Japanese Flower Scarf

Posted on 21 September, 2014 by patchworkfairy

It all started when I wanted to make something special for my mum’s 85th birthday but couldn’t do much in the sewing room! Searching on the internet for ‘pretty’ things to make I became obsessed with the pictures of Japanese flower motifs in crochet. However, try as I might I could not find any instructions on how to make the delicate circular motifs I could view in blogs galore and as finished scarves! It seems I am a bit late to the party as these were all the thing back in 2011 and some originate from a motif contained in a book which is in Japanese and which I noticed some people had purchased back then, only to be very disappointed not being able to translate it! Asking around on facebook I was directed to some blogs with tutorials for variations on a flower motif but none really seemed just right. I knew I wanted to make a Japanese Flower Scarf, and it had to match the one I had designed in my head!

After a long time researching online when I could have actually crocheted a complete plain scarf to stretch over the Mersey, I found a diagram on this blog which for the first time in my life I could follow!! Using the Mohair wool I bought recently from Abakhan –

I started to make the circular motifs and this was the result –

motif with a touch of pink

Motif in three autumn colours

Soon (well not that soon) I had these –

Six crochet motifs in Japanese flower style

All the motifs!

These are made in single strand mohair and are very delicate. They are really pretty, but too fragile to be a scarf so I decided to make a sort of mesh upon which I could place them. I made up a rectangle shape in a lacy chain stitch using three colours together for strength –

lacy chain stitch mesh

I then started to sew on the motifs along the length of the scarf –

I made variations of the mohair colours and placed them so that no too adjacent centres or outsides were the same colour

flower motifs on the scarf

Here it is completely finished!

Finished Japanese Flower Scarf

Sadly I forgot to get one of mum wearing it as we were out in a restaurant and the moment just didn’t arise! Hopefully I will take one soon and amend the blog! It’s a lovely scarf to make – if you don’t mind the colour changes you can make all sorts of variations or if you prefer single coloured ones in different colours. Anyway, I am sure I will amend the design slightly as I repeat it, as I’d quite like one myself and they will make beautifully unique gifts for Chr…..s (arrgh!) or for any occasion!

Wonder what’s going on at Handmade Monday?

Another Road Trip Scarf

Posted on 7 September, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Hello!

Did I mention Road Trip Scarves are addictive? I made my first Road Trip Scarf a couple of week’s ago and displayed it in this blog post. Now I have just finished my second Road Trip Scarf (RTS) in a different yarn. The first one was in Bernat Mosaic Ambrosia and is quite a thick yarn. The second RTS is a lighter weight lovely red variegated yarn by King Cole.

Second Road Trip Scarf

This second one is for sale stock – for the Christmas markets, hopefully. I still haven’t heard either way about Liverpool!

My next makes are going to be some fingerless mittens and a cowl in chunky highland tweed yarn but I also have some beautifully soft, bouncy and strokeable mohair. I adore the look and feel of it but can’t decide what to make with it. It’s very thin and so I think I’ll need to use two strands together. I bought this during my visit to the new Abakhan shop at Flint last week. I only had a short visit because of my ongoing back pain but I can’t wait to go back!

Any suggestions?

5 balls of mohair

Of course I could always make another RTS!! The Road Trip Scarf is by Zooty Owl and the pattern is free on her blog here – I recommend trying it as it’s a very easy pattern if you can crochet and the end result is very satisfying.

So now it’s almost time for Sunday dinner (yum) and that means it’s also time for Handmade Monday linky party 🙂

Wool, Coffee and Cake, a dream day out!

Posted on 9 March, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Ooh I had a lovely outing this last week! Mum and I went for a drive in the countryside (well down the M53 amd M6, then the countryside!). We went to Black Sheep Wools Craft Barn in Culcheth! My dream day out! – it included wool, coffee and cake!! (and my mum 😉 )

Entrance to Black Sheep Craft Barn

The craft barn is set back off the road in a lovely countryside setting, but it’s even more lovely inside! As you step through the door you can see shelves of pretty, delicate spring coloured wools and cottons on one side, shelves of beautiful variegated purply pink yarns on the other and a central stand with crafty items and gifts!

craft items and gifts

coloured yarns

Noro Yarns. I love the variegated colours of these Japanese yarns!

view down shop

I was hard pressed to actually move through the shop as I kept getting distracted by yet another shelf of lovely yarns! They sell a wide variety: wool, mohair, cotton, silk, viscose, acrylic, bamboo and various mixes of these in plain and varigated colours. There is also a large section of Cross Stitch kits and threads, a wide selection of craft books and patterns and various notions to purchase.

Mum and I always suss out a coffee stop wherever we go and so thoroughly enjoyed the onsite cosy café serving light lunches and cakes. We had a very nice panini and a slice of Victoria Sandwich cake with fabulously strong coffee, just how I prefer it! I’m quite happy to travel to visit new craft places but I do like it when there is a café so I can stop and reflect on all the things I’ve been browsing through before I make my purchases, especially when I’ve driven a while to get there! It’s the sort of place you could enjoy visiting with friends or a knitting/crochet group.

I was very taken with a crochet designs book by Nikki Trench called, ‘Hooked on Noro’, Now although I like the look of Noro yarns some can feel a bit harsh and are quite pricey so this time I bought the book but chose an alternative yarn – Fusion Cotton – a soft, cotton and viscose mix yarn by Patons, very reasonably priced for the quality, with which to make the fingerless gloves from the book. Mum wanted to know why I would want to have fingerless gloves?! When I said they would be handy for texting, she just raised her eyes to the ceiling and said, “you could just pull off a normal glove!” – Eh? I don’t think so! I love the pair I’ve just made and actually so did Mum once she saw them finished!

Fingerless Gloves!

They are very comfy and soft to wear and the pattern in the book is easy to follow.

The final thing I bought was one skein of Rowan’s Kidsilk Creation Stripe. Now this is pricey, but absolutely gorgeous! It looks and feels like a high quality product. It’s actually mohair and silk mix and it already partly knitted into a long mesh, which can be stretched out widthways if desired. I noticed there was a pattern on the label to crochet a scarf with it but I couldn’t understand how you would do it! Luckily there are plenty of nice friendly staff to ask for help and one of the ladies explained I needed to crochet it up the long edge. However, I was completely flummoxed at first when I got home, but once I understood what to do it was very easy to make up in about three quarters of an hour! It ends up as a twirly, twisty floaty pretty scarf! I’ve taken some pics and will post a tutorial about how to work with this yarn as it’s certainly worth it! I chose a pinky purply mix and the finished item has now been posted to my very stylish Aunty for her 70th birthday!

the kidsilk creation stripe yarn before crocheting

Purple and pink mohair and silk crochetd scarf.

Scarf in Kidsilk Creation Stripe

So all in all we were there just over two hours – it was long enough for Mum who by now was trying to nudge me to the exit! It’s the sort of place where you could keep going round and round oohing and aaahing and patting large balls of pink and purple wool!

Well I’m off for another visit now – over to Handmade Monday to visit some lovely blogs! If anyone lives near Black Sheep Wools Craft Barn and fancies meeting for a coffee n’ cake I’m always up for another trip!! 🙂

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