Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Gauge, sizing and My Little Pony

The first patterns I have written were for my little Pony Hats.
 
My girl is crazy about My little Pony. She asked me to make her a Pinkie Pie or Rarity hat. This was last year. I have been crocheting since August 2012, so I was new to the whole designing and writing part of crocheting. I had made hats following other designers patterns, but never made one all by myself.

But I wanted to try, to see if I could do it. I started out with the basic hat pattern. There are a lot of different ways to make a basic beanie/ear flap hat. I have tried a couple. I am a loose crocheter and not all patterns suit my style of crochet. So I designed my own basic beanie / ear flap pattern. It has changed over the year, evolved. But my basic hat pattern as it is now, is giving me the right size every time, using the specified yarn. I love to work with Drops, especially Nepal or Alaska. If I use a different yarn, I have to go up or down a size in the pattern to achieve the correct size for the project. It's very important to make a swatch, before you choose what size hat you're making.

Gauge is a pain. Every one has their own way of crocheting and their own favorite yarn to work. To write a pattern to give every one the perfect size is impossible. Therefore you have to work with gauge. I didn't do it in the beginning. I found it really hard and frustrating at times. I always used a pattern as a guide, not as a step by step building plan. I tweak it so it works for me. But now, my patterns are getting more known, I have to succumb to the pressures of gauge hahaha

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Free pattern - Puff Stitch Beret Hat and Pretty Arm Warmers

So it's time again for a free pattern.

As my time is still consumed with working on the Starry Starry Night Hat, finishing custom orders and I have a new Rainbow Hat in my head (which is going to be awesome!). I have been thinking about retiring some of my patterns from my shops.

So I chose my Puff Stitch Beret Hat to be a free pattern this time.

It's a lovely hat, easy to make and will keep your head nice and warm!

Included are some nice warm Arm Warmers, for arm measurement 7" to 9".

The bow was made with a free pattern from BobWilson123. They make great video tutorials for youtube to teach crochet. Check them out here!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Chocolate WHAT in a mug?

So you have as a woman one of those moments in a month. Your husband is out with his friend, the kids are sleeping in their beds (or my bed, will find out when I go to bed), the new episode of Grey's Anatomy is waiting for you on the telly, bra off, cup of tea and blanket on the sofa.

And all that is missing is some chocolate... argh

Hmmm lovely chocolate, hmmm yummie chocolate.. hmmm no chocolate in the house.. snif snif

What to do??? And the more you think about it, the more you want it. I do have a box of quick and easy Brownie mix in the cupboard, but I don't eat all of that on my own. And it would be nice to make some with the kids this weekend. I make (if I may say so) delicious chocolate cakes and cupcakes, but again.. a bit too much just for me!

Starry Starry Night...

Pfffff Halloween is hurting my fingers haha I received loads of custom orders for Halloween from all over the world. I have made a couple of Minion Hats and Snail Hats. So I was busy and the one thing I don't like is repeating a pattern over and over again. I have decided that I will do the orders I still have, but I'm not taking any more orders for hats. As I don't have any time left for my designing, pattern writing and other projects. I still have an art project for my living room waiting for me. My down stairs Bathroom is screaming for a toilet roll/magazine/other stuff holder. I have the idea in my head, but need time to explore it.

In between making all these hats the Star Stitch kept screaming in my head to make a hat. But the Star Stitch is mainly used in scarfs, blankets, etc straight projects and not round ones.

I think I started this project at least 8 times to find the perfect increasing Star Stitch.