Sweet Nothings Crochet: May 2014

MARCH MADNESS

After the frenzy of February and the Ravellenic Games, I thought I’d have a nice and calm March.. haha

Well, I could’ve kept it calm, but then what’s the fun in that? Right!

So we continued into March.. or marched into madness ?? And I will confess that when the design bug bites me, I do get a bit mad.. and while that was not confined to this month of March, it does sound .. Interesting.. and alliterations, I do love them (and talking like Yoda?)!

The Ravellenics Games went on into the first week of March – so some of my projects from the games are featured here.

One of the interesting games (challenges) during our RavGames was to complete something that you’d started and forgotten. Usually, I pride myself in not putting anything off and ensuring that I finish it, else unravel it and use that yarn for something else. While clearing my stash, I found a cowl I’d started on, pattern halfway written, and then forgotten. I can’t quite remember why this happened.... guess it did so I had something to qualify in this challenge as well

So I completed the Textured Cowl I’d started and got this tested just after the Games.

Thank you for joining me.

In case you have just joined me, know that you can access all of my earlier creations by checking under ‘categories’ on the right hand side of this blog under “Labels”. Then, for your convenience, follow me here or on Facebook, You Tube, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

Check out all my social media handles at the bottom of this blog

Oh, and may I add that the fastest way to find any of my blogs is via Pinterest.

All my blogs can be printed. Find the printer friendly (green) link at the bottom of this blog. You can also hit Control P (or Command P for Mac) on your keyboard, and the blog will go directly to the connected printer.

Remember that you only print if absolutely essential. Save paper – Save Our Earth.

Do remember to add my blog URL when you make and show off your creation.

Just copy the link on the search bar above - that's the blog URL.

To purchase this or similar yarn online, click here to buy your yarns online via Amazon. While you will still pay the same, I may get paid by Amazon as well.

This is a free blog - so do pay it forward for me. Cheers.

Materials used : Today I’ve used a combination of our lovely Indian acrylic yarns with a 3.0 mm crochet hook

For Indians : You could use Anchor or Red rose knitting cotton as well

International yarns : I have used a regular knitting cotton that technically uses a 2 – 2.5 mm crochet hook (recommended). I use a larger hook as I like the extra stretch it affords the end product. Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.

Easy Textured Cowl

The Textured Cowl is a really easy-peasy cowl that uses a new stitch (well, new for beginners), and then there’s a surface texturing that’s done to give it the bulky look. It’s a really easy project that can be made in any size, with any yarn and completed really quickly.

Check out my Easy Textured Cowl from my Ravelry store at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-textured-cowl-3

or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/easy-textured-cowl/97759

Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, paid pattern for a warm textured cowl,

Aasaan Wrap

Once the Rav Games were done, (and we were .. or I was.. waiting to see the results of the Games, and how they awarded medals .. hoping that the nights I’d stayed up to ensure I was “on the boards first” would pay.. well, I did say I was highly competitive, didn’t I?). It wasn’t long before the moderators managed to compile the long long long list of entries and award the medals. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of work that must have gone in to get this done! Kudos to the moderators and especially to the Computer geniuses who thought this through!

I then thought of doing something simple. Many scarves, wraps are designed with a border, and many times, the body of the wrap is done in one piece, and the border is then attached on separately or done as a finishing procedure. I decided to work on something simple that would make the wrap and the border all in one go.. and ta-da, here is my Aasaan Wrap.

Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, paid tested pattern for a wonderful triangular wrap,

The pattern for my Aasaan Wrap is available in my Ravelry Store at at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aasaan-wrap

or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/aasaan-wrap/90551

The word Aasaan in Hindi means ‘Simple’, and I’ve tried to keep this wrap as simple as possible. There are some complicated procedures involved (or shall I say, ‘new ways to do something simple’?) but it’s an easy repeat, and the wrap can be made quickly.

As with many of my other patterns, this one too can be done with any yarn, and gauge is not critical, which means that it can be of any size as desired by you. This pattern too has been tested.

The pattern instructions have been written using U.S terminology, and comes with a chart as well as some photos to show the detail of the stitch and border(s).

Dahlia Wrap

In January this year, we’d visited Raichak (West Bengal) for a batch-mate get together of my husband’s college group, and it was the perfect time of the year for the gardens and flowers to be in full bloom. I saw one really beautifully manicured garden and a superb array of flowers that I’d not seen in a long time. I was so in awe that the gardener(s) immediately took me on a good long tour of the lovely gardens, and showed me their vegetable produce as well. The owners were not in, and only visit during weekends. The dahlias that I saw there had me stumped, and on my return, I worked hard to try and recreate God’s beautiful creation.

My humble re-creation is the Dahlia Wrap.

This pattern too has been written using U.S terminology, and comes with a chart as well as photos .

You can download this pattern from my Ravelry Store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dahlia-wrap

or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/dahlia-wrap/90555

Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, paid tested pattern for a superb around the shoulders wrap

Helical Scarf

My final pattern and design for March was my Helical Scarf.

This creation has been inspired partly by the placket on a kurti (short top) I’d seen, and partly by The Big Bang Theory and the helical DNA that is in the background of the apartment used by the great Sheldon and Leonard!

This pattern too has been tested and the creations my testers created are superb.

The free pattern for my Helical Scarf is available on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/helical-scarf

or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/helical-scarf/90817

Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern free blog, free pattern for a scarf, neck kerchief,

While some of the patterns on this blog have been paid ones, they are all tested and well worth it. Do hang around and check out all the free crochet patterns as well.

Enjoyed this ?? I sure did.. Come back right here for more freebie patterns

Remember to share this blog post when you share your photos with me on Facebook. I’d love to feature your photos on my FB page. Cheers.

If you're visiting me here for the first time, and have liked the experience, do add me to your mailing list (for your convenience) , and all my future free patterns will come straight to your mail box.

Friday, 23 May 2014

MARCH MADNESS