A pop of colour!

Sometimes it feels so good to spoil oneself with a pop of colour for the home when outdoors is dull and dry .. I did last week!  I was having lunch with a dear friend of very long standing .. 51 years in fact ... at a lovely restaurant called the Silver Birch situated inside a nursery. I spotted a display of gorgeous Calla Lilies, or to be botanically correct Zantedeschia, as we walked in through the fabulous shopping area housing indoor plants and de-vine goodies for the garden and home.   I decided as we were leaving to spoil myself and this is the beauty I came home with! Delicious pink blooms to brighten up a little corner in my lounge!

Such loveliness♥

~ Flowers don't worry about how they are going to bloom.

They  just open up and turn toward the light, 

and that makes them beautiful ~

Jim Carrey

My Blissful Mood Blanket is pleasing me hugely .. Maybelle Flower Squares in favourite colours.  49 squares done and joined with 35 squares to go.  I am starting to think about borders ... at the moment I am leaning towards either a white lacy border, or a many-rowed border in white but also featuring some of the colours!

and on the subject of blankets, the afghan I made as a wedding gift was delivered on Sunday, and the happy couple were over the moon with it ~ Happy heart ~

I have added a second group of blogs listing some of my favourite foodies we have in South Africa, really top notch and talented, I often go to their sites for inspiration.  Do take a peek, I find most recipes can be adapted no matter where you live! 

I am working on a lovely project at the moment, called Emily's Garden Blanket ... you can see pictures of the blanket in progress on The Patchwork Heart .. it is quite the most beautiful thing I have seen in ages, and I am making it for another very dear school friend.  Pics of my progress will be in my next blog post!  I am so enjoying this project♥

Chat soon,

xxxx Pat xxx

Layla-Lu beanie

Layla-Lu Beanie

As promised, here is the pattern for the last beanie I made for my Mandela 67 project.

Pattern info:

• US Terms :: A conversion table is available here for UK terminology
• Yarn ~ I used a thicker rather than thinner DK yarn
• Hook ~ 4mm
• Stitches used ~ dc :: double crochet; sc :: single crochet;  Sdc :: standing double crochet  

Sizing: This is a useful chart to use for choosing the appropriate size for your hat.

• I have found using the approximate diameter in relation to the age has been successful.  I have made more than 100 hats and beanies using this formula, all with great success. And then again, making hats to fit 100% is almost impossible, it is an inexact science, since heads come in many different shapes and sizes.  So don't sweat the small stuff .. if you are a couple of mm's out (preferably under), you will still have a super result.
• To get closest to the correct diameter, I have sometimes done my last increase row in single crochet (sc) instead of double crochet (dc).  Or used single crochets or half double crochets (hdc) in all rounds to make the crown.
• This pattern is for the smallest hat I make;  if you want to make a bigger hat, in it's simplest form this is how the increases work, starting in Row 2:  2dc in each stitch;  Row 3: 2dc, 1dc, 2dc etc;  Row 4: 2dc, 1dc, 1dc, 2dc etc; Row 5: 2dc, 1dc, 1dc, 1dc, 2dc etc; Row 6: 2dc, 1dc, 1dc, 1dc, 1dc, 2dc etc;  so in each row you are adding an extra dc in between the 2dc's.  If you begin with 12dc in your circle, each row after that will be 12dc's more i.e. 12dc's, 24dc's, 36dc's, 48dc's ....
• Be sure to measure the diameter across your work after adding each subsequent increase row .. you ideally need to have a measurement just under the measurement in the chart.

So lets begin .........

Start with a Magic ring or crochet 6 sc and join with a sl st to form a circle.

Row 1

Into circle ch2 or Sdc, 12dc, join with a sl st to complete row (12dc)

Row 2
Ch 3 or Sdc, 1dc into same st as join, 2dc into each dc from Row 1;  join with a sl st into top of 3ch or Sdc to complete row (24dc)

Row 3
Ch 3 or Sdc, 2 dc into next st, *1dc into next st, 2dc into next st*;  continue *~* to end of row, finishing with 2 dc into last dc; join with a sl st as before to complete row (36dc)

At this point, the diameter across your work should measure +- 3.5 inches or 9 cm.  This is the smallest hat I make, which fits a New Born babe.  You could take your measurement down to 3 inches or +- 7.5 cm if you wanted to make a really teeny hat. See how to adjust the diameter in the notes above. 

Row 4

Ch 3 or Sdc, 1dc into same st, *skip 1 st, 2 dc into next stitch*; continue *~* to end of row, finishing with 2 dc into second last st;  join with a sl st as before to complete row (18 dc pairs)

Row 5

Sl st across to first space between dc pairs.  Ch 3 or Sdc; 1dc into same space, *2 dc into each space*; continue *~*to end of row; join with a sl st to complete row (18 dc pairs)

  

Continue repeating Row 5 until you have the desired length minus ½ inch/1cm.  

Now comes the border ... an easy border is: 1ch, 1sc in each st to end,sl st in starting 1ch to join.  Do 2-3 rows.

Another super way to border a little hat is to do a Reverse Single Crochet st or Crab st.  Do 1-2 rows of sc, then a row of Crab st.  The link has a very good video tutorial on how to do this versatile stitch.  This is how it looks, I love it!

                                       

 Embellishments are so lovely to add to a little hat, here are a few gorgeous flowers with beads and buttons added ..

We are done!

Have fun crocheting the little hat, till next time

xxx Pat xxx