Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Showing posts with label shawls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shawls. Show all posts

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Cosmos Fields Shawl

A while back I needed a quick on-the-go project to accompany me while out and about for the best part of two days.    I used a mill ends yarn, which I had my doubts about as it was looking a bit too much like red cabbage at one point. I finished it anyway - at the same time coming up with a neat edging which I also used for my ROAD TRIP SCARVES



granny triangle shawl


granny triangle shawl


granny triangle shawl

I let go of the red cabbage idea when I saw this stunning photo of COSMOS FIELDS


cosmos field


cosmos field

These and more AMAZING photos can be found on a gorgeous Japanese Blog called ROUND OF THE SEASONS IN JAPAN

So happy I found the photos - I don't think anyone would want to wear a "Red Cabbage" Shawl!!

It is winter  here in South Africa and although it is still really warm here during the day I am making myself a few scarves to prepare for the cold snap!

Loving the variegated yarn lately - so I ordered a random batch for inspiration.


yarn stash

My fingers are itching to make a more solid version (like this shawl) of my Road Trip Scarf, but I am busy with a tutorial for my Dahlia Mandala (pattern to be posted very soon!!).  I used what was left of my first batch of Raeesah Cotton Soft to make the two pink mandalas.


mandala

There were still a few teeny tiny scraps left - so I made another jar jacket! (Had to tie two strands of purple together on the final row, the knot is unfortunately quite visible - I will have to use this jar for flowers or something that will hide the last row!)




Now that I have finished the Raeesah I can delve into my new stash of Strawberries & Cream (50% cotton / 50% acrylic) for the tutorial.  

I have never used the Strawberries & Cream before - it feels very soft but looks as if it might be a bit "splitty" - will let you know how that tests out when I post my Dahlia Mandala Pattern!

Have a super happy crafty Wednesday!!!

Sunday 1 June 2014

Road Trip Scarves: Pattern

Friday I went on a little spur of the moment road trip with hubby and I wanted a fuss free project to keep me busy during the drive.   Scissors are banned on road trips as hubby is paranoid that I accidentally stab myself again (during a road trip a couple of months back I was snipping a thread, we hit a pothole, a very common occurrence on South African Roads, and I embedded the scissors in my left wrist).      While hubby was planning the route I quickly grabbed some variegated yarn, started two triangles to make "scarfy" versions of a shawl I made a few weeks ago, and popped them into my SHABBY PROJECT BAG

road trip scarf

I managed to finish both scarves, edge them and make a few little flowers - with a few cm of yarn to spare - before we arrived back home.    Yesterday morning I sewed the flowers on with some beads and a few braids and Ta-dah!

road trip scarf

For the greenish scarf I used 2 x 50g Elle Family Knit Classic (Courtelle) colour "Sushi" with a 4.50mm hook and a 5.00mm hook.

road trip scarf

For the pinkish scarf I used 100g Elle Escapade DK (Acrylic) colour "Fuschia Falls"  with a 4.00mm hook and a 4.50mm hook

Spinning my wheels a bit yesterday - waiting for the ladies to finish testing the patterns for my Zooty Owl Trivets and my Dahlia Mandala - so I thought I would make another one of these while I wait.

road trip scarf

For the brightly coloured scarf I used Elle Family Knit DK Classic (Courtelle) 2 x 50g with a 4.50mm and a 5.00mm hook.

I worked up the pattern and crocheted yet another Road Trip Scarf while making the photo tutorial

ROAD TRIP SCARF PATTERN 
  
YARN:   Elle Pullskein Print DK (100% Acrylic)  (any soft 8 ply yarn would work well)

COLOUR:  Hunter

HOOKS:  4.50mm and 5.00mm

EXTRAS:  Wooden beads

SIZE:  106cm Wide;   48cm long

(The pattern is of such a nature that you could easily make the scarf bigger - even shawl size - by just adding more rows!) 

SKILL LEVEL:   Easy 

PATTERN TERMS:   US

crochet terms conversion chart

Using 4.50mm hook 

Foundation:   6ch

road trip scarf
road trip scarf

Using 5.00mm hook:


road trip scarf
road trip scarf

EDGING


road trip scarf

road trip scarf

road trip scarf

I made a video to demonstrate this edging (no sound),
which I first used for my BABY GROOVYGHAN
 (Note:   I use single crochet for the baby groovghan and for the Road Trip Scarf I use Double Crochet!)

If you are having trouble watching the video here - I have saved it on my Zooty Owl Facebook page too - you will find it under "Photos"



NOTE:   If for some reason you are unable to view the video on this page - I have it stored on my Zooty Owl Facebook page - go to photos and then Videos

road trip scarf

EMBELLISHMENTS 

road trip scarf

I made 8 flowers, attaching 2 at each point and 4 randomly around the "v"
road trip scarf
 
Attach the flowers to the scarf, with a small wooden bead as the centre of the flower

road trip scarf

I have been messing around with my camera settings for indoor photos - the days are way too short now as we approach winter solstice.    I don't quite know what I have done but I seem to have achieved a bit of a "neon" effect?!

road trip scarf

I LOVE variegated yarn and I LOVE these scarves!!

My elder daughter is very petite and she really feels the cold.    I made her a scarf with Colormatic Aran, and embellished it with my SUNFLOWER APPLIQUE



(A few of you lovely crafty people are having trouble getting started with the Road Trip Scarf - I have put together a little TUTORIAL WITH CLEARER PHOTOS (I used solid colour yarn - as it is sometimes difficult to see the stitches especially on smaller screens)

The print friendly version of the pattern can be found HERE 

***********************************************************************

THE DAY TRIP SCARF

In 2014 when I created my Road Trip scarf I had no idea that it would be so ridiculously popular. I had a lot of requests for a longer scarf along similar lines. I finally got around to it - the result is a long “baktus style” scarf with two possible edgings. Either a frilly edge for a whimsical look or a zig-zag bobble edging. (The original Road Trip Scarf edging and trims would also work well with this design) 


The Day Trip Scarf differs from the Road Trip Scarf in that it increases steadily in length and gradually in width, whereas the Road Trip Scarf increases evenly in length and width.


This version can also easily be made on a day journey as a passenger. The project is small and lightweight and can be squeezed into bag, making it a wonderful “take-along” project for a journey by car, plane, train or bus.
The Day Trip Scarf is a very economical project requiring just under 300 metres or 330 yards of DK / 8ply / light worsted weight yarn.
Because the pattern works up so quickly and is so economical to make, it is the perfect end of year / Christmas gift. 

Monday 17 March 2014

Triangle Shawl: Forever in Blue Jeans

When one of my lovely new friends invited me to join her group for a Crochet / Knit challenge I (eventually) decided that this was the perfect opportunity to make myself (another!) Triangle Shawl.

The challenge was " The Olympics begin Feb 7. Pick a project that you feel you can realistically finish by the end of the Olympics on Feb 23." 

No problem - right?!  But I got off to a bit of a bumpy start.    I first thought about making a Poncho but then ended up frogging all the squares I had made on the 7th because I could not decide on my colours. The next morning I put together a colour combo I was happy with:


triangle shawl
  
A lovely mix of  blues, grey, cream and brown in Stylecraft and Elle Classic Wool.  There was not enough yarn for a poncho - it would have to be a Triangle Shawl.

It started out looking so dreary that I almost gave up on it:


triangle shawl

I was already quite behind with the challenge so I just kept on going, and as it grew row by row, and colour change by colour change I started to LOVE this project.


triangle shawl

Then disaster struck - my shawl was not nearly big enough and I ran out of yarn!   


triangle shawl

The crisis was averted when I found a ball of the Oyster (greyish brown) set aside for another project which I had not yet started - not ideal but better than having a skimpy shawl! 

The outcome was a lot less blue than I wanted - but hey.... A few more rows and I was ready to add the edging  (also had to make do and edge in grey - with the last bit of brown thrown in for a bit of definition



Quite happy with the end result!

I have started writing up and testing the pattern which will be available in my Ravelry Shop within the next few days!

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Crochet Poncho: The "Pacha" Poncho

Not much of a blog post really - just could not wait to show you my Crochet Poncho.

My first inspiration for this came from a Dutch design site - but as it started developing a personality of its own (and before I started working the neck), I decided it looked like Pacha's Poncho (the big guy from Disney's The Emperor's New Groove)



The photo is not all that great as we  had a HUGE (scary) storm this afternoon - took the photo when the rain stopped for a bit!    Now it is raining cats and dogs again (maybe it is cool enough to snuggle into my new PONCHO!!!)

Edit:   The pattern for the Pacha Poncho is now available in my RAVELRY STORE

Thursday 6 February 2014

Corner to Corner Granny Shawl Pattern

I posted a photo on Facebook of a corner to corner granny shawl I had made from yarn scraps.     I had made two - one for my sister and one for me.    My friend's daughter literally bought mine straight off my shoulders (a gift for one of her "artsy" university friends).



This happens to be the only photo I have of mine!

Anyway I had a lot of requests for the pattern - so here it is:

Yarn:  30% wool / 70 % Acrylic

Quantities:    200g brown, 200g cream, 60g each of 3 colours

Hook Size:   4.00 - 5.00 depending on your tension

Pattern Terms:  US

Start with:  5ch
Row 1:  Into 5th ch from hook - 3dc, 1ch, 1dc (first corner formed)

Begin Increasing:
Row 2:  4ch -  turn; 3dc into 1ch sp; 3dc, 1ch, 1dc into corner space

Row 3:  4ch - turn;   3dc into 1ch sp, 3dc into space between clusters; 3dc, 1ch, 1dc into corner space


Repeat Row 3 until the shawl is as long and wide as you like it!    (I did 110 rows)

You can find a little tutorial on the diagonal granny stripe HERE

Here is a photo of another one I made (looking very crumpled after being folded away for the summer):



I had some colours left over from my DIAGONAL GRANNY STRIPE INFINITY SCARF - a smallish amount of each colour - not really enough to make anything on their own.    They were such pretty colours (and pretty decent yarn too) so I did not want them to end up in a scrap project.

Added some cream and brown acrylic / wool blend to the mix, planned out the stripes in my head and got hooking



The last five rows I changed the stripe repeat a bit and did a row of each colour, separated by a row of brown.   I think it gave it quite a nice effect:



To edge I did a simple picot-style for the top and a fringe for the sides.

Starting off in a top corner work as follows:

2dc, 1 picot ( 3ch and then a ss into the top of the last dc), 2dc, 1 picot, 2dc;
2dc, 1 picot (4ch and then a ss into the 1st ch) into each space between clusters

 Repeat until you reach the end of the top side

Into the corner do 2dc, 1 picot ( 3ch and then a ss into the top of the last dc), 2dc, 1 picot, 2dc;

Now the side fringe:

*Into the side of the first dc work 1dc, 40ch, ss into first ch, 1dc
Into the side of the next dc work 1dc, 20ch, ss into first ch, 1dc
Into the side of the next dc work 1dc, 10ch, ss into first ch, 1dc*

To have a fringe of 3 different lengths, just keep repeating from *to* until you are once again at the top.     Then into the last sp 1dc 1 picot (3ch and then a ss into the top of the last dc)
SS into the top of the start dc.

And there you are!!   Done!

Friends, this pattern was written in a big rush - I have not had chance to had it tested (so effectively you will be my testers).    If you find any errors please leave me a comment and I will fix it!

Thanks for all the interest and lovely comments on Facebook.     I hope you enjoy this pattern!

Happy Hooking!!


Tuesday 1 October 2013

Granny Square Shawl: Grandala Square

I spotted a gorgeous granny square shawl on Pinterest - loved the colours she used - very eyecatching!

You may remember me telling you HERE about the acrylic/ wool blend yarn which I was dying to try out? -Elle Classic Wool Blend DK - thought the "Honey", "Salsa" and "Mineral" would make a pretty striking combo.


granny square scarf

I had also seen a "grandala" granny square HERE which I was also dying to try out - perfect for this granny shawl.


granny square scarf

Make 27 x 5 row granny squares.   Assemble 3 rows by 9 squares, crochet a fringe around one of the long sides and the two short sides


granny square scarf

And voila!!  A warm, soft and snuggly shawl / wrap.   Pinned with a big crochet flower.


granny square scarf