Crochet Cape

Well. Can you believe it? (I can't!) Last weekend I began and actually finished a project. Hooray! It seems ages ago I could last show a finished project, so I hereby proudly present you my new cape... (Apologies for the number of photos.)

The pattern is from a Japanese crochet book (I'll share the book details later in this post). I've been wanting to make this cape for over a year (it was the reason I bought the book), but somehow I never found the right yarn. Something woolly, I wanted, but I never use real wool. Enter: Stone Washed XL by the Dutch brand Scheepjeswol, a new yarn. Judging from what I see from fellow-bloggers it has quickly has become quite popular here in The Netherlands. It's made of cotton with a special acrylic coating. The offwhite ('moonstone') fitted the bill perfectly. (Mmm, I realise I sound like an ad here, but it's not.)

It was such a delight to whip up this pattern, which I followed except for the collar. The pattern called for a knitted collar, but I can't knit... And even if I could I wouldn't have understood the Japanese directions at that point. So, I came up with this simple alternative: A crocheted rectangular of single crochet rows, using back loops only, hence the ribs. I later single crocheted the collar to the cape. Piece of cake! And, if I may say so myself..., I quite like how it turned out, the ribs make it elastic and wearable. Okay, here's a close up. ;-)

All practicalities in short...

♦ Pattern: from Crochet & Cape (2008), more details below
♦ Collar: Rectangular made of single crochets, back loops only to create a rib
♦ Crochet hook: 5,5 mm
♦ Yarn: nine balls of Stone Washed XL (colour moonstone), by Scheepjeswol
♦ Light blocking (a night between wet towels with something heavy on top - not me)

Okay, let's do one more close up of the collar. ;-)

The pattern is from this fabulous Japanese crochet & knitting book from the Let's knit series. Published in 2008 by Nihon Vogue pubishers. This particular book is out of print, but I think there are still some copies available. I bought mine in the Etsy shop Pomadour24 which has loads of pattern books. 

So... I guess this really is all there is to tell about the making of one cape. The wearing of it is a whole new chapter of course. ;-) 

Many thanks for your lovely visit and chat!

Have lots of fun with all your creative adventures.

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Colour me Bright & Happy

As much as I love naturals, I do enjoy a good pop of colour. Today feels like it could do with a little colour injection. So here it is!

Nothing can sheer a dull day up like a colourful pile of crocheted blankets. Agree?

Although confetti is a good second best...

And here's more confetti... ;-)

By the way, patterns for a similar potholder can be found on Ravelry. Search for a daisy potholder. Oh, and in case you're wondering: sure, I always carry a bunch of crochet hooks in my hair. ;-) 

Have a good week!

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New Yarn and a Sample

Hello crafty friends,
Hopefully you've had a lovely weekend.

Thanks for the kind comments on my last post. In case you were one of the admirers of that mesh bag: Alas! I did not make it myself... I wish! I bought it in Laos, and in case you'd like more information about the materials, and how and by whom it's produced, you can find the website here: Nature Bag.

I thought I'd share this sample with you. Made with this cotton yarn: Limited by Wolcafé which is made in The Netherlands; maybe you have seen it popping up on other Dutch crochet blogs. I just couldn't resist it when I *accidently* came across it. In a yarn shop. ;-)

Originally my idea was to make one big shawl, but I might make a small vest instead. One ball should be enough since it's almost one kilometre of yarn... Either way, I think I'll leave it lying around for a while until real inspiration hits. ;-)

In case you're interested in the pattern for this sample, here's my quick attempt to draw a chart. (The picture below doesn't do justice to the subtile grey of this yarn.)

This evening I hope to finish a few more squares of my polkadot blanket. Did you do manage to do any crocheting last weekend?

♦♦♦ Have a lovely week! ♦♦♦

All natural

Oops, it has been a while. A short post to catch up... Many thanks for your kind comments on previous posts - I really (really, really) appreciate them. I'm way behind visiting all your lovely blogs, and I can hardly wait to fill that gap. I miss my daily dose of inspiration from around the globe!

Today I would like to share some natural fibres and muted colours. Hope you like it! 

I have been abroad quite a lot recently and whenever I have to travel, I take yarn and hook with me - of course. (Even if I don't always have the opportunity to crochet, I feel rather amputated without my tools...)  I have been working on this circle blanket. The lovely cotton cakes (which I bought in Thailand) are too bulky and heavy to carry with me.

 Hence I hand wind smaller balls of this yarn and take them with me like this.

Will be back soon(er)! Thanks for your visit. It's an honour to have you here! Have a lovely week.
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