Using Ravelry

I love Ravelry! - www.ravelry.com

Do you use it too?

There is so much available on this website that it is all too numerous to mention, so I will just give you my top five favourites and urge you to go and have a look around yourself.

1. Pattern search

You can search for patterns with lots of filters:
by just a simple one word search e.g. "cat" "amigurumi" "sweater" "coaster"
type of pattern - such as clothing or toys
by name of pattern
designer name
type of craft
yarn weight
hook or needle size
it's rating by others who have made it
search for free patterns only or paid ones too
search by yardage for pattern, if you know the yardage of your stash this helps you use it up.

There are many more options than those above, you are bound to find something to suit what you are looking for. You can also save your favourite search terms.

2. Favourite pattern

When you find a pattern you like you can add it to your favourites to find later.

3. Projects

Here you can save the projects you are currently working on, those you have finished or those you have given up on.
You can save details about it, add photos and notes, what yarn you used, what needle size, where you bought the yarn, link to pattern etc.
You can rate your experiences of the pattern and yarn too.

You can make your projects available to the public or just Ravelry members.

If you blog about your projects you can easilyadd a link to your blog post.

4. Contributions 

Here you can add your own patterns to share with others.

5. Library

Here you can save patterns that you have bought or downloaded for free so you can find them in the future. You can arrange them how you like - I like the 'bookshelf' option, it is easy to navigate and see what you have.

There is also an attached forum where you can discuss patterns and other topics. I haven't used this for chat myself but I did use it when having a problem with a pattern. A search bought up a discussion on the very problem I was having and I was able to get on with the pattern using the tips discussed.

There are tips, help, designers, links to events, messaging service to ask questions of those sharing their patterns. Yarns, books, hooks and other things to buy.

As you can see I love Ravelry and it is my first port of call if I want a pattern.

Here's a good example - last week my grandsons were talking about Star Wars and Ewoks. I said they looked like little teddy bears! I immediately thought "I bet someone has a pattern somewhere to make one" and lo and behold I found one almost straight away! I am currently making one each for my youngest two Star War fans. :)

Another feature I just remembered which I love, is the bookmarklet. Add a Ravelry bookmark to your browser and if you see a pattern on the internet that you like, simply click on it and if the pattern is in the Ravelry database you will be taken straight to it so you can add it to your projects or favourites. Details of how to add a bookmarklet are here: http://www.ravelry.com/blog/110

I hope you go and have a look and find it as amazing as I do.

Happy crafting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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Tutorial for making small Pom Poms with a Fork

Have you ever needed some very small pom poms but don't have any small enough or the shops are shut?

Here's how to make your own using just a fork - yes, just a normal everyday dining fork!

It is very quick and easy to do, the video speaks for itself so there is not much else for me to say except have fun making your own tiny pom poms.

Happy crafting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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Blake the Orangutan from Edward's Menagerie

Having seen mentions of the book Edward's Menagerie by Kerry Lord (Toft Alpaca) in quite a few places I was lucky enough to find a copy in my local library.

The library is a great place to find craft books and it gives you the opportunity to try before you buy.

When I had first finished him I didn't add any features but later thought he looked a little sad, as you can see adding just nostrils and mouth made a real difference.

If you don't want to borrow it you can buy it online at Amazon in both Kindle and paperback format: http://amzn.to/2vmMU6N

There are over 40 animals to make and I chose to have a go at Blake the Orangutan

The patterns all use a basic body and leg design with extra rows added or taken away depending on which animal you choose to do. I did find this a bit of a chore having to keep turning from one page, with the basic body parts on, then back to the pattern page for the specific instructions for the animal. I can see why they have done it that way though as it saves printing costs of having to write out each animal individually.

The pattern for Blake was easy to follow, what they call the 'fur' stitch I call the loop stitch - we all have different names for our stitches! If you would like to learn how to do the stitch I have a tutorial here, it is really easy once you know how: https://youtu.be/L-8g1HRjt1s
  
It was tricky remembering all the different parts to each round so I found it easier to write them down and tick them off as I went along. For instance you have to work a loop on every third or fourth stitch but at the same time increase or decrease in the round every few stitches so it is easy to forget where you are if you get distracted and miscount. 

Here is an example of my row count - we all have different ways of working and this works for me, you might find it useful:

In the top example V = increase in that stitch
0 = make a loop stitch - you therefore sometimes work a loop stitch on the second of the increased stitches.

In the bottom example:

The rectangle around two stitches [] = work those two together.
0 = make a loop stitch - you therefore sometimes work a loop stitch at the same time as working two stitches together.

I used Boyes double knit, it is a good quality yet cheap yarn. I used less than 100g for the main body and just oddments for the rest.

Here is my version of Blake - I've called him Pongo because that is the Latin name for Orangutan! :) Again these are before and after features were added, I'm sure you will agree he looks a lot nicer with a smile :)

Would I make it again? - Yes probably but I might add more loops, it seems a bit sparse, especially on the legs/arms. Plus I think I would make the arms and legs longer.



Happy crocheting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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Diagonal Box Stitch C2C Blanket

I made this blanket using the Diagonal Box stitch, sometimes known as the Corner 2 Corner stitch (C2C)

It is really easy to do and you can make square or rectangle blankets and also, if you stop with one long edge and don't decrease (thus making a triangle) you can use it as a shawl/scarf.

If you would like to have a go I have made a tutorial for the stitch - not the whole blanket as all you need to know is how to start and finish then you can make your own blanket as big or as small as you wish.

I started mine in Cygnet Kiddies Couture, Blueberry stripe. It looks lovely. However it seemed to be getting quite expensive so to help keep down the cost I used a plain white in the middle, it gives it a nice two sided effect I think.

It grew really quickly and is snuggly and warm.

I added a border after this picture was taken, you can see how it looks with the border on the video.

Happy crocheting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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My Greek Zig Zag Shawl

I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit Greece recently, the Greek islands in particular. What a stunningly beautiful place. The people are the kindest, most welcoming I've ever met.

Before we went I decided to make my own tribute to the beautiful island of Santorini by making a shawl in some of the colours found on the island. I chose a pattern by Drops/Garnstudio and wanted to do deep blue to signify the tops of the buildings, white for the walls of the buildings and a paler blue to signify the blue of the sea and sky. I bought Drops Safran yarn but sadly the 'ice blue' I chose turned out to be a mint green colour so I had to use only the turquoise and white.

I'm pleased with how it turned out and in this picture you can see Fira, the capital of Santorini, high on the top of the hill above my shawl.
If there are any Greek readers here, thank you for letting me visit your beautiful country, you should be very proud of it and all your hospitality.

Now for the pattern review ....

The pattern was Drops design 146-6 Edelweiss shawl and is available for free: https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6010&cid=17

The pattern suggested two strands of yarn group 'A' but as I wanted a lightweight shawl I decided to try it using a single strand of 4ply Safran. It came out fine and I used a 3.5 mm hook.

It took 3 balls of White (Safran 50g) and 4 balls of Turquoise (Safran 50g)

Like I said the colours I wanted to use sadly turned out not suitable but I was happy with the two tone result. I do love Safran yarn, it is smooth and easy to crochet with, it does not split like some cotton yarns. It has a beauitful sheen to it on finished items.

The pattern is easy to understand using basic stitches and due to the repetition it means that after a while you don't need to keep referring to the pattern because you get into a good rhythm of working, it grew very fast and was completed within a week.

You begin at the back neck with a magic ring or a few joined chains, and the shawl grows outwards and downwards as you work therefore you can make it as big or small as you wish simply by working to the size you want.

It is weighty enough to feel warm on a cool evening but the cotton yarn means it does not feel too hot around you if the weather does turn warmer.

You could experiment using any yarn, I'm sure the results would be just as beautiful.

Happy crocheting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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Quick and easy scarf pattern review

I had a few 50g balls of a 4 ply mint green cotton yarn called Safran by Drops/Garnstudio in my stash so wanted to find a pattern that could use it up.

I came across this one for a scarf which looked really pretty. It is a free pattern called 'Rose Acacia Scarf' and can be found on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rose-acacia-scarf

I used two 50g balls and a 3.5 mm hook. It was a really easy pattern to follow, the chart is well set out and there is also written instructions, the crochet terms are US terms but easy to translate to UK terms as there is only one stitch apart from spaces, chains and yarn overs. This is the Triple Crochet (US) which is a Double Treble in the UK. It took me just a couple of evenings to make.

It did look rather thin so I decided to widen it slightly around the back neck, I'm not sure if I did the right thing but it looks OK. I widened it by working the first pattern repeat then increasing on the 1 st row of the next 4 subsequent pattern repeats, then working straight until I had the desired length. I then decreased in the same way on the other side.

It is a very versatile scarf which looks pretty tied at the front:

Draped around your neck:

or pinned with a scarf pin:

It did need blocking to bring out the full pattern, I blocked it out dry and then sprayed it with water and left it to dry.

 A lovely scarf with will look very pretty with different outfits from 'dressed up' to jeans and T.Shirt.

You could use any type of yarn and hook size, thinner yarn would give it a very lacy look and feel, thicker yarn would give a warmer scarf.

Thank you Zsu's Designs for sharing your pattern for free.

Happy crocheting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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Creating Stitch Charts for Crochet Knitting and Crafts

Some time ago I made a video tutorial to make a crochet butterfly stitch to incorporate into your work. You can see the video here:

Someone asked on the video comments if I could make a chart for the pattern. I know that some people like charts, some like written instructions and some prefer a video to follow so they can crochet along. We are all different in the way we work and I was keen to help by making a chart for this subscriber. 

However it is something I've never done before, I've used many charts myself but never made one. I tried drawing out the stitches on paper and it worked fairly well but was so time consuming and twice I made a mistake on the last row which meant I had to start drawing from scratch - it was so annoying and I was cross with myself! It looked something like this and was not great.

 I decided to try a quick internet search to see if there were easier ways to make charts and one of the first things that came up was a site called Stitch Fiddle. https://www.stitchfiddle.com/en/chart/new

Well this site changed my day! It took me a while to understand how it worked but it was easy to use and after a few trial and error attempts I managed to make a chart for the butterfly stitch.

It is a simple 'drag and drop' to make your chart. You have the choice of free style, crochet, knitting or cross stitch charts and can even upload a photo to make into a chart. You can save your designs by registering with them free of charge, all you need is an email address.

Lots of stitch symbols are there to use and they follow the common, universal, worldwide symbols that most people use. 

Below is a quick example of my chart however, if you would like to see it more clearly you can download it in pdf format from my documents if you would like to have a go, print it or just see it:
https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B3r0r1j1kA2ZcUE5UjVJc0RfYzg

It took me all afternoon to make my chart but I'm sure with practice that time would get much shorter as I learn how to do it. There are help features that you can access at any time as you create your chart.

This is the response I got regarding the chart request on YouTube:

"Tried the Butterfly Stitch with the Chart you made for it and it was a breeze. Charts are such a welcome part of crochet over written instructions - which are the one downside to crochet in my opinion. Thanks a million"

Well that has inspired me to try some more and I think Stitch Fiddle will become my new place to play :) It is still being developed and new features are being added regularly. It is free to use and you can create a chart without any cost but you can also pay for more advanced features if you wish.

You can save charts and share them with others, edit previously made charts, change the palette of stitches to your own choice adding more or less to those that are always available in your design view. You can also print and export your chart - I'm sure there is much more that I've yet to discover too. 

Go on, have a go - if I can do it anyone can :)

and of course - thank you Stitch Fiddle!

Happy crafting!

Find me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PookieDoodleCrafts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pookie_Doodle
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/pookiedoodle

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