Category: Textile projects

I got a new iPhone earlier in the year and knowing how ‘fragile’ they can be, I bought a protective screen cover and case for it. Although this did help, I still managed to scratch the phone while it was in my bag, which I had carelessly thrown in with keys and various other objects. To prevent any further damage I set to work on creating a protective crochet sleeve.

I knew how I wanted it to look like and started to create my own pattern. It did take several attempts to get the fit just right (using the Snow White approach: this one is too small…too large…ahh just right!). I then tried various colour combinations and also included a hole for the headphones on some.

Finally, the finishing touch was to add one of my polymer clay buttons to the front, et voila! A smart, protective cover to keep my phone safe.

I’ve been looking for projects to use up my stash of leftover yarns. I really like making blocks as they are easy to carry around and fun to make. I found a pattern for a blanket made up of crochet blocks in Crochet Workshop by Erika Knight and used this as my starting point.

Using a colour palette of blues, greens and stone I made 25 squares, enough to make an 18″ cushion cover.

I joined the squares together using a contrasting dark grey yarn and DC crochet stitches.

For the back of the cushion I used the grey yarn and a simple ‘V’ crochet stitch. I did run out of the grey wool part way through (and I hadn’t made it wide enough), so I used the colours on the front to make a striped edge and fold over top.

I fastened the flap with five grey Fimo buttons that I found in my collection et voila!

Whilst browsing the local newsagents I came across an edition of Inside Crochet magazine that featured a lovely pattern for a crocheted VW campervan doorstop. I love campervan’s and the pale blue, split-screen model is my absolute favourite, so I new I had to make this.

As usual I wanted to make some tweaks to the pattern. I thought the design didn’t quite match the classic look of a VW campervan, so I redesigned the ‘V’ on the front of the vehicle and increased the depth of the colour on the sides.

To finish off I added Fimo buttons for the lights and wheels, crocheted a couple of cute flowers and used felt for the windows.

Just need to save up for the real thing now!

I’ve seen quite a few examples of patchwork cushions and blankets on various blogs and websites. They’re a great way of using up your leftover stash, are quick and easy to make and are even a small enough project to take on the daily commute!

I wanted to make a cushion as a Christmas present, using a pattern of multiple squares in natural/period colours. I bought a selection of six Sirdar Snuggly DK yarns in blues, greens, pink and stone. Having looked at a couple of projects for inspiration, I made up my own pattern and crocheted a total of 49 squares (7 x 7).

I used a simple DC stitch in the stone colour to join the squares together. The visible seam forms part of the overall aesthetic.

For the back of the cushion I used the stone colour and rows of treble stitch, which grew really quickly. I made two rectangle pieces that I overlapped and fixed with buttons.

The finished cushion measures 18″.

I recently bought a copy of the Natural Knits for babies and toddlers magazine. It was a real inspiration as not only were the patterns adorable and contemporary, but each item was finished off with handmade buttons – perfect combo!

One of the first patterns was for a snuggly baby cocoon that is perfect for keeping a baby warm in it’s pram. All of the patterns use natural, organic wools, which although they are luxurious are a little on the pricey side, and I wanted to use up some of my stash. I also fancied crocheting the cocoon and the pattern was knitted, so I set off on a little detour…

I’ve never been a big fan of ‘blue for a boy and pink for a girl’ and opted for Sirdar snuggly baby wools in a bright fresh green, multi blue stripes and a natural white.

I made a simple pattern using alternate dc and treble stitches along each row. Making two rectangles, the front piece is about 2cm narrower than the back to allow for the button band. After stitching the pieces together and sewing up the hood I finished the piece off with nine polymer clay buttons in contrasting colours.

This is the finished item!