Good Things Come To Those That Wait.......

It's ready.....Clover so you can knit your own at home.



 

Available from Etsy or Ravelry



Thanks

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

Just about there, the pattern is nearly finalised.....a couple of hats back from my test knitters and they're perfect, so hopefully that means the pattern is perfect.

I'm doing some more knits myself, just checking off every size....although I know this pattern back to front and inside out.....but I still love seeing all the little sizes stacked up.  These ones are heading of to the US to the fabulous photographer, Joy Wright.....I want some more scrumptious babies in Clovers to front my patterns.

I'm finishing off some blankets, taking first orders for the northern Winter and starting to size my second pattern.

Things are certainly busy, busy, busy.

Colour Block Hexie.....

Finally a few extra colours that I ordered for my colour block hexie blanket have turned up.....I didn't feel like I could continue until all colours where here and accounted for.

I ended up removing a few colours on the first row that I did, I ended up removing a lime green which was organic wool....it looked too lime green really!!  I also took out a plum colour as well.....my aim was for crisp clear colour, with a few softer colours like grey and latte brown to break up the brightness.

A few people on my Facebook page have asked me what colours I'm using and where I source my Cascade 220 from.  Below is the colour list....the organic wool I'm using is hard to find, so I'm giving you similar colours in Cascade 220 for those....I purchased one ball of each, and this blanket is 18 hexies across using a 3.5 hook.....I'm making this large bed size or back of the sofa snuggling size.

9487 Puget Sound, 8903 Primaverra, 9469 Hot Pink, 7809 Violet, 7804 Shrimp, 7816 Bluebell, 8888 Lavender, 7828 Neon Yellow, 9427 Duck Egg Blue, 8393 Navy, 8414 Bright Red, 8011 Aspen Heather, 9478 Cotton Candy, 7814 Chartreusse, 9603 Country Blue.

The substitute yarns for the organic wool I'm using, I'd probably go with 9477 Tutu, 7825 Orange Sherbert, 7815 Summer Sky, 7822 Vandyke Brown and 7821 Sienna.

I buy my Cascade 220 from the US, the colour range is better than the very limited stock I find here in Australia, and my online, or walk in store of choice is  The Loopy Ewe in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Their online service is second to none, they instantly join you up to their loyalty program, and I can't resist the small bag of Tootsie Rolls that seem to accompany my order every time I receive it!

Anyway this isn't going to be a quick project, I have plenty more to be going on with, but it's a personal project.....another something for me.

A Week Away.....

Little Clover is a week away.  All writing and photography work on my first knitting pattern is now completed.  I have some knitters testing the pattern, I'm just doing some final testing myself and someone else is looking at spelling, grammar and punctuation and that is it I think.

The release date will be Sunday 1st September and for now I'll be selling the pattern from my Ravelry store.  I'm still undecided about Etsy, I'll have a think about that during this week.   I'll update this page next week with the details, but for now I'll leave you with this stunning image from photographer Katherine Heise-Vouros from Lamb loves Fox.  It's her beautiful daughter in her Clover hat. Katherine is also a very talented crocheter.  To see some of her crochet work, stop by at Crochetlatte blog.

See you back here next week,

Hex Addiction.....

I'm seriously stuck on hexies at the moment.....there really is something very addictive about them.  At long last I think I've found a project to keep for me, so this will be a large bed blanket.

I'm making single colour hexies and trying to stick with crisp clear colours that come from my stash.  A mix of organic wool and Cascade 220.  10ply yarn on a 3.5 hook....trying to make the hexies quite tight and compact.

So I now understand where the term 'Hex Addiction' comes from.

Bobble Border Tutorial

Bobble border....cute as can be, and as simple as can be....I'm big on easy around these parts, simple yet striking, that just about sums it up.

Ok, I've just used a simple granny square as an example, but for now I'm pretending it's a blanket or similar!!  Firstly I'll just show you what a granny square blanket would look like if you didn't put some sort of simple bordering on it before you put your row of bobbles.  It would look like this.

In my opinion you've lost the visual on the bobble, it seems to have blended into the granny square itself.....It may have something to do with the last row of clusters and the bobbles being the same colour....Never the less, I still think it doesn't work if you're going to be using it on a big project like a blanket where you want the edging to stand out a little....or a lot for that matter!


So from there I went right around the edge of the granny square 4 times with just a simple single crochet stitch (US terminology) for conversion to English crochet stitches see here.  Using a slip stitch to complete the row.  Also don't be limited to a border of single crochet, the bobble stitch will work on any border, I just went for something simple....remember I like simple and easy!

Next step is to do 1 chain stitch and then after doing this, turn your work around so you have the back of your work facing you as the bobble stitch is worked on the wrong side, as the picture below shows.

Now the next step below is to single crochet into the same stitch where you have just chained, this is the only time you will work into the same stitch you have just worked.

Once you have done that then working into the next stitch along through the two top loops do a treble/triple stitch as pictured below.

And then you end up with the long treble stitch completed and it should look like it does in the next picture.

From there you then do a single crochet into the next top two loops of the next stitch (not the same stitch, the next stitch along remember), so basically the treble stitch folds backwards on itself and this makes the bobble poke out to the front of your work.

Easy, then back to another treble, single, treble the whole way around your edge.

If you give it a quick turn over you can see the bobbles forming.

Continue all the way around using a slip stitch to join your last stitch to where you commenced your first bobble.

Pretty isn't it?

Don't be limited by single colours either.  You can make your bobble edging in another colour.  I simply added yellow into the stitch where I finished the blue, did one yellow chain, turned my work around and did my first single stitch into the same stitch where I did the chain, then my treble....you know the score by now.

On completion....

So there you have it.....the bobble border.  I always drop my crochet hook down by half a size when doing a border because I don't like that too wavy too many stitch look, and this square was no different.  Your edging and border may look a little tight, but a good block of your work once pulled and pinned into shape can sort that out.  It also has the added bonus of making your work look soft and drapey and gives it a professional finish.


Hope I made this easy for you.

The Blanket with the Bobble Edging

I've gone a bit blanket crazy this week.....Another Sunny Spread but this time, going for big, bold and bright and colourful blanket....slightly different from my previous ones.

I think I love this one the most.  Beautiful smooshy organic Australian merino yarn.  I followed the pattern as is, but again just changing the border.....this time I though bobbles, and I think it ties in well with the circles on the blanket, and I think it brings it back to playful with the bobbly edging, just suitable for a cot or pram for a bub.  Can you see I like random colour.....again I'm not a fan of repetitive colour or pattern in blankets.....I've never been one for anything too uniform or matchy matchy!

If you don't know how to bobble, I'll put up a simple instruction tomorrow for you all.....and it is simple let me tell you!  Anyway, here tis' all done.....Colourful enough for you?

For more details, you'll find my blanket here on Ravelry

Till later,

Have You Seen The Poppets?

My dear friend Jen, sells Poppets.....Mermaids, mermans, pirates, leggy girls, geeks, cowboys, geishas, bunnies, santas, reindeers.....Poppets, the affectionate name given to the array of hand made softies that this talented lady produces from her little home studio in Toronto Canada.

Every little softie poppet is unique in fabric selection, no one poppet will ever be the same....that's the beauty of these little guys.

Jen happily also does custom work when she's able and those who join her newsletter get priority, so if you're looking for something special, Jen can design you a poppet to suit your child.

Take a look at some of the beautiful work that Jen has completed.

What do you think?  Aren't they the cutest little poppets that you ever did see.  All triple stitched, with all ribbon adornments hand sewn, so little fingers can't remove them, eco filled, 100% cotton bodies, and wool felt faces and accessories and hand stitched embroided sweet little signature smiles.  At the moment, Jen has some "Ready to Ship" stock available which is really unheard of, so I'm letting you in on the poppet secret.  There are some little sea themed items in her Etsy store as we speak, as well as some cute little long legged girls with bows in their hair.

For more information about Pikelet Workshop you can find them on Facebook, or pop over to Jen's blog and read all about Jen's adventures of an Aussie family living in Toronto, Canada......Oh I forgot to mention that, Jen is from Perth, West Australia, where all the talented crafters come from in Oz!!

Just to let you know this is not a sponsored post....I truly love Jen's work and it is too beautiful not to share, so stop by and say hi to Jen, and tell her that Vicki @ dover & madden sent you, and when you're thinking of gifts think hand made first.


cheerio,

Ambling....

The days are starting to lengthen, the late Winter afternoon sun is blissful, Spring is on our doorsteps and the smell of jasmine and violets is in the air.