Christmas baubles

Christmas baubles

Crochet pattern from The Hook Geek

You will need

a polystyrene ball

(I used 5cm but you can use any size you’ll have to adjust the pattern to fit)

different coloured yarns.

I used 5 different colours and they all were different styles of crochet thread and yarn of different thickness’s. When I used a thin thread I used it for two rounds and saved the thicker threads for one round.

Hook size 2 – a different size hook will change the size of the bauble

embroidery needle

stitch marker

This pattern is written using UK terms and is crocheted in the rounds using increasing method.

To increase you will need to put two double crochet stitches in one stitch. You’ll be making two halves and sewing them together because this makes a cleaner nicer finished look.

Stitches used:

dc – double crochet

inc – increase stitch

cc – change colour (this is a suggestion you can change colour any time you’d like)

Magic circle

6dc in to the circle

2dc in each stitch

cc 1dc, 1 inc

1dc in each stitch

cc 2dc, 1 inc

3dc, 1 inc

cc 4dc, 1 inc

cc 1 dc in each stitch

5dc, 1 inc

1 dc in each stitch

1 dc in each stitch again

cc repeat the last two rows

1dc all the way around using the colour you’d like to join the two halves

Try it on your ball, it need to be a little tight so when the two are sewn on to it they stretch a little and it keeps the bauble tight. Once you have made two sew them on your ball. The first few stitches are a bit tricky but after a few it holds itself on. Remember to leave a stand at the end so you can hang your bauble.

To download pattern click here

Pine cone elves

Pine Cone Elves

You will need:

large pine cone

hook size 3.25

face coloured yarn

hat coloured yarn

small bell

small amount of toy stuffing (or you can use scrap yarn)

Glue

embroidery needle

This pattern is done in the rounds with increasing and decreasing stitches using the UK terms.

Stitches used:

dc – double crochet

inc – increase stitch, two double crochet made in one stitch

2dctog – decrease stitch, hook through stitch yarn over, hook through the next stitch and yarn over and you’ll have three stitches on your hook, yarn over and pull through all three

The number in the brackets at the end of each row is how many stitches you should have in that row.

Head

magic circle

6dc in to the circle, pull tight to close (6)

2dc in each stitch (12)

1dc, 1inc (18)

2dc, 1inc (24)

1 dc all the way around (24)

1 dc all the way around again (24)

1dc, 2dctog (18)

1dc, 2dctog again (12)

2dctog all the way around (6)

stuff and sew hole using embroidery needle. I like to weave the needle in and out of the stitches and pull close. It leaves a neater close.

Hat

magic circle

4dc in circle (4) pull tight to close

1dc in each stitch (4)

2dc in each stich (8)

1 dc in each stitch (8)

1dc, 1inc (12)

1 dc in each stitch (12)

2dc, 1inc (18)

1dc all the way around (18)

keep going putting 1 dc in each stitch until you reach the desired length. Try it on the head to make sure it fits.

Turn the hat inside out and using the tread from the magic circle in the first round sew the bell on to the hat. The hat will remain inside out as this gives it a better look.

Using the tread from the last round sew the hat on to the head.

Get the cone and cut the tip out of it. Make sure it stands up turned upside down. If it doesn’t trim it until it does.

Glue the head to the cone.

download pdf click here

Afghan quick tips

Afghan quick tips

In the past I have made a few blankets and though each one I have tackled in different way I have found a quick way of doing a granny square afghan

First step what is your budget? This information is key.

Once you have your budget you can then chose what type of yarn you want to use. DK is perfect for most. Alpaca will stretch.

Now select your colours. Now some times this can be the hardest choice. with so many to chose from you need to ting about who is keeping this blanket where they will be using it and you will find the colours will come to you. I have found choosing the boarder colour at the end is better plus you don't know how much boarder yarn to buy until you have made the squares.

Now time to chose the style of square. I know I know there have been a lot of choices so far but trust me winging it doesn't always work. Depending on they style of blanket you are going for, you may want a mix and match square or all squares the same in the same colours of different. I brought all my yarn from
Hoop haberdashery

www.hoopandloop.co.uk

92 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6JB

01580 388011

For my blanket I chose rainbow colours and went for the granny rosemary pattern found in issue 23 of the simply crochet magazine.

now here is the quick tip ... Do each round or at least each change of colour in stages. so for example do all the round 1 and two together.

I decided on three of each but after a while I realised I needed 4 of each but it was very easy to catch up.

By doing each round all together I can see quick changes in the blanket and it seemed that I was making quicker progress. in the past it had taken me months to complete a large blanket by not following this method but this was taking me days/weeks.

by doing it this way I could quickly see if I was going to need more yarn. each crochet session I would lay out the balls of yarn in the same order and I had a process and knew what colours I was going to do next. I lined up the square rounds in order of what colour I had used in the previous round so I could clearly see what colour was next.

I could quickly move on to each new round and before I knew it I had finished 30 squares without really noticing it.

After I had finished the pattern I added a couple of extra rounds just because I wanted each square to be a little bigger. Once this was completed I laid the whole thing on the floor with a little gap in between each square so I could see that when I joined them I know roughly how big the blanket was going to be. For 30 large squares I used 600g of yarn each colour was 50g

Now I could see I either wanted a very dark colour to join the squares and be the boarder or white. I chose navy blue. I did a little research in to what style of joining the squares I wanted and because I wanted the back and the front of the blanket to look the same with no seams or ridges I went for a lacy join. I used 300g of alpaca blend yarn for the joining and the boarder.

With blankets you can get very technical with measuring and marking each inch but I do not do that because I know my stitching is consistent but if yours is not I would advise you measure and mark. especially when you block.

Block each square before you join them and the once again to the whole blanket.

More information on blocking will be added soon along with the free pattern for the lacy join.

Conversions

Conversions

We may speak the same language but there are a lot of difference between the US and the UK and crochet has no exceptions. I can use both the US terms and the UK but for many they get confused so I have decided to produce two conversion charts for you. One for stitches and one for hooks.

I hope it helps you.

UK	Metric	US
14	2mm	-
13	2.25mm	B/1
12	2.5mm	-
-	2.75mm	C/2
11	3mm	-
10	3.25mm	D/3
9	3.5mm	E/4
-	3.75mm	F/5
8	4mm	G/6
7	4.5mm	7
6	5mm	H/8
5	5.5mm	I/9
4	6mm	J/10
3	6.5mm	K/10.5
2	7mm	-
0	8mm	L/11
00	9mm	M/13
000	10mm	N/15

UK		US
chain	ch	chain	ch
slip stitch	ss	slip stitch	ss
double crochet	dc	single crochet	ch
half treble	htr	half double	hdc
treble	tr	double	dc
double treble	dtr	treble	tr
triple treble	ttr	double treble	dtr

There does not seem to be a lot of difference in the conversion of the stitches but when you are crocheting and you are using the wrong stitch for the pattern the end result will be very different from shape and size. It is always very important to understand the pattern that you are using. Most patterns will say which term they are using but if it does not and you cannot contact the designer you can have a read through the pattern and if it uses the term single crochet at all then you know it is the US term they are using but it doesn't then I'm afraid its just a case of trial and error. Or you cold of course contact me and I will try and help you.

Penelope the rabbit

Penelope the Rabbit

When first designing a soft toy my first port of call is talk to the children. After the million ideas they have given me and asking if it would be better in rainbow colours or even better if I could make the toy fly using magic yarn, I get some sense of what I am aiming to create.
I draw my design and pick the colour and then get crocheting. I tend to stick with basic stitches at first and see where it takes me. Adding details and different styles of stitches as I go. 

Depending on how much I am paying attention have to re start a few times just to make sure I get it right. So no listening to music that I want to dance to during this part of the process.

After I have made my design, I type up the pattern and then comes for me the difficult bit. giving it a name. This rabbit was named by someone else. Once a name is chosen a character is then formed. This particular rabbit was made from the Women's Institute range of yarn brought from Hobby craft, using a 3.25 hook (uk). approx. 100gms of yearn was used to make her.

It can be washed at 40 and put in the dryer on a low heat. It has small beads for eyes and a beany bottom to aid it sitting. It is 33cm tall.


If you are designing your own patterns I would suggest you write down as much information about what you are doing then when you come back to it at a later date all the information will be there. especially if you intend on selling your designs because people will want as much information as you can give them.
You can buy the pattern or the finished product at my ETSY store.
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/thehookgeek

Today's the day

Todays the day!!

Today marks the first day in which I am switching careers, from illustrator to (dare I say it out loud?) Designer. I am a self taught crocheter and have been designing my own patterns for a while. There came a time when my love of crochet and everything that comes with that, from the yarn to designing the patterns was more than just a hobby.  

Why crochet? I hear you ask (or was that just the voices in my head screaming why woman why!!!). Every time I enter a wool shop I feel like a child at Christmas, like an elf in Santa's workshop I know what I can use every strand for. I started by knitting but could only ever make scarfs and even at best they were awful. I turned to the trusty old internet to show me the way. After a few knotted attempts I could make a granny square. The knowledge of the square turned in to a blanket, which turned in to a bag and so on until I found myself designing patterns to make monsters for all the children I know and few adults too.

Skip a few days, weeks and months and it leads us to today!

With my new blog ready to go here is what you can come to expect from me. A lot of waffling on about my love of yarn and crochet, my bad grammar (which I hopefully will improve), a guided tour of how my creations are made, plus you lucky ladies and gents I will treat to a free pattern every now and then.    

There will also be some information on how you can purchase one of my designs from Etsy and I will also help you design your own creations.  

 Wow lets get started.

With everything ready all that is left to do is get crocheting.