Wish Upon A Star Cushion

Star Light, Star Bright,

First Star I see tonight…..

Who doesn’t love Star’s.

This is a fun cushion. 15 pages of pattern with pictures. Both Uk and USA terms are available.

The pattern is comprised of simple stitches and some surface crochet. There are pictures to help along the way.

I love surface crochet.  Fun to do and is visually appealing.

Paint Box Simply Chunky yarn (available here) was used and I thoroughly enjoyed working with it.

1531 - 1640 yards (1400 - 1500 m)

Measurements

18 inches/45.5cm from Star Valley to Star Valley

25.5 inches/65cm from Star Point to Star Point

This pattern has been tested by my wonderful testers, but we are all human and if you do find a mistake please contact me.

This pattern is for your personal use only, so please do not copy, or change and redistribute it, or claim it as your own.

If you post pictures of, or sell any finished items made using this pattern, please credit me as the designer and link back to my page.

Available on my ravelry page.  Scroll through the pattern to find it.

Take A Leaf Neck Warmer

This neck warmer pattern works up quickly and uses one ball of most Aran yarns. Yarn used for pattern is Red Heart Unforgettable in the colour Petunia.It is a fun pattern to make.  You can watch the leaves slowly forming.Other Yarns suitable: Lion Brand Ice Cream, Moda Vera Bouvardia or really any Aran yarn, just check gauge.Uses 5.5mm hookThe pattern is available in both USA and UK terms and has some pictures and graph to help with written instructions.It has been tested by a wonderful group of testers with great results but if you do find a mistake please let me know.Items made from this pattern can be sold but please credit me for the pattern. Please do not copy or distribute this pattern. It is for personal use only.Pattern is available on ravelryEnjoy!

That First Row

I keep asking myself, why I keep starting new designs.  It's not as if I don't have enough!I have about a million on the go at any one time. Then an idea just jumps into my head and before I know it, I have started another one.  Some could say they are multiplying like rabbits at my place.I can't say I am a fan of that very first row.  It is usually slow and tedious. You can't just breeze through it.  It seems to take forever!  What did you do today dear?  I started a row on my scarf.  Anything else?  Nope!  No, not really!I hate it when I finally have that row done and realise that I must have counted wrong and I have one too many chains, or stitches.  Or maybe not enough.  If I actually get it right  and it works out fine, I am rather chuffed with myself.This one is going to be a scarf.  It is designed along the lines of a blanket I am also designing (which is only partially done as I have too many WIPS).It's kinda like a sickness!  You know, you have a million WIPS and don't really need another one.  But then I did have that dark grey yarn, just begging to be used.  And I think it is going to look really pretty.  That is if I ever get it done.WHAT THE HEART WANTS SCARF.  Coming Soon to a ravelry store near you. (or just a click away)

One Ball of Yarn!

I was going to write about my red yarn on my interstate trip but……….., I had only taken a few balls of yarn (well a truckload really as I have stated how I pack to travel in other posts).I ran out of Stylecraft Batik in Storm and was sure, really sure I had one ball left at home.

On arrival home, I went to the spot where it should be and no Storm.  So I tore through the plastic stacking containers that it could possibly be in.  Nope!   Of course by this time I was getting a little frantic, I was a woman on a mission.  Yarn was flying everywhere!  I went through the yarn cupboard and every possible little spot that I shove yarn (and there is a few).If anyone had come across me in my search they would have seen me throwing balls out of the way.  Nope, Nope, not here!I eventually had to come to terms with the fact that, I did not have another ball.  How annoying!

 I only have one and a half rounds to go in this colour. How selfish of the Yarn!  To add to the annoyance I have approx 10 balls of Batik looking at me and not one of it is the colour Storm.I stared at all the Batik I had, for quite a while, hoping one would turn into the colour Storm, but my powers or perhaps my magic wand were just not working today.So I have placed an order.

Of course I cannot just order one miserable ball.  That would be silly wouldn't it?  It would be lonely!  It just would not do!My order grew slowly, (well not that slowly, as I wanted this and this and this) and I am now, not sure, but the company may have to hire a private plane or a cargo ship,  to ship my parcel.  It may well take up way too much room anywhere else. My Leadlight Design is stuffed into the naughty corner with my Pumpkin Spice hat.

And  so I wait in Frustration for that one ball of yarn!

Travelling with my Magic Wand (Hook)

Trusty 5mm packed and ready for travel!

You really know that your obsession with hooking is getting a little over the top when you have to catch a flight and you purchase an extra bag to pack your crochet in.

Then I find myself struggling through the airport with two huge bags, my computer and of course the bag that just has to go onboard, as it has my WIP in it, that will keep me sane during the flight.The Flower Diamond Blanket that is in testing has to go, as all my wonderful (and patient) testers will no doubt find the odd boo, boo (don't lie, they will probably find heaps of boo boos for me to fix) that I have made and so I need to check my stitches on that.I have to take my Leadlight Blanket as I truly must get more done on that and it would probably sulk if I left it behind.

Then there is that project, that the idea just jumped into my head and is marinating slowly.  I did the first couple of rows of it.  That just has to come.Then we get to the WIP that will keep me amused during the flight.  It has to be simple enough that I can focus on it with all the distractions onboard and small enough so it won't take up a seat on its own (Lets face it, flying costs enough without having to buy an extra seat for the crochet).  This just has to be onboard with me so I can immerse myself in my crochet and pretend that I did not just sit beside yet another person with an obvious cold (or it could be bubonic plague) and that they also seem to be half in my seat.  I can forget that we just sat on the runway for 40 minutes due to, too much traffic and that the person across the aisle has a child with an obvious ear infection (well obvious to me).

Heaven forbid if something horrible happened mid flight, we could probably grab my suitcase out and tape the yarn to the plane to cushion the landing (yes I pack that much). Or I could quickly wip up a parachute using yarn, hook and anything else that I happen to have packed.  I can see the Headlines 'WOMAN SAVES PLANE WITH JUST A HOOK AND A BALL OF YARN AND IT LOOKED GREAT TOO!'.

My crochet also gives me something to do while I wait to catch this plane….THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AND IS AN HOUR LATE!

Sure, I get the odd look from people who see me working away.  The odd comment like 'Oh, look.  That lady is knitting like you do, dear.' GGRrrrrr!

But at times you get into some great conversations with someone, who is also a crazy crochet person.

Mind you I have, had my share of issues with travelling.  Getting through security has its troubles.  The amount of times I have had to stand red faced as I was sure I had taken the scissors out of my carry on bag, only to have the scanners find them tucked in a side pocket.  Then I have to apologise and say goodbye to the offending item as it is taken.

And they always seem to pick me to do that extra check on.  Maybe it is because I looked guilty (due to the scissors incident, or the fact that yarn is spilling out everywhere as the security tried to look for said scissors).

I have also had the odd crochet disaster in transit.  I will tell that tale next time I write.  Think I will call it,THE TALE OF THE RED YARN!The picture is my Take a Leaf Neck warmer and the pattern is available on ravelry      

A Journey for a New Design

A week or so ago I got out my magic wand (hook) and was fiddling with a new stitch idea. I stumbled across a mixture of stitches, that I really liked and felt quite puffed up with myself for producing it. I wanted to make a hat from this wonderful mix of stitches. I wanted something different and new. I spent a few hours working towards that. Every time I looked at this incredible mix of stitches it sang to me, how wonderful it was. I sent pictures of it to a friend crowing how wonderful it was and how fantastic I was for producing it. But then I started to notice that it was trying to leave the room without me. It had a distinctive lean towards the door on one side. It was slowly creeping that way as though trying to escape. Nah, I must be imagining it, I thought. So, I kept going, as I was sure that if I ignored the issue, it would just go away. A few rows later and it was obvious this was no good, no good at all. My wonderful mix of stitches was mocking me, and the shine had gone off it. So, it got placed into the naughty corner. To be honest, it went via air express (my pitching arm has been honed by years of crochet).

There it stayed for a few days while I pondered a work around, to stop the creeping, or leaning. I knew what the issue was. The Puff stitch was always going to one side, so it was inevitable that it would lean. Perhaps I should have thought of that, if I had not been in a haze of wonder about my stitch pattern.

I had an idea for a fix for the issue. The hat was retrieved from the naughty corner where it had been sitting in shame and I frogged what I could and began again. Yes, this would work, this will be brilliant. But as I got further into the rows, I found I was slowing down. I wasn’t feeling it. Something was not right! I stared at that hat for what seemed forever and slowly it dawned on me. This is way too busy! It is just not right! It will not do! So again, it landed quite heavily in the naughty corner. I could almost hear it laughing at me!

I did think about giving up. But to let a hat beat me seemed wrong. I also really liked that stitch pattern (it did sing to me). There had to be something I could do to fix the issue. I thought about it till my brain hurt (which probably doesn’t take much) and finally it happened, I found an answer. A Split Puff would do it. Everything would line up and be neat. No Leaning Tower of Pisa, this would work.

I thought about frogging what I had, but I was now going to work in rounds and there were way too many cut bits of yarn in the hat as it was. So, the failure remains in the naughty corner (sulking) and I began again.Everything was turning out just wonderful. My only issue was the fact that I had wasted quite a bit of the beautiful Bendigo Mill Luxury yarn that I had, initially had. You know that feeling when you know full well that you don’t have enough yarn to finish something, but you are optimistic and figure if you crochet faster, it will make the yarn go further, or the problem just go away. By the time I got to only metres left I was working like I was in the speed crocheting competition of all time.

So now I wait for my yarn order to arrive. The hat sits staring at me, mocking me. The pattern looks great and is singing to me, but in a mocking tone as it knows I can’t finish it till the yarn arrives. I am an adult and I will not throw a tantrum due to this incredible disaster. I will not dial for emergency services to rush me a ball of yarn. STAT! I will wait with patience, maybe!!!! Hopefully it will come soon as I so want to get this ready to test!

What to Expect!

Occasional Posts relating to Crochet!Probably posts relating to the designs I am working on.A lot of rambling on about Crochet.IF  you are lucky a helpful hint or two.I have been hesitant to create a blog as personally I don't know if it is for me or not.  It is the obvious next step for someone who designs to have one, but not everything is sunshine and rainbows.   I will see how it goes and if I find anyone raining on my parade (due to this public platform), then I guess I will cut and run.  This blog is for my crochet and so for those 'Storm clouds' who hover in the background waiting to pounce, I say go wreakk your havoc on someone else for a change! What you won't find herePerfect Grammar and Spelling.  So if you happen to be a Grammar and Spelling Freak, then move along.To Kick things off!The picture is of my Dearne Headband.  This is a free download available on my Ravelry Page