Showing posts with label bunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bunting. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Make it ! Home Sweet Home garland !!!

A while ago (read this post, if you wish to be aware what I'm talking about), I crocheted some little houses, which then were forgotten in a box, once no more needed (as for the blogpost, dated 15 of October 2013!)....

.... but in one of those days that you decide it's time to do some clean up, I found them again and I knew, this time, what to do with all of these little houses !!!

I split them into two groups, each one with 7 houses.
The first group had a prevail of blues, greens and grey ...




The original pattern is the following (US crochet terminology) :
  • make a slip knot on your hook, chain 4 and slip stitch in the first chain to form a ring.
  • chain 3, crochet 10 DCs into the ring and slip stitch in the top of your first DC made
  • chain 8 (chain 3= DC and chain 5 more, to form the first arch), in same stitch crochet 1 DC, crochet 3 DCs in next 3 stitches, chain 5 (2nd arch) and crochet 1 DC in following stitch, crochet 3 DCs in next 3 stitches, chain 5 (3rd arch), crochet 3 DCs in last 3 stitches and slip stitch in third chain of first arch
  • chain 3, and around the first arch : (3 DCs, chain 5, 3 DCs), 4 DCs in top of previous group of DCs, 8 DCs around the second arch, 4 DCs in top of previous of DCs, 8 DCs around the third arch, 3 DCs in top of previous group of DCs and slip stitch in the top of first DC made
  • roof : chain 3 and first DC in same stitch, 2 DCs in next stitches, and around the last arch : (3 DCs, chain 5, 3 DCs), 3 DCs, chain 3 and slip stitch in nearby DC or, if you prefer, just make another DC (instead of a chain 3)
  • fasten off
I've been using a 5mm hook and some colourful Indonesian acrylic yarns, but, honestly, you can choose any yarn and hook in accordance with the thickness of your thread!
Please note that DC stands for double crochet.




To join together all the houses into a garland, I decided to use a 4mm hook and some turquoise yarn from Sirdar (Wash'n' Wear), in this way :

make a slip knot on your hook and chain 60
choose your first house and in the first DC make a SC (single crochet), make other 5 SCs along the roof, 5 SCs around the arch, crochet the last 6 SCs along the other side of the roof
chain 18 between two different houses
chain 60, when completed the join with the last house
fasten off and trim the ends




when all done, I decided to add some little hearts (pattern HERE, from Lovenote Crafts) in the middle of the houses





I just knotted the hearts, using their tails, in the centre of each house





This first garland is no more in my hands, as I gifted it to Anneke, from crochetinpaternoster !!!

But, I kept the other one (plus an extra house!) just for me





The single house has just few differences with the houses in the garland :

the top has a loop (made of 20 chains) and 6 SCs along the arch (instead of 5)
the base of the house is embellished with some SCs
the heart in the middle, this time, presents some surface crochet

So, my garland is more reddish and pinkish ...







.... and hanging from one of my bookcases ....




.... all the houses are on a string, NOW !!!!

xxxx, Alessandra

Today links : Craft Schooling Sunday and Link your Stuff!






Saturday, 19 March 2016

Make it ! Bunnies Galore Bun(-ny!)ting !!!

This year, our Easter will be full of bunnies !!!!

In fact, I have just completed a crocheted garland, not too big, with some colourful bunnies ...



If you are a fan of the Easter Bunny (who is not?) I invite you to follow my directions and to collect all you need to crochet these sweet creatures :
  • a hook (4mm)
  • some yarn (I've been using a selection of filati cervinia caprice)
  • a pair of scissors
  • some buttons to use as eyes
  • a pom pom maker (optional) : 2cm diameter
  • yarn needle
  • a needle that passes through the buttons holes
  • toy stuffing
I decided to use the white yarn as the main colour for the  bunnies muzzles and please remember that I follow the US crochet terminology! ;oD

LET'S START !!!

Grab your hook and make a slip knot on it, using the white yarn.
Chain 4 and push the hook in the first chain made, to form a ring.
FIRST ROUND : chain 2 and crochet 12 double crochets into the ring. Slip stitch in top of first DC (=double crochet) to close the round
SECOND ROUND : chain 2 and work 2 DCs in each top of the previous stitches. You will end this round with 24 DCs. Slip stitch in top of first DC to close this round.




THIRD ROUND : chain 3 and
  • 2 trebles (=Tr) in first stitch
  • 1 DC in next stitch
  • 2 DC in next stitch
  • 1 single crochet (=SC) in next stitch
  • *2 SC in next stitch
  • 1 SC in next stitch*
  • repeat the pattern from *to* other 3 times
You have done the first half of your third round ! Next, you will complete the second half of the round just repeating the previous pattern, reading it from bottom to top, as follows :
  • *1 SC in next stitch
  • 2 SC in next stitch*
  • repeat the pattern from *to* other 3 times
  • 1 SC in next stitch
  • 2 DC in next stitch
  • 1 DC in next stitch
  • 2 Tr in last stitch
Make a slip stitch in top of first treble, cut yarn and fasten off. Trim in all ends.
If you desire to use the bunny as a hanging decoration, please leave a tail of 15/20cm long, that, knotted with the other tail, will form an useful loop!! ;oD







You need to crochet a second piece as the one just done, to make the back of the bunny head!!!




Now, we'll start to give our bunny his typical features ....

Choose a colourful yarn and the pompom maker to create a fluffy nose






Once the pompom is done (wrapping and trimming completed), with the help of a yarn needle pass the pompom threads in the hole of our shape, from front to back and using these threads (one for each button) with the right needle, sew the buttons on the muzzle, so you will have the following ...





Now, collect the second oval shape ant put its back on the back of the bunny face and (using the same yarn of the nose) and start to join the two shapes as follow :

make a slip knot on the hook and push the tip of the hook under the first stitch on the top left (just aside the tail) and under the corresponding top stitch of the other shape and make your first SC to join your two pieces together.
Then, chain 15 and make a slip stitch in the first SC done, to form the first ear of the bunny!
In next stitch and all the following stitches, to the second-last stitch included,  make a SC in each stitch ...



When you have done 3/4 of the joining, please remember to fill your bunny with some toy filling and then complete to crochet your SCs to the last but one stitch.
At this point, make your last SC in the last stitch, chain 15 and make a slip stitch in the last Sc, to have the second ear!
To close your work, make another slip stitch in the first SC of the joining round, cut the yarn and fasten off!
Trim in all the ends!!!
Your first bunny is done, as you can see ...




This blue bunny had the honour to become a brooch (I just sewn a safety pin on its back!) ...



... while for my bunting, I indulged in the use of different colours, as you can see in the following pictures (sorry for the truckload !) ...












I decided that 5 was the right number of bunnies for my bunting, so I picked up the hook again and with a new colour I started the chain for my hanging decoration !




You need to make a slip knot on your hook with the new yarn and chain 60.




To join the ears to your working chain, you just need to push (from front to back) the tip of your hook into the top of the bunny's ear




pull yarn to front (it forms a loop)




and push the brand new loop trough the old loop




the join is done!!!


Between each couple of ears : chain 5
Between each bunny : chain 20

Obviously, you can choose how many chains to work for your bunting (beginning, between ears or bunnies, ending) : honestly it's up to you!! ;oD

After the last bunny was joined, I ended my chain with 60 chains same number as the beginning).

To embellish the ends of my chain, I decided to add a couple of carrots to my bunting !

With some orange yarn, I made a slip knot on my hook, then :
chain 3 and 1 half double crochet (=hDC) into the first chain made and chain 2
FIRST ROW : turn, 2 hDC in next stitches, chain 2
SECOND ROW : turn, 2 hDC in same stitch, 2 hDC in next stitch, chain 2
THIRD ROW : turn, 1 hDC in every stitch (total : 4 hDC), chain 2
FOURTH ROW : turn, work 4 DC, but only half for each stitch, so that you will have 5 loops on your hook. Then, wrap yarn around your hook and pull it trough all the loops. Cut yarn, fasten off.




Attach them to the main chain (at both ends) with the help of some green lengths and knot the carrots to them! the mini bows will resemble leaves !!! ;oD


Find the right place to hang your bunting ....




and enjoy it !!!!

xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Link your Stuff!March Link Party #3 and Craft Schooling Sunday






Sunday, 28 September 2014

The Europe Bunting !!!

I wrote a photo tutorial to follow in case you want to crochet a circle in a rectangle (here and here), because I needed some rectangles (with circles in the middle!) to prepare a bunting for the upcoming event in school, that is International Week!
Not just a colourful bunting, but one dedicated to Europe …. and I did it !!!
This morning I completed it …





I needed to embroider 12 stars (the real flag has 13 stars on it!) on each flag …. I have 16 flags, so I decided to work the simplest stars ever, just using some straight stitches, some yellow yarn and a yarn needle…. yesterday afternoon I completed this task ! ;oD

This morning ….




…. I started to join the flags : with the royal blue yarn and a 4mm hook, I crocheted 100 chains, then I picked my first flag and I continued to crochet into the top of the top stitches (using single crochets). At the end the flag (so for all the spaces between two adjacent flags) I crocheted 15 chains ….


…. and I completed the work, crocheting other 100 chains after the last flag ….



Because of the weight of the bunting (and to break the monotony of the blue), I decided to add an extra row of single crochets, using the same bright yellow, that worked beautifully for the stars before ….




…. Tobia had some fun in taking a couple of pictures of me while crocheting ….




…. then the camera was back again in my hands ….





…. and the bunting was made ….








I'm really happy about this bunting, that is effective ( and eye catching!), I think!!! ;oD
Tomorrow morning the school PTA will see it for the first time …. I just cross my fingers !!!!

xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Link your Stuff!Craft Schooling Sunday and Busy Fingers Showing Off !! #61 !!!!


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