Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Showing posts with label crochet motifs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crochet motifs. Show all posts

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Granny Star Pattern

I have always made little embellishments for gift bags and as appliques for blankets or "plain-looking" projects.  

Going through my craft room I came across these very quick and easy to make granny stars made last year (takes longer to sew in the tails than it does to make the stars!)


crochet stars

A print friendly version of this pattern can be found HERE

GRANNY STAR PATTERN

TERMS: 

My patterns are all written in US TERMS

I have made this little conversion chart to make it easy for my UK readers to also follow the pattern


crochet terms conversion chart

YARN:

Raeesah Cotton Soft DK

(This is a matter of choice - as gauge does not really matter here, you could use anything from cotton floss to t-shirt yarn, depending on how you are going to use your stars)

HOOK SIZE:  

4.00mm

(here again use whatever hook you are comfortable with for your choice of yarn)

Foundation:   5ch, sl st into 1st chain to form a circle.


crochet stars

Row 1:  3ch into same place as sl st (counts as 1dc), 2dc into the circle, 3ch;   (3dc into the circle, 3ch) x4;  sl st into the top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn.


crochet stars

Row 2:   Join yarn in any 3ch sp;   3ch (counts as 1dc), 2dc, 3ch, 3dc into same place as join;   (3dc, 3ch, 3dc into next 3ch sp) x4;  sl st into the top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn.


crochet stars

Row 3:  Join yarn in any 3ch sp;   3ch (counts as 1dc), 2dc, 4ch, 3dc into same place as join; 1sc spike into top of "middle" dc on row 1;  (3dc, 4ch, 3dc into next 3ch sp;   1sc spike into top of "middle dc on row 1) x4;   sl st into the top of 3ch at start to close;   break off yarn.


crochet stars


crochet stars


crochet stars

Row 4:  Join yarn in space to the left of any sc spike; 1ch (counts as 1sc) in same sp as join;  1sc in space between next 2dc;   3sc into 4ch sp;   15ch, sl st into top of last sc; 3sc into 4ch sp;  1sc in space between next 2dc;  (1sc into sp before dc spike;   1 picot; 1sc into sp after dc spike;  1sc in space between next 2dc;   3sc into 4ch sp;   1 picot; 3sc into 4ch sp;  1sc in space between next 2dc) x 4;   1 picot, sl st into 1ch at start to close;   break off yarn

Note:   A picot is formed by crocheting 3ch then sl st into the top of the last sc, in exactly the same way as the 15ch loop is made.     The 15ch loop can be replaced with a 3ch picot if you want to use the star for an applique.


crochet stars


crochet stars

Work in ends

Depending on the yarn used and your tension you may need to block your star (a puff of steam and a gentle flattening with palm is usually sufficient)


crochet stars

So cute!

So colourful!

(And a super fun way to use up those teeny tiny bits of yarn!)

(PS:   This pattern was written and "tested" by me, myself and I - so if you find any little bloopers please do not by shy to point them out!)

Monday 12 May 2014

Mood Blanket 2014 - Change of Pace

I last posted progress on my Mood Blanket in mid March (HERE).

I was getting a bit bored with taking photos of the same old squares over and over (and over) and wanted to change the design a bit to indicate the change of season and also to make the project more interesting!

Stripes seemed like a good idea, but a stripe a day would result in a very long blanket!    Two rows a week (in the overall mood for that week) keeps the blanket more or less in line with the size I had planned from the start.

At the end of March there were five blocks short on my last row, and so the first five days of April had to be squares!

My mood rows so far:


crochet mood blanket

Pink = Sociable (6 - 12 April)
Green = Inspired (13 - 19 April)
Yellow = Happy (20 - 26 April)
Orange = Energetic (27 April - 3 May)
Purple = Grateful (4 May - 10 May)

Thursday 8 May 2014

Sunny Flower Coasters: Pattern

Some time ago I made up a little gift for someone special - a mandala and matching coasters.     

crochet mandala

I like to play around with the same basic stitch groupings and designs to see what different effects I can come up with!

The Dahlia centre is an extension of the Sunny Flower which forms the basis of the SUNNY FLOWER MINI MANDALA designed for the Yarndale Yarnbomb! 

I had already written up the pattern for the coasters - but had to wait until after the Yarndale secret was out to publish this!

crochet mandala

Pattern Terms:  US 

 
Yarn:  Raeesah Cotton Soft DK (100% cotton) 
Hook: 4.00mm 
Size:    11cm (4.5 inches)

Skill Level:  Novice

 
Foundation:  4ch,  ss into 1st ch to form circle 

Row 1:  3ch (counts as 1dc);  11 dc into circle;  ss into 3rd ch at start to close (12dc) 


Row 2:  Join yarn into any sp between dc,  3ch (counts as 1dc) 1dc in same space as join (2dc grouping);  *2dc into each sp between dc  (2dc grouping)* *to* to end;   ss into top of 3ch at start to close (24dc)

Row 3:  Join yarn in space between any 2dc groups;  3ch (counts as 1st trc),  2trc into next space as follows - work the first and second parts of the stitch leaving last loop on your hook, into next space work the first and second part of 1 trc leaving the last loop on your hook (four loops on hook).   Yarn over hook and draw through all the loops on your hook to form your cluster;  4ch;  (into same space as last trc, work 1st trc of 4trc cluster;  into next space work 2nd & 3rd tr of 4trc cluster;  into next space work the last st of 4trc cluster, 4ch) x 11 (12 x 4trc clusters made);   sl st into top of first cluster to close.   Break off yarn.

Row 4:    Join yarn in 4 ch space between clusters;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 4dc (5dc grouping), 1ch into same space as join;  *5dc (5dc grouping), 1ch into next 4ch space* *to* 11 x (12 x groupings);  ss into top of 3ch at start to close.

Row 5   ss into any dc;  *1ch, 1ss into top of  next dc*  *to* to end 1ch, ss into ss at start of edging.

NOTE:  

I have provided row by row photos and explanations for the Sunny Flower Mini Mandala HERE

(Rows 1 - 4 are exactly the same!)

Friday 2 May 2014

Starflower Mandala: Row by Row

Two or so weeks back I posted my STARFLOWER MANDALA PATTERN


crochet mandala

The original plan was to provide photos of each row  - but there was such a high demand for the pattern (long weekend = lots of crochet time) - so I decided to go ahead and publish with just the few photos of the first four rows!

Hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people have by now made the Starflower Mandala (the pattern has been viewed some 65 000 times! - and counting!)

YAY!   So exciting to see all the colourful versions of my pattern showing up everywhere!

I thought I would do a row by row breakdown of the pattern anyway - "pattern-speak" can make the mind boggle a bit and a picture always makes it a bit easier to fathom!

My patterns are all written in US TERMS, which could prove a bit confusing if you are used to UK Terms!   I  made this little conversion chart, which I will include in all my patterns from now on, for ease of reference.



My original STARFLOWER MANDALAS were crocheted with Stylecraft Special DK and a 3.50mm hook, giving a finished Mandala of 33 cm in diameter.

crochet mandala

The Starflower Mandala in this post was made with Raeesah Cotton Soft DK and a 4.00mm hook, giving me a finished Mandala of 45cm in diameter.

crochet mandala

Yarn weights are referred to quite differently in various regions, so I thought I would also include this rather useful RAVELRY LINK for Standard Yarn Weights.

Crochet Hook Sizes are also referred to differently - if you need to know which hook to use go and have a look HERE

The photos were taken at various times over the course of a few days -  so there is a bit of variation in the colouring.   

The Starflower Mandala pattern can be found HERE!


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala


crochet mandala

The photo above is a little bit out of focus (I was precariously perched on a wall when taking this photo!)

crochet mandala

crochet mandala

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Sunny Flower Mini Mandala


crochet mandala


Pattern Terms:  US 



Yarn:  Raeesah Cotton Soft DK (100% cotton) 
Hook:  4.00mm 
Size:  18cm (7 inches)

Skill Level: 
Novice



crochet mandala

Foundation:  4ch,  sl st into 1st ch to form circle 

Row 1:  3ch (counts as 1dc);  11 dc into circle;  sl st into 3rd ch at start to close (12dc)


crochet mandala

Row 2:  Join yarn into any sp between dc,  3ch (counts as 1dc) 1dc in same space as join (2dc grouping);  *2dc into each sp between dc  (2dc grouping)* *to* to end;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close (24dc)


crochet mandala

Row 3:  Join yarn in space between any 2dc groups;  3ch (counts as 1st trc),  2trc into next space as follows - work the first and second parts of the stitch leaving last loop on your hook, into next space work the first and second part of 1 trc leaving the last loop on your hook (four loops on hook).   Yarn over hook and draw through all the loops on your hook to form your cluster;  4ch;  (into same space as last trc, work 1st trc of 4trc cluster;  into next space work 2nd & 3rd tr of 4trc cluster;  into next space work the last st of 4trc cluster, 4ch) x 11 (12 x 4trc clusters made);   sl st into top of first cluster to close.   Break off yarn.


crochet mandala


crochet mandala

Row 4:    Join yarn in 4 ch space between clusters;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 4dc (5dc grouping), 1ch into same space as join;  *5dc (5dc grouping), 1ch into next 4ch space* *to* 11 x (12 x groupings);  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.


crochet mandala

Row 5:  Join yarn in 1st dc of any 5dc grouping;   2ch (counts as 1hdc);  1hdc into each of next 4dc; 1hdc into 1ch sp:  *1hdc into each of next 5dc, 1hdc into 1ch sp* x 5;   sl st into top op 2ch at start to close.


crochet mandala

Row 6:  Join yarn in any sp between 2 hdc;  4ch in same sp as join (counts as 1sc, 3ch);  *skip 2sp between hdc;   1sc, 3ch into next sp between hdc* *to* to end sl st into 1st of 4ch at start to close.


crochet mandala

Row 7:  Join yarn in an 3ch sp;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc in same sp as join (4dc grouping);  *4dc in next 3ch space (4dc grouping)* *to* to end;  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.


crochet mandala

Row 8:  Join yarn in any sp between 4dc groupings;  5ch in same sp as join (counts as 1sc, 4ch);  *1sc, 4ch in next space between 4dc groupings* *to* to end sl st into 1st of 4ch at start to close.


crochet mandala

Row 9:  Join yarn in any 4ch sp, 1ch(counts as 1sc); 4sc into same sp as join;   *5sc into next 4ch sp* *to* to end;   sl st into 1ch at start to close.


crochet mandala