Princess Alice Dolly Pattern

This cute little lady has already been adopted by my two-year-old, but her pattern is up here for you to give it a go! She will soon have a home; The Princess and the Pea blanket and Cushion Set! This little collection will be available in my shop as of the 1st of January 2016, so pop back and have a look if you're a keen bean!

Here she is!

Super adorable :) And fluffy and soft too!

And here's the pattern to make her for yourself!

Here are two little video tutorials for her hair:

How I attach hair strands (yarn!)

And how I fray it so it looks super cute and crimpy! (Really soft too!)

Hope you enjoy! Keep an eye out for the Princess and the Pea blanket pattern & kit: Available January 2016!

Happy Hooking!

Rhonie xx

Video Tutorial: How to do the Single Crochet Stitch

Hi ladies and gents!

This  video tutorial is how to do a single crochet stitch. A single crochet stitch is the shortest stitch you can make (apart from a slipstitch!) and is great if you want your work to look very tight knit! In a written pattern, it looks like this:

Image courtesy of Hooks & Hanks

1. One loop on hook
2. hook through stitch
3. yarn over hook.
4. pull hook/yarn back through stitch. (2 loops on hook)
5. Yarn over hook
6. Pull both loops over third loop.




Here's how in my video tutorial

Hope you found this easy to follow. I would love to hear your feedback on my videos and instructions - message me on our facebook page in the top right of this blog :)

Thanks - have a beautiful day!

Video Tutorial: How To Do the Half-Treble Stitch! (Half Double in USTerms)

Hi loveys!

Just posting a video of my tutorial on the half-treble crochet (half-double if you're from the U.S). This fabulous stitch is so diverse and easy to do! 

Here's how in my video tutorial:

And here's a write up instructions! 

• Start with one loop on your hook 
  
• Yarn over hook. (two loops on hook)
  
• Hook through stitch, yarn over hook, pull yarn back through stitch and keep on hook. (You should have three loops on your hook, hence the name 'treble!') 

• 

  Hook Through Stitch

  

  Yarn over hook

  

  Pull Yarn back through stitch

  

  Three Loops on hook!

• Yarn over hook (4 loops)
  
  and pull all three loops over the 4th loop of yarn.
  

Ta-da! 

Here's some gorgeous HDC hacks!! 

Half-Double Crochet Hacks!

Thanks guys hope you love it :)

Rhonie

Tutorial & Pattern: Sunny Spring Garden Blanket

This week I have created one of my favourite blankets so far- both in colour and pattern!

I usually go for stripes but decided on a patchwork square blanket with a pretty edging instead.

I chose to adapt some of Attic 24's solid granny squares by continuing the rounds and making them larger.

Here is the original lovely pattern : Attic 24 Solid Granny Square Pattern

You can find my adaptation below :)

I made 20 squares (5x4) in varying colours, all in 8ply acrylic blend yarn :) (top to bottom, left to right)

Top Row (L - R)

1. Lincraft brand 8ply yarn 'Lilac'

2. Stylecraft Special DK 'Lavender'

3. Stylecraft Special DK 'Bluebell'

4. Stylecraft Special DK 'Aster'

Second row (L - R)

5. Stylecraft Special DK 'Aspen'

6. Spotlight brand 'Teal'

7. Stylecraft Special DK 'Turquoise' 

8. Stylecraft Special DK 'Sherbet'

Third Row (L - R)

9. Lincraft brand 8ply yarn 'Mint'

10. Spotlight brand 8ply yarn 'Spring Green'

11. Stylecraft Special DK 'Meadow'

12. Stylecraft Special DK 'Saffron'

Fourth Row (L - R)

13. Stylecraft Special DK 'Matador'

14. Spotlight brand 8ply yarn 'Orange'

15. Stylecraft Special DK 'Spice'

16. Stylecraft Special DK 'Sunshine'

Fifth Row (L - R)

17. Stylecraft Special DK 'Shrimp'

18. Stylecraft Special DK 'Bright Pink'

19. Stylecraft Special DK 'Raspberry'

20. Stylecraft Special DK 'Magenta'

Edging:

Spotlight brand 8ply 'Off White'

Lincraft brand 8ply 'Lilac'

Sunny Spring Garden Blanket

Squares pattern: (Make 20)

Close Up: Rounds 1 & 2

Round 1: Magic Circle. Chain 3. Make 2 Treble Crochets (TC) in the magic circle. Chain 1. Make 3 Treble Crochets. Chain 1. Make 3 Treble Crochets. Chain 1. Make 3 Treble Crochet's. Chain 1 and sl st into first chain 3.

Round 2: Chain 3. TC into same stitch as chain 3. Make 2 TCs in next stitch. Make 1 TC in chain space for 'corner' of square. Chain 2. Make 1 TC in same corner space. Make 2 TCs in each of the next 2 stitches. Make 1 TC in corner space, chain 2, make 1 TC in same corner space. Repeat for next two sides of square. In the last corner space, TC, chain 2, TC, and sl st into the first chain 3.

Close up of Rounds 1 - 4

Round 3. Chain 3. Make a single TC in the next st, and each st on that side. Make 2 TCs in corner space, chain 2, Make 2 more TCs in same corner space. Repeat for other 3 sides of square. For last corner space, Make 2 TCs, chain 2, Make 2 TCs, then sl st into first chain 3.

Round 4 - 7: Repeat Round 3 for each round. You should end up with 21 stitches on each side of your square (And 22 spaces if you count the corners!)

Whole Square

After your last sl st into the first chain 3 of round 7, chain 1, and pull the tail through the chain, to create a secure knot. Try not to pull too tightly or the edge of your square may buckle. Leave a 30 - 50cm tail of yarn to join squares together later.

Joining the Squares

Using the long tail on one of your squares to sew the squares together, place the good sides of the squares together. Here's what the front & back looks like - you will be able to easily tell the difference when you've done a few of them! :)

Front of Square

Back of Square

 Match up the stitches for each side before you start sewing to avoid wonky squares. Starting in a corner space, use your darning needle to stitch together each matching stitch. Join your first four squares together for your first row.

I chose to join each square seperately, using extra long tails of yarn (my reasoning: I didn't want the sewing yarn colours to stand out!), but you may choose to join rows of squares together, and then join the rows. This works really well if you have similar/same colours of squares in your blanket, but not so well if it is rainbow like mine!

To sew the second row like I did, join a single square below the first row, and then add a square to the side. Then use the tail of the next square to join it to the first row, then to the next square to the side. Etcetera etcetera :)

Edging:

Once I weaved in the ends of the yarn and tidied the squares up nicely, I started on the edging.

Round 1. Join your 'Off White' yarn to a corner space, and chain 3. TC in each space around the blanket , which should be 22 stitches for each square edge. When you get to the last square corner, do 2 TCs in the corner, and chain 3, then 2 TCs in the same corner space to make a nice spacey corner that won't pull your edges. Continue the same way around the entire blanket edge.

Round 2 & 3: Repeat Round 1 (CH 3, TC in all spaces, Do corners with 2 TC, Ch 2, 2 TC)

Round 4: Using your Lilac Yarn (or which ever colour you have chosen for the edge!)

Follow my tutorial for Picot Edging here:

Finished Product!

Hope you love this blanket as much as I do!

Happy Hooking!

Rhonie

Tutorial: Slip-Stitch & Foundation Chain

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make a slip stitch (the first circle of yarn you put on your hook to start your project.

Tutorial: How To Make a Slip Stitch

And a second tutorial on how to crochet a foundation chain for your project! When I was learning, there were three things I considered:

1. Take yarn over the back of the hook to the front.

2. Slip the first loop over the hook and the yarn in the hook nook!

3. Keep tension as equal as possible. 

Don't make your loops too loose (gappy!) or too tight (can't work back into them). Practise chaining to get comfortable with the manipulation of the crochet hook and tension. Happy hooking!

Tutorial: How to Foundation Chain

Hope these help you begin your new project! Check back soon to check out a tutorial on single and double crochets!

Happy hooking,

Rhonie xxx