Well isn’t it obvious? This is the neon bag literally of my dreams 😀
I love the look of a crochet cross-body bag, but wasn’t entirely sure on the colours I wanted to use, UNTIL Scheepjes launched their neon catonas. I knew instantly that it was a done deal.
GET THE YARN
Scheepjes Catona is a 100% mercerised cotton, fingering weight yarn, with balls available in 50g, 25g and teeny tiny 10g sizes.
Scheepjes has a full list of stockists on their website.
Wool Warehouse ships all over the world from the UK Caro’s Atelier is my LYS and they also ship across Europe LoveCrafts.com also stock most colours
The pattern is in progress, should be ready soon. Lots of fun parts and only a single ball of each colour. I also bought the plastic chain online, but I’ll provide alternative instructions for you so it can be 100% crochet.
Don’t you just love this curly, lacy mess on my lap?
It’s been perfect crochet weather here in the Netherlands. I look out the window and the beautiful trees on my street are all slowly turning a rich copper. I’m making the most of enjoying this time before the less-romantic phase where I spend a my days clearing leaves from my garden!
I’m really enjoying working with this Scheepjes Legacy yarn. It’s easy to crochet, my project is growing quickly and it holds up magnificently to frogging – which I do a LOT of while designing.
GET THE YARN
Scheepjes has a full list of stockists on their website, you can search for one close to you.
I’m nearly done, now I’m on the hunt for the right hoop to be able to stretch it. I think I might have found a stockist local to me which is a huge win. More on that next week!
I have a brand new crochet project on the go that I can’t wait to share with you!
I’m using the lovely Legacy yarn from Scheepjes which is a nostalgic delight.
Doesn’t this yarn just trigger memories of years gone by, visiting an older relative, being fascinated by the cabinet filled with precious china and statuettes, all artfully arranged on delicate lace doilies?
Scheepjes has multiple weights of this yarn, mercerised and non-mercerised, in two colours, bright white and off white. I’m going to use the mercerised Nr. 6, with the following specs:
Hook size: 3.5mm Ball Weight: 100 grams Length: 240 metres Gauge: 23 stitches x 30 rows to 10 cm on 3.5mm hooks
Get the Yarn
Scheepjes has a full list of stockists on their website, you can search for one close to you.
I absolutely love these hanks. The way they’re wound, they way they feel in my hands, I’m transported to another time by this yarn, which I’m sure was the intention of the Scheepjes design team.
With that feeling of a by-gone era in mind, I’m going to use this yarn to make a vintage-inspired lace mandala. I’ve been busy building a chart to work from, it’s going to be quite a challenge to write it all out line by line I’m sure, so this will be a great project to brush off the chart making skills!
Keep an eye on my blog and Instagram for more photos and progress to come!
Ik heb de Nederlandstalige versie van mijn Rainbow Ridge Blanket toegevoegd! Het is hieronder, en ook op Ravelry/Lovecrafts te vinden als je liever een PDF printvriendelijke versie willen gebruiken.
100 x 70 cm na opspannen (kan iets kleiner uitvallen door spanning in het garen)
Stekenverhouding
18 stn en 19 rijen meten 10 cm in patroon. Houd de stekenverhouding goed in de gaten, want je hebt weinig speling met deze kleine bolletjes. Afkortingen
(NL termen) L losse Hv halve vaste S(tn) steek/steken l-open lossen opening St stokje(s) SOv sla-over vaste (zie speciale steken) HK hoofdkleur (2622 Latte) K(1) kleur (1) Herh herhalen VK Voorkant AK Achterkant
Notities
Je haakt het patroon in rijen heen en weer, met de SOv techniek (zie Speciale steken). Daarna haak je de dubbele rand in toeren.
Elk rij begint met een l1. Dit telt niet als een steek.
Herhalingen
[(…)] herhaal de instructies tussen haakjes het totaal aantal keer aangegeven.
Sorteer de kleuren in deze volgorde:
K1: 2514 Rose K2: 2513 Light Rose K3: 2620 Starfish K4: 2466 Peach K5: 2518 Canary K6: 2496 Banana K7: 2640 Mint K8: 2639 Green Tea K9: 2630 Arctic K10: 2646 Glacial Mist K11: 2658 Lavender K12: 2657 Orchid
Speciale steken
SOv (Sla-over vaste) is een techniek waarmee we een steek met twee draden tegelijk haken. Met de eerste kleur, steek naald in steek en sla de draad om de haaknaald. Haal de lus op. Met de tweede kleur, sla draad om van voor naar achter (houd de tweede kleur voor de eerste), met de eerste kleur, sla draad om en haal de eerste kleur door alle lussen.. Zie video instructies hier. Ook op Youtube.
Instructies
Rij 1 Met HK, 102l, 1v in derde l en alle l tot einde van rij, keer om. (100 stn) Rij 2 Met K1 als leidende kleur, samen met HK, l1, SOv in alle stn tot rij-eind, keer om. Rij 3-6 Herh Rij 2. Rij 7 Met HK als leidende kleur, herh Rij 2. Rij 8-10 Herh Rij 7. Rij 11-14 Herh Rij 2, knip draad K1 af. Rij 15 Wissel naar K2, met HK als leidende kleur, herh Rij 7. Rij 16-18 Herh Rij 7. Rij 19 Met K2 als leidende kleur, herh Rij 2. Rij 20-22 Herh Rij 2. Rij 23 Met HK als leidende kleur, herh Rij 7. Rij 24-26 Herh Rij 7. Rij 27 Met K2 als leidende kleur, herh Rij 2. Rij 28-30 Herh Rij 2, knip draad K2 af. Rij 31-46 Met K3, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 47-62 Met K4, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 63-78 Met K5, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 79-94 Met K6, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 95-111 Met K7, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 112-127 Met K8, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 128-143 Met K9, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 144-159 Met K10, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 160-175 Met K11, herh Rij 15-30. Rij 176-191 Met K12, herh Rij 15-30. Knip draad K12 af.
Rand
De rand haak je in toeren, eerst met een 6 mm en daarna een 4 mm haaknaald.
Toer 1Deze toer wordt de VK. Met HK en 6 mm haaknaald, keer om, 2l, 1hv in elke s tot einde van rij (dit is nu de hoek), 2l, roteer 90 graden, 1hv in elk rij-eind, zo dichtbij de zijkant als mogelijk, tot de volgende hoek, 1hv in de hoek, 2l, roteer 90 graden, 1hv in elke l tot de volgende hoek, roteer 90 graden, 1hv in elk rij-eind tot de laatste hoek, sluit met een hv in eerste s.
Toer 2 Met 4 mm haaknaald, 1l, 1v in de hoek-open [(1l, sla 1 s over, 1v in l-open) tot hoek-open, 2l, 1v in l-open], herh tot einde van toer, sluit toer niet in laatste l-open, maar haak hv in v.
Toer 3 1hv in elke s tot hoek-open, 1l, [(1l in l-open, 1l) tot hoek-open, (1v, 2l, 1v) in hoek-open], herh tot einde van toer, 1l, sluit af met hv in v.
Toer 4 Herh Toer 3, maar voeg 1 extra herh van (1l, v, 1l) toe voordat je de toer sluit met een hv.
Toer 5 Herh Toer 4, hecht af.
Omdraaien naar AK Hecht aan in in AK van dezelfde hoek als Toer 1 van de rand, en haak Toer 1 opnieuw, maar nu in de AK van de hv van Toer 1 (VK). Herh daarna Toer 2-5 (deze bevinden zich dus aan AK).
Omdraaien naar VK We sluiten nu de dubbele rand en verbergen alle draadjes daarin als volgt: 1l, 1v in l-open van zowel laatste AK als laatste VK toer, [(1l, 1v in l-open van beide toeren) tot de hoek-open, (1v, 1l, 1v in beide toeren) in hoek l-open], herh tot einde van toer, sluit af met een hv.
I LOVED making this blanket SO much! I mean, you know how few blankets I make, right? I simply struggle with making something so huge, it takes me months! This one however, is perfect for my instant gratification heart. I could smash it out relatively quickly as it’s sized for a baby, and the rhythm of the stitches means you just want to keep doing “one more row.”
The Scheepjes Softfun is a wonderful blanket yarn. It has loads of stretch to make it squishy and a bit of weight to add warmth, plus enough cotton to make sure you can still use it all summer long.
No baby? No problem! It also makes a great lap blanket 😉
There will be US terms available on Ravelry and Lovecrafts, and this free version below uses UK terminology.
There are five different Softfun colour packs to choose from including Pastel (which I have), Jewel, Rich, Rainbow and Cloud. There are a full list of stockists on the Scheepjes website, but you can also find the packs at your favourite LYS or online retailer including: Wool Warehouse* (global) Caro’s Atelier* (NL and Europe) Love Crafts* (US) Dot’s Yarn Den (US) Belle Mae Yarns (AU)
You’ll need one colour pack in the colours you like best, plus 6 balls of Softfun in a complementary colourway. I chose 2622 Latte.
18sts and 19 rows over 10 cm in pattern. Stick as close to the tension as possible as the mini balls are limited and you may run out if your tension is looser than indicated.
Measurements
100 x 70cm blocked (will contract a little due to the stretch in the yarn)
Abbreviations
(UK terms)
Ch chain Ss slip stitch St(s) stitch(es) Ch chain Ch(2)-sp chain (2) space Dc double crochet YUdc yarn under double crochet MC main colour (2622 Latte) CC(1) contrast colour. Number denotes which colour to be used Rep repeat RS right side WS Wrong side
Pattern Notes
This pattern is worked back and forth in rows using the yarn under colourwork technique to make the blanket. The double border is worked in rounds.
Each row begins with a ch1, this does not count as a stitch.
Work instructions inside brackets and parentheses [(…)] the indicated number of times.
Sort the colours into the following order:
CC1: 2514 Rose CC2: 2513 Light Rose CC3: 2620 Starfish CC4: 2466 Peach CC5: 2518 Canary CC6: 2496 Banana CC7: 2640 Mint CC8: 2639 Green Tea CC9: 2630 Arctic CC10: 2646 Glacial Mist CC11: 2658 Lavendar CC12: 2657 Orchid
Special Abbreviation
YUdc (yarn under double crochet) is a colourwork technique using two strands of working yarn. To work the stitch insert hook with mc, yoh, pull up a loop, with cc yoh from front to back (keeping cc in front of mc), with mc yoh, pull through 3 loops. See video instructions here on Instagram, or here for Youtube.
Row 1 With MC, ch102, dc in the third ch and in all ch sts to end (100sts), turn Row 2 With CC1 as the lead, carrying MC, ch1, YUDC in all sts to end, turn Row 3-6 Rep row 2 Row 7 With MC as the lead and rep row 2 Row 8-10 Rep row 7 Row 11-14 Rep row 2, cut CC1 Row 15 Switch to CC2, with MC as the lead, rep row 7 Row 16-18 Rep row 7 Row 19 With CC2 as the lead, rep row 2 Row 20-22 Rep row 2 Row 23 With MC as the lead, rep row 7 Row 24-26 Rep row 7 Row 27 With CC2 as the lead, rep row 2 Row 28-30 Rep row 2, cut CC2 Row 31-46 With CC3 rep rows 15-30 Row 47-62 With CC4 rep rows 15-30 Row 63-78 With CC5 rep rows 15-30 Row 79-94 With CC6 rep rows 15-30 Row 95-111 With CC7 rep rows 15-30 Row 112-127 With CC8 rep rows 15-30 Row 128-143 With CC9 rep rows 15-30 Row 144-159 With CC10 rep rows 15-30 Row 160-175 With CC11 rep rows 15-30 Row 176-191 With CC12 rep rows 15-30, cut yarn
Border
Working in rounds with 6 and 4mm hooks
Round 1 This now becomes the RS. With MC and a 6mm hook, turn, ch2, ss to end (now corner), ch2, rotate 90 degrees, ss in each row as close to the edge as possible to next corner, ss in corner, ch2, rotate 90 degrees, ss in each st across, ch2, rotate 90 degrees, ss in each row to next corner, ss to ch1 to join.
Round 2 With 4mm hook ch1, dc in ch-sp [(ch1, miss 1, dc in ch-sp) rep to corner ch2-sp, ch 2, dc in ch2-sp], rep on all four sides to end, don’t work last dc in final corner ch2-sp, ss to dc instead.
Round 3 Ss to ch2-sp, ch1 [(dc in ch2-sp, ch1) rep to corner, (dc, ch2, dc) in corner] rep to end, ch1, ss to dc to join.
Round 4 Rep round 3, but ad 1 (ch1, dc, ch1) at the end before ss to join.
Round 5 Rep round 4, tie off.
Flip to WS, Starting in the same corner as R1 from the RS instructions, and working in the back of the SS from round 1, rep rounds 1-5.
Flip to RS Close the double border. Ch1, dc into ch-sp of both layers, [(ch1,dc in ch-sp of both layers) to corner, (dc, ch1, dc in both layers) in corner ch2-sp], rep to end, ss to join, hiding all the ends inside the border. Cut yarn, weave in the end, block to size.
I finished it a few days ago, and I haven’t taken it off since!
The shawl is an asymmetrical construction, and the colours really shine.
I added some tassles with the tiny bit of left-over yarn I had, it was just serendipitous that they happened to match the endpoints perfectly.
And do you know what the best thing is? The Scheepjes Wanderlust is 100% acrylic, so aside from being crazy soft, it doesn’t need blocking!
Next week I’ll have the pattern ready for you, so in preparation, pop over to either your favourite Scheepjes Retailer, or Wool Warehouse* and grab yourself 3 balls in your favourite colourway so you’ll be ready to crack on!
Which brings me to the giveaway. Together with Scheepjes, I’m giving you the chance to win three balls of Wanderlust in your favourite colourway so you can make this shawl!
All you have to do is comment below with the one place in the world that your wanderlust is dying to take you, along with your favourite colourway.
Thanks everyone for your entries, this giveaway is now closed.
The fine print: This giveaway is open worldwide. Please comment using an email address that I can reach you on easily and to make sure you find out that you’ve won, subscribe up on the top right corner. I’ll announce the winner when I launch the pattern on Monday 13th of feb.
I haven’t had the chance to show you my lovely new set of crochet hooks from Tulip.
I picked these up recently and they’ve immediately become my go to hooks. I mean, you know that I’m a Clover girl, so it takes a lot for me to switch to another brand.
Ok, so there are a couple of reasons why I love these. Firstly, well, just look at them! It’s the details really. Ombre pink, the shafts and hooks themselves are even pink. Then there’s the faux leather case and the little zippered notions pouch with its scissors and needles. The only thing missing is a set of stitch markers.
Then there’s the form and fit in my hand. The grip is a little slimmer and more contoured than the Clovers, and the it’s also about 5mm shorter. I have large hands and the Tulip is the perfect fit in my palm. I can imagine for smaller hands, the difference in length is probably negligible.
How do the hooks crochet? Well, I’m a pretty speedy crocheter and the adjustment phase is minimal. I don’t have problems with snagging or with splitting. In this way they are much the same as the Clover. The smooth neck is great for working with acrylics – the squeak factor is minimal.
Overall, I’m going to say that I really rate the Tulips. They’re pricey, which puts them out of reach for a lot of us. However, they’re worth saving for, or adding to your Christmas or birthday wishlist. Full disclosure; I was given these hooks. All opinions are my own, so don’t worry, I’m being totally honest with you.
If you’d like to get your hands on a set of these, in pink or in black, you can go to Wool Warehouse* or lovecrochet.com* internationally, and if you live in the Netherlands there are a bunch of great retailers, like Pera en Pasha and Het Wolhuis. If you don’t want to splurge on a full set, it’s also possible to buy them separately to give one a try.
This one is taking me ages! Not because I don’t love it, but because I’m also working on a few other designs concurrently – projects I can’t share yet.
I love working on it though. It’s a great project that you can half concentrate on. Not completely mindless, but enough so I can watch some trash tv at the same time, or listen to my favourite podcasts.
I think I have about seven blocks of rows to go, so I’m more than half way. It’ll be ready some time in the next month or so I hope. It already reaches from my toes to my chest and it is soooooo stretchy! It’s going to be the perfect curl up on the couch and tuck all the edges in so you don’t get cold toes blanket ever!
When I asked on Instagram what the fastest anyone had finished a blanket, there were some crazy responses! Like, four days, less than a week, crazy stuff! Check out some of the responses below:
I’ve been a busy little bee over the last couple of weeks since I last posted. I’ve made great progress on my latest Scheepjes project, made with Softfun Aquarel. It’s going to be a blanket, and so far it’s looking amazing!
That is a shot I took before I went on holiday two weeks ago, and the blanket has since travelled around Scandinavia and increased dramatically in size!
It’s actually grown even more since I took these pics!
The chevron is so fun to do, it’s lovely and soothing creating the zig zags and feeling the yarn come to life in all it’s squishy glory.
It won’t be finished in the next week, but I’ll be sure to post more progress shots as I go – make sure you check out my Instagram feed to keep updated. As soon as I’m finished I’ll let you know exactly how much of each colour you’ll need to make this (so far it’s looking like about 6 balls of each colour except the purple, which will likely be 8).
That’s right – they’re the same as the colours I used for my Textured Chevron Cushion earlier this year.
That can only mean one thing: companion project!
I’m still just as in love with the colours of this yarn as I was when it was first released. I also just love working with the yarn. It’s lovely and soft and has amazing stitch definition. Plus it’s squishy and bouncy; perfect for what I’m making.
So, what am I making? Well, I’ll leave you to speculate for a while….
Stay tuned for next week when I start posting teaser pics. I’m sure it won’t take you long to guess what it will be.
MissNeriss 