Coasters and placemats

Crazy week ahead alert!

 

Hey Hey Crochet is taking off in big ways this week.

 

Yesterday morning I took my crochet to a local playgroup and introduced the world of crochet to busy mums. I had lots of interest in my crochet teaching parties and sold a couple of items whilst I was there. A really positive couple of hours. It's been a long time since I was at a playgroup though and I'd forgotten how hectic they can be with little people everywhere all vying for the same toys and desperate to be the person who operates the toy till behind the wooden shop counter. Priceless!!   

 

Yesterday evening I had my first crochet teaching party of the week - two more to go. A really busy party week :).

Although it was a small gathering, it was productive and granny squares were created by the end. I love the process of teaching the basic crochet stitches and listening to the group convinced they will never be able to make a granny square, only hours later to produce one. Amazing. A real buzz that I am proud to be a part of.

 

I've been thinking a lot about coasters and placemats recently; not because I'm a little weird but because my second party this week is going to focus on these items.

I began by looking at a traditional style similar to a granny square format -

 

 

These have come up really nice although the pictures don't reflect the vibrancy of the colours I used very well at all. Sorry about that - note to self, must update my technology! I was crocheting with Rico Creative Cotton yarn in Pistachio 41, Rouge 05, Yellow 63 and Orange 74. To create the larger placemat I increased the groups of trebles as it grew and with some trial and error managed to create the pattern I wanted.

 

 

It is so traditional and I really like it because of this.

The coaster is just a repeat version of the inner rounds of the placemat with the addition of a dc round to complete it. Together they look quite effective.

 



 

I then had a moment of self doubt - typical!

The group that my coaster and placemat is aimed at have completed granny squares at a previous lesson. How far removed is this from making a square I thought - not a lot is the answer. I want to challenge the group and further their crochet skills, so....I hunted through my crochet books and magazines for inspiration, and look what I found...

 

 

Isn't it fabulous? The pattern for the placemat comes from a pattern for a table cloth in Natalie Clegg's book 'Colourful Crochet for your Home' and I've just tweaked the pattern a little for the coaster.

Starting with the placemat, I decided to pick crazy colours that would just zing off your table - Rico Creative Cotton Cardinal 11, Pistachio Clear 44, Fuschia 13, Pink 64 and Tangerine 76. Apologies again for the poor presentation of the beautiful strong colours in my photography!

 

 

 

I adore the more contemporary feel of this placemat. It would look great on an indoor or an outdoor table and very chic using just one colour rather than five.

 

 

The flowery feel of the design is really clearly shown by this image. Just a lovely pattern which worked up beautifully using the Rico Creative Cotton.

For the coaster I took the cardinal coloured centre of the placemat and instead of making it all one colour I took the colours I had used on the placemat and did a round in each. As the centre only uses three rounds I then did a dc round in the pink, and again in the tangerine, finishing with a round of treble clusters to try and emulate the frilly tangerine round on the placemat. I think they look great together, although you could make the coaster more open by replacing the treble cluster round with a repeat of the tangerine round from the placemat. I prefer it a bit more enclosed as the bottom of glasses do need a firmer base so they don't topple over. And you really should use see-though glasses on these not mugs so that everyone can see your beautiful handiwork! 

 

 

 Just look at the colours - for once the camera hasn't let me down!

 

 

 I can't wait to teach them tomorrow. I think it will be a great challenge of my teaching and of their crochet skills and pattern reading. Should be fun.

So, back to my current works-in-progress!
I have a crochet bag part made, a crochet top very partly made, a granny square blanket project which is no where near as big as it needs to be (more a dolls blanket than a human one at the moment), and a whole host of things I want to crochet around our home. Phew!

One day I'll catch up with my crochet dreams...

 

 

 

Shh...ahh...wowzers!

I've been a bit quiet of late, not intentionally but time ran away from me :).

So, the week of chicken pox led to some really creative time for me but then followed with a week that was almost out of control with it's level of craziness!
It was my dear hubby's birthday last week and due to being trapped at home for a week I had severely fallen behind with my secret planning; so that took over for a while, with the three kids in tow. Surprisingly they managed to keep all the secrets!! Shocked me I can tell you. 
Then we went on holiday to Cornwall for a week. Amazing and restful and fun and inspiring. My life of crochet took a back burner for a week and I think my hands got a little restless but I've returned home with a list as long as my arm that I am desperate to crochet!

Here's three images from our holiday just outside Falmouth that made me sigh with creative goodness...

Don't you just love the completely seaside feel of these beach huts??

I love the stripes and the contrast of the colour against the cream. A touch of bold, a touch of pastel, a hint of ice cream?!

We went into the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and I was held spell bound by the numerous boats they had dangling from the roof! Lots of shades of blue, some white, really rich deep red that just screams sails and the sea, and of course lovely wood browns that you just feel the need to run your hands over immediately.

And finally, of course, the beach! This is Hayle beach on the north coast of Cornwall, boasting three miles of beautiful sand. It was amazing. We went there twice and although it was a little windy it was great.

I love the clash of the grass, the sand, the sea and the sky... and here and there the flash of a colourful kite dipping and diving in the sky. I think the words my kids would use is 'awesome'!

A great week.

 

Now back to my crochet world... :) xx

Chicken Pox inspiration week!

 

 

 

 

My house of chicken pox ridden children became a crochet creative heaven this week. An official reason to stay indoors and create - wore off a bit by the end of the week once the spots had begun to crust over and the boys got their energy back but were still trapped at home!

 

I had a go at making the small purses I mentioned before. So straightforward in double crochet throughout. Even sewing in a zip was easier than I thought. And with the added beauty of a bead on the zip I love it. Loving the combination of colours - making more of these I think in various sizes for money, knick knacks and full on clutch size. Ooh, the possibilities are endless...  

 

 

Then on to my brother- and sister-in-laws cushion for their new nursery - baby due in the Summer, sex as yet unknown!

 

My sister-in-law had agreed some colours that matched their new nursery curtains...

 

 

Then I got my magazines and books out for inspiration.

I love a traditional Granny square pattern so I knew that I wanted to do one side in this design but I wanted the other side to be something different. A beautiful granny square blanket had caught my eye in one of my crochet books (DK Crochet) where the inside of the squares was a flower motif. To be difficult I decided that I would not actually follow this pattern but just create my own as I went along using it as a visual stimulus...

 



 

I love what came out of my head...

I began with 5ch, sl st to form a ring, then 3ch and 11 tr into the ring sl st to join and form round 1.

Round 2 - join 2nd colour into space between tr of round 1, 3ch, [2tr] into ch sp, * 1ch [3tr]into next ch sp repeat from * 11 times, sl st into top of first 3ch.

Round 3 - join 3rd colour into space between tr of round 2, 3ch, [2tr] into ch sp, * 2ch [3tr]into next ch sp repeat from * 11 times, sl st into top of first 3ch.

Round 4 - join 4th colour into space between tr of round 3, 3ch, [2tr, 3ch,3tr] into ch sp, * 1ch [3tr]into next ch sp, twice,  1ch [3tr, 3ch, 3tr] into next ch sp, repeat from * twice, 1ch [3tr]into next ch sp, twice, 1ch sl st into top of first ch 3 .

Don't worry that they don't look quite square as you join them together they gain the square shape.

 

I joined mine as I went along by holding them right side together and joining with a dc stitch. I alternated the colour of the squares as I went along as well. Bit of symmetry always looks nice :)...

 

 

 

The finished side looks great...

 

And the traditional Granny square side matched up beautifully too...





 

I then joined the sides together using a dc stitch but this time with the wrong sides together giving a lovely edge to the work. 

 

I am so pleased with the finished project that as soon as I get time I am going to begin replacing all of the cushion covers in my house with varying crochet patterns.  

 

What's next in my long list of crochet projects??

Mmmm, I have a pattern for a lovely vintage 1970s short sleeve top which I am desperate to have a go at, might get on with some more purses, or maybe do a few granny squares for my 2014 granny square blanket project..... the possibilities are endless.

Oh, and hopefully less chicken pox in my life...next week I plan for us to go out everyday at least once, just because we can!!

 

Until next time Happy Crocheting..xx

 

 



 

Catch up time!!

 



Last week was a good week for Hey Hey Crochet! with two teaching parties. It was a lot of fun and great to see everyone getting to grips with a little crochet creation.  I love watching everyone pick out the colours they are going to use - a great bit of inspiration for me as I see colours together that I may not have considered...

 

 

With two crochet teaching parties under my belt last week, I thought I might be due a rest this week... but no! My two boys have come down with chicken pox on a truly impressive scale - I've never seen so many spots or two such miserable boys :( !!!

 

On the plus side, apart from dropping my daughter at preschool we've been stuck indoors, so I've been finishing one of my WIPs and attempting to catch up on some other crochet projects that have been staring at me for quite a while!

 

Here's one that I thought wouldn't take too long but with Hey Hey Crochet finding its' feet  it has actually taken me about a month to complete... my super cosy scarf! Just in time for the warmer weather I realise! Maybe, I'm just a step ahead of next winter...

 

I used a beautiful yarn that changes shade as it goes so it has given the scarf a lovely raspberry sorbet type feel to it - do you know, I may begin to refer to it as my 'raspberry' scarf. I wouldn't normally be a tassel person but this time I think they work great. Plus they give it a little more length for very little effort!

And just in case you are wondering, yes that's me proudly demonstrating the correct way to wear my 'raspberry'!!! Love it...

 

Now on to the next projects - a cushion for my brother and sister-in-laws nursery (first baby due so cushion needs to be just right), I fancied making some small purses with zips - an easy project but I've never sewn a zip in before so that will be a learning curve, and some beautifully bright placemats and coasters for our dining table - need new crockery first though so I've got a bit of time before I can do that! Phew!

 

Until next time - happy crocheting!