Wool to your door SALE

Hello,

Just a quick note to say during January Wool to your door is having a sale. 5% off any order over £10.

Please use the code SALEJAN17 when checking out your order, this is shown on the payment page.

Alison x 

Christmas Craft Gifts

Hello,

Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas.

I have had a nice Christmas and Birthday spent with my family.  They always ask what I would like so I make a wish list on Amazon and this year most items are very craft based.  I am looking forward to testing them out.

Mitten making kit - Includes pattern and wool.

Crochet your own Stickman Kit - I will be making this for my Grandson who loves the book.

Teardrop Bag Kit - Pattern and fabric to make a bag.

New methods for Crochet socks - These look great and the pattern looks clear with modern pictures.

Small purse Kit - Includes pattern, fabric and zip.

M&S Knit your own cushion or hat or snood - Includes needles, hook, wool, pattern and pom pom pattern. 

Crochet 2017 calendar - A different pattern for everyday of the year.

Button Angel from Bobbin Patch - Lovely pattern for a felt decorated bag.

The little book of Hygge
Cosy Winter Hygge colouring book and pencils - I have been tempted to try colouring books for  a while but never actually bought one.
Mittens of Latvia - This is a lovely book with traditional patterns. 
Cute and easy Crochet with Flowers  - Lots of simple flower patterns. I do love crocheted flowers.
Crochet Journal - This is a great notebook to help you record works in progress (WIP).
Ruby & Custard's Crochet book - Lots of little crochet projects.

Baby washcloths & Afghan Squares - Lots of small patterns for washcloths. Nice clear photos.
Modern Crocheted Shawls & Wraps - Crochet pattern book
Boho Bags - patterns for bags to sew.
On the go bags - More patterns for bags to sew.
Crochetterie - Lots of patterns for contemporary crocheting projects.

Wow I really don't know what to make first..

Don't forget Wool to your door the online wool shop is now open.

Alison x

Wool to your door

Hello,

I just wanted to do a little post about my online shop, Wool to your door.  When I first posted about it I didn't have all the products added yet which I have now done. I have added Stylecraft special DK, classique cotton and many other yarns.  I have also added hooks and yarn packs.  In addition to this, I have a number of sale items listed.

We currently have FREE delivery on all UK orders over £20.  I am looking into international postage costs so that will be coming soon.  Please email if you would like me to send internationally and I will get back to you with a price.

All wool is stored in a pet free, smoke free house and away from direct sun light.

View from our window

Here comes Tuesday again

This week seems to have flown by ever so fast.

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday there was a beautiful sunrise

Today though

It was not worth taking a picture I can't see the houses behind us, no hills in the distance at all.

⇹

It is the time of year when I am looking for spaces to hide things, shhh you know what I mean!!

While I was looking I found an old work folder and found these samples inside I have no idea where I got the ideas.

There was also a book with some lovely stitches in, this one was called Little Bells, they are formed by working clusters. 

Topical for this time of the year..

⇹

I have managed to finish the Christmas tree this week.

I am not sure that I wanted all the trimmings this year so have left it quite plain.

Don't forget that all of the instructions are online to finish the CAL that I started way back in March

they are on my web page www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk and on Ravelry..

I am still adding more items to the stock in our new shop Wool to your door 

Check out my sale items soon.. when they are gone they will be gone.....

Seasons Greetings

to all

Ali xxx

Hurrah

A lovely bright but frosty day here today.

Firstly I have had a really productive week this week on my works in progress  (WIP)

Beading

I have worked a bauble kit that I have had for some time bought from Spellbound Beads and finished the tea light cover for this year. My design..

As well as designing some tiny baubles for my classes and workshops...

Christmas Tree

This is still a WIP, and I still have glue everywhere, on the plus side most of the pieces of card are covered with fabric, I only need to glue them together.  ohhh gluuuuuue.
I used to make boxes years ago and never used any glue at all. The fabric was always stretched and laced around the card shapes, then the card shapes were sewn together.

Crochet

I am making more of the flowery shape just to see how many can be worked from the 5 balls that I have chosen to use. Colours used in no particular order at all.
It is Three Bears Yarns called Affection which is a cotton 4ply yarn in 50gram balls.

New website

Finally I have been taking photographs of my stock of yarn from Stylecraft and adding them to the shop on my new website Wool to your door, more colours are being added daily.

This seems a never ending job because there are over 60 colours.

I use Stylecraft because of the colour range for my dolls and toys. It is 100% acrylic, washable, comes in 100gram balls and is lovely and soft to use.

Abbie

Holly

Persephonie

I hope that you are all keeping warm and well

Take care in this frosty weather

Ali xxx

Finally back on track

Good morning

I hope that you are all well on this miserable day, pouring with rain, dark and cold here in the north again.

I really feel much better this week, back in to doing things at last, here are a few of my projects at the moment...

Bright blanket

The blanket I started to work on at the NEC show is finished, it is the bright blanket pattern using different colours.

I have also started to make a piece of beading for this years tea light design, the pattern has been done for some time and the ladies in my class have been working on them so that they will be done for Christmas, I have not made a sample one for a few years.

Caught up on my knitted squares from Simply Stylish knitting as well, working the continental way of knitting has really speeded up my knitting progress and now I like to do these small squares, not sure yet wether I would prefer knitting to crochet as knitting still seems slow to me.  Sorry to any knitters out there......

I have also started a Christmas tree kit from Pinflair which I bought a few years ago, I have not had time to start it until this week.

So far so good... I have not made too much mess yet, I am not very good with glue, it gets everywhere. This is the first time I have used bookbinding glue and it seems to be very easy to use, and a lot less messy.

Last night I started on a new design, it started out as  a doll and has ended up as a square, the doll is shelved, oh dear I thought that the brains were back in gear, perhaps not quite.

Finally not crochet related but I went to my local WI yesterday and enjoyed the talk very much. 

Pat had designed and made beaded flags and flowers from over 30 countries.  

Just amazing !!!

She was also selling these lovely trees and flowers in tiny pots for charity

Oh dear just look at the time it is almost 10am, I have a pile of ironing to do before I can do any fun stuff,

keep warm and crochet !!!!

Ali xxx

Catch up

Good morning,

I am sorry to have been so long in doing a blog, I think that I have had writers block and crochet block as well I have not been productive at all for the last couple of months.

I am feeling back on track now and although we have had a busy few weeks I have been crocheting again.

First things first I have put up the final 2 parts to the CAL 2016 on Ravelry and my website so that anyone who wants to finish for Christmas can work the borders and finish on time.....

I had a wonderful time at the Hobbycrafts show last week, we really enjoyed meeting everyone again.

I was really proud to have had a picture of my stand taken and added to the ICHF twitter account,

https://twitter.com/thecraftshows and scroll down to Nov 6th

if I had known I would have looked happier, I was coming down with a bad cold which finally hit me on Sunday evening when we were back at the hotel.
Thank you so much ICHF...



Unfortunately we have decided not to attend any more shows at the NEC, so I am afraid that we will not be there in March 2017.
Thank you to everyone who came to chat with us and buy my patterns over the last five or six years.
Please don't forget that you can contact me by email.  ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

I will be at the British Wool Show at Thirsk next year.

All my designs are on Etsy and Ravelry the links are on my website,  I am not giving up designing, just not going to the big shows they are costly to do and very hard work...

Finally I am sorry that we ran out of the Christmas tree bunting pattern so here it is :-

 Materials Required

Oddments of Double Knitting yarn and a ball of Twilleys Goldfingering

4.00 hook

1. 4ch., 2tr. 3ch., 3tr., 3ch., 3tr., all in the in 4th. ch. from hook, 3ch., ss. to join in 3rd ch. at beg.     ( 3 groups of 3tr. and 3 x 3ch. loops)
2. Ss. into the next 2tr. and into the ch. sp. 3ch., 2tr. 3ch., and 3tr. into same loop this makes a beg. corner group, 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) this makes a corner group, 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) 3ch. ss. to join in 1st tr. Fasten off.
3. Ss. into the next 2tr. and into the ch. sp. 3ch., 2tr. 3ch., and 3tr. into same loop this makes a beg. corner group, 3ch., 3tr. in next sp. between groups, 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) 3ch., 3tr. in next sp., 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) 3ch. 3tr. in next sp., 3ch., ss. to join in 1st tr.
4. Ss. into the next 2tr. and into the ch. sp. 3ch., 2tr. 3ch., and 3tr. into same loop (3ch., 3tr. in next sp. between groups,) twice, 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) (3ch., 3tr. in next sp.,) twice, 3ch., ( 3tr., 3ch., 3tr. in next loop,) (3ch. 3tr. in next sp.,) twice, 3ch., ss. to join in 1st tr. Fasten off.
5. Using the 2 strands of goldfingering, work a standing tr. in centre loop on the lower edge, 3tr. 3ch., and 4tr. into same loop (3ch., 4tr. in next sp. between groups,) three times, 3ch., ( 4tr., 3ch., 4tr. in next loop,) (3ch., 4tr. in next sp.,) three times, 3ch., ( 4tr., 3ch., 4tr. in next loop,) (3ch. 4tr. in next sp.,) three times, 3ch., ss. to join in 1st tr. now make the trunk, 3ch., 1tr. in same place, 1tr. in 2tr., 2tr. in last tr., turn 3ch., 1tr. in same place, 1tr. in 4tr., 2tr. in last tr. Fasten off.

Standing dc.   =   place a slip knot on the hook place in stitch  work dc. as normal

Standing tr.  =  place a slip knot on the hook wrap yarn round the hook and place in stitch work treble as normal

I will also add it to Ravelry and my website if you prefer to download a copy.

Happy Crocheting everyone

Ali xxx

Another week gone !!!

Hi

I can't believe another week has flown by since I last wrote the blog.

The roofers are still here and it looks like an industrial landscape with all the scaffolding.

I have not been doing much crocheting, just making lots of tea, easy you would think, but I don't drink tea or coffee, so I don't have the skills for tea making. they keep asking for more so it can't be too bad.

I have been working on a small sample of crochet using a lovely yarn.

It is called Cosy Soft Prints by Ella Rae, it has a 25% content of wool and is beautifully soft.

I have been using a combination of UK half trebles and slip stitches with a 5.00 hook and I love how it is making patterns. It costs about £5.95 for a 100gram ball, I think I will have to see if I can find some more.

Looks like it might be time for more tea making.

Before I go last week I asked if anyone would like to try my new blanket to test the pattern and I only had one lady ask 

Please contact me by email ali.crafts@ntlworld.com if you are interested.

Thank you...

Happy days

Alison

Stockton and Fireworks

Hi

Another lovely morning here in Stockton, we really have had the most amazing summer this year in the UK.
Our garden is still full of flowers, I hope that it stays the same for the next week.

The yellow dahlia is the size of a dinner plate.

We are having more work done on the house, Phil and I have been here for over 33 years, so I guess that things don't last forever. This time its the soffits and gutters and a new automatic garage door.

We really need the garage door I can't open it now it is too heavy. I need to get in there to sort out the things I still have left to sort.... The story of my life too much stuff and not enough room.....

I will be adding a new patten to my shops on Etsy and Ravelry today. It is called Firework shawl.

I was wondering if anyone would like to try my Stockton Squares Blanket it is ready for testing, so it might not be perfect, I will send a copy to the first 5 people to email me on ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you...

Happy crocheting...

Alison xxx

Stylecraft Yarn Sales

Good Morning

Well its been another busy week here in Stockton, the instructions for the new Stockton Blanket are nearly ready to go to be tested. I have decided to sell a pack of yarn the same as for Bright blanket , six balls and your choice of colours with either free pattern for Bright Blanket or free pattern for the new blanket. I will keep you posted when the new one is ready to go.

I have also promised Phil that I will clear out some of the overstocked yarns I have stored everywhere here at home.
So I have an Ebay shop for that purpose it is ali.crafts22.16 click here to see what is available. 

Once they are gone they will be gone, thank you for looking.

I have Stylecraft Vision, and Special Aran and will be adding more as soon as I can, so keep checking the store to see if there has been any new stock added.

I have been looking for some inspiration for a Tatting workshop that I am doing in January for a local lace guild and found this book among all the others in my library!!!  its just the spare bedroom.

I keep all kinds of books there from tatting, Hardanger, knitting, embroidery, scrapbooking, card making, patchwork  and lace to name just a few subjects, all my crochet books are on shelves downstairs. 

I am afraid I love craft books and can't bear to part with any, I tried a while ago and found that they were selling for coppers and it was not worth trying.

I think that it was because I used to work in the library in Stockton that I am really addicted to books.

The book is called The Country Diary book of Crafts by Annette Mitchell

Guild Publishing, London., it was published in 1985.

The patterns include knitting, crochet, cross stitch and more. Here are some of the crochet patterns  from the book. I love how the fashions change for jumpers, but the shawls and children's dresses could still be used today. This book can still be found second hand on Amazon.

I am going to add some more wool to the shop, I hope that you all have a super week..

Happy days

Alison xxx

Crochet Workshops

Hi

I have just updated new Crochet Workshop Dates 2016
for this term.
These workshops take place in Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, UK.

Fridays

9th September

14th October

25th November

16th December

Tuesdays

13th September

11th October

25th November

6th December

Beginners welcome, booking is essential. £12 per person per workshop. Tea, coffee and  biscuits provided, please bring your own lunch. Please contact me for more details or to book a place.

ali.crafts@ntlworld.com




I have been teaching crochet for over 30 years and I love what I do, teaching, designing and having stands at the shows.

I would love to hear from you soon.

Alison xxx

September CAL

Happy 1st of September

Hello I have just added part 7 September Square to Ravelry

I know that it looks complicated but when you try this one I think that you will like it...

I liked it so much I designed a circular baby blanket with the same kind of technique

This is Pineapple Swirl this pattern is available on Etsy

Now for this months Free Flower pattern

  

Materials Required

Oddments of Stylecraft Classique Cotton Double Knitting in 3 colours

3.50  

Using the 3.50 hook and 1st colour 

All rounds are worked with the right side facing

1. RS, Ch.5, ss. into 1st ch. to form a circle, 1ch., 10dc. into circle, ss. to join in 1st dc.
2. 1ch., work 12 dc. over the last round of sts. into the circle, ss. to join in 1st dc. Fasten off. 
3. Using 2nd colour and working in front loops of stitches for this round, join with a standing dc. into any st., work 2dc. in each st., ss. to join in 1st dc.  (24dc)
4. Working in the front loops of stitches from the last round, 1ch., 1dc. in 1st st., * 2ch., 1dc. in next st., rep. from * ending 2ch., ss. to join in 1st dc.
5. Working behind last round into back loops of stitches from round 3, work 1ch. ss. into back loop of 1st dc., 1dc. in same place, 2ch., * 1dc. in next st., 2ch., rep. from * ending ss. to join in 1st dc. Fasten off.
6. Working behind last round, using 3rd colour, work standing tr. in any loop left on round 2, 1tr. in same loop, * 2tr. in next st., rep. from * ending ss. to join in 1st tr.
7. Work in front loops for this round, 1ch., 1dc. in same place, 2ch., * 1dc. in next st., 2ch., rep. from * ending ss. to join in 1st dc.
8. Work in back loops left on round 6,  3ch., * 1dc. in same loop, 3ch., 1dc. in next  loop, 3ch., rep. from * to end, ss. to join in 1st dc. Fasten off.

I hope that this one is ok, it really is hot off the hook, if you have any problems with the instructions please contact me

Alison xxx

www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk