Flower Square Tutorial II

For all you readers a little tutorial on how to make these flower squares. I like this pattern 'cause it keeps the circle in an even shape. It's quite simple, check it out!

Stitches (US terms):
Slip Stitch (ss)
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Double Crochet (dc)
Half Double Crochet (hdc)

Make a magic circle (as shown on the pic's) or chain 3 and join with a slip stitch.
Round 1: Ch 2, 11 dc into the circle, join with ss. You have a total of 12 stitches.

Round 2: Change color. Start in a space between 2 stitches. Ch 2, 1 dc into the same space. *Into the next space 2 dc*, repeat *to* 10 times, join with a ss.

Round 3: Change color. Start in a space between 2 2dc's from the previous round. Ch 2, 2 dc into the same space. Into the next space, *3 dc*, repeat *to* 10 times, join with ss.

Round 4: |Change color. Start in a space between 2 3 dc's from the previous round. Ch 4, *sc into a space between 2 3dc's from the previous round, ch 3*. Repeat *to* 10 times. Ch 2, join with a ss.  Ss around the ch 3 from the previous round (see pic's).

Round 5: Ch 2, 2 dc, ch3, 3dc (first corner). *3 hdc around the next ch 3, 3 hdc around the next ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, 3dc round the next ch3*. Repeat *to* 2 times. 3hdc around the next ch 3, 3 hdc around the next ch 3, ch 1#, join with ss. (# optional)

Round 6: Change color. Use the usual granny square method to make the square bigger if you like (3 dc in each in between space and 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc into each corner).

These are the brands and colors I used:

White: Catania (Schachenmayr) nr. 0105

Blue: Catania (Schachenmayr) nr. 0385

Pink: Rio (Lammy) nr. 710 

Salmon: Rio (Lammy) nr. 214

Yellow: Phildar (Phil Coton 3) nr. 0063

I used the join-as-you-go method to join the squares, (nice and easy) and around the joined squares I always do a round of  half double crochet grannies, 'cause it fits better than double crochet (try it, it's true).

Happy hookin'!

Spring Is In The Air

Don't you love the feeling that spring is nearing? I do. The light is different, birds start singing early in the morning. The light comes through the curtains before nine... I love the spring. When we were living in Thailand last year, that was the thing I missed most, Spring. You can just smell it when you're outside. And it doesn't matter to me that it still freezes. So I've started to work on some spring colored crochet and crafting.

I showed you the two sides of this pillow before it was finished. I really love the colors and that I can just flip it around for a complete different style, or color actually. It looks very retro to me, this pattern. It's very sunny.

This is what our temporary couch looks like and the poof in front, I got at the local thrift store and covered it with some new fabric I bought for this pupose. For the new couch I will make some matching cushions, I think.

I love how colorful and sunny my living room looks now. And I'm very curious what it's going to look like once the new couch finally arrives... Only 5 weeks to go...

Of course I had to start a new crochet project as well. I think it's going to e a table runner, but not sure yet. I really like these awfully sweet colors.

Well, enjoy the upcoming spring!

Best E-Card Website Ever

Wanted to share this with you. I found the card on Pinterest, without a correct URL (I couldn't find it on the website either), but this is the website. Please read some of the cards. They are hilarious and often nasty. I love it and couldn't stop laughing!

My Sweet Valentine

I haven't got much with valentines day, but getting something like this in the mail just makes my day! My love made it especially for me and kept it from me, (though he's terrible at keeping a secret/surprise). I was so touched...

Although it's been awfully quite around here for some time, you guys have been on my mind... I'm just a little too busy sometimes to post. But there are some things in the making. A nice recycle tutorial and these colorful crochet pieces are going to get transformed into something useful soon. Just be patient a little longer. I'll get there.

My three year old made this drawing. It's me, can you tell? I love it!!

I wish you all a Happy Valentines Day!

Color Combo

Been doing some shopping, again... Hema is my favorite Dutch store and they have a brand new collection with beautiful colors and designs. I was there for over an hour, admiring all the new stuff and deciding what to buy now, and what to buy later. 'Cause buying I will! Here's part of my selection.

Some pretty wrapping paper (half off), a handy planner/notebook, some matching sticky notes, some masking tape, some printed paper... I was so happy coming home with all this wonderful stuff!

But as you can see there's also some work ahead of me. I bought a book to teach myself to use Adobe Illustrator... Exciting. I never used it before, but thought it might come in handy when blogging and stuff. I wonder if I can pull it of. We'll see (yes, you will too).

But I also found a wonderful blog/website while surfing Pinterest; it's called Photo Card Boutique. I especially love the Color Crush Palette posts on their blog. They are pretty useful when you're not a color wizard and need to know which colors to combine. I always tend to use too many colors, but their paint chips show 5 colors which make a beautiful combination. I love it!! Here are some pic's that will blow your mind!

link

Link

Link

I also really like the pictures. Don't the pictures capture the colors very well?? Want to learn that too...

That's it for today. Hope you are happy and well. The sun is shining here and it kind of feels like spring. Just a few weeks now. Can't wait!

Have a great day!

Feeling Crafty

Although I haven't been feeling well this week, I couldn't stop myself from feeding my addictions. I went to spent my birthday money on (some more) punches, and a wonderful bead storage box (did the sorting of all the beads as well, which I LOVE doing), got some paint chips from the hardware store and yesterday I (I mean we) picked out a new couch to fill up the big hole our last couch left when I sold it  a few days ago. I'm totally excited, it's our first NEW couch, since we always bought second hand. And now we have to wait for 9!! weeks until it gets delivered.. That's quite some time, especially when you're as impatient as I am. Can't wait to make some fresh pillows...

I'm a little bit bored with crochet at the moment so I decided to dust of my felt collection and get some bathroom decorating done. The bathroom downstairs is just black and white and I didn't get to pimpin' it up yet (we've been living here for 6 months now), so it was about time. I want to look at something colorful when minding my own business... So I started sewing. Don't you just love sewing those bright colored pieces of felt together by hand?! I do. And as you can tell I'm a kawaii fan (who isn't) and this was my first kawaii felty.

I love the result of my effort. It lifted my spirit to make it and to look at it as well. It just makes me happy.

Have a happy weekend!