Part 4 Crochet Along

Good Morning

For those of you who were waiting for the blog yesterday I am sorry that I did not get one done, I had a pretty busy day.

Today is the day for part 4  of my crochet along  for June.
I think I have added rather a lot to this month because the finish month will now be January.

I promise that this is the last month of the little fiddly squares.

Here is the link to my website www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk
If you prefer Ravelry Click Here

Good Luck with this one and I would love to hear how you are getting on.

I have created a Pinterest page of any pictures that I get for the CAL

https://uk.pinterest.com/alicrafts22/crochet-cal-alicraftsdesigns-2016/

There are some lovely colours, if you don't mind me using your pictures please send them to me so that I can add them as soon as I can, thank you..

I went to visit my Aunt who is in a care home in Knaresborough this week and found this crochet blanket on her bed, I don't know where it is from but I thought that the colours really brightened up her room.

I love the idea and might work on something like that later on in the year, if only to use up some of my oddments of yarn.

I have also been working on some gift and shopping bags this week 

The pattern will be available soon...    I hope !!!!  I've been very lax at writing up any new patterns and have had a month off designing crochet.

I have even managed to go back to designing some bead weaving I have not done any of that for ages. 

I must go now, I am doing an extra workshop for my ladies today, they will be here soon.

Happy crocheting 

Ali xxx

Sunshine, trees and snow

Hi Everyone

What a strange week of weather we have had, rain, sunshine, sleet and snow.  There have been brilliant bright blue skies and lots of clouds. 

The tree at the back of our house is full of blossom.  Just look at the dark clouds behind, that is the snow shower in the distance.

The hills behind have snow on them it was not there when I woke up this morning.

Bright sunshine here for the moment I don't know how long it will last.

I am sorry the pictures are a bit dark I was shooting into the sun.

...***...

Here are some of the crochet along colours that have been worked by my friends, it is really going to be good when they are all finished to see the end results.

I have made a pinterest page for the Cal if you would like to send me your pictures,  I would love to add them as we go along..

Email to :-  ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

I have been so busy this morning typing up another months instructions,  I almost forgot to do this blog.

I don't seem to be able to settle down to do a  particular craft this week, I have done a bit of sewing on the machine, started to work on the Mandala Madness crochet along, done a bit of knitting which I pulled out and crocheted a few hats and a tiny blanket for the Blue Light Babies.

Do you ever have any days that you can't make up your mind?

I think that mine is a jumble at the moment. Its so full of ideas I can't sort it out at all.

Oh dear, perhaps I need a holiday!!!!!

Happy crocheting

Alison xxx

Part 2 is here

Hello,

Part 2 of the crochet along is now ready to download either from my website or my ravelry store. This crochet along is free and each part with be published each month.

If you have any problems please let me know. I also have a you tube channel showing you how to do certain parts of the pattern.

My you tube channel

Alison x

Still counting and lots to go

Hi

I am still stocktaking and trying to tidy up at the same time.

My wool rep. is calling tomorrow to see me so I think, hmmm, no I know I will be tempted to buy more. I stock Stylecraft Special Double Knitting yarn and have most colours, please contact me if you want any it is £1.70 a ball at the moment but I am afraid that the postage is £3.30 per bag.

I have been busy trying to design a craft bag,  here it is so far. I love working textures this mock up version is using up some oddments I am hoping to work it in cotton DK when I have written the pattern out on the computer.

I've had a fairly busy week this week watching my grandson getting his new belt in judo

and taking him for some new shoes, as well as still unpacking all the stock from the show at the NEC. I am almost done I think that there is only one large bag to go.

Today my friend is coming round for a crochet day and chat, I don't know which we do more of crocheting or chatting.

Don't forget that the next instalment of the Mystery CAL will be available on Friday

Good luck everyone

Ali xxx

Trip to Poland

Hello

Lots to tell you about today

We have just had a lovely weekend away in Poland, we flew from Leeds/Bradford airport to Gdansk.
A super 2 hour 15 mins of crochet time, I managed to get the centre of a shawl worked.

Its a lovely city they have rebuilt a lot of the historical quayside which was destroyed in the 2nd world war, there are still lots of buildings to be replaced.

There are shops which sell amber jewellery and glass items, trips on boats down the river and lots of restaurants we liked the Elephant bar and Billys but there were more, we stayed at the Hilton which is at the end of the quayside so very handy for all the interesting places to see.

Cal News

The first instalment of the crochet along is up and ready to go on my website and Ravelry

If you have any problems there are videos on my website  or drop me a text ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

Next I have a new free flower pattern available

http://www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk/free-patterns/

Materials Required

Oddments of Double Knitting Yarn in 2 colours

4.00 hook

1. Ch.4, work 11tr. in 4th ch. from hook, ss. to join in 3rd ch. at beg.  (12sts)
2. 3ch., 1tr. in same place as ss., 2tr. in each tr., ss. to join in 3rd ch. at beg. Fasten off.
3. Join colour 2 to any tr., 3ch., 4tr. in same place, 1dbtr. worked around the stalk of the tr. below on round 1. not round 2., * miss 1 st. on round 2. work 5tr. in next st., 1dbtr. round stalk of next st. on round 1, rep. from * to end, ss. to join in 3rd ch. at beg. Fasten off.

Abbreviations

beg.	beginning
ch.	chain
dbtr.	double treble
rep.	repeat
ss.	slip stitch
st.	stitches
tr.	treble

©Ali Crafts Designs 
February 2016

This pattern is the property of A Walker and is an original design

Please do not copy the patterns for friends, or use for teaching or post on any website on the internet, this infringes copyright laws. Thank you. You may link to my site via www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk

Frosty, sunny and cold

Its a lovely bright day here in the North East this morning, it looks like a cold wind and it was very frosty this morning, oh dear I am beginning to sound like a weather forecaster.

I am going to spend the day working on my CAL which is starting on 1st of March, if anyone is interested I have started a group on Ravelry, so that we can chat about any problems.

This is the link to join the group....

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/ali-crafts-cal-2016

I am also working on a doll at the same time I was hoping to have her ready for the show at the NEC in March but I don't think that she will have been tested by then.  I like to make sure there are no great errors in the patterns although I can always seem to make alterations to them when I happen to redo a pattern again. 

So if you ever have a problem understanding my instructions please get in touch and I will try to help. Sometimes its just the wording all designers write differently.

Another thing that I forget to say is that all my patterns are written using UK terminology.

Thank you,
Alison 

Fun on Friday with Hairpin Crochet

I had a Crochet workshop on Friday teaching hairpin crochet

After the initial fumbling trying to balance the hairpin prong and crochet at the same time my ladies progressed really well..

I hope to be able to bring you finished pictures at a later date because I set them some homework.. to finish 2 strips of hairpin, we will join them together later.

Progress one strip finished and another on the way

Update on the CAL. almost time to get ready for the first instalment

Packs of yarn are available in my Etsy store

CAL yarn packs

I have some information about the CAL 

Please click here

I would love to hear if you are joining us on this project please contact me 

if you have any questions or just to let me know you are joining 

ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

Hope you are all well

Alison xxx

Crochet - A - Long and knitting

Good Morning

Feeling good this morning I've been clearing out wool and other items on Ebay and had lots of sales this morning, our house is so full of all my crafting things I need to clear out lots of card making, beading, scrapbooking and woollen items before we have no space at all left for us.

Just to show you all that I do other things beside crochet

Here is a blanket from a knitting project that is almost finished 

How I hate sewing things together crochet joins are so much easier.

It was made from a partwork magazine that I have been doing for many years called Big and Little Knitting Projects.

See picture below for the finished blanket there are 56 squares and I have enjoyed doing it very much although I can knit its not one of my favourite things to do.

I don't like big knitting projects with lots of stitches but I really enjoy making squares as they were more manageable to fit in with other projects.

Finally back to the Crochet A Long...

Don't forget it will start on the 1st March

4.50 hooks at the ready

with double knitting yarn my test one is being made in different colours 

just to show you that it can be made in any shade

Goodbye for today love to hear from you 

Alison XXX

CAL crochet along

CAL CROCHET A LONG FOR 2016

I am in the process of developing a crochet a long for a blanket this year, its going to be a mystery because I don't know yet where it is going to finish.

I am using the following colours 

I will be selling the yarn in my ETSY shop soon

Stylecraft special Double knitting yarn in 6 colours, 

2 x A, cream and 1 x 100grams of B, stone C, copper D, mocha E. parchment, F. colour to follow I don't like the camel in the picture it isn't right with the others

4.50 hook

You can also email me if you would like different colours I stock most of the colours of Stylecraft special double knitting yarn

ali.crafts@ntlworld.com

It is going to be granny square based so that beginners will hopefully enjoy the experience of learning something new.

There will also be more challenging squares for experienced crocheters as well.

The CAL starts the 1st of March and will be one square a month they are only small squares so I may ask you to make more of each one during the month, just a bit of homework.

This is a free to join CAL and will be available here and my website and Ravelry

Looking forward to the challenge...

Please drop me a message by email so that I can let you know when the next instalment is ready

Alison xxx

Bags of Hooks

Good Morning

I thought that I would show you today one of my bags of WIP or UFOs ( works in progress or unfinished objects) from the cupboard under the stairs it seems to breed more and more bags each time I look in there. I have been pretty good this week and almost finished 5 projects from other bags:-

I have lined the bag and stuffed the toys now they only need some eyes.....

Here is the work bag that I have been using lately

I have a little light on the outside and these were in the outside pockets, its no wonder we can't find a pen in the house, there were 8 in this bag !!! and 3 tape measures ohhh no... The little wooden box just fits nicely into one of the pockets and it contains all my needles, stitch markers and ribbon threaders these are ideal for putting the stuffing in small pieces of work. The box is handy to move from bag to bag as needed.

Inside was no better

A bag inside a bag containing sets of hooks none of which had a full set, I always keep the hook with the work because I can never remember which hook size or make I used ( and hook sizes vary from make to make ) there was also assorted patterns and 2 pairs of scissors.

And last but not least 3 project bags I love to put each project on a zip lock bag (Ikea have super ones in different sizes,) a pen, pencil and another hook, and a bag with new wool inside what a jumble...

News Flash For March

I am thinking of doing a CAL crochet along starting on Tuesday 1st March working in Granny type squares, if anyone is interested please let me know via my website www.alicraftsdesigns.co.uk there will be a series of 12 squares, I am hoping to release one a month.

In other news

Don't forget the Sewing for Pleasure Show at the NEC Birmingham
on the 17th to 20th March we will be on stand D24

Oh dear here is the Tesco order arriving, I must go and refill the fridge, now we will have some vegetables tonight.

Hope you all have a good week

Alison xxx