Tag Archives: Obsessed with Crochet

Home from Holidays and it’s Yarn Day!

Posted on March 19, 2015 | 6 comments

I’m back! I can’t say if I’m happy to be back home from my “Other” home or not, but one thing’s for sure, I’m very happy to find this huge pile of yarn waiting for me!

I have a really cool project in mind for all of this. A while back my Mother in Law asked me if I could make her a vest for days and nights when it’s too warm for a coat and too cold without, so I’m working on something that I think will be great.

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Back at home and straight into my next project! More pics on the blog tomorrow. What's on your hook this week? #crochet

A post shared by Nerissa | Crochet | Haken 🇦🇺🇳🇱 (@miss__neriss) on Mar 18, 2015 at 5:01am PDT

The colour and texture of the Scheepjes Stone Washed XL is just perfect for this project, the colour variation adds interest, and the fluffiness adds serious warmth! What do you think of the start? I just couldn’t wait to crack on, so have been measuring and counting and doing what I can to beat the jetlag.

I also chose these enormous coconut shell buttons, which will be both a feature and functional.

More progress photos to come, stay tuned!

PS. If you’re looking for this yarn but don’t know where to find it, you can pick it up at loads of great retailers (in person or online) in the Netherlands here, or internationally from deramores.com. Happy hunting!

6 Comments

Posted in Projects, Scheepjes, Stone Washed, Yarn

Tagged crochet, DIY, haken, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, stone washed, yarn

Christmas Bunting

Posted on December 10, 2014 | 1 comment

Today is the very last day of the Scheepjeswol Christmas Blog Hop and I’m so sad that it’s over, yet very happy to be able to send it off, hopefully in style!

How incredibly beautiful is Heike from Made with Loops bag? Fair Isle, I promise you, will be absolutely THE biggest yarn trend of 2015, so get onto it!

Here’s today’s project from me, some lovely and very simple Christmas Bunting.

I had some left over yarn once I had finished my Christmas Wreath and I wanted to use it up for something fun to decorate the house with this Christmas, and I just love bunting, so bunting it was!

I came up with a very simple half double crochet pattern that works up in a jiffy. Each flag can be made in under ten minutes! It’s a great scrap project too, so you don’t have to worry too much about how much yarn you have lying around.

What you’ll need:

Scheepjeswol Stone Washed in five colours. I used the same as in my wreath: 801, 807, 815, 813 and 814.
4mm hook
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Measuring tape

How To:

Choose one of your colours, then start with a slip stitch, and chain 2. Half double crochet into the second chain from the hook and there you will have the foundation of the triangle to start building your bunting.
From here on, you will need to increase at the end of each row with 2 half double crochets into the last stitch.
Row 2: Chain 2, 2 HDC (half double crochet) into the next stitch (3 stitches in total), turn.
Row 3: Chain 2, HDC into the next stitch, 2 HDC into the last stitch (4 stitches), turn.
Row 4: Chain 2, HDC into the next 2 stitches, 2 HDC into the last stitch (5 stitches), turn.
Continue this pattern until you have a stitch count of 17 (16 rows in total), then tie off and weave in the ends, making sure you keep the nice point at the bottom of the triangle.

Make 3 of each colour (or more if you’d like to make it longer)

Here’s a chart to help make it a bit easier:

To join the bunting, take your lightest colour (801) and start chaining, working the end in as you go. Chain for 60cm to create a long enough tie, then attach to the first bunting triangle by single crocheting into the first and then all 17 stitches along. Continue to chain, leaving about 8cm in between triangles. Repeat this pattern until you have attached all your triangles to the chain, then to finish off, chain a further 60cm before cutting the yarn and weaving in the end. The finished bunting will measure about 4m in length.

And you’re all done! Now all that’s left to do is find the perfect spot to hang it!

On a wall…

Or in a window…?

And that’s it. The Christmas Blog Hop is over for this year *sob*. I hope you found some wonderful inspiration – I certainly did. But before I go, here’s a recap of what we’ve seen in the last ten days:

The beautiful Knitted Star motif from Crafts from theCwtch

The seriously cute Reindeer Mug Cozy (including fluffy butt – haha!) by Haak Maar Raak

Jellina-Creation’s lovely Christmas Tree Garland

Atty’s cool Bauble Coasters

My Christmas Wreath

The most beautiful Christmas Baubles you’ve ever seen, by 50 Shades of 4 Ply

The deliciously warm Fair Isle mittens by Canadutch

Vicarnos adorable little snowman

and finally,

This spectacular Fair Isle Christmas gift bag from Made with Loops.

What a collection of designs, I’m so happy to have been involved – surrounded by such talent!

Merry Christmas.

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Posted in Christmas, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol, Stone Washed, Tutorials

Tagged 50 shades of 4 ply, attys, canadutch, Christmas, craft, crafts from the cwtch, crochet, crochet pattern, DIY, free pattern, haak maar raak, Jellina-creations, made with loops, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, pattern, projects, Santa, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, stone washed, vicarno, yarn

A Christmas Wreath

Posted on December 5, 2014 | 1 comment

If you follow me on Facebook at all (you should, btw), you would have seen me posting about the Scheepjes Christmas Blog Hop all week, and today it’s my turn!

Thanks so much to Atty’s for yesterday’s post, wasn’t it just fabulous? I’m definitely going to make some of those coasters, but I don’t know if I’ll actually use them as coasters, or get some Christmas washi tape and decorate my walls!

So let’s get to my contribution for this fabulous event, a yarn wreath.

For this I used a couple of different techniques instead of just crochet. I made pom poms in varying sizes, and also made yarn-wrapped balls to decorate this gorgeous wreath.

What do you think of my palette? I wanted something different, yet a little bit Christmas-sy and so I took Kirsten’s advice and spent countless hours (days?) trawling through Design Seeds for just the right colours and I thought that this one was just perfect.

So let’s get to the instructions, shall we?

What you’ll need:

3 mm crochet hook
Scheepjeswol Stone Washed yarn in five shades (801, 807, 815, 813, 814)
A 25cm Styrofoam ring that has a flat side
About 20 Styrofoam balls in three sizes (4, 5 and 6 cm)
Fabric glue
Cardboard to make pom poms (or a pom pom maker if you prefer)
Scissors

How to:

First start working on the ring. Using the glue, fasten the end of the lightest shade of yarn (801) to the Styrofoam ring. Once it’s a little dry, start working the yarn around and around, adding dobs of glue as you go to ensure it all stays in place. Once you come back to the beginning, snip the yarn, and fasten it all in place. Set aside to dry thoroughly.

To make the Yarn Wrapped balls, take the colour of choice (make multiple in each size and colour), fasten the end of the yarn to the ball with the glue and start winding the yarn around the ball, like you’re just winding any old ball of wool. Make sure that you add dobs of glue every now and then to keep the yarn in place. Once it’s completely covered, snip the yarn and glue the end in place.

To make the pom poms, first cut two pieces of cardboard into corresponding sizes to your balls and make them into doughnuts. I like to cut an opening to help wind the yarn around, but you should use your favourite pom pom method. Using the various colours, wind the yarn around the cardboard until it’s very full, then cut and fasten it all together, trimming it to be a nice, round ball.

To make the crochet balls, you’ll need the different size styrofoam balls and a matching stitch count.

4cm ball:
Start with a magic ring, and stitch 6 single crochets (UK double crochet) into the ring, tightening it once you’re done.
For the second round, increase into each stitch around with single crochet so that you have 12 stitches around.
Round 3: Increase, then single crochet into the next stitch, repeating around until you have 18 stitches.
Round 4: Increase, then single crochet into the next 2 stitches, repeating around until you have 24 stitches.
For the next 5 rounds, single crochet around, before beginning your decrease at round 10. Insert the ball here too.
Round 10: Decrease (2 single crochet together), then single crochet into the next 2 stitches, repeating around until you have 18 stitches.
Round 11: Decrease, then single crochet into the next stitch, repeating around until you have 12 stitches.
Round 12: Decrease around until you have 6 stitches, cut the yarn, tie off and using a tapestry needle close up the ball.

5 cm ball:
Follow the above instructions until you’ve completed round 4.
Round 5: Increase, single crochet into the next 3 stitches, repeating around until you have 30 stitches.
Round 6-13: Single crochet around and after round 13 insert the ball.
Round 14: Decrease, single crochet into the next 3 stitches, repeating around until you have 24 stitches.
Continue with the instructions from round 10 of the 4 cm ball.

6 cm ball:
Follow the instructions for the 5 cm ball until you’ve completed round 5.
Round 6: Increase, single crochet into the next 4 stitches, repeating around until you have 36 stitches.
Round 7-19: single crochet around, and after round 19 insert the ball
Round 20: Decrease, single crochet into the next 4 stitches, repeating around until you have 30 stitches.
Complete the ball as per the instructions from round 14 of the 5 cm ball.

Assembly

Now is the time to put it all together. I like to vary the colours, sizes and textures, trying to make sure that no two balls of the same size and texture are next to one another. Start building your wreath using the fabric glue to attach each ball to the wreath and its neighbour. This will take some time as the glue needs to dry a little before you can proceed. Make sure you hold the wreath up to see how it’s coming together often so you can get a feel for the result.

Once you’re happy, leave it to dry properly over night, and then you’re ready to hang it!

What do you think? Will you try to make one? I’ve really enjoyed the process and I absolutely love the result. I’ve started buying all my Christmas decorations in matching colours and if you check back here in a few days, you’ll see that I have something to go with this that I think you’ll love. I’m also using the leftover balls as baubles for the tree – fun!

In the mean time, be sure to visit 50 Shades of 4ply tomorrow for the next installment of the Scheepjes Christmas Blog Hop!

Love,
Nerissa

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Posted in Christmas, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol, Stone Washed, Uncategorized

Tagged Christmas, crochet, crochet pattern, DIY, free pattern, haken, kerst, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, pattern, projects, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, stone washed, tutorial, yarn

Miniman’s Nursing Necklace – The Tutorial

Posted on October 14, 2014 | 14 comments

As promised, I’ve put together a tutorial on how to make your very own nursing necklace, which is designed to keep small ones occupied while nursing, saving mama’s sensitive skin from sharp fingernails, hair from being yanked, and general mischief making while baby is nursing. Of course this is not only for nursing mamas; it’s such a lovely necklace that it looks stylish on everybody!

What you’ll need

Scheepjeswol Cotton 8* in four shades. I used 527, 711, 652 and 700. In the Netherlands you can pick Cotton 8 up at just about any great yarn seller, and internationally you can buy via deramores.com*.

A 3mm crochet hook, scissors, and you’ll also need wooden beads in varying sizes. I used five 35mm balls and two 25mm balls. For added interest, you can also add a wooden ring or two – babies love the different elements and textures.

Abbreviations

(American terms)

CH – chain stitch
SC – single crochet (UK double crochet)
INC – increase; two single crochet stitches into the same stitch
DEC – decrease; two single crochet stitches together
STS – stitch count

Notes

This project is worked in the round. You will also need to crochet your stitches very tightly to ensure that they keep the form of the beads. If you crochet loosely, use a smaller hook.

Don’t forget, I’m a leftie so you might have to flip the images in your mind. I like to keep the images for us lefties because there just aren’t that many left handed tutorials out there. If you need help, ping me using the contact page or on Facebook.

Make one ball in the darkest colour, two in the second darkest, two in the third darkest, and two in the lightest (the 25mm balls).

35mm Bead

Round 1

CH 5, close with a slip stitch, CH 1.

Round 2

SC x 6 into the ring (6 STS)

Round 3

INC in each stitch around (12 STS)

Round 4

(INC, 1 SC) x 6 (18 STS)

Round 5

(INC, 2 SC) x 6 (24 STS)

Round 6-10

SC x 24 (24 STS). Insert the bead to measure how progress is going at each round.

Round 11

(DEC, 2 SC) x 6 (18 STS). Make sure the bead is inserted here and continue working around it.

Round 12

(DEC, 1 SC) x 6 (12 STS).

Round 13

DEC in each stitch around (6 STS)

Finish off and hide the tail.

For the 25mm bead, follow the same instructions, skipping round 5 (and round 11 as a consequence).

Once you’ve finished all five balls in the colour combination of your choice, it’s time to thread them onto a chain. First you need to make yourself one. I used the lightest shade and chained stitched until I had about 90 cm. This way the necklace would have plenty of room to become longer or shorter as necessary.

Thread the beads and tie the ends into a little knot and then together using a slip stitch so that one end can slip easily (but not too easily) to adjust the length of the necklace.

And you’re all done! Looks beautiful, doesn’t it? I love seeing projects by others, so don’t forget to brag about what you’ve made on my Facebook page or upload to Pinterest, tagging me @missneriss. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram while you’re at it!

*Affiliate link

14 Comments

Posted in Pattern, Patterns, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol, Tutorials

Tagged amigurumi, baby, baby necklace, cotton 8, craft, crochet, crochet pattern, DIY, free pattern, haken, hand crafted, hand made, handcrafted, handmade, jewellery, MissNeriss, nursing beads, nursing necklace, Obsessed with Crochet, pattern, projects, ravelry, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, teething, teething necklace

Big Reveal – Miniman’s Nursing Necklace

Posted on October 7, 2014 | 4 comments

I just had to share this photo first. Isn’t that the cutest face you’ve ever seen, and can you even imagine that this baby has an identical twin?! It’s almost too much to bear!

Introducing Miniman’s Nursing Necklace. Unfortinately Miniman himself doesn’t live in the neighbourhood to pose for pictures himself, so I borrowed one of my friend Stephanie’s adorable babies for the morning so you could see for yourself how this wonderful necklace works.

The idea is that mama wears this while baby is nursing, or playing, or snuggling, or generally making mischief and it keeps those fingers occupied and out of mama’s hair, earrings, necklaces and from scratching sensitive skin. It also helps baby focus on the task at hand (essentially: feeding) and minimises distractions from the surrounding environment. When I took these pics, there were two toddlers running wild, another twin and also a dog around the place, but the necklace firmly captured this little one’s attention. Even when there was a real distraction, she wasn’t letting those beads go!

And…straight back again.

Next week, I’ll show you step-by-step how you can make one of these for yourself. You don’t have to be a nursing mama to wear one of these either – they are a lovely stylish accessory even if you don’t have one of these adorable twins to share!

The tutorial is now live, you can get it here!

P.S. I’ve also added this to the really cool Hookin on Hump Day link sharing party. Go check out all the great projects!

4 Comments

Posted in Projects, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol

Tagged amigurumi, baby, baby necklace, cotton 8, craft, crochet, crochet pattern, free pattern, haken, hand made, handcrafted, handmade, jewellery, MissNeriss, nursing, nursing necklace, Obsessed with Crochet, pattern, pinterest, projects, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, teething necklace, yarn

Jasper V Pattern – All the Sizes!! (S, M, L, XL)

Posted on August 19, 2014 | 6 comments

Here it is! The biggest and most daunting crochet project I have ever undertaken, completely finished!

I have to say, I’m a bit sad that it’s all over and I can move on to focus on the next big project, but I’m so relieved to have all the sizes worked out and ready to go.

What I have done for the smaller sizes is to update the diagram only. I’m not re-writing the entire pattern; instead that can be used as a guide to get started, and the diagram has all the stitch and row counts, which is the clearest description. The edging is so straight forward that I feel what is written in the original pattern will get you through.

Remember though, if you need any help at all, please just contact me. I’ve added a contact form below so you can do it painlessly.

Here we go!

The original pattern post with all the written instructions is found at this link.

The attachments with the different sizes are all attached to this post as pdf files. You will need a program such as Adobe Reader (or similar) to be able to read this file.

Jasper V Size Small

Jasper V Size Medium

Jasper V Size Large

Jasper V Size XL

Please, please do note: the only size that has been tested by me is the XL – the smaller sizes have been created using mathematical magic and are not tested. I’m relying on your help for that! If you’re making the top and it feels like it will be a little tight, please don’t panic – the stitch has a lot of give; a good 5-10 cm! Think about the yardage of the smaller sizes, you won’t need as much as I did making the XL size (about 1100 metres).

I do value any and all feedback, but please don’t be mean. And remember above all that this is a free pattern – together we can improve it.

This is an original design by Nerissa Muijs. Please do not reproduce this pattern or sell this pattern as your own work. Please share it on your social networks, linking it back to the original source. Please also feel free to sell items made from this pattern and please credit me by linking my website: missneriss.com. All images are the property of Nerissa Muijs, and if you would like to repost the originals, please send me a message to ask my permission before the fact.

Most importantly though, please share pictures of your work with me, by adding them to Ravelry or to my Facebook page, or even via an email.

Enjoy!

Need help, or want to ask a question, go for it here:

6 Comments

Posted in Pattern, Patterns, Projects, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol, Tutorials

Tagged crochet, crochet pattern, crochet v-neck, DIY, free pattern, haken, handcrafted, handmade, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, pattern, projects, ravelry, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, stone washed, tutorial, v-neck, yarn

An Ever Evolving Love Affair with Stone Washed

Posted on July 29, 2014 | 1 comment

Last week I shared the beautiful Scheepjes Stone Washed that arrived in time to start my next project and today I’m showing you how beautiful it is as a garment.

But first, look at the texture. The colour is just beautiful and the way the stone washed effect works is just ingenious. The colour is wound around a white core and it really needs to be used in a project where texture is the hero.

Originally, it was my goal to make a hoodie for myself, then to write down and share the pattern with you, for free. As the top has evolved, it became very clear to me that a hoodie is not the way to go this time. I definitely think that it’s worth exploring in th future, but the Scheepjes was just telling me that it needs to become a classy v-neck, not a summer hoodie.

I made the top all in one piece, starting at the bottom of the front, then working up, over the shoulders, and then down the back. It makes for a great, almost seamless effect and I’m really happy with it.

Having said that, it wasn’t all roses – there was also a lot of frogging involved trying to get everything just right! The Stone Washed isn’t the best for frogging either. Luckily it’s nice and strong, so bears up nicely, but because it’s nice and fluffy sometimes the yarn gets stuck. But that’s a common problem, not anything particular to the Stone Washed.

I think I’ve finally finished the bulk of the work; the edging looks great. Here it is, soaking in Eucalan and smelling wonderful – I’m on the home stretch!

Right now the top is all pinned out on the blocking board. I managed to score a set of Knit Pro Blocking Wires last week when I visited the Scheepjeswol HQ so I’ve used them for the first time on this project. They could not have arrived at a better time to be honest. I could just thread the wire through the edges of the top and lock it in place with the blocking pins instead of using about ten thousand pins around the outside.

And the beautiful V-neck, which has become my favourite feature of the top.Now I expect this to take a couple of days to dry properly, considering the weather outside is dark, grey and wet (welcome to summer in the Netherlands) so stay tuned for the big reveal next week (if it’s dry)!

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Posted in Projects, Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol, Stone Washed, WIP, Yarn

Tagged free pattern, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, stone washed, tutorial, WIP

Working with Scheepjes – a Colour Riot

Posted on May 6, 2014 | 2 comments

I love Scheepjeswol Cotton 8. I knew I would, but I think it might be my new favourite cotton yarn. I love that it’s soft, and I love that it doesn’t have the mercerized look and I LOVE the colours!

For my latest design I’m using the beautiful shades of yellow, working on an ombre look. There’s quite a bit of experimentation going on with rows and colours to get the gradient just right. It’s difficult because my brain wants me to make sure all the rows are even, but the look is much better if it’s not.

Because I’m making a spring project, I’m wanting lots of space between stitches, I decided on the V-Stitch, which is absolutely perfect. I’m now working on the courage to come up with a video tutorial on how to do the stitch, especially for other lefties like me. But I need my own Dorothy and perhaps a trip to Oz for that. We shall see…

I love the way the V-Stitch looks, and for this project I’m using two strands together, which gives it a great textured look too.

But what will the project be? Well, that remains to be seen! Here are a few hints:

You’ll just have to wait until next week for the Big Reveal!

Have you tried Scheepjeswol Cotton 8? What do you think?

2 Comments

Posted in Scheepjes, Scheepjeswol

Tagged cotton 8, cotton8, crochet, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, spring, yarn, yellow

Yarn Love

Posted on April 29, 2014 | 2 comments

Look what arrived for me this week! The postman is already one of my good friends, but this may well have elevated him to BFF status.

It went straight into my project bag, and to the top of the project queue.

This last Saturday was King’s Day here in the Netherlands. The first King’s Day ever I think. We haven’t had a king here since the end of the 1800s, but for the longest time we’ve always celebrated Queen’s Day with fabulous national holiday and one of the biggest parties on the entire planet.

King’s Day in Amsterdam, photo by Caitlyn from olympicwanderings.com

My favourite part of King’s Day is the free market. Everybody pours out onto the streets and sets up their own little stall, selling all their old stuff. It usually starts the night before, with the really serious sellers and buyers camping out over night to get the best bargains and make the biggest profits. Most of it is junk though. We come across the same woman selling the same Disney videos (that’s right, videos) every year, so she’s obviously not in it for the money!

Speaking of junk, one man’s trash is another woman’s treasure, as they say. We bought loads of cool things, including a brand new rain coat for our daughter, lots of picture books and I even found a loom! However, this was my number one score for the weekend:

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Pimped my Kings Day find. An old "massage" machine case with a quick spray paint and new gingham lining. I'm feeling very Pinterest Win today! #crochet #kingsday #kday #upcycle #pinterest #craft

A post shared by Nerissa | Crochet | Haken 🇦🇺🇳🇱 (@miss__neriss) on Apr 26, 2014 at 6:08am PDT

Originally this case housed massage machine from an era long past, but was only interested in the packaging. A quick spray with some paint and gingham lining and I have myself the cutest little project case in the world!

Scheepjeswol Cotton 8 is a yarn that I haven’t had the chance to work with yet, but I know for sure that it will be a perfect fit for me. Its vibrant colours are perfect for summer and it’s so, so soft. It will be brilliant for amigurumi.

But that’s not the destiny of this batch. Instead I have another project in mind. Something beautiful for warm summer days.

Stay tuned and there’ll be a pattern in it for you….

2 Comments

Posted in Projects, Scheepjeswol, Yarn

Tagged cotton, cotton 8, craft, crochet, crochet pattern, free pattern, haken, handmade, MissNeriss, Obsessed with Crochet, projects, scheepjes, scheepjeswol, summer, yarn

Crochet Teething Bead Necklace

Posted on April 21, 2014 | 3 comments

When asked to make a teething necklace by a friend, I couldn’t get to my my local craft quick enough. I was on my bike before the request was even in.

Here’s what I came out with:

The idea behind the teething necklace is to give a baby a safe and interesting distraction while breastfeeding. The baby can play with the balls and feel the different textures instead of digging their sharp little fingernails into already sensitive and tender skin. I wish I’d thought of it when I was breastfeeding.

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do, and how I was going to do it, but I decided to wing it and see what evolved. And here’s what did:

I made it as simple as I possibly could, and also so that the beads could be taken off and rearranged into what ever style or colour combo that takes your fancy. I love it. The next one will be a rainbow coloured one. Just need more beads!