Inspired by Colour!

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is "how do you choose your colours?".

Unless you have had a class or two in colour theory or have an "eye" for colour, deciding what colours to use can be VERY frustrating!

A quick and easy way to build up a small "stash" of colours that work well together, is to pick out a few balls of variegated yarn.

Don't think about it too much - just something that catches your eye! 

Buy a ball or two of each of the colours in the variegated yarn and you will have a lovely little "no stress" colour palette!

LOVE!     LOVE!    LOVE, variegated yarn!

Layered Flowers

I have a little basket into which I throw my less than perfect blooms or those which I do not use on my finished projects.

Every now and then I will empty the basket and layer up the blooms to make a selection of "interesting" flowers!!    Just layer them from the biggest bloom up to the smallest and join them with an embroidery needle and some yarn!

For the first bloom I layered three different "flowers":

First 4 rows of my STARFLOWER MANDALA
A LITTLE WILDFLOWER
and a TEENY TINY STAR

For the second bloom I layered two different flowers:

A LITTLE WILDFLOWER
and two CHAIN LOOP DAISIES (you can vary the sizes of the chain loop daisy by crocheting more or less chains on each petal!)

Layer up whatever flower-like pieces you have made  - add a button or a bead and VOILA!!!

Granny Hearts

Granny Hearts!!!   

Just in time for Valentine's Day!

GRANNY HEART PATTERN

PATTERN TERMS:   US

MATERIALS:    100% DK COTTON (I used Coffee Cotton)

HOOK SIZE:  4.00mm

SKILL LEVEL:  Easy


Foundation:  3ch, sl st to make a circle OR  make a magic ring

Row 1:   3ch (counts as 1dc), 2dc into circle;  (3ch; 3dc into circle) x3;   3ch, sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.    Break off yarn.

Row 2:   Join yarn in any 3ch space.     6ch (counts as 1dc, 3ch), 3dc into same space (first corner);  (3dc, 3ch, 3dc into next 3ch space) x3;   2dc into same space as start join;   sl st into 3rd of 6ch to close.

Row 3:   Sl st into first corner space;  (2trc, 3ch, 3trc, 3ch, 2trc) into next space between corners;  sl st into next corner space;   ((2trc, 3ch, 3trc, 3ch, 2trc) into next space between corners;   sl st into next corner space to close.    Break off yarn.

Row 4:  Join yarn in unworked corner (the apex or point of the heart),   3ch (counts as 1dc), (2dc, 3ch, 3dc) into same corner;  (1ch, 3dc into next space) x2;   2ch, 3dc into next space;   2ch, (3dc, 3ch, 3trc) into next 3ch space;   sl st to right  of sl st in Row 3;   sl st to left of sl st in Row 3;   (3trc, 3ch, 3dc) into next 3ch space;   2ch, 3dc into next space, 2ch;  (3dc into next space, 1ch) x2,  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.    Break off yarn.

Row 5:   Join yarn with a sl st to left of 2nd sl in Row 4;   2ch,  1dc into same space;   (skip 2dc, sl st into next space between dc;  2ch, 1dc into same space;   skip 1dc, sl st into next space;   2ch, 1dc into same space) all around ending with a sl st to the right of 1st sl st in Row 4

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A special thank you to Jackie Ramsden of BLANKIES BY JACKIE for testing this pattern:

and to John Kelly of HE IS HOOKED and Michelle Westlund of CROCHET BETWEEN WORLDS  for proof reading the pattern!