Wednesday, 26 October 2011

little pumpkins :: a pattern

Free little pumpkins crochet pattern


I made these little ones up on a lazy saturday morning, with a toddler 'helping', they're pretty easy and super quick, so I thought I'd share my pattern with you here.

I quite like them simple and plain but you can embroider a face on them too if you like.

little pumpkins 
 ingredients ::

orange double knit cotton (I used rowan milk cotton in 'fruit salad')
green double knit cotton (I used debbie bliss organic cotton)
stuffing
black embroidery thread (if you want to put a face on)

4mm hook

embroidery needle

method ::

for the stork ::

leaving a long end and using the green cotton, chain 7

row 1 ::
work 1 1dc in to the second chain from hook, then 1dc in to each of next 5 chains.

row 2 ::
working in to both the top of the stitch you just made and the bottom chain, work 1dc, do this all the way along the row, making a tube of sorts.

fasten off, leave a long end, thread the end on to a needle and bring it through the stork to the bottom, so both end s are at the same end.

for the pumpkin ::

using the orange cotton, chain 2

round 1 ::
work 6 double crochet in to second chain from hook, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 2 ::
1 chain, *2dc in to each stitch, repeat from * to end.

round 3 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of dc below, 1dc, repeat from * to end, make sure you are working in to the top of each stitch with the double crochets you are working and around the post of each treble crochet below, so that you are increasing the amount of stitches you have to 18, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 4 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, 2dc, repeat from * to end, make sure you are working in to the top of each stitch with the double crochets you are working and around the post of each treble crochet below, so that you are increasing the amount of stitches you have to 24, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 5 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, 3dc, repeat from * to end, make sure you are working in to the top of each stitch with the double crochets you are working and around the post of each treble crochet below, so that you are increasing the amount of stitches you have to 30, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 6 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, 3dc, repeat from * to end, this time you are working straight and not increasing stitches, so don't work in to the top of the treble stitch, 30 stitches, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.


round 7 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, 3dc, repeat from * to end, this time you are working straight and not increasing stitches, so don't work in to the top of the treble stitch, 30 stitches, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 8 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, miss 1dc, 2dc, repeat from * to end, you are decreasing stitches this round, so you should finish with 24 stitches, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 9 ::
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, miss 1dc, 1dc, repeat from * to end, you are decreasing stitches this round, so you should finish with 18 stitches, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

round 10 :: 
1 chain, *1dc, 1 treble round post of tr below, miss 1dc, repeat from * to end, you are decreasing stitches this round, so you should finish with 12 stitches, join to top of first chain with slip stitch.

Thread one end of the stork you made earlier, through the centre hole at the top of pumpkin and the other through one of the gaps between the stitches on the row of crochet below, tie the two threads together really tightly so the stork won't come loose.

Stuff the pumpkin nice and plumply!

round 11 ::
1 chain, *1dc, miss 1dc, repeat from * to end, you should now have 6 stitches.

Fasten off, leaving a long end.  Thread the needle on the long end and stitch together the gap at the bottom.

little pumpkins

Friday, 21 October 2011

Granny Cowl :: A Pattern

Quick and easy granny square cowl free crochet pattern.


ingredients ::

I used ::

rico cotton essentials DK

1 x 50g ball white
1 x 50g ball green
1 x 50g ball banana
1 x 50g ball purple
1 x 50g ball tangerine
1 x 50g ball grass green
1 x 50g ball red
1 x 50g ball light teal
1 x 50g ball orange
1 x 50g ball fuschia
1 x 50g ball navy

any double knit cotton (or indeed any other type of yarn) in various colours would work too.


4 mm crochet hook

Abbreviations ::

ch        -    chain

ss        -    slip stitch

dc       -    double crochet

tr         -    treble

method ::

Make 8 granny squares in different colour ways.
The colour combinations I made were :
orange/navy
grass green/red
green/purple
red/yellow
fuschia/light teal
fuschia/tangerine
light teal/banana
green/tangerine

each with a white edge.

to make a granny square ::

Leave a long end, make 4 chain and join to first chain with slip stitch.
Round 1:
Granny Cowl
3ch, 2tr in to ring *2ch, 3tr into ring, repeat from * twice more, 2ch, join with slip stitch to 3rd chain of first 3 chain.
Fasten off yarn.

Granny Cowl
Round 2:
Granny Cowl

Join new yarn at any 2 chain corner space, 3ch, 2tr,2ch,3tr in same 2 chain corner space, *1ch, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr in to next 2 chain space, repeat from * twice more, 1ch, join with slip stitch to 3rd chain of first 3 chain.
Fasten off yarn.
Granny Cowl
Round 3:
Granny Cowl

Join new yarn at any 2 chain corner space, 3 ch, 2tr, 2ch, 3tr in same 2 chain corner space *1 ch, 3tr into next one chain space, 1ch, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr in to next 2 chain space, repeat from * twice more, 1 ch, 3tr into next one chain space, 1ch, join with slip stitch to 3rd chain of first 3 chain.
Fasten off yarn.
Granny Cowl
Round 4:
Granny Cowl

Join new yarn at any 2 chain corner space, 3 ch, 2tr, 2ch, 3tr in same 2 chain corner space *1 ch, 3tr into next 1 chain space, 1 ch, 3tr into next 1 chain space 1ch, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr in to next 2 chain space, repeat from * twice more, 1 ch, 3tr into next 1 chain space, 1ch, 3tr into next 1 chain space 1ch, join with slip stitch to 3rd chain of first 3 chain.
Fasten off yarn.
Round 5:
Granny Cowl

Join white yarn at any 2 chain corner space, 3 ch, 2tr, 2ch, 3tr in same 2 chain corner space *1ch, 3tr into next 3, 1 chain spaces, 1ch, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr in to next 2 chain space, repeat from * twice more, 1 ch, 3tr into next 3, 1 chain spaces, 1ch, join with slip stitch to 3rd chain of first 3 chain.

Fasten off yarn.
Granny Cowl 

  Joining the Squares ::
using the white yarn, join to the corner of two squares, 1chain, 1dc in to the top of each stitch of both squares, joining them together as you go, when you reach the end of the side, break off yarn.

Granny Cowl

Join another to the opposite end of one of these two in the same way as above, continue to do this until you have a strip of 4 squares.  Then do the same again, so you have 2 strips of 4 squares.

Granny Cowl 

 Join these two strips together using double crochet again in the same way as above, but joining all the squares together so you have a block of 8 squares in a 2 x 4 formation.  Join this block together down the side, using double crochet again, to form a circle.

Weave in any loose ends.

Granny Cowl ::

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Granny Cowl ::

Granny Cowl :: 

I actually made this cowl a while ago now, but have finally got round to taking some photos of it!  I also had the privilege of taking some studio photos for stuffed nonsense over the weekend, which I used as opportunity to grab myself a model in the shape of the glamourous Bex ( though as you'll see I also had myself a slightly smaller model too).

Granny Cowl ::

Granny Cowl ::

Granny Cowl :: 

Inspired by the House of Holland's amazing granny scarfs in the autumn/winter 2011 collection, I made this along with a big scarf and some similar versions in black trim.

Granny Cowl ::

The pattern is now available here, plus when I get round to it I shall also be adding some to my lilley stitches shop.

Saturday, 8 October 2011

finding inspiration :: on the catwalk ::

I know I'm a bit slow at posting this, but there was some amazing knitwear and crochet on the catwalks at London Fashion Week last month. Here are a few of my favourites.