Primrose and Clover

One of my earliest childhood memories is of me sitting on a little footstool next to my great granny watching her crochet.      She would often stop making her fine intricate designs and make up a little design for me to practice.

I came across some of these motifs in a ziplock bag amongst my LATE MOM'S STASH

I gave the motifs my own little twist, and made them into a sweet little tray cloth with a clover picot border!

The pattern is available in my RAVELRY STORE

Readers will receive a 30% discount on the purchase of this pattern until Sunday, 13 September 2015, using Coupon Code PRM0001

This pattern is suitable for table mats, tray cloths, table runners, tablecloths and even blankets.     Just keep on adding squares until it is the size you require and then crochet the border and edging!!

Sunday Afternoon Tea Mandala: Print Friendly Version

The print friendly version of this pattern can be found on RAVELRY

Zooty Owl Trivets: Pattern

I have been messing around with the font style and size on my blog and for some unknown reason extra line spaces have started inserting themselves.    No matter what I do I just cannot seem to get rid of them.    So please excuse the weird spacing - I am trying to figure it out!    Blogger does seem to be misbehaving today - wrongs dates and all sorts of funnies!!

Whilst on my Autumn cleaning mission my ideas got a bit of a clear out too !

This was initially supposed to be a cushion (made from Chunky yarn), but after about six attempts at the gusset I gave it up as a bad job.    I was about to frog the idea altogether then I thought - HEY!!! -  Owl Trivets for my daughter's kitchen! Could work??

The Owl Body I had designed for the cushion was a "solid" circle.    Since I was a bit Mandala Crazy at the time of making these trivets I designed a Mandala Body for the Trivet

(I will add directions in the pattern for those who would rather use the "solid" version)

The feet and the beak on the first one were a bit of a production.   I was happier with the second trivet, which I made while writing out the pattern:

Made a third trivet for the photo tutorial - sewed the beak on really skew.   I was about to unpick it and re-attach it when my son said I must leave it - he reckons that is how I pull my mouth when I am unimpressed with something!!   (Apparently that was exactly what I WAS doing when I saw how skew the beak was!!)

and a fourth while running through the pattern with the testers:

Eleanor Thomson, who has a lovely blog called NELNANANDNORA, was one of the ladies kind enough to test this pattern for me (Thank you so much Eleanor!!).  Here is her Zooty Owl Trivet:

HANDMADE BY:   ELEANOR THOMSON

ZOOTY OWL TRIVET

PATTERN TERMS:   US

My patterns are all written in US terms - I have included this little chart to make it easier for my UK readers to reference the difference in stitch terms.

Skill Level:  Easy

Approximate Time:  3 hours

I would recommend any DK 100% cotton if this IS going to be used as a trivet (or in the kitchen) - if not, any yarn whatsoever can be used - from 2ply to t-shirt yarn (depending on what you would like to use it for!!)

Use whatever hook size suits your choice of yarn and your tension.

MANDALA VERSION: 

Yarn:  Raeesah Cotton Soft DK (100% cotton)

Hook Size:   4.00mm 

Size:  Top of head to foot = 30cm;   Mandala diameter = 23cm

BODY

Foundation:   4ch, sl st to form circle OR make a magic circle 

Row 1:  3 ch (counts as 1 dc), 11 dc into circle (12 dc), sl st into top of 3ch to join, break off yarn

Row 2:  join yarn in any dc; 3ch, 1dc into same place as join;  2dc into each of next 11dc  (12 x 2dc groupings = 24dc), sl st into top of 3ch at start to close, break off yarn.
  
Row 3:  Join yarn in sp bet any 2dc grouping;   3ch, 2dc in same sp as join; 3dc into each of next 11 sps bet 2dc groupings; sl st into top of 3ch at start to close (12 x 3dc groupings - 36dc);  break off yarn

Row 4:  Join yarn in sp between any 3dc grouping;   3ch 1dc, 2ch, 2dc into same space as join;  (2dc, 2ch, 2dc into each of next 11 spaces between 3dc groupings)  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 5:  Join yarn in 2ch sp in the middle of any grouping;   In same sp as join 3ch (counts as 1dc) 2dc, 1ch, 3dc, 1ch;   (3dc, 1ch, 3dc into middle 2ch sp of next grouping; 1 ch) x 11;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 6:  Join yarn in any 1ch sp;   3ch (counts as 1dc), 2dc into same sp as join, 1ch;  (3dc into next 1ch sp, 1ch) repeat to end;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 7:   Join yarn in 1ch sp between any 3dc grouping;   3ch 1dc, 2ch, 2dc into same space as join;  (2dc, 2ch, 2dc into next  space between 3dc groupings) repeat to end;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 8:  Join yarn in 2ch sp in the middle of any grouping;  in same sp as join 3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc, 1ch;   (4dc in 2ch sp in the middle of next grouping, 1ch) repeat to end;  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 9:  Join yarn in sp bet any 4dc grouping;   in same sp as join 3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc, 1ch;   (4dc in next sp between groupings;  1ch) repeat to end;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 10:  Join yarn in 1ch sp between two 4dc groupings;  3ch (counts as 1dc) in same 1ch sp as join;  1dc into each of next 4dc;  (1dc into 1ch sp bet two 4dc groupings; 1dc into each of next 4dc) repeat to end;  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.

HEAD

In same colour as Row 10;

Note:  Head worked over 37 stitches

Row 11:    4ch (counts as 1trc) in same sp as sl st;  1trc into each of next 6dc;   1dc into each of next 7 dc;  1hdc into each of next 4dc;  1 sc into next dc;  1hdc into each of next 4dc;  1dc into each of next 7dc;  1trc into each of next 7trc;   turn

Row 12:  4ch (counts as 1trc);  1trc into each of next 6trc;  1dc into each of next 7dc;  1hdc into each of next 4hdc; 1sc into sc; 1hdc into each of next 4hdc;  1dc into each of next 7dc;  1trc into each of next 7trc,  turn

Row 13 - 15:   Repeat Row 12

EYES 

MAKE 2

Foundation:  navy, black or dark brown yarn - 4ch, sl st into first chain to form a circle or make a magic circle.

Row 1:  2ch (counts as 1hdc) into same place as sl st;  9 hdc into circle;  sl st into top of 2ch at start to close (10hdc);  break of yarn.

Row 2:  blue or green - Join yarn in top of any hdc,  2ch (counts as 1hdc), 1hdc in same sp as join;  (2hdc into top of next hdc) x9, sl st into top of 2ch at start to close (10 x 2hdc groupings = 20hdc);   break off yarn.

Row 3:  white - Join yarn between any two 2hdc groupings;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 2dc into same sp as join;  (3dc into each next space 2hdc groupings) x9;  (10 x 3dc groupings = 30dc);   sl st into top of 3ch at start;  break off yarn.

Row 4:  beige - Join yarn between any 3dc grouping;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc into same sp as join;  4dc into each sp between 3dc groupings;  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 5:  grey - join yarn in any dc;  1ch, 1sc in same dc as join;  1sc into each dc;  sl st into 1ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Row 6:  (same colour as the last round of the Mandala Body) - join yarn in any sc; 1ch, 1sc in same sc as join;  1sc into each sc;   sl st into 1ch at start to close;   break off yarn leaving a long tail to work eyes on to head

BEAK

Foundation:   4ch, sl st to for circle OR make a magic circle 

Row 1:  3 ch (counts as 1 dc), 12 dc into circle (13 dc), sl st into top of 3ch to join

Row 2:  1ch, 1sc into same place as sl st; 1sc into each of next 3dc;  2hdc into next dc;  2dc into next dc;   (1dc, 1trc, 1dtrc, 1trc, 1dc) into next dc;  2dc into next dc;   2hdc into next dc, 1sc into next 4dc;  sl st into 1st sc to close

Row 3:  1ch, 1sc into same place as sl st;   1sc into each of next 3 stitches;  2sc into next st;  1sc into next st;  2sc into next st;  1sc into next 3 st;  (1sc, 1hdc, 1sc) in next st;    1sc in next 4st;  2sc into next st;  1sc into next st;  2sc into next st, 1sc into next 4st;   sl st into first sc to close.   Break off yarn.

Detail:  Rejoin yarn in a contrasting colour with a sl st.    sl st into each st around beak, break off yarn at last sl st.  

With a tapestry needle, pull the yarn through from front to back on the first ss, pull to tighten neatly. then thread the yarn through the back loops on the next few ss.   Weave in to secure.
  

FEET

5dc spikes worked into Row 9 as follows:

Right Foot is worked over a 4dc grouping and the space directly after the 4dc grouping
Left Foot is worked into the space directly before a 4dc grouping, and then over the 4dc grouping.

The centre of each foot will be worked in line with the centre of each eye

Row 1:  Join yarn to hook with a sl st;   Working on right side of work crochet standing dc into sp between 4dc groups on Row 9; 1ch;   (1dc spike into top of dc in four dc group on Row 9) x4

Turn (working on wrong side)

Row 2:  Ch 3, 3dc into first 1ch sp;   sl st into next 1ch sp,   4ch, 3trc into same sp as sl st;  sl st into next 1ch sp,  3ch, 3dc into same sp as sl st;   sl st into next 1ch sp,  break off yarn.

SOLID VERSION:

Yarn:  Strawberries & Cream (50% recycled cotton / 50% Acrylic)

Hook Size:   4.50mm

Size:  Top of head to foot = 34cm;   Mandala diameter = 25cm

BODY

Foundation:   4ch, sl st to form circle OR make a magic circle

Row 1: 3ch, 11 dc into circle, sl st to close

Row 2:  3ch (counts as 1dc) 1dc into same dc as sl st from Row 1;   (2dc into each dc) x 11 = 24dc;   sl st to close

Row 3: 3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into same dc as sl st;  1dc into next dc;  (2dc into next dc;  1dc into next dc) x 11 times = 36dc;   sl st to close

Row 4:  3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into same dc as sl st;  1dc into each of next 2dc;  (2dc into next dc, 1 dc into each of next 2dc) x11 = 48dc;   sl st to close

Rows 5 - 10:  For each subsequent round continue to do 2dc into top of 1st of "double" dc of the previous row;   1dc into top of 2nd of "double" dc;  1dc into each single dc.    This means that every row increases by 12 stitches - thus keeping the work flat.

EYES and BEAK worked as for the Mandala Version.

FEET as for the Mandala Version, but the 5dc spikes are worked into the spaces between 5 consecutive dc.

A FEW IDEAS:

The Solid Version would make a great rug.    For this you could use sheet yarn, t-shirt yarn or even plastic yarn (plarn)

The Trivets are a little bit floppy - you could add a quilted backing to make them firmer and more heat resistant.    I am going to sew mine onto a layer of very heavy denim.    (I always wash the crochet and the denim first - just in case there is any shrinkage!)

You could decorate the owls (especially the Solid Version) if you wanted to use it as a wall hanging.  I have added ear tufts and MAGIC RING FLOWERS (with 5 petals instead of 6).   Think I might add a few beads and buttons too ......

Will post a photo when I have had enough fun decorating this one!

Yarndale

YARNDALE is a wonderful wooly festival held in the gorgeous market town of SKIPTON in North Yorkshire, England!

I was completely in awe of the fantastic 2013 YARNDALE BUNTING - some 6212 crochet granny triangles from all over the world strung up in a fantastic display of colour!    A wonderful feat organised and co-ordinated by Lucy of Attic 24.

WOW!    I thought to myself - how amazing it would be to be able to participate in something so COOL!!

AMAZINGLY this year I actually do get to play a teeny tiny part in Lucy's vision for Yarndale 2014.

Lucy asked me to design a fairly small mandala (no bigger than 20cm / 8 inches) which blog readers could make and send in for this year's YARNDALE YARNBOMB

I made three designs - thinking Lucy would select one of them!    She loved all three!    How chuffed am I???

The details of the yarnbomb are all in Lucy's latest Blog post - make one, or two, or three and send them off to Attic 24 - and be a part of this exciting project!!!

Don't forget to make a few for yourself too!!

GRANNY MINI MANDALA

 

SUNNY FLOWER MINI MANDALA 

HAKUNA MATATA MINI MANDALA