News Update

Good Morning

Lovely bright frosty morning this morning.

This week my daughter gave me her partworks  Crochet collection to finish!! hmm to start really….. she only had 3 squares started, so that has been this weeks work to try to get it up to date, unfortunately there are 71 issues so far, I have managed to get 32 squares finished. It makes a change for me to follow someone else instructions, I am enjoying making them. It gives me an opportunity to see how other people write their instructions and to try different yarns, I don’t like the acrylic yarn that has come with the instructions as much as Stylecraft’s Special DK.

Stylecraft is so much softer.

Website news

We have been very busy building a new website and organising a shop to sell downloads.

I hope that this will be ready soon. I was very surprised at how many designs I have actually done, all of them need to be added to the new products pages.

Oh joy, that is my job and I am so slow at adding things. I have to check and double check and I still get it wrong…….  🙁

New Doll

Wisteria, a new doll is now ready for selling these are the colours that I have used for her.

Emperor, Wisteria, Soft Peach, Mocha and Lime, these colours are available in my wool store Wool to Your Door

Stylecraft Special Double Knitting is £1.70 a ball

Her pattern is available for sale as a PDF Pattern on Etsy and costs £2.40


New Blanket

Update on my new blanket it has been slow progress. So far I have 4 panels finished, the last panel has taken a while to do because I have worked from a chart.

This needed to be entered into a graph so that you will be able to follow the pattern. Another process for me to learn.

I think that I may do 6 panels, the next one I plan to start today, because Phil is out this evening.

Pattern editing awaits, I must not procrastinate any longer, I could stop here blogging it is much easier.

Happy crocheting

Ali xxx

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 

Late, late, late for a very important date

Good morning,

I am so sorry I totally forgot that it was Tuesday yesterday, I have been confused for days about what day it was, I think its because we are getting a new bathroom soon.
I can't wait we have been in this house for 30 years and I did not get to choose the colour, it has not been bad but it is so dated now. This is the old blue sink...

I have chosen white and will be getting rid of the carpet and having the pipes all boxed in.....  

Well thats the idea, roll on the end of July.

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We have had a good weather day, so I got out all the new goodies that I showed you last week.

I set up a table outside put on the pans of water to boil

Added some dried marigold flower heads

Added the yarn and bubbled it up for hours

I got quite a pleasing yellow and lemon colour, they are a bit pale, I think that I was too eager to see what had happened.  I can't wait to try again and see if I can get some darker colours.

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Phil and I have been busy in the garden this week, when it wasn't miserable weather, we have had some bushes and trees cut down and needed to clear the area, so the roots needed digging out and we have started to replant the area. We have a small slope to the garden so it is difficult to decide what to do with it, I will let you see when we finish in a few weeks.  I am on a mission to get everywhere sorted and cleared, it won't all happen at once, I will get there eventually.

I guess I better get some work done now I have some patterns to type up and my worst nightmare do some ironing and housework.  Happy days.

Talk to you soon 

Ali xxx

Catch up part 2

Hi again

Catching up with the blog part 2

We have been away for 11 nights to Scotland, I think that we got the best weather that the West Coast can produce. It was glorious, really warm... much to our surprise, we had packed for rain and cold.

We stayed on the Applecross Peninsular and I found some interesting things to do..

At Applecross they have a Heritage Centre and on Mondays there is a lady who demonstrates how to use a spinning wheel. Much to my surprise she made me wear an apron, sit down and have a go.

 

 So I turned some wool like this into this in about 10 minutes.

I felt really chuffed its not good but was fun to do.

Then on Wednesday I met Lesley from Croft Wools and Weavers, she was teaching another lady called Ann and myself how to dye yarn using natural plant dyes.

Much to my surprise on arrival I was taken across a field, wondering where I was going, thinking I had forgotten my coat, we went down some steps and arrived at a beautiful summerhouse with a veranda nestled by a stream.

The 3 hour workshop flew by too quickly and we both enjoyed being with Lesley very much, we have both come away wanting to have a go ourselves. I ordered a book as soon as I could and intend to buy a kit to have a go.

If you are ever on the Applecross Peninsula it really is worth a trip to look at their shop or ring earlier to book a workshop.

The colours that we dyed drying in the sun outside

They really are beautiful colours..

Thanks to Lesley xx

Going to order the kit now I will show you my results, that is if I manage to have any results.

Happy Days

Alison xxxx

Lovely sky and lots more wool

Hello

What a lovely sky we were treated to this morning, it is still really windy and quite cold as well. I took my Grandson to school and the wind was blowing across the school field Brrrr.

The sky though was amazing

I have just received some new wool supplies ready for Birmingham in March

Just hope we don't need to use the spare room before then, my Grandson said "more wool Gran you have got lots already why do you need more", well, we can never have enough can we?

I have packed some of the bags already

Just a few Bright blanket and Mandala cushion

Todays free flower pattern is for a loopy flower

Materials Required

Double knitting yarn and 4.00 hook

1. 2ch., work 10dc. in 2nd ch. from hook, ss. to join in 1st dc.
2. 1ch., 2dc. in same place as ss., * 8ch., 2dc. in next st., rep. from * ending 8ch., ss. in 1st dc. and into next dc.,
3. Work 12dc. into 1st loop, * 12dc. in next loop, rep from * to end, ss. in 1st dc. Fasten off.

©Ali Crafts Designs
January 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

Click here for a PDF download version

I hope you enjoy making this one
Alison xx

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

Preparing kits for NEC

Hi,

I have just spent all morning turning my room into a workroom.

I am making kits for the Hobbycrafts show in Birmingham next month.

It's a very long job I am almost done. :-(

Alison x

Springtime in Paris progress

Hello,

I started this blanket a while ago so I thought I would update you with the progress.  I blogged about our trip to Paris in April, which you can read about here.

This is mile a minute style blanket is worked in strips.  The colours were inspired by the photograph of tulips in Paris.

I am also busy getting prepared for the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC in Birmingham in November this year.  Last year woolpacks were very popular so I have ordered a little more wool than normal.  Where do you keep 500 more balls of wool?

You can also buy wool packs online if you can't make the show.  Bright Blanket available in three colour ways but please contact me if you want different colours.  Seaton Blanket also available in threes different colour ways.

Seaton Blanket

Happy Crocheting,

Alison x

Blossom - Seasons Collection Summer

Hello,

It was a beautiful but cold morning this morning with a lovely sunrise.

Blossom is the Summer doll in the Season collection crochet pattern. She has her own backpack plus a child sized backpack.

Backpack detail

Blossoms pattern is now on Etsy and Ravelry. Hope you like it.

Alison x

My Craft Room

Hello,

I am still working on the Seasons doll patterns, the three remaining dolls have now gone to be tested whilst I work on some other projects.  Lots of typing up to do before the Sewing for pleasure show at Birmingham NEC in March.

Whilst sitting at my desk I glanced around my workroom. I describe it as a tidy mess and I am the only one who can find anything.  I like having lots of wool around for inspiration, many books with lots of notes and ideas in.

Shelves full of wool but I never seem to have the colour I want.

Wardrobe full of wool as well.

Over the weekend we were supposed to be doing the RSPB bird count for an hour in our garden.  Saturday came and no birds at all to be seen.  Sunday, no birds again. We were very puzzled until we saw this....

A large sparrow hawk which must have frightened all the birds away.

Take care, Alison

x

Free Bunting Pattern

Hello,

I have created a bunting pattern for a future show in August.  I have been making lots of different colours, its great way to use up oddments of yarn.

Materials Required

Oddments of double knitting yarn

approx. 10 meters of main colour

4.00 hook

Measurement

3 to 4 inches (9 to 10 cms)

Turn at the end of each row

1.  2ch., 1dc. in 2^nd ch. from hook.
2. 1ch., 2dc. in dc.
3. 1ch., 2dc. in 1^st dc., 1dc. in last dc. (3dc)
4. 1ch., 2dc. in 1^st dc.,  1dc. in each dc. to end. (4dc)
5. 1ch., 2dc. in 1^st dc.,  1dc. in each dc. to end. (5dc)

Rep. row 5 until you have 16dc., fasten off.

Border

Fasten the border colour to the top right hand corner of your flag, work 1ch., 2dc. in same place, 1dc. in 14dc., 3dc. in last st., 1dc. in each row end, 3dc. in bottom point, 1dc. in each row end to top of flag 1dc. in same place as 1^st 2dc., ss. to join in 1^st dc. Fasten off.

Fringe

Cut 6 x 6inch lengths of yarn fold in half and with wrong side of your flag facing put hook through the bottom point stitch, pull the folded end through, pick up the loose ends with the hook and pull through the loop. trim ends to tidy.

Joining

I have worked a length of chain and spaced the flags along it as I worked the chain by catching the top corners with a dc. or treble.

beg.	beginning
ch.	chain
dc.	double crochet
rep.	repeat
sp.	space
ss.	slip stitch
st.	stitches

I hope that you enjoy this design, I would love to see any bunting that you make from it to put on my Pinterest account.

Many Thanks,

Alison xxx

Hobbycraft Show at Birmingham NEC

Hello,

My husband and I have had a fantastic weekend at the Hobbycraft show at Birmingham NEC. Thank you for all the wonderful comments about our products and patterns.  We never expected to be quite so busy.

I really enjoy meeting new customers and having a chat about crochet although we had a few laughs about 'no knitting here' comments from my husband.

Thank you to all the returning ladies we love to have your feedback about our designs.

This was our stand once we had just set up...

The most popular patterns over the weekend seem to be Princess Blueberry and George..

Princess Blueberry

George on Etsy

Really looking forward to the next big show in March, Sewing for Pleasure.

Alison x

Winter is coming

Hello,

I have just been selecting colours for the winter blanket. I wanted this blanket to feel bright, crisp and cold.  I am still using the Parchment as the main colour in each seasons blanket.

I had a picture from Hardwick Park, Stockton taking two years ago and then chose the colours based on the photograph.

Alison x