The hook arrived

EEK! the hook arrived

Last month I posted about International Crochet Day and Jimbo over at jimbosfrontporch.blogspot who held a competition to win one of his beautiful custom made hooks. Well it arrived yesterday, the whole process has been very exciting and opening the box and unwrapping the hook which was neatly wrapped in a red cloth, eeekk!

 

The hook is a beautiful colour, well balanced, so smooth and the shape is perfect, I love it. Plus it grasps the yarn with ease, I have been making some leaf inspired scarves and the yarn I have been using splits (a bit to loosely spun but looks and feels great when made). No problem with this hook it crocheted the yarn like a dream.

I know who I will be ordering my next hook from.

EEK! I won eeekk!

Last week was International Crochet Day and Jimbo over at jimbosfrontporch.blogspot carver of the most beautiful crochet hooks (check out his blog the hooks he makes are stunning) held a contest promoting the day for a custom made hook. Using a random number generator it picked me eeekkkk! I won eeeekkk!!

Blue Flowers

Springs coming and the flowers in our little garden are starting to bloom making me feel inspired to post another crochet flower pattern. :)

Blue Flower (or any colour you prefer)

Make into a brooch, add to a bag, shoes whatever takes your fancy :)
(look out for the wire crochet version of this coming to NezumiWorld soon)

Super chunky/ Bulky (USA)/ 16ply
I used Rowan Little Big Wool (very small amount used, left over from another project)

6.5mm (10 1/2 / K) hook

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

rnd - Round

Rnd 1: Ch 2, 6 dc (UK)/ 6 sc (USA) into 2nd ch from the hook (the 1st ch that was made), join with a sl st to top the 1st dc (UK)/ 1st sc (USA), 1 ch (you should now have 6 sts)

Rnd 2: [sl st into the back of the next dc (UK)/ sc (USA), 8 ch, sl st into the back of the same dc] repeat 6 times (you should have 6 petals)

Rnd 3: [sl st into the front loop of the dc (UK)/ sc (USA) you made the first petal in, 6 ch, sl st into the front of the same dc (UK)/ sc (USA)] repeat 6 times (you should now have 12 petals 2 rows of 6)

To finish pull thread through to back of the with your crochet hook flower. Use the ends to sew on a brooch of attach the flower to item of your choice.

Joining Granny Squares

I made this little video (its about 20 seconds long and has no sound) about two years ago and just located the file on my computer. So many people ask me how to join granny squares, this is an extra quick method using double crochet(UK)/ single crochet(USA).
Place two squares together with right sides or wrong sides facing depending on if you want the ridge on the inside or outside of your finished item.
If you want the ridge on the outside (place wrong sides/ back of squares together) or for the ridge on the inside (place right sides/ front of squares together). You can use the same colours as your granny squares or a contrast colour and go through both squares and make a double crochet(UK)/ single crochet(USA) into each stitch when you get to a space or corner make 2 double crochets(UK)/ single crochets(USA).
Join the squares into lengths first, than join the lengths together.

For granny square instructions with UK crochet terms goto http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_027.htm
For granny square instructions with USA crochet terms goto http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_028.htm
For granny square with a diagram using crochet symbols plus instruction on how to make granny square wire earrings goto http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_058.htm

Crochet Lites

My latest purchase via eBay (I love eBay)- crochet hooks that light up :) called Clover crochet lite crochet hooks. They are battery operated with an on/off stitch, have a nice ergonomic handle and are very lightweight.
OK they do seem gimmicky and yes even though I bought them I was a bit skeptical , but after having a play with them I can see how useful they will be for crocheting with dark colours. They really do show up the stitches.