Month: December 2017

The Best of 2017

Categories "I Like Crochet", Celebrating, CrochetLeave a Comment on The Best of 2017

Time is running out on 2017 and it’s time to celebrate the best of the past year for many publications. I recently heard from the folks at “I Like Crochet” that my Cobbled Path Wrap was chosen as one of the “Spectacular Shawls” of 2017.

That design is one of my favorites. I came up with the idea for it about 5 years ago. I wanted to create the look of little motifs without having to weave hundreds of tails in. You can get this pattern with a subscription to the “I Like Crochet” website.

You can see my design and the other “Best of 2017” winners at their website by clicking here.

Wishing all my dear readers a fun and safe New Year’s Eve celebration and a very Happy New Year in 2018.

All that Glitters

Categories Crafting Experiments, Creativity, CrochetLeave a Comment on All that Glitters

When I crochet with thread I tend to favor Size 10 cotton thread, but being that I have a bit of magpie in my genetic make-up I have always been drawn to Red Heart’s Metallic cotton thread.

Long ago I thought it would be the perfect thread for making snowflakes. But once I had added stiffener to it the glittery effect was rather dimmed. So I’ve been searching for a way to make a snowflake that could fully show off the sparkle of this thread.

Finished Ornament - Andee Graves M2H Designs

This was my little experiment this weekend.

First snowflake and orna - Andee Graves M2H Designs

When I was designing my snowflake pattern for this year I created a snowflake that was cupping a bit and realized that it might fit nicely around one of the flattened round style of clear plastic ornaments that I had. It actually looked like it would stretch around it nicely.

2 snowflakes - Andee Graves M2H Designs

I decided to work on making a second snowflake to place on the opposite side so the 2 connected together would act as a sort of cover for the ornament. Since my original snowflake was made with the silver thread I picked the gold thread for the second snowflake.

4 points joined 2 snowflakes - Andee Graves M2H Designs

I crocheted the snowflake up to the last round, then connected the last round at 4 points.

Cover fitted over ornament - Andee Graves M2H Designs

I then slid it over the ornament and completed the round connecting the last 2 points. Crocheting the last little bit while the snowflakes were on the ornament was a bit challenging but I was happy with how it came out.

If you want to try making some snowflake ornaments like this check at your local hobby supply shop for round semi-flattened ornaments. The one I used is 4″ in diameter, but they also come in smaller sizes. You’ll want to use a snowflake pattern that is somewhat star shaped without a lot of fancy things happening with the edges.

Weave in the beginning tails of both snowflakes and the ending tail of your first snowflake before connecting them together and placing them as a cover on the ornament. That way you only have one tail to weave in after fitting the snowflakes around your ornament.

Connection points 2 snowflakes - Andee Graves M2H Designs

I had to shorten the chain lengths at the points of my second snowflake to get a better fit around my ornament. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the look, but it wasn’t too bad for a first try.

I’m going to be very busy the next couple of weeks preparing for Christmas with my family, so I’m not sure if I will have a chance to blog again until after the start of the New Year.  In case I’m not back on here before then, I want to wish all my wonderful readers a lovely holiday season and a fabulous start to 2018.