Frank and Josie's House

Here is my latest pattern. Please feel free to use it to create a special touch for a bag or to make several and join together for a blanket or even just the odd coaster! I am attempting to learn how to upload a PDF and as soon as I can I shall do that for all who would like to download the pattern. Also, if you are using a tablet to view this pattern you're best to do so in landscape as the end-of-round pictures are more aligned with the round instructions. Notes : This pattern is worked in rounds. If you like use a round marker (a small piece of alternate coloured wool will do) but I didn't as the end of the rounds seem obvious to me. Also, I've used the British terminology so dc for a double crochet as opposed to sc for single crochet etc. Equipment : Your desired colour of lace-weight yarn 1 skein (although you'll not sue that much!) 2 mm crochet hook Bodkin/yarn needle Abbreviations : ch = chain st = stitch sl st = slip stitch dc = double crochet htr = half treble

Lately I've been working with a lot of patterns that start with a magic circle. Personally I prefer the chain ring method but I was starting to wonder if I'd missed something exciting with how everyone kept going on about it.   So I decided to do a little research and I thought I'd share for the benefit of others. If I'm honest my attempts at the magic ring have been more than a little hit and miss in the past. I thought perhaps I was doing it wrong but having looked into it it seems there is no specific right and wrong way (at least no one has said that) and just preferred methods. I've looked at three different methods: one I found on Ravelry, a method from the Crochet Bible and finally a method detailed in Inside Crochet magazine. I did two rounds as I found the circle always came undone during the second round and have shown pictures of each. Firstly I tried a technique I found here  on Ravelry. The PDF is free and uses pictures to make it easy to understand and

Since I my first chain stitch I have used the same hooks. They have been cheap and I can't even remember the brand! They were nothing special as I just wanted to get going but didn't want to spend a fortune until I'd established if I could actually crochet or was any good. As I've grown more accustomed to my own style and method of crocheting I've learnt that whilst these hooks are perfectly serviceable the markings that show the hook size are right under where my thumb sits. For most sizes and projects this doesn't cause a problem but on chunkier projects I found there was an issue. As I'm using a different kind of pressure for these sizes the indentations in the thumb grip hurt my poor thumb. I tied to find a way around this firstly by crocheting a tube to fit over the hook (shown below).      This was a good short term fix but nothing lasted long. My sister suggested bamboo hooks and gave me a couple to try. They were smoother along the shaft but they cau