Surprise!
I was looking back over some previous articles I published for Valentine's Day and decided to collect them together in this yarn lover’s mini edition of In the Wool! We’ve got free patterns, crafting tips, and overall inspiration for falling in love with your craft. I’ve also included a sneak peek at my current project for Valentine’s Day. I hope this mini edition can give your creativity a boost and help you fill the week ahead with all the yarny goodness you need!
Falling in Love…with Crafts!
You’ve probably already noticed that most great love affairs involve yarn. Whether it’s knitting, crochet, or any craft of your choice, once you get hooked - forgive the pun - there’s no going back! There are lots of ways to recharge your relationship with your hobby, and this is the perfect time of year to try it. Whether you’ve got January blues, or just need a feel-good February, here are a few tips for getting back on track with your craft…
CLICK HERE to read this article!
Here’s a little look at the project I’m working on right now! As it’s Valentine’s Day, and I have a wedding card to make for later this month, I thought I’d try making some lacy heart motifs. I’ve always loved making detailed designs with crochet cotton and a tiny hook so this has been a really fun project for me.
I did a practise heart in red cotton and I’m going to make a second one in white for the wedding card (which I will show you in the next edition). I really love this design; I think elaborate crochet motifs are just so pretty. I definitely want to make more of these as each heart can be made in one sitting, but I need to figure out what to do with them first. They might look good strung together as bunting or attached to a backing and turned into wall hangings. We shall see!
This was also good practise for working from a diagram. I always dread patterns that involve a diagram and avoid them like the plague, but this means I miss out on a lot of detailed designs that I love. So I decided to push myself and just give it a go; I had a little bit of confusion the first time around, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought, and I’m feeling a lot more confident now. I hope I can go on to try more detailed diagram designs in the future!
Below is the link to the free crochet pattern that I used:
Home is Where… by Drops Design (crochet)
Breakfast in Bed: A Free Pattern Collection
If yarn or food is your love language, you’re in the right place! Food and Drink are among some of the most popular categories of makes for knitters and crocheters. If you’re terrible in the kitchen like me, making meals out of yarn can really reduce your chance of disaster. Putting together a plate, like the one in the picture above, is guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone who sees it. I made this breakfast scene about a year and a half ago using a mixture of free patterns and improvisations. I still enjoy this photo today; there’s just something amusing about displays like this where the pieces are recognisable but not as they seem. My dog has since eaten the bacon (and possibly the egg), so the whole family was able to get enjoyment out of my makes, which is often the appeal of handmade food and drink.
If you’re looking for an unusual and thoughtful gift this Valentine’s Day, this free pattern collection is bound to have some of your loved one’s favourite foods.
CLICK HERE to read this article!
Maker Spotlight: Mr & Mrs B
I just had to bring out this article again in time for Valentine’s Day! Last year I wrote a feature on Mr & Mrs B. This was one of my all time favourite articles to write; it doesn’t get better than a yarn love story! Peter Bartlett runs @Peterb195 on Instagram with his wife Sue, both of whom knit, crochet, and occasionally cross-stitch the most wonderful makes from their Sussex Coast bungalow. Peter and Sue have been kind enough to share their story with us, so grab yourself a cuppa and read all about this crafting couple!
CLICK HERE to read this article.
My Ultimate List of Free Valentine’s Patterns
It’s time for another instalment of My Ultimate Lists of Free Patterns! This time it’s all about Valentine’s Day, and you’ll be happy to know that there’s no shortage of free crochet patterns and knitting patterns on the internet for this particular celebration. In fact, it was hard to narrow down the projects to include in this article. So many knitting and crochet designers release heart themed free patterns year after year and, just like me, they want to spread the handmade love to all of you crafters out there!
Whether you’re looking for ornaments and decorations, or simple heart shapes to turn into your own creations, this list of free patterns has got you covered. Happy crafting!
CLICK HERE to access 30 free knitting and crochet patterns!
Even More Free Patterns for Valentine’s Day!
My original plan for this year was to expand on last year’s list but I ended up finding so many great patterns that I just had to make a second one! The new list contains 30 free knitting and crochet patterns so, combined with last year’s article, you’ll have 60 fabulous free patterns to choose from this Valentine’s Day. From gift bags and mandalas to cushions and wall hangings, this list has it all! I hope you enjoy this free pattern collection and find lots of lovely novelty makes that you’d like to try.
CLICK HERE to discover 30 more free knitting and crochet patterns!
Next Edition: Monday 13th February
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