An Oversized Poncho ~ The Pattern 🤓

Hello my lovely friends 💕 Here it is – the pattern you’ve been waiting for…well, some of you anyway 😁

Feronia 💖

and

Persephone 💚

Ready? Let’s do this! 🙂

You will need:

– 5 Red Lion Brand ‘Mandala’ cakes ~ 5 because I noticed that some of the colors don’t run as long in some cakes as in others…so you will need to dig into the 5th one to supplement

– Hook Size G (4.25mm)

Stitch Guide 
Magic Ring: Form a loop with your first color, pull yarn through (from the skein), ch1

 

Corner: 3dc, ch3, 3dc, ch1

Pattern 
Work into the ring – ch3, 2dc, ch3,  *3dc, ch3 – repeat from * twice. Join with a slipstitch to the first dc. You will have a square. Pull the middle string to close the hole.

Round 2: Ch 1, turn, *3dc, 3ch, 3dc in ch3 sp (corner) Ch1. Repeat from * 3 times. Slipstitch with the second color to the first dc. Ch 1, turn.

Round 3: *3dc in ch1 sp, ch1, Corner into ch3 sp. Repeat 3-times from * Join with a slipstitch. Ch1. Turn.

Round 4 and all following rounds: 3dc, separated by 1 ch into all ch1 spaces. Corners in the ch3 spaces, changing colors every 2 rounds.

Feronia has 20 rounds, Persephone has 18 rounds.

After the desired amount of rounds fasten off.

Border: 
Y
, 1dc in same space. Work the length of the square with 1dc in each 1ch space, 1dc between each cluster dc (not in the loops of the dc in the previous row).

Corner: Ch1, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, ch 1 into ch3 space

Work around the square. Join with a slipstitch. Fasten off.

Work 2 more rounds the same way, in different colors.

Joining of the Squares 
I
rc=”https://kristabellaweston.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2845.jpg” class=”alignnone wp-image-4825″ height=”1936″ alt=”” width=”1936″> Dc 1, continue following my picture/written tutorial you can find here
&

g src=”https://kristabellaweston.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_2846.jpg” class=”alignnone size-medium wp-image-4828″ height=”360″ title=”” alt=”” width=”360″>  Join the Squares according to this

Now you’ll notice that the neck hole is a bit big ☺️

You can fix that by adding more Border rows.
In
ue on to 2 stitches before the point of the ‘V‘. There you have to crochet 5 together as follows:

Insert your hook into the next stitch. Yo, pull through, yo, pull through 2 loops. Yo, insert hook into the next stitch, yo, pull through, yo, pull through 2 loops.

Repeat for the next 3 stitches = 5 loops

Continue with the Border stich to the next ‘V’. 

5 dc together. Continue with the Border Stich. Join with a slipstitch.

Add more border rows to achieve the desired size.

Feronia has 6 extra rows; Persephone has 4 extra rows.

The Picot Edging is a beautiful finishing touch 😍

Picots: Insert your hook between 2dc. Pull yarn through. Yo, pull through. 1sc.

*1 slipstitch in next space. Ch 3, slipstitch into the first ch. 1 sc. Repeat from * Join with a slipstitch. Fasten off.

Drawstring and Tassels 

Crochet a long chain. Thread it through the last Border row.

Cut 20 pieces of yarn (appr. 7″) Fold in half, and position them onto one end of your chain.

Secure by stitching through the loops of the chain.

Wrap a length of yarn around, near the top.

Secure the end.

You’re done! 😃 Well, except for the pesky ends…but let’s not think about that now. 😜

I hope you’re happy with this pattern. If you get stuck, have questions – please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m just a quick message away 🤗

Let me know how you’re getting along. I would love to hear from you. 😍

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday ☀️ Adorable Hydrangeas

Hello my lovely friends 💕 Welcome back! 

Since quite a few of you loved the ‘Hydrangea Purse’ in the making I decided apply the title loosely and make today’s post less about a new stitch, but a cute flower instead. 🤓

If you look really hard you’ll find a new stitch – if you wanna call it that – a Picot 🔺 <—– yeah, something like that 😏

Now to the flower 😊 You’re probably tapping your foot by now 😉

Here it is 

     Cute, eh? 😊
And really a fast and easy project. 💕

But first – these are the things you need to know (besides the basic sc and ch)

hdc – yo, insert hook into designated stitch, pull yarn through. Yo, pull yarn through all 3 loops

dc -yo, insert hook into designated stitch, pull yarn through. Yo, pull yarn through 2 loops twice 

htr- yo twice, insert hook into designated stitch, pull yarn through (5 loops). Yo, pull yarn through 2 loops, yo, pull yarn through 3 loops

Picot – Ch 3, slipstitch into base of chain 

Magic Ring – wrap yarn around your finger twice, insert hook into the ring, pull yarn through, chain 1 (you want to hold the ‘ring’ and the tail between thumb and forefinger 😉)

Okay….now really The Flower 😁

1. Make a ‘Magic Ring’, and crochet 8 sc into it (twice the amount of desired petals); hold the row of sc, and pull the yarntail. Cool, huh? 😋 Close circle with a slipstitch into the first slipstitch.

    

And now you know why it’s called a ‘Magic Ring’ 😀

2. Place *a hdc into the space under the hook. Now into the same space 1 dc, 1 htr, Picot, 1 htr, 1 dc, 1 hdc. Slipstitch into the next stitch*. 

Move to the next stitch and repeat * to * 3 times. 

And your flower is done! 😀

  

The bead is optional, but I think it’s a nice touch 😍

I’ve already made a few more for my purse project 🤓

 
As soon as it’s done I’ll share the creative process with you – that will hopefully be very soon 😏

As usual on a Sunday I lolligagged a bit – so now it’s dinner time already! 😳 It’s soooo hot here these days that I’m running out of ideas for ‘Hot Weather Dishes’ really fast. 🤔 Oh well, we’ll find something 😂

Thanks for stopping by 😍 As usual…if you have any questions, need to clarify something in the instructions ~ just holler! 

I shall be back sometime this week – probably tomorrow or Tuesday. 😘

Until then 💕

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday – 🌺🌼🌸 ~ Power

Hello my lovely friends 💕Welcome back! 🤗

I bet the flowers in your garden are just fabulous right now! 😍 Nothing can compete with that beauty….but we’re gonna try! 😁

These blooms are beautiful – right?! 😎 – and you’ll be surprised how easy they are to crochet.

But don’t take my word for it…see for yourself

You need two colors of yarn – mine was for hook size 5.5mm, and the flowers are about 2″ in diameter.

Start with ch 4. Close it into a ring by placing a slipstitch in the first chain.

Ch 1, place 12 sc into the ring. Change color.

Slipstitch into first sc, (*)ch 3, yarn over (yo), insert hook into the same stitch, and pull the loop until it’s as long as the ch 3.

Repeat twice. Yo, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up loop. Repeat twice. There should be 13 loops on your hook.

Yo, pull yarn through all loops. Ch 2
&
ef=”https://kristabellaweston.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/img_2213.jpg”&gt;Slipstitch into next stitch, ch 3, repeat from (*) 5 times.

Finish by placing a slipstitch into the 1st row slipstitch.

There! 😀 Aren’t they pretty?

Now you can make many more, stitch them together for a pillowcase.

Or sew on a pinback and wear it as a brooch.

Or sew it onto your hat.

Or…I’m sure you can come up with more clever things for them. ☺️

Now I have something else for ya…it’s not a new stitch – just a (for me) new way of using the…🥁 Slipstitch 🥁 Make a whole project in a Slipstitch. 😳 Have you ever done that? It looks great, and I’m sure it’s very warm and cozy…but it’s quite time consuming.

I did this sample piece by placing the stitches in the back loops only. I don’t know if you can see it here, but after 2, 3 rows it was more a topstitch. 😏 Apparently you’ll get a different effect when you use the front loops only. I’ll try that next, and will report back. 😎

One tip – When you try this…be wary of the ‘auto pilot’ in your brain. More than once did it tell me to do a yarn over for a single crochet. 😋

I hope this all made sense. If not – don’t hesitate to point it out. Any questions? I’m just a message away, and more than happy to help. 🤓

So…I’ll go now and try this front loop thing. Stay tuned. 🙂

Enjoy the rest of your day/weekend/week! I hope you come back soon!

Until then 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday – The Granny Spike Stitch

Hello my lovely friends    💕       Thanks for taking the time to stop by

Are you ready for a new stitch? This one is awesome, and even a beginner can get the hang of it pretty quick.   I can see it lovingly crocheted into a baby blanket or a fabulous scarf/shawl.

It’s called the ‘Granny Spike Stitch’, and looks a lot more complicated than it is. That’s always good news, right? 😎

Ready? Hook and yarn at the ready?  I used 3 colors…but it’s your creation, so use as many (or few) as you like!

Okay, before you start – here are a few things you should know:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
Shell = work in the same space 2 dc-1ch-2dc

Start chaining your foundation. The chain is a multiple of 6 + 4

Row 1: Skip 5 ch, *shell in 6th, skip 5 – repeat from * to the end of the row. Skip 3, 1 dc in last ch. Turn. Change color if desired.

Row 2: Ch 2, 1 dc in foundation chain

*1ch, 1 sc in ch1 space of shell, 1ch, 1dc + 1ch + 1dc in middle foundation ch between shells; rep from * to the sc in the last shell, then ch 1, 1dc in 4th foundation ch from the hook. 1sc in top ch. Turn

Row3: Ch 3, 2 dc in sc at the base of ch3. *Shell in space of ch1 between dc (it may seem like a bit of a stretch – but it works   ) Repeat from * ; 3dc in space of 2ch at the end of the row. Turn. Change color if desired.

Row4: Ch1, 1 sc in 1st dc, *ch1, 1dc + 1ch + 1dc in shell in 2nd row. Repeat from*
ch1, 1sc in last dc

Row5: Ch3, *shell in ch1space between dc. Repeat from *, 1dc in ch, turn.
Change color if desired.

Row6: Ch2, 1dc in space between 1st and 2nd dc, *1ch, 1sc in shell, 1dc + 1ch + 1dc in shell of 3rd row; repeat from * to the last sc in shell, then ch1, 1dc in space between dc and 3ch, 1sc in chain. Turn.

           

Repeat Row 3 – Row 6 until you have reached the desired size.

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Most importantly….how clear are the instructions? Were they easy to follow? Did you have problems anywhere? If you did, please let me know. I’m always glad to help out. 🤗

I hope this inspired you to make something wonderful! Let me know…and I do wanna see pictures! 😁

Have fun with your hook & yarn – I will now try and give our dog a haircut. She’s not happy, and already in hiding.

Have a fabulous (and safe!) 4th of July!

Until next time 💕

~Tina xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

1 sc in dc at the base of ch1, * ch1, 1 dc + 1 ch + 1 dc in shell in previous row (it seems like a bit of a stretch, but it works    )

 

 

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday 🌺 Cupcakes!

First of all…why is there no Cupcake emoji? 😜 Totally unacceptable! 

Hello my lovely friends 💕 How fabulous to see you! 

Today I have only one new stitch for you 😕 But time totally got away from me, and I thought before it gets too late …. But, enough with the excuses – let’s look at the ‘Cupcake Stitch’! 

It’s so stinkin’ cute, and really simple. So even the beginners can crochet right along. 

Okay, grab your hook and some yarn – you will need 4 different colors. 

– The base is up to you 

– Brown or dark beige for the ‘cake’ part 

– ‘Icing’ – well, up to you 

– White for the whipped cream 

1. Start with a foundation chain in your choice for the base – chain a multiple of 6 plus 3

2. Ch 1, turn. Sc across 

3. Switch to brown. Ch 4, turn. Skip 2, work 2dc in the next stitch, 1dc, then 2 dc in the following  stitches. * Ch 1. Skip 3. Work 2dc, 1dc, 2dc into the next three stitches. Repeat from * to the last 3 stitches. Skip 2, 1dc in last stitch.

4. Switch to pink (or your choice for the ‘icing’. Ch2, turn. Sc in every stitch – in front loop only 

When you come to the space, place 1sc in there. 

5. Switch to white. Ch6, skip the sc above the space. Work 5dc together —-> 6 loops. 

Yo, draw yarn through all 6 loops. * Ch 5. Skip stitch above space, 5 dc together. Repeat from *         At the end of the row, ch3, dc in last stitch. 

6. Switch back to your base color. Ch1, turn. *5sc around bridge, skip the top of ‘cupcake’, all across. End the row with 1dc. 

Now…if you’re using this as a pretty border on a sweater for your wee one (or have fun and make one for yourself 😁) keep working following your pattern. 

If you want to add more ‘Cupcake’ rows I’d recommend a row of dc in between. 

It is cute as is 

but you can add a ‘Cherry on top’ by stitching some beads into place. 

Cute, eh? 😁

I sure hope that this is easy to follow along! 😍 Any questions..just holler! I’m just a quick message away. 🤗

Let me know what you made using this pretty stitch. 😘

Until next time 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday – Lemonpeel and Moss

…..nope, not a new Smoothie recipe – really the names of two beautiful crochet stitches. 😋

Hello my lovely friends 💕 I’m glad you could visit! 

Today’s stitches are not just beautiful, but also very easy…even for beginners. 

The first one – the ‘Lemonpeel’ stitch only uses two basic stitches. Single- and Double Crochet. 

So grab some yarn and a matching hook and crochet along. 😊

– Chain an even number of stitches for the foundation chain. 

– Row 1 Chain 1, sc in the second chain from the hook, dc in the next stitch. *sc in the next stitch, dc in the one after that* . Repeat to the end of the row. 

– Row 2 Chain 1, turn your work. Sc in the very first stitch, dc into the next. Repeat alternating sc and dc to the end of the row. 

Repeat Row 2 until your piece is the desired size. 

It’ll look like this…

The second stitch is the Moss Stitch. This one is moving fast to the top of my list of favorites! 😍

Ready? Let’s go…

– Chain an even number of stitches for the foundation chain. 

Row 1  Skip the first 3 chain stitches, and sc into the fourth. *Ch 1, skip the next stitch, sc into the next* Repeat to the end of the row, ending with a sc in the last chain. 

Row 2  Ch 2, turn your work. Sc in the first chain space of the previous row. Ch1, sc in chain space and so on. Last stitch should be a sc into ch space. 

Repeat Row 2 until you’ve reached the desired length. 

There, wasn’t that easy. 🤗 You wanna know what it looks like? 

I love it worked with a ‘self-patterned’ yarn 

Pretty nifty, eh? 😎

Do you think you’ll give these stitches a try? What will you make? Let me know …because I’m quite nosy by nature 😜

Now I leave you alone so you have time to practice! 😁

I hope to see you soon! 

Until then 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

Work~in~Progress Wednesday 🌺 Join your Granny Squares and Crochet some Lollipops

Hello my lovely friends 💕 Thanks for popping by to see the progress on the Granny Square Cardi 🤗

Here’s the reason why I’m so late today….

  The Lollipops 😀

I’ll show you what I did with them in a minute.

But first…all the Squares and Triangles are finished. Time to join everything together. You might remember that I had joined some already  – just to see where I was going with this. 😊 There are different ways to sew/crochet them together. I didn’t want them to be attached to closely, so I chose this ….

It’s easy to do…take a look 👀 

Start with 2 squares, and crochet one double-crochet into one corner. Yo, 3 dc into the corner of another square. 

Come back to the first square and place 3 dc into the second square. 

I found that this is the best way to hold the two pieces 

Keep going back and forth until the last square. Work 1dc into it. 

Alright…now that all the pieces are joined I noticed that there was a gap in the back! 😳 The pieces didn’t fit as perfectly as I thought. 

I forgot to take a picture….here’s one from the first attempt to fill it in. That’s quite a gap, isn’t it?! 😝

I didn’t just want to fill it in with the yarn color on either side. So I tried Granny Squares in the contrast color ⬆️ Meh….nah 

Then I tried bigger blocks to place in the middle and go from there 

  
Well, that looked waaaaay better in my head 🤣 

Next….

Hmmm…. Getting closer – I love the yarn, love the mandala….just not on the cardi. 

Show of hands – who knew that, eventually, I’d add something oddly mismatched, wild and colorful? 😝 You were right! Here we go 

And there are the Lollipops 😂

Because just a square of outrageous yarn just wouldn’t do! 😉

That’s where I am so far. I was really hoping I could show you the finished cardi today….but the Design-Goddess had other ideas. 😊 Hopefully next week. 

So…what do you think? Too much? Not enough? 😁 See, I’m almost tempted to add some more of this yarn – I love this yarn…can you tell? 😜 – somewhere else. 

Have you ever made anything that went so completely ‘out of the box’? 

I’m looking forward to hearing from you! 😘

Until then 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

New ~ Stitch ~ Sunday ☀️ The Catherine Wheel

Hello my lovely friends 💕 How nice to see you! Thanks for visiting today! ☀️

It’s a glorious sunny Sunday, so I’m on my way outside to read a bit, crochet some – I started a ‘cotton’ project, not so hot on the hands 😜 

But first this…

Today I wanna show you how to crochet the beautiful ‘Catherine Wheel’. 

The instructions tell you to ‘7 dc tog dec’. If you’re a beginner, and don’t really know what to do here (or you do, but can’t quite remember) here’s a ‘how-to’ …

Crochet to the place where you wanna use this stitch 

Work 1 dc. In the same stitch work 6 more, without finishing them all the way. By that I mean – start the dc (3 loops on the hook)

but pull the yarn through 2 loops only one time…that adds 1 loop to the hook. 

After you worked 7 dc – you will have 8 loops on the hook, hook the yarn over and pull through all 8 loops 

Done! 😀 Now you’re ready for the ‘Catherine Wheel‘ 

⚡️Pictures are at the end of the written tutorial ⚡️

Start with a foundation chain of a multiple of 8 stitches, plus 2

Row 1 Sc 2nd ch from hook and next chain. *skip 2 chains, put 7 dc into next chain. Skip 2 chains, 1 sc into each of the next three stitches. Repeat * across. Final two stitches left over should be 1 sc into each. Fasten off yarn. Turn.

Row 2 Fasten on new colour. Ch 3, 3 dc tog dec, ch 3. 1 sc into next 3 stitches. *Ch 2, 7 dc tog dec, ch 3, 1 sc into next three stitches. Repeat * Across. Final semi circle is ch 2, 4 dc tog dec, ch 1. Turn.
Row 3 Ch 3, 3 dc into same stitch where the Ch 3 started, 1 sc into next 3 sc stitches on the row below. *7 dc into middle of the next Catherine Wheel Stitch, 1 sc into next 3 sc stitches from the row below. Repeat * across. Final 1/4 circle is 4 dc into the middle of the Catherine Wheel. Fasten off.

Row 4 Fasten on new colour. Ch 1, sc into the next 2 sc. *ch 2, 7 dc tog dec, ch 3, 1 sc into each of the next 3 stitches. Repeat * across. Final two stitches are 1 sc into each. Turn.

Row 5 Ch 1, 1 sc into the same stitch and the next stitch. *7 dc into middle of the next Catherine Wheel Stitch, 1 sc into next 3 sc stitches from the row below. Repeat * across. Final 2 stitches are 1 sc into each.

Repeat rows 2 – 5 over and over until you get to the desired length of project you want.

  Row 1
At first everything will look a bit wonky, but don’t worry, it’ll straighten itself out at the end. 😊

 Row 2
 Row 3

 Row 4

Row 5 

It is so pretty, isn’t it. 

Here a few things I learned during the practice runs 😉

1. Make sure there are 8 loops on the hook when you stitch the ‘7dc tog dec’ 😁

2. Always skip the ch3 from the previous row….the first (few) tries I didn’t, and, well, was not happy 😖 until the 💡-moment 😜

3. Sometimes you’ll think you can’t fit the 7dc into one stitch…keep going, you can 😊

I think that’s it 😀 If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! 😍 I’m always just one message away! 

Let me know what you’ll be making using this gorgeous stitch. I think I’ll use it to fill a little gap on the back of my ‘Granny Square Cardi’. ☺️

Take care! Have fun! I hope to see you next time!

Until then 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

Popcorn & Broomstick ~ It’s *New*Stitch*Sunday*

Hello my lovely friends 💕 How very sweet of you to peek in.

Welcome to a new feature – ‘New Stitch Sunday’ 😀

 When I crocheted years ago I didn’t really get that deep into it. I knew single, double, treble etc. crochet…enough for a dishcloth or a simple scarf. 😁 As I’m re-discovering my love for needlework I do wanna get a little (or a lot 😏) fancier. 

And I’d love to share with you what I’m learning. 🤓

The first stitch that caught my eye was the

  I. Broomstick Stitch.

You will need a large knitting needle to assist with this stitch. 

1. Start with a foundation chain — a multiple of 5 plus 1. 

2. Work a row of sc across the chain. 

3. First row of loops  — Hold the large knitting needle in your left hand. Enlarge the loop on the hook. Slip the loop onto the needle. 

If you don’t have such a large knitting needle on hand, a large cooking spoon will do 😏

4. Take the hook through the next stitch of the previous row. 

5. Pick up the yarn as you would for a sc. Enlarge the loop and slip it onto the needle. Repeat for the entire row. 

6. Slip the first 5 loops off the needle onto the hook. 

7. Hook the yarn and pull it through all 5 loops. 

8. Work a single chain stitch.                                                                                                                  Guide the hook through all 5 loops each time, work five sc into the group of loops. 

9. Repeat for groups of five for the entire row.

There…isn’t that pretty? 😍

The  II. Popcorn Stitch is as cute as it sounds and perfect for accent rows to pep up an otherwise simple design. 

1. On a right side row work 4 dc into the second stitch from the hook. 

2. Remove the hook from the loop, insert it through the top of the first dc, and again through the loop. 

3. Draw the hook backwards and pull the loop through the dc stitch. 

4. Work a sc into the next stitch. Skip a stitch and start over. 

I think this would be darling as the border of a hat. 😊

I hope you found a little inspiration here 😍 Let me know if you tried these stitches- any questions? 🤗 Which ones should we try next Sunday? Any requests? 😁

Until next time 💕

~ Tina xoxo 

What’s in a word? ~ Dictionary Day 📚

Hello my lovely friends 💕 How nice of you to peek in!

It’s another Dictionary Day! Let’s take a word and see what all is ‘in it’. Here we go…

Today’s word is

🏺 Amphora 🏺

~1. Here’s what the dictionary has to say

~2. Wikipedia knows a few more details

~3. It’s various purposes were

a.) serving jar for wine and oil

b.) a liquid measure in the ancient world- Greece = 9 gallons; Rome = 6 gallons, 7 pints

c.) when set on a foot, as a commemorative vase awarded the victors in contests

~4. Eric Rhodes mentioned one in this beautiful poem

Resting
in the crisp autumn
air of humanity,
my heart sings
like a lark in the morning’s light.
Ageless,
my soul longs
for your presence, my love,
and in a world
separate from mine
I would embrace you,
like the sea
around the shore.
Fulfilled,
I am invigorated
amid the heavenly bodies
which allow for such
a perfect union.
Overflowing
with love,
I pour like wine
from this amphora,
shaped by the great potter,
into the still lake
of serenity
in which you swim.

(2009)
Eric Rhodes

~5. An amphora is mentioned in a few songs

– ‘Aquarium Lyrics’ by Misanthrope 

– ‘Elysium (Eternity is Nigh) by Incantation 

– ‘John has a good Heart, but…’ by Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso 

~6. I think Amphoras male a beautiful ornamental decor in any style home 😊

                                                          
I love the one with the owls! 😍 Which one is your favorite?

Well, I do believe that’s all for now. I truly had fun researching for- and telling you everything I found out about these beauties. I hope you enjoyed it too! 😊

See you soon 💕

Until then

~Tina xoxo