Meet The Maker: Maura from The Messy Brunette

As you will know if you are a regular reader, I love a bit of crochet. When the image of today's featured item landed in my inbox, I couldn't help but smile. I love the way the colours work together and how they are so bright and cheerful in a calm kind of way. This lovely crocheted blanket was made by Maura from The Messy Brunette.

Meet The Maker: Lea of Cosmic Crochet

What is not to love about this handmade 'Pug Rug?' I couldn't wait to show you this one. Today we meet Lea of Cosmic Crochet by Lea who is the creator of this totally cool handmade item!

Meet the Maker: Alison of Ali Crafts Designs

The ICHF craft shows are fast approaching and I can't keep off their site, checking out exhibitors and thinking about what goodies I will find that weekend (19th - 22nd March at the NEC in Birmingham in case you were wondering). I am most excited about being inspired by some of the lovely crafty people who will be there on hand running workshops, offering up craft supplies and just being downright, well, inspiring! 

I thought I'd give you a little taster of some of the talent and I asked some of them to dish the dirt with their own Meet the Maker interview. Today we will be meeting one of the nearly 300 exhibitors and one of their lovely handmade items! 

The Crocheted Wave Blanket

Do you remember about 100 years ago (ok 2 years ago) when I posted about the start of a crocheted wave blanket? I wanted to create something lovely for my second baby and was inspired by the colours of (of all things) some espresso cups that Hubby B had purchased. 

A Crafty 2013 in Summary

Well, the festive season is almost over and most of us have returned to work and our daily routines. For us here in the B household, that is on Monday 6th so our family festivities will continue through till then with lots more snuggling on the sofa, watching telly, playing with new toys, scoffing our way through the copious amounts of chocolates and biscuits left over from Christmas and avoiding taking down the Christmas tree!

As I look at my blank 2014 calendar with a list of things to fill in just 4 days into the year, I have a feeling there will be lots of things to report on in the next 365 days and a lot more projects to put in my craft bag, but not before taking a quick look back over 2013. 

I started the year with intentions of exploring paper crafts with my new (Christmas 2012) Sizzix machine and taking a look at needle felting. Just before the new year, I found out that I was expecting a new addition to the family. Having suffered a miscarriage in 2012, I fell into a nervous 'don't do ANYTHING' trap not made easier by ridiculously horrible pregnancy sickness. The 9 months of sickness saw me not able to concentrate on much else other than childminding two days a week and looking after my first born. I couldn't even face crocheting! This was bad!! So crafting and blogging took a back seat and I once again found myself in a constant crafty daydream. This led to my new project, Crafty B's. 

Baby B number 2 arrived in September and amidst the arrival of a new baby, a 21st birthday, a 30th birthday, a craft fair and a Christmas crafting workshop, a little bit of crafting activity resumed but I was left with very little or no time for blogging or socially networking.

So here's a summary of 2013. January saw the start of 'Meet the Maker' where my readers could meet the person behind one handmade item which was the focus of the post. (Email mrscraftyb@gmail.com to take part in 2014). In February my blog was one year old :-D and this was followed by a bit of Easter crafting with decoupage eggs, cross stitching and hanging eggs that the children made. I also featured my crocheted chicks which serve as cosies for small chocolate eggs (I'm now taking commissions on these. Again, email mrscraftyb@gmail.com). Then there was a cupcake decorating party, a so far failed attempt at an online shop and crochet tutorials, the start of a crocheted ripple blanket (STILL unfinished), we met Mr Bumble, I took a few commissions on infinity scarfs and I hosted Summer Sharing. I made a wedding gift, cheated on a 60th Birthday cake, won business cards (thanks Deeper Insight), took over the organising of a craft fair, held a Crafty B's workshop and got creative with paper pom poms. There was a bit more undocumented crafting here and there and I had a baby (who sort of just appeared by the way) whilst my blog was taken over and then I took a nice break for Christmas and spent uninterrupted time with my best boys! 

I can safely say that 2013 was jam packed but I know that there is loads more to come in 2014. I will continue with childminding in April but only part-time because I will be starting to slowly but surely turn Crafty B's into something bigger and better. I cannot wait.

I guess my first job is to check out my unfinished craft projects! 

I hope you all had a fab Christmas, saw the New Year in with excitement and are ready for 2014!

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Sarah Young of The Creative Physician

Here's a little mash up of Summer Sharing and Meet the Maker! 

This weeks maker fits right in with the summer theme, bringing the outdoors not only indoors but making it super portable in a unique way. Read on to find out more.

Firstly, two very important questions.

Tea or coffee?

Tea, usually black.  Occasionally with milk.  I think my favourite tea is something called Daydreamer by David’s Tea.  If you like tea and you’ve never been to their website, you should.  Just looking at all the different varieties makes me thirsty.

Biscuit or cake?

Definitely cake.  Chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  Definitely not chocolate ice cream though.

So, tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Sarah and I currently live in Houston, Texas where I grew up.  My Etsy shop, The Creative Physician, was started last March but got put on hold due to medical school.  After starting medical school last July, some lingering medical problems resurfaced so now I’m taking some time off from school to get healthy again.  In the meantime, I get to enjoy doing lots of crafts and sharing what I create with others through my shop.

...and what about the item that you are sharing with us?

These Tiny Plant with Macrame Hanger Earrings are more than what I would call complicated, but turned out just the way I wanted.  I’ve always had a thing for miniatures, and plan to explore making miniatures into jewellery even more in the future.  I used those tiny terracotta pots you see, filled them with scenery “dirt” (like the kind used in train sets), and put a tiny little artificial plant in there.  While I considered using a real plant, I decided it wasn’t quite as practical, though I’m sure it’s possible too!  I then used macrame techniques on a small scale to create a plant pot hanger, and viola!  I think these earrings would make a perfect gift for a gardener, nature lover, or lover of tiny things like myself.

How long have you been making jewellery and how did you learn

While I’ve general crafts for as long as I remember,  I really only started making jewellery last year for a silent auction I was in charge of at the University of Texas, which benefited Baylor International Paediatric AIDS Initiative.  I taught myself through books and internet tutorials, as well as experimentation (also known as trial and failure).  I’d really like to continue learning new jewellery techniques and explore unusual materials for jewellery, like what I did with these earrings.  I’d also really love to learn how to crochet, but being left-handed makes it difficult to find left-handed instructional videos!

When did you start The Creative Physician and why?

I started The Creative Physician for the same reason I learned how to make jewellery -- to help fundraise for Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI).  After I re-opened my shop this April, I decided to keep it true to its roots, and now donate a minimum of 50% of all profits to BIPAI.  The remaining profit is reinvested in my shop so that I can continue to share the things I love.  I think donating the majority of my profits helps inspire me to create even better pieces.

What inspires and motivates you?

Other than my desire to raise money for BIPAI, I think people in general inspire me.  Maybe that sounds weird, but any time I’m browsing Etsy or Pinterest, I’m always inspired.  Sometimes I see an item and think there’s a way I could make it, but with my own twist.  That’s what I like to share with the world, my very own perspective through jewellery and other crafts.

Any crafting heroes?

Does Martha Stewart count as a crafting hero?  That’s pretty cliche, right?  It’s not so much her as a crafter anymore, as I know she doesn’t come up with a lot of the ideas anymore.  I admire her more for her combination of craftiness and entrepreneurship.  Every time I buy one of her new tools or products, I’m always impressed by the quality and usefulness.  I love how much she pays attention to the details in everything she puts her name on.

Do you have a crafting space?

My home office, which is primarily for studying during medical school doubles as my craft room. Because I haven’t been in school lately, I’ve been able to work on making it a bit more inspiring than it was before. I finally got myself an inspiration wire, which is fun to play with, and a craft table, which I desperately needed. Now I really feel like I have room to work and leave things out sometimes when I’m still working on it. The only disadvantage is that I share my workspace with our two cats, and well, sometimes when I wake up in the morning I’m greeted by disaster.  Most of it is harmless though and overall I enjoy their company while I’m creating things.

So can we join you in your virtual world?

As a child of the digital age, you can contact me a variety of ways over the Internet:

My Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCreativePhysician

My Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thecreativemd/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCreative_MD

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheCreativePhysician

Polyvore: http://thecreativephysician.polyvore.com/  (I haven’t had too much time to play with this, but if you haven’t tried it before you should.  It’s like Pinterest with magazine collages!)

I’m dying to start a blog, but as of right now it’s totally blank so I’ll hold off on a link to the nothingness.

Finally, some quick fire questions that we are dying to know the answers to.

Favourite colour?

Aqua. Really it started out as turquoise but now it’s really just the lighter shades, like Tiffany blue.

The best season?

Definitely spring. All the color and flowers, and usually here in Texas it isn’t 100 degrees, yet.

Your favourite food?

Birthday cake probably. Not just cake, it has to be about someone’s birthday, especially if it’s my birthday! That came off selfish, but really I just love celebrating birthdays.

The best day of the week?

I’m probably with most people in saying Friday. I love the feeling you get when you finish a long week and have the whole weekend to look forward to.

What is the best word?

I have no idea. According to some website, there are over 1,000,000 English words, so it’s definitely hard to choose.

Favourite place?

If we’re limiting it stateside, I’d have to go with the city of my alma mater, Austin, Texas. If it weren’t for medical school, I probably would have never left. There’s just something about the laidback atmosphere there that I can’t get enough of.

Your biggest achievement? 
Getting into medical school, for sure. Hopefully a few years from now I can come back and say graduating from medical school. That’ll be way more exciting.

Thank you so much Sarah for the insight into your crafty world.

Mrs Crafty B

New Project: Crochet Wave Pattern Blanket

Last week, I posted a picture of a set of bright coloured espresso cups.

I felt that this set of colours really worked together so I raided my yarn stash to find some similar colours and wondered what else I could make to add that splash of colour elsewhere.

As I have baby number 2 on the way and intended to crochet another blanket, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out the wave or ripple pattern I keep seeing around and about and I set to work searching the net and figuring out the pattern that I would use. I then worked a little test piece. Here it is.

I then decided on the order of colours I would use and set to work on my foundation row. As this is worked in rows, it's quite nerve wracking in terms of counting correctly. I used near to 200 chain stitches for my foundation row and working back along it, as I neared the end, I hoped that I had indeed counted correctly and I wasn't short a stitch or would end up with an extra few! Such a perfectionist. Needless to say I was overjoyed to discover I had the right amount of stitches and I set to work on my second row. I had some alone time over the weekend so I manged to get started on my third and fourth row. I'm soon to start the 5th with a third colour and so far I'm happy with the result.

I will keep you posted on this project and if it works out nicely I will upload the pattern for you all to make your own wave crochet blanket.

Happy Crocheting

Mrs Crafty B

Crocheted Jute Basket

You may remember a couple of weekends ago, I posted a picture of some jute twine I purchased.

This was purposely sourced because I wanted to have a go at crocheting a basket. I love the idea of creating a basket for odds and ends in any colour I wanted, in any size, for any space I chose.

Crocheted Plant Pots Covers

Having spent a bit of time in the garden recently and enjoying the fruits of Hubby B's labour, I thought I'd share a bit of a spring time make with you.

Last year, I made a green plant pot 'cozy' or 'cover' to put around the orange plant pot in the picture below. As I had organised a craft fair in September I wanted some quick easy makes for my stall. I made a few more pot covers to fit either 3" plant pots or plastic drinking cups. I had a few cups left over from Baby B's Birthday party and decided they could be recyled as plant pots if I dressed them up with these. Here are a few that I made on the 3" plant pots.

I went for a nautical style with the far one. This was made with a smaller hook and the stitches are quite tight. The top goes right over the edge of the pot so none of it can be seen. The second in from the right stops just below the top of the pot and has a slightly more 'spacy' style. The second from left also goes right over the top of the pot and you can clearly see the pot colour through it. Unlike the green band style cover, the other three go all the way around the pot. The downside being that you wouldn't want to use a pot with holes in it in case it gets wet. But they are fully washable so if they get a bit dirty, its ok.

I am definitely going to make some more of these either to sell at fairs or just to pretty up the house and garden. I'm sure Hubby B will be ever so pleased. I might even jazz them up with some crochet flowers :-). They would also make a great starter project for new crocheters!

Mrs Crafty B

Red Chunky Infinity Scarf

I know Christmas has been and gone and we are looking forward to sun and seaside holidays, but a love of crochet never goes away, even if it is a memoir of another Christmas gift from 2012!

Do you remember the crochet infinity scarves I made in black and grey? Based on these, I was commissioned to make a bright red one. The beauty of these is that I've made made three and they were all different. That's what I love about handmade, the uniqueness. I can guarantee that three people are wearing scarves that no-one else in the world has. Ok, so they aren't wearing them NOW but you know what I mean.

Here are couple of pictures for you. Albeit not great pictures due to dark winter nights and convenient picture taking times.

I will take commissions on these (probably more so in the Autumn he he) and I can personalise them in terms of colour and size. Please do get in touch if you are interested.

Mrs Crafty B

More Crocheted Easter Chicks

You may remember this little guy from a blog post last Easter.

This was my first none stuffed prototype which I left empty to hide a little gift. I made some for family and sent them for Easter gifts and kept this one for Baby B. This one was crocheted using acrylic yarn and so this year I decided to make another one from 4ply cotton yarn. 

Here they are together. Baby B has been playing with them this morning. Can you guess what they are hiding?

 Obviously is was a Cadbury's Creme Egg! It's really hard not to eat the egg whilst using it for a guide!

I hope you enjoy my little chicks :). Perhaps if I start now I'll have a family of them for next year!

Mrs Crafty B

A Guide to Crochet: Casting on with a slip knot

Now you have your yarn and your hook as shown in the introduction, we can take a look at how to cast on using a slip knot. This will form the start of your chain from which your work will grow. Don't worry, we are going to take it one step at a time.

Slip Knot
There are many pictures and videos on the internet which show different ways of doing it. I have provided pictures with the yarn laid out on its own and in context in my hands to demonstrate it in different ways depending on your preference.

Here is the yarn on its own.

And here it is in my hands 

Once you have pulled the yarn through the loop on your finger, pull the yarn tight but not too tight. You will need to pull the hook back through when we start chaining.

Up next, how to make your foundation chain for crocheting in rows.

Mrs Crafty B

A Thank You Blog Post

As I am writing up some blog posts featuring some crochet tutorials, the thought crossed my mind of how to say thank you to someone who helped me out.

Last year I developed a set of crochet instructions based on what I couldn't find on the internet. I wanted to publish these but as I used them alongside demonstrations, I didn't know how use friendly they would be. I asked my Twitter followers if anyone would like to try them out. @VirtualRhia stepped up and offered to look at them as she has just started out in the world of crochet. She offered some great feedback and I really appreciate the time she took.

I hope you like my tutorials Rhia :-)

You can visit Rhia at www.virtual-rhiality.com.

Mrs Crafty B

A Guide to Crochet: Introduction

Welcome to the start of my crochet tutorials!

I hope to provide an easy to follow, step by step guide, trouble shooting difficulties that I know some people have including reading patterns. Let's start with a little intro to your new hobby.

Crochet is the French word for 'hook.' Lots and lots of people enjoy the craft of crochet which is the art of using a single 'crochet hook' and some form of thread, yarn or wire in order to create pieces of work. These might include toys, brooches, clothes and blankets. There is no limit to the uses of crochet and we will delve further into uses later on. Here are a couple of things that I have crocheted. You can see more in this Facebook photo album.

Although crochet is extremely popular today, there is much debate around when and where it started. The first thing to consider is what you need. Aside from my crochet tutorials, you will need some form of yarn and a hook. Hooks come in many different sizes, materials and some are double ended. Here are a few of my hooks.

You can find hooks all over the internet or local haberdashery stores or departments. Here is a link to one such place. Don't rush to buy your hook yet though. First choose your yarn. The size of your yarn will decide what size hook you will need and to make this easy, most yarns will say on the label what size hook is required or recommended. You need to consider what kind of yarn is best for the project you are working on i.e. acrylic, cotton, wool. We will revisit this later. For now, any patterns you are following should state what type of yarn and what size hook you will need. For purposes of these tutorials, I am using a 4ply crochet cotton and a 3mm crochet hook. Here is a link to the cotton that I am using.

So go ahead and get your ball of cotton and hook and I'll see you back here for your first steps to crochet.

Mrs Crafty B

Crafting Daydreams for a Year!

A year ago, I published my first ever blog post. With no idea what I was doing and no view as to where it might take me, 'Crafting a Daydream' was born. I decided to use a pen name, Mrs Crafty B and keep my family as anonymous as possible but share what I could with readers who were interested in my crafty journey as I attempted to stop daydreaming about all of the things I wanted to do and start crafting them.

It seems ironic that a year on I am writing this post having found my self in a state of nowhereness. After spending the last month or so feeling, lets say 'a bit under the weather', crafting has come to a hault and my energy has been spent on my beautiful Baby B, who at 18 months now, is keeping me well and truly on my toes. My days spent as a self employed childminder and a busy mummy and wife have seen me tucked up on the sofa every evening unable to life my arm, click some buttons and join my 'crafty twitterarmy' or update my virtual aquaintences on my projects. For that I am truly sorry but know this...I have more to come.

My blog was intended to be a medium by which I could note down my projects to share with like minded people and find motivation to complete things on my never ending to-do list. For that, it has worked. I regularly converse with lots of crafty people online and become inspired and motivated by their enthusiasm for their passions. I have learnt so much and I am continually entertained by various bloggers. I hasten to add here that not everything I read is about crafts. Mrs Crafty B has many sides *insert winky face*.

In the last year I have completed many projects, started new ones, extended my project list, started a community crafts group, organised (and successfully held, thank god) a charity crafts fair, I have inadvertently helped friends by encouraging them to pick up their crafty tools, I have made new friends, I have been inspired and most of all I have almost filled up my crafty notebook with ideas and designs for future projects.

Life events this year may cause a bit of havoc with my BIG crafty plans but now I am more motivated to give guests in my virtual world something to read that they are interested in. My focus has slightly shifted in that when I started this blogging malarky, it was solely for me. I have been sucked into the world of 'likes, followers and subscribers' and I never thought that come my first bloggy birthday, I would have so many. I will be continuing my 'Meet the Maker' feature on the blog and I hope to introduce a few other new features. Most of all, I want to produce some crafty tutorials of things that I DO know how to do. I hate that I feel cocky instead of confident whilst typing that but there are some crafts that I do well and I have learnt so much from others that I would love to give something back. I hope to start with some easy to follow crochet tutorials so watch this space!

I really hope you feel compelled to stick with me on my journey and spread the word that everyone is welcome to come and craft a daydream with Mrs Crafty B.

Love, tea and cake,

Mrs Crafty B

Craft Projects Galore

Due to a bit of ill health, I have been ever so slightly absent from my virtual world recently. As I snuggle up under the blankets I say to myself 'check in on the twitter world, read some blogs' but it all goes to pot :(

Ok so quickly, whilst I'm here and before I have to pour the last of my energy into Baby B waking up from his nap, I'm going to start a project which will be a featured as a 'book browse'. I'm going to crochet the cushion in Cath Kidston's 'Crochet Book'. I think I am also going to to pick something to make from 'Stitch', because lets face it, you aren't a true crafter without more than one project on the go.

In other news, I still have a cross stitch sampler on my list of projects to do, unfinished knitting and crochet as well as other unfinished bits in the drawer and I have been turning my hand to a bit of 'designing' but these are projects to be shared in good time.

How are your 2013 projects coming along so far?

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Caroline Bradshaw of Caroline Makes it

I am excited about meeting the maker of this lovely bag. Can you guess why? A girl after my own heart. I love a bit of crochet.

I would love to blurb a bit more but this post is all about our next maker. So lets get on with it!

Firstly, two very important questions.

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee and lots of it! With a little milk and sugar.

Biscuit or cake?
Cake!

Tell us a bit about yourself. 
Caroline Bradshaw, happily married to maths teacher hubbie with a beautiful daughter who has just turned four. Originally from Mid-Wales, now living in Dorset. My business is called 'Caroline Makes it', my items are available via http://folksy.com/shops/carolinemakesit and from Sherborne Tapestry Centre. You can keep in touch with me through my blog. My items are either knitted, crocheted or occasionally sewn, I concentrate largely on accessories, hats, scarves, jewellery etc. My life is split between looking after my family, crafting, working part time at Sherborne Tapestry Centre and volunteering one day a week at our local Sue Ryder charity shop.

What about the item that you are sharing with us?
I would like to share with you my latest make, a Granny Square Bag. The design is proving really popular at the moment, with the resurgence in popularity of all things crochet! It has been hand crocheted using a mix of Aran and Chunky weight yarn, in cream and a lovely colourway called 'Irish Rose' by Sirdar. It is currently available from my folksy shop. I love the versatility of the Granny Square design, you are only limited by your own imagination!

What is your craft? 
My main craft at the moment for retail is crochet, I find it works up quickly and produces beautiful textures and finishes, I am also an avid knitter, although I largely knit for family and friends at the moment, but it is not uncommon to find knitted items on my site alongside the crocheted ones. I have recently inherited a beautiful old Singer sewing machine from my grandmother, it dates from 1902, so my next mission is to master that!

How long have you been crafting and how did you learn? 
I have been knitting since a small child, my Grandfather and later my Mother taught me all they knew. It was also my Mother that last Easter (2012) sat me down and showed me the basics of crochet! I took a beginners crochet course at Three Bags Full in Yeovil, run by the wonderful Avril Best from Rowan last September, that took my skill beyond chains and trebles!

When did you start 'Caroline Makes It' and why? 
I started 'Caroline Makes It' September 2012 in response to various positive comments from family and friends who had bought my work.

What inspires and motivates you?
I find inspiration in all sorts of places, I often buy yarn before knowing what exactly I am going to do with it, and see where it leads me! I love trawling through second hand shops for ideas, items I can up-cycle or modify. My motivation comes from my wonderful family and friends that have so much faith in me.

Any crafting heroes?
Crafting heroes is a difficult one, I'm a big fan of Kirstie Allsopp's programmes, although most of my inspiration comes from books. Some of my favourites at the moment are by Erika Knight (I love the crochet designs), Val Pierce (her baby knits are gorgeous) and Tiff Fussell & Rachelle Blondel (their book Granny Chic is my new bible).

What are your plans for 2013 Caroline?
It's set to be an exciting year, there are a few new partnerships and opportunities on the horizon, I am hoping to expand my product line on Folksy and with the items I stock at Sherborne Tapestry Centre. I am interested in developing new jewellery designs, particularly using wire for knitting and crochet.

So, can we join you in your virtual world? 
You can find me in the following virtual places - http://folksy.com/shops/carolinemakesitt . On twitter @carolinemakesit , on pinterest 'Carolinemakesit' , my new blog is at carolinemakesit.blogspot.co.uk , I'm also on ravelry as 'carolinemakesit' and finally on Facebook 'Caroline Makes It' - that's a lot social media, isn't it!

A few quick fire questions for you.

Favourite Colour?
At the moment Red (but could change any time!)

The Best Season? 
Winter (perfect knitting weather)

Your favourite food?
Chocolate chip cookies!

The best day of the week?
Wednesdays

What is the best word?
Serendipity

Favourite place?
Home with a warm cuppa and some yarn!

Your biggest achievement?
Gaining the confidence to put my work out there for public scrutiny

A big thank you to Caroline for sharing one on her lovely items with us. My hands are itching a little bit now...where are those hooks...

Mrs Crafty B

Crochet Catch up

I'm online for the first time in a while catching up on emails etc. I couldn't sign out without a quick blog post to let you all know I'm still here!

Life gets too hectic at times doesn't it? So long as it's all fun things though, I don't mind. This week I've spent lots of time with my little one (although I've been a little under the weather) taking in those moments that count. Like playing in the snow :)

I've also picked up my crochet hooks because I am desperate to share some tutorials. First I must magic time. I occasionally get crochet fingers when I haven't done any for a while. My hands feel like they really need to be doing something and that something is crochet. I made up a few granny squares and sketched a few designs and then turned my attention to Pinterest. My new obsession! Woah. Inspiration galore huh?

Anyway, I must sign off to get a bit of crafting in before I call it a night. I hope you all have a great week.

Mrs Crafty B

Book Browse: 20 to Make Mini Christmas Crochet

For Christmas 2011 Hubby B bought me '20 to Make Mini Christmas Crochet'. At the time, I started a couple of the projects but lost momentum as Christmas had been and gone. I picked up the book again for Christmas 2012 to make a few lovely things. Admittedly it did come out shortly after Baby B's birthday in August.

The general design of these 20 makes are beautiful and allow you to make them your own, with equally good results. I didn't follow the instructions to the letter but I was still happy with the results.

The patterns in this book are easy to read if you are familiar with crochet and the terminology. If you are a beginner you should not be put off. As long of you have a reference book to guide you with the basics of crochet, you will be able to cross reference and use one of the more simple patterns as a starter project.

Most of the makes are great for hanging on the tree with the addition of some ribbon or simply placed on the mantle for everyone to enjoy. Others would make ideal Christmas gifts, stocking fillers or for me, some cute additions for Baby B's advent calendar. You could perhaps add a small keying to some of them to make a key pendant as a gift for a loved one so they can use it all year round.

In conclusion, I would recommended this book for anyone wanting to add a bit of cute crochet to their festive decoration or wishing to craft Christmas gifts regardless of their level of crochet ability. Beginners will benefit from a second book with pictorial instruction of the basics in crochet.

This book can be found here and a few of my 'makes' are pictured below.

Happy Christmas Crocheting!

Mrs Crafty B

Crocheted Infinity Scarf

As previously promised, here are a few pics of my sister modelling the infinity scarves that I made for her and my other sister. One is wider that the other and slightly longer but that is because I did them freehand and not from a pattern.

I have now written the pattern from both and intend to take commissions on these babies, so if you would like a scarf that no-one else has, customised just for you, please get in contact with your preferred colour and I will happily make one for you.

I fully intend to get these up on my site with the crochet heart key pendants but time is not on my side. Maybe I should have used that extra hour we had last weekend a bit more wisely. Eek.

What did you do with your extra hour?

Mrs Crafty B