Month: May 2017

A case of crocheted baskets

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A selection of crocheted baskets

We all need more crocheted baskets

You know how it is. There are always odds and ends around when you’ve a craft project on the go. And when you’re crocheting multi-coloured granny squares, those little balls of wool all need keeping in some order. It was when I was about to teach a crochet class the other day that I decided to take matters in hand. I thought I’d quickly rustle up some little baskets to take with me.

As I’ve always lots of spare balls of wool around, I had a good choice of yarn, and once I started, it was baskets all the way.

Small and sweet

First I picked some merino style DK yarn in pinky-mauve, and a 3.5mm hook, and worked a circle in double crochet for the base. I started with 6 stitches, and to keep the circle flat, just increased 6 stitches on each round. When the base was big enough, I worked a round in the back loop, then just continued in double crochet to the required height. I finished with a round of double crochet in a dark pinky purple.

I loved the outcome and still had some of the yarn left over, so made another. This time, halfway up the side I worked a round in the contrast colour, then a row into the back loops. I again finished with the contrast at the top.

Now I had two brilliant little crocheted baskets for my lovely contact cards – so pretty, don’t you think?

Two little crochet baskets

Good things come in threes

Next I picked up a ball of tweedy flecked chunky yarn. This time I just worked in the single colour. From the one ball, I managed to make three matching crocheted baskets of different sizes. These were perfect for holding the little balls of wool I was using for my granny squares at the crochet classes.

Three tweedy crocheted baskets holding wool and crochet hooks

String thing

On a recent shopping trip I discovered some sweet little balls of coloured string, so I snapped up some – in pink and blue.

The blue, I decided, would be interesting to make a small container from. Although it’s slightly tough to manipulate, it crochets up to provide an interesting, stiff texture. Because of this, I included a row of  trebles  in every other stitch separated by a couple of chain stitches. I then simply worked a row of double crochet above, with a double crochet in each treble and one in each two chain space. Here’s the effect…

Little string crocheted basket

Big and beautiful

I wasn’t finished yet! Two more balls of super chunky yarn – one teal, one fawn – seemed perfect. They crocheted up so quickly. The teal one I completed in double crochet, the largest of the baskets.

Large teal crocheted basket Finally, for the fawn one, in included a couple of rows of trebles, to create texture.

Fawn crocheted basket with treble detailThe baskets worked a treat at the crochet classes, and I think I’m going to have to run a crochet basket workshop soon, as everyone wanted to make one.

A crochet class with three people at a table

I love the way all the baskets turned out, but think I’d better stop now, otherwise I’ll have to find a container to keep all my crocheted baskets in!

 

Springtime floral squares and flowers

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Springtime floral squares – the inspiration

It’s springtime and time for some more floral inspiration. So, pale pInks and pastels, bright yellows and blues? Surprise – I’ve decided on a different spectrum this year. I love  the texture of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for crochet projects – so soft and light, and easy to hook, even if it’s not the cheapest yarn on the block. Quite often, I’ll pop along to my local wool shop Nest and pick out a few shades to get some inspiration.

This time I chose five colours – Kingfisher, Coral, Primrose, Lipstick and Duck Egg.

FIve shades of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Once out on the kitchen table they shouted out to me ‘flowers’! Maybe it was something to do with the fact that I’d just potted up some bedding plants in my window box and was surrounded by fresh looking greenery.

However, although I was sure the floral motif would crop up somewhere in this project, I was also keen to work up some granny squares. It’s been a while since I’ve crocheted any. There’s something so satisfying about crocheting granny squares. For a start they’re so portable – even on a short bus journey, there’s time to hook a round or two. And they’re a lovely way to experiment with combining colours.

Pile of floral granny squares

For this project, I decided to start my granny squares with a few circular rounds in the middle. I thought it gave a nod to the floral theme. I’d then add in a few little flowers, to see where inspiration took me… (By the way, this dressing table mat was embroidered last century by my grandmother – hope you like it. There’ll be more of her work featured on the site in the future.)

Little crochet flowers

The colours work really well together. But instead of using them in a completely random order, I decided on a few ‘rules’ to hold the project together.

The squares would have 6 rounds, and whichever colour I started with would also be the colour in round 4. The colour in the second round would also be the colour in round 6. I kept the Lipstick pink for round 3 in a couple of the colourways, and also made that shade the main petal colour in the little flowers. And I put primrose in each of the colourways, and as the middle round of the little flowers.

After making a mound of squares and flowers I decided that I’d use the little flowers as the joining motifs in the corners where squares meet.

Four colourways

My first two colourways were:

Kingfisher:

Floral square kingfisher colourway

Round 1 duck egg, Round 2 dark green, Round 3 lipstick, Round 4 duck egg, Round 5 primrose and outer edge kingfisher.

Coral:

Coral floral square colourway

Round 1 primrose, Round 2 coral, Round 3 duck egg, Round 4 primrose, Round 5 kingfisher, outer edge coral.

Duck Egg:

Floral square in duck egg colourway

Round 1 kingfisher, Round 2 duck egg, Round 3 lipstick, Round 4 kingfisher, Round 5 primrose, outer edge duck egg.

I loved the first three colourways so much, I popped back to the shop to buy an extra shade – Flame, and worked up another one.

Flame:

Floral granny square in flame colourway

Round 1 primrose, Round 2 flame, Round 3 kingfisher, Round 4 primrose, Round 5 duck egg, outer edge flame.

Now I’m busy working up a pile of squares and flowers before I decide exactly what to make with them. I’ve used them to head up this website already, as you can see at the top of the page, but can’t wait to combine them into a project.

Piles of floral squares

I’ve put the pattern for the squares and flowers here

I’m still busy crocheting, but, as I said, I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to turn them all into.

Any ideas anyone?

Floral squares and little flowers