Happy ( not quite yet) Valentines....

I'm sure you all have noticed that Valentines day is almost here.....and if you haven't, have you been living under a rock?? Everywhere you go everything screams Valentines!! All the cynics out there keep saying that it is a silly holiday invented by card making companies, ehhh so what?, we have a day for everything these days why not for love?

For the past 10 years February has been a very difficult month for me for personal reasons and I would avoid it at all costs if I could, and this year is no different. So in an attempt to cheer up my self and others around me I have designed this lovely ring/brooch.
It is very simply to crochet, you can make it as big as you want. You can make plenty of them and cover yourself in them, or you can give it to someone who's feeling a bit down....spread the love a bit :)

All you will need is some Rowan Kidsilk Haze or Debbie Bliss Angel. You will hold the yarn DOUBLE through out, I usually take a strand from the outside of the ball and one from the inside, you will need to rummage a bit to find it, but to be honest any scraps of DK yarn will do.
I have chosen three colours but you can make each heart in one colour, after all it will be your heart you must make it as individual as you like
3.5mm (US E/4)
14 x medium 5mm beeds (again, any would do)
Ring base if you would like to make it into a ring or brooch back if you want to wear your heart as a brooch.

Abbreviations
ss - slip stitch
st(s) - stitch(es)
ch - chain
ch-sp - chain space
htr (US hdc) - half treble (US - half double crochet)

Large heart
With 3,5mm (US E/4) and yarn held DOUBLE chain 13.
Round 1. 3 htr into 2nd chain from hook, 1 htr into next 4 ch, miss next 2 ch, 1 htr into next 4 ch, 3 htr into next chain, work each chain on opposite side of foundation chains, 1 htr into each of next 4 ch [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next 2-ch space, 1 htr into next 4 ch, ss to begining of round.
Round 2. ch 2 (counts as 1 htr),1 htr into base of 2 ch, 2 htr into next 2 htr, 1 htr into next 3 htr, miss next 2 htr, 1 htr into next 3 htr, 2 htr into next 3 htr, 1 htr into next 5 htr, [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next 2-ch space, 1 htr into next 5 htr, ss to to beginning of round.
Fasten off

Medium heart
With 3,5mm (US E/4) and yarn held DOUBLE chain 11.
Round 1. 3 htr into 2nd chain from hook, 1 htr into next 3 ch, miss next 2 ch, 1 htr into next 3 ch, 3 htr into next ch, work each chain on opposite side of foundation chains, 1 htr into each of next 3 ch [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next 2-ch space, 1 htr into next 3 chain, ss to begining of round.
Round 2. ch 2 (counts as 1 htr),1 htr into base of 2 ch, 2 htr into next 2 htr, 1 htr into next 2 htr, miss next 2 htr, 1 htr into next 2 htr, 2 htr into next 3 htr, 1 htr into next 4 htr, [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next 2-ch space, 1 htr into next 4 htr, ss to to beginning of round.
Fasten off

Small heart
With 3,5mm (US E/4) and yarn held DOUBLE chain 7.
Round 1. 3 htr into 2nd chain from hook, 1 htr into next st, miss next 2 chains, 1 htr into next st, 3 htr into next chain, work each chain on opposite side of foundation chains, 1 htr into next chain, [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next 2-ch space, 1 htr into next chain, ss to begining of round.
Round 2. ch 2 (counts as 1 htr),1 htr into base of 2 ch, 2 htr into next 2 htr, 1 htr into next htr, miss next 2 htr, 1 htr into next htr, 2 htr into next 3 htr, 1 htr into next 2 htr, [1 htr, 2ch, 1 htr] into next space, 1 htr into next 2 htr, ss to to beginning of round.
Fasten off

Join hearts together by placing them on top of each other and sew in place. Attach beads to the smallest heart by sewing them in place.

You can make the hearts bigger by chaining more chains and crocheting additional half trebles, the number of chains should go up by two, so from the biggest one, the next one up would be 15 chain, 17, 19, 21 and so on. If you are making more chains you will have to add rows as well.

Enjoy

Anna x

Spring is here......

Well not really but Rowan's new Spring/ Summer collection is, which is as good as! 

It's been pretty manic last few days and only now I have a chance to fully absorb the new collection. I had the pleasure to preview it a good few weeks ago and I have been anticipating getting the chance to finally look through the new designs and touch all the yummy new yarns. 

The magazine #55 is packed full of great designs and articles. As always divided into three sections: clarity, legacy and essential. 

Clarity - is full of delicate and very feminine designs. Taken inspiration from contemporary lace and Irish crochet making. Followed by fantastic article about history of Irish crochet lace. 

Legacy - colourful collection with plenty of texture. Inspiration taken from old Islamic and Moorish tile art.

Essential - very playful, bursting with colour and full of stripes. I love Cove, knitted in softknit cotton and summerspun. 

 Also, fantastic article about Knitting and Crochet Guild and exclusive online only collection by Kaffe Fassett in the lush Summer Tweed, Estonia is just stunning! 

The one brochure from the new collection that stood out for me the most is Martin Storey’s truesilk collection, it's got my name allllllll over it! The whole brochure is just beautiful, the model, the photography, styling and most importantly the designs! I've already chosen 5 that will just have to be knitted; I’m starting with Angelite in lovely, rich pink colour called bliss.

Truesilk is absolutely scrummy. Made with 100% mulberry silk, it has a lovely sheen and very good drape. Quite pricey but good quality silk is never going to be cheap.

Second on my list is pure linen and this is a lovely little number. It has a very interesting gathered back.

I'm going to knit it in a smaller size then I usually would, purely because I want it to be more fitted. I love the design and shape, but more fitted tops look better on me.
Pure linen possesses lovely raw quality, gorgeous slight sheen, quite tough to touch but after washing it really takes shape.

The truth be told I really shouldn't think about new projects as I still have 2 on my needles that need to be finished, but the wonderful thing about starting new year is just that starting a new, and what better way to cheer up gloomy January than planning a brand new year of making!?

Apart from running around like mad trying to sort out new season, new workshops and project I've been also working with the lovely people from 'Simply Homemade' magazine on some very exciting stuff! I can't reveal much more then that at the moment but hopefully you will be able to see soon :)

Anna x

'Autumn' mini collection.....

My 'Autumn' mini collection is here!! It consists of three designs; fingerless gloves 'Elm', shawl 'Laurel' and bag 'Cassia'. I've lovingly designed each item to represent autumn.

Autumn has always been my favorite season not only because it is my birth season and the air is fresh and crisp, but also by the stunning colours that nature produces. I wanted to capture the changing of the season in my design.  Each piece pays homage to autumn with leafy designs and colours that capture the seasons hue.

The collection took a lot longer to make and put together then I originally anticipated, purely because my partner Dave and I do everything. I design, knit the pieces and write the patterns while Dave puts it all together to look fab. Photographs are a joined effort I choose the settings and model (if you can call it that lol) and Dave takes the photos. Both of us are not professional photographers but we do what we can with the camera we've got. And of course we both have full time jobs so everything takes a lot longer.

 'Laurel' shawl

I'm soooo pleased with how it all come out, I really love every single design, especially 'Laurel' shawl with her simple body and burst of colour and lace at the bottom. 'Elm' gloves are just adorable with their leafy lace all over, they are super warm yet delicate. And of course 'Cassia' was a lot of fun to design and make, I love working with colour and always adored drawing charts. The inspirations for the bag came from cotton flower, not very autumny, but the colours are just perfect to represent autumn.

'Cassia' bag

'Elm' gloves

 Hope you enjoy knitting the pieces from my collection and love them as much as I do.

Anna x

Morticia gloves....

Halloween is almost upon us, time for dressing up and celebrating the day of the dead…….in style of course!!

I have designed these wrist gloves to go with my witches costume; well if one is going to be a witch…one shall be a glamorous one!!

The idea came when I was putting my costume together to wear on Halloween, to a party of course, not just around the house (well, I might), and I really struggled to find gloves that are not elbow long and made out of netting. I wanted to recreate the effect of spider web that can be found in the corners of old dark shades. And here they are!!

I have named them Morticia, in honour of Morticia Addams, the most fabulous witch I've ever seen !! For the yarn I have chosen the glorious Rowan Kidsilk Haze Eclipse which just adds the perfect amount of glitz and glamor.

Below is the written pattern for ‘Morticia’, I wanted to include a chart, but unfortunately it is not to be. I have purchased a very swanky crochet chart maker, and as much a I try, I just cannot make it work! So maybe one day, when I figure it out, the chart shall be made.

But for now my pretties…..enjoy the pattern and have a wicked Halloween!!  HAHAHAHA

Morticia gloves

Materials: Rowan Kidsilk Haze Eclipse (pictured sh.457), Debbie Bliss party angel or any lace weight yarn.

3.50 mm (US E/4, UK 9) crochet hook

Finished size:
Length (including finger lop): 17cm (6.6in)
Circumference (unstretched) 19cm (7.4in)
To make the gloves smaller; the easiest was to do this is by using a smaller hook, one or two sizes smaller.

Pattern is written using UK terms

Abbreviations:

Ch – chain

Ch-sp – chain space

Ss – slip stitch

Dc (US sc) – double crochet (US single crochet)

Tr (US dc) – treble crochet (US double crochet)

Dtr (US tr) – double treble (US treble)

Ttr (US dtr) – triple treble crochet (US double treble)

Yrh – yarn around hook

Dtr3tog (US tr3tog) – double treble 3 together (US treble 3 together) – yrh twice,  insert hook into space, yrh, pull loop through, (yrh, pull loop through 2 loops on hook) twice; rep from * twice more working in the same space, yrh and pull through all 4 loops on hook.

With 3.50mm (US E/4, UK 9) hook ch 32.

Row 1: 1 dc into second ch from hook, 1 dc into each dc to end. (31 dc)

Row 2: ch 1, 1 dc into every dc to end.

Rep row 2, 4 more times.

Brake off yarn

Re-join yarn to 16 dc from the end of last row.

Row 7: Ch 5, miss 3 dc, 1 dc into next dc, 1 dc into next 3 dc, turn.

Row 8:* Ch 2, dtr3tog into 5-ch sp, rep from * 4 more times, ch 2, 1 dc into 3rd dc from 5 ch, 1 dc into next 3 dc.turn

Row 9: *Ch 3, 1tr into 2-ch space, ch 3, 1tr into dtr3tog, rep from *4 more times, ch3, 1tr into 2- ch sp, ch 3,  miss 2 dc, 1dc into next  dc , 1 dc into next 3 dc, turn.

Row 10: *Ch 4, 1 dtr into next  tr, rep from * 10 more times, ch 4, miss 2 dc, 1 dc into next dc, 1 dc into next 3 dc, turn.

Row 11: *Ch 4, 1 dtr into next dtr, rep from * 8 more times,  ch 3, 1 tr into next dtr, ch 3, 1 dc into next dtr, turn.

Row 12: Ch 3, 1 tr into next tr, ch 3, 1 dtr into next dtr, *ch 4, 1 ttr into next dtr,  rep from * 7 more times, ch 4, miss 2 dc, 1 dc into next dc, 1 dc into next 3 dc, turn.

Row 13: * Ch 5, 1 ttr into next ttr, rep from *5 more times, ch 5, 1 dtr into next next ttr, ch 4, 1 tr into next dtr, ch 3, 1 dc into next tr.

Fasten off

Finger loop

With right side facing re-join yarn to 5^th ttr.

Ch 18, ss to same ttr.

With right side facing re-join yarn to beginning or row 1, working all along edges of gloves, continue as follows; 1 dc into every dc, 5 dc into every ch space,  1 dc into every stitch and 25 dc into finger loop. Crochet all around the glove.

Fasten off

Fold two sides of glove together and join with row of dc, crochet 1 dc into next 16 dc of edging.

Fasten off.

 P.S. Big thank you to lovely Angela for the broom :)

Enjoy

Anna xx