Thursday, May 14, 2020

Soft as a Cloud - new pattern.

Last week (to coincide with May's Newsletter) a new pattern was released!




This one  was pretty fun to make - not to mention is was a quick one!

I was inspired by all the rainbow projects I've been seeing online, many a response to the global pandemic we are currently experiencing. If you'd like to see some of them - have a look at my previous rainbow round up - Rainbow Connections 



The cloud uses 'Sweetheart Soft' by Scheepjes. This happened to be in my stash along with av royal blue, so it also served as part of my ongoing 'use what you have on hand' mindset. A similar fluffy yarn could be substituted, and although it's hard to see the stitches, I could feel them fairly easily. 




Just quietly - how good would it look with the Fruit Cup fade! Due to the pandemic, I don't have access to the blanket at the moment to get a photo together - so I'll have to work on that later. 


Thanks again for reading! I hope you are all safe and well.

Emma. 



Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Crochet Patterns for Sellers - My Terms of Use Explained

From time to time, the discussion of what people can and can't do with a pattern. I thought I'd spell out my terms of use, I have recently had people ask if they could sell things made from my patterns, and the answer is YES!




If you are a crochet seller - whether that be on an online store like Etsy or Madeit, or you do craft shows, I welcome to selling of finished products.



Most of my patterns come with this disclaimer -

No restrictions are placed on finished items made with this pattern, however the pattern may not be resold or copied in any form. Pictures remain the property of Emma Wilkinson Designs
What does this mean?

It means that once you have made an item with one of my patterns, then it's yours to do so as you please! I don't think it's my place to place any restrictions on your crochet. You can make an item and

✔️Sell it
✔️Donate it
✔️Auction it
✔️Give it away
✔️Keep and Love Forever

I love the idea that someone is making any of my things and making money for themselves or charity! One of my testers for Kirra Koala has raised more than $300, and I think that's amazing!



You can also share the links! Read this blog post for a bit more info on link sharing.

What can't you do? You can't make copies and redistribute. You can't copy and rewrite a pattern of mine and claim it as your own, and that includes the photos. Photos can be shared in the instance of sharing the pattern link.

Do you sell your finished crochet items? Please let me know what you sell!



Thanks for reading!

Emma.


LoveCrafts

Friday, April 10, 2020

Stash Busting Blanket - Part 2


The stash busting blanket has been growing slowly!

Today I  thought I would share some colour inspo.

My sketch:






Keep crocheting away and see how much of your stash you can get through! Another aspect of this blanket that I didn't think of, is that you can create a memory blanket of sorts. Each yarn I am using is left over from another project, and it has been nice to think about each as I am working through it.


Thanks for reading and Happy Crocheting,

Emma


Saturday, March 28, 2020

Unlimited Free Classes on Bluprint






To Register; Click on the above image - this will take you to a sign in page. 



Missed out? you can still access Unlimited classes for $4 a month

Bluprint are currently offering Free Classes until the 9th of April 
  • Creativity is one of the best ways to connect with ourselves and loved ones
  • Creating family moments of togetherness by communing over creativity
  • Keeping the kids busy while you work from home
  • Getting lost in your passion and making something
  • Sourcing inspiration for your next (or first!) craft project
With Bluprint you can stream thousands of creative education classes from knitting, sewing, baking, drawing, family crafts and much more, taught by the world’s leading experts.  Bluprint is your one-stop destination for classes, patterns and project ideas for all skill levels.

During the 14 day event, Bluprint will provide free access to their full slate of content; including more than 1300 classes and series and hundreds of step by step project tutorials and patterns making this the perfect time to learn a new craft or hobby. Participants will need to register for the free event. 

This post contains an affliate link

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Stash Busting Blanket - Part 1




I've got a stash busting project planned for while I'm in lockdown. Something to use up the stash you already have at home!




The first step will be to work out what yarn weight and fibre you have in most abundance. For me, it will be 8 ply Acrylic. If I mix in a little wool/acrylic blend, it won't be the end of the world, but that's up to you to decide! Spend as much time on this step as you need.

Another idea is to create a memory blanket- use up leftover yarn from old projects. It helps if you have 20g left, but it wouldn't matter if you had less. You would end up with irregular-shaped blocks, but that could add to the beauty! I would still recommend sticking to the same yarn weight. 



Make sure you use the appropriate size hook for the yarn weight you are using. For a blanket, I like to go up a size from what's recommended on the yarn label for better drape.

For this blanket, you will need to know only basic crochet stitches - chain and half double crochet - worked in the back loop (half treble if you prefer UK terms) But you will also need to know how to decrease (crochet two stitches together) and increase (crochet two stitches in one)

Today's post is on how to start the blanket - updates will be posted for the next steps.

Below is a sketch of how the blocks will eventually look. You can use this blank image to arrange colours if you don't want to be random. I've included a coloured version below based on the yarn colours I'm going to use - but will probably deviate slightly!




Let's get started.


Make a Chain of 44

R1: sk 2ch, 42 hdc across, turn (42 hdc)
R2: ch2, BLOhdc2tog, 39 BLOhdc, (2 BLOhdc) in last st,  turn. (42 BLOhdc)
R3: ch2, (2 BLOhdc) in 1st st, 39 BLOhdc,  BLOhdc2tog, turn (42 BLOhdc)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for a total of 15 rows.
Change colour and repeat rows 2 and 3.

this first strip should be worked the desired length of your blanket, and then make as many strips as you need for the width - more on this to come later. 






If you are using up scraps, you will have a very colourful stripey blanket. If you are using up balls of yarn, you will have a blocky blanket! The great thing is that we will all have unique blankets. 


I'll be updating this post - so bookmark it to find it later!



Update 30th March

I've completed 3 colour blocks of 15 rows, and have begun a second strip.




Thanks for reading, don't forget to bookmark for the updates!



Copyright © 2020 Emma Wilkinson Designs All Rights Reserved

No restrictions are placed on finished items made with this pattern, however, the pattern may not be resold or copied in any form. Pictures remain the property of Emma Wilkinson Designs

Monday, March 23, 2020

Wildflower Necklace - free pattern






I've got another free pattern for you today - The wildflower necklace.



This one started out as a kit - the pattern and all the yarn you needed to make a necklace.








It's a great pattern for beginners who have mastered the basic stitches, and want to start working in rounds. It's also great for advanced crocheters who want to make themselves something quickly.








I love having one of these to wear to crochet events - yarn shows, even networking events - where I want people to see I'm a crocheter, but it's too hot to wear a scarf or beanie.



They would also be great as a craft fair item.



It also works as a teething necklace! One mum can wear, and baby can grab.



Wildflower Necklace was originally available in 5 colours, which were named after Australian native plants and flowers from the Muogamarra nature reserve - hence Wildflower necklace. My favourite colourway is Eucalyptus. If you've been following me for a while, that won't be a surprise.







Yarn:
Scheepjes Catona, 100% cotton 25g / 62.5 m x 3 balls.



You can make your own colour combinations, but if you'd like to copy what was in the kits:

Ironbark – 106, 074, 501

Eucalyptus – 505, 506, 528 (pictured)

Native Orchids – 146, 208, 413

Waratah – 252, 264, 523

Muogamarra - 113, 385, 514




Hook: 3 mm

Notions: Yarn needle, fibre fill, stitch marker.

Gauge: 2.5 cm = 8 sts x 6 rows of sc



This pattern uses US terms and works in a continuous spiral. Use a stitch marker at the end of each row to keep track.



Abbreviations used:


sc   = single crochet

st/s = stitch/es

inv dec = invisible decrease; hook into front loop only of two stitches to be decreased, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook.





Bead (Make 3)

Make a magic ring

Round 1: 6 sc into loop, pull to secure. (6 sc)

Round 2: 2 sc into each st around. (12 sc)

Round 3: *2 sc into next st, sc into next; rep from * around. (18 sc)

Round 4: *2 sc into next st, sc into next 2 sts; rep from * around. (24 sc)

Round 5 - 8: sc around.

Round 9: *inv dec, sc into next 2 sts, rep from * around. (18 sc)

Begin adding fibre fill.

Round 10: *inv dec, sc into next st, rep from * around. (12 sc)

Round 11: *inv dec, rep around. (6 sc)

With yarn needle, cinch to close. Fasten off, Weave in ends.






Cut two lengths of cotton, in any colour, 90 cm long.
Using needle, thread the two lengths of cotton through centre of middle bead, starting at magic loop and ending at final cinch.



Thread other two beads on to cord, with magic loop on the outer edge of each side (the magic loop and increase side of the bead will be the neatest)
Secure with a knot on each side of beads
Make your necklace adjustable. Tie a knot at each end, around the cord. Trim as needed.



Thanks again for reading,


Happy Crocheting







Copyright © 2020 Emma Wilkinson Designs All Rights Reserved
No restrictions are placed on finished items made with this pattern, however the pattern may not be resold or copied in any form. Pictures remain the property of Emma Wilkinson Designs




Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Stitch Conversion - UK to US crochet terms







Almost 10 years ago I published a crochet stitch conversion chart on my blog! It's one of the trickiest things about crochet for beginners - because sometimes it takes a while to even find out there are two separate 'languages'





Well, I thought it was time for an update! You can save this to your phone, add to pinterest, or print out a copy to keep handy!



I do tend to favour US terms, but some of my patterns are available as both, or with a 'translation' if it's a simple stitch repeat. US terms appear to be more common, but that's only to be expected. (Based on population!)






Just a quick post from me today!



Have a great day crocheting!



Emma