In the Wool #64 (free)
Stepping into Spring
Welcome Back!
I don’t know about you but I’m ready to leave the grim winter weather behind and step into spring. This time of year is always so refreshing, and I love seeing this reflected in handmade projects. Happy shades of yarn and pretty patterns - there’s no better way to lift your spirits after a long winter! March is almost here so it’s time to dust off the cobwebs, get your imagination flowing, and channel your creative energy into your craft. In this edition we’ve got lots of free patterns to get you started, a look at a brand new yarn that has just arrived in our yarn shop for spring, and the next instalment of The Yarn Journal to help you theme the month of March around mindful making.
As always, I hope you enjoy this edition and that you have a very crafty week!
With the end of winter finally in sight, our spring collections have started to arrive and our yarn shop is filling up with bright colours and soft cottons. This week we’re shining the spotlight on one of our new ranges called Coastal Cotton. This includes 2 yarns - Coastal Cotton and Coastal Cotton Ocean Mist - from Knitting Fever’s Queensland Collection. Let’s take a closer look!
Coastal Cotton was designed with spring projects in mind. If you love stylish colours, lightweight accessories and breathable garments, then this is the yarn for you. Coastal Cotton is an aran weight yarn that comes in 100g balls that are easy to work from. The bright colours in this range are perfect for bringing a breath of fresh spring air into your handmade projects…
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CLICK HERE to learn all about this brand new yarn!
The Yarn Journal: March
It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly March already. 2023 is really flying by! We’re now on our third instalment of The Yarn Journal, a new tool to help you stay on track with your craft, develop your skills, and incorporate more mindfulness into your favourite hobby. A lot of the prompts in The Yarn Journal encourage you to reflect, whether that be on things that you have made or goals you want to achieve. It’s also about having fun and getting even more enjoyment out of making, which is why we have another game to play this month! Keep reading to learn more and to download the March pages for your journal…
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My Ultimate List of Free Patterns for Spring
Can you tell I enjoy making these lists?😂 I just love scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspiration and discovering all the great designs that are out there. This collection of free knitting and crochet patterns is themed around spring. Think light and bright colourways, fresh flowers and cute creatures; this list has a little bit of everything. Whether you want to make wreaths or blankets, baby hats or spring garments, I hope you find a pattern or two to take away for your next project.
Want to keep reading? Get a premium subscription today and access my list of 44 free knitting + crochet patterns for spring!
NEW: Sirdar’s Coronation CAL
I just wanted to let you know about a fantastic new crochet along that will be starting on March 1st. This has been created by Sirdar in collaboration with madebyanita to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. The CAL patterns will be released weekly over the next 6 weeks- CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up to have the patterns emailed directly to you. This design really is amazing; it’s so detailed and striking. To take part, you’ll need 13 x 100g balls of double knit plus a 4mm and 3.5mm crochet hook. The suggested yarn is Hayfield Bonus DK (click here) but you can use any double knitting yarn. Unfortunately all of our CAL kits sold out before we could even get them on our website, but you don’t have to stick to the same colours as the pattern. Here is Sirdar’s description of this design:
Celebrating aspects of King Charles’ life and the regalia of the coronation, over six weeks, you'll progress from simple granny squares through colours, stitches and techniques representing Charles the Military Man, Charles The Conservationist and Charles the Artist, and crochet beautiful panels representing the Crown Jewels and Coronation Robe.
I know quite a few of you are taking part in this CAL and I can’t wait to see the beautiful blankets that you make!
A Couple of Throwbacks…
There are lots of celebrations around this time of year, most notably St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th) and Mother’s Day (March 19th). I have a couple of free pattern collections from last year that I thought I would share with you again to give you some project inspiration for the month ahead. Whether you’re wanting a bright green novelty make or a beautiful handmade gift, check out the articles below to discover your next creative project!
CLICK HERE for My Ultimate List of Free Patterns for St. Patrick’s Day.
CLICK HERE for My Ultimate List of Free Patterns for Mother’s Day.
This month I’ve spent quite a bit of time making cards. Firstly I made a Valentine’s Day card, using one of the crochet heart motifs I shared with you in the last edition. I decided to go for a collage style and use a few mementos to make this one really personal. I cut up a coaster from a hotel we stayed at, a wristband from an exhibit we went to, and added a mini Polaroid picture and some stickers. It’s a little haphazard looking but I like that it’s sentimental and a reminder of some fun memories. It might seem a bit silly but I like it when handmade things look really…handmade. They can be a bit messy and don’t need to look perfect; it’s more about creating something truly unique that you’ve enjoyed making.
Next on my list was a birthday card for my husband, AJ. As I used a lot of different elements for the Valentine’s card, I decided to keep it simple for his birthday. I gathered up oddments of yarn (some Ricorumi Spray from a project I frogged, and a little bit of gold Ricorumi Lamé) and decided to make a birthday present motif. This was really easy to do. I just crocheted a basic…
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Community Creations
Spring is about to be in full swing with another fabulous collection of projects from our crafty community. First up we have a lovely blanket which has been made by Tracey using Hayfield Bonus Super Chunky yarn. Tracey made knitted squares and then crocheted them together in a contrasting colour. I love this bright yellow shade, it’s perfect for welcoming in spring, and I love the different stitches and textures Tracey has created with each individual square. It’s not very often that we see knitting and crochet combined in one project so it’s great to see the creativity that has gone into this make!
Next we have a cardigan that has been made by Sheila using Woolcraft’s Shetland Heather Aran, one of our most popular yarns for garments. I love this purpley shade and the natural texture that the yarn has. This will be a wonderful garment to wear throughout spring!
Our last project for this edition is from one of our subscribers who used my free crochet pattern for a sunflower bookmark and was kind enough to share a photo on Instagram! This was one of the first patterns that I designed and it makes me so happy to see that makers are still using it. This bookmark was made by Shazney and it looks great! Shazney runs an account called Crochet By SCL - click here to view their Instagram! If you’re looking for a stash busting project to kick off your spring season then click here to view this free pattern.
A huge thank you to Tracey, Sheila and Shazney for sharing your #babesinthewoolhull projects with us!❤️
Free Patterns!
With Mother’s Day coming up in March (if you live in the UK), I thought I’d recommend a few ideas for gifts for this celebration. Handmade gifts are a great way to show someone that you care and that you’ve taken the time to make something extra special just for them.
Tulips Potholder by Raffamusa Designs (crochet)
Gingham Wine Cozy by Crochet 365 (crochet)
Mother’s Day Heart by Golden Lucy Crafts (crochet)
New Day Bag by Peppergoose Design (knit)
Heart Slippers by Drops Design (knit)
Chevron Sunglasses Case by Hands Occupied (knit)
Keep Reading…
Article: Yarn Corner- Rowan Felted Tweed This instalment is about a yarn I’ve been very excited to cover. With gorgeous colours and stunning designs… (click here)
In the Wool #63: Creative Play (click here)