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...

I've recently been affected by some news I heard through Inside Crochet magazine's Facebook page. A well-known crocheter died, but she didn't die of natural causes. She killed herself. Here's the news as I read it   After years of blogging and writing about how crochet has helped her with her depression it finally became too much for her to bear and she took her own life. She was known as Wink. Here is the link to her blog   A creative being I didn't know her and only knew of her in passing so why am I so affected by this? Well I suffer from depression. I don't make a secret of it but I don't shout it from the rooftops either. I've written about the therapy of crafting before and how crochet really helps me through tough times. I've hooked one of the mandalas that Wink is famous for and it's living in my house to serve as a reminder that I am currently finding my way through. Why has this struck such a chord now? Last year I lost a baby and recen...

I confess I hate itchy wool. Some might say I'm in the wrong business but I say I'm sure there's a way I can change the itchiness. Recently I tried this by following a suggestion on Pinterest. The results were interesting. So I had been given this brilliant wool by my sister. It was super chunky and great for a blanket of some kind, wonderfully colourful but superbly itchy. The suggestion I followed was to loosen the ball of wool, wash it on a delicates wash in a laundry bag and then tumble dry it. I was dubious about the last bit because the ball band said not to tumble dry. However, I was brave and gave it a go on a delicate setting which I'm lucky enough to have on my tumble dryer.   [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3000"] The wool before the treatment and in preperation for the wash[/caption] I followed the instructions to the letter expecting a beautiful fluffy wool to appear by the end. Instead two things happened: the wool di...

I am thrilled to finally share my first design, transcribed into a pattern for free so you budding crocheters can make one too. It's taken longer than I'd wanted in the making and transcribing but simply because life kept me busy. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. My beautiful Merida is a lovely model, whose head measures 52 cms and there's a good amount of stretch in the pattern so could fit larger children or smaller adults if they fancy it. If you wish to make it bigger simply add more flowers. If you wish to have the pattern as a pdf then please email me at wrapthekidsincrochet[at]gmail.com or through my contact or Facebook pages.   [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="2387"] smaller flowers make up most of the hairband[/caption]   Pattern 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 t...

These last couple of months, whilst being fun have been incredibly busy. Not only have I been in an opera for a week's run but I've had a small gig with my a capella group. And it's not over yet. I have another two gigs coming up (these two our main concerts of the year) and I'm directing an opera too! Oh and all this whilst keeping the house in order (which  has gone to the dogs a bit lately)  and remembering to pick up the kids from school (so far so good) oh yes, and growing a baby! I'm having one of those moments that I'm sure a lot of self-employed have of working out the balance between all the threads. My lovely Frank keeps reminding me that it's likely most self-employed people don't have so many different aspects in their life. Most of the people I know do have these aspects. Perhaps I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd? Anyway trying to weave the blanket of my life is a pattern which needs simplifying. But how? I took a degree in Drama and ...