Mom-and-Daugher Crochet Along!

Many, many, many moons ago, when my girls where little, they used to love crocheting with me on winter weekends.

We would decide what we were going to make on a Thursday evening -a bag, a pillow, a scarf - always something quick and easy.   I would stop at Checkers (supermarket) on my way home from the office on Friday evening and  pick up a few balls of yarn in the colours they had chosen.     (Checkers still stocks this yarn today - it is called Chick and is probably the equivalent of the Red Heart Super Saver in price and quality.)

I would make up the patterns as we went, often sharing the pattern with friends whose daughters also liked the crochet-along mom and daughter routine!    (Most of these "patterns" were never more than hurried scribbles on scrap paper)

Anyway, a few days ago I was chatting on Whatsapp to my friend who now lives in Cape Town, and she sent me a photo of herself wearing a scarf.   "Kyk wat kry ek in die stoorkamer" (look what I found in the storeroom) she said!    One of my little patterns she had made with her girls about 16 years ago!   "Ek wil weer so een maak" (I want to make another) she said!   "Kan jy onthou hoe?" (can you remember how?).    Hhmm - vaguely....

Picked up my hook and some variegated and an hour and a half later ......... ta-dah

So much fun!

Made another so that I could write the pattern - of course I had to add a bit of extra flair to this one!!

At less than 100g for an adult scarf (probably about 50g for a little girl's scarf) this is a perfect project to keep little hands busy on cold or rainy afternoons!

The scarf takes very little time to crochet, making it a great "rescue" when you need a gift in a hurry!

Busy tidying the pattern up (my friend in Cape Town is doing a quick test for me) so that I can share it with you in time for next weekend!

Cosmos Fields Shawl

A while back I needed a quick on-the-go project to accompany me while out and about for the best part of two days.    I used a mill ends yarn, which I had my doubts about as it was looking a bit too much like red cabbage at one point. I finished it anyway - at the same time coming up with a neat edging which I also used for my ROAD TRIP SCARVES

I let go of the red cabbage idea when I saw this stunning photo of COSMOS FIELDS

These and more AMAZING photos can be found on a gorgeous Japanese Blog called ROUND OF THE SEASONS IN JAPAN

So happy I found the photos - I don't think anyone would want to wear a "Red Cabbage" Shawl!!

It is winter  here in South Africa and although it is still really warm here during the day I am making myself a few scarves to prepare for the cold snap!

Loving the variegated yarn lately - so I ordered a random batch for inspiration.

My fingers are itching to make a more solid version (like this shawl) of my Road Trip Scarf, but I am busy with a tutorial for my Dahlia Mandala (pattern to be posted very soon!!).  I used what was left of my first batch of Raeesah Cotton Soft to make the two pink mandalas.

There were still a few teeny tiny scraps left - so I made another jar jacket! (Had to tie two strands of purple together on the final row, the knot is unfortunately quite visible - I will have to use this jar for flowers or something that will hide the last row!)

Now that I have finished the Raeesah I can delve into my new stash of Strawberries & Cream (50% cotton / 50% acrylic) for the tutorial.  

I have never used the Strawberries & Cream before - it feels very soft but looks as if it might be a bit "splitty" - will let you know how that tests out when I post my Dahlia Mandala Pattern!

Have a super happy crafty Wednesday!!!

Road Trip Scarves: Pattern

Friday I went on a little spur of the moment road trip with hubby and I wanted a fuss free project to keep me busy during the drive.   Scissors are banned on road trips as hubby is paranoid that I accidentally stab myself again (during a road trip a couple of months back I was snipping a thread, we hit a pothole, a very common occurrence on South African Roads, and I embedded the scissors in my left wrist).      While hubby was planning the route I quickly grabbed some variegated yarn, started two triangles to make "scarfy" versions of a shawl I made a few weeks ago, and popped them into my SHABBY PROJECT BAG

I managed to finish both scarves, edge them and make a few little flowers - with a few cm of yarn to spare - before we arrived back home.    Yesterday morning I sewed the flowers on with some beads and a few braids and Ta-dah!

For the greenish scarf I used 2 x 50g Elle Family Knit Classic (Courtelle) colour "Sushi" with a 4.50mm hook and a 5.00mm hook.

For the pinkish scarf I used 100g Elle Escapade DK (Acrylic) colour "Fuschia Falls"  with a 4.00mm hook and a 4.50mm hook

Spinning my wheels a bit yesterday - waiting for the ladies to finish testing the patterns for my Zooty Owl Trivets and my Dahlia Mandala - so I thought I would make another one of these while I wait.

For the brightly coloured scarf I used Elle Family Knit DK Classic (Courtelle) 2 x 50g with a 4.50mm and a 5.00mm hook.

I worked up the pattern and crocheted yet another Road Trip Scarf while making the photo tutorial

ROAD TRIP SCARF PATTERN 

  

YARN:   Elle Pullskein Print DK (100% Acrylic)  (any soft 8 ply yarn would work well)

COLOUR:  Hunter

HOOKS:  4.50mm and 5.00mm

EXTRAS:  Wooden beads

SIZE:  106cm Wide;   48cm long

(The pattern is of such a nature that you could easily make the scarf bigger - even shawl size - by just adding more rows!) 

SKILL LEVEL:   Easy 

PATTERN TERMS:   US

Using 4.50mm hook 

Foundation:   6ch

Using 5.00mm hook:

EDGING

I made a video to demonstrate this edging (no sound),
which I first used for my BABY GROOVYGHAN
 (Note:   I use single crochet for the baby groovghan and for the Road Trip Scarf I use Double Crochet!)

If you are having trouble watching the video here - I have saved it on my Zooty Owl Facebook page too - you will find it under "Photos"

NOTE:   If for some reason you are unable to view the video on this page - I have it stored on my Zooty Owl Facebook page - go to photos and then Videos

EMBELLISHMENTS 

I made 8 flowers, attaching 2 at each point and 4 randomly around the "v"

 

Attach the flowers to the scarf, with a small wooden bead as the centre of the flower

I have been messing around with my camera settings for indoor photos - the days are way too short now as we approach winter solstice.    I don't quite know what I have done but I seem to have achieved a bit of a "neon" effect?!

I LOVE variegated yarn and I LOVE these scarves!!

My elder daughter is very petite and she really feels the cold.    I made her a scarf with Colormatic Aran, and embellished it with my SUNFLOWER APPLIQUE

(A few of you lovely crafty people are having trouble getting started with the Road Trip Scarf - I have put together a little TUTORIAL WITH CLEARER PHOTOS (I used solid colour yarn - as it is sometimes difficult to see the stitches especially on smaller screens)

The print friendly version of the pattern can be found HERE 

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THE DAY TRIP SCARF

In 2014 when I created my Road Trip scarf I had no idea that it would be so ridiculously popular. I had a lot of requests for a longer scarf along similar lines. I finally got around to it - the result is a long “baktus style” scarf with two possible edgings. Either a frilly edge for a whimsical look or a zig-zag bobble edging. (The original Road Trip Scarf edging and trims would also work well with this design) 

The Day Trip Scarf differs from the Road Trip Scarf in that it increases steadily in length and gradually in width, whereas the Road Trip Scarf increases evenly in length and width.

This version can also easily be made on a day journey as a passenger. The project is small and lightweight and can be squeezed into bag, making it a wonderful “take-along” project for a journey by car, plane, train or bus.
The Day Trip Scarf is a very economical project requiring just under 300 metres or 330 yards of DK / 8ply / light worsted weight yarn.
Because the pattern works up so quickly and is so economical to make, it is the perfect end of year / Christmas gift. 

Flower Granny Stripe Scarves

I completed two more FLOWER GRANNY SCARVES a while back, but with the heap of  WIPs I have been busy with recently (and the unbearable heat)  I almost forgot about these little projects:

A rather strange colour combination - grey, brown, mustard and violet (acrylic / wool blend)

Added a fringe with some teeny tiny flowers (crocheted on with a slip stitch from fringe to flower), some buttons and a few pansies.

I only had a small amount of grey left and so decided to turn this violet strip into a cowl!

Just a little show and tell then!    Off to make some tea and then back to the heap of WIPs ......

Flower Granny Scarves

I made a purple pansy Flower Granny Stripe Scarf:

 

and a Strawberries 'n Cream Flower Granny Stripe Scarf:

and aqua & peach flower granny stripe scarves:

...... while trying NOT to fidget in front of the screen.

I fidget.      I am a fidgeter!   In fact my fidgeting is legendary (the reason my gran taught me to crochet in the first place)!

Before we settle down to watch movies or series I get a lecture from the rest of the family  "have you made yourself a pot of tea?  Do you have your box of tissues?  (sad movies ALWAYS make me cry!), do you have everything else you are going to need right next to your lazy boy?   Oh and PLEASE mom can you actually watch the movie this time!?"

Tricky! Tricky!

How on earth do you decide in ADVANCE what you are going to do for the next ninety minutes while sitting still on your butt and actually watching the movie.

I  made a whole bag full of long granny strips over the past few weeks while WATCHING movies with the family.

I thought I might join them together to make a blanket - but they are a rather odd collection of colours and lengths.

I love adding flowers to just about everything - so I set about turning my granny strips into lovely flower scarves:

Pink and cerise - 14 rows of each colour.      With a join as you go granny at each end.

For the side borders:    a row of peach, two rows of cream, and then 1 row of hdc in pink and cerise.     Finished off with some twisty tassles (with a hint of lime green thrown in for a bit of zing!!

Add a cream pansy, a cerise 6 petal flower and a peach 6 petal flower (my patterns), and some lime green leaves.

Happiness!!!

White granny strip.  For the side borders crochet a row of granny clusters in each of aqua, turquoise, crocus (lilac).  Added two join as you go grannies at each end - one in crocus and purple;   one in aqua and turquoise.

To finish a row of shells on each side in Purple

a few flowers in turqoise and purple, and some lovely long floaty tassels in a mixture of all the colours!

Made the peach granny strip into a cowl (had to unpick a row and then join as you go to the other end).   Edged with a simple picot shell in aqua.     I made a flower brooch - so it can be worn with or without the flowers!

Love Love Love all those pretty colours:

To finish my VERY long (very boring post) some more flowery loveliness:

A mixed arrangement picked from my garden;   some of my stunning geraniums;     and a few late bloomers spotted in a remote corner of the garden (there are some pink ones too that have not opened yet!)

Wishing you all a wonderfully colourful day!!

Crochet Cowl and Bags

I spent about an hour writing this post and then I just ran the backspace / delete key through it!

I don't think you want to be bored by an endless account of what I have been up to for the past two-ish weeks, instead I will just show you some of the things I have made!

The above cowl/ necklace is made up using a long string of "yarnberries" - you can find the pattern on this BLOG

I made up quite a few strings of "yarnberries" - this was the prototype for the assembly.   Still needs a bit of work.    Was thinking of using more, smaller flowers and perhaps felting them first.    Also maybe adding a few pearls or beads here and there to the strands.

We experienced a few days of sweltering heat here in JHB, resulting in me having to put aside all my larger projects.   I made up a stack of small squares which I am busy assembling into very colourful baby blankets (thankfully the past few days have been wonderfully rainy and cool!)

After a few days of epic square making I just could not face making another square (so much so that I could not even crochet up my scraps for the Yarn Indaba Yarn Bomb!).  I knotted all the same-ish colour scraps together and set about crocheting myself some project bags:

I just kept joining each new colour with a double knot - which meant that I had only four ends to work in when I was done - two for the bag and two for the shell border!   I wanted the bags to have a shabby look - love the  "uneven"  double crochet where the knots are.    Added lots and lots of flowers and leaves I had been making up from small leftover bits of yarn, using small buttons for the flower centres.

Midnight has just passed (today has just become yesterday, and tomorrow is now today!!) - off to dreamland for me!!