Chunky statement necklace FREE PATTERN

I'm so excited to be sharing this pattern with you all, after three live tutorials on Instagram it has proved to be very popular and I am already loving seeing everyone's finished necklaces.

This is a super fast make, the kind of thing you can hook up in every colour to go with every outfit!

Materials needed - 
T-shirt yarn (not much needed, approx 100g)
Yarn needle
Scissors
2 wooden beads (optional)

Pattern - 
Start by chaining 21
Row 1 - Dc in second chain from hook and each ch along (20 sts)
Row 2 - Ch3, turn (counts as Tr), skip a stitch, work tr1, ch2, tr1 in the same stitch, skip a stitch then work one tr into the next. Continue this pattern to the end of the row. You should have a total of 5 V's and end the row on a single Tr.
Row 3 - Ch1, turn. Work 1 dc into same stitch. Now work 5 trebles into the ch2 space of your V from the previous row. Dc 1 on top of single Tr post from previous row. Continue this pattern to the end of the row.
You should have 5 scallops.

Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Cut a length of yarn (this will tie around your neck) thread on to yarn needle and sew along to the back of your first row of dc leaving a long-ish tail. pull ends slightly to give your necklace a more rounded finish. Thread on wooden beads and Voila! How easy was that???

The thing I love most about this necklace is that it's so versatile. I have made it using Drops Paris which give a much more subtle, pretty look and also in DMC Natura XL which is still a statement!

The only thing I did different using these to yarns was on the last row I made 6tr in V stitch rather than 5.
You can change colour for row 3 for a totally different look too!



Please feel free to make this necklace as much as you want, selling your finished pieces if you wish but giving credit to the me as the designer.
Tag your makes with #mythreadthelove so I can see them :)

Happy hooking!!

A x

Social media is a strange thing isn't it? We all wake up in the morning, stare  at our screens for a while and coo over each other. Don't we? Some don't, as recently I have experienced the not so nice side of social media. Where people seek you out, make fake profiles so they can lurk and be nosey. Where some send anonymous messages and even send messages to your followers about you! Horrible right?

So here's a call out, for support, for "sisterhood" if you like, because if this weeks happenings on social media have taught me anything it's that we ARE a great community. We pulled together and raised over £12,000 so that dear Jenny and Amanda of A Little Box Of Crochet could spend the holiday of a lifetime in Switzerland after heating some devastating news, but we made it happen!

I have always tried to be a supporter of small fledging businesses. I've bought soap and handmade jewellery from market stalls, I've shopped in farm shops for my veg rather than Tesco, I have trawled Etsy for the perfect gift rather than heading to the local super market, I have bought from other crocheters, I mean, I have even attended parties where they talk about "hugging your candle" to support a friend. None of us are going to do well if we keep battling each other. There IS room for us all. Yes, we may do similar work now and then, but does the creator or the 'treble crochet' call each one of us out when we use that stitch? You are happy to walk in to Topshop and pick up runway copies, you walk into an art gallery and see art heavily influenced by Salvador Dali & Picasso, you turn on the radio and hear music that you swear could be from the 1960's so tell me, how is this any different?

I am guilty of feeling that pang of jealousy and annoyance when someone crochets up something super similar to my work. Let's be honest, Crochet isn't rocket science, it may seem it to some but if you know how to crochet, you've dabbled in design and know the basic stitches you can pretty much work out a pattern from looking at a garment, and yes girl, save your money, don't purchase my pattern, make it up as you go, don't credit me, it's all good. I'm not going to plaster your name over social media and make you out to be something you're not. We are all just trying to make it work.
I used to do this thing, when I saw a post pop up on Instagram where someone had made something really similar or even the same as something I had. I'd go to the top right hand corner, press on those three little dots and yep, there it is in red, the word 'Block'. Ha! There I said it. But what does this achieve, it just means you can no longer enjoy each other's work. I love seeing other people's work, I love seeing people create things from my pattern and I love seeing people taking inspiration from my designs and making it into something of their own design. So can we all, just take a few minutes to have a look at that block list and think "do we really need to create such drama, animosity and friction between each other" the answer is HELL NO we don't. I mean, we have a lot in common, we'd clearly make great friends! 💅🏻💖


A x

TTL x SFMGS Snowflake Garland!

Hey there lovelies!
Sorry I have been so MIA recently, This time of year is always so hectic, and I have been super busy preparing for my Festive Crochet Workshop at Rugby Art Gallery tomorrow where we will be making lots of Christmas decorations! For full details see my Facebook page.

As I'm sure you've all seen on the WONDERFUL Miki from Set Free My Gypsy Soul's blog we've been collaborating on a super cute snowflake garland together using the brand new Paintbox Yarns!


Here is the pattern for my Puff Stitch Snowflake :

Materials needed :

5mm crochet hook
Paintbox Yarns Aran in shade of your choice
Scissors
Yarn Needle

Pattern
Start with a magic ring, make a* puff stitch into centre of magic ring, chain 2* repeat from * to * until you have 6 puffs, pull tail to close, slst to top of first puff.

Round 1 – slst into ch2 space between puffs and make another puff stitch, ch3, *make puff stitch in next ch2 space then ch3* repeat from * to * around. Slst to top of first puff.
Round 2 – Chain 5 slst into puff, chain 8, slst into puff, chain 5, slst into puff. Dc3 into chain 3 space, continue around. Slst into first puff.

Fatsen off and weave in ends 

Check out Miki's blog for instructions on joining to make the garland and for her own snowflake pattern!

Tutorial - Crochet Trim Boot Socks

This is a super easy and fast way of up-cycling a bring pair of boot socks, or even by crocheting on to a lovely new pair of woollies and making a beautiful handmade(ish) Christmas gift!
This really is so simple!

First you'll need some socks, preferably with a turn down cuff. I got mine from M&S but they are all over the place this time of year!

Then you will need to chose your yarn and hook. I used Drops Paris in Mustard with a 4mm hook. I wouldn't normally use such a small hook for an Aran weight yarn but it seems to work in this case. If you wanted a more lacey trim then just opt for a lighter weight yarn and a smaller crochet hook.
You will also need a pair of scissors and a darning needle for sewing in those pesky ends!

First, turn down your cuff and attach yarn through the sock wherever you wish to start. Make sure you are working on the right side of the cuff. so if your cuff isnt turned down you are working from the inside of the sock..

Start with one dc where you have attached the yarn then simply crochet 4tr, dc, 4tr around evenly spaced out! It's as simple as that.

They make great book socks, or even just pretty socks for chilling about the house!!

Make sure you tag your makes with #mythreadthelove so I can see them!

Have fun making them!

A x

Shell Stitch Bonnet Tutorial

Thread the Love Pixie Pom Bonnet 

Materials needed :

1 x ball of Drops Paris 100% cotton Aran 50g 

4.5mm crochet hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Pom-Pom maker

Acrylic yarn DK - enough for a pom-pom

For this shell stitch bonnet your foundation chain will need to be a multiple of 6 + 2. For newborn size I used 48 + 2.

Chain 50, keeping quite a long tail which is useful for sewing up at the end. 

In second chain from hook make one dc,

 skip 2 sts, 5tr in next,

skip 2 sts, dc in next. Repeat to end of row.

If you have ended your row on a dc then you will need to chain 3 which counts as your first tr of row 2.

Tr 2 more in same st

Skip 2 sts, 1dc in next (top of shell from previous row)

Continue to the end, When you get to the last stitch just make 3tr in last st (half shell) 

Ch1, turn. Dc 1 in same stitch, skip 2 sts, 5htr in next. 

Continue this pattern until you have 12 rows of shells. Do not fasten off.

Chain 27, htr in second ch from hook and each st along, slst to base, fasten off.

Attach yarn at opposite side

Chain 27, htr in second ch from hook + each stitch along, slst to base, fasten off.

Your work should now look like this

Sew in ends leaving the long tail from where you originally made your slip knot. 

Fold your work in half ensuring the right side of your work is facing out. Using the long tail sew up the back of your work. 

There you have your super cute, super easy shell stitch bonnet!! 

At this point you could make a pom-pom and attach it at the top. I used a small clover pom pom maker and stylecraft special dk for a more 'pouffey' pom-pom. 

Please do share your makes on instagram and tag them with #mythreadthelove so I can see them :) 

Basic Granny Square Tutorial

You can now purchase my Granny Square Peplum Top on my Etsy store here so I thought I'd leave a quick and simple tutorial here showing you how to make the main structure of the top which is super easy! For this tutorial I won't use any abbreviations to make it a little simpler.

Materials needed - 

• Any hook (see the peplum top pattern here for which hook and yarn I used) 
• Yarn 
• Yarn needle

Start with a slip knot and chain 4, slip stitch into your first chain to create a ring, 

Round 1 - chain 3 (counts as your first treble) then do 2 more trebles into the centre of the ring. chain 2 (makes a corner) then work 3 more trebles. chain two for a corner and make 3 more trebles. Continue until you have 4 corners. slip stitch to top of chain 3. 

Round 2 - Chain 3 (counts as first treble) in chain 2 space (corner space) from previous round work 3 trebles, chain 2, 2 trebles all in same space. Then move on to the next corner space and do exactly the same. When you get to the last corner space work 3 trebles, chain 2, 2 trebles then slip stitch to top of chain 3.

Round 3 - Chain 3 (counts as first treble) work 2 more trebles into space below. Work 3 trebles straight into corner space, chain 2, 3 trebles in same space. work 3 trebles in next space, Only chain 2 inbetween trebles on a corner. 

When you get to the last corner space, continue the pattern of 2 trebles, chain 2, 2 trebles then slip stitch to the top of chain 3 from previous round. 

Continue this pattern for as many rounds as needed. 

Amber x