Thursday, 15 May 2014

FUN ' N FRENZY IN FEBRUARY

FUN ' N FRENZY IN FEBRUARY

February saw the Winter Olympics come to Sochi and on Ravelry too we had our own version of the Olympic Games.  We had the Ravellenic Games 2014!

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Materials used : Today I’ve used Vardhaman as well as Oswal acrylic yarns, with a 3 mm crochet hook ; embroidery needle sewing needle ; fabric glue to seal ends ; crochet stitch markers 

For Indians You could use Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns  ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.
You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
     
International yarns :  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 , Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.

The Ravellenic Games are, (I’m told) , an usual event – and every time there’s an International Game or event, we, on the Ravelry are treated to ‘our own creative and crafty’ version of it – thanks to the creative and geeky blokes who have set this super group up.

So for a quick look at what categories the Ravellenics Games 2014 had, do visit http://www.ravelry.com/groups/ravellenic-winter-games-2014.

This was my first event.. and my first ‘games’ on Ravelry, and as usual, I entered with full gusto.  I joined the Happy Hookers Hangout team, and decided to not just enter as many ‘events’ as I could, but also design new patterns for as many events as I could 
Night and day became one, as the mind worked faster than the fingers could.. and my (now tatty) handy little note pad was my constant companion!

I designed a cute little headband – that looks superb in two colours, but works in single colour too.  It’s a quick project that uses a lovely stitch that looks like little ‘berries’ – so was born my “Very Berry Headband”.  This was also one of the first projects that I actually put up for sale at a friend’s daughter’s school gala – and she was sad that I could only give her a few pieces (frankly, I did not think she’d manage to sell any!

Not doubting her ‘sale’ skills or my super (ahem) craft skills.. jus saying) 

So my cute little headband is available in my Ravelry store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-berry-headband 
called My Berry Headband

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mug hug, paid pattern for a lovely headband,

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mug hug, paid pattern for a lovely headband,


Valentines Day Mug Hug 
February and Valentines day.. super time for crochet and craft.. make something really ‘nice’ and ‘special’ just for that special someone, right?
Now everyone loves a hot mug of beverage.. and a ‘mug hug’ is the ideal gift that can be whipped up really quickly, and is oh, so cute.
To add the ‘Valentine’s day cheer’ to it, I designed a mug hug that had tiny little hearts in it, and I made mine red n white 
Oh yes, the mug hug also qualified for an event in the Ravellenic Games and won me a ‘medal’ too 

So my Valentines Day Mug Hug is available in my Ravelry store at  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/for-my-love-mug-hug

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mug hug, paid pattern for a mug cover

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mug hug, paid pattern for a mug cover


Star Spangled Mobile Pouch
Yet another quick gift for Valentine’s Day (or a ‘no reason, no occasion day’?) is a mobile pouch.   I’ve designed several already, and then thought of one using the star stitch.. so here is my Star Spangled Mobile Pouch for you at my Ravelry store at 
 

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mobile pouch

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mobile pouch

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mobile pouch

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a mobile pouch

Havai Jahaj Secure Bag
During my last trip abroad, I found it extremely tedious to take out all my neatly packed toiletries and then ‘re-assemble’ them into the ‘given zip-lock pouches’ for security screening at the airport.  Now I am totally FOR the hard work that goes into the screening procedures and the care taken to protect the general public in every way, so rather than complain about it, I thought I’d ‘use’ this as a chance to design something new.. and LO!  My Havai Jahaj Secure Bag.

“Havai Jahaj” is the word for ‘aeroplane’ in Hindi.  
This is a simple pouch that I just jazzed up using two colours, but it is easily made in one colour as well.  The top is pulled shut with a ‘rope’ made from the same yarn as the bag, so there are no ‘metal parts’ to go a-beeping and troubling the screening process.  You can make separate bags to fit individual little zip-lock bags, or you can have one large bag into which you put in all your little zip lock bags.  This pattern is easily adaptable and information for sizing is given in the pattern.  

Get my pattern in my Ravelry store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/havai-jahaj-secure-bag  



Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid tested crochet pattern for a travel pouch,


Easy & Comfy shoes
During a recent trip to Australia, a dear friend Pat was wearing these really comfy looking shoes at home.. and as they were obviously hand-made, it peeked my curiosity.  Mary told me that her aunt had made these for Pat, but sadly she was no more and she wondered where she’d manage to get these for Pat now.  
Needless to say, I offered to try and make them in crochet.  She mentioned her aunt did these in ‘tri-cot’.. and I had no clue what that was!  So Mary gave me an old, well-worn pair and on my return home, I unraveled the shoe to figure out the stitch pattern.. sadly, it was difficult as the yarn had worn thin.. and felted.. and well, I couldn’t. But I figured out what ‘tri-cot’ was ! 

So I thought I’d make some shoes for dear Pat and thanks to him, I designed three pairs of shoes – all of which fit him and he’s thrilled 

The ones that were tested in February during the Ravellenic Games though were the Easy & Comfy shoes.  These shoes are easily made by even a beginner level crocheter as there are very simple stitches involved and there’s a photo tutorial along with the written pattern.

As with all my patterns, this one too uses U.S terminology.  

Get this pattern in my Ravelry store at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy--comfy-shoes

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid crochet pattern for a warm pair of easy fit slip-on shoes,

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid crochet pattern for a warm pair of easy fit slip-on shoes,

Sweet Nothings Crochet  pattern blog, paid crochet pattern for a warm pair of easy fit shoes,


Shankh Necklace
The Ravellenic Games had a category for Jewellery.  I thought of making a pair of ear-rings.. fast and quick.. and then thought that especially during the ‘games’, the availability of items needed to make an ear ring would deter a tester to try and work on this test.. and the idea of designing an item specially for the Games would then be lost.  
As I mulled over what I could make, I chanced upon a cute little conch shell (or the tiny ‘shankh’ as we call shell in Hindi.).  I thought it’d be lovely if I could figure a way to ‘string along a few shells’.. and so I ‘made’ a tiny shell with crochet, and with simple chains to hold these little shells together, I designed my Shankh Necklace

As with most of my designs, though I made a certain size, I have given information on the pattern sheet for increase and decreases, so that this pattern too is pretty versatile.. or should I say  pretty and versatile? 

The Shankh necklace was tested during the Ravellenic Games as well.
Get this free pattern in my Ravelry store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shankh-necklace
 
Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for a necklace,

Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for a necklace,


Checkered fingerless gloves 
The fingerless mitts are my favourite gloves.  In January, I’d designed a scarf and hat for a friend using the ‘checkered’ pattern or the ‘hounds-tooth’ pattern.  

As I’d said there too, I don’t like the idea of a ‘hounds tooth’ around my neck or  head, and had called that pattern ‘Holding hands scarf n hat’  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/holding-hands-scarf-3

So I thought I’d design a set of gloves to match and complete that set. 
My checkered fingerless gloves or mitts is an easy pattern, even for beginners.

Get this free pattern in my Ravelry store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/checkered-fingerless-mitts


Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for finger less gloves,

Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for finger less gloves,

Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for finger less gloves,

Sweet Nothings Crochet free pattern blog, free crochet pattern for finger less gloves,


Of course our Ravellenic Games also included scarves and shawls.. and as I love designing those, I had four of them up. 

Once again, using the extremely beautiful Star stitch, I designed the diagonal star studded scarf that I aptly called Sitaren which means *stars* in Hindi. 
As with my other patterns, this pattern has been tested, and is written in U.S terminology. It comes with a photo tutorial as well.

Get the Sitaren Scarf pattern in my Ravelry store at  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sitaren-scarf   

Double Crossed Möbius and the Crossed Over Möbius Cowl
The Möbius is a fascinating thing.. just a simple ‘different’ attachment and you end up with an ‘unending circle’.  How beautiful is that?  It has fascinated me.. and it took me a long time to figure out a pattern to make this just right. 
My  
Double Crossed Möbius and the Crossed Over Möbius Cowl make me smile 

I’m really proud of this achievement too – as with the medal this one got me during the Ravellenic Games.

My testers who helped test this also said that they have received a lot of praise when they wore their creations.. so big smiley faces all around 

Get this pattern in my Ravelry store at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crossed-over-mobius-cowl 


Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, gorgeous pattern for a mobius cowl, unending cowl pattern,


Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, gorgeous pattern for a mobius cowl, unending cowl pattern,

Sweet Nothings Crochet pattern blog, gorgeous pattern for a mobius cowl, unending cowl pattern,

Daisy kerchief
My final pattern for February, which was also tested during the Games, was inspired by my old love rom com “You’ve got mail” 
The movie has two of my favourite actors – Tom Hanks looks gorgeous and young.. and  they make such a wonderfully romantic couple.  Towards the end, when Meg Ryan falls ill, Tom Hanks visits her with a bouquet of daisies – her favourite flower.  There’s just something so calming and pretty about the daisies.. so unassuming and yet so beautiful.  I used the picture of these flowers as well as the ‘lazy daisy stitch’ in embroidery to design my Daisy kerchief.

Get this gorgeous pattern in my Ravelry store at  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daisy-kerchief

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

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


Have a good day too.  

While some of the patterns on this blog are paid patterns, do stay and visit a while - as there are so many gorgeous creations here that are all free.

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Have a great day and see you soon. 

Here are some of my other miscellaneous home use patterns you may like to look at 
































































































































































































































































































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