Crochet A Long Yarn Packs

I have yarn packs available for the March crochet a long on Etsy.

They cost £11.90 each plus postage  £3.30

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/265664647/crochet-a-long-packs-of-stylecraft?ref=shop_home_active_1

If you would like different colours please let me know and I can vary the packs for the same price.

Thanks
Alison x

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

First week of New Years Resolution

Here we go this is my first weeks blog as I promised

I thought that today I would give you some pictures of two of my presents from my Birthday and Christmas



The beautiful box from a friend was full of the lovely books, tape measure, button drawing pins and pen all matching

The bottom right picture is a year calendar desk planner from my daughter, her idea was when I think of something to write as a blog to put it in the planner,  I have quite a few weeks planned out already I just need to set the time aside to get on with the crochet typing up first though.


Todays plan is to give you all a free flower pattern so here it is....





January Flower

 Materials Required

Oddments of Double Knitting yarn

4.00 hook

Measurement

Approx. 6cms

1. 2ch., 12dc. in 2nd ch. from hook, ss. to join in 1st dc.   (12dc)
2. 4ch., 1tr. in next st., * 1ch., 1tr. in next st., rep. from * ending ,  1ch., ss. into 3rd ch. at beginning.   (12tr. and 12 x 1ch. spaces)
3. Ss. into 1st ch. sp., 1ch., * 1dc. in same sp., 7tr. in next space, rep. from * ending , ss. in 1st dc.

Fasten off.

This design is in UK  terminology 

ch.	chain
dc.	double crochet
rep.	repeat
sp.	space
ss.	slip stitch
st.	stitches
tr.	treble

Hope that you enjoy this pattern.  If you prefer a PDF version you can download from ravelry.

Happy Crocheting

From Alison

New Years resolution

Happy New Year everyone we wish you all the best for 2016

Did you make a New Years resolution ? Have you broken it yet?

Mine is to keep up with the blog I was a bit lax before Christmas, I hope to bring you updates at least every 2 weeks holidays permitting, we were not going to have so many this year but have 2 short breaks booked already oops!!

We are having a very dismal day today, it is raining and dark, I just feel like turning up the heating and crocheting all day, but jobs must be done and I have a pile of ironing, yuk!!!

I have been busy today preparing for a workshop that I am doing for our local lace guild on Saturday, the workshop does not take too long to prepare but we are very lucky because they ask us to bring the shop as well and that does take some putting together because it's stored all over our house, under beds and in cupboards, it's everywhere. 

Hairpin crochet flowers added to scarves, these are samples for the workshop

Another of the things that I am hoping to do this year is to design a flower every month and add it to my free patterns on Ravelry look out next week for the first one.

I have no idea how many people follow this blog could you please drop a comment to say hi and where you live, thank you.

Cheers Alison

December 2015

Merry Christmas

It's been a busy December for me with a weekend away, my birthday and visiting my Grandsons school to watch the Nativity, to mention just a few things.....

We had a lovely weekend in Chester although there was lots of rain we still managed to visit the Christmas market and take lots of photographs.

I did get some time to crochet

This blanket pattern will be available soon.

I had lovely birthday with lots of presents, Fimo, a beautiful new iPad and crochet and cookery books.

We also had a day out visiting my Aunt in Knaresborough then going to Fountains Abbey where the mist was drifting across the Abbey.

Here is my very first try at making a Fimo hook handle

It's not the best it's really a bit bumpy but I am hoping that I will get better with more practise.

Christmas Day was magical and spent with my family, the children had lots of toys which became trip hazards, the youngest is Oliver who has autism he loves to line things up so we are unable to move them 

Here are a few of his most important toys

Planets through the dining room 

Shapes on the table

And houses in the lounge this seems to be our road...... Not to mention the train track all over as well.

We all wish you a Happy New Year in 2016 and happy crocheting....