Lullaby Lodge

Scroll down for free pattern link... It was my mum's birthday this week and I wanted to make her something small to send with her birthday card.  I remembered seeing a lovely coaster pattern in a book that Little T had got me for Christmas.   He had paid for it with his own money, it was a bargain for only £2 from The Works. The book is called "Vintage Style Crochet Projects" and is by Agnieszka Strycharska. I chose some colours I thought Mum would like.  I used Drops Muskat which is a really pretty 100% cotton DK yarn and a 4mm hook. The coasters worked up really quickly and I was tempted to make lots more but Sadly I didn't have much DK left.  I guess I will just have to go yarn shopping!  These coasters would make a great last minute gift for someone... I'm sure lots of you would love to try out this pattern so I will leave a link to the book.  I have also found a free pattern that is almost identical, this one has a pret

In this frosty weather we all need a hat to keep our heads cosy and warm and why not add a splash of colour to your outfit too, by using brightly coloured wool?  The Shetland Lace Slouchie is worked in the round on either double pointed needles or on a circular needle using the magic loop method.  It is comprised of a variation of the Old Shale stitch.  The lace is created by simple increases and decreases on a 4-row repeat, making this a perfect introduction to lace knitting.  An adventurous beginner could easily master this pattern.  The yarn cake creates a lovely colour block effect, with no need to keep changing colours.  The yarn does all the work for you. Shetland Lace Slouchie Materials :  1 ball Caron Cakes or similar yarn, darning needle, stitch marker, Clover pom pom maker (optional). Needles :  5mm (8 US) & 4mm (6 US) dpn's or curcular needle (using  magic loop method). Ability :  Intermediate Size :  Teen [adult] / 50-56 cm [56-

Over the Christmas holidays we always binge watch the Harry Potter Movies.  Whilst watching Prisoner of Azkaban I happened to notice a gorgeous, scrappy, hand knitted blanket on Ron Weasley's bed (Molly Weasley I do so love all your makes).  I instantly knew this would make an awesome stash busting project and I had to start straight away. A quick search found a brilliant guide by Jackie Wierzbick on her blog  Penguineer's Purls  and you can find the pattern page  here...   She has painstakingly collected lots of photos of the blanket and produced them into a layout grid and a guide for each knitted block.  The squares are all knitted in garter stitch (which I love especially for "TV" knitting).  There is also a crochet version which you can find  here... So off I went to rummage through my stash.  I have a great deal of those huge 400g balls of aran yarn I bought "cos it's cheap" that never got used (because it wasn't soft e

No sooner than we have taken down all our Christmas decorations, Valentine's Day is knocking at the door.  I have selected my 10 favourite free patterns.  There is plenty to choose from, gifts for family and friends and maybe something to treat yourself... What Valentines Day would be complete without a delicious box of chocolates and with the added bonus of zero calories.  Pattern by Michele Wilcox. Valentine Chocolates Learn a new stitch pattern to create a gorgeous heart blanket or just use the pattern to add a cute trim to other makes.  Designed by Mypicot. Heart Stitch Pattern Keep cosy in this lush cowl with adorable heart detail.   Pattern by Crafts by Amanda. Heart Infinity Scarf Decorate your home for the season with this cute wall hanging by Creative Jewish Mom. Crocheted Hearts Wall hanging Add a crochet edging to these paper hearts and turn them into a gorgeous garland.  Decorate your home or give them as a gift.  D

Happy new year everyone.  I hope you have all enjoyed the festivities over Christmas and the new year.  So what will 2019 bring?  Well for Lullaby Lodge it means the beginning of my temperature blanket.  I am so excited to get started.  I will also be doing another feature on stash busting, something a little different from last year and I will of course be sharing loads of new patterns, tutorials and ideas.  Doesn't the beginning of a new year just fill you with hope, joy and expectation of what it might bring... So here we go, day 1 of my temperature blanket.  You can find my original post will all the pattern info  here... According to the BBC the highest temperature for today in Windsor will be 11°C. So my first colour is going to be Sherbet! I started off with 180 chains this should be big enough for a single bed with a slight overhang.  Such a long wiggly starting chain, this is always the most awkward bit.   I like to work into the bumps on

Inspired by all the amazing photos on Instagram and Pinterest, I had wanted to make a temperature blanket for some time.  So I thought I would share my blanket progress with you, including lots of tips and tricks.  If you would like to make one too, this is how you do it.   The idea is simple.  Every day, use the local weather stations highest temperature of that day, to choose your crochet colours.  This will result in a gorgeous blanket by the end of the year.  You just allocate which colours you will use for a range of temperatures and crochet 1 row each day corresponding to that days temperature.  I used Stylecraft Special DK for my blanket, but you can use any yarn you like.  Depending on where you live you may need to adjust how many colours and what temperatures you will need... For my blanket I chose 10 colours to represent the warmer days... ...and 10 colours to represent the cooler days. It is so exciting to watch your blanket develope.  M

Christmas is not Christmas without a trip to a village fair.  This year we went to Moss End Village to see what they had to offer.  The fair was situated on an old farm converted into shop suits, including a garden centre and lot's of craft shops.     The children were given a trail card and told to look out for 15 elves that were hiding around the site.  Our first stop was to write a letter to Santa and collect a stamp on the trail card.  The next stop on the trail was inside a glass blowing shop.  The children helped to decorate a glass Christmas tree and collected another stamp on their card. The next mission on the trail was to feed Santa's reindeer.  The children were given a sprig of lichen, which the deer gobbled up.  I guess they only eat carrots on Christmas Eve... As we walked around the trail there were lots of stalls, rides and games for the children to enjoy and the smell of roast chestnuts and freshly made donuts filled our nostrils, mak