Magic with hook and needles

First post in 2020

By Vendulka - January 05, 2020

Hi, my dears, in a new year!

Yes, the new year already started and I am really full of question, what this one will be? I wish you, your 2020 will be extraordinary, unique, and successful. The year, you will close by good feelings about yourself.

I personally choose the word - hope. Because I really hope that this one will be better. I am still not over of passing away of my honey princess, feeling still so sad inside. Even I know that it is a life circle and understand to all "reasonable" sentences. My heart doesn't hear it. I really would wish my life will calm, and faith will be returned. I lost it somewhere, and my soul really needs it back.

Anyway, there is also one interesting thing. Do you remember my Instagram TOP 9, I shared with you on my social some days ago?

You commented it a lot - thank you for your love again ♥. There was one comment that made me think about it. And it was: "Where did you get your rainbow yarn?". Thank you for your question! And I realized that my rainbow colors disappeared somewhere when I take a closer look at the picture after that. And I thought about why it happened? Maybe it was because I was thinking about my new creations more than before, not listening to my heart, but the brain more. It was essential for me, to my patterns will be comfortable for others, more like otherwise taste, with less demand of colors and additional embellishment. And maybe I caused that I have lost somewhere. I thought about new creations so much, and the result was that I didn't finish either creation and pattern, also - the vicious circle.

I still love my rainbow world, and I have to learn to find the lightness of my creation without thinking about it so much. I need to find freedom in my crocheting again. So this one is one of my wishes for this year.

So my dears, thank you for reading, for all your love and support in last year. Let's go to 2020 together with a hook or needles in your hands and also in mine.♥

0 Comments

KniCrate

The hapiness which only crocheters or knitters understand

By Vendulka - December 28, 2019

0 Comments

crochet

How to crochet not only Christmas placemats?

By Vendulka - December 25, 2019

Hi, my dears,

let's crochet with me these easy cool placemats.

Crochet placemats - free crochet pattern by VendulkaM

This pattern is beginners friendly, your kitchen table will love it! And you too :-). As a unique embellishment, you can add a holly flower applique as same as I, which can be pinned to your placemats, making them look more solemnly. Remove the holly flower easily after Christmas and get the casual design for your kitchen table.

What material would you need?

Placemat

I used a mixture of cotton and polyester yarn. It is not too hard to crochet with it, and the portion of the cotton yarn is high, so it wicks moisture away very well and keeps its shape thanks to the polyester.

I used Macrame Cotton by Yarnart.

Yarn details: a mixture of 85% cotton, 25% Polyester. Yarn weight: Worsted/Aran, Yarn yardage: 225 m/ 246 yds, Unit weight: 250 g.

I used this shade: 756 - light gray
Size of the hook: 5 mm (I used a hook size 4,5 mm)

I used 122 g (almost half of the ball) of the yarn for one placemat.

You can buy the yarn HERE or use your favorite thread of the same weight. There are many cool shades in the shop :-).

Macrame cotton by YarnArt - colorful yarn shop

Holly flower brooch

I used my favorite 100% mercerized cotton Catania Solids by Schachenmayr.

Yarn details: weight: Sport / 5 ply (12 wpi), Yardage: 136 yards (124 meters), Unit weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces). You can buy the yarn HERE.

I used these colors: 205 apple green, 412 moss green, 115 red
Size of the hook: 3 mm

Other tools: scissors, tapestry needle

The dimension of the finished placemat is 31 cm on average. Please remember that the size of the completed project depends on the used material and your own style of crocheting.

Level of the pattern: Beginner

Abbreviations used – US terminology:
Chain (CH)
Slip stitch (SlSt)
Single crochet (SC)
Double crochet (DC)
Treble crochet (TR)
Increasing (inc): crochet 2 stitches in one stitch
[ ] ...x times = repeat instructions in in brackets ... times
( ) = the number of the stitches at the end of the row/round

If you will need assistance, feels free and write to me at vendula.maderska@gmail.com.

Are you ready? So, let's crochet with me :-)

Placemats instruction

Use macrame cotton yarn and crochet in the circle rounds, don't turn the work at the end of the round.

Round 1: CH 4 (first CH 3 will be counted as a 1st DC), 8 DC in the last stitch of the hook (9 DC in total).

Round 2: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first stitch, inc of DC in each stitch around, join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 18 DC in total).

Round 3: CH 3 (count as first DC), [CH 1, 1 DC in next stitch] repeat the group in brackets to the end of the round. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 18 DC and 18 CH-spaces in total).

Round 4: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first CH-space from the previous round. [2 DC in every CH-space from the previous round] - repeat to the end of the round. Join first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 36 DC in total).

Round 5: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first stitch, [1 DC in next stitch, 2 DC in next stitch] - repeat the group in the brackets to the end of the round. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 54 DC in total).

Round 6: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first stitch, [1 DC in next 2 stitches, 2 DC in next stitch] - repeat the group in the brackets to the end of the round. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 72 DC in total).

Round 7: CH 3 (count as first DC), [CH 1, skip one stitch, 1 DC in next stitch] - repeat the group in the brackets to the end of the round. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 36 DC + 36 CH-spaces in total).

Round 8: CH 3 (count as first DC), 2 DC in very first CH-space from the previous round, [2 DC in next CH-space, 3 DC in next CH-space] - repeat to the penultimate CH-space of the round, 2DC in last CH-space of the round. Join first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 90 DC in total).

Round 9: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first stitch, 1 DC in every stitch from the previous round. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 90 in total).

Round 10: CH 3 (count as first DC), 1 DC in very first stitch, 1 DC in next 2 stitches, [2 DC in next stitch, 1 DC in next 2 stitches] - repeat the group in the brackets 28 times, 2 DC in next stitch, 1 DC in next stitch. Join the first DC with 1 SlSt (you will have 119 DC in total).

Round 11: CH 2 (count as first HDC), [CH 1, skip one stitch, 1 HDC in next stitch] - repeat the group in the brackets to the end of the round. Join the first HDC with 1 SlSt (you will have 60 HDC + 60 CH-spaces in total).

Round 12: CH 1, [2 SC in first CH-space, 3 SC in next CH space] - repeat to the end of the round. Join the first SC with 1 SlSt (you will have 150 SC in total).

Round 13: CH 1, 1 SlSt in back loops only in each stitch around. End the work.

Your placemat is finished. If you wish, you can continue with the holly flower embellishment.

Crochet placemat - free crochet pattern by VendulkaM

Holly flower applique instruction

Beginning: Use Catania yarn - apple green color and hook 3 mm and crochet CH 11

Round 1: 1 SC in the second stitch from the hook, 1 HDC in next stitch, 1 DC in next stitch, 1 TR in next 3 stitches, 2 TR in next stitch, 1 TR in next stitch, 1 DC in next stitch, 1 HDC in next stitch, CH 1 on the side. Don't turn the work and continue in circle direction. You will crochet in chains from the beginning, but you will crochet in the opposite side of the stitches 1 HDC in very first stitch, 1 DC in next stitch, 1 TR in next stitch, 2 TR in next stitch, 1 TR in next 2 stitches, 1 DC in next stitch, 1 HDC in next stitch, 1 SC in next 2 stitches. Don't turn the work and continue in the circle direction.

Crochet holly flower applique - free crochet pattern by VendulkaM

Round 2: [CH 3, 1 SlSt in second CH from the hook, 1 HDC in next stitch, 1 SlSt in next stitch of round 1, 1 SlSt in next 2 stitches] - repeat 3 times in total, CH 3, 1 SlSt in second CH from the hook, 1 HDC in next stitch, 1 SlSt in next stitch of round 1, 1 SlSt in next stitch, continue CH 7, 1 SlSt in each CH from the second stitch of the hook, 1 SlSt in next 2 stitches of round 1 again, [CH 3, 1 SlSt in second CH from the hook, 1 HDC in next stitch, 1 SlSt in next 2 stitches] - repeat 3 times in total, end the work.

Bobbles:

Use Catania yarn - red color, hook 3 mm and crochet CH 4

Row 1: insert a hook in 4th stitch from the hook and crochet 5 DC – BUT, don’t finish them, you will have 6 stitches on your hook (see the pictures below, please), then yarn over and pull the loop through all stitches on the hook all at once, make CH 1 and end the work.

Make 3 same bobbles. Let a piece of yarn for tie up the bobbles. Tie or sew the bobbles on the leaf and neaten free threads nicely on the wrong side. Then use moss green yarn and tapestry needle and embellish the leaf following your imagination. Neaten loose threads nicely.