Stanley Rabbit in Real Life!

Just a little note to let you know that for the first time ever, I put a couple of Stanley Rabbits (crocheted by me) into my etsy shop today.  One has already hopped away to a new home but one is  still waiting for you. I'm hoping to make a couple more over the next little while. I only make a few each year so each one is a limited edition and comes with a birth certificate which also acts as proof of authenticity.
Love Kate xxx

More Crochet Toadstools!

 I wanted to show you some more photos of the toadstools that I made for Little Box of Crochet. Keep in mind though that they are made with different yarn, this is just what I had on hand when I was designing the project.

 I had a few things in mind when I was playing with the pattern. I wanted them to be able to stand on their own and to have things like gills and mycelium. Because those things are important to toadstools.

I also wanted to be able to squish them in boxes to give as presents. These ones went to Tahiti!
Thank you for all of your lovely comments over the past few days. They've warmed my heart.
Lots of love,
Kate xxx

My Swan

Here is a little friend I made late last year. She's turned into a real friend!

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxx

Little Boxes of Crochet

Thank you so much for all of your warm, welcoming words! You made it such a pleasure to be back.
I thought I would show you a very special something I have been involved with over the past little while.

I have a wonderful friend, Amanda Bloom who in November last year, launched the most amazing crochet subscription box, Little Box of Crochet. And guess who was lucky enough to be the first designer - Me!!!!

As it was Autumn, we decided something seasonal would be lovely and somehow the subject of Toadstools came up, something we are both passionate about.

And so, with lots of chatting between NZ and the UK, the plan hatched for three crocheted toadstools.

While I was busy with toadstool maths (the easy part let me tell you), Amanda established an empire sourcing yarn, boxes, printers all to the highest standard and most beautiful of aesthetics. And she did all this while her gorgeous daughter Jenny was battling cancer. 

The day the first box arrived in my mailbox was one of the most proud I have had. So proud of Amanda and Jenny and so honoured to have been a part of it.

And guess what? The box sold out!

However,... a little bird told me, the Toadstool Box is set for a re-release - wahoo!

I can't wait to show you more boxes I've recieved over the past few months. They brought so much joy to me, just as Amanda and Jenny have for me.

Lots of love,

Kate xxxxx

Hello Again!

I've gathered up the courage to write on my blog again. Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments expressing your concern and wishes for me to start up again. I really appreciate it and it has made a huge difference to me in coming back.

I won't go into the full story but sadly there were a couple of tricky people who engaged in some nasty plagiarism which made me question whether it was all worth it. And of course it is, I just had to retreat for a while and think about how to stay true to myself, what is worth protecting and how to keep singing (metaphorically - I won't be popping my shower tunes up for you....).

And it is so good to be back. I was starting to forget the wonderful community that exists in the blogosphere.  Hello!!!!

Now, the photos above are some that I took for the latest edition of Taproot. Traveling Stanley has finally had his pattern published. Stanley is now a teenager and loves to go camping with his banjo. I think making the banjo was one of my favourite things ever.

Lots more to write about but I will save it up for my next post.

Lots of love,

Kate xx

Dog Days...

 I can't stop making these new characters. Every time I go to pick up my crochet hook, another puppy appears. 

Even on the walls!
Lots of love,
Kate x

Family Life and Roses

 Oh thank the stars above my roses are in full bloom. The joy they bring me each year is almost indescribable. 

 Nowhere near as much joy though as this little chappie brings me. Hugo made a salad for dinner tonight - see below. 

 Or the Shepherd's Hut that Jonno is making for the boys. He is going to tow it to one of their most special spots on the farm near the 'Fire Crystal Tree'.

 Happiness or from the look of Archie above, contentment.

Lots of love,

Kate. xxx

Christmas Lighthouses.....

Sometimes I find myself pondering things in the middle of the night when I find a pocket of wakefullness. The other night saw me thinking about a Christmas tree in a lighthouse - and so I started making these lighthouse baubles - or babules as I keep going to write. And another exciting thing..... I dipped my crochet Christmas babule (see) from this pattern in glitter and glue. It worked!

As for the toadstools, I have another whole post waiting to be written but I need a little bit more than five minutes to do it in. For the meantime, read about them here.

Mini Crochet Advent Caravans!

 I just wanted to remind you of this project I made for Christmas last year. This is one of my favourite patterns ever and I am so looking forward to filling them up with goodies for our tree again. You can find the pattern here.

Lots of love,
Kate. xxx

How to Crochet a Mini Christmas Wreath

With Christmas creeping up (at least in the world of handmade as there is only so much 'making' time until December), I thought it would be fun to add a festive project to the Lakeside Cabin from "Let's Go Camping! Crochet Your Own Adventure". A wreath for the door. Of course, once I made that, the caravan (also in the book) looked bereft. Now, I can't stop making mini decorations....

p.s. please ignore the paint on my fingers in the photos.

Materials:

gold or silver 4ply yarn

embroidery thread (or 4ply yarn) in red and green (or white)

needle

Abbreviations (US terminology)

ch = chain

st/s = stitch/stiches

ss = slip stitch

sc = single crochet

sk = skip

N.B. All rounds are worked in continuous spirals

 Round 1. Using 2.5mm crochet hook and gold yarn, ch10. Ss back into the first ch to form a loop.

Round 2. Working over the 10ch loop rather than into it, crochet 12sc evenly distributed around the loop. Ss back into the first sc. (12)

Round 3. *1sc, 2sc into the next st. Repeat from * until end of round. (18)

Round 4. *2sc, 2sc into the next st. Repeat from * until end of round. (24)

Round 4. *3sc, sk one st. Repeat from * until end of round. (18)

This will cause the wreath to start curving back around like a donut.

Round 5. *2sc, sk one st. Repeat from * until end of round. (12)

 Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew the first and last round together through the central hole.

For the French Knots 

Secure the thread to the wreath then wrap the needle anywhere between 1 - 4 times. 

 Place the tip of the needle back through the wreath and draw through the wraps.

 After a few french knots have been embroidered, thread the needle with green yarn and scatter some straight stitches to create leaves. Continue on with french knots until you think "Wahoo".

At this stage, my wreath is so new I have it stuck to the caravan with a needle. However, because it's going onto the door temporarily, I will fastsen it on with small pieces of double sided sticky tape - then it will be easy to remove after Christmas.

The  Lakeside Cabin wreath was made with a gold base and white embroidery thread for the french knots. 

If you are feeling particularly festive, you could attach a brooch back and wear it on your shirt!

Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions.

Lots of love,

Kate. xxx

Monday Morning

 The boys are back at school today. The holidays have been wonderful but there is such a sense of joy that floods through my being when they hop onto the school bus ready to fill their minds with all sorts of things (mainly at lunchtime when they hang out with their friends). 

As you've probably picked up over the past few years, I'm not one for housework. But there is something almost mystical about that moment when you sweep and the floor stays looking sparkly for more than 5 minutes. I'm having a moment aren't I!

Anyhoo - I wanted to show you the watercolour above that my neighbour Dominique painted for my birthday.

 And that's me, blue hair and all, balancing on my own pair of stilts. I did have blue hair for the first half of this year but now it's blond. I like to think it's been captured for eternity in this painting. Look at the tiger's expression!

My dogs were looking a little sheepish this morning being used to store pav hats and birds so I had to take a photograph of them. Poor little things.

And I couldn't not show you my wisteria wisteriaring away. It's a glorious spot for a cup of tea or glass of wine.

 And my first bunch of roses. Yip, yip, wahoo!

Lots of love,

Kate. xxx

Birthday Presents!

 I am feeling utterly spoilt today after a wonderful birthday yesterday. Hugo (9) and I were at the local market last week when I spotted a salad sprouting kit which I thought was wonderful. Hugo stowed it away, later explaining it to Jonno. And together, they made one just for me! Archie (12) snuck away an enormous and very much forgotten glass jar I had filled with odds and ends and turned it into the most beautiful terrarium. So I am feeling very fortunate. I'm so glad they already have that ethos we all cherish in blogland, of making something special for someone you love. 

So today Hugo and I are going to start sprouting some seeds he bought. Very exciting..... watch this space!
Lots of love,
Kate. xxx

Pavlova Hat!

No new dress yet.... I had better get stuck into it. In the meantime though, here is a photo of the pavlova hat (Pav Hat) that I made for a fancy dress party. I went as Anna Pavlova of course. Just looking at the photo makes my mouth water. 

Lots of love,

Kate. xx

A New Dress - well almost......

Dont you love finding the perfect fabric, the very thing that you didn't know you couldn't live without. That's how I felt when I stumbled across this roll at Spotlight (good old Spotlight). It's 100% cotton AND jersy to boot - it's quite stretchy but firm enough to sew. Now all I need to do is cordon off a morning or afternoon to sew it up - that'll be easy enough...... won't it......????

Lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx

'Let's Go Camping! Crochet Your Own Adventure' - a look inside the book!!!!!

Now that pre-orders of 'Let's Go Camping! Crochet Your Own Adventure' are turning up in mailboxes around the world, I thought it was time to show some more photos from the book.

I can't believe that this project began mid January and now it is in my hands. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about writing this book was the little anecdotes I share at the beginning of each chapter. All of the projects come from different elements of my life - the cabin above was based upon a holiday house we had when I was tiny, the colours of it though, coming from my granny's house.

 The photography by Keiko Owikawa still takes my breath away each time I look at it. And as for the styling, I still can't believe how lucky I am that Christine Leech joined the team.

 So here are a few more photos for you to look at - I hope you like them!

We were also very fortnuate that Playmobil came on board and gave us permission to use my vintage Playmobil toys in photos - they bring such magic and scale to the projects. As I look at this photo I can't help thinking how funny it is to see the tiny binoculars that Mum gave to me at Christmas - neither of us knew they were going to be starring in a book this year. Goodness me.

Having received a copy a few weeks ago, I have been crocheting my way through the book to quadruple check each pattern. To my chagrin (a word I never get to use - it almost makes it worthwhile), there were some small mistakes that I have remedied with a printable errata page found at the top left hand side of the blog.  

I've also changed my commenting system I will now be able to reply to your questions!

A book! Yippe Yay! Whoot!

Lots of love,

Kate. xxx