The Handmade Rainbow

For a new little addition

2012-02-18T07:02:00.001+08:00

Well I must start with a huge congratulations to Hen with the birth of her new little princess!! She is such a cute little one, and so glad she arrived safely! Ofcourse I couldnt resist making something for her..

I made this set out of 8 ply cotton, so it should feel nice and soft on that new baby skin! The patterns were from all over the place so I will share with you the links! The dress pattern is found here, I went with a bit of a 'watermelon' theme, so I changed the colour to beige for 2 rows before finishing off with a trim of green. I must admit I lost count of rows (7-14) so I do think 2 more were added, which would not have gone to waste as Hen's little miss is quite long! I worked this dress up with a 5mm hook, so a slightly finer outcome than the pattern shows.

The booties are a pattern I found years ago (I can say that now, its coming up 2 years since I took up this hobby of mine!) and its still the best pattern Ive come across for a simple bootie shape! So the link is here I worked with a 4mm hook, and stopped the pattern after row 11 and finished off by slip stitching all the way around to tighten it up. The straps are a simple chain which I started by slip stitching up the side and then making the length I needed (approx 26ch) and then slip stitching back down the side again to create a loop. The tiny flower button was my own little improvised pattern as follows:

(use a 3mm hook)

Start with a magic loop (or chain 4 and slip stitch back into 1st chain to make loop) then *ch 2, dc2 into loop, ch2 and slip stitch back into loop*. Repeat the instructions between the astericks 4 more times (5 petals in total) then finish off. Leave a tail to attatch to bootie.

And then lastly the large double layered flower that I used on the headband and dress is found here. Im quite surprised to discover that this pattern is now for sale, when Im quite sure it was not a couple of years ago when I downloaded it!

The headband is a simple chain length made with a 3mm hook, measuring total length of 36cm to go around little princess' head!

So that is all for now!

xx Em

Progress!

2012-02-08T20:48:00.001+08:00

Hi again! Ive got one of my many blankets completed, YAY! It was only the realisation that the bub that will be wrapped in this, is due in under 5 weeks which prompted me to get out my darning needle and work on all those dreaded ends. So here it is!

And a bit of a close-up view of the edging..

My next little thing to show off is wrapped around my expanding waistline as I type. The pattern is for a necklace, but I needed a little something to fancy up these maternity dresses, so this is what I came up with:

And lastly for this post, some more squares for my CAL. Its February right? So there had to be a valentine flavoured one (not exactly what I voted for, but it still turned out pretty!)

Still blocking for this pic, but now completed.

And two more for February (Im on a roll, so will try make as many as I can before I slow down in May!) makes 6 in total.

And to give you and idea on size, each square Im making is made with 36 stitches per side (in the dark blue for easier joining later!) and is blocked to 21cm sq, thats a bit over 8 inches in the old measurements.

So that'll be all for now!!

xxEm

CAL Afghan 2012

2012-01-25T16:23:00.003+08:00

Hello blog world! Its already the new year. I apologise for it being so quiet from this end over the past month, but that seems to be what happens around this season. Lots of lovely family time, and fun in the sun. But we're almost settling back down to normality now, big miss 5 year old starts preschool next week, and even hubby has returned to work this week after 4 weeks off. But my hooks have not been idle. Ive got soo many blankets on the go that I think I should share, another collection of photos of unfinished projects!!

These first pictures are of 2 blankets Im making from the same pattern. And that is one that Ive shared before in the post Vintage Baby Blanket. I love this pattern, can you tell? The first is for a little girl who will join the family this year, and the 2nd is a blanket I started, just for the fun of it, which Halle has claimed for herself.

with a close-up below

Then Im working on a gorgeous thick baby boy blanket, the stitch is called basket weave.. which is a pretty apt description!

Chewing into a lot more yarn than I expected, so will need another ball to finish this one off.

But Im sure you may be wondering what my title means.. what is a CAL? Well that is my New Years Resolution of sorts. CAL stands for Crochet-ALong. Basically its a group of crocheters all working on the same project so we can share tips, ideas and show off our finished work. This CAL that I have joined for 2012 will run for the whole year. Each month a pattern (or two) will be chosen by the group, so by the end of the year each person will have enough squares made up to build a whole blanket. I originally planned on making 24 squares (2 per month). But since then decided that 30 over the whole year would make for a better sized afghan. So some months I will be working on 3 squares. Here are my January squares:

blocking and almost ready to be packed away to await the completion on the other 27!

All the other details are over here on Ravelry

So thats it for now.

Emma

Update from Henrietta

2012-01-05T08:50:00.001+08:00

Hello Again yes I am still here I just forget to take pics of my finished projects and when I think about it again I have already given it away! This one is special thou I really wanted to make my own baptism blanket for bubs number 3! I asked Emma to teach my so we came up with this pattern and she should me how to do the middle! I enjoyed it very much and did it almost every evening until the middle was big enough! Now for the border I went back to Emma and we were trying to figure out how do it becasue as you know she is left handed,, while I am right handed,, so for her to teach me would of been very difficult. So the friend that she is she offered to finish it off!! And what a beautiful job she did! I absolutely loved it and just had to share with you all! If the bubs is a boy we can put some blue ribbon in the border and a girl some pink ribbon! so happy that its done and thanx again so much Emma! I can't wait until my next project just waiting for my sis in Canada to have her bubs! then I can start on something for her! I am also sewing another blanket for my sister in canada and my friend Sharelle is helping me make some receiving blankets for bubs!!! So I have been very spoiled lately! Thanx Sharelle!!!!!!!! Until next time!!!! Henrietta

The border that Emma did to finish the blanket! Sorry I am not as organized as the other ladies and don't know where we got the pattern or the border from!!! sorry

The finished product!!!! Just love it!

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Emma here, just editing to add a link to the patterns for Jodi. The bulk was crocheted in V-stitch which you can find a pattern to here, then it was finished with the border from this pattern. So a bit of a mish mash of two patterns! Hope that helps.

Vintage Baby Blanket

2011-11-21T20:33:00.001+08:00

So before getting too far into my Japanese Flower Scarf I thought I would put a bit of time aside today to do the finishing touches to my last project!

This started as a simple destashing exercise. Ive got crates full of yarn that will need to be used one day, so in order to make a tiny dent in the collection I made this baby blanket. To be honest the colour combo is not my idea. I found inspiration over on ravelry, this beautiful baby babette blanket really had me drooling.(Sorry, I think maybe only fellow ravelers may be able to access this link.)
Sure, I know my interpretation of that colour palette kind of missed the mark, but there's something about that dusty pink, mixed with a dash of burgandy, mustard yellow and teal that really made my fingers itch!! And remember I was destashing, so had to make do with the colours I had!! I still am confident I achieved some level of 'vintageness' which was really what I was aiming for. The pattern that I used really lent to the look aswell, it can be purchased here. Yes, I know, I didnt want to spend money on the right colour yarn, but was happy to do so with the pattern. But Im planning to use this one again! I would just love a throw made in black and white... and so my to-do list grows!!

Miss H loved to watch this one grow, she would get excited about each new colour added, stating that infact this was the best stripe in the whole blanket! So much so that I had almost decided to give it to her as a dolls blanket. This was coupled with the realisation that the kind of colours that appeal to one person doesn't do anything for the next. I'd almost started to see it as a psychadelic zigzaggy disaster myself!! But two lovely people (you know who you are!) renewed my interest in it and I decided to put that last little bit of effort into it and finish it off.

And you know what? Im keeping it! That means Ive got a boy and girl baby blanket all ready and waiting, and Im only 14 weeks pregnant! I can already tell now this baby is going to be living in a wonderful world of wooly knots, regardless of its gender!

So, back to that flower scarf I go!

xx Em

A neat little discovery

2011-11-17T20:26:00.001+08:00

Hello blog world, another check-in from me. I would like to share with you all this new pattern that Im working on. Im barely 10% of the way into this one but this pattern has really tickled my fancy so Im sharing it with you before completion. Go take the time to look at this lovely little find. What's so special about it you may ask? Well, the way its presented, a crumpled up piece of paper out of a mystery book, written in another language (Japanese) is just a start! Its almost feels like Ive stumbled across some long lost pattern that was dug out of some dark, dusty attic somewhere in Japan. As lovely as that sounds, it may be far from the truth. It could be just as probable that the page was ripped out of a popular library book, and shoved into someone's pocket.. but doesnt the first idea sound much more romantic? Although, be sure Im in no way suggesting that the supplier of this scanned copy is a library book ripper!! lol!

Second reason I love this is because Ive really taken to charted patterns lately, they really work for me! Sometimes the written ones can become confusing with the different ways individuals speak and interpret the many crocheting terms. But with the charted pattern Ive yet to come across a deviation, every one of them follow the same basic principles, it crosses language barriers! And there's no need to work out if they are talking in Aus/UK or US terms!

But there's still more! This pattern has opened up to me a whole new world of crocheting. I know I haven't been in the craft for long, but never before have I worked without starting with some form of foundation chain, (or loop) and never ever before have I attempted to crochet backwards! But this is what the pattern requires you to do. Its amazing how habitual it has become in just 2 years to turn my work after every row, I feel like Im fighting every instinct not to do so at the end of these rows. And then it feels so foreign to work the following row (in my case) from right to left..

The added challenge for me ofcourse is that I have to read this pattern back to front aswell. Yes, being a lefty adds to the complications! It means I make a mirror image to what these pictures show. This is most noticable in when making booties or the like, if there's a pattern for a right bootie, it'll end up being a left bootie for me! In this particular case the chart shows the work being made in a zigzag fashion starting from left to right then back to left. Im working right to left then back to right. It almost makes me dizzy!

So all in all, after much gushing I guess what Im trying to say is, its with work like this that I feel like Im making art, not just crafting! :) And as the author mentioned over on her blog 'I love the engineering on this pattern. What looks like a hundred little flower motifs is actually crocheted all in one piece. Fabulous!'

xx Emma

Oh and PS, Im making this scarf for my lovely neighbour as a belated birthday present. Hope she loves it just as much as I do!

Sharing a bit of blog love!

2011-11-07T10:05:00.000+08:00

Well I was greeted with some nice news this morning, my Giant Doily Rug has been featured over on this lovely blog. What a treat! Im glad there are so many people that love my rug, I do too!

Baby Waves update

2011-11-05T16:55:00.000+08:00

Hello all, just a quick post to share with you all my little 'ta-daa' moment. The blanket is finished! Ended up with an odd number of 81 rows. Popped 4 rounds of sc around and finished it off with a picot edging. A blocking in the gorgeous sun today and its all ready to pack away for a special little boy in the not too distant future.. maybe its our turn to have one?!? Other details are on this post.
Have a good one!!

xx Em

Giant Doily Rug

2011-10-31T16:42:00.002+08:00

Two posts in one day!! I thought I would share with you another finished job, its taken a long time (like 6 months!!) from start to finish. Anyone who has been over to our place within that time frame would have seen this project in various stages of construction.

And here it is finally completed. Our giant doily floor rug.

A 15mm hook was needed for this project and the inspiration came from here. The woman made her rug without a hook!!! The cord I used was actually 10mm cotton piping from the upholstery place where I used to work. I started with a reel that was given to me when I bought my industrial sewing machine from them, but that didnt quite make it large enough for my liking, so another reel was purchased to complete this. I would say approx 900m was used for this rug. Here are a few more shots while it was a work in progress:

Here it is completed and having a soak in napisan for a couple of days.

I needed to get the wheelbarrow in to get it out, once it was soaking,

it was impossible to carry on my own!

It then spent a day out on the trampoline to dry,

only then did it make its way back inside.

And a couple more shots of the FO!

That's all for today!!!

xx Emma

Baby Waves

2011-10-31T09:18:00.001+08:00

Hello all our lovely blog viewers! Im back again to share another project with you all! I must admit that it is not exactly completed but you can almost not tell by the photo. Its a baby blanket that Ive decided to make out of the left over yarn from the Wedding Blanket that was made for SIL and her hubby. Omitting the red and black. The pattern is from this beautiful blog called Attic 24, I love Lucy's use of colour! And here is my version of it.

Its got about 15 more rows to go and I strategically hid all the 50 odd ends that still need to be darned in, just to take this picture!
As you can maybe tell, there is no particular order to these stripes, as I used this random stripe generator that I found online to determine the sequence of colours. It actually makes the whole process a lot of fun! You just need to pick your colours, punch in details such as how many stripes you want and stripe widths and it comes up with a pattern for you. If you dont like the pattern it makes, you simply refresh the page till one comes up that takes your fancy! Its been really nice to watch the colours grow on the blanket with every new row... I think I'll be using that application again!

Well till next time, happy crafting!
xx Em

Summer Dress

2011-10-19T09:10:00.000+08:00

Yay, Im busy working on some new projects, for a minute there I was stumped with what to start on next! Here is a dress that I have finished for my eldest. She ADORES her new outfit as it apparently twirls really well.
Here's a bit of a description of how I put it together. First, I started with some beautiful soft acrylic yarn- it was vitally important NOT to be itchy, seeing as it would be right on her skin. This 100% acrylic Little Grins from Spotlight fit the requirements perfectly, and the colour was a bonus! Then I found some printed cotton to match. This stuff that I picked up was acutally in the quilting section, a little heavier than your average cotton, but I couldnt go past the pattern and colours!

The crochet stitch that I decided to use for the bodice was found in a book on my shelf called 'The needlework Book' and it was called the 'close shell stitch', which describes it nicely! I basically just designed the shape as I went, no idea of stitch count or rows or anything, so please dont ask! ;) A tip though, I had a singlet of hers handy to keep a guage on how the shape and size should go, and having her close by for the occasional fitting helped too!

(Edited to add a closeup shot of the bodice here for Denise dV)

The next thing I did was to calculate roughly how long I wanted her skirt to be, and then added about 20cm onto that (I repeat, roughly!) With this measurement I cut the skirt pieces to size. Which is simply 2 squares that measure (in this case) 65cm from centre out diagonally to the corners. Then I measured her waist, and cut out a hole of that dimension in the centre of each square. I then offset the 2 squares diagonally to eachother and stitched the two holes together, then they were stitched to the top. And that's it! I made a waist band to go round the middle, hemmed the skirt, added a little ribbon, and ties on the shoulders... voila!

One very pleased little girl! :)

xxEm

Update from Henrietta

2011-10-06T09:05:00.001+08:00

Hello its me Henrietta again! Thought I better post a few before I forgot all about them! I made this for my Oma for her birthday! They are moving house and so thought I would make her something special for their new house. Its turned out really nice and wanted to keep it but I thought stop thinking selfish and when I gave it to her she love it! Just seeing how much they love these things that is more than enough to see why we make things like these! I even used some of my Bali material and that worked really well.

another shot!

A bag a made for a girl up in perth! I made one for my sister and she really wanted one and so she emailed me and I went out straight away to look for material! I was quite excited to make one again seeing as I have not made one for a while! but it turned out quite nice and I was happy with the colors! Can't wait until she gets it!!!!

My beautiful flowergirl

2011-10-04T15:10:00.001+08:00

Wow, what a weekend! The wedding was beautiful SIL looked stunning and Halle did a great job as flowergirl. The dresses looked the part and just survived the day. Both girls managed to rip out most of the flounces that we had made, by accidentally stepping on the skirts, but nothing that could not be fixed by a quick slip of a safety pin. So here are some pictures to share of my girl.. isnt she just the cutest!?!?

I didnt get a good shot of Halle walking in, but heres a quick snap as they left.

Halle on the left.

Flounces all still in tact at this point in time!

Rear shot, see that little boy in the background admiring her.. lol

Any real princess dress needs to stand up to the pirouette test

(which I fear it didn't, I think at this point she stepped on the back of the skirt and ripped out a flounce!)

Here are the girls with their beautiful Aunty

Wedding present

2011-09-19T09:41:00.000+08:00

Hooray another finished project to share. With just 2 weeks till my SIL gets married, Im glad to have this blanket done on time! Started way back in March, admittedly it hasnt taken me all that time, as we all know how quickly I get distracted by other projects. But its still taken a whole lot of work. 8 different colours, over 160 squares in 6 different sizes with over 400 colour changes, so that means I must have darned in more than 800 ends.. my fingers ache just thinking about it!!

Ive kept notes of my work over on Ravelry.
So here are some pictures of the finished result.

Measuring in at 1.45 x 1.25m it should make a nice throw for the couch and a blanket to snuggle under while reading a good book! I really hope they like it!

I will share with you all soon the flowergirl dresses that Ive been working on with my other SIL, they are so close to being done too!

xx Em

Mini Projects

2011-09-14T10:06:00.001+08:00

Hi there! It's been aaaages since I last posted here - between a baby and moving house I have barely had enough to fill up my own blog! But things have started to settle down a bit now and I am managing a little more crafting - although now that baby is well and truly on the move so keeping me busy!

Last week over on Sewing Belle I posted about a beautiful Doll's House my Opa made for me when I was (a lot) younger. I shared some little projects I made for the house and have since found a few more so I thought I would share them here.

Firstly some tiny crocheted granny squares - crocheted with a 0.6mm hook which is so tiny mine in fact snapped inside my storage pouch of hooks, darning needles etc! These squares were destined to be chair pads - that means only 6 to go?!

Secondly a little knitted cardigan complete with bead 'buttons'. I have no idea what sort of thread/yarn I used to knit this and I remember at the time having trouble tracking down the 1mm needles - I think they are actually meant for beading.

Hopefully it won't be so long between posts from now on!!

Bec

Granny Square Vest

2011-09-09T09:31:00.000+08:00

I am very busy finishing off a couple of big items before my SIL's wedding in October. So hopefully I get them finished in time and can share with you!
But in the mean time I got distracted by this little project.. and Im actually quite impressed with how it turned out. All the while when working on this vest I was wavering between loving the idea and thinking it would look ridiculous. But once I tried it on miss E, I decided it could definitely be worn out in public! The pattern is called 'Granny Square to wear' and that is precisely what it is!! Two squares in fact, arms added and then stitched together, viola!
Admittedly I didnt quite read the pattern, but took the general idea from it, so all credit still goes to the designer! :)

The most challenging part of this project was getting little Miss E to sit still for more than 1 second to get a good photo!! Such a ratbag!

And here's a close-up of the flower I put on to just fancy-it-up a little.

Thats all for now

Some completed projects...

2011-09-04T22:30:00.000+08:00

Hi Everyone,
Finally an update from me (Sharelle)! Its been awhile but I do have some finished off projects to show off :) Will get straight into the photos and explain from there...

This is a small wall hanger called 'Tiptoe through the Tulips' I made this for my Oma's Birthday, she loves Tulips and loved the wall hanger which is great :) The pattern was from a past issue of Handmade Magazine.

Another Birthday Present here, my Mum and I worked on this one together as a 30th Birthday gift for fellow Handmade Rainbow blogger Hen, the pattern is called 'Washday' and is from a very old issue of Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

A close up of some of the details of the quilt...

Another gift again! Iv made a few of these 'Rag Quilts' now but I still dont tire of them! This one was made for a very special little girl born to an old school friend of mine, this little cherub has just fought thru 2 operations in the first 2 weeks of life, so she definetly deserved somthing special as a gift! (Sorry for the poor photo quality, I rushed to take a photo before I dropped it off to be delivered and didnt realise how bad the lighting was until I loaded the photo to my computor!)

And just a close up of the flannel fabric used, just love this owl print! The photos dont do it justice!

Update from Hen

2011-08-19T15:05:00.001+08:00

Hello Hello everyone I know a post from if wonders never cease!! I thought it high time to put a few pics on to show you that I have not given up sewing.. far from it but I never think to take pics and post them so this time I did a few!! think I like it! I have a few other projects as well so ppost soon they are done and are in my cupboard and I better take some pics soon!! They will be making there way to canada as baby presents so better take some soon and send those off. For the rest busy with a quilt I am making for my oldest daughter Angelina and then one the same with a few different colors for my daughter Tess. so can't wait to finish those!! then what next,, I have been wanting to start my cross stitching soon and also to crochet a blanket for bubs number 3!! Yes we are have another baby in the beginning of Feb. so was thinking of maybe crocheting a baptism blanket. so we will see how that starts off. So a few projects on the way and hope I remember to take some pics of the some before I give them away! so hope to talk to you all soon again!

A hat I crocheted for my sisters little boy Isaiah!! still have to send it off but thought I better get a few things for the other boys,, so just finished that and will be sending it off shortly! this is the hat that I crocheted with my friend Emma

Heres the top of the hat!! was actually proud of myself,, well I had a wonderful teacher! my daughter was not to happy to be wearing thes so did not get any cute head shots

A blanket I made for my sister Francine for her little girl Lianne May! She was born 10 weeks early and is doing incredibly well. that was a while ago and so finally finished and off that is going to canada!!! can't wait until she gets it!! Turned out quite nice and I made this with a friend that I sew with quite often as well! she made one as well!!

and another pics!

Just a bit of a closer pic so you can see abit more! next week off it goes in the mail!

So until next time Henrietta

Cardi for newborn

2011-08-18T08:40:00.000+08:00

Hello, here's a little project I whipped up yesterday after hearing of a new little bubba being born. The little girl was born a healthy 7lb 6oz, very close to the size of my girls. So that got me thinking, how about I make her a little piece of clothing that will fit her straight away. I remember what it was like to have so many clothes, but none that fitted my petite little newborns. So here is the result a teeny tiny cardi. The pattern is called Bombay Love and it has a bit of an oriental look to it. Its designed to go over the top of a long sleeve, I think it would look cute over a grow-suit!

And a close-up of the button detail.. arent they cute?

Now I must get it to little Miss bub as soon as I can.

Reggie

2011-08-05T22:05:00.001+08:00

I'd like you all to meet a little guy who emerged from my yarn stash today.

Introducing Reggie the Rectangle.

He's one cool little cushie who just happens to be rather cuddly too.

So you think you can sew?

2011-08-02T21:11:00.003+08:00

Not in comparison to the other girls on this blog, but I gave it my best shot today! Miss E has been sleeping under a coverless quilt for 5 months now, so today I decided the situation had to be corrected. And here is the result.

Although this is not a clear pic it gives you an idea of what it looks like (and maybe hides a bit of the 'roughness'.) But Im happy with the results. I tried a bit of gathering on one section, and a ruffle here and some ripple ribbon there. Viola! Still need to add some press studs to the opening, but its already got a sleeping girl under it, so that will have to wait till tomorrow..

The fabric is so cute, just love the little birdies, here's a close-up of them!

x Em

Photos to share

2011-08-02T20:55:00.000+08:00

Oh its so nice to hear from our readers out there! I recieved a lovely email from an old school friend who tried out my newsboy cap pattern and has got some wonderful results. She's talented, both in crocheting and photography!! And not only that, her girls are so cute! So with her permission Im letting all you out there see the pictures she shared with me. Thanks Leanne! :)

Im sure Im not the only one here at The Handmade Rainbow that loves to hear that this blog is being followed and its so exciting to see patterns being tried. So feel free when you drop by to leave us a comment, it makes our day!

Pattern- The Basic BucketHead Beanie

2011-07-28T21:46:00.016+08:00

As promised for a friend, here is that pattern.

Nothing fancy here, and I will add the earflap instructions soon.

The reason I have given this pattern the name 'BucketHead' is because it basically looks like a bucket as you build it. The first 5 rows make a flat circle (like the base of a bucket) and then the following 6-13 rows create the 'sides' of the bucket.

Following these instructions should make a hat with a circumference of around 50cm to fit a 2 year old child.

If you require a different size, I'll let you in on a little tip! Here are a-million-and-one head circumference charts. Find the average size of the head you plan to make the beanie for and divide the measurement by 4 (we are working on pi concept, which is 3.14, but seeing as crochet has a fair bit of give and stretch, lets just make it easy and round it up) With that figure in mind start crocheting your increase rounds (which are explained in rounds 1-5 in this pattern) but have a ruler handy.You have made the correct size when your work's diameter is to the figure you calculated.

Heres an example:

I was aiming to make a beanie for a 2 year old with head circ of approx 50cm. So dividing by 4 is a diam of 12.5cm.

This picture is taken of the test beanie Im making after 5 round of increase. Its a little hard to see but it measures in at 13.5cm. Dont fear with being a cm out, were working with wool here, very forgiving!

You can then start with the no-increase rounds (as explained in rows 6-13 in this pattern) As a finished beanie this example sits unstretched at 50cm, so it will fit nicely on a 2-3 year old little girl.

16cm x 3.14 = 50.24cm diam

a little bit of math never goes astray to get a good result!

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This pattern is written in US terms, to translate to UK/AUS terms replace ‘dc’ with ‘tr’

You will need a 5mm (H) hook and double strands of 8ply yarn

Notes for reading pattern:

ch: chain

dc: double crochet (UK/AUS: tr)
sl st: slip stitch
st(s): stitch(es)

For those who may need a little help in reading the jargon below, when you read
’repeat**(number) more times’
It simply means look for the two asterisks in the instructions and repeat whatever is written between those asterisks as many times as instructed.

Pattern:

Start with a magic loop as described here (there are lots of youtube demonstrations too!)

Or an alternative start is ch 4 and sl st into 4th ch from hook.

Round 1: ch 2, (this is to be counted as the beginning dc in every round) make 11 more dc into the ring. Sl st into the 2nd ch of the beginning dc. Pull ring tight if using magic ring technique (12sts).

Round 2: ch2, dc 1 into the same st, (this counts as the first increase and every increase round should start the same) *do 2 dc in next stitch*, repeat ** 10 more times. Sl st into the 2nd ch of the beginning dc. (24sts)

Round 3: ch 2, dc 1 into same st, 1dc in next st, *2dc in next st, 1dc in next st*, repeat ** 10 more times. Sl st into the 2nd ch of the beginning dc. (36sts)

Round 4: ch 2, dc 1 into same st, 1dc in each of the next 2 sts, *2dc in next st, 1dc in each of the next 2 sts*, repeat ** 10 more times. Sl st into the 2nd ch of the beginning dc. (48sts)

Round 5: ch 2, dc 1 into same st, 1dc in each of the next 3 sts, *2dc in next st, 1dc in each of the next 3 sts*, repeat ** 10 more times. Sl st into the 2nd ch of the beginning dc. (60sts)
Increase rounds completed- If you desire a larger hat, increase for as many rounds as you require.

Round 6-13: ch 2, dc 1 into same st, then make 1 dc in each st all the way round. Sl st into 2nd ch of the beginning dc. (60sts )

Be sure to count your sts on these rounds, you don’t want to accidentally add 1 more dc than what is in the previous round. It may seem that there is room for 1 more dc before the end, but if you’ve already made your 60 sts (which includes your beginning dc made from ch2 ) skip it!

I find the join looks straighter doing it this way.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

That is it! Easy peasy!

Edited to add pictures of 2 little girls in their jammies modeling a version of the beanie.

Miss 16 month old who wouldn't stand still for a second

Miss 3 year old who posed straight away

x Emma

BabyBlues Babette

2011-07-27T15:18:00.002+08:00

Hello all! So guess who is obsessed with this pattern? This is my 3rd babette to date, and actually my first completed one! Admittedly it isn't a full version of the pattern, as being a baby blanket I used only about 1/4 of the squares. I worked with double strands of 8 ply in 6 different colours, and a 6.5mm hook, and the end product is a chunky looking baby boy blanket. So happy with the result!

And seeing it is such a beautiful day outside I thought I would take my pics out in the bush!

Raveled here

That's all for now!

xEmma

Cross over cardi #2

2011-07-18T14:32:00.002+08:00

The last post from me for the day I promise!
In previous post I showed you the new cardi I made for Halle.Which was my own design. She has worn it for a couple of Sundays now and while the cardi goes over her head fine, she battles getting her long arms in. The best way to get it off or on is legs first.. not the easiest thing to do in church! lol! I tried not to take it personally when she asked to wear a different button-up jumper this past Sunday.

But I havent given up yet!!! This is take 2 on the cardi. I worked in 8 ply acrylic yarn, which is a lot easier to come across than the chunky used for Halle's version. And with the same amount of starting stitches it came out Elodie's size!!

You know how little tummies tend to stick out? It does make this version of the cardi ride up quite easily. So notes have been taken and take#3 is in the works with a longer body, the crop style is gone and a full jumper is the effect Im looking for in the next version (plus Im trying stripes) hopfully to fit the middle sized girl of the family, who is in fact feeling left out.

Raveled here

X Emma

Pattern test booties

2011-07-18T14:03:00.001+08:00

I know of a couple of ladies that are expecting new little bundles of joy within the next few days (hopefully!!) so what better timing to test out a pattern for newborn booties! This pattern was sent to me via a lovely fellow raveler who actually has her own blog and etsy shop. Her plan is to sell this pattern at a very reasonable price, but she wanted a few testers before doing so. I was happy to put my hand up for that job!! And here's the result:

Now If my guess is correct these booties will find a home in the next couple of days as I think that my neighbour will be having a little boy (today!) Besides if Im wrong, Im sure a little man will turn up sooner or later! Im close to finishing a little vest with the same colours to match.

A handmade present for a Handmade Rainbow sister

2011-07-18T13:49:00.001+08:00

Hello all, someone among us has just reached the big 3-0. She has beaten the rest of us to it, and has taken leaving the 20's behind her very energetically! The 3 of us still left in our 20's were under strict instructions to make something for her birthday, and Im glad to say that we didnt let her down. Im sure the other girls will get round to posting soon, Bec has popped a post up on her own blog, and here is my little creation.

This is a cowl, modeled by a very sleep-deprived version of me.
Ive decided I need one of these for my own neck, so warm, and much easier to wear than a scarf! :) I hope she enjoys it and it gets some wear this winter!

More crochet!

2011-06-29T10:58:00.004+08:00

Ive got a few different things to show off today, finally got some finished projects!!

First here is the project that Ive been working on with Hen over the past couple of weeks.

Dinosaur Beanie...

My plan was to send this to a little 3 months old that I know but after trying it on the head of a 2 months old Ive decided to save it for a newborn, as it was snug on the head of an 8 week old!! So this is basically the same pattern as the beanie I made for my nephew in a previous post, with different shape earflaps and ofcourse on a smaller scale. Ive promised to write this out one day to share with you all, will get to it soon Jell!! Hen has finished her version too, Im sure she will post soon! hint hint Hen! lol! The spikes were not our design, the pattern for it is found here.

My next little project was another hat this time for my little 6 month old niece.

The funny thing about this is that I started with the plan to make a beanie but for some reason it just grew HUGE very fast, so instead of ripping out rows -which would be a pain seeing each row had a change of colour- I changed it into a berret style cap by doing one decrease row (every 3 sts) and then finishing it off with a few rounds of sc (dc for us aussies). Popped a few flowers along the edge to 'girl' it up. Viola!

Im quite excited about this next project Im showing you. This is my own personal pattern for a crossover cardigan. This is the first Ive made and I know there will be a few little things to iron out, but I hope that I can write up this pattern and share it all with you one day! I only started it on Monday, its a really quick and easy design that works up quite thick and warm. Perfect for Halle's winter Sunday wardrobe!

So here it is the Chunky Crossover Cardi-

what do you think? I will probably be needing some pattern testers over the next few weeks, so if anyone is interested, shoot me your email! Its suitable for beginners/ novice as it only requires you to know how to ch, sc, hdc and dc.(American terms, I know bad eh? But I can give it to you in AU/UK terms too) It would also help to know how to inc dc and dec dc, but thats really easy to learn I promise!

So I will leave you with 2 last projects with links to their patterns. Ive been a busy little crocheter lately! :)

This is the hundred yard dash scarf, using the hairpin lace technique!

And here are some Mary Jane Slippers, such an easy pattern and worked up so cute.. too bad my dog has already chewed this pair.

Thats all for now!!

Emma :)

Craft Update

2011-06-26T14:13:00.001+08:00

Wow It’s been ages since I blogged (so long I actually forgot the password and log-in for the blog!) so i do apologise and hopefully I won’t have such a big break between posts again! I actually haven’t been doing a whole of sewing so there isn’t a lot to show you all! The project I’m sharing to today has been ongoing for the last 4 or so months. It is what’s called a beginners sampler, I am making it in a quilting class that I’m doing along with Henrietta. Even though we've both been sewing for a little while, we are pretty much self taught or taught by others so we thought it would be a good idea to get some 'professional training' :D so we signed up for a beginners quilting class. Well i can say we've learnt lots, kicked bad habits and have produced a beautiful wall hanging in the process! We attend every Thursday night and for approx 3hrs we are taught how to make a block for our quilt, each block teaches a different technique and put together form what’s called a beginners sampler. We aren’t quite finished yet, although were getting close! But seeing as this has been what’s taken up most of my time I thought id share the progress with you!

Hopefully now Hen will blog the progress of hers and you can see how differant they both are! Its awesome to see how differant fabric choices make the same quilt look so differant!

Excuse the bad quality of the photos, I thought I would take the pics outside as the lighting was better but I ended up having to snap the pics very quickly as the wind kept trying to blow it away! xx Sharelle

Almost finished, just needs another brown strip on either side, then it still has a border aswell, then comes the big job of quilting!

'Crocket Cabin'

'Dresden Plate'

'Card Trick'

'Album Block'

'Log Cabin'

'Dutchmans Puzzle'

'Square in a Square'

'Applique'

'Martha Washington Star'

'Coventry Cottage'

'Drunkard Path'

'Gentlemans Fancy'

Babette progress

2011-05-16T09:36:00.002+08:00

Hello again. Im swamping the blog now.. another project to report on! This one I have mentioned before, it was started back in November and has been in and out of hibernation several times over the past few months. Time to show it off again. :)
Firstly I thought I'd show you how Im storing it! A centre piece for my new coffee table which I got for mothers day- spoilt me!

Just love all that colour, even on a gloomy rainy day like today. I also love how easy it is to pick up the hook and make a square whenever the urge calls.

And this is where Im up to

Only about 30 squares to go!!!! Im still unsure what I should do for a border -which it does need, as its really quite a small afghan.. any suggestions!?!

I will leave you now with a few close ups, even on this dull day these colours are so cheery! Hope they brighten your day!

Thats all for now!

Emma

PS. Did you spot my other project? Its not quite finished yet, but thats for another day's post!

Crocheted Clover Scarf

2011-05-14T22:37:00.001+08:00

Another little project done to report on! This one is for my dear SIL.. here is the link to the pattern. I think it will look quite lovely on her. Its her birthday on Monday, hope she likes it.

My scarf is a bit narrower than the pattern, I had to do that to make sure I had enough yarn to make a decent length! :)

This pic was taken in the process of making it, will try and take another picture before I post in on Monday!

It was an easy pattern and fun to do!

Emma

Earflap Beanie

2011-05-03T16:34:00.001+08:00

A quick little project that I whipped up today.
The story behind it is my Mum was visiting my sister in Esperance. One day while out shopping my sister was about to buy her 1 year old boy a crocheted beanie, but my Mum stopped her. Convincing her that I would be able to whip one up just like that in no time....

so no time later, here it is!

modelled by my little girl looking quite the part (can anyone see the fat lip she copped today?!) To be honest I have no idea if it is anything like the one nearly purchased, but it should look cute on him all the same!

edited: adding the link to beanie pattern

More birthday presents

2011-05-03T16:28:00.000+08:00

Still a huge thankyou from me to Hen and Sharelle for my cool birthday present. I love it! I thought I would add a picture of the table runner which was given me as Hen's post didnt add any close ups!

So here they are,

And then I was spoilt enough to get a handmade present from Bec aswell, a project bag!!! She knows me too well! lol! I totally love it, and it has come in handy already...

Already showing signs of being well used, apologies about the wrinkles, it went camping with us last week.. :)

Thanks so much girls!!

New Pyjamas!

2011-04-30T16:08:00.001+08:00

Its fastly approaching winter in our neck of the woods (south of Western Australia) and with winter comes the need for warmer clothes, pajamas in particular! Today I sewed my eldest (3yr old boy) a pair of Pajama pants :) We made a special trip to spotlight this morning and he picked out the fabric he wanted, Lightning McQueen flanelette it was! I didnt use a tutorial or pattern for these, just traced onto baking paper the outline of a pair of pants he fitted, and then used my basic knowledge for sewing clothes! After our trip to spotlight we raced into Target and picked up a plain long sleeve Tee Shirt to match (im not game enough to sew that aswell!) at home I was digging around in my sewing box and I found a little lightning mcqueen transfer so I also sewed that onto the shirt to match. Master 3 was very happy with the finished product, so much so that he has worn them since 3:00 this arvo and refuses to take them off...so long as he wants to take them off tomorrow morning to get dressed for Church im not bothered :)

Finished product...

Trying to give Mum the thumbs up...LOL!

Birthday Present

2011-04-12T15:17:00.000+08:00

I am posting this on behalf of Sharelle - she made me this beautiful table runner for my birthday, sewing in collaboration with Henrietta (see the post below). Sharelle forgot to take a pic before giving it to me so I took one this morning (had to wait until my table was tidy!!).

Thanks again Sharelle, I love it! If you would like to see what I made for Emma and Sharelle's birthday you can pop over to Sewing Belle :-)

Bec

Table Runners!

2011-04-11T07:31:00.005+08:00

A table runner for Emma!

Hello Again,, I know its been a long time and I can name all the excuses that I can its just been so busy over here. I had my parents out for a couple months and so had to share them with my sister that lives in perth. We also went to perth for a bit of the time and also on holidays. We had a very enjoyable time with them and looking forward to the next time,, who knows when that will be! I will try and be a bit more dedicated this time round, I just had to actually do it Its not like I have not been sewing for the last while I just have been sewing and giving them away before I have taken a photo of them,, but I remembered with these 2 and so thought I better post them before I forget. It was Sharelles birthday and so I thought I should make something for her and so I went with Sharelles mom and we found some material and so off I went sewing. It was also Emmas birthday the same day and Becs 2 days later and so we put our thinking caps on and decided to sew the girls something together!( Sharelle and I did) and this is what we came up with. Table runners, I am sure they will get good use out of them!!! I have some up coming projects that I really want to get started..I would love to make for my 2 girls quilts for there bed and so I hope to start that soon. I also have my sister and her friends here from Canada and so I will be making them something to remind them of there wonderful time in Australia. I also thought this year for some presents I will try and make them something. Not sure if it will work all the time but I will sure try. Will see you next time!!! not to long away:)

A table runner for Sharelle

Sunday Cardi

2011-04-05T13:25:00.001+08:00

Hello blog world, Im back! So glad Sharelle and Bec have been keeping this place alive. We are now in our new place and settling in nicely, even had the time for a bit of crocheting. And Ive finally finished a project to share with you all.

A cardi for Miss Tilly.. :)

Im really happy with the way it turned out, a nice quick and easy pattern. The original pattern is for infant, but with a bigger hook and extra rows it fits her beautifully. I also decided to keep the arms short, and not make the body too long, as I had made it to specifically go over this dress, and its not quite winter here yet, so she should get some wear out of it. Here's the pattern link . I do think I will be making more like this!

That is all for now, Ive got lots of project 3/4 finished so hopefully I will not be gone too long!

Emma

Craft Night Project

2011-03-25T11:11:00.000+08:00

We had another lovely craft night last weekend - thanks Sharelle for hosting! Thankfully her power went back on before we all got there :-)

This was my project for the night - a gathered clutch - tutorial from here. I messed up the zipper a little bit so I haven't shown it from this angle! It was a practice one, so now I know for next time!

Bec

Catch-up!

2011-03-13T20:02:00.000+08:00

Wow, we have really been quiet here!!

I know we have all been busy sewing and crafting (we even squeezed in our first craft night of the year last month) but we have been too busy to post much :-) Emma is also without internet in her new house and may be for a little while longer.

Personally, I have been busy with this little creation! I have slowly been finding more time for some sewing though which you can read about over on Sewing Belle.

We have another craft night planned for this Friday night - hopefully we remember to take photos this time!

Bec

What I have been busy with...

2011-01-18T16:50:00.001+08:00

As the title suggests this is a quick post of what I (sharelle) have been busy with in the last month or so...inbetween the madness that is Christmas & the New year and Holidays ect!

A pair of Denim Pants for my Little Miss

Close up - dont you just love the owl hem, i do!

Patchwork Diary Cover, this was a christmas gift for my BIL girlfriend...

Another Christmas gift for my SIL

So there you have it, you can also add another Diary Cover and another bag to the list but i forgot to take photos of them before gifting them oh and also another pair of baby pants! The Christmas gifts were last minute rushed sewing (and by rushed i mean finishing the bag at 9:30pm on Christmas Eve!), we dont generally do christmas presents in our family (and extended family) but decided at the last minute to organise a Secret Santa with Hubbys Family to kill some time Christmas evening :)

At the moment I am madly scambling to finish Miss W's quilt that I have shown a sneak preview of in a previous post. It was meant to be finshed for her first birthday but that was on Saturday just gone so I've decided that now the sooner I do manage to finish it the better! I am resisting the urge to start anything else new until this is done!

Till next time,
Sharelle

Click here for Diary Tutorial
Click her for Baby Pants Tutorial - with this particular pattern I did adjust the size to fit a one year old...

Babette Blanket

2011-01-04T21:54:00.000+08:00

Hello, a whole month between posts! Thats pretty bad, blame it on the time of year though, were all busy Mums and time is just flying by.

But Im still hooking whenever and wherever I can. My latest project is finally getting to a size that Im happy to share what Im doing. I started this in early December, and am currently about 1/2 way through. It will end up being a fairly small blanket (to what I was expecting) but its turing out to be a lot of fun. Simple square, lots of bright colours and lots and lots of weaving in ends! This is where I originally discovered the pattern (isnt it beautiful!!!) and here is more detail on my 'Babette Journey'.
So hopefully I will finish it within the next month or so and post a picture of the finished product for you to see. BUT we should be moving house within that time too, so I wont promise too much!

So thats all from me for now!!
Emma

A few little things

2010-12-01T10:08:00.002+08:00

Hello, I am just stopping by to let you all know that I havent forgotten about our blog, and I certainly havent stopped crocheting. I think Im currently in the process of becoming the queen of WIP's (Work In Progress) as my collection of half finished projects seems to be growing by the day.

Some stuff I cannot show on here right now, as they're are presents, but here are a few things that I can share.

The first being a little beanie-of-sorts which I originally planned to make for Elodie, but its just a touch on the small side, although she still does look adorable in it, don't you agree? But then, as her mother I may be a little biased, I would still consider her adorable even if she was dressed in a paper bag! :)

I will be gifting this one on to a newborn some day. Here's a link to the pattern..

more detail on my work is here.

Then there is the novelty idea of making a beanie that looks like a fish eating your head... I know it sounds really odd, but I personally think its AWESOME! ha ha! My progress so far is not really much to see, it wont start looking like a fish till I add lips, fins and scales but linked here and here are other people's finished projects, you gotta admit, that's pretty cool!!

Then Im also in the process of depleting my scrappy yarn stash by means of a granny blanket. Its not the prettiest combination of colours, but Im sure it will be the kind of blanket that will get a good load of use come next winter. Every time I look at it, it makes me imagine what a rainbow would look like after being put through the blender.. lol!

Please excuse the grainy pic, it was taken with my web cam.. it doesnt really show the true colours, there's actually a lot of bright pinks, purples and blues through it. I will update to a clearer photo once Im finished the project.

So that's all for now!

Emma

Another Rag Quilt

2010-11-15T15:21:00.000+08:00

This is one of the projects iv been working on inbetween working on my other quilt (see previous post of mine) its another Rag Quilt (similar to the one iv made previously) with just a few differant flannel fabrics in it. This was a gift for my good friend's (and aunty's!) little boy. I decided he deserved somthing special seeing as he is a boy born after 3 little girls! We went to perth on the weekend to meet him for the first time and he is adorable! Hopefully he will get some use out of this as he gets a bit older (they are great for play matts!)

Drying out on the line after it was washed...

Sharelle

Craft Night 5/11/2010

2010-11-12T17:20:00.001+08:00

We held our annual craft night last week friday at Henrietta's house! Some quick snaps from the night...

Emma & Hen...busy busy

Bec ironing

Bec & Emma hard at work

P.S Before you ask where the pic of me you took is Hen it was a bit blurry so i didnt add it :D
x Sharelle

Crocheted Blanket

2010-11-09T10:02:00.001+08:00

My mom crocheted me a blanket and I always wanted to make one ever since. For my birthday I got a crocheting booklet and I just learned from there, Also with some help from my fellow friends. I made this blanket for my daughter Angelina, we painted her room a lite purple and so I thought this would go with it quite well. I needed a break from cross stitching and so I thought will just make a blanket and so at least I have something to do at nites. and now its done and I am actally proud of my handy work. But now that I am done I think I will start another one I will miss doing it at nites, just not sure how much wool is left in the stores but will have to go and check it out.

My daughter Angelina wanted a pic with her new blanket. So cute she says to me this morning when I gave it to her mom can I put it in my room on my bed.. they just love new things.

Henrietta

2010-11-08T09:35:00.000+08:00

Craft evening was very nice last Friday, thanks Hen for having us! Thought I would post up the little project that I whipped up aswell. Our evening had a theme, to do something babyish, so I decided to make a little baby rattle, similar to this one I found online.

And this is my version, introducing to you Tinkin' Tweet;

So after spotting this pattern on ravelry it all fell together quite neatly. Thanks Sharelle for the bell too. I completed it all in the one evening, between chatting and cups of tea!

Elodie quite enjoys her new little toy!

Emma

Baby Pants

2010-11-06T11:06:00.001+08:00

We had our monthly craft night last night which Hen will be sharing photos of soon - a baby theme this time. Seeing as I was taking photos of some projects for my Sewing Belle blog this morning I thought I would share my project from last night straight away - some little denim baby pants.

The pattern is a free (yay!) one from Made by Rae and they were really easy to make. I used denim for the pants and a bright cotton fabric that I bought on sale a while ago for the pockets and hem binding. Since comparing with some other baby clothes they are probably closer in size to a 000, next I hope to applique a plain onesie to match!

Bec

A sneak peek...

2010-10-31T20:21:00.000+08:00

I was just checking our blog tonight to see what the other girls have been busy with when i realised how long its been since iv posted something myself! Its not for lack of not being busy with anything either! I'm working on a rather large (and by large i mean single bed size...which is large enough for me for now!) quilt! I was going to wait until the quilt was finished to show off the final product but really, who knows when that will be! So iv taken two quick pics, just a little sneak peek to keep you all guessing as to what the final product will look like!

OK so here's where i also admit that this is a Quilt Class that i have been doing at our local patchwork shop. Two full days of sewing....bliss (thanks mum for babysitting!) Although we had two full days there is still LOTS to be done on the quilt, the class taught us the basics of the pattern and now its up to us to finish it...eeekkk! My plan is to have it finished for my daughters first birthday, Jan 15th, only time will tell whether i get there or not :)

Till next time,
Sharelle

Annika the Amigurumi Doll

2010-10-28T08:53:00.001+08:00

Hooray, I can finally post again. I'd made myself the promise that I wouldnt post till I'd finished this project. And here she is:

Halle has chosen the name Annika, and she is already showing signs of being loved with Matilda's little red monkey finger marks on her dress!!

Annika stands about 35cm high, and the dress and shoes are removeable. A mental note to myself though, would be to make the dress and shoes with a larger hook if I was to ever make some more, as with a 3.5mm hook they are quite snug.

Here is a close up of the eye detail, while she was still dismembered.. :)

So lots of hours went into this doll, but its such a nice feeling to have it all completed. I may take a break from making any more dolls for a while, my project list is just far too long for me wanting to make another of these for a while.

And just incase you were looking for the link of the pattern I worked from, here it is again: http://stitch.hellooperator.net/free-patterns/amigurumi-doll/

Emma

Refashion!

2010-10-12T09:52:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I tried my hand at 'refashioning' some old shorts I had into a pair of maternity shorts, using a few tips from the tutorial found here. Instead of using an old t-shirt for the band I used some old ribbing I had lying around and made a tube which I sewed onto the shorts after unpicking the waistband.

It was a suprisingly easy job and sure beats paying $40 plus for a pair of shorts that will only get a few months use!

The same could be done with a denim skirt or even jeans - the only thing to remember is that they have to be a 'relaxed' fit as you will have to wiggle them over your hips because they don't have a functional zip front anymore :-)

Bec

Craft Night # 2

2010-10-04T10:22:00.000+08:00

We held our second craft night this past Friday night - my turn to host this time :-) We all managed to get a little bit done between yacking, eating and drinking (tea of course!) so that's always a good thing.

Sharelle sewed up a cute appliqued soft block for her little one, Henrietta was working on a gorgeous bag for her sister, Emma was making some great progress on her crochet dolls and I sewed together a flanelette baby doll for Izzy.

I thought I would share a recipe too of what we indulged on - a delicious lemon slice the recipe of which is courtesy of my sister-in-law Brenda. The photo is not my own because I forgot to take one but it looks fairly similar.

LEMON SQUARES

Base:

1 cup Butter

2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

Combine and press into a slice pan, bake at 180 degrees (160 fan forced) for 15 minutes

Meanwhile for the top, combine with a fork:

2 cups of Sugar (I didn't say it was healthy!!!)

1/4 cup of Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

4 Eggs

1/4 cup of Lemon Juice

Spread over baked base and bake at 180 degrees (160 fan forced) for 25 minutes or until lightly toasted on top.

Dust with icing sugar and cut into squares when cooled (if you can wait that long!!)

Bec

2010-10-03T16:14:00.000+08:00

I have not been on here for awhile and so I thought I better put some of the projects that I have been working on. I think I said I was making bags for my family back in canada, so that has been what I have been busy with. almost done now. a few more to go and then start something other then making bags, I do still have to make myself one thou. That always seems to happen last. I have also been crocheting but will show you when I am done which should be soon. next on my list I have some gorgeous material and want to make a little dress for my little girl tess. I have not sown clothes since high school, so that has been a long time ago. hope to find some easy pattern and see how it goes. Looking forward to trying something new. these bags will be one there way to canada soon for my 2 sisters and the middle one for a friend of my sisters. She seen her bag and would love one and so who can say no:) I do know her and she is a lovely person. just hope this is what she had in mind. Have to finish the bags this week. My sister from canada with her little boy are coming this weekend nad so not much sewing will be done then.. so until next time..

Projects galore!

2010-09-28T10:51:00.001+08:00

How many projects can you have going at one time?! I ask this because I really think I have to stop starting new ideas, and get to completing ones that Ive already started! Those slippers still havent made it round to the little bub as yet, so I thought maybe I'd add a little newsboy cap to match..

So Im about 2/3 of the way through that!

Then Ive started to think about what colours and decorations I'd like to do in the girls bedrooms in the new house. Starting with Elodie's room, I feel sorry for the poor thing, as she's currently sleeping in the corner of the store/spare room in a porta cott! My plan is to have a soft aqua-blue wall, and then use apricots and pinks in the decor to make it girly. So here's the beginnings of a rag quilt..

That's not all, I also have a 90x90cm canvas waiting for its 2nd coat of paint. I still have to decide what exactly to put on it, but Im gleaning ideas from here and here

And another project in the works is this nappy cover that I thought I'd try out. Still got the leg bands to do and add a few ruffles across the back.. :)

And what about those Amigurumi dolls??

Im looking forward to our next craft night coming up this week Friday, Ive just got to decide between now and then what to take with me to work on!

Emma

Cot Quilt for baby

2010-09-28T10:43:00.000+08:00

I whipped up this cot quilt top last week for our impending arrival using the space fabric I had purchased earlier and mixed it up with some nice bright prints and some lemon flanelette in the centre and on the backing for the extra snuggle factor!

The idea came from the tutorial here although I made it a fair bit bigger. I intend to applique the baby's name like they did and even though we have already decided on one I will wait until he is here and add it on last.

Next up is to do some quilting! Just straight lines this time - nice and easy :-)

We have another Handmade Rainbow craft night planned for this Friday so stay tuned for some more happenings on the blog!

Bec

Baby Daisy Slippers

2010-09-15T14:10:00.001+08:00

So inbetween crocheting dolls legs, I whipped up this little project for a friend who has just had a new baby girl. The plan was that I would bring it round to her this afternoon with a meal, but a bout of gastro changed those plans.. Im feeling better now and the booties are finished, I will have to organise a visit for next week to deliver!

So the inspiration comes once again from Holland Designs by Lisa van Klaveren. She designed a cute pair of kimono slippers with the flower and stem idea.
The actual bootie pattern is once again adapted from a pattern I found online here
I was getting way too fussy with flower patterns, I could not find one that was just quite right enough, so I made up my own little design. And the leaves were a last minute added extra, pattern found on this gorgeous blog.
(PS. That blog is well worth the look at! I really love the idea of dressing the naked branch)

And here's the final result:

They fit my (almost) 6 month old daughter, with a little toe room to spare. But I know she has got extra tiny feet. So for a gauge I would say they fit approx 3- 6 months. Hopefully this new little baby girl gets some wear out of them before Summer is over.

Thats all for now, back to crocheting dolls legs.....

Emma

Applique

2010-09-13T14:28:00.000+08:00

Seeing as these are finally on the way to their new owners this week i thought i would post a pic! These are two shirts i purchased from Target with the intent to applique 'somthing' on them as birthday presents for my friends little girls. Here is how they turned out, the first is for a little girl who loves ballet (and also takes lessons) and the second is a flower (because its girly and i couldnt quite think what this little girl 'was into'!) Hopefully they like them :) On the weekend i also did two long sleeve shirts for my little boy, i should have taken photos straight away as now one is in the wash and the other he is wearing!

If you are wanting to do somthing similar to this with your own childrens plain shirts a fantastic tutorial to follow is this one here, from our very own blogger Bec!

x Sharelle

2010-09-10T13:57:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone, I have not been on this blog for quite awhile. We have just moved house well 2 weeks ago to be exact and well slowly getting there. Not to sday I have not done any crafts during this time, I did finish off a bag for my sister in law.. will take a pic of it and put it on here soon.. and also started another bag as well, soon I will be all bagged out. I have to finish off the bags for the family first and then I thinka break from bags will be in order. I am also at the present time learning how to crochet. So far have been practising and now actually started, I want to make a blanker for each of my girls. For their new rooms. and then see what comes up after that. I have so many things that I want to do and just not enough time. I also would love to make a few of those flannel blankets for my sister and sister in law that are expecting. I think a tutorial on the blanket is in order Sharelle:) I am sure you have inspired many.. Many things that I want to get down and hope to slowly get my list done. So that is what I have been upto lately, hope to have some pics up soon...

Henrietta

Personalised Baby Blanket

2010-09-10T08:26:00.000+08:00

Sharelle inspired me to get moving on some things for our baby on the way - seeing she has already made something for me - see the post below!

For this quick project I personalised a ready-made coral fleece baby blanket that I bought on sale for $7! I added blanket stitch around the edge and finished it off with some hand applique of a rocket and some stars. Another great idea would be to do one with the baby's name, but as we haven't decided on that yet it might have to wait :)

Check out Sewing Belle for more details!

Bec

Rag Quilt

2010-09-06T16:44:00.000+08:00

Hello! So apart from all the sickness that has ravaged our household in the last week or so this is what i have been upto...my very first Rag Quilt! It is made out of Quilters Flannel and is to be a gift for a special baby boy who is due the end of Dec 2010! Yes im a bit ahead of myself but once i had all the fabric i was itching to see what it looked like all sewn up! So here it is, hopefully when this little one arrives he is as pleased with it as what i am (oh and his mum too!) :D

Hanging on the line after being washed (the first wash is essential as it gives the flannel its frayed look)

All dry and folded up!

x Sharelle

Craft Night!

2010-09-05T14:30:00.001+08:00

Last night (4th Sept 10) we held our first of what we hope to do once a month, Craft Night! Here are a couple of photos of what we got upto!

Group Shot = Sharelle, Hen, Bec & Emma

Sharelle Sewing, Hen learning to Crochet off Bec, Emma Crocheting

Our snacks for the night :)

Amigurumi Dolls

2010-09-03T14:10:00.001+08:00

Hello! Its time I share with you all what Im busy with at the moment. Getting a little tired of making hats, but still have a few to finish over the next couple of weeks. But my newest project is still in its very early stages, and it will probably be a good couple of months before Im done. Amigurumi Dolls!! 'Amigurumi' is a fancy Japanese word to describe the art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed creatures, usually animals. But in my case, not so small, (35cm tall) dolls.

And yes Im talking plural. One doll requires 6x 50g balls of wool in different colours, and me thinking I was smart, decided to buy 6x 200g balls of wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills and then mix and match the colours and make 4 dolls!!!! I do have 3 daughters after all, so three of the dolls will find a home right here, Im thinking the 4th will go to my little niece..
It will be interesting to see if I can get them all done before the year's out!
So here is the pattern that Im working from. So far Im working exactly to it, no deviations. But looking forward I may make the head a little more rounder than what the pattern suggests...
It is all worked in one type of stitch (sc) on a small hook to keep everything tight.
Its my first try at working from a pattern chart, I think Im getting the hang of it!

And this is how far Ive come, 3 and a half legs!

Considering my crazy weeks with birthdays and colds all round, I think Im doing pretty well!
Im really happy with the colours Ive picked, girly-ish, without using pink! :)

So Im off to go work on the rest of that leg!

Emma

We're still here!

2010-08-30T10:04:00.001+08:00

Just a quick note to say hi - and we are still here - and crafting in some way or another! Life has been busy for all of us the last few weeks - winter ills, moving house, birthdays and weekends away among other things :) And some projects just take a little while before we can share!

In the meantime I have finished my I Spy quilt - quilted myself and all. For a few more photos see my blog :)

Bec

I Spy Quilt with a border!

2010-08-12T09:49:00.000+08:00

I thought I would quickly add a photo of my I Spy Quilt top now that it has a border - it's amazing how it 'finishes' the quilt off. I used navy for a thin border around the squares and then a blue star print for a thicker second border. Once it is quilted I will use the same navy for the binding.

Why blue? To come to that decision I actually used Microsoft Paint - I imported the photo of the finished sqaures, deleted the background so it was surrounded by white space and then used the thick line tool to draw around the squares (to represent the first border). Then I drew around it again with a thinner line to represent the thicker border and used the bucket (not sure what that one is called) to fill the second border with colour. That way I could try all different colours with a click of a button to see what worked best!

I thought I saved the paint picture so I could share it but I can't find it!

Bec

Pattern for Newsboy Cap

2010-08-10T10:39:00.025+08:00

Hello again, I just had a phonecall this morning from someone who was hoping to try out my own pattern for the Newsboy Cap. So here it is! My first attempt at writing a pattern! If there are any queries or obvious discrepencies please let me know! :)
Please also let me know if you've used the pattern and how it turned out!

Notes:
This pattern is written in UK/AUS terms

Stitches used are ch- chain, dc- double crochet, tr- treble, dec tr- decrease treble, sl st- slip stitch
Ive used 8ply wool/cotton with a 5.00mm hook.
Tutorial for dec tr (decrease treble) stitch added at the end of this post.
This hat should fit approx 1-3years old.
To make larger, add a couple more increase rows, after row 11.
Instructions between * * need to be repeated as many times as indicated.
The 3ch at the beginning of each row is counted as 1 tr.

Start: ch 3, sl st in 1st ch to make loop

Row 1: ch 3, 15 tr in loop, sl st into the 3rd ch from beginning (16st)

Row 2: ch 3, 1 tr in same st, *1 tr in next st, 2tr in same st* x 7, 1 tr in next st, sl st into 3rd ch from beginning. (24st)

Row 3: ch 3, 1 tr in same st, *1 tr in each next 2 st, 2tr in same st*x 7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from beginning. (32st)

Row 4: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 3 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (40st)

Row 5: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 4 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (48st)

Row 6: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 5 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (56st)

Row 7: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 6 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (64st)

Row 8: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 7 st, 2 tr in next st* x8, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (72st)

Row 9: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 8 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (80st)

Row 10: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 9 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning. (88st)

Row 11: ch 3, 1tr in same st, *1 tr each in next 10 st, 2 tr in next st* x7, 1tr in each st to end and then sl st into 3rd ch from the beginning.(96st)

Row 12, 13, 14, 15 : ch 3, 1 tr in each st all the way round, sl st into 3rd ch from beginning. (96st)

Row 16: ch 3, *dec tr (2 st together), 1tr in next st* all the way round, may require 1 tr in last stitch, sl st into 3rd ch from beginning.

Row 17, 18, 19: ch 1, dc in each st all the way around (remembering on row 16, to keep the dec st from last row together, and not to put a stitch between them.) sl st into 3rd ch from beginning. Do not fasten off.

*************************************************

Brim:
Row 1: turn, dc, dc, *2tr in same st, tr* x8, 2tr in same st, dc, dc, dc

Row 2: turn, dc in 2nd dc from last row, dc, 2 tr in same stitch (should be above the 2tr from last row) then tr, tr, 2tr in same stitch (should be above the 2tr from last row again) and then tr in each stitch till you get to the point of repeating that sequence (in reverse) to match the other side. Finish with and extra dc into the base of the hat again..

Row 3: turn, dc, dc, tr, tr, 2tr in next st, then tr to the point where you repeat the stitches in reverse to match other side. Fasten off and sew in ends.

***************************************
Here is a picture of the top view of the cap Im currently working on. Gives you an idea on how the increase rows look:

Tutorial for dec tr stitch (decrease treble)
Work a tr in the next stitch without completing the very last step (leave the last two loops on the hook), then tr in the next stitch without completing the last step. You should have three loops on the hook then yarn over and draw through all the loops. Decrease made.

Have fun!
xx Emma

17/3/11 edited to add.
If you have queries about the pattern, and you found it via Ravelry, feel free to PM me, my username being Leftlady, and I will be happy to help!

Tag Blocks

2010-08-09T18:41:00.000+08:00

Hello again, today I had some free time while my 8 month old had a sleep and so I thought I would try one of the new patterns that I just bought. Of course my 2 1/2 year old was more then eager to help me:) This is a test one to see how it works, and it turned out quite cute I thought. I just have to buy some ribbon to put along the outside edges. Can't wait to go out shopping for some supplies.. I bought the pattern from http://bubbamiafabrics.com.au/. They have many wonderful patterns and have already bought a few. Can't wait to try out the others as well. Going out shopping thursday nite to get some material to try out a new bag patterns, and so get some more for my tag blocks.

Bag

2010-08-09T17:25:00.002+08:00

Here is a pic of some of the beading, a bit hard to get them on camera, or I should say my camera.

Here is another bag that I finished this weekend. I bought a skirt at an op shop and thought I would make something with this, and so I made it into a bag. It turned out quite nicely, and I sewed some beading just for a little extra something, So you can see you can make a bag out of anything. It turns out just as nice. Henrietta

Crochet Hook Roll

2010-08-09T13:51:00.001+08:00

This morning (after a spot of housework dont worry!) i made this Crochet Hook Roll for the Crazy Crocheter (aka Emma!) among us. After seeing my pencil roll in the previous post Emma mentioned that a similar roll to put crochet hooks in would be very handy so instead of upsizing the pencil roll i googled crochet hook roll tutorial and came up with this one. Below is a photo of the finshed product which i think the new owner is pretty happy with, unfortunatly i cant show you a pic of it filled or rolled up because i dont own any crochet hooks!!

♥ Sharelle

So its Emma here now, just hijacking Sharelle's post to add a couple of pics of it being used! :)

Its so pretty, thanks heaps Sharelle!!

Pencil/Crayon Roll

2010-08-07T08:54:00.000+08:00

Yesterday i managed to have both kids down for a nap at the same time (a rare occasion in this household!) so i thought what better excuse than to do a bit of sewing! Iv been wanting to tackle making one of these Pencil/Crayon Rolls for some time and thought it would be a nice, quick and easy project for the afternoon! I followed the tutorial found here, although iv found if you google Crayon Roll Tutorials it comes up with pages and pages of them! The only problem i did encounter with making this is that my printer was out of ink, my computor is located in the study and my sewing machine is in the games room, needless to say i found my 30mins of daily excerise running back and forth to follow the instructions ;-)
I did intend for this roll to have crayons inside but my quick shopping trip was only able to produce a packet of small pencils! If anyone knows where you can buy boxes of the small crayons i would love to know!

Rolled Up

Open

♥ Sharelle

I Spy Quilt

2010-08-05T17:04:00.001+08:00

My first contribution :-)

Today I finished sewing together the top of my I Spy quilt for the kids, head over to Sewing Belle for more info!

Bec

Newsboy Cap for a Girl.

2010-08-05T14:20:00.007+08:00

Another project done!

Yes I know, very quick. What about the housework, you say?

But I do have some good excuses!

Firstly, I had these 3 beautiful balls cotton turn up on my doorstep yesterday, so I was itching to use them. I ordered them a good week ago from Bendigo Woollen Mills to make some hats that I'd promised for a few people. Since then Ive put another 3 colours on order, they should be here any day now, cant wait!!

Secondly, my dear husband was away on a business trip and was gone for the night so I had to do something to keep myself busy once the girlies were in bed. Crocheting infront of the TV passes the time well.

And Thirdly, well, this blog is doing its job again. :)

Once again I cannot take credit for the hat idea or pattern. As I found it all online. The inspiration for the style comes from a page that Im a fan of on Facebook. NuxieMade has some gorgeous pieces, and if I can ever become as skilled as this lady with a crochet hook I would be happy!! My newsboy cap attempt is not half as fancy either. My crocheting vocab does not exceed the terms ch, sc, dc, tr and sl st.
This free pattern is where I started, but since then Ive altered it considerably to suit myself, but I would still like to give credit where credit is due! The flower pattern is found here

This cap would fit the head of a 1-3year old. My little 2 year old is asleep right now, so I couldn't use her as my model. So instead Im using one of the balls of cotton... yes they're huge, 480 odd meters on it!!

This cap will most probably be going to a little girl who will be turning 2 next month.. hopefully she (and her Mum) will like it!

OK, now I must go and do some housework!

Emma

eta- Here's Matilda modeling it for me. This is her "Im trying to watch Playschool here" pose!

A Bag

2010-08-04T17:07:00.002+08:00

Here is my first post, a bag for my niece Morgan. I got the pattern from my friend Sharelle and I used the medium sized one. I also used the metal clasp to close it and I also sewed a pocket inside. I purchased the fabric from spotlight and am quite happy with the way it turned out. I will be making more bags small, med and large for my family members. A friend suggested I add a tie on the side and I think it just adds a little something to the bag. well here is my first of many posts and I am off to make dinner now. Tomorrow is another sewing day for me and so will see what I get done tomorrow:)
Henrietta

A Nappy Bag

2010-08-04T15:38:00.000+08:00

Well here is my first craft related post! This is a Nappy Bag & matching Nappy Wallet i made for myself last week! Finally something i actually sewed for myself :) I am not sure where the pattern for this bag originates but it was passed onto me from my Mum,.There are 4 different sizes of bags you can make, Extra Large (being the one i used) Large, Medium & also Small. The small version is suitable for a little girl and they are adorable!

Anyway back to the bag i made, i found the fabrics at a local patchwork shop in town and fell in love with them! To customize the bag to suit me i added two pocket's to the inside lining of the bag, one to fit my mobile phone in (so much easier than trying to find it in the bottom of my bag!) and also one to hold a baby bottle. I lined the pockets with Iron-on-Interfacing to give them added support as well, lastly i also added a magnetic clasp so that it holds together nicely!

Front of Bag

Next i made a matching Nappy Wallet, this is actually a pattern i designed myself, i have sold a few of these in the past. To this particular one though i added a pocket to the inside which nicely holds some nappy rash cream or in my case a spare pair of jocks for my 2.5yr old!

Closed Nappy Wallet

Open Nappy Wallet

So there you have it, my first craft related post! Hope you like it :) now i cant wait to see what the other girls have been upto!

♥ Sharelle

Crocheted Baby Sandals

2010-08-04T15:15:00.002+08:00

Well this blog is doing the trick already. I was so excited to be able to put up my first post that it encouraged me to finish off this job this afternoon. I discovered the pattern for these sweet baby sandals on Ravelry a few weeks back and this is the first pattern Ive ever bought. This little pink, cream and grey pair is my second attempt at the pattern and they will be heading over to Canada to my new little niece. Hopefully they will get a bit of wear before their summer is over!
The designer of these cute little sandals is Lisa van Klaveren of Holland Designs and you'll find so many gorgeous patterns of hers here. Im definitely trying out more of them in the future.

Emma

Introducing Henrietta....

2010-08-04T09:28:00.002+08:00

Hello, my name is Henrietta Ten Haaf. I am a Christian, mother to 2 beautiful girls, Angelina 2 1/2 and Tess 8 months, and have a wonderful husband. I moved here from canada just over 3 years ago, found some wonderful friends, and have found a love for sewing. I enjoy getting together once and awhile to catch up and of course to do whatever craft we are busy with. I never thought I had a real crafty side to me, but since being married and a stay at home mom, that side seems to be coming through. I am not one to be bored, which you almost never are with 2 kiddies to look after, and always looking for something new to try.

I have cross stitched for most of my life already so sewing it still new to me but loving it and can't wait to learn more. I also learned to knit, just the basics, and since sewing has come on the scene that has been put on the back burner. There are so many things I would love to do and its amazing when you think to yourself where do I find the time. First on my list is to learn how to crochet, and then we will see where that takes me to.

With my cross stitching I am into old patterns and making keepsakes for the family. With sewing I am into making nappy bags and have a few new patterns that I am really looking forward to trying out. With crocheting I can't wait to learn and sew some blankets for the girls rooms. Looking forward to starting the blog and showing our projects to you all!!!

Introducing Bec.....

2010-08-03T22:06:00.002+08:00

Hi, my name is Bec! I am a Mum to a 4 year old and a 2 year old with another on the way around the New Year. Life is busy at home but I love to take time out to spend on my crafts – every day if I can even if only for 5 minutes.

I am a self-confessed craftaholic and I think I have tried almost every craft known to man – which isn’t always a good thing because it means I have a mountain of un-finished projects. As a child my Oma (Grandma) taught me to knit and crochet and she definitely instilled in me a love of craft along with my Mum who was always sewing clothes, knitting or cross-stitching at home - she was always there to fix my mistakes!

I didn’t particularly enjoy sewing in high school but now when I look back it was mainly the projects we had to make – not the sewing itself! Since having kids I have a new found passion for sewing and it’s probably become my craft of choice for the moment, although I still have a soft spot for knitting and cross stitch especially in winter time! I started a blog a little while ago called Sewing Belle and most often my posts will be linked back there.

Introducing Emma......

2010-08-03T22:04:00.002+08:00

Hi, my name is Emma, I’m blessed to be Mum to 3 little girls. Although that in itself keeps me incredibly busy I still make time in my days to pursue my hobbies. Currently I’m the crazed crocheter out of the four of us. I’m only new to the hook, but thoroughly enjoy whipping little bits up.

I also love upholstering, as this was my job before kids. I do own an industrial sewing machine but it hasn’t seen the light of day for more than a year! It will however become useful in the near future for all the soft furnishings I intend to make for our new house. All my wish list includes now is a compressor, staple gun and a dirty great big workbench!

My last and most neglected hobby would be my portrait drawings, hopefully this blog will encourage me to pull out the ol' pencils and see if I’ve still got the touch!

If there's any hobby that I still hope to try my hands at, it would have to be painting with watercolours. It’s something that has always interested me but I have never quite been brave enough to try. But really, you never know where our hands may take us!

Introducing Sharelle.......

2010-08-03T22:03:00.002+08:00

Hi, I’m Sharelle a 23yr old Christian mother of 2 little blessings, Mr W (2.5) & Miss W (6 months) and wife to a wonderful husband. When I’m not running around after two very busy children (in other words when time allows it!), I like to spend my time either behind my sewing machine or my camera!

Sewing has only recently become a passion of mine after hating it through my high school years! There must be something about having children that ignites that creative side in you again! At the moment my sewing skills are pretty basic but I am incredibly lucky to have a super talented Mum (and MIL also!) who are both a wiz behind the sewing machine and are always willing to help me when I need it!

My other ‘love’ is my camera! My darling hubby bought me a SLR camera for my birthday a couple of years ago and I’ve been hooked on it ever since! There really is something beautiful about being able to capture your children’s life in a photo and my kid’s photo albums speak well for that! Hopefully through this blog we'll be able to share some of our creative juices so to speak and inspire others as well!

Welcome!

2010-08-03T22:02:00.000+08:00

Hello and welcome to The Handmade Rainbow! We are 4 stay-at-home Mum’s united through Friendship, Faith, Family and a love of all things crafty. Join us here as we share our rainbow of projects together and hopefully inspire along the way!

Now for some introductions!