Lovedotty Crochet: 2018

Sunday, 11 November 2018

Pattern - Mini Christmas Trees

These little Christmas Tree's are a really quick and easy make and you can turn them into anything to add a little bit of handmade to your festive season!
I used them to make Christmas Cards but you can make decorations, gift tags, bunting...the list goes on!
I will definitely be making some more in the run-up to Christmas!

Pattern in UK Terminology

Hook - 3.5mm

Yarn - DK weight cotton, I used Stylecraft Classique Cotton in a variety of colours (Yarn A) with a Brown colour for the trunk (Yarn B)

Tree
Yarn A, make a magic ring
Row 1 - 1 ch (does not count as a st), 1 dc, pull to close ring and turn (1 st)
Row 2 - 1 ch, 2 dc, turn ( 2 sts)
Row 3 - 1 ch, 1 dc, 2 dc in last st, turn (3 sts)
Row 4 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st until last st, 2 dc in last st, turn (4 sts)
Rows 5 to 14 - Repeat Row 4, on last row you should have 14 sts.
Fasten off and weave in ends

Trunk
The first row of the trunk is worked in BLO
With RS facing, skip 5 sts and join Yarn B to the 6th st in from the right of the last round of the tree
Row 1 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each of the next 4 sts, turn (4 sts)
Rows 2 to 3 - Repeat Row 1
Fasten off and weave in ends.

© All images belong to Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated. Please link to pictures, content or DIY's if used on your own website. Crochet patterns are written by Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated, please link to original post if used on your own website. Feel free to sell the finished product that has been created from the pattern, if sold via a website, please link to lovedotty blogspot. However please do not publish patterns in full or as your own, unless agreed by Kelly of lovedotty

Wednesday, 3 October 2018

Pattern - Donut Cushion

So a couple of years ago I made my sister in law a donut cushion for her birthday which was completely winged! My 2 year old of the time took a fancy to it, to the point we had to wrestle it from him when I tried to gift it to my sister in law!
So I then had to make another for him. This time I jotted the pattern down but never did anything with it. I recently had an urge to make some more cushions and also incorporate my love of surface crochet in the design too.
So here it is, my pattern for donut cushions!

UK Terminology

Hook - 8mm & 4.50mm

Yarn - Stylecraft Special Chunky

Yarn A - 1 Ball of any colour of choice for the top of the cushion. For the four cushions in the pictures I used Fondant, Aspen, Lemon and Cloud Blue

Yarn B - 1 Ball of Camel

Decoration - Any yarn weight oddments of multiple colour / one colour depending on choice.

Top Half of Donut
With Yarn A and 8mm hook, ch 36 and join with a sl st to make a circle

Round 1 - 1 ch (does not count as st) and 1 dc in each ch to end, join with a sl st in first dc (36 sts)
Round 2 to 4 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st to end, join with a sl st in first dc (36 sts)
Round 5 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (45 sts)
Round 6 - Repeat row 2 (45 sts)
Round 7 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (54 sts)
Round 8 - Repeat row 2 (54 sts)
Round 9 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (63 sts)
Round 10 - Repeat row 2 (63 sts)
Round 11 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (72 sts)
Round 12 - Repeat row 2 (72 sts)
Round 13 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (81 sts)
Round 14 - Repeat row 2 (81 sts)
Round 15 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 8 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (90 sts)
Round 16 to 17 - Repeat row 2 (90 sts)
Round 18 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 9 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (99 sts)
Round 19 to 20 - Repeat row 2 (99 sts)
Round 21 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 10 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (108 sts)
Round 22 to 25 - Repeat Round 2 (108sts)

Fasten off and sew in end.
You have now completed the top half of the donut cushion

Decoration
Using 4.50mm hook and surface crochet and following my guide (Tutorial Surface Crochet) and the using the pictures, decorate the top of the donut in whatever style you wish.

Always work roughly 4 to 5 rows from each edge so the pattern is maintained on the top of the donut.

If working sprinkles, these were made using 5 chs of surface crochet for each piece. Cut a long piece of yarn so you can secure each sprinkle once made. Just carry the yarn at the back of the cushion as it will not show and make sure you leave it quite loose so doesn't pull when the cushion is stuffed.

Bottom Half of Donut
Change to Yarn B and join to the back loop of any dc from the last round.

Round 26 (working in BLO for this round only) - Repeat Round 2 (108 sts)
Round 27 to 29 - Repeat Round 2 (108 sts)
Round 30 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 10 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (99 sts)
Round 31 to 32 - Repeat Round 2 (99 sts)
Round 33 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 9 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (90 sts)
Round 34 to 35 - Repeat Round 2 (90 sts)
Round 36 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 8 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (81 sts)
Round 37 - Repeat Round 2 (81 sts)
Round 38 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 7 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (72 sts)
Round 39 - Repeat Round 2 (72 sts)
Round 40 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 6 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (63 sts)
Round 41 - Repeat Round 2 (63 sts)
Round 42 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 5 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (54 sts)
Round 43 - Repeat Round 2 (54 sts)
Round 44 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 4 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (45 sts)
Round 45 - Repeat Round 2 (45 sts)
Round 46 - 1 ch, 1 dc in next 3 sts, 1dctog in next 2 sts, repeat to end, join with a sl st in first dc (36 sts)
Round 47 to 50 - Repeat Round 2 (36 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing up

Making Up

Using a whip stitch and with the RS facing, sew together Round 1 and 50 approximately half way round the donut (around 18 dc stitches)

Stuff the cushion as much as you can using toy stuffing
Continue sewing and stuffing as you go along, when you finish, fasten off and sew in ends.

Thursday, 6 September 2018

Pattern - Quick & Easy Colour Pop Coasters

Hook - 5.50mm & 4mm

Yarn - Lily Sugar 'n Cream

Terminology - UK

Techniques Used - Surface Crochet

Using your 5.50mm hook, make a magic ring
Round 1 - 3 ch (counts as tr throughout), 11 tr into ring, join with a sl st in the top of 3 ch (12 sts)
Round 2 - 3 ch, 2 tr into same st, 3 tr into each st until end, join with a sl into top of 3 ch (36 sts)
Round 3 - 3 ch, 1 tr into each st until end, join with a sl into top of 3 ch (36 sts)
Fasten off

Surface Crochet
We will be working the surface crochet into Round 3 of the coaster.
Use your 4mm hook and a bright coloured peice of yarn. Follow my free tutorial for guidance on how to surface crochet here or refer to the following photos

Fasten off and weave in ends

**Edit - August 2021**

I have now designed a little pot that will hold six of these coasters, check out the free pattern here

Happy Hooking!

Kelly@lovedotty

Sunday, 2 September 2018

Tutorial - Surface Crochet

I've really been getting into surface crochet, it all started when I did the Scheepjes 2017 CAL and Kirsten Ballering's fab Hygge Shawl. Here is an example of the diamond surface crochet on the Rainbow colourway, looks so effective!

It was the first time I had done surface crochet 'properly'. I had tried in the past and ended up with an ugly wonky line and then given up pretty quickly, thinking its not really for me. However during this CAL I really learnt how to master it and can't believe I hadn't been using it for years, it is such a quick and easy way to pep up a project or design.

So I am planning on a few new designs using surface crochet, however I find it really hard to explain in a written pattern so thought I would put together a photo tutorial. Mainly this will make my life easier when writing my patterns as I can just link to this instead of hurting my brain each time!

So surface crochet, here we go...

Step 1

Holding your yarn at the back, from the front of your crochet insert your crochet hook in between 2 stitches all the way through to the back of the piece...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step 2

Hook the yarn at the back and pull the hook back through to the front so you have 1 loop on your hook...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step 3

Keeping the loop on the hook, insert your hook in between the next 2 stitches, all the way to the back of the piece again...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step 4

As Step 2, hook the yarn and pull the hook back through to the front of the piece. You will now have 2 loops on your hook...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step 5

Pull the second loop through the first one to make a stitch. You will now have 1 loop on your hook and have made your first surface crochet stitch!

Continue with Steps 1 to 5 until you have finished the piece.

And done!

You can work your surface crochet in difference directions, circles, straight lines. Make letters or pictures, the options are endless. In my experience if you do wish to do this it works the best into UK double crochet stitches.

Happy hooking!
Kelly@lovedotty

© All images belong to Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated. Please link to pictures, content or DIY's if used on your own website. Crochet patterns are written by Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated, please link to original post if used on your own website. Feel free to sell the finished product that has been created from the pattern, if sold via a website, please link to lovedotty blogspot. However please do not publish patterns in full or as your own, unless agreed by Kelly of lovedotty

Wednesday, 8 August 2018

Pattern - Stripy Shoulder Shopping Bag

So this is one of my designs to use up my left over Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn after making my son's new blanket (see blog post Numberblock Blanket )

Really quick, easy, perfect for beginners

UK Terminology

Hook - 5.50mm

Yarn - I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream in various shades, this is a lovely aran weigh cotton yarn so nice and sturdy, however you can use any aran weight yarn in any fibre. I do think cotton works really well for this project though!

Choose a main colour which you will use for the underside of the bag, the top row and handles. I used red and for this pattern I will refer to red yarn in this instance.

Underside
With red, make 38 ch
Round 1 - 1 tr in 4th ch from hook (first 3 chs count as a tr), 1 tr in each ch to the end, working 5 tr into the last ch, then working into the bottom side of the chs, work 1 tr in each ch to end, working 4 tr into the last ch (which will be the bottom of the first 3 ch st), join with a sl st into top of first 3 ch st (78 sts)
Round 2 - 3 ch (counts as st), 1 tr in each of next 35 sts, 2tr in next st, 3 tr in next st, 2 tr in next st, 1 tr in next 36 sts, 2 tr in next st, 3 tr in next st, 2 tr in next st, join with a sl st into top of first 3 ch st (86 sts)
Fasten Off and weave in ends

Body of Bag
Working in BLO
Round 1 - join any other colour yarn to any st of previous round, ch (does not count as st throughout pattern), dc in each st around joining with a sl st in first dc (86 sts)
Round 2 to 49 - work as Round 1, changing colour randomly with each new round

Round 50 - lay the bag flat and count 6 sts in from the left hand side, join red yarn and crochet around as Round 1 (86 sts)
Do not fasten off yarn

Handles
Working in rows using red Yarn
Row 1 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each of next 12 sts, turn
Row 2 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st until last 2 sts, 1 dctg in last 2 sts, turn (11 sts)
Row 3 to 7 - Repeat Row 2, on last row you should be left with 6 sts
Row 8 - 1 ch, 1 dc in eact st to end, turn
Row 9 to 88 - Repeat Row 8 (or until desired length)
Row 89 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st until last 1 st, 2 dc in last st (7 sts)
Row 90 to 95 - Repeat Row 89, on last row you should be left with 12 sts
Fasten off leaving a tail of yarn, lay the bag flat again with the handle on the left hand side, count 6 sts from the right hand side and pin and sew the other end of the handle in place
Weave in ends.

Friday, 3 August 2018

The Numberblock Blanket & Number 1!

So this is something I have been working on for the last couple of months and now it is finally complete and ready to share...

In case you are wondering what the heck it is, it is a 'Numberblock' blanket for my son's room. Numberblocks being from a show on cbeebies on the BBC.

It has been a massive project I have had on the go since about April and I finally finished it last month. I am very proud of the outcome and I know it looks a bit rubbish in places, because I am not great at the fiddly detailed stuff, but that just makes it even more unique, I guess!

To give you a background, my son is obsessed with numbers, it all started when he watched Numberblocks on cbeebies for the first time. He was hooked and everything had to be about numbers or 'Numberblocks'. So for those that don't know 'Numberblocks' is a cartoon about the lives of 10 sets of blocks who are all friends. These blocks are all made up of individual blocks making 1 to 10, all different colours, cute faces etc.. My son desperately wanted some Numberblock 'things' that he can play / interact with. Unfortunately the BBC hasn't cashed in on this yet, so he has had a variety of homemade plastic actual Numberblocks before he finally got a set of 'real' ones on the front of a magazine. He was over the moon, but I knew I could do better than that and as a crocheter, I thought I would make him something rather special, just like him!

First up a blanket! Luckily the Numberblocks are all squares that fit together so it was a no brainer, I could make a patch blanket. I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream which is a lovely aran weight yarn....

I wanted a nice sturdy blanket that would stand the abuse only a four year old can inflict! I needed nine different colours plus a background colour. I wanted the squares to be a flat colour, no gaps or lacy bits, so just crocheted round in tr stitch.

So I crocheted...

blocked...

and sewed together...

Boom, that's the easy bit!

The tricky bit came with making the faces! I'm not great with fiddly crochet and I did struggle I must admit. It was very much a make it up as I went along, kinda of an unintentional first foray into free-form crochet! I used Scheepjes Catona (which is very much my go-to yarn of the moment!), this is 4 ply weight and worked great. Plus with my box of mini Catona's (see blog post Seeing Flowers) I had quite a pallet of colour choices!
Some faces I am chuffed with, others not so much, they look a bit startled (or bloodthirsty as my husband pointed out), but the boy is happy and so they are staying...

Good job really as I really don't fancy doing them again!

Next, I needed to jazz up the plain area of the blanket, so plumped for his name, numbers 1 to 10 and some stars. I completely winged it for the name and numbers but I think they look ok (ish).

For the stars, I used the mini star pattern which is available for free on my blog (Mini Stars)

Finally edged in leftover random colours using a dc stitch, which I think looks really effective...

So all done...

The aran cotton has made it a bit heavy and with this current ridiculously hot weather, my boy hasn't had a chance to really try it out with a good snuggle.

So the intention of the blanket was for his bed...

but has now been relegated to the end of his bed waiting for its moment!!

Next up, after my son mentioned that he didn't have a Numberblock toy he could cuddle in bed (oh he really knows how to melt my heart that one!) I made him a little 'Number 1' toy.

I still had some foam cubes left over from when I made my baby blocks (blog post Nursery Fun) so I covered one, again in Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn in a DC stitch and then sewed them all together around the cube. Then I had to make another attempt at a realistic looking face with Scheepjes Catona, which I was actually quite pleased with this time, must be all the practice! And then little arms and legs, again in Catona in DC with a little bit of toy stuffing....

He is sooo cute...

However I should have known that my son is now asking when Number 2 to 10 will be arriving, 'will I get them for Christmas mum?' Hmmm, better get started....

So my son is very happy with his makes and I am relieved they are finally done. I actually had quite a bit of yarn left over for which I will share 2 free patterns on my blog, one for a stripy shopping bag and the other for some quick and easy colour pop coasters. Both of these are great stash busters! Keep a look out!

Happy hooking!
Kelly@lovedotty

Lovedotty Crochet

Total Pageviews

Labels