PATTERNS and SPECIAL OFFERS

Time for offerings...

Love to crochet hats? headbands? wristbands? scarves? .... yes?

WHERE'S THE PAGE?

I'm sorry...  so sorry...

If you recently visited my website via a link from this blog or other site and you found yourself on the wrong page - and wondered WTF?

STRIPES ARE US!

Mourning stripes..

Early last week, in the very early hours of the day, whilst attempting to update my website, my laptop expired.

Various attempts at revival failed dismally with the annoying beeping sounds bellowing from the black screen.

With despair and disbelief, I reluctantly accepted the inevitable - a trip to the local "fix it" place.  A mere two hours later and the bad news hailed - the motherboard - "she is kaput" - and considering the age of the laptop (44 months) plus the cost of labour, advice was that I be better to replace it with a new laptop!

Basically I was NOT happy! 

All my docs where retrieved and downloaded onto my external hard drive and 24hrs later I took possession of the remains.

To console myself, what else could I do but crochet, and inbetween I had to spend time getting up to speed with my husband's laptop, with all it's bells and whistles, and Windows 7.  Nothing like getting taken out of my comfort zone, having to download software I had become dependent on and familiar with, and having to share a laptop. OMG !

Simple pleasures!

So with all the technological stuff going on I really needed an escape into a  simple creative project and I found myself creating a simple stripes pattern which can be used in a number of ways.

Firstly, I will introduce you to the Crochet Hat "Simple Stripes" 

It is the perfect sun hat - bucket style with alternating colours and varying stripe widths. Absolutely simple and all you need is a knowledge of colour change.

PATTERN DETAILS:
Basic stitches are single, half double and reverse crochet.  
YARN:  King Cole "Bamboo Cotton" 
HOOK: 4.5mm 

SIZE:  The hat will fit 45.5cm (18in) to 50.8cm (20in) head circumference.  
TERMINOLOGY: Pattern is written in US crochet terms.

Included is the "Flower Brooch" pattern and an adjustable drawstring for the perfect fit.  
This pattern can be adapted to other yarns.

Secondly, is the Crochet Hat "Persimmon Stripes"

A simple crochet hat pattern with a turn-up brim and Perfect Heart Brooch and featuring the alternating colours and varying stripe widths.

PATTERN DETAILS:
YARN: Rowan "Belle Organic DK"
HOOK: 4.5mm
SIZES: The hat will fit 44.5cm (17.5in) to 48cm (19in) head circumference.
TERMINOLOGY: Pattern is written in US crochet terms.

Included is the "Perfect Heart Brooch" pattern.
This pattern can be adapted to other yarns.

Thirdly,  to cater for the little boys in our lives Crochet Hat "Bucket Stripes"

It is the brother of Crochet Hat "Simple Stripes" -  the perfect bucket sun hat for your little man, with alternating colours and varying stripe widths.

PATTERN DETAILS:

YARN: Bendigo Cotton 8ply
HOOK: 4.5mm
TERMINLOGY: Pattern is written in US crochet terms.

Included is a "Starfish Motif" pattern and an adjustable drawstring for the perfect fit.

This pattern can be adapted to other yarns.

Optimism reins!

So, there you have it... whilst one door had closed (laptop dying), another door had opened (a flurry of crochet hat patterns) now on with the not so interesting stuff, proof-reading the pattern and checking, checking, and re-checking. Ho Hum!

Ciao! Ciao!

Celebrations Over

Time to gather my thoughts

The Easter long weekend now seems so long ago, and the "big day" the Royal Wedding is now past history, and I am happy to report WE MANAGED TO CELEBRATE THE WEDDING IN STYLE.

Celebrating the Royal Wedding - William and Kate

It is now time to get back to some serious crocheting before the next big calendar event, which will be the end of May and the arrival of my daughter from Australia woo hoo! I am so excited, to the point of distraction. It's a real effort to focus on new crochet designs right now, so many other things to get ready and to do.

New Crochet Hat Pattern

However, with all this extra-curricular activity I still managed to design another crochet sun hat, have a look.

The pattern is called "Crochet Hat SAILS" and is available from my RAVELRY store.

It is one of my favourite texture patterns, it looks like sails on the water or on the other hand it can also look like two-tone triangular leaves.

However you view this crochet stitch, it is definitely an interesting little textured pattern. PATTERN NOTE: This pattern requires patience, and would suit those with intermediate crochet skills.

Crochet Covers for Wedges

In the meantime, I have also been crocheting covers for my two foam wedges which I use to help support my lower back, especially good to use in the car, and a must when I am crocheting.

I used three strands of yarn for the cover mainly for strength and thickness.

Aran Wool Blend in navy blue, a tan coloured 3ply and a multi-coloured blue 3ply yarn. Using up my stash yarns,  and crocheting with a 5mm hook to achieve a compact  fabric.  Especially since it will be sat on quite a bit!  LOL

The first cover is finished and already in the car, and I am now working my way through the second wedge cover,  which will be made with Cream Aran yarn instead of the blue and I will continue using the tan and multi-coloured blue (both these yarns are on cones).

Crochet Coffee Cozy

I am also in the final stages of crocheting a coffee cozy to fit a Bodum Coffee Plunger - slightly tricky it's for a friend and my coffee plunger is not the same size or style.

Here's a photo of "WIP" and I am hoping the colours will match her kitchen.

The yarn is Sirdar CROFTER DK "Fair Isle Effect" which of course when crocheted results in a totally different pattern to when knitted, also I used two strands held together for extra thickness, and using a 5mm hook for compact texture.

Crochet Flower Brooch

This week's "quickie" crochet project - my flower brooch for the jacket which I wore for the Royal Wedding celebrations.

The centre of flower crocheted with two strands: one strand of Sirdar Snuggly "Baby Bamboo" a blend of 80% bamboo and 20% wool PLUS  one strand of cotton with gold metallic thread, for a hint of glitter.

Petals of the flower crocheted with Sirdar "Just Bamboo" 100% bamboo and using a 3.5mm hook for some rigidity, because the bamboo yarn is very soft and floppy.  The outer edge petals and the inner petals also edged in cotton and gold metallic single crochet for some sparkling contrast.

This flower pattern is available with my GREEN SHRIMP Hat Pattern, you can find it in my online stores. 

ETSY            RAVELRY

So for now, that is it, I am furiously ploughing through the foam wedge cover and enjoying the spring weather.  

Enjoy!
Ciao, ciao!

Copyright © 2008

Barbara Summers Hand Knit and Crochet.

All rights reserved.

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