The Australian Way!

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Upon checking the letterbox today I discover a box jammed into it by our postie. Firstly I wondered at why they jammed it into the letterbox when we have a parcel fridge around 1 foot away, but they did.

Then I start to ponder which of my online purchases are in this 7 inch by 7 inch box. With my excitement building I rushed into the house to prise open this wonderous parcel.

Is it yarn, or could it be yarn. Maybe it's yarn!

I am thinking a few balls of yarn could fit inside this box but then I should have factored the 'Australian way' into my calculations. And to be honest I did forget my enormous purchase of ONE lipstick in the colour Gangsta Wrap. But then in my defence who would really consider that someone would package ONE lipstick into a 7 inch x 7 inch box.

Like really! They could have at least stuffed some yarn around the sides of it to pack it out. You could fit at least 4 skeins of yarn in there too! Yeah, you would think so!

A Visit from the Hobbii Fairies!

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Fairies have been working overtime of late dropping goodies off.

I had a visit from the Hobbii fairy today. He said he was the postman, but I know that is just a clever disguise to cover his real occupation and to be honest I am sure I saw some gossamer wings peeking out from under his uniform. At least I think it was that, as if not the poor fellow has a very strange hair issue going on that I just don't want to know about!

But back to my Hobbiiness! I danced into the house and ripped open the parcel to lay my eyes (for the very first time as I have never had Hobbii before) upon a wonder of wonders.

These almost look too good to use!

Hobbii had also thrown in what I think may be a tiny light saber? I know I was discussing online recently that I may end up in a fight with Darth Vader. Who knows with the internet listening in on every word these days. Well whatever! I will now also be set to take on any storm troopers or Darth Vader if he appears! I have just gotta figure out how to work it!

GREEN, DO WE REALLY NEED IT?

The colour green and I are not the best of friends!

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I use it at times and I am actually using it at the moment as a request, but we will never really see eye to eye on life and things in general!

Sure I guess green has its place in the world, although personally I think that trees and grass would do very well in a lovely shade of purple!

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Do we really need green yarn?

I do find it harder working in green as I tend to procrastinate. My eyes keep wandering to the partially done blanket sitting in the corner in lovely purples and pinks.

No! I must not pick it up! I must stay focused. It’s only a bit of green and I will get through this trial!

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Bendigo woollen Mill 4ply Cotton in the colour fruit tingle

I can see myself dancing my way through life without the colour green daring to damage my eyes with its presence. Do we really need green? I think not!

Maybe I shall become like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland and demand that all greenery be painted in a tasteful purple colour. Anyone caught consorting with the colour green and it shall be proclaimed ‘off with their head’.

It’s not too much to ask is it!

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my latest design. flowers don’t tell but i do blanket.

The pattern is available on my webpage. Go to premium patterns and then blankets.

It All Starts Out So Innocently!

A Helpful Guide to Managing Your Yarn Stash Hobby/Addiction/Disorder/Problem!

And so the crochet JOURNEY begins!

You decide to take up a hobby and get creative! Crochet sounds good, doesn't it? You begin to search online for helpful tutorials and join a group of like minded beings who can guide you on this wonderous journey.

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DAY 1: THE CHANGE BEGINS. After reading up on what you need to begin, you head to your LYS and frugally select a ball of yarn and a hook.

Day 3: After a couple of hours spent with your new hobby you decide that you don't have the necessary supplies in order to continue on this wonderful JOURNEY! Heading back to the yarn store you decide to treat yourself to several balls of yarn in several different colours. These will be all you need!

Day 13: By now you are feeling a bit masterful of this new hobby and feel that you need to expand your knowledge further. New stitches must be tried. None of the yarn you have is going to work. Back to the LYS you go and spend 2 hours fondling the yarn and exclaiming how wonderous it is. You end up selecting a trolley full of the wonderous fibre. You also stop and buy a number of storage containers to keep these treasures safe.

Day 21: You now belong to at least a dozen online groups for crochet. You have started trawling marketplace web groups and find several posts about private yarn sales which you feel you must attend. You rush to the address and manage to beat an elderly woman in a walking frame to the huge yarn collection and even though she is crying you know your need is greater. You also spot a tasteful yarn tote (which you ripped from the grip of the previously mentioned old ladies fragile grasp) so you can now take your crochet with you wherever you go.

Day 25: Today is dedicated to ensuring your yarn pattern library is equal to the yarn stash and 5000 patterns is NOT too much. You also managed a few hours of crochet and taught the whole family to NEVER, NEVER speak when you are counting.

Day 28: The last stage of metaphorphis. A few days back you discovered online yarn stores and very sensibly took out a loan from the bank to purchase while the yarn happened to be on sale. The truck arrived today with all your yarn. The metaphorphis is now complete.

Welcome to the Crochet Family!!!

Disclaimer: No elderly ladies with fragile hands were harmed in this journey, although some harrassment of yarn delivery drivers did occur!


Auburn Flowers Soap Saver Discount Code!

Super fast little project that is a great last minute gift!

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A little pre- Christmas discount for my subscribers awaits on ravelry. and get a huge 30% off. This is exclusive to my subscribers. Links to the pattern can be found via my webpage in the premium pattern section under the section ‘Other Patterns’ If you want to recceive discount codes for future pattern launches then please subscribe to my webpage.

I will also pop up a post in Two Redheads Crochet Group, with a code for a limited amount of freebies, but these will go quickly, so keep an eye out for the post if you are a member of Two Redheads.

I hope everyone has a wonderful break this Christmas no matter how you choose to celebrate and thank you for supporting me and my crochet this year!

A selection from my pattern testers.  Bethany Colhoff. (Top Right) Farmers Yarn Cotton 8/4 in bright pink from Hobbii.Kristina Kirk (bottom centre right) Premier Yarn.Jane Wynne (centre bottom left). Bendigo Woollen Mill Cotton 4 Ply  (click here fo…

A selection from my pattern testers.

Bethany Colhoff. (Top Right) Farmers Yarn Cotton 8/4 in bright pink from Hobbii.

Kristina Kirk (bottom centre right) Premier Yarn.

Jane Wynne (centre bottom left). Bendigo Woollen Mill Cotton 4 Ply (click here for supplier)

Shirley Anne Streep (top left). Made by me yarn.

Christy Allen (top centre). I Love This Yarn in Aqua Sparkle.

Bronwyn Bellwood (bottom left). Raseesh Bamboo

Sonia Scothern (bottom right)

Victorian Christmas Bauble

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Put your hand up if you love a freebie!

The pattern for this Christmas bauble is now available on my webpage for free in US terms.

A pdf copy can be purchased on my webpage or on ravelry in both US and UK terms.

This is a great stash buster to use up those part balls of yarn you may have floating around.

You can really play with being creative by adding artificial flowers, glitter and anything you can fit inside these glass baubles.

The patttern is designed to suit a 4 inch glass bauble, but do check your gauge to ensure your work will fit.

The free pattern can be found via my Freebies section on my webpage.

Enjoy!

A Crochet Roundup- 8 Fabulous Fall/Spring Shawls

Depending upon where you find yourself in this vast world of ours, it is either Fall or Spring. Regardless of which, it is time for Shawls!

I have complied a list of 8 simply fabulous shawls designed by some amazing designers from all different parts of the world and yes, I threw one of my own favourites in there for good measure.

Click on the heading of this post in purple, to be taken to the dedicated roundup page which features each shawl and provides the links.

Designers featured in the roundup:

  1. MTP Designs

  2. Flo’s Crafty Crochet

  3. Auburncraft Crochet Design

  4. The Crochet Fix

  5. The Naeve Collection

  6. Through The Loop Yarn Craft

  7. Briana K Designs

  8. Jolie Knots

So let’s go around the world in 8 Shawls!

I hope you find one that is just right for you!

Click the purple Heading to be taken to the roundup page and pattern links!

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If I Want Flowers I Shall Have Them Blanket Blog Post

A bunch of flowers will eventually wilt and die, making them an unpractical gift.  But the pleasure they bring makes them a treasure to behold. Flowers make us smile!

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I am super excited about this blanket! The pattern can be found in my premium pattern seciton under blankets. I am having issues with linking the blog to the main pages so cannot link it.

Several months in the design stage. Then in the hands of my very capable testers for 5 weeks and here it is!

I do have to say that I think a new crochet hat is going to be a necessity as my head has grown a few sizes, simply due to the feedback from all of my hard working pattern testers. Yes, I do know a couple of them did feel a bit like throttling me at times but we all got there in the end.

Now let’s get back to how incredibly puffed up with my own self importance I am feeling with this beauty. I really must get all this down in writing before I have to start fielding calls for Tv appearances etc as they are bound to be knocking down my door just wanting a glimpse of this blanket for themselves. Maybe I need to hire guards for it!

Oh, dear, does that mean that paranoia is beginning to creep up on me! Of course not!

But in all seriousness I am rather happy with the end results on this one.

About The Blanket:

I used 6 balls of Bendigo Woollen Mills Dk cotton in approx.  2700m/2952.7yd total.

If you have not tried this yarn then do think about it as this is lovely to work with and super soft. I would rate it as a thinner Dk yarn.

The blanket is comprised mostly of simple stitches. The flower stems are made using front post stitches in an overlay. Popcorn stitches form the flower heads.

Now a bit about my pattern testers!

I am blessed with a bevy of super, incredible pattern testers, who go above and beyond to ensure any silly boo, boos (errors) I may have made are eradicated from the pattern.

The blankets they have produced during this test have their own personal stamp on them. Colour selection, yarn selection and one industrious tester used colour change on the flower with brilliant results. So thank you to:

MJ Rose, Elika Rivera, Stephanie Joann Nolasco, Sallyanne Fisher, Cindy Cary, Simone Howes and Amanda Haynes

Source: if-i-want-flowers-i-shall-have-them-blanke...

The Goldilocks Method of Designing Crochet.

You know that feeling — you get a brilliant idea and, in your head, it’s epic!

This is going to be bigger than Ben Hur (or that’s the saying, I think?).

You map it out in your head, and the sheer magnitude of just how brilliant this idea is makes your head a few sizes too large for the gorgeous crochet beanie you made last week!

Of course, in your head, this design works per-fect-ly... Every stitch lines up, and it all falls into place to create a piece of crochet that a queen would wish to have adorning her in some manner or other.

Then you begin working on this masterpiece. You try one yarn, and it doesn’t work that great — maybe the texture is too rough. You try another, and it’s way too soft. Then you try a third, and it seems just right.

You grab your 5mm hook and do a few rows — turns out it’s too big.

You work a few rows with your 4mm and, you guessed it, it’s too small. By this time, you can hear your 4.5mm grumbling from the hook storage: “Told you I was the right size. You should have picked me in the first place.”

Sure enough, the 4.5mm is just right — and it did have a point. You should have listened.

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Single Crochet

You think you’re now ready to whip up this masterpiece and begin using single crochet (US). You work up a large portion of the design, but the further you go, the more you start to think this stitch might not be right for it.

Maybe this just isn’t going to work.

You slow down, partly so you can ponder how you could possibly be wrong. After all, it worked so well in your head! Eventually, you’re down to one stitch a minute. Your brain is shouting loud and clear: IT WILL NOT WORK.

The realisation dawns — it just ain’t gonna work — and off you go a-frogging.

But then your vision begins to shift. This new idea will work — it will be super fabulous for sure. How could you have missed this before?

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Half Double Crochet

Half double crochet may well be the way to go with this. This will work! This will be great! Fantastic! Fabulous! You may even be awarded Queen of the World for this design.

Butttttttttt… you get to about the same point you were at with the single crochet and just know it is NOT SO!

By this time, the new, fabulous, incredible design has been given the gift of flight — you chuck it across the room and leave it there for a few hours.

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Waistcoat Stitch

This is it! This is the one!! This stitch will be raised above all others and become legend in this design. People will queue for hours to admire the crochet artistry you’ve created with this stitch.

As you work, you realise it’s true — it does work. It’s right. Wonderful, even. You crochet harder and faster, knowing those queues of crochet fans will soon be waiting to view your masterpiece.

Once again, your head has grown a few sizes too large for that beanie, and before you know it, the day is gone. It’s late, and suddenly you feel an overwhelming urge for a large bowl of porridge. You must have one! After all, you’ve been working very hard all day and thoroughly deserve it!

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You’re now so exhausted from your day of frogging that you also require a nap.
You go in search of a bed — but of course, it has to be one that’s just right!

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The Goldilocks Method of Crochet Design is a patented technique used exclusively by Auburncraft Crochet Design.
No bears were harmed in the making of this crochet method — although several bowls of porridge were definitely eaten.

Did you know my website subscribers get exclusive discount codes whenever a new pattern is launched?
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to subscribe and never miss a release!

You Know Your Yarn Stash is too Big When.........?

Who said that?

Totally not going to tolerate that sort of statement from anyone! My yarn stash is not too big, nor could it ever be too big!

Just because I have searched for two hours trying to find that elusive ball of pink Stylecraft Special Dk that I know I have somewhere, and I cannot find it, that does NOT mean I have a stash issue.

Sure I will admit I have more yarn than I can probably use in my remaining lifetime but how much is too much? And really what is the point of only buying one of something? I may need more than one and if I don't buy it then, the dye lot may well be different. Imagine all that work on something only to find it looks odd due to different dye lots! Unbearable!

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And I actually gave this lot away to someone. I must get some points for that!

I can still get inside my front door and do have SOME room to move around. It is also great exercise leaping over tubs of yarn!

Is it really my fault that I think up a new design and none of the yarn I have seems to be JUST RIGHT, resulting in an order being placed or a trip to the local LYS?

No, it is not!

I have been extremely fruggle this year! I have only purchased 2 skeins of yarn!

I know I have used a ton more than that, so I could almost say my yarn stash is in deficit, comparing it to what it was, that is.

Maybe I should go visit the LYS and stock up! After all I wouldn't want to run out of yarn!!!

Disclaimer: The amount of yarn I have in my stash may have been grossly over exaggerated. Yes I do have too much but my house is not overrun with yarn! No Skeins of yarn were harmed in the writing of this blog post (but I did squeeze a few of them and exclaim how soft they were!).