Just Unwind

Sparkly Flower Pattern

I have finally made the time to write this down. Sorry it took so long. I just don't know where the time goes!

Makes one flower:

Round 1: Ch4, Slip Stitch into the chain farthest from the hook to make a circle. Do not turn.

Round 2: ch3, 1tr into circle, (these together count as 1 trb2tog) 1ch, (trb2tog, 1ch) 7 times, sl st to top of 3ch to join the circle. Do not turn.

Round 3: *1dc, 3tr into next ch-sp*, rep from * to * 7 times more, sl-st to join at base of 1st petal. Cut off yarn and pull through. Weave ends in neatly at the reverse of the flower.

I have included the 'trb2tog' (also known as a treble decrease) instructions below. I hope they help.

SPECIAL STITCH PATTERNS
trb2tog – work a treble up to the point where you have 2 loops on the hook, work a second treble up to the same point, yrh and pull yarn through all 3 loops.

We run 'Beginner Crochet' courses at the shop quite regularly and have now added these to the list of things we teach. They are proving very popular.

Happy Hooking

Jo

Vintage Crochet

Hello

This week I had a lovely old gentleman visit my shop and brought with him a carrierbag of little treasures which I just have to share with you.

I love vintage crochet & would love to make myself a dress from a true vintage pattern. Unfortunately, at the moment time is against me so this is firmly on my wish list.

Anyway, back to the bag of treasures.

This came out first!

Isn't it amazing.

Then this!!

I couldn't believe it, and it just kept getting better.

Finally this appeared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen?

All hand made and just beautiful.

He told me his wife and mother-in-law had made them over many years (he had more at home), and asked if I had any ideas about what he could do with them.

I asked him to leave his details as I couldn't think straight, but now I have had time to ponder, I would like to buy several of them, and I just might do that.

I have been blown away by them, and would love to hear your thoughts on these lovely pieces.

I will try to write again soon.

Love

Jo

A Little Bit of Sparkle!

Hi All

I have been looking at this fab wool for some time, dying to do something with it, but not quite able to hit on an idea.

Well inspiration finally arrived!

It started when my current copy of 'Mollie Makes' plopped onto my doormat. This months free gift is a small pair of scissors with an 'M' inscribed on them.

Sorry the picture isn't too good.

I then realised there will be thousands of these scissors around, and as I really like them and don't want to risk losing mine, I decided to customize them. They are a lovely silver grey and go perfectly with this wool. So I made one of my favourite little crochet flowers. Then another, and another, and another, and another..... and so on.  You get the idea. They now look like this:

But what to do with all the extra flowers?

I had also been looking for something to drape in the shop window for Halloween, and as I now had quite a surplus of flowers, the answer just fell into place. So it went from this:

To this:

Then this:

Then finally ended as this:

I am really very pleased with it. It only used 1 ball of wool and I made at least 26 flowers. The chain was 512 chains long, and made of one row of 510 trebles. I used a 3.25mm hook as I find this DK yarn quite fine. There are 10 trebles between each slip stitch and each joining chain is 15 chains long (hope this makes sense). Not bad for a few hours work.

It will soon grace the 'Just Unwind' front window, and as someone pointed out yesterday, it could double up as part of a christmas display.

Who would believe all this inspiration from a free pair of scissors!

Hope you like it and feel inspired to create something yourself.

Love

Jo

 

A Little Winter Colour - Update

YES  I have managed it.

Inbetween the usual showers I have nipped outside and put my beautiful little flowers in their pots.

Look

Don't you think blue & lemon work really well together? I do.

And, there's more:

I just managed to plant them & take a quick photo before the next rain shower. I gave up trying to clear the leaves as the wind is blowing more down as fast as I am clearing them. I am now wondering if I should get more flowers? I have more pots, and you can never have too much colour in the winter!!!!

Oh well. Maybe next week if their are any left.

Xxx

Jo

A Little Winter Colour

Hi All

I don't know about you but I feel to have missed summer this year. It has all been quite depressing, but!!! Not to be down for long I have decided to brighten up winter.

These little beauties were just £5 for three trays and were jumping up and down shouting at me when I popped into one of my local towns this morning. I found the perfect parking place just outside the shop which sold them, and couldn't get back to the car without them.

I am now waiting for the current rain shower to stop, and hope to have them in my pots by teatime.

I will show you when they are in.

Hope they inspire you to brighten up your patch, however big or small.

x x x

Jo

P.S. I seem to be fully back on-line. Keep your fingers crossed for me. J

As you know I keep Bees. They have been fairly quite this year due to the bad weather I think, but on the good days they have been out in their dozens and a joy to watch. The few flowers I have had in my garden (also due to the poor weather) have been covered in not only my Bees but the bumble bees, you know, the big fat ones with the white bottoms. Well this morning I had the pleasure to watch these beautiful ones all over my Sedum. They were totally absorbed in what they were doing and I was only about 4 inches away from this one. I have not seen this type before so I cannot be sure if it is a bee or a wasp but who cares, it was just beautiful in the sunshine. Hope it gives you as much pleasure as it gave me. Luv Jo

The new magazines arrived this week with the lovely, lovely, lovely green wool I ordered. I couldn't wait to get started, so I did!!! It is growing rapidly. If I can just keep distractions to a minimum ( can be very inconvenient when everyone needs feeding), I could have the jumper part finished in just a few days. The scarf which is part knitted, part crochet is on next months wish list.

Off to knit.(Can't keep the smile off my face.)

Jo

The fabulous new Bergere De France Magazine.

Felting

I have been wanting to experiment with felting for quite a while now but never made the time. So last week I finally made the time and started a bucket bag.

3 balls of felting wool (Twilleys Freedon Spirit, sadly soon to be discontinued) and lots of trebles later I ended up with a large floppy bag that looked like a Rastafarian Hat gone seriously wrong. But wait, washed at 40 degrees with my jeans and it came out half the size but technically perfect!! Yipee.

I then added some un-felted flowers, with buttons (I love spotty buttons) and here you see the results.

I am pretty pleased to say the least.

So go on. This type of felting really is easy. You seem to have very little control over the size but hey, it's a bag!

Lots of woolley love

Jo

Ripple Inspiration

I was looking at 'Attic24' & 'The Little Tin Bird' doing a spot of rippling a few weeks ago, so I thought I would have a go myself.

What do you think?

It is over this arm of the sofa in the shop. Pop in & have a look when you have time.

Look forward to seeing you.

Jo