Innehållsförteckning för Issue 48 från Simply Crochet

MOLLA MILLS Molla is a Finnish crochet designer with a fantastic style of her own. We enter her geometric world on page 50 and nd out how she got hooked on our favourite craft. KAT GOLDIN Top hookster and blogger Kat is our regular Simply Crochet columnist. Read her latest musings on page 32 and nd her glorious one-skein shawlette design on page 71. HELEN REED Indie dyer Helen is the colour-loving lady behind The Wool Kitchen yarn brand. Turn to page 66 to nd out more about her creative process and a very special collaboration. MABEL This four-legged sweetie is our Editor Sara’s pooch. She’s the star of our photo shoot this month and her love of sausages knows no bounds. Cuddles and naps are also favourites. OTHER CONTRIBUTORS…

STAR PAWS Order a pet portrait with a difference from www.studiolegohead.etsy.com  – they’re available as cardboard cutouts, or can be embroidered. And get a load of those florals. CHOW DOWN Pets dine in style wth a Happy Jackson bowl. This one’s from www. daisypark.co.uk . We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. HANDMADE PUP Fancy crocheting a Black Labrador or felting a Collie? Find beautiful craft kits with British wool at www.hawthorn  handmade.com. Fab for beginners. LOVE IS THE PUG Brightly-coloured stationery and forlorn-looking pugs is a winning combo – who knew? Grab this notebook from www.gingerline  designs.co.uk CURLING UP Cat naps can be made all the cosier with a crochet bed. You’ll find Anna Nikipirowicz’s pattern for this…

The first time that we drove down the one and a half mile single track road to see our house, I remember saying to my husband: “We have to love it. We have to see it and absolutely not be able to imagine ourselves anywhere else if we’re going to take this leap.” The house was big and old, and right at the very top of our budget. We knew moving to it would bring a huge change to our family, as we’d be leaving behind our life in a Victorian semi-detached house in the small Clackmannanshire town of Alloa to make a new one in this wild place on the edge of a lake. We therefore had to love it in order to make the leap. The house is…

Think you have enough crochet cushions already? If you’ve never hooked a bolster before then you’ll need to think again, my friend. We’re pretty smitten with the popping brights and playful tassels in this simple design, and that’s to say nothing of the touch of souk style it will give to your home. Fabulous. And no trip to Morocco necessary (but we wouldn’t say no). YOU WILL NEED • Women’s Institute Premium Acrylic DK (100 acrylic, 100g/240m), 1 ball of each: Pink, Red and Yellow • A 4mm (US G/6) hook • Stitch marker • Rolled wadding or bolster cushion to stuff For yarn stockists contact Hobbycraft 0330 026 1400 www.hobbycraft.co.uk MEASUREMENTS 50cm (19½in) long, 58cm (22¾in) circumference ABBREVIATIONS For a full list, see page 92 NOTES Cushion…

YOU WILL NEED • Rico Fashion Jersey (64% cotton, 36% polyamide, 50g/72m), Mint (005) See table for yarn quantities and measurements • A 7mm (US K/10 or L/11) hook For yarn stockists, contact your local Rico Design retailer or online stockist TENSION Rounds 1-7 measure 15.5cm (6in) square using a 7mm hook or size needed to obtain tension Each row pattern repeat, measuring from the base of one puff st round to the base of the next puff st round, measures 9cm (3 in) using a 7mm hook Rib measures 9cm (3 in) deep ABBREVIATIONS Puff stitch (yrh, insert hook in st indicated, yrh and pull up loop) 3 times, inserting the hook in the same st each time, yrh and draw through all 7 loops on hook Spike dc…

PAW PRINT MOTIF MAIN PAD (MAKE 1) Make a magic loop. ROUND 1 (RS) Ch3, (counts as tr) 13tr into loop, ss to top of beg ch-3. [14 sts] ROUND 2 Ch3 (counts as tr), 1tr, 2tr in next st, 2tr, 2tr in next st, 1tr, 3dtr in next st, 1tr, 2tr in next st, 2tr, 2tr in next st, 1tr, ch3, join with a ss to beg ch-3. SMALL PADS (MAKE 4) Make a magic loop. ROUND 1 (RS) Ch1 (counts as dc) 8dc into loop, ss to top of beg ch-2. [9 sts] BERNAT MAKER HOME DEC WEIGHT Chunky CONTENT 72% cotton, 28% nylon BALL 250g/290m HOOK 8mm RRP £14.99 As you might suspect from the name of this yarn, it’s great for home makes – there are…

YOU WILL NEED • DROPS Karisma, (100% wool, 50g/100m), Yarn A Dark Mustard (52), Yarn B Petrol Cerice (75) For measurements and yarn quantities see table • A 4mm (US G/6) hook • A 5mm (US H/8) hook • 8 stitch markers For yarn stockists contact Wool Warehouse 01926 882818 www.woolwarehouse.co.uk TENSION 1 cable stitch pattern repeat of 8 sts measures 4.5cm (1¾in), and 8 rows of cable stitch patt measure 11cm (4¼in) using a 5mm hook or size needed to obtain stated tension. 18 rows of dc worked in back loop only measures 10cm (4in) using a 4mm hook or size needed to obtain stated tension. See Notes for information about tension. ABBREVIATIONS For a full list, see page 92 This jumper is unlike anything we’ve seen…

1 Cut a piece of cardboard that’s about 5cm wide and as long as you’d like your tassel to be. Make a 1cm cut in one short end of the card. Tie a knot in one end of your yarn and secure it around the slot. 2 Wrap the yarn around the length of the card to the thickness you require. If you want to use more colours, knot the yarns together at the base of the card and carry on wrapping around. 3 Cut a small piece of yarn, thread under the yarn wraps at the top of the card and knot the two ends. Cut through the bottom wraps of the tassel and snip off the starting knot(s). 4 Cut another piece of yarn and wrap it around…

This simple stripy top is the ideal project for garment first-timers. There’s no tricky shaping to worry about and the sizes from ages 2-10 years are marked up in colour. YOU WILL NEED • Conway & Bliss Lolli (80% cotton, 20% polyester, 50g/110m), Yarn A Lemon (04) Yarn B Tutti Frutti (01) Yarn C Gum Drop (02) See table for yarn quantities and measurements • A 3.5mm (US E/4) hook • Tapestry needle For yarn stockists contact Designer Yarns 01535 664222 www.designeryarns.uk.com TENSION 18 sts and 9 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over treble crochet using a 3.5mm hook or size required to obtain tension ABBREVIATIONS For a full list, see page 92 NOTES Body is worked in the round to the armholes, then the yoke is worked…

“Choose yarn dreamt up by an entreprenurial business woman.” The creation of a brand new yarn is an exciting thing, according to Helen Reed of The Wool Kitchen. There’s the selection process of choosing the shades to add to your base yarn, and then the moment when the colour takes and you get the first indication of what you’re going to end up with. “It’s an amazing process, and one that I love so much,” Helen enthuses. “Since starting to sell my yarns, I’ve had so much positivity coming from crocheters, knitters and other yarn producers. I think a big wave of indie yarns is coming!” Helen first made it onto our radar thanks to a column by designer Kat Goldin. “Kat wrote that she’d used Helen’s Ziggy yarn to…

CROCHET A FARM MEGAN KREINER (£19.99, Martingale) Children love playing with farmyard animals and with this book you can treat them to all the usual characters chickens, sheep, pigs, cows – 19 designs in total. Instructions are beginner friendly with helpful diagrams and a how-to section. Plus there’s a free pattern online for making some farmers! CLASSIC CROCHET BLANKETS INTERWEAVE (£16.99, Interweave) This book has plenty to inspire your hooks through the winter and into spring, with something for every mood: cables, lace, filet, popcorns, clusters, shells, chevrons, flowers, hexagons, grannies… The 18 patterns include charts and diagrams, plus there’s a great edgings library for a stylish finish. CREATIVE CALLIGRAPHY KRISTARA SCHNIPPERT (£9.99, Annie’s) Full of friendly guidance, this book will take you through the basics of calligraphy. There are…

We’re blown away by how cute this fox toy design is, and the beauty is all in those little details. His hat, raincoat and jolly brolly are perfectly finished and complete the look with panache. Get hooking. YOU WILL NEED • DMC Natura Just Cotton (100% cotton, 50g/155m), 1 ball of each: Yarn A Brique (86) Yarn B Ibiza (01) Yarn C Tournesol (16) Yarn D Passion (23) • Scraps of 4ply black and green yarn • A 2.5mm (US B/1 or C/2) hook • Black beads, approx 5mm diameter • 5 mini buttons, approx 7mm diameter • Pipe cleaners • Scrap of stiff cardboard or plastic* • Wooden skewer • Thin wire for rim of Umbrella • Sheet of recycled plastic* • Stitch markers • Toy stuffing For yarn…

YOU WILL NEED • The Wool Kitchen (80% Bluefaced Leicester wool, 20% bamboo, 100g/400m), 1 skein of Treblemaker • A 3.5mm (US E/4) hook For yarn stockists contact The Wool Kitchen www.thewoolkitchen.etsy.com  See below for a special offer TENSION 23sts and 12 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over half treble crochet in the back loop using a 3.5mm hook, or size needed to obtain correct tension See notes MEASUREMENTS 106cm (41¾in) (longest side of triangle) x42cm (16½in) ABBREVIATIONS For a full list, see page 92 We’re thrilled to show you the one skein design that Kat has created using The Wool Kitchen’s exclusive Simply Crochet yarn! Turn heads with the combo of hot pink, lacy stitches and an asymmetric shape. Turn to page 66 to find out the…

AMALFI COAST Recognise this beauty from the cover of issue 42? @thecrochetninja hooked the jumper in blue instead and it’s fabulous. If you missed the issue, find Amalfi Coast on Ravelry. HELLO OSCAR @earlgreycrochet stitched the octopus from issue 46 and he’s amazing. SHe named him Oscar. Visit her feed to see lots more fun pics of Oscar. The purple makes him look so unique. DRIVING FORCE French stitcher @ marioncrochette made the camper van cushion from issue 45 as a birthday gift for her friend. She even personalised it, switching the usual VW for her friend’s initals – very thoughtful.…

HOLDING THE HOOK Try these methods and see which works best. PENCIL METHOD Hold the hook like a pencil, in your right hand (if you’re right-handed), about 3-5cm from the hooked end. If your hook has a flat area, you’ll find it comfortable to hold it here. KNIFE METHOD Hold the hook between your thumb and forefinger, about 3-5cm from the hooked end, resting the end of the hook against your palm. This will give you lots of control. HOLDING THE YARN Even tension results in even stitches. METHOD ONE Pass the ball end of the yarn between the little finger and third fingers of your left hand (if you are right-handed), then behind the third and middle fingers, over your index finger. METHOD TWO Loop the ball end of…

Each crochet project represents different discoveries and challenges to me, so it’s difficult to pick a favourite. I think my crochet hoodie has to be one of them, however, as it’s the item I’ve got the most use out of over the years, and still wear almost every day. I made it specifically for myself and myself only. I’m not a fan of wearing big chunky tops, and have that awkward tall-but-skinny frame, so I deliberately made it lightweight and fitted to my exact specifications. Although I’d crocheted a few crochet coats and jumpers before, this bright stripy hoodie was the first item I made that I felt truly comfortable in and that was a true reflection of my style. The whole hoodie is made from treble stitches. This makes…