Wednesday's Wishes - Crochet Flower Patterns

Spring is the most glorious Season, during which everything seems to come alive and prosper. One of my favourite things about this time of year is flowers.  They seem to spring up from everywhere (excuse the pun).  I have often thought of making a seasonal wreath decoration, so I researched some flower patterns and came up with these fantastic examples ...

This great pattern is from Mamachee on Etsy and is available here.  Tara also has lots of other patterns including some Summer slipper/sandals.

I love this pattern from LyubavaCrochet on Etsy and available here.  The way the petals are so crisp and the different centres available all in the same pattern is fab.

I know this isn't a pattern suitable for a wreath, but you could just make one flower, plus I adore this rug idea.  It is from the Feltedbutton on Etsy and is available here. 

Again I have digressed, but I just had put this in, it does have a flower on it!  This amazing pattern is from PatternsbyMariannes on Etsy and is available here.

This very pretty pattern is from TheHatandI on Etsy.  It is really good value as it has 5 flowers and 2 leaves and is available here.

I thought this pattern would be very useful in making a wreath as there is such a variety and they are quite small in size.  The pattern is from HappyPattyCrochet on Etsy and is available here.

Yet another digression, but I thought these were so beautiful and you could use the flower part of the pattern for a wreath or any other sort of decoration.  They are from TwoGirlsPatterns on Etsy and it is available here.

This final pattern has 8 flowers in it, but I loved this peony with all it's dimension.  The pattern is from SusanLinnStudio on Etsy and is available here.

Well I hope you are bloomed away with this post.  I can see the wreath in my head quite clearly, but I not sure it will spring into reality soon! 

Stylecraft Lily Pond Blanket Crochet ALong - Progress

Lily Pond Blanket CAL - yes I have caught up, but not for long as another pattern will be released on 19 May 2015.  I am loving the colours and liking the CAL idea ie. having a piece to do every so often.  I am also liking doing things I haven't done before ie. the flowers and different stitches.  It is a good way of learning and expanding your repertoire.

If you want to join the CAL the details are here.  If you live in Ireland and need the yarn, I believe that Julie from KustomKidz Wool in Arklow (ph (0402) 24707) can help you out.                  

Craft Crochet and Knitting Magazines - FREE

I recently discovered that you can get some free online magazines through your local Library.  I know this is the case in Ireland and the UK, but am unsure about other countries.  I accessed the magazines online from my Counties Library site.  You just need to download a magazine app called Zinio, choose the magazines that you require from your library's list and they get sent to your tablet or computer, ready for you to download. 

I am now able to get Simply Knitting, Mollie Makes, Good Housekeeping, Hello, Ideal Home and Woman's Weekly for free - how good is that?  Magazines are getting extremely expensive and some are full of advertisements, so I really like this system.  Hopefully my Library will get some crochet mags soon.

Speaking of magazines there are some more magazines available FREE for today only (15th May 2015), including Simply Sewing, Craftseller and Olive.  Just download these magazines apps in Newsstand (Apple ipad) and you can have 1 issue for free.

Wednesday's Wishes - Crochet Bag Purse Tote Patterns

A lot of women love handbags and I am one of them.  You do need several styles in your stash - a clutch to hold a few things when you go out in the evening; a small bag for short trips to the shops;  a larger bag for work to carry your lunch etc in; and a big tote to carry your crochet project or for the beach etc.  What I am getting at is that you need a variety of bags, so see below for some great patterns to make your own.

I thought this one was very Springy and perfect for carrying your project in.  It is from NTMaglia Crochet on Etsy and is available here.  There are several great tote patterns in the shop, together with some smaller bags as well.

I love the patchwork effect of this one.  It is from VendulkaM on Etsy and is available here.  Vendulka has an amazing range of patterns available, including 12 other bag patterns.

This one would make a cute gift for any little girl in your life.  It is from Evasstudio on Etsy and is available here.  Eva has a bunch of other cute bag patterns in her shop.

This little clutch would be great for use when you don't need to carry much.  It is from Liliacraftparty on Etsy and is available here.  Lilia has some more clutch patterns plus some great hats and shawls patterns in her shop.

What a perfect bag to carry your work in !  It is from Thehatandi on Etsy and is available here.  Marken has an amazing range of patterns including hats, headbands and afghans.

I love the texture of this roomy shoulder bag from Chicandsimplicity on Etsy.  The pattern is available here.  Elodie has several other bag patterns available.

The size of this bag appeals to me, as does the fact you can wear it over your shoulder.  It is from Antikamoda on Etsy and is available here.

I hope that you will get some good ideas from this post and support these great pattern designers too.

Drops Yarn Wool Sale save 35%

I love using Drops yarn from Garnstdio.  The company has a large variety of  yarn in their range, but mainly natural fibres such as wool, alpaca, cotton etc.

At the moment they are having a sale and save a massive 35% off  21 types of wool yarn.

I know you may be thinking of Spring or Summer knitting or crochet, but this great saving is hard to resist.  Also for my Southern Hemisphere readers it is really good timing, because Winter is nearly upon you.

If you go to the companies site here, you will find details of where you can buy the wool.
My favourite places are :
Loveknitting (you get free shipping if your order is more than  $50);
Winniethewoolwagon (Ireland); and
Woolwarehouse (UK).

Happy Shopping !

Summer Scarf

Some time ago I was looking for a yarn that had no wool in it, to make a scarf for my Mum.  There wasn't much available in my local yarn shop due to it being Winter and Winter means wool in Ireland.  I bought a ball of King Cole Opium Palette, because  I really liked the colours and the way the variations in the colours made stripes as you worked with it.

Here is the result of the shade that I bought for myself.

The yarn is half cotton and half polyester.  It has thick and thin pieces so is very light when knitted, but surprisingly warm.
 

This second photo shows the texture that you get and some of the colours in shade 1394 rich fruits.  I used size 6mm knitting needles, cast on 20 stitches and knit every row.

I think I will get a lot of wear out of it.  There are various other shades available and plain colours too.