my favourite little Cafe - which sadly closed down when our local mall was renovated - now I just have to be content with my version of this delectable treat!

Diagonal Box Stitch Afghan - Dusty Rose

Monday again!!    Why do the weekends go by so fast???

It was my daughter's 22nd birthday on Saturday.   Her boyfriend gave her 100 roses in all shades of pinks and reds - absolutely gorgeous. You will see some of them in the photos I have taken - she was sweet to allow me to use them as a prop! The sunniest part of Sunday was spent photographing my recently finished projects to share with you!

There was a pattern for a diagonal box stitch lapghan in the September / October 2012 issue of Crochet Today.   I had never crocheted anything on a diagonal before and the GYPSY BLANKET was my first attempt at this.

This was another one of those mile a minute patterns that get you "hooked" and I recently made two more afghans using the diagonal box stitch.

For this Dusty Rose Diagonal Box Stitch Afghan I used cream, beige and dusty rose with a repeat stripe as follows:

2 rows cream
6 rows dusty rose
6 rose beige
6 rows dusty rose

2 rows cream
6 rows beige
6 rows dusty rose
6 rows beige


diagonal box stitch afghan

Finished it off with a very simple border - two rows of double crochet in Dusty Rose and then a row of tiny shells in cream:


diagonal box stitch afghan

Final measurements 200cm x 230cm (quite impossible to get the whole thing in for a photo!).    Had a lot of fun posing some of my Teddy Bears on it though!!


diagonal box stitch afghan

Off to make a quick cuppa and do some chores and then I will post my Shades of Blue Diagonal Box Stitch Afghan ....... HERE

Sunday 23 June 2013

Ripple Crochet Afghan - Autumn Shades

Here are some photos of my second ripple crochet afghan  (still quite addicted to the ripple!!) - (photo's of the first one here).    This and the Blue Hues ripple crochet afghan have been stash / scrap buster projects - so putting the colours together in a random but fairly organised way was challenging but a ton of fun!

For this ripple afghan I used:   Blue, Teal, Beige,Camel Red, Dark Grey, Cream, (and a small amount of pink and some variegated yarn) - strictly speaking not all autumn shades - but I thought it looked quite autumny!


crochet stripe
Cheerful Ripples


crochet stripes



crochet stripes


crochet stripes
Looks So Warm on the couch in my Craft Room


freeform flowers
Added some Crochet Flowers
crochet stripes
Folded up neatly just waiting for me!

My blog has been terribly neglected this year - something which I am determined to remedy!

The weather has been perfect for photos the past few days and I have put aside my WIP's to photograph my recently finished projects to share with you.

Birthday Cupcakes


Happy Birthday Dani Rose!!!!

Twenty Two - WOW!!!


Fairy Cakes

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Ripple Crochet Afghan: Blue Hues

I received an insanely easy free ripple crochet pattern by e-mail one morning while sipping my first cuppa and just had to give it a go before breakfast.

It worked up really fast too and the great thing about this is that you can use up all the odd bits and pieces of yarn that always seem to accumulate.


crochet stripes

About a year ago I made a whole lot of flowers to decorate an afghan I had made my sister for her 40th birthday (note to self - find the photo's and upload them!).    I made up my own patterns for the flowers as I went - having so much fun that I never wrote down what I was doing - figured that it would be easy enough to replicate from sight.

There were quite a lot of flowers left after I had completed the Birthday Afghan and I have been using them to add a bit of Zing to my various odd projects


crochet stripes



crochet stripes

The border is simply two rows of double crochet in baby blue, a row of double crochet and a row of single crochet and chain in some oddment of variegated yarn.


ripple crochet


ripple crochet afghan

Love!  Love! LOVE IT!!


crochet stripes

I am rather "hooked" (pun intended!) on this pattern now and was quite sad when I finished this project

Luckily I have finished quite a few big projects lately and so there were plenty of odds and ends just waiting to become another Ripple afghan.

Until next time ........ Happy Crafting!!