Crochet | Sewchet

January 7, 2015
by sewchet 63 Comments

Finished! Greengate Style Crochet Blanket (With FREE pattern!)

Yippee! Picture me dancing a jig around the room with a smile of glee painted on my very smug face. Why? I have finally finished my Greengate style blanket that I started way back in July……and I LOVE it!

Row after row of Drops Paris Cotton loveliness that feels so substantial and luxurious it was well worth the effort and time.

It is HUGE.

Pictured above on the bed in one of our spare bedrooms which is 5’6″ wide, it makes a decent throw but it completely covers a single bed!

The original article and pattern (found here) are in Swedish and the Google translation was a little confusing but, with some crochet experience, I managed to come up with a workable version of the pattern in English which I can now share with you – just click on the link at the bottom of the page to download it!

I particularly love the lettuce-leaf edging – time-consuming but it adds a beautiful texture to it, I think.

Would you like to see some more photos?

Whilst it may look complicated and rather daunting, the main body of the blanket actually consists of nothing other than treble crochet (US double) in plain rows and granny stripe. It’s the winning combination of colours that make it so successful.

If you would like to make your own blanket, I have included a pattern for you to download and print off. It is my own interpretation of the google translation (in the Swedish edition of Homes & Gardens) and may not be perfect but worked well for me!

Click on the link below to download: –

Greengate Style Crochet Blanket Pattern PDF

Now, onto my next blanket…..

January 6, 2015
by sewchet 19 Comments

2014 Creative Round Up

I wasn’t going to do a round up of the things I’ve made since starting this blog back in April but, after flicking through quickly, thought it might be quite nice to see a few. If nothing else, seeing a collection all in one place makes me appreciate that I have been quite productive after all.

It also makes me realize that, although I have several different crafts under my belt, there are so many more things that I’d like to try.

And thus, my Resolution for the coming year shall be: “Try Something New”

I couldn’t show everything because, quite frankly, I seem to have had creative diarrhoea this year and that’s too much for anyone to see!!

So, here we are with a few of my favourites. Just click on the picture to go straight to the relevant blog post.

I hope you ~~endured~~ enjoyed the little journey into my recent past – please join me as I create my future!

December 23, 2014
by sewchet 29 Comments

Last Minute Gifts Finished Off And An Amusing Mishap

Well here we are, just two days before Christmas and I’m still making a few last minute bits and bobs. With fifteen people and three dogs coming to stay for Christmas, I’ve been hard at it with the food and sleeping arrangements which has meant there has been no time to blog properly I’m afraid.

After a lovely pre-Christmas supper for ten, they’re all doing the dishes whilst I sneak out to the office to grab a few minutes on the computer – my last update for a while, I suspect.

So, this is what I’ve been up to the last week or so….

I made a birthday card for a friend using pretty scraps of fabric;

These are the pair of fingerless gloves that went into my #sewingsanta parcel – I had to make these quickly after the pair (that were originally intended to be included) sold on Folksy!

I made this card for another friend who is a music teacher….

….and wrapped her present in old music scores that I picked up from a charity shop.

Inspired by Tajana’s jumper, I made a scarf for my brother.

A “Rasta” hat as modelled by my husband but intended for a much younger recipient!

A golf club sock as a bit of a laugh:)

A pair of cashmere fingerless gloves.

A tea cosy….

….as part of a gift including a Le Creuset teapot and different teas.

Gift tags made from air-drying clay.

I’ve been getting in a bit of a muddle and put it down to the drugs I’m taking for a trapped nerve, but get this: I wrapped up my step-daughter’s present, tied it with pretty ribbon, added a homemade clay gift tag and put it under the tree only to come back to see her present still sat on the table, unwrapped.

I have no recollection of picking up a random tea light holder from the middle of the table and wrapping that up instead, so I think my Christmas brain must be addled – and the big day is still two days away! I have visions of people opening their presents to find a soup ladle inside when their real gift is still in the cupboard but hey-ho, I’m not unwrapping them all to check!

I shall finish off by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and sharing with you a festive picture of my dogs:)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!!

November 29, 2014
by sewchet 7 Comments

Upcycled Scarf Into Cowl & Wristwarmers

Hmmmm, bit of a disappointment.

Having spent the larger part of a day refashioning an already beautiful scarf into a bespoke gift for someone specific aged 17, I am gently informed by her mother that she wouldn’t wear it as she doesn’t like pink.

I then offered the set to my 23 year old daughter who told me that, although she likes it, she wouldn’t wear it because…..she doesn’t like pink!

Am I alone in my love of pink in all its glorious tones and associated femininity? Or is an age thing and just not ~~trendy~~ ‘cool’ for anyone under forty?

Anyway, it’s up for grabs for £25-00 for the set if anyone is interested:)

So, onto the pictures.

This is the original scarf as shown in a previous post….

I removed the velvet edging and cut open the tubular scarf to make a wide piece of ‘fabric’, then cut it into a cowl sized piece and two glove size pieces.

The cowl was stitched into a tube and the raw edges overlocked.

Next I added a row of double crochet to the upper edge in deep lilac….

….and a delicate picot edging to the lower edge.

Et voilá!

Next, for the gloves, I appliquéd a pink heart (made from a felted lambswool jumper) onto the front of each glove using the same lilac yarn.

A picot edge was crocheted around the finger end of the gloves to match the border on the cowl.

I think they make a lovely set as it’s so rare to find such a gorgeous fair isle knit in such good quality.

So if you know anyone who would love to buy this, please point them in this direction – there must be someone out there who loves pink as much as I do!!!!

They would make a great Christmas gift too:)

November 27, 2014
by sewchet 26 Comments

2nd Prize In Crochet Competition!

Remember this mystery WIP from last week that I entered into a competition?

Well I won second prize!

For those of you who were intrigued as to what it might be (Caren), I can now reveal that is is a….

…..CLOCK!

Based on a design by Matt, I made it much simpler as my clock hands were too large to include many flowers which would obstruct the movement.

I crocheted the butterfly instead of using a wooden one and used a wire tie to create the antennae. I also glued on felt numerals instead of wooden ones.

Various sizes of brightly coloured flowers adorn the perimeter.

The centre of each flower features a different button from my stash.

Eight little ladybird buttons mark the hour.

Some of the ladybirds are peeking out from amongst the flowers!

The best part for me is the rainbow – I just love all those bright colours!

The plywood we had lying about was too thick for the clock movement so I used some mounting card which was substantial enough for the job.

And here’s my prize….

…..vouchers for Ottery Garden Centre which I have already spent part of on……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………you guessed it, another Santa!

Have you won any crafting competitions?

November 19, 2014
by sewchet 23 Comments

Handmade Christmas Presents – Light At The End Of A Very Long Tunnel!

Phew! (Mops sweat from brow before it drips onto freshly laid out pile of FINISHED Christmas pressies). Yep, you heard me – finished!

Well, obviously not the ones I haven’t started yet but, taking a leaf out of Tajana’s book, I gathered together all the recently completed ~~works of art~~ gifts and was pleasantly surprised at my progress.

D’you want to see?

OK then………………………….TADAH!

First we have a Granny square hot water bottle cover – I’ve been itching to find someone to make one for since being inspired by the multitude of colourful hotties on Pinterest. So, if you’re reading this and think it might be for you, ssshhhh, it’s a surprise!

The buttoned flap makes the cover removable for washing after you’ve spilt your cocoa all over it, because you know you just want to snuggle up with a hot milky drink (or whisky) now, don’t you?

I’ve blogged about these cowls and beanie here, but these free printables from Kym at Cobberson & Company are a lovely way to present them.

You may remember the four Egyptian cotton pillowcases in this post that I bought from a charity shop for 50p each; I used one of them to make two napkins which I then (rather painstakingly) embroidered with the initials of the recipients. They don’t read the blog otherwise it would be a bit of a giveaway really:)

This blanket was requested specially – I hope they like it because it took over two months to make!

It’s based on the Sweet Ocean Breeze Baby Blanket by Little Monkey’s Crochet only I made it twice the size to fit a single bed or across the bottom of a double.

The stitch pattern is a joy to crochet and the pale colours made it easy to work on in the evenings whilst watching re-runs of “Morse” and “Lewis”.

I embroidered a label on a piece of satin ribbon to personalize it and make it a bit more special.

The scarf was blogged about in this post and, to be honest, it was so long ago I’d completely forgotten I’d made it!

Similarly, the poncho I made was finished a while ago but it can be added to the growing box of presents that are ready to wrap! You can find the free pattern in the original post here.

There are also jars of homemade jam and a headband that I haven’t blogged about, but they’ve got their fifteen seconds of fame in this post!

There is one Christmas present that is ready to show you but I entered it into a competition today and didn’t have time to take any photos beforehand. Anyway, here is a photo I snapped quickly yesterday as a little tease although I promise to show you the finished article when I’ve collected it. Not my design but I’ve put my own stamp on it. Any ideas as to what it might be?

I’ve also finished making presents and gathering little treasures together for my #sewingsanta recipient which I’m quite excited about! I’ve managed to get an awful lot for the ten pound spending limit and, by making a couple of things with fabric from my stash and some unbelievable ‘as new’ charity shop finds, this girl is in for a treat!

My giftee is someone with a young family who reads my blog, but that is all I am saying apart from the fact that I’ve squeezed in a little something for the children too:)

Happy Crafting!

October 22, 2014
by sewchet 14 Comments

Crochet cowls and beanie

Just a quick post today to show you a few finished Christmas presents. I don’t think any of the intended recipients read the blog, so as long as I don’t put them on my Facebook page it shouldn’t spoil any surprises:)

First, another chunky cowl in purple fleck….

….and another in black fleck;

The free pattern and tutorial can be found here.

Finally, here is the crocheted beanie in a fab ribbed design;

Personally speaking, I would have loved it in lime green like in the original pattern which can be found over at Hopeful Honey, but most people have more conservative tastes than mine:)

Next, onto the monogrammed napkins – now they really are a challenge!

How are you getting on with your handmade Christmas gifts?

October 18, 2014
by sewchet 128 Comments

Tutorial: Crochet Poncho

This last week has been pretty miserable weather-wise in South Somerset. I have managed to walk the dogs on several days but mostly they put one paw on the doorstep, feel the rain and high-tail it back indoors. They’re most definitely fair-weather walkers which is a shame because I quite like walking in the rain.

On the plus side, being cosied up in front of a roaring fire has had its advantages in that I’ve been finishing some WIPs (and starting some others…) and I actually have one ready to show you complete with a tutorial!

This one was relatively straightforward – I wrote the pattern as I went and got it right first time…with no unpicking at all! Or should I say “frogging”. That’s a lovely word that I’ve only just come across but I think I’ll use it in future:)

Anyway, drum roll please…..

…………………………Tadah!

Most of the poncho patterns out there seem to be decorative rather than functional and I wanted one that could replace a coat and scarf, so I designed this one with a toasty cowl neck that can be rolled up around my face if it gets windy.

Two rows of granny stripe in blue were added at the bottom edge for a bit more interest.

Impossible to get a decent selfie but this gives you an idea of what it looks like on;

I love it!

It crochets up really quickly and could be finished in two or three evenings so why not have a go? Here are the instructions: –

CROCHET PONCHO

You will need: 5 x 100g super chunky yarn in Red and 1 x 100g in Blue (I used “Life Super Chunky” by Stylecraft with 25%wool)

10mm crochet hook

Tension: 6 rows and 9tr in 10x10cm

Cowl

In Red, Ch50, sl st in first chain to join round

*Ch3, 1tr in each st to end. Join with a sl st into ch3* Repeat ** until your work measures 8″ (20cm) then continue on to work the Poncho

Poncho

Ch3, 1tr, ch1, 2tr all into next stitch (centre back), 1tr into next 26 stitches, 2tr, ch1, 2tr all into next stitch (centre front), 1tr in each stitch to end.

Subsequent rows are all treble crochet, increasing at centre back and front as follows: 2tr, ch1, 2tr

Repeat until your arm length measures 20″ (50cm)

Change to Blue in the sl st to join the last round.

Ch3, 2tr,*sk 2, 3tr* Repeat ** to end increasing at centre back and front as before. Join with a sl st.

Repeat last row.

For the final row, work 1dc into each stitch to end. Fasten off and weave in ends.

And there you have it! A lovely warm crocheted poncho to see you through Autumn:)

October 13, 2014
by sewchet 15 Comments

Tutorial: – How To Make A Crochet Cowl In Three Hours!!

Last week I bought two skeins of Debbie Bliss “Roma” with a particular project in mind – a cosy cowl for myself.

As this only takes two skeins, I splashed out on this luxury yarn which is a beautifully soft mix of Merino and superfine Alpaca in a gorgeous shade, Duck Egg. At £8.95 per 100g ball it costs just under £18.00 to make which is well worth it considering the quality of the wool.

Even though I was writing the pattern as I went, I had the finished cowl around my neck within just three hours of hooking my first stitch. Not bad for an evening’s work, though I say so myself!

This was made possible by the use of super chunky yarn and a super sized crochet hook, the combination of which creates a loose textured cowl which drapes softly.

There are lots of patterns out there but I had a go at designing my own as I went, combining several elements into one design and tailoring it to fit me exactly.

I decided to use exclusively treble crochet (US double) to keep it simple and let the wonderful yarn take centre stage.

I also decided to make it wider at the bottom so that it would drape lower and keep my chest warm, but make it narrower at the neck for a snug fit to keep the wind out.

Apologies for the slightly scary stare – that’s what happens when I take selfies!!! Anyway, you get the idea – a really cosy cowl to keep you warm on a cold day. So, without further ado….

COSY COWL PATTERN

You will need: –

2 skeins of any super chunky yarn (I used Debbie Bliss “Roma” in Duck Egg – £8.95 each from the Wool Warehouse)

12mm crochet hook

Tension: 7 stitches and 5 rows to 10 x 10cm

Instructions: –

Ch50 and join with a slip stitch into your first chain to continue working in the round.

Round 1. Ch3, 1tr in each ch to end. Join with a sl st into your first ch3 (50 st)

Rounds 2-4. Repeat Round 1 three more times (50 st)

Round 5. Start decreasing for the neck; Ch3, 1tr into next 12 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr into next 24 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr in each st to end. Join with a sl st (48 st)

Round 6. Ch3, 1tr into next 11 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr into next 23 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr in each st to end. join with a sl st (46 st)

Round 7. Ch3, 1tr into next 10 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr into next 22 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr in each st to end. join with a sl st (44 st)

Round 8. Ch3, 1tr into next 9 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr into next 21 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr in each st to end. join with a sl st (42 st)

Round 9. Ch3, 1tr into next 8 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr into next 20 stitches, tr2tog, 1tr in each st to end. join with a sl st (40 st)

Rounds 10-16. Ch3, 1tr into each st to end. join with a sl st (40 st)

Round 17. Ch2, 1dc into each st to end. Fasten off and weave in loose ends.

Such a simple, quick pattern with only 17 rows of crochet – I think this cowl is definitely going to be made in various different shades for Christmas presents….!

October 7, 2014
by sewchet 14 Comments

A “Fruitful” Walk and How To Make Sloe Gin

It was such a perfect Autumn morning that I decided to take the dogs on The Road Walk instead of The Field Walk, with the added benefit that the road acts as a nail file thereby negating the need to get the dreaded nail clippers out (for the dogs, not me).

I use the word ‘road’ very loosely because, although they have been acquainted with tarmac at some point, the lanes between my village and the neighbouring ones rarely see a car. The total combined population of all three villages adds up to less than 400! In fact this morning we met neither vehicle nor human on a two and a half hour walk. Just the way I like it:)

I took a few snaps on my iPhone just to give you an idea.

After about a mile we took a footpath to Blackford (population 70). Look at that blue sky!

Back onto the lane and a pretty little corner in Maperton (population 100) caught my eye. I usually walk straight past but I thought I’d photograph it today to show you; the shady end of the cottage has been planted with vibrant orange flowers which smell heavenly as you drift by.

View from the top of the lane;

Back into my village, North Cheriton (population 208) and the way back takes us through a wooded lane….

…and past Wisteria cottage…..

…to a Blackthorn Tree! Look at those lovely sloes;

Folklore tells us not to pick the sloes until after the first frost and, as we had the first frost at the weekend, those spare dog poo bags that I always carry came in handy:)

This is my recipe for sloe gin;

Put 1lb sloes, pricked several times with a pin, into a clean jar.

Add 4oz sugar and a bottle of gin;

Shake well and put in a cool, dark place for at least two months. We store ours in the understairs cupboard.

It’s that simple.

Important things to note are: –

1. You need to shake the mixture every morning for about a week until the sugar has dissolved

2. To keep the colour a deep, dark maroon, cover with a tea-towel to stop any light getting in, otherwise it will fade to an insipid pink

My daughter gave me this lovely book of Cath Kidston stickers for Christmas one year so I used some to label the jars with a date.

Our first fire of the season was lit much to the dogs’ delight;

I pulled up an armchair and they curled up on the floor beside me whilst I did a spot of crocheting;

This one is for me….a chunky poncho in ‘berry red’;

I plan on putting a row of blue near the bottom for a bit of interest and I’m writing it up as I go so the poncho pattern will be on the blog when I’ve finished:)

Sewchet

Sewing, crochet, crafts, accessories, baking, tutorials,

Category Archives: Crochet

Finished! Greengate Style Crochet Blanket (With FREE pattern!)

2014 Creative Round Up

Last Minute Gifts Finished Off And An Amusing Mishap

Upcycled Scarf Into Cowl & Wristwarmers

2nd Prize In Crochet Competition!

Handmade Christmas Presents – Light At The End Of A Very Long Tunnel!

Crochet cowls and beanie

Tutorial: Crochet Poncho

Tutorial: – How To Make A Crochet Cowl In Three Hours!!

A “Fruitful” Walk and How To Make Sloe Gin

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