'Gerbera' Crochet Motif

 New pattern out today.  

Searching for the perfect flower arrangement to send to my in-laws in South Africa for Christmas, which preferably contained a Gerbera or two because they are my mother-in-law’s favourite, was the inspiration for this creation.  ‘Gerbera’ for Ineke.  

Click the image to be taken to the FREE pattern over on my website.

 

Snowflake Crochet Motif

I had such fun working on this Snowflake pattern this week and I hope you have lots of fun making them too.  I'm looking forward to making a whole blizzard of them each night while I watch television to decorate the house and tree with this winter - which might also help me to stop nibbling on mince pies quite so much.  

I would really appreciate it and love it if you would help me to keep making and offering these free patterns by making a small donation on my Ko-fi account if you have used any of my patterns or just like my blog or Instagram.  I don't receive yarn or supplies from sponsors so this would enable me to purchase yarn for new projects.   

Love, Karen x

 

Macmillan Crochet Square

To assist Claire Smith and her friend Susanne Jeffries in their fund raising for Macmillan Cancer Support, please click the link below.

 Make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support

 

 

Seaside Crochet Blanket

I'm so happy to be able to share my latest blanket pattern with you.  I've been working on the blanket and pattern off and on since late last year.  This blanket is perfect for beginners because the only stitches used are chains and trebles.  

The colour palette here was inspired by seaside colours, however the design lends itself well to a whole host of colour combinations.

Wishing you loads of fun working on this design, and if you do change the colours i'd love to see a photo of your completed blanket.

Gemstone Blanket 'Energised' Crochet Pattern

Did you enjoy this pattern or like visiting my blog and would like to show your support?

Chatting about Pear Upside-Down Cake, Tadpoles and Romantic Hearts Crochet Pattern

It's been busy around here since the last blog post on Wednesday last week.  I'm never at a loss of having things to keep me busy thanks to being craft and book mad and that's not changed much while we are in lockdown.  I don't know about you but I often have trouble stopping for a break (and sometimes lunch) when I get in full swing with something, especially if it's something outside in the garden.  Total awareness of time disappears when i'm out there pottering about.

Work on my upcoming crochet blanket pattern has been going at a great pace and alongside this i've been having loads of inspiration coming through for other patterns for later in the year.  The release day for the pattern for the Gemstone Blanket titled 'Energised' is Wednesday next week so keep an eye out for the announcements. 

What a great way to start the day on Monday..........with a rainbow in my teacup :-)

Speaking of colours; what about the colour of these Snapdragons?  Aren't they delicious?  These are self-sown from last year's crop so a nice surprise to see then popping up amongst the 'Love in the Mist' I showed you last week.  Swiping through the photos on my phone on Thursday and coming across this one,  I had this silly little poem compose itself in my head.  It turns out it was useful in cheering a few people up, and an appropriate reminder to me later on in the day when I had a meltdown over the sink being filled with dishes yet again when the washer was empty.

"Try not to be snappy like a Snapdragon today, 

instead find some time to be silly and play.

If you can't do that then find a hook,

to go with some yarn, 

or a nice chunky book."

Last Friday saw the one year anniversary of the last episode of Game of Thrones.  What a night that was and what an ending!  It was fun seeing that memory popping up in my Facebook feed, but let's face it, it's not always great in flashing up memories that are actually lovely.  Some of them have been inappropriate or unfortunate for being referred to as a memory you might want to be reminded of.

More baking again this week.  This
time an upside-down cake combination inspired by the can of pears in the cupboard combined with an urge to bake. Traditionally this cake is made using pineapple rings and sliced glace cherries but I didn't have any of them on hand and I was in the mood for a bit of experimenting.

Many of you asked for the recipe in response to the photograph of the cake on Facebook and Instagram.  I was reluctant to do that because i'd used a recipe out of a book.

However, I did rummage through my own handwritten gathering of recipes for the upside-down recipe I knew I had, and which i'd be able to share with you in good conscience.

Wouldn't you know it, the ingredients are the same.  So here is the recipe, with my own bits added for Upside-Down Cake.



 ******************************************************************************
Pear Upside-Down Cake 

1 400g can Pear Halves or fruit of your choice.
125g Self-raising Flour
125g Baking Margerine or Butter
125g Castor Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Vanilla Essence
Note:  (For this Pear version of the cake I added 1 tsp Ground Ginger to the mixture instead of the Vanilla because it's a good combination with Pears.  If you make a version with Pineapple or other fruit, I don't think Ginger will work well for flavour, so use Vanilla Essence instead.)

To make:

Preheat oven to 180˚C Fan
Line a 20cm round baking tin.

Beat eggs.

Cut pear halves into slices, but not too thin.

Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until the batter is pale and creamy.

Arrange the slices of  pear onto the bottom of the cake tin, then place the batter on top and level it out.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the knife comes out clean when inserted into the cake.  Note: The knife tip may have moisture on it from the fruit, but you will see the difference between this and unbaked cake batter.

Leave to cool before turning the cake out onto a plate. 

Enjoy x

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The tadpoles in our garden pond are doing well and have begun to develop their little legs, which you may be able to see in this picture.  As you can imagine it's difficult do photograph them because the minute I get close to the pond surface they dash away and hide.  There aren't as many as there were right at the very beginning when they first hatched, but there's still plenty of them to ensure a lively population amongst the ivy in the flower beds in a few weeks time.

Regretably i've not been on the ball with planting seeds into propagators this year so i've sown directly this time.  Yesterday the winds had died down so being outside was pleasant once again, allowing me to get stuck in with sowing,  sorting out the compost, tidying up the pots and re-potting some plants that needed more space.  One of them was a succulent that had been growing in the conservatory and which took a tumble off the window sill because it had become so lanky and top heavy.  Sadly quite a few of it's petals (are they called petals?) broke off but it's still okay, has a larger pot and the addition of some skewers to keep it upright until it settles it's roots.

Seeds sown in the giant pots yesterday were tomatoes, spinach and radishes.  In previous years we've planted much more, but with no longer having the raised beds because our dog loved to scamper through and 'water' them, we've had to use giant pots instead which has changed what we plant.  I would like to change this in future because we do miss growing our own vegetables.

The twigs you see here are to prevent birds and the resident squirrels from scratching about in the new soil and compost in the giant pots - or so I hoped.  This morning I came out to find that there had indeed been some disturbance, so all going as planned the mesh that's now been added will prevent this from happening again until the plants are well on their way.

Last week I decided to surprise you all with another free crochet pattern called the Romantic Hearts Square.  It's an oldie but a goodie that i've given a bit of a revamp. If you didn't see the release announcement, not to worry because it's waiting for you here

Monday was Bank Holiday and an unexpected surprise filled the sky that afternoon.  Isnt' it great?  It was thanks to Pilot Rich Goodwin.  You can read about him and why he did it here

In closing, a reminder that i'm aiming to release the pattern for the Gemstone Blanket titled 'Energised' on Friday this week so keep an eye out for the annoucements here and on Facebook and Instagram. 

Wishing you a good week.
Stay well and safe,
K x

Romantic Hearts Crochet Square

Another oldie but a goodie.  I first created this design eight years ago but was never entirely pleased with it, namely because of the yarn used at the time.  

I really wanted to update the pattern and change the yarn, so I did and here it is as a surprise freebie in the middle of May 2020.  I've renamed it 'Romantic Hearts' because it's perfect for anytime of year and any occassion, not just for Valentine's Day.

Note: The completed square measures 19cm.

#karenwiederholddesigns #romanticheartsgrannysquare #crochet #grannysquare #crochetblanket

Coming Soon: Gemstone Blanket 'Energised'

Hello there! 

There is a new project on my hook and all will be revealed soon.

I'm so excited to share this with you.  It's going to be the first in a series of blankets inspired by my love of gemstones and crystals.

Subscribe to my Blog, Instagram and Facebook to make sure you don't miss out on the updates.

Love

K x

New Pattern:Cow Parsley Square

Sunny Sunflowers Blanket Progress

Sunny Sunflowers - Photo by Karen Wiederhold

An update on the Sunny Sunflowers Blanket progress is that all the squares are finished and attached so now I'm working on the border.


Once the border is complete I will add the instructions for it to the pattern for the Sunny Sunflowers squares, available here.

Crochet Rainbow

I had a few requests for a crochet pattern to make a rainbow, so I thought i'd make one up this afternoon for those who asked.  I hope you like it.

K x

You will need some oddments of yarn in DK and a 4mm hook.   The pattern will work just as well with Aran or Chunky yarn but remember you'll need to use the recommended size of hook for the yarn you use.
 
Row1: Purple  - Ch15. Turn.

Row 2:  Tr1 into third chain from hook, Tr1 into each of next four chains, Tr2 into next chain, Tr1 into next chain, Tr2 into next chain, Tr1 into each of next four chains, Tr2 into last chain. Turn.

Row 3: Join Dark blue - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next five stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 2), Tr1 into next two stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 2), Tr1 into next five stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Turn.

Row 4: Join Light Blue - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next three stitches, Tr2 into next stitch, Tr1 into next three stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 3), Tr1 into next three stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 3), Tr1 into next three stitches, Tr2 into next stitch, Tr1 into next three stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Turn.

Row 5: Join Green - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next five stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 4), Tr1 into next four stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 4), Tr1 into next four stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 4), Tr1 into next four stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 4), Tr1 into next five stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Turn.

Row 6: Join Yellow - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next seven stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 5), Tr1 into next five stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 5), Tr1 into next five stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 5), Tr1 into next five stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 5), Tr1 into next seven stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Turn.

Row 7: Join Orange - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next nine stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 6), Tr1 into next six stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 6), Tr1 into next six stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 6), Tr1 into next six stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 6), Tr1 into next nine stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Turn.

Row 8: Join Red - Ch2 (this counts as the first Tr), Tr2 into first stitch, Tr1 into each of next eleven stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 7), Tr1 into next seven stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 7), Tr1 into next seven stitches, Tr2 into the next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 7), Tr1 into next seven stitches, Tr2 into next stitch (this is at the V created in Row 7), Tr1 into next eleven stitches, Tr3 into last stitch. Tie off.

Designed by Karen Wiederhold  ©2020   All rights reserved.

Personal use only.  Please do not sell or reproduce this pattern or use it for a paid class you may be teaching.  If you wish to use it as a group project, please contact me in advance.  Please remember to credit me if you make this project by linking my Instagram, Facebook Page or Blog on your social media posts or Pinterest etc.

Announcement: Coming soon

I’m so excited to share this pattern with you tomorrow 🌸


 #karenwiederholddesigns #crochet #patternrelease

Bunny Motif

Designed by © Karen Wiederhold

You will need:
Double Knit yarn in Cream,Camel, Pink and Black
3.5mm hook

Aran or chunky will work just as well for a larger Bunny head, but you will need to increase your hook size accordingly.















Head

Round 1: Ch5 and join into ring with a SS into the first Ch.










Round 2: Ch3 (this acts as first Tr), Tr11, SS into the top of the first Tr to join.










Round 3: Ch3 (this acts as first Tr) Tr 1 into same place, T2 into each of the next 11 stitches (24 Tr).










Round 4: Ch3 (this acts as first Tr) Tr1 into same place *T1 into each of the next 2 stitches, T2 into next stitch*, repeat *to* 6 times,  Tr1 into each of next 2 stitches, SS into top of first Tr to join.  (32Tr). Tie off.










Ear One

Row 1: Join brown yarn into space between first two Trs of Round 5 of the head section, Ch6.

Row 2: Skipping first Chain, Tr1 into next 5 Ch, SS into space where the yarn was joined at the beginning of the row.  Tie off.










Row 3: Join cream yarn into space where the brown section is attached in Round 1. Ch2, Dc1 into next 5 Ch, DC1 Tr1 DC1 into the first space at the tip of the ear, DC1 into next 6 stitches, SS into space where the yarn was joined at the beginning of the row.  Tie off.

Ear Two
Join yarn into second group of Tr2 of Round 5 of the head section.  Repeat as for ear one.

Stitch on facial features using oddments of yarn to complete.

I hope you enjoyed this easy little project for your Spring, Ostara or Easter decorating.

Love,
Karen x


Project ideas: 

Brooch: Add a brooch pin to the back  of the head and attach it to your jacket, jumper or bag.

Embellishment: Stitch it to a hat, beanie, scarf, blanket or cushion for a fun embellishment.

Garland: Make a whole family of Bunny heads and thread them through the tops of their ears onto a long ribbon/string for a seasonal garland.

Sweet treat gift idea:  Make two heads, stitch them together from the outer edge of the left ear around to the outer edge of the right ear - this leaves the top ear section open.  Hide a cream egg inside for a sweet gift idea.

Designed by Karen Wiederhold  ©2000 - 2020   All rights reserved.

Personal use only.  Please do not sell or reproduce this pattern or use it for a paid class you may be teaching.  If you wish to use it as a group project, please contact me in advance.  Please remember to credit me if you make this project by linking my Instagram, Facebook Page or Blog on your social media posts or Pinterest etc.