Tag: clothing

When custom orders are a delight…

 

Janet - Freeform Crochet Vest

Some months ago a lovely return Etsy customer asked me if I could make her a vest in a specific size & nominated colours….

I’m always hesitant about taking on custom orders mainly because I’m never sure how a project will work out – Freeform has a habit of going off in all sorts of directions & not always in the direction I’m aiming towards ~ that hat I’m working on can quite easily lose its way & work better as a bag or vice versa ~ &, although I truly love this part of the Freeform process it can be a rather daunting when I really do have to stay on target…..

It took a while to make & there were a few moments of self-doubt from time to time, but it’s done & dusted now & this delight plum toned vest is off to its new home in the USA where the gorgeous lady is anxiously waiting for its arrival….

I’m super pleased with the results.

The Lattice Scarf with Berries – Crochet Pattern

A special friend’s birthday was coming up, she knows my stuff, so I had to find something different… well I didn’t have to but I did want to make her something extra special that she hadn’t seen before.

Hurray!! My friend loved it but unfortunately, I forgot to take photos … no worries, I loved it too… so much so that I decided I wanted one for myself – same yarn different colour [Patons Sorrento viscose/cotton blend]

It’s become an instant hit – the scarf isn’t too long, it’s lightweight & has a wonderful drape… whenever I wear it people ask me ‘where did you get it?’ & isn’t it nice to be able to say… ‘I made it’

So, of course, you guessed it I just had to write it down – the pattern is now available for sale from Ravelry, Etsy, Zibbet & Artfire

~ For those of you who can’t wait & don’t want to make it yourselves, I have ready made Lattice Scarves in various colours available from my Etsy & Zibbet shops so please, come in a have a browse…

The Lattice Scarf with Berries is a fabulous, super easy crochet pattern. The finished item is funky & fun &, because it’s made on the diagonal, has a beautiful drape.

I’ve included 3 different bobble patterns to suit any skill level &, although I’ve given yarn/hook recommendations (with a preference for 8 ply cotton), this pattern can be worked in your yarn/hook of choice & will still give you perfect results

The pattern includes:

  • the scarf pattern & 3 different Berry Bobble patterns
  • is written in both UK & US terminology
  • has clear stitch drawings & pattern diagrams (charts)

Cheeky Freestyle Crochet Vest/Top….

The idea for this cheeky freestyle crochet vest/top has been mulling around in my head for months &  I’m overjoyed to have finally finished it but now that it’s in front of me, I’m not entirely sure if it’s a vest, a top or perhaps a half jumper (sweater).

In any case, I was so happy with the result that I made another one just to prove to myself that it wasn’t a fluke.

Here’s what I did for No 1….

Gathered together a collection of complementary yarns (10 in all) & chose a large crochet hook [12mm] then, on my dressmakers dummy, I measured from the centre front to under the arm across the hip, approx 32 cm [12 1/2″] & made a chain.

From here on I worked in rows of dc [US sc] & tr [US dc] (not necessarily in that order), alternating yarns at random & increasing on one side only until it measured approx 79 cm [31″] across the top (shoulders)

~ I made 2 of these sort of triangles ~

From there it’s just a matter of sewing or crocheting the 2 pieces together across the top leaving a space for the neck opening & doing the same along the straight seam from the bottom up & leaving a space for the arm hole… done… well almost…. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone & decided to add some interesting tassels on each end of the sleeves.

The Cheeky Vest/top No 1 is available for sale in my Etsy shop

For No 2… I worked in the same way but I used only one yarn, the beautiful Noro Silk Garden yarn & No 9 (M/N) hook, this one turned out a bit longer in length but that’s OK because I’m keeping it for myself…

So there you go… something new to try out for yourself… experiment with yarns, hook size & stitches… easy enough to do & lots of pleasure & creativity in the process.. have fun…

Freestyle Crochet made easy….

I had this gorgeous hand-dyed, 100% pure wool 3 ply fingering yarn in my stash… what to do with it? It was far too precious to just incorporate bits & pieces of it into my freeform work.. it would simply get lost in amongst the flurry & bustle that freeform can be…

but I wasn’t up to painstakingly following a pattern to create something worthy of this beautiful yarn either… so what to do?…

with a large hook (10 mm (N/P) I made a long length of chain (I didn’t even count how many) & just started… one row of dc (US sc) so I knew where I was at &, from then on, I used a different pattern for each row improvising with plain stitches at the ends where the pattern didn’t quite fit…. I worked in this way until the yarn ran out – What a joy… true, no stress crochet….

 

From the bizarre to Classic Style ~ A collection of scarves & wraps

Whenever my creative juices wane or go walkabout & seemingly disappear for a while, I simply return to the basics… the versatile scarf ~ wrap… I’m fortunate that my yarn stash is vast & varied so it’s not all that hard for me to choose a few favourites & play… let the hook & yarn lead the way…

As cliché as it may sound, it’s nevertheless true, at least for me… each yarn has it’s own colour-way & texture & therefore its own voice, so it’s just a matter of listening & going with the flow – this collection of scarves & wraps is the realization – it still surprises me too…