Crocheted i-cord

I belong to a group on Facebook called Creative Crochet Crew and I find lots of interesting tips and patterns on there. My latest find was a link to a YouTube video on how to make a crocheted i-cord. It is so easy. Amazing! Here it is:

 Crochet an i-cord

It is by a lady called Clare of BobWilson123 and there is also an interesting crochet blog which you can find here:

 BobWilson123 blog

Warm and cosy for winter

I've just completed this chunky, colourful hat in Sirdar Squiggle yarn, colour Fushcia. The yarn is lovely to feel and delightful to crochet with - but I wouldn't expect anything less from Sirdar. It's 51% wool so cosy and warm and washes at 40 degrees in a machine. I can certainly recommend it and here is another great colourway.

It's a very easy pattern from Twenty To Make Taster Projects which came free with a Crafts Beautiful magazine I recently purchased. Although Crafts Beautiful covers all crafts and so has a limited number of crochet patterns in each issue, it nevertheless is great for ideas and to spark your imagination on possibilities.

The hat itself is on my Folksy shop. It can be worn either in slouchy or in Russian style. Turning the brim down completely makes it super-slouchy (not shown in photographs). It is very kindly modelled here by my friend and neighbour Elsie and the photographs don't really do justice to the colour.

I particularly like the edging on this pattern. It is called Rope Edging and involves working double crochet (US single crochet) backwards from left to right - most peculiar but a lovely effect. Why not try it on the next hat you make?

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?

I was wondering whether to keep this for myself...

 A few nights ago I crocheted a grey wrist cuff - quite simply in trebles (double crochet in US terms) and attached a large rich red flower to it. Two red buttons to match and it was complete.

I was pondering on whether to put it on my Folksy shop or keep it for myself - and veering towards the latter - when a friend called round. 'Ooh, I like that,' she said. Now I was definitely pleased by her words until she asked how much I was selling it for. Well, what could I do? She's a friend! So off she went with it on her wrist. Free, with the proviso that if anyone admires it she must tell them I'll make one for them for a fiver!

I might just have to make another one for myself now - or even two then one can go on Folksy, after all.

String bags, string bags, string bags...

I'm currently on my fourth string bag! The first was a knitted string bag to a pattern by Hannah Ingalls which she named an Ilene Bag.
I sometimes wonder who Ilene is/was.

I love the shape of this bag but as the body of the bag is knit in the round with a lace stitch, it did take a while to complete. I am not a fast knitter! So I decided to try my hand at designing a bag with a similar shape but using crochet.

My first attempt was a rather lovely coral coloured bag but of the wrong shape. However, I had learned a lot. So I tried again and this time was more successful. Below is a picture of the first successful bag I made to this pattern - it is a birthday gift for a friend. I'm rather pleased with it and am now making another one for yet another friend's birthday.

At the same time as working on the fourth bag I am also writing up the pattern and will publish it when finished.