Crocheted Pumpkins and Leaves

Today, I am sharing some crocheted pumpkins and leaves I made recently.

After making this set of pumpkins for a friend, I decided to make myself some

along with the crocheted leaves.

I used these fabulous YouTube tutorials...
Pumpkins - Bella Coco
Pumpkins stalks - Tuula Maaria
Leaves - Blossom Crochet

I really recommend visiting their YouTube channels, as you will find there there
 are lots of tutorials to follow with easy instructions.

For the pumpkins I used Hobbycraft Knitcraft Everyday DK in Orange and Rust
and for the leaves I used scraps of leftover yarn in my stash.

When I taught myself to crochet four years ago, I made a few pumpkins
using some green wool that I had been practicing with.
 I wasn't experienced enough to make the stems, so I used
some twigs instead! They're still securely in place and come out every year,
along with the 'Memory' pumpkins I made with my husband's socks.

Crocheted Pumpkins

 'Memory' Pumpkins

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Janice x

A Crocheted Baby Blanket for my Great Niece

Today, I am sharing a crocheted baby blanket I made for my new great niece

who arrived last week. Luckily my niece knew she was expecting a baby girl,
so I had plenty of time to make it before she arrived.
,
I had seen lots of blankets made using the ‘Waffle’ stitch when looking 

online for ideas. I really liked the pattern this stitch created, so I decided to give 

it a try following the Bella Crochet tutorial on YouTube.

It crocheted up fairly quickly and is definitely a good stitch to do 

whilst watching the television.

I finished the blanket by adding a border of treble crochet stitches in white,

 and a row of double crochet in pink. I then wrapped it with a pretty 

crocheted blanket tie. 

I purchased the yarn online from Wool Box who have great prices on
their yarns and provide a very fast delivery service.

I used five 100g balls of Sirdar Hayfield Baby Bonus DK, three in
 'Baby Pink' and two in 'Baby White'

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Janice x

A Fabric Covered Pumpkin

 After watching a few videos on YouTube, I thought I would have a go
at covering a polystyrene pumpkin which I bought on eBay with a
piece of fabric left over from a fat quarter.

It turned out to be quite simple, with the bonus of not using any glue.
I started by removing the stalk and making the centre hole bigger using scissors
and a chopstick!

Next, I placed the the pumpkin onto the fabric and started bringing the sides
up to the centre, using the chopstick to press the fabric into the hole.
Lastly, I placed the stalk back into the pumpkin to finish. 

I added it to my autumnal display, which includes the crochet pumpkin and
memory sock pumpkin which I made last year.

The details of how I made the pumpkins can be found HERE and HERE

The polysterene pumpkins came in a set of three, so I think I'll use some
different fabric to cover the other two.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Janice x

My First Crocheted Blanket

 After teaching myself to crochet through lockdown and starting with small projects
(pumpkins, infinity scarves and nested baskets, I thought I’d try being a bit
more adventurous and try making a blanket.

Not wanting it to be too difficult, I searched online at various designs, and
decided I should start with making one using just one colour, one stitch
and one border! I thought it best to work up gradually to crocheting in
different stitches and colours.

I have been following Christine from Hope and Chances with her card making
for a few years now, and attended a few of her classes when she owned her
studio in Gravesend.

She is a self taught crocheter, and has made some lovely blankets and cushions
which you can find on her blog and also in her Folksy shop HERE

Seeing a couple Christine has made up in this style, I thought it was a
good one for me to try.

This is just rows and rows of double crochet which took me a few weeks to complete.
For the scalloped/shell border, I followed Bella Coco’s Crochet tutorial which
can be found HERE on YouTube.

I did enjoy making this, so I have now started another, again in just one colour

but this time using a different stitch and border.

I purchased the yarn online from The CheapShop, Tiptree, Essex.
I used seven 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK in the colour ‘Stone’

 

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Janice x

A Crocheted Set of Baskets

 Following on from my post in January where I made a crocheted basket,
  I have now completed the set of them.
All the details of how they are made, including the pattern and yarn can
be found HERE

I’ve really enjoyed making these, and am pleased to say that there’s still quite a bit of
yarn left on the cone for me to try and make something different.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Janice x

Another Crocheted Infinity Scarf

After crocheting my first Infinity scarf recently which you can see HERE,
I decided to make myself another, this time in a different colour way.

I purchased the yarn online from The CheapShop in Tiptree, Essex, and the
pattern I used is designed by Melanie Ham which you will find HERE on her
YouTube channel and is also covered HERE on her blog.

Melanie's instructions are very clear, easy to follow, with the stitch used 

being easily converted from U.S crochet stitch to the UK one.

It’s really handy too, to be able to pause or re-wind the video instructions

 as and when needed.

I used 2 x 50g balls and chose the colour 'Platinum' from
the Batik Elements Double Knit range made by Stylecraft.
I also used crochet hook size 5mm.

When sewing the two ends together, I decided this time to
make it a twisted infinity scarf, which Melanie shows how to do with
a short video further down in her blog post.

I am sure this won't be the last one I make,
but I am currently crocheting a blanket/throw which I will
share once it is finished.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Janice x

A Crocheted Basket

 I have been enjoying my new hobby of crocheting, especially through the
lockdowns we have been having. It keeps me busy and my mind occupied.

Here is my latest make...

It’s a crocheted set of baskets which I saw on Bella Coco’s blog HERE
There’s a YouTube tutorial HERE which is easy to follow.

Sarah-Jayne’s tutorial follows a free pattern from Yarnspirations
which can be downloaded HERE

I chose to use the same shade yarn as Sarah-Jane which is made by
Yarnspirations and is called Lily - Sugar’n Cream in the colour Pot Pourri 
and made the middle size of the set of three.

It’s 100% cotton and the pattern for the baskets is worked with 2 strands
and a 5mm crochet hook.

I ordered the yarn on Amazon and it arrived in four weeks from the U.S. 

I love the pattern that makes the base.

I needed some practice with the top edging, as it’s a crab stitch which is 

worked in reverse, but after a few re-winds of the video, I got there in the end.

I thought I could use it in my craft room to hold some of my sewing tools...

or maybe use it as a plant pot holder.

There is enough yarn on the cone to make all three size baskets, so
I'll definitely be making more.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Janice x

Crocheted Pumpkins

 I taught myself to crochet just over 40 years ago when my sister was expecting my first nephew. I could already knit and thought it would be nice to crochet clothes for him as well. 

Sadly, I only managed a make one matinee jacket (do babies wear those anymore?) which seemed to take me ages to crochet, so I quickly decided it wasn’t for me and gave up. Knitting was certainly much quicker and easier for me, and would enable me to make all sorts of clothes for him.

Fast forward to this year, when I decided to give it another try. I found some pink wool I had from making pom-poms with my great nieces. I bought myself a crochet hook, watched Bella Coco Crochet tutorials on YouTube, and practiced the different stitches and made a couple of Granny squares.

I found a ball of green Aran wool in Aldi which I found much nicer to use.

just kept practising and I soon found it coming back to me and I was enjoying 

it this time round.

Next, using Sarah-Jayne’s pumpkin pattern HERE I decided to give it a try. 

Her instructions on are really easy to follow, especially when you can 

pause and re-wind the video numerous times.

I made the smaller one first which I was pleased with, then decided to make a 

larger one to go with it.

Here they are alongside the memory ones I made recently from

my husband’s socks which can be found HERE

I am just waiting for some wool to arrive to try making an Infinity scarf.

I am hoping this will keep me busy whilst we’re in our second lockdown

and through the winter months.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Janice x