Book shop closing

For about ten years Borders bookshop in Oxford Street (near Oxford Circus) has been the place I could pop into for a quick coffee while browsing over the books I wanted to buy. Its the place I would meet friends & relations passing through London, it did not matter who arrived first as there was always books & magazines to look at while waiting.
Well today I popped there and to my horror it is closing :(
I confess the sadness of the book shop closing did go away (for a while anyway) when I noticed the 50% off all books posters, my mind spun at all the half price books that I could buy but, I am not sure how long it has been closing down as when I looked around there were only a handful of craft books left, a few cooking books that had seen better days, even the computer section was looking bare. I did manage to get one programming book and will try and have another look around next week when I am back near there. Its sad I liked that bookshop and will miss popping in there :(

Crocheted Star Flowers

This crocheted flower has a similar construction as the knitted flower (the flower in the pic above on the right) I posted last month

Yarn DK or worsted weight
I used:
Patons Linen DK (2 colours required - Colour a for petals Colour b for centre use colour combinations you like, experiment) You can experiment with with different DK or worsted weight yarns
Hook size 3.75mm (UK)/ 5/F (USA)
I used a slightly smaller hook than recommended for this yarn (which was a 4mm) to make a firmer flower

Abbreviations:
st – Stitch
sts – Stitches
dc (UK)/ sc (USA) – Double Crochet (UK)/ Single Crochet (USA)
ch – Chain
sl st - Slip Stitch
dec - Decrease

Pattern:
Petals (make 5 alike)
Using colour a
Ch 2
Row 1: 2 dc (UK)/2 sc (USA) into the 1st ch, 1 ch (2sts)
Row 2: 2 dc (UK)/2 sc (USA) into each dc(UK)/ sc(USA), 1 ch (4sts)
Row 3: 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc(UK)/ sc(USA), 1 ch
Rows 4, 5 & 6: As row 3
Fasten off

Make 4 more petals (don't break yarn or fasten off on 5th petal)

Row 7:Starting with the 5th petal - 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc (UK)/ sc (USA),
than 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc (UK)/ sc (USA) on the 4th petal repeat 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc (UK)/ sc (USA) for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st petals, 1ch (20sts)

Row 8: 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc (UK)/ sc (USA), 1ch (20sts)

Row 9: (Change to yarn b) *Dec 1 dc (UK)/ dec 1 sc (USA) over next 2 dc (UK)/ 2 sc (USA)** repeat from * to ** to end (10 sts)

Row 10: 1 dc (UK)/1 sc (USA) into each dc (UK)/ sc (USA)
Row 11: *Dec 1 dc (UK)/ dec 1 sc (USA) over next 2 dc (UK)/ 2 sc (USA)** repeat from * to ** to end (5 sts), fasten off cutting yarn leaving a long length to use for sewing up.
Sew up sides.and weave in all ends.

Bee spotting

Been having a play doing some crochet animation, hehe
Bee pattern coming soon