Cushion Crazy!

Anybody who knows me and my crochet habits knows that I LOVE making granny squares.  I love how you can use different stitches to make them look like flowers, colourbursts, or traditional granny squares....and I love using different combinations of colours and seeing how they develop and fit together.

Until now, I've only used granny squares to make blankets, but I fancied a project that wouldn't take too long, so decided to try my hand at cushion covers.  I completed two different cushion covers in one weekend, which I think is pretty good going.

The basic method is to make 2 big granny squares - I had to make 18 rounds to fit this particular cushion - crochet them together, leaving an opening big enough to remove the cushion (for washing when your 6 year old spills juice all over it).  I was going to use buttons to close the opening, but seeing as I didn't have any, I simply wove some fancy thick yarn through the holes and fastened the ends - perfect.

Side one is a traditional granny square - with 2 rounds per colour

Side 2 is a traditional granny square using oddments of yarn, so instead

of a uniform pattern, the colours change randomly.

Side one is a traditional granny square in 2 colours

Side two is a never-ending granny square in 3 colours

This is my first attempt at a never-ending granny square, and once I had it started, it was really simple to do, and grows really fast!  If you want to try your hand, take a look at Mikeyssmail's video tutorial: 

Caterpillar Scarf

I recently treated myself to some lovely Sirdar Fizz yarn.  It's very fluffy, but extremely thin, and difficult to work with.  Basically it's a very thin yarn, with fragments of fabric attached to it at regular intervals.

A member of the Crochet Crowd on Facebook suggested doubling it up with normal DK yarn, which I did....and came up with this lovely long thin scarf.   It goes really well with a stone washed denim jacket and is sooooooooo soft!

I've called it a caterpillar scarf because it reminds me of a big (cute) furry caterpillar.  

Pastel Baby Blanket

I've nearly come to the end of my seventeen balls project.  My latest item is this pretty baby blanket.  The colours are mainly pastels and it would be a lovely comfort blanket for a Moses basket, pram, car seat etc.

Yarn bombers beware - they're onto you!

Blue ruffle scarf

I love this Sirdar Salsa yarn!  It's a lovely graduated blue colour and works up into a beautiful ruffle scarf.

It's also extremely soft and lightweight so very comfortable to wear.

Fancy frilly scarf

Having treated myself to some lovely Tivoli Whirl yarn today, I didn't waste time in putting it to the test, and decided to make an infinity scarf.

This yarn is so soft and easy to work with, and as you can see from the picture, it spreads out into a net, yet still maintains a thick braid edge, making it easy to crochet with.

To start the scarf, I made a slip knot in the normal way, then to start the chain, I placed the hook in between the thick edge and the net/mesh and made a chain using ONLY the thick edge.  If you imagine the net wasn't there, and use the thick edge as you would a normal yarn, then this is how it grows...

So I continued making the chain until it was the desired length, finished off, and simply tied the two ends together....et voila!!  A deceptively simple, frilly fancy infinity scarf.

It's a lovely scarf to wear with a plain black top.  You can wear it close to the neck...

or leave it longer.................

New Yarn!

Today I had the great fortune to walk into the yarn shop just after he'd taken delivery of his fancy Christmas stock....I've never seen such gorgeous, frilly, colourful yarn in ages...and he let me break open a few packages so I could have a proper look.  Having let me dive inside his pristine new stock and had a good old poke and pull at it, it would've been rude not to have purchased some, wouldn't it?

So I've spent a good part of the past hour admiring my new stash - here are the balls in all their glory - gorgeous or what?