3.11.15

A Darling Doily...

... Or a Mega Mandala... Not sure which name is more apt.

byHaafner, crochet, doily, mandala, pastel


I used a pattern from a Portuguese crochet magazine called CrochĂ© de FilĂ©, nr. 32. I'm sorry, that's all the information I can find in it. I can't remember when I bought it exactly, but the year of publication is either 2013 or 2014.

byHaafner, crochet, mandala, doily, pastel



I made this piece recently as my contribution to Kathryn Vercillo's project Mandalas for Marinke: Kathryn's important and touching depression awareness project in memory of crochet blogger Wink from A Creative Being. It's great to see how many crocheters from around the world contributed to it.

byHaafner, crochet, doily, mandala, pastel














Thanks for your visit! So lovely to meet you here!
I wish you a happy day.

21.10.15

The Tale of the Dainty Dots Blanket #3 - Pattern and a Mini-Tutorial

First of all, THANK you for the kind words about my Dainty Dots Blanket. It’s lovely to read them all! Secondly, yes, I know, it took me a while to finally post the pattern for the squares… But hey, here it is: written and as a - sliiiightly wonky ;-) - chart! And with good news too, because I found a free online pattern that is very similar to the pattern for this border.

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots

When I started to work on this blanket I took a fair amount of time to work out a pattern for circle-turned-into-a-solid-square. I wanted the circle stay round, but in most patterns the circles becomes square-ish when turned into a solid square. That’s because you’ll most often have to work three corner stitches in one stitch of the circle, giving the circle a bit of a corner. The problem is less visible when you’re making a square with chain stitches in the corner. Okay, I hope I didn’t loose you at this point? ;-)

Anyway! I'm quite pleased with my solution. And that is: you will work only ONE stitch in the circle to make the corner of the square, the other two corner stitches are worked in the base of that first corner stitch. (Hopefully the pictures and the chart will explain.) Eureka! Here's a mini-tutorial...

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots, tutorial

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots, tutorial

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots, tutorial
byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots, tutorial




















So that’s my little trick. I was actually quite excited about it. :-) As I mentioned in my previous post, this particular blanket is so darn heavy the effect is a bit lessened. This has also to do with the fact that the white yarn is thicker and heavier than the blue and grey yarns used for the circles.

And now for the disclaimer... I am sure other crocheters might have come up with the same solution before me. Because once I thought of it, it seemed a pretty obvious thing to do, but I haven’t seen it before.

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots



















Pattern Dainty Dots Square


byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots

Remarks beforehand
♦ You can either start a new round by chaining 2 (as one substitute dc) or – my favourite – by making a standing double crochet. With the latter you really can’t tell afterwards where you started the round. If you google it, you’ll find that there are several great tutorials online for this technique.
 The pattern calls for a join at the end of each round. My preferred method is to make a seamless join using a darning needle. (Again, you’ll find great tutorials for this online.) Alternatively you can make a slipstitch in the first st of the round.
 BLdc is a BackLoop double crochet: a regular dc, but worked in the backloop only.
 I used a brandless Thai cotton for the circles and Rico Creative Cotton for the square part and border. If I would have to recommend a yarn though: I think this pattern would work wonderful in the organic cotton yarn Vinnis Nikkim. If I would make another one, it would probably be my choice because I expect it to give the blanket a wonderful drape. (I used it for the mini-tutorial.)
 I used a 4 mm crochet hook, but you can basically use any hooksize that matches your choice of yarn. My motifs measure appr. 15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 inch) each,

Chart
Please don't copy or share or pin the chart elsewhere, but link to this page instead - thank you for linking with love! 

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots
























Written pattern
To start
Magic circle, or, chain 4 and close with a slipstitch

Round 1
12 dc in ring, join

Round 2
2 BLdc in each dc (24 BLdc in total), join

Round 3
*1 BLdc, 2 BLdc*, repeat between * * along round (36 BLdc in total), join

Round 4
*1 BLdc, 1 BLdc, 2 BLdc*, repeat between * * along round (48 BLdc in total), join

Round 5
This is the round where the circle is worked into a square.
Change to second colour here.
You can start this round in any stitch.
*1 sc, 1 sc, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 dc. Then make a corner: 1 dc, 1 dc made in the dc you’ve just made in the same round (so do not work this stitch in the previous round), 1 dc in first corner dc (so the 2nd and 3rd dc are both made in the 1st corner stitch). Then continue: 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 hdc*, repeat between * * 3 times, join

Round 6
In this round the corners is made as follows: 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc. The treble ensures a sharp corner. If you like a more rounded corner, work a dc instead of a tr.
*1 dc in 13 consecutive stitches, in nxt st: 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc (corner made)*, repeat between * * 3 times, join

Round 7
* 1 dc in 15 consecutive stitches, in nxt st: 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc (corner made)*, repeat between * * 3 times, join.
Weave in ends.

Joining
Of course you can choose your preferred method. I joined  the motifs by single crocheting them together, right sides facing eachother, through both (front and back) loops of both squares.

Border
Okay, as I explained in my previous post I based the lacy part of the border loosely on a Japanese pattern. BUT, I’m happy to say that since then I discovered a VERY similar, free pattern on MyPicot.com. (A great source for all kinds of lovely patterns by the way.) Click here for the link. Although it’s actually for a blanket, you could fairly easily adapt the pattern as a border by just crocheting two lacy segments.
Before I crocheted the lacy segments of the border I made the solid part: five simple rounds of double crochet, with 3 dc in de corner stitch. Of course you could omit the solid part, but personally I always think it gives a clean look.

And then... Your blanket is ready!

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots

byHaafner, crochet, pattern, blanket, Dainty Dots









So dear people, that’s it. I hope you like it. If you’re making a #daintydotsblanket yourself I’d LOVE to see it! Also, do comment below if something is not clear. I really try to respond asap, but life is rather hectic so I apologize in advance if it takes a while...

Many thanks for your lovely visit. Wishing you a happy day!


27.9.15

The Tale of the Dainty Dots Blanket #2 - The Big Reveal

Dear readers of this blog, dear accidental passersby, I hereby proudly present to you…
The Dainty Dots Blanket!

byHaafner, crochet, ganchillo, blanket, Dainty Dots,

Did you know…

- It took me one and a half year to complete? (Although to be fair I didn’t touch it for most part of last year.)
- It weighs almost four kilograms/8.8 lbs?
- Its measurements are appr. 2 x 2.1 m (appr. 6.6 x 6.9 feet)
- I’m really happy with my trick for turning a circle into a solid square?
- That I’m going to share this trick with you in my next post?
- The blues and greys are from a brandless cotton I bought at a Thai market?
- I sticked to only two rules while arranging the colours? (Namely: don’t join two squares which have the same colour and don’t join two dark colours.)
- I love big borders?


byHaafner, crochet, ganchillo, blanket, Dainty Dots,

Regarding the latter: As you can see I decided on a big border for this blanket. It consist of three parts: the solid one and then two parts lacy fans. It was a last minute choice, but I couldn't be happier with it. Though the border does somewhat outshine the rest of the blanket. ;-) I based the lacy part loosely on a pattern from a Japanese crochet book. Sorry I do not have more information about it. But basically you could adapt any pattern for a multiple row of fans, and use it as a border.


byHaafner, crochet, ganchillo, blanket, Dainty Dots,


















The basis for this blanket were the big blue and grey cotton yarn cakes. This yarn wasn't available in white at the time, so for that I used Rico Creative Cotton. Which is quite a bit heavier than the Thai cotton, but it worked.

byHaafner, crochet, ganchillo, blanket, Dainty Dots,

At the start I took a fair amount of time to work out a pattern for circle-turned-into-a-solid-square. I wanted the circle stay round, but in most patterns the circle becomes fairly square-ish when turned into a solid square. I'm quite pleased with my solution. Although the effect is a bit lessened here because the white is heavier than the coloured yarn. Ah well, can't have it all.

The funny (or stupid) thing is, when I unearthed it from its huge basket I was surpised how near-to-finishing it was. I was already halfway joining the motifs. With a big project like this I like to work for some hours in a row. I can't just steal thirty minutes here or there, like with a less substantial project. So, in the end it did all boil down to lack of time. But I enjoyed the finishing process thoroughly.

byHaafner, crochet, ganchillo, blanket, Dainty Dots,

Anyway, I hope you like it! Don't forget, next up on this blog is the pattern for the Dainty Dots Squares. (The squares, not the border, sorry!)

Thank you so much for visiting & have a lovely day.

15.9.15

The Tale of the Dainty Dots Blanket #1 - The Making Of

Number one? Yes, that’s right, this is going to be a mini-series about my recently finished blanket. Starting here and now with the making of…

 byHaafner, crochet, work in progress, blanket, circles,


At the basis for this blanket were these big blue and grey cotton yarn cakes I got in Thailand last year. I knew right away I wanted to use them for a blanket. (At first I also used the powder pink - pictured above, but I decided to throw it out.)

byHaafner, crochet, work in progress, blanket, circles,

Funnily enough, in the end I’ve only used a small part of it (the white yarn is cotton I bought here at home), so I've 
still got a HUGE basket filled to the brim with this lovely yarn (in other colours as well).

byHaafner, crochet, work in progress, blanket, circles,
Next up: the Dainty Dots Blanket Reveal (#2) and the Dainty Dots Pattern (#3), where I will also give suggestions for an alternative yarn. I’m rather pleased with something I’ve worked out for the pattern, my personal Eureka-moment crochet-wise, so stay tuned. :-)

For now I'd like to thank you for your lovely visit. Wishing you a happy day.

7.9.15

Three Reasons to Love Loops

byHaafner, loops, fabric, texture


One

The wonderful texture they create....

Two

They make you want to hug your work...

Three

Their promise of many more loops to come...

byHaafner, loops, fabric, texture





























Because for sure... Loops are addictive. So expect more to see of them here in the future. ;-)

Thanks for your kind visit. Have a lovely day!

3.9.15

Granny Flower Square - The Pattern!

If you read this blog since the first year (thanks for putting up with me all that time!) you might remember this blanket, It's one of my first crocheted blankets. I finished it almost three years ago. As you can see my palette has changed a bit since then, nevertheless I still like the blanket. It has exactly that seventies vibe I was after.

byHaafner, crochet, granny flower square, blanket, vintage


Recently my eyes fell upon it and I thought it might be a good idea to write the pattern down. Mind you, only for the squares. The border is not my pattern so not mine to share and unfortunately I can't find the source anymore, I believe it was a Portuguese magazine.

byHaafner, crochet, granny flower square, blanket, vintage, pattern




























The pattern


Remarks beforehand
- You can either start a new round by chaining 2 (as a substitute dc) or – and that’s definitely my recommendation! – by making a standing double crochet. With the latter you can't tell afterwards where you started the round.
- The pattern calls for a join at the end of each round. My preferred method is to make a seamless join using a blunt needle. Alternatively you can slipstitch in the first stitch of the round.
- I used a 4 mm hook and I made 285 squares in total. Each square measures 10x10 cm (appr. 4x4 inch).

byHaafner, crochet, granny flower square, blanket, vintage
































To start
Magic circle or chain 5 and join with a slipstitch to create a ring

Round 1
*1 dc in ring, ch 1*, repeat between * * 11 x, join

Round 2
*2 dc in ch1-sp, ch 1*, repeat between * * 11 x, join

Round 3
*3 dc in ch1-sp, ch 1*, repeat between * * 11 x, join

Round 4
Please note: The corners are worked in trebles.
*3 dc in ch1-sp, ch 1, 3 dc in ch1-sp, 3 tr in ch1-sp, ch 2, 3 tr in same space, ch 1*, repeat between * * 11 x, join. Weave in ends.

Joining the motifs
I used the join-as-you-go method for joining the motifs.

Please don't copy or share the chart elsewhere, but link to this page instead - thank you for linking with love! 


That's it!

I hope you've had a lovely week so far. Wishing you a great weekend!

13.8.15

Happy with Blog MakeOver!

Welcome to my brandnew blog! I'm very excited about the new design and I hope you like it as much as I do.

byHaafner, crochet, yarn, stash, vintage
































After a few years of blogging (time flies!) I felt it was time for a makeover. I wanted something light and crispy and the talented Madeline Cline designed just that for me (and on top of that she is a delight to work with). Click here for her Blog Design Studio on Etsy (or find the link below on this blog). If you are considering a new blog design I highly recommend her services.
 
byHaafner, crochet, yarn, stash, vintage, sunjellies basket
As you will probably notice some parts of this new blog are still work in progress as I added some new features. Eventually this will lead to a site where it is easier for you to navigate, to find patterns and - hopefully! - inspiration. But I just couldn't wait to share it with you. ;-)

byHaafner, crochet, yarn, stash, basket
































To mark the festive occasion of my blog makeover I thought I'd share some happy yarn pics...

byHaafner, crochet, yarn, stash, Vinnis Nikkim, organic































There is a practical reason for that choice too, as I'm still working on some bigger projects which I can't share here yet. ;-) So for now it's mainly wip's and yarn... Like the Vinnis Nikkim (above) and the byClaire (below).

byHaafner, crochet, yarn, stash, crochet hooks, byClaire yarn



























Well, I hope you like the new blogdesign!

Many thanks for your visit. Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead.

19.7.15

Projects in the making

Recently I have been working on new designs - which I love doing. It also leaves me with tons of trial & error pieces. I never throw them out, as they sometimes spark an idea for something completely different.

byHaafner, crochet, pastel, colours
Or, I just like a colour combo and want to use the same colours in another design. Some can come to good use as embellishment. Especially the small flowery ones!

byHaafner, crochet, pastel, colours















Many thanks for your visit & a lovely day to you.


16.7.15

It's a Pastel Day

Love these happy stacks of crochet... There are quite a few of these stacks, most of them neatly tucked away in boxes in my little studio... Sometimes I open a box at random and am surprised by what I find... Pieces I had forgotten about... I take a picture and stow them away again... Maybe I should open an Etsy shop after all. ;-)

byHaafner, crochet, doilies, doily, mandala, pastel
























I'm curious to know what you do with the work you make.

byHaafner, crochet, doilies, doily, mandala, pastel


byHaafner, crochet, doilies, doily, mandala, pastel





























The weather is getting sunny here again and I'm hoping to do a spot of outside crocheting this weekend. Looking forward to that.

Thanks for your visit. Wishing you a lovely day!

13.7.15

This & That

Thanks for your kind comments on my previous post! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. The sight of my crochet hooks is tempting me to start new projects, but I'm still working on a couple of big projects I need to finish first.
(Q: Is that your entire collection of crochet hooks? A: Nope, not by far...)

ByHaafner, crochet, crochet hooks, vintage yarn












'Cause I can't you show you my works in progress yet, I'll make do with other, recent pictures that I didn't share here before.

I really like the fabric below. I'd l o v e to make a skirt out of it. Pity I don't know how to sew - yet. It's still on my to learn list. (Like proper knitting. The advantage of knitting over sewing being that knitting needle don't make as much sound as a sewing maching. Or are modern sewing machines less noisy than the old ones? (#dta!)

byHaafner, crochet, granny square, pink, flower fabric






























If you follow me on Instagram you've seen these beads already. I'm so very much in love with the colour. I think they'll make a gorgeous necklace. Come to think of it, I should really make one soon. It would be perfect for the summer. Do you use beads in your work?

byHaafner, beads, pastel, mint, turquoise





























I'm a bit restless at the moment and would love to travel somewhere soon but alas, obligations of daily life make me stay put for at least a while. Although I have to say I can miss my little studio when away. Because more often than not I suddenly crave to work with that hook, or that yarn, which obviously is still at home and I'm not. ;-) 

byHaafner, crochet, yarn, flowers






















Do you have any travel plans in the near future? Or maybe you're currently exploring new horizons? Which ever it is: I thank you for your visit and wish you a lovely week ahead!

10.7.15

It's been a while... Let's talk yarn!

So much for my resolution to blog more often... What can I say... It's been busy! The next posts will be a roundup of what I've been up to crochet- & yarnwise. I realised that I've never given a proper account of the lovely yarn I sourced when I was in Thailand earlier this year. So let me make up for that hiatus in this post. And I'll squeeze in a cappuccinno with coconut milk here and there. Just because. ;-)

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton, coconut cappuccino


Maybe you remember my search for yarns when I was in Thailand last year, I wrote about it here and here. This year - through dedication and perseverance (read: my obsessive compulsive yarn-related behaviour) - I found some other lovely yarns.

Like this amaaaazing shiny fine cotton (suitable for a 2.5 - 3.5 mm hook) in the top picture and the three below. Apparently it's made in Japan, but I have no further information. Unfortunately... If you recognize this yarn and know where it's manufactured, I'd love to hear!

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton, pastel

^ Working on a mystery project during a lunch break... ;-)

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton,

Just to clarify: I've bought more colours than you see in these pics, but I wouldn't mind getting my hands on even more... ;-) It's definitely one of my favourite yarns.

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton,







Then there were these pretty bobbins with handspun and plant dye fine cotton...

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton,
I love the irregularities in it and its slightly wool-ish (the pink one) and linen-ish (the grey one) appearance. Here's a closer look:

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton,

And this - huge - skein.... This too is handspun and plant dye cotton. I like the texture, it's quite different. Not sure what to make with it yet.

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton,













Oh, and before I forget, I got these lovely shades of embroidery floss... Which was actually a bit of a yarn fail, 'cause I didn't notice all the ends and thought I was buying adorable mini skeins of regular yarn. Ha! So much for being a connoisseur, right? ;-) However, the colours inspired the super talented Cornel Strydom to create these mittens that - for sure - are the prettiest mittens I ever laid my eyes on. Click here to admire them! (I just can't get over how lovely they are.)

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, pastel
































More Crochet & Coconut (one of my favourite combinations!) to end this post. With another glimpse of my mystery project...

ByHaafner, crochet, yarn, cotton, work in progress, coconut cappuccino



I hope you enjoyed my little yarn tour... Did you buy new yarns recently? Or are you on a  strict yarn diet?

Many thanks for your kind visit. Much appreciated! I wish you a most lovely weekend.