Happy Valentines...and a Hearty Hexagon Pattern

♥♥♥♥♥Happy Valentines Day for tomorrow!♥♥♥♥♥

I have spent the weekend working on my Hearty Hexagon Pattern, hoping to have it ready for Valentine's Day, and happily, here it is! I must say, that when you have read a pattern a thousand times, and the words and symbols start blurring into a mass of scattered lines, then you need to have a break and step back...so please folks, if you buy the pattern and find a mistake, or typos or generally any things that aren't clear, please let me know... :)

Here is the link if you would like to buy a pattern:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-hearty-hexagon-crochet-motif

I spent weeks trying to find a design that makes a clean, clear hexagon shape without any distorted features or edges. I have a hundred half crocheted hearty bits lying around...my house looks like someone yarn bombed it :)

I hope you all have a Happy Day tomorrow, and get spoiled and appreciated by your loved ones :)

♥Heidi

Magic Ring Crochet Tutorial

We had a heck of a thunderstorm last night, which made it's re-appearance this afternoon.
Everything in the garden is soaked and sludgy. I shudder to think about what is brewing in all this water as of course , it being summer, is is MOZZIE season! The little blighters are everywhere, and with my garden being organic, I can't exactly chuck down a half ton of mozzie chemicals! And if I have to smell one more Citronella candle, I may be forced to take up alcohol as a hobby....
Yesterday was a busy day, filled with admin, kids stuff from school, and the ever present issues with trying to get a builder to come and fix the leaking spot on the patio for the gazillionth time!!!!!!!! I must say, I am sick and tired , sorry...let me re-phrase that...SICK AND TIRED of builders doing a bad job! This area on the patio roof has been fixed by FIVE different builders (each several times) and the darn thing still leaks! I am beginning to feel like the evildoer of the End Times will come from some kind of building background :( What does a girl have to do to get an honest, skilled builder ???? Negotiating Middle East Peace feels like it could be easier :(

Anyway...rant aside...

I was again messing around with a crochet hook and some yarn before going to bed last night, and came up with a pretty little pattern. I have started to photograph it and make the motifs...maybe next week will have a little surprise popping up :)

Happily, I spent a couple of hours at our knitting group yesterday, and it was just divine to be sitting in the sun, crocheting hexagons (remember, I have to finish Nani's blanket, so I am focusing folks!), drinking good capuccino and eating cake. We have decided to come along to my place next week, when we will make some soap (not everyone in our group has made their own soap yet, so we are doing a teaching morning :) ...yes, I believe there will be cake! )

Right , onto the Tutorial...I really like this Magic Ring start to a round motif as you can pull the circle very tightly closed....and it's really easy to do!

Magic Ring Crochet Tutorial

Start by placing the tail yarn across your palm and holding it in place with your thumb. Now wind the working end of the yarn around your palm twice (wind away from you in direction).
Slip the two loops carefully off your palm (see above). The working yarn is on the right hand side...

Carefully pinch the top of the set of loops between your forefinger and thumb (of your right hand), and loop the working yarn around your left little finger (* this is how I hold my yarn and control the tension...if you do it differently, please don't become confused...basically prepare your working yarn/ hand set up as if you were about to start crocheting...)
Be VERY careful not to "undo" the two loops of the circle...

Move the two loops circle across to your left hand, again making sure that you haven't let them slip apart/out of your hand...

Insert your hook under the two loops circle, as shown above, and pull the working yarn through the circle and up in front of the loops...

Your work should look like the photo above...

Next, do a Yarn around Hook....

...and pull through the the stitch on your hook... Keep a tight hold of the loopy circle :)
Cool! you have made a chain stitch :)

Insert your hook into the circle again.

Yarn around hook again...

...pull up to the front of the loopy circle...

Yarn around hook again, and pull through the stitch on your hook...well done! You have made a single crochet stitch :)

Your work should look like the photo above...

Continue in this manner, making the required number of single crochet stitches your pattern indicates. In my photos, I have made 12 sc's for a new Hexagon pattern I am working on :)

Right! Your required number of sc's are made , and now you need to close the ring.

In order to see which of the two loops is the one closest to the Tail Yarn, you need to gently pull on the Tail Yarn, and notice which of the two loops shortens. In the photo above, you can see which of the two has become shorter as the Tail Yarn lengthens...
Remember which one it is :)

OK, now pull the yarn that became shorter , at the other end of where the Tail Yarn emerges, and pull it carefully in the opposite direction (shown by the small red arrow), thus making the Tail Yarn become shorter and shorter...


Above you see the pulling in progress...

Above, we are nearly there...you will pull until the Tail Yarn is pulled out of the Loopy Twosome completely!

You will be left with just one loop yarn, and a Tail.

Now pull the Tail Yarn until you see the circle loop begin to become smaller...and smaller, until is is almost closed and a ring of sc's has formed :)

Above you see how things should look...your crocheted ring is almost closed, and the first chain stitch you made is lying next to the last sc you made...all that is left to do is join the circle in the round.

Insert your hook into the chain stitch you made right at the beginning of the whole process...
Yarn around Hook, and make a slip stitch (by pulling through both stitches on your hook).

Whoo!Hoo! Ring closed! There is still a biggish hole in the middle of the crocheted circle. If you would like it to close completely, just pull hard on the Tail Yarn until it closes completely :)
You can start to crochet Round 2 now...

This is such a great start to a motif in which you want a closed round crocheted centre, it looks especially good on flowers! Please let me know if there are any errors...I am little tired and the 'ol noggin is nodding...

Happy crocheting folks!
♥Heidi

Super Easy Pillow Case with Crocheted Edging

I have been working up a storm since Gerry has been away. Not having to go to work certainly has it's merits ;) I have made my first inroads into my Heartmade List! I am going to make 7 pretty pillowcases with crocheted trims for my older daughter. It's a nice gift for a teenage girl as I like the idea of her having a new, clean pillowcase for every night of the week. I learned of this from a friend, when I was still studying, who was prone to breakouts and said that changing her pillow case every day (obviously in addition to other interventions ;) ), made a big difference to her skin. Whether or not this is a case of the placebo effect rearing it's pretty head, I am going to make them for my girl (who thankfully has lovely skin, but, you know...still the thought that counts...) anyway...


This has got to be the easiest and quickest pillowcase imaginable. It is made from one piece of fabric and only has 4 straight sewn seams and two overlocked edges. Took all of 15 minutes for me to make...

In SA, the standard size pillowcase is 70cm X 45cm. You may need to adjust your measurements according to the size of your pillows...

Cut a piece of fabric (100% cotton), 176cm x 47cm.

Now iron a 1cm fold on both short edges. Make sure you iron the fabric with the wrong side of the fabric facing you. This will ensure that the fold you iron, as shown above, has the right side facing you. Now fold the same 1cm fold over again, by 1cm, and iron flat again. Do this on both short sides.


Sew a straight seam along the edge of this folded hem.


Sew both folded seams. Iron again.


Place your piece of fabric on your table, with the right side facing you. Bring the left edge over, so that the overlapping fabric area is 70cm wide, as shown above. Make sure that your edges are straight and aligned.


Bring the right hem edge over, all the way across, so that the hem underneath is at the extreme right end of the work.


Pin along the edges, as well as in the middle of your pillowcase (to prevent the fabric layers from shifting while you sew the seams :) )


Sew a 1cm seam along both long edges, reinforcing the small area where the previously sewn hems overlap.


Overlock the same seam edges (or of you don't have an overlocker, just sew a small zigzag along the raw edges). Turn your pillowcase inside out, making sure that the corner points are pointy :)
Iron well.


Now you will add a simple scalloped crocheted edge. In the photo above, you can see the pillowcase opening. The edge that you are going to crochet onto is the bit with the stitching running along it. The other end is a folded edge that surrounds your pillow.


Thread a tapestry needle with the yarn that you are going to use for the crocheted edge. Start at the right hand side of the seamed open edge of the pillowcase. Insert the needle at the very start of the edge, and pull about 2m of thread through. DO NOT CUT the yarn going to the ball of yarn. Just leave it be for now...


Above, you can see the loads of yarn pulled through and piled up.


Insert your needle just to the right of where it previously exited, and work along the inside of the hem, exiting about 1cm to the left. Pull all the yarn though.


Insert the needle in the same place as you previously did, and this time exit 2cm along, as seen above. You are effectively back stitching all along the pillowcase edge.


Pull all extra yarn through. Make sure that you don't pull too hard as the fabric will bunch. The stitch should lie flat along the fabric edge.


Re-insert the needle at the edge of the last back stitch, and work along the hem and exit 2cm to the left again. Pull all the extra yarn through.


You have made two back stitches.


Repeat this all along the edge of your pillowcase.


Make a small double stitch to anchor the yarn, and cut.


Go back to the beginning, where you have a working yarn still attached to the ball.
I have used a 2.0mm crochet hook for this edge, but obviously you can adapt to whatever edging you want to crochet.


Make 4 sc into each 1cm thread space...do this all along the edge. Above you can see that I have reached the end of the edge.


Turn your work, chain 1, and make sc into each of the previous rows' stitches...again there will be 4sc in each thread "space".


Above you can see that I have finished the second row of sc, and have turned my work around, ready to start the scalloped edging.

Make 1 dc into the space between sc 2 and sc 3 of the previous row...this lies in the middle of each 4sc repeat.

Make a second dc into the same space.

Now make 1 treble crochet stitch into the same space.


Crochet two more dc into the same space...one scallop complete.


Next make one sc into the space between 4sc repeats of the FIRST ROW.


Make 2dc, trc, 2dc in the next along 4sc repeat (always crocheting into the space between sc 2 and sc 3). Make a sc into the first row, as described before. Continue in this manner all along the edge.

WIP....


At the last scallop, cut yarn, pull through last stitch and tie off. Iron flat.


Ta Da! Your pillowcase is done! Easy peasy...

The pleasure in making this pillowcase is choosing beautiful fabrics...this particular fabric is a Yuwa pure cotton and soft and smooth ...cotton is by far the best fabric for a pillow case...

Enjoy your Sunday folks...
♥Heidi