Retro Circle Cushion


So I thought I'd share this cushion even though I made it quite a while ago. The squares were very simple to make; a tutorial can be found here at Three Beans in a Pod. I joined my squares with slip stitches and made a double crochet back with a zip sewn in. I'm tempted to re-visit this pattern but make the squares smaller (because smaller = cuter, right?) Perhaps only two rounds to each circle rather than four would make a nice size? 


Rowan by Amy Butler Colours : SH00002 and SH000017

Fab 100% Acrylic in cream. 

Puff Stitch Pillow

So a few days ago I finished this pillow and I think it's my new favourite. It fits a 16x18 inch polyester filled insert and it has a pink cotton back (bordered with a round of blanket stitch and two rows of single crochet) with a button closure.
The squares themselves are pretty straight-forward once you've mastered the puff stitch (tutorial here). These particular puff stitches have five loops in them. Just in case anyone fancies making these little squares I'll share a basic guide/ stitch counts below! 。^‿^。 

I use American crochet terms.

Hook: 4mm
 Yarn: SMC Select Extra Soft Merino Cotton, Colour 05609 (Lot 5596)
            SMC Select Extra Soft Merino Cotton, Colour 05602 (Lot 1502) 

*All puff stitches should be separated with 1 chain*

 To Begin: Chain 4, slip stitch in first chain to make a loop.

Round 1: Chain 2 (counts as part of first puff stitch), crochet 8 puff stitches into the centre of the chain loop. Slip stitch to end round.

Round 2: Chain 2 (part of first puff stitch), crochet 1 puff stitch in the space between puff stitches in the previous round, then crochet 2 puff stitches in the next space to make the first corner. Repeat this three times to make a total of 12 puff stitches. Slip stitch to end round.

Round 3: Change colour and chain 2 (counts as first double crochet). In each of the two gaps in-between the corner gaps, make two double crochets with no separation chains. In the corner gaps, make two sets of three double crochet, separated by 1 chain. Slip stitch to end round.

 Squares are then joined with slip stitches which makes the ridges between all of the squares.

First Post


 

Hi there! After a week or so of messing with the layout for the blog I finally feel ready to make my first post!

So, I decided to start a blog just before I finished my creative writing dissertation. I was starting to think about what was next and what projects I could tackle during the summer and this seemed like a good choice. I couldn't settle on a specific subject so I'll just be writing about all of the things that I like, the things that I make and the places I visit. I'll also share a few crochet patterns along the way. 

A Few Things About Me:
  • I'm on the brink of graduating with a degree in English Studies and hope to go on to study publishing.
  • I enjoy creative writing (hence the cw dissertation). The name of the blog is actually a line from my first serious attempt at a poem, although I'm much more comfortable with prose fiction.
  •  Other hobbies include photography, reading, crochet, cooking, gaming and watching TV shows about zombies and space cowboys.
  • I can be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to creative crafts. While it can be frustrating, I find that trying to meet my own high standards often makes for good results. So that means I'll probably be tweaking blog layout details for another couple of weeks until I'm totally happy.  。^‿^。