In the Wool #66 (free)
Get Egg-cited for Easter!
Welcome Back!
Spring is in the air and I’ve been feeling very refreshed and motivated with my current crochet projects. Blankets, accessories, garments, cards - I’ve had a little bit of everything on my hook this month! With Easter just a couple of weeks away now, I have a giant collection of free knitting and crochet patterns to share with you so that you can start planning your seasonal makes for April. We also have a new range of recycled cotton macrame cord, a sneak peek at our spring window display, and a look at the crochet blanket that broke the internet after the Oscars earlier this month.
As always, I hope you enjoy this edition and find lots of creative inspiration to take away for the week ahead!
Now that the seasons are changing, the new yarns just keep on coming. This week we’re featuring a new range of recycled macrame cord from King Cole, the perfect partner for your spring/summer accessories. The art of macrame has been growing in popularity for the last few years and we have stocked a few different types of cords that always seem to sell out. Whether you’re a veteran macrame maker or you want to try something new, this classic range is guaranteed to suit your needs. Let’s take a closer look at Macrame King Cotton!
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CLICK HERE to read this article!
My Ultimate List of Free Patterns for Easter - Part 2!
Easter is by far one of the most popular celebrations when it comes to novelty makes for knitters and crocheters. My list of free patterns hardly even scratches the surface! This is the second collection of Easter patterns that I’ve put together so in total you have a whopping 86 designs to choose from- if you don’t have handmade eggs and bunnies coming out of your ears by Easter, then you’re doing it wrong…
CLICK HERE to view Part 1 which contains 46 free knitting and crochet patterns!
To unlock Part 2 and access another 40 free patterns, upgrade your subscription now!
Justin Bieber in a Blanket
Following the Oscars award ceremony earlier this month, you may have noticed a particular crochet pattern that has been trending. Justin Bieber wore a Persian Tiles crochet blanket to the afterparty, and since then many crocheters have taken to social media to reminisce over this beautiful design by Janie Crow. Even though this crochet pattern has been around for a while, it’s still insanely popular with makers today; I see people in my crochet community starting one of these blankets almost on a weekly basis. It’s easy to understand the popularity of this design as the blanket features stunning details. It was great to see Janie Crow’s pattern taking centre stage and it was a moment for makers everywhere to enjoy. CLICK HERE to learn more about the original crochet pattern on Janie Crow’s website!
Another Sneak Peek!
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I’ve been getting really stuck into my crochet projects over the last couple of weeks. After I shared my plans to make a crochet top with you in the last edition, I decided to make a start straight away. As I’m using a slightly different yarn than what the pattern suggests, I thought I would have a few tension squares to make as I usually do. Surprisingly, my tension square was right on the first go! It’s been a long time since that has happened😂
The pattern is made up of squares that are joined together and, as the centre of the square design is a different colour to the outside, I decided to batch make these to start. I need 30 squares in total and I’ve just finished my 30th centre! I love projects that are made up of squares as you get to celebrate your achievements a bit more on the way; every centre completed felt like a mini win and kept me spurred on to keep crocheting. Next, I will be turning these green circles into squares, pairing them with a creamy beige shade of yarn for the bulk of the top.
I’ve also been making some accessories this week. For a while now I’ve been wanting to crochet a new headband. I found a free pattern on Pinterest that I liked but I ended up adapting it slightly as I was using a different yarn weight. I used Rico Baby Cotton Soft DK (one of my all time favourite yarns) and made a sample…
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Community Creations
Our local makers are really churning out fantastic handmade projects at the moment; it must be the fresh boost of motivation from the arrival of spring! First we have a lovely sweater which has been knitted by Kath using a gorgeous shade of red aran yarn that she got from our shop last year. With this sweater now finished, Kath said she’s about to start another one already!
Next we have a fantastic crochet project which has been made by Alix. This is an apple jacket! This is such a fun design; I’ve not seen much like this before. Alix used some of Katia’s Ekos for this project. These colours look lovely together and the blue provides a nice contrast for the details.
Last but certainly not least, we have a gorgeous blanket that has been made by Pam, who did one of our crochet courses a few years ago. Pam made this blanket using a combination of Sirdar’s Bonus DK and James C. Brett’s Second Chance Recycled DK. This colourway is so complimentary and has a lovely spring vibe to it. Thank you for bringing this project into the shop for us to see, Pam- it’s no small task judging by the size of this piece!
Thank you very much to Kath, Alix and Pam for sharing your #babesinthewoolhull projects with us! We love seeing the makes that our customers come up with😁
Free Patterns
As I’ve had handmade garments on my mind recently, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite free patterns for springtime garments!
Lacy Sweater Top by KnitCroAddict (crochet)
Cecilia Summer Top by Once Upon A Cheerio (crochet)
Happy Flower Shawl by Atty’s (crochet)
Spring Messenger Sweater by Drops Design (knit)
Stormy Sky Shawl by Life is Cozy (knit)
Don’t Walk Striped Tank Top by Sirdar (knit)
Keep Reading…
Article: My Ultimate List of Free Patterns for Spring (click here)
In the Wool #65: Making in March (click here)