Well I never did! It's a cat!

This is the oddest thing. I am just designing a new crochet applique pattern called Fat Cat and this afternoon what walked into my house but a black and white cat. He/she is very friendly and cared for but was obviously extremely hungry. I've (foolishly) given it some meat and now it is going fast asleep on a towel on my sofa. It's only been in for an hour!!

Now what would you do? I have put his photo on Facebook and am hoping somone will claim him. I suppose he makes a good model for my pattern!

A new crocheted dahlia flower to try

I have just developed this pattern for a large dahlia type of flower. It is a straightforward pattern which involves starting with foundation stitches, rather than chains, and then making a second row of stitches ranging from slip stitch up to double treble (UK). The third and final row uses shells to form the petals.

If the thought of using foundation stitches is off-putting, then please read my post about foundation stitches here - the entry contains a link to a very useful and easy to follow video.

Assembling the flower then involves winding and stitching the petals which I found to be much easier with foundation stitches than if the first row were chains.

If you were to attach a brooch pin at the back, then it would make a lovely join for the two edges of an edge-to-edge cardigan or it would be great on a wide knitted or crocheted headband or wristband.

Materials

One ball of DK yarn of your choice

Tapestry needle.

4 mm crochet hook

Size/Gauge

Gauge is not critical for this project, but choose a suitable hook for the weight of yarn you use. Using the yarn and hook above the finished flower measured three and a half inches across and one and a quarter inches deep.

The pattern can be found on Craftsy here


or on Etsy here

 

Finished at last!

Ah-ha! I've finished the bag I was crocheting for a friend's birthday with two days to spare. Here's a picture of it...

I'm pleased with the result, especially as it is my own design both for the bag and flower. I have posted the pattern on Ravelry and Craftsy.

Now to move onto something else. Mm.mm.mm.mm... but what?

Picot-Picot Flower

It's bucketing down with rain outside, so I need no further excuse to get out the hook and yarn. Onward and upward with the string bag!

Yesterday I posted a pattern of my Picot-Picot Flower on Craftsy. It is made up of loads of picots - some of them picots on top of picots - and it also involves some crocheting around posts if you want to try your hand at that. I got a little bored with the string bag chains and took some time off to design this so that I can stitch it to the bag when it is complete.

Source: Picot-Picot Flower via Kath Williamson on Craftsy