Daisy crochet pattern

 

Daisy Crochet pattern

by Vickie Smith

 

 

 

This is a crochet pattern written using UK terms. Crocheted in the round.

 

Terms used:

ss- slip stich

dc- double crochet

5trtog- 5 triple crochet together

 

You will need

Two colour dk yarns and a 3mm hook

Start:

Magic circle and put 5 dc into circle, pull close

2 dc’s in each stich (increase stich)

Fasten off

Attach new yarn

5trtog, ss into next stich. Repeat all the way around

Ss to base of first 5trtog

Fasten off.

 

Permission is given for the sale of any items made using this pattern Permission is NOT given for the resale of this pattern.

Purple Day

Purple day was the 26th of march. purple day is to bring awareness and support for those suffering with epilepsy. 

                                                                                                                   

My best friend's son is only 2 and he has epilepsy and so this is cause close to my heart. Because I love crochet almost as much as I love my friends son (but not quite) I decided to design a pattern of a purple rabbit and all profits from the sale of this rabbit will be donated to young epilepsy charity.

the pattern is available from my ETSY shop  

The pattern is a PDF download and permission is given to sell and rabbits you make from this pattern but not to copy or share the actual pattern.

I knew what I wanted to rabbit to look like and so designing the pattern was quite straight forward. The colour obviously had to be purple and I thought the grey added softness to the rabbit. One of the things I love to do to these types of designs is to add a pompom tail.

I used style craft wool because I wanted to keep the cost down for the person who will be making the rabbit. I wanted the pattern to be affordable and more accessible for the average crocheter.  I think my next step will be to put the pattern into US terms and all my patterns are in UK terms. I hope this will be an easy process and I am aiming to do it for all my designs.

It is a fairly easy pattern and if you happen to purchase it feel free to let me know how you got on with it and of course send me pictures of your rabbits.

Free heart pattern

Free pattern time!!

There are a lot of heart patterns out there so I thought I'd add to the collection and give a way this free heart pattern. it is a 3d heart and you can do many ting with them. I've made a heart garland, used them for gift wrapping instead of using a bow I attached a heart.

To make these hearts  I used a 2.5mm hook and cotton yarn. if you use a bigger hook and different yarn of course the size and the shape of the heart will be different.


UK crochet terms

dc - double crochet
dec - decrease stitch
ss - slip stitch


Start by 6dc in to a magic circle.
2dc in each stitch
dc all the way around twice

fasten off and made one more

hold both side by side and join with one dc stitch then dc all the way around both circles making them into one round.

5dc, dec, 10dc, dec, 5dc
4dc, dec, 9dc, dec, 5dc,
4dc, dec, 8dc, 4dc,

at this point I added a little stuffing and then every couple of rows added more and remember to completely stuff it before you close the hole in the last rounds.

4dc, dec, 7dc, dec, 3dc,
3dc, dec, 6dc, dec, 3dc,
3dc, dec, 5dc, dec, 2dc,
2dc, dec, 4dc, dec, 2dc,
stuff more
2dc, dec, 3dc, dec, 1dc
1dc, dec, ss

Leave a long strand to finish off the heart with an embroidery needle.

If you have a hole where the two parts joined at the beginning then use the needle to close this hole now.


Have fun heart making. Feel free to let me know how your hearts have turned out or if you have trouble with any part of the pattern.

Busy busy patterns

HELLO


It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Hook Geek studio. I have been finishing my crochet a long blanket, Which I highly recommend doing by the way. it is a project you can easily do alone or with other people, you can pick it up and put it down at your leisure.

for more information check out hoophaberdashery for classes or Hannah Davis for the designer.







We have also been busy designing two new patterns a frog and a sweet little mouse. The frog (Frederic) is all ready to be typed up. He even comes with instructions for a top hat and a bow tie. This is a fairly easy pattern to follow but like most of my patterns I suggest you have some knowledge of crocheting in the amigurumi style. This style is an easy process of increasing and decreasing and has a pattern that is written in basic terms.

This particular frog has stripy legs and I've used the method of changing colours where I continue the thread on the inside of the leg. so instead of fastening off each time I finish the last stich of the round off with the next colour and just leave the other thread there until I need it two rounds later. this way you can just pick up and drop each thread as you need them. it is a quick and easy method and once you get into the rhythm you never use a different method.

The mouse pattern (Dotty) will be available  nearer the end of the week as I'm yet to design a little jacket for. upon doing my research I found that not many characters have clothes. A lot have capes and things which is great for me to be able to bring a different style of clothing to the characters I make and hopefully you too. This little muse is quite special to me because I used mohair and DK together to create her. which has left her very soft and fury. not quite suitable for little babies but I wouldn't give her to a baby any due to her glass eyes.  I'm thinking my next pattern will also be made of the mohair and DK combination because I like doing it so much and it has such a great effect at the end. I know this means she works out to be a little more expensive to make but it is so worth it in the end.

During these last couple of weeks we've also tried out hand at making crowns for children. My children have grown and are not quite little enough for these crowns so gauging the size has been hard and I have had to borrow the heads of friends children.  Plus my children seen to have massive heads so getting an average size crown is difficult in my house. Never the less I think I have managed a couple of styles and techniques. One crown I was quite proud of would not keep its shape as well as I hoped so I ended up straying it with a glue and water mix and this worked quite well. so well in fact I have a huge crown in mind for my next task.

My next step is to get typing these patterns up. they will be available via Etsy and Revelry.

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.