Mother's Day gift ideas in thread crochet, modified clones knot tutorial

I was asked to make my columbine barrettes available at AndersonsCreations on Etsy into a bookmark for a Mother's Day gift.  Of course, I thought that is a pattern that would work up quickly and other people who crochet with thread would love to make for themselves and their mothers.  My pattern testers said that it only took them about 4 or 5 hours to crochet.  This pattern is set for a skill level of intermediate to advanced.

This is mainly because of the modified clones knot I used for the stamen.  I called it 3hdcCL stitch and I thought I would do a tutorial on how the make this stitch.  It is worked a little differently from most stitches in that it is worked around a chain and not in the chain. The pattern calls for a chain of a certain number and then a half double crochet (U.S. crochet term) in the 2nd chain from the hook.  This anchors the clones knot.

To make the modified clones knot, (simply wrap the thread around your hook once and around the chain) 3 times, yarn over and pull the thread through all wraps at once.

 Slip stitch to close 3hdcCL (modified clones knot). These stitches will stay at the top of the chain.

After that is made, the pattern says to make a number of  single crochet stitches around (not in) the chain left down to the center of the flower. This packs all the stitches on the chain which makes it really stiff so that it will stand up.

I really love how this pattern came out.  If you don't enjoy thread crochet I have two different versions of this bookmark in my shop already made for you to buy.

 a blue and white columbine bookmark

a dark columbine bookmark



I am also happy to make a bookmark in any columbine combination of colors that you love.  Just push the "ask a question" button on the side of my Etsy page and I will make it for you in the colors you want. However, I can't promise they will be done by Mother's Day of this year as I am already working on a number of orders to get out.

The pattern to make your own columbine bookmark in the colors you chose is can be found using the "buy now" button at the right of this post or at LoisLeigh's Ravelry store.  This pattern will be available by tomorrow at AndersonsCreations. Etsy.

I have also designed a choker using this glorious flower. A blue and white columbine choker already made for you.

It has a crochet tie closer at the back so that it will fit most neck sizes.  dark columbine choker

If you would like to make your own with the colors you chose the pattern can be found using the "buy now" button on the right or at LoisLeigh Ravelry shop, AndersonsCreations on Etsy or Lois Leigh's Creations on Craftsy

I have always found flowers to be a great source of inspiration.  The biggest issue is how to translate that into crochet.  I hope this tutorial helps in making this amazing flower for your own columbine creations.

newest bookmark thread crochet design - daffodil Fairy

I often get asked where my ideas come from for my various bookmarks.  This one came from my garden.  I was looking through my spring garden of daffodils.  I realized that the trumpet for the flower would make a fantastic shirt and the petals would work naturally into a skirt.  I had wanted to design a fairy bookmark for a while now and I saw exactly how I could do it.

She is available pre-made at my AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  Her head and flower can hang outside the book to remind the reader there is more story to come.  What a fantastic achievement award for anyone who loves to read.

 

One of the trickier parts of the pattern is how to make the flower petals.  Flower petals are usually worked down one side of a chain and then down the second side of the same chain.  When you start at the waist with the chain the end of the petal ends up at the opposite end of the chain then the waist.  I also needed a way for all the separate petals to be joined to each other.  I decided to use the front loop of the petal to slip stitch back to the waist.  I then worked another chain for a second petal and joined the two petals with a slip stitch in the unused back loop behind the slip stitches going down to the waist. 

 

I also needed to come up with wings.  There are so many possibilities.  I could have bought pre made wings but I wanted to make something in crochet.  I love how her wings came out using a variation of a rose leaf.

Of course I had a to design a daffodil cap to go with the curly hair underneath.  (I used Caron Simply yarn for the hair which is cropped close to the cap and unraveled which gives the hair its curl)

My pattern testers really enjoyed making this pattern which works up quickly.  One tester had never used thread to crochet with and she really loved making this.  I use a larger hook than is normally used to get the bookmarks to a "good" size and to encourage others not to be afraid to work with thread which I love working with.  My pattern for this bookmark can be found at LoisLeigh's Ravelry shop.  It is also available at AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  If you are from Canada or the European Union I now have the pattern available at Loveknitting shop (Lovecrochet shop)  Or you can use the buy now link at the left of this post.  This button will take you to your PayPal account.

 

I really love how she came out and I am going to be designing more fairy items.  There are so many ideas running through my head with out enough time to design them all.  I add them to a list and work on my present design.  I often get requests for characters to make into bookmarks.  So many good ideas but they need to be generic so that I don't run into copyright or trademark disputes.  Nature seems to be one of my primary design inspiration.

 

What do you think of my new design?

 

 



New crochet pillow top pattern

I have just finished a new crochet pillow pattern that features Raggedy Ann on one side and Raggedy Andy on the other side.  It took a long time to design this pattern but it was totally worth it.  My pattern testers really enjoyed making this one. 

This pattern is now available on my Ravelry store, at my lovecrochet store for  Canadian and European Union readers and in my etsy shop.  If you don't love to crochet but would like to purchase the pillow, it is available here.

The pillow is based on my Raggedy Ann bookmark.  She is made out of thread and it really a quick crochet project for anyone who loves Raggedy Ann.  The pattern is available on here on Ravelry or at my Etsy shop in the left side section called crochet patterns.  If you don't like to crochet in thread and love the bookmark, you can purchase it here. 

The back side of the pillow was based on my Raggedy Andy bookmark.  This thread crochet bookmark pattern is available at my Ravelry shop, at lovecrochet shop or on etsy.  Would you like this bookmark already made for you?  It is available here.

I used a spike stitch to add interest to the background of the pillow.  Spike stitches are fun and easy to make.  I used half double crochet in groups of 3 with a chain one to separate them. The middle hdc is made in the chain one space in the double crochet row below.

I used a love knot stitch to make both Raggedy Ann and Andy's hair.  All my patterns are tested by at least 2 other people and the feedback I have gotten from them is that it is a fun and well written pattern to make.  I use picture tutorials on stitches that might be new to a maker.  The pattern is rated for ambitious beginners who like would like to learn new stitches.

 

This pillow will really add a new flair to your home décor or nursery décor.  The twelve inch motifs could easily make a wonderful baby blanket for new arrivals by joining to squares together in whatever size you would want to make the baby quilt.





Pillows are such an easy and great way to freshen the home or nursery décor and work up really quickly.

Mother's Day ideas

I have been super busy with business taxes, custom orders and some other tasks.  I am done with taxes and have a bit of time to write in my blog.

I did want to share a link to an online magazine, Mental Floss, that is showing different bookmarks.  My cowardly lion is in the round up with a wonderful review.  http://mentalfloss.com/article/63057/11-beautiful-bookmarks-bibliophiles-will-love  What an honor to included in this article.

Is your mother a reader?  Does she have a favorite character from a book that is not trademarked?  Here a link to some bookmarks that are already made.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/AndersonsCreations?section_id=6209177&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2

I just finished a custom order for someone who wanted an Alice in Wonderland with the flamingo so she can play a game of croquet.  She is going to put it in a shadow box and not use it as a bookmark, so I was able to stuff the body of the flamingo.  Here is the finished product.

I am really happy with the result.  I enjoy custom orders as I get some really great ideas from them.

If you would like to make your own bookmarks I sell patterns at my Craftsy store, Etsy bookmark patterns or use the buy now buttons on the side to buy them on Ravelry.com. I also have some of the patterns bundled for better prices at my Etsy shop.

Etsy bundled sale patterns

If you don't see the group of patterns you would like to purchase, just ask me in my Etsy shop and I can set up a group just for you.

 

Does your mother love roses and doilies?  Here is doily she will love.

Rose budding hearts doily



Want to make it for her yourself?  Use the buy now button to get it through Ravelry.  On Craftsy, doily pattern or in crochet patterns at my Etsy shop.

 

Does your mother love rainbows?  Here is a sun catcher that looks wonderful in a window and includes a crystal to create rainbows on her wall.

sun catcher in Etsy shop

If you would like to make your mother a sun catcher, this pattern includes instructions on how to attach a crystal drop to make the rainbows on her wall and can be found Ravelry shop pattern, and in my Etsy shop or on Craftsy.

 

Does your mother like columbines as much as I do?  These wonderful chokers would make the perfect addition to her spring wardrobe.

etsy shop pre-made columbine chokers

Would you like to make these beauties in the colors she would love.  Click the buy now button to find the pattern on Ravelry.com, at Craftsy.com, or in my etsy shop.

 

With spring comes the up and down temperatures from day to day and sometimes hour to hour.  For that special mother who deserves only the best, this glorious shrug is available in my shop.

spring shrug

This one is made for a woman size small to medium and is made using wonderfully soft Merino wool and silk yarn.  It is nice and long.  If your mother needs it in another size and color combination, here is the same pattern with the same glorious yarn for women up to size large. 

marsala and charcoal shrug

 

Hopefully, I will have the pattern back from the testers soon to offer that in my shops as well.

 

With mother's day right around the corner and spring in the air, I hope this round-up gives some great ideas for items any mother would love.  What do you think?





Tin Woodman of Oz and Father's Day

With Father's Day coming up, I finally finished the design for my Tin Woodman of Oz reading character bookmark pattern.  I always liked this character in the Wizard of Oz characters because he thought he needed a heart and he had the most heart of all the characters.  I think my own father may get one of these on Father's day.

Like all my reading Character bookmarks, his head hangs out of the book for ease of finding the reader's place.  His arms with his ax can go inside the book or hang outide as well.

He is now available on my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/100338124/crochet-bookmark-tin-woodman-of-oz

This is a fairly simple pattern to make although the silver metallic thread usually isn't in stores until Christmas time.  I usually stock up when the metallic threads come out because I really like them.  I know that they can be found on line right now.  A gray or silver thread without the metallic fiber added would work also.

The pattern uses the usual stitches such as sc, hdc, dc, etc. (these are U.S. abbreviations) and some front and back posts work.   It also has picture tutorials on areas that might seem confusing without pictures.

I think fathers often are characterized as having no heart because they don't use the words "I love you" as often as mother's, but their actions tell it all.  At least this was the case of my own father and yet I know how much he loves me by all the ways he is ready to help if I need it.  

Happy Father's Day to all the "Tin Woodsman" out there. 

cowardly lion

March is supposed to be the month that comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  April here in Kansas has turned into the lion.  Last week there were close to 100 tornadoes in this state.  Luckily no one in Kansas was hurt.  We have a great weather warning system and I think everyone was in their shelter.  Here is a picture of a tornado headed straight for us.

Luckily, it swerved and missed us.  All this weather has gotten me back into making more reading character bookmarks using the Wizard of Oz books as inspiration.  I just finished making the Cowardly Lion.  I really like how he came out.

All my reading character bookmark pals are made to have the head hang outside the book.  It makes it so much easier to find the page that way.  The head is very three-dimensional.

His front legs and his badge of courage which he got from the wizard of Oz can also hang outside the book.

I think the one thing the cowardly lion teaches me it that courage does not mean that I don't feel fear.  Instead I face that fear (usually with a lot of prayer) and do what needs to be done to overcome the obstacle.  It has been my experience that the fear of something is always bigger than the actual obstacle. 

The cowardly lion is now available at cowardly lion bookmark What a fun gift for any reader or graduate.

I am now starting on the tin man while I wait for this pattern to be tested so that other people who love to crochet as much as I do can make their own.

How is your April going?

Scarecrows and Autumn

Today is the first day of Fall.  Living in Kansas, I am really ready for it.  The air is clear and crisp.  The leaves are turning colors and the temperatures have dropped to highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's.  It is glorious outside.

All this is coming just when I finally was able to get the testing done on my newest reading character bookmark, the Scarecrow of Oz.  I got interested in these characters because a very good friend of mine was telling me about growing up on the Oz books as a young girl.  The pictures in her books were delightful and so I thought (after doing some research) that I would try to make my own renditions.

The biggest challenge for me to try to come up with a crochet stitch that looks like rope. Then I remembered about twisting crochet thread into rope like pieces.  I love his diploma which he is holding in his hands to prove that he has a brain.

With all the wild weather we had this summer including some extreme tornadoes that hit in locations that were not set up for them and the terrible losses in Joplin, MO, and a small town here in KS that same day, this series just seemed appropriate.

Hopefully fall will be so much better weather wise.  I know this scarecrow would not mind hanging out in our fields around where I live right now.   What do you like most about Autumn? 





March and Leprechauns

It has been a while because I was sick but I am much better now.  Anyway, I love the month of March.  It usually brings the promise of spring with bulbs pocking their head up.  The other thing March brings to mind is birthday parties.  My younger sister's birthday was in March and so we always planned a party.  Her birthday is the day after St. Patrick's Day and so many of them had leprechauns, 4 leaf clovers and that pretty spring green for decorations.  So this year, I decided to design a bookmark for all those great parties.

Thus, the Lucky Irish Leprechaun bookmark was created.

Well of course he has his pot of gold with him.  His hat includes a lucky 4-leaf clover to sew or glue on.

Of course he had to have pointed ears and the red beard.

Here is my favorite Irish saying just for the occasion.

" May those who love us love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

...May he turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping."

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone and of course, Happy Birthday to my sister.