Welcome to the Community Garden Blanket CAL. After the success of the Friendship Blanket and Bouquet of Flowers Afghan CAL I know that lots of you will love to give this one a go too! Why call it the Community Garden Blanket? This is another …
My take on the game of chess is this Chess Square. It was a fun one to design and to make. This celebrates International Chess Day on July 20th. ** This is a free pattern on the blog. Please do not copy and paste any …
The Bouquet of Flowers Afghan CAL is here!
Last year lots of you loved the Friendship blanket so much. This year the designers were asking me to organise another one! So I did.
It’s been a long autumn and winter here and I am desperately looking forward to the spring for the blooms to show themselves, lambing season (being a country girl at heart) and some warmer weather and sunshine! I am also eagerly waiting being able to hang my washing on the line in the garden!! I guess that is a sign of age LOL. So this year I picked the theme of flowers (last year was texture).
Every week we will release 3 squares for you to make. They will all measure 10″ (once finished and blocked if necessary) and in total there are 20 squares … I took onboard the feedback that last year with 41 squares it was a little long for some of you! As per last year, there is a variety of stitches and techniques so there should be something new for most of you during this CAL.
With 18 designers, 20 squares and 6 weeks of crocheting fun I hope you love this bouquet of flowers afghan as much as I do.
If you would like additional help and support then please join our FB Community group by clicking on the button below and answering the 3 simple joining questions. Throughout this event we will be answering questions, going live to help and chat to you about each square.
If you would like an email each day a square is released so you don’t miss any of them you can sign up to our Events and CALs email. This is different from our standard newsletter – which you can sign up to with the pop up box when you access our blog, or add your details in the box in the footer!
Note: this list contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you!
For my version I used:
The Bouquet of Flowers CAL bundle will be always be available to purchase.
Kicking off the CAL is this iris stitch square. Let’s ease you in … If you can chain and double crochet then you can make this square!
Blog post includes written, photo and video tutorials.
COUPON CODE – PRETTY
This square was such a fun one to make. The mitered technique was a little different for me which I loved!
If your gauge isn’t quite right with this one it is easy to adjust by adding rows or removing rows.
Coupon code: CORNERTULIP
The Sweet Flora Square is a beautiful sampler square with elegant shapes and beautiful puff stitches. It is worked in the round using simple stitch combinations to create a variety of textures and floral lines within the square.
Coupon Code – not needed! You will be taken to another page on Lisa’s blog where there is a direct download!
This square is so pretty. I love the way that it looks like the flowers are hanging in the square.
The outside of this one also makes it very easy to add or subtract rounds to get to 10″ if you have issues with gauge.
Coupon Code: Bouquet
I had so much fun with this square. It is a bit more of an intermediate pattern compared to what we have had so far but Shannon has some fabulous photo tutorials in her pattern to help you out with the ‘trickier’ bits!
Coupon Code: no code needed – direct download from blog
This pattern is suitable for advanced beginners / intermediate crocheters. It uses the V stitch, puff stitch and a couple of other techniques.
I do however have a left and right handed video tutorial for the whole pattern available to help you through it if you want to give it a go.
Please note that I do not slow down for the easy parts e.g. DC in next 4 sts but I do show you the more difficult stitches at a slower pace!
Coupon Code – BUDS
We have some absolutely stunning designs coming up, and this one is absolutely gorgeous! Susanna is such a talented designer.
Click the photo to be taken to the blog post
Coupon code – not needed!
I enjoyed making this square. It has a lot of beautiful texture that I think you will love too! It is inspired by a Topeka rose garden.
The leaf stitch took me a second to fathom, but only a second!
Coupon Code – Olivia
This beautiful lacy design will work up quickly and looks fantastic once it is blocked. The flower in the centre is really pretty.
Jo has a good photo step by step in her blog post and on the pdf.
Coupon Code: CN/A – this one is now available as a free pattern on the designer’s blog
Suzanne has chosen a slightly different technique to create the flowers on this square, but it is just adorable!
I love the way that the subtle stripes of colour break up the background on this one.
Coupon Code – BLOOMING
This square is just beautiful … or should I say simply elegant?
The Papavero Square is an easy double crochet blanket square with a poppy flower slip stitched on to the center. Both the flower and square are easy to make and customize to your colors and decor.
Coupon Code – PAPAVERO
The Dahlia Square is designed with a variety of stitches to add beautiful texture for a full floral look. Use one or more colours to really add personality to each square!
This square is gorgeous. I used green for the centre and last round and yellow for the double crochet section.
Coupon Code DAHLIA22
There is nothing better than a flower to brighten someone’s day and raise a smile on their face. This 3D square is a perfect addition to any square blanket with it’s pretty petals and luscious leaves.
This design also made me realise that I need to use the spike stitch in some of my designs LOL
Coupon Code – This square is only available va the Designer’s blog post and video tutorial now.
Cat is another designer that I am in awe of! Have you seen her flower blanket CALs?
This square is just gorgeous. There is a little bit of sewing involved but I promise you it is absolutely worth the effort!!
Coupon code – PATCHWORK
The Daisy Square uses four colours and I love how the borders add interest to the beautiful daisy sitting in the middle. I hope you enjoy this pattern.
Coupon Code – DAISYDAISY
With so many gorgeous squares having already been released I wanted to give you another simpler square which will work up quickly and allow you to catch up a little if you have fallen behind by a couple of squares. The blossom stitch uses a beautiful lacy stitch combination that I think you will love!
Coupon Code : BLOOM
This stunning square uses a little bit of cabling to create the vines that come off the flower in the centre of this one. The texture is subtle and gorgeous.
Erin has included photo tutorials and links in her post to where you can get additional help if you are new to cabling.
Coupon Code: CABLESQUARE
This was one of the first 2 squares I made when I sat down to work up the finished blanket, and it was so much fun!
It is a floral block, worked centre out, with a little bit of 3d texture that is absolutely gorgeous when it is made and I thought it was much easier than it looked.
Coupon Code: BUTTERCUP
This lovely little four petal flower square is perfect for adding to your springtime projects. Works great as a potholder or incorporate it into a pillow, blanket, or other home decor crochet projects.
Before you start, you will need to check your gauge on this one. Raelynn is an even tighter crocheter than me!!
Coupon code: Not necessary – direct download from designer’s site.
I asked all of the designers to describe their square for me for promo purposes. Raffaella wrote ‘ Several stitches and lots of popcorns’!
Oh my goodness …. how understated is that description?? This square is right up my alley and I wish I had the talent to create these types of designs. Don’t get me wrong – all of the designs have been stunningly beautiful! For me, this square was the perfect one to finish the squares on.
Coupon code – ROCOCO
Learn to crochet the flat braid join with my written and video tutorial.
You can use any join for this afghan, but if you haven’t tried this one before you may well be glad that you did! I found it fun to crochet.
Coupon code: not needed – direct download
This border consists of 10 rows and I walk you through step by step how to do each row and the colour changes. Although this one looks great in one colour or several!
Coupon Code: not needed – direct download
The Prairie Fields Afghan really does remind me of Kansas fields with the tall native grasses swaying, which I feel is represented in the offset fans in the blanket. The straight columns represent the corn fields, in my mind. That Feeling I really wanted something …
We couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring you a pattern for the Robin’s Cables Blanket now could we? It uses the same stitch combo as the Robin’s Poncho, hat and scarf, coffee beanie cozy and mug cozy (which will be released soon). I mean, …
There are so many fantastic designers out there. I am lucky that I co-work with a fabulous group of ladies. We have come together to bring you a week long event which runs from 24th – 31st July 2021. It is the Jingle in July Event.
Each day a different designer will do a round up post. This post will have information about 2 patterns from each participating designer which will be on sale for 50% off for 24 hours from 5am GMT / midnight EST / 11pm CT.
Each day Jingle in July will have a different theme as well as a different host:
The round up post will link either directly to the designer’s pattern, you just need to decide where you prefer to buy and click the appropriate button. They look something like this:
Note: where you see the ‘Buy the pattern in My Shop’ button it may take you to a blog post where you can find more information about the pattern, or there may be a free version there. If the designer has their own shop on the blog there will be a link from that post!
While you are here, why not sign up to our CALs and Events email? There is so much going on over the next few months, you won’t want to miss anything!!
This one is a recent design but is already a favourite with you all! The pattern is written in 9 sizes (XS to 5XL). You can include the slight shoulder shaping or if you prefer there are also instructions for creating a boatneck version (which requires no shoulder shaping). I am so thrilled you love this design as much as I do!
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This afghan is a great stash buster. Each section of the pattern has an accompanying video tutorial to help you work through it and develop your crochet skills, try out new stitches etc. We actually did this one as a CAL about a year ago now in our Facebook group, so if you didn’t get the pattern then, now would be a great time to do so!
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This is such a great project for fall and thanksgiving! Joanna has some really great wall hangings. If you have been collecting them then this one is a must for you!
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What a fabulous stash busting pattern this one is! You can literally tailor this one as a gift for anybody! Use their favourite sport team colours, their favourite, school or university colours. You could even have this one represent family and use birthstone colours!
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Bernadine does some great work with texture. This shawl is a simple repeat pattern that looks stunning. It would also be great made in white or cream for a bride to cover her shoulders as well as being versatile enough to wear every day whether you are dressing up or going casual!
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This shawl is just beautiful! Despite the lacy, elegant look to this one I bet it is warmer than it looks. It will keep the chill off you in summer but in spring and autumn will work well too. Then in winter you could wear it as a scarf! I would certainly want to wear this one year round.
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Fiona had a bit of a love / hate relationship with this design when she was creating it. Perhaps that is why the name of it includes ‘bittersweet’? But the effort has certainly paid off! I love the drape and the pleats in this design.
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How cute are these coasters?? They could also make a great teacher gift or gift set for Christmas! Another great scrap / stash buster pattern, and definitely one that is one my ‘to make’ list!
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Please be warned that this designer does sweary crochet (and swear in her blog posts), so if that is not to your taste please scroll passed the next two patterns!
The patterns that Stephanie creates are very tongue in cheek. Yes, she swears, but she is also a lovely lady who would do anything for anyone.
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Do you have those sets of naughty and nice socks for December? Well, now you can own your naughtiness proudly with this wall hanging!
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Trista has some great tops and shawls in her shops! This one is a simply constructed tee which is perfect for summer and layering. Dress it up with black trousers, or go for the casual look as Trista has here.
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This is a great autumn / winter shawl which can also be worn as a scarf to help keep you warm during those colder weeks. Perfect for walking my dogs through the woods in November / December!
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There are two pattern in one with this one – get both the wine cozy and the wine tote. Another great idea for a teacher gift, a housewarming gift, a personal touch to a bottle of champagne for a wedding gift maybe? This pattern works up quickly.
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Another pattern in Lisa’s sweet stripes collection are these gorgeous gift bags! The handmade touch can really make a small gift feel so thoughtful! There are a lot of gifts you can pack into these bags – toiletries, coffee beans, sweets and chocolate, small ornaments, jams and preserves ….. you get the idea.
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This shawl looks so delicate and elegant! I love the detail around the edging to finish it off.
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This hat is unisex and perfect whether you are making it for yourself, gifting it or donating to a charity! Can you ever have too many winter hats?
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There you have it. 16 fantastic patterns that are ALL 50% off no code required for 24 hours only as part of the Jingle in July event!
Don’t forget to sign up to our Events and CALs emails to be notified of where to find the roundup’s every day until 31st July 2021!
The Friendship Blanket CAL is here! I can hardly believe it. This is something that I have been thinking about for almost a year, and have been working on since September. Yet it seems to have come round so quickly! Why call it the Friendship …
At the end of 2020 we decided that we were going to come up with a mini course to teach people how to corner to corner (also referred to as C2C)! This can be such a fun technique and there are so many gorgeous patterns …
We teamed up with some designer friends to bring you the Sun at Home event where each designer offered you a FREE PDF Pattern for one day during May 2020.
The patterns were for items that you can use outside in the garden if you (like me) are forced to stay home for 23 hours a day during lockdown. There was something for everyone – coasters, sun hats, afghans and lots in between!
The patterns were rather fabulous so we thought we would keep the post as a round-up of patterns that you can use inside or outside. A lot of these are still free on the designers’ website, but some you will now only be able to get as paid patterns (although in truth the cost of them is very often less than a coffee at Starbucks! Click on the photos to go to the designer’s post.
Check out these monogrammed coasters / mug rugs by Sincerely Pam.
I really love these mug rugs and can’t wait to make some myself! They are a great way to personalise a gift and would also make great office or teacher appreciation gifts!
Pam has thought of everything and includes a tutorial on tapestry crochet, how to change colours and how to read a graph. Everything is there for you to give these a go!
Click on the photo or go here.
This gorgeous shawl by Hanjan Crochet has some fabulous drape. Its a modern take on a c2c project so if you are looking for a fabulous twist on the traditional c2c project then this is for you! It is written in both UK and US terms.
Shawls are great because you can use them all year … as a scarf in winter or over the shoulders to keep the breeze off you in summer. They are one of those projects that get used regardless.
Today’s offering are these great 9 minute coasters from Ned and Mimi. You really can make one of these in 9 minutes so they are awesome stash busters if you have some t-shirt or super bulky yarn. They would make a super addition to the patio table or picnic bench.
Carroway Crochet are featuring this Iced Coffee Cup Cozy. Now, with our coffee beanie cozies I know how great these things are! Not only do they protect your hands from the cold or the heat coming through the cup, they also help to stabilise the cup and help prevent accidents! Did you know they had that built in health and safety feature? I didn’t until I learned the hard way and burned myself on a very hot cup of tea one time when the cup lid flew off with the heat and the cup crushed in my hand ….
Today’s pattern just makes me smile! These Freeze Pop Sleeves from Green Fox Farms Designs are just fabulous and there is something to suit anyone! I can see these being a firm favourite with the kids. And they are great scrap busters. Problem with these is that if you make one you have to make them all!
Bear Rye is offering you a free pdf copy of their Sunny Sorbet Shawl! I love the colours she used in this one (I find myself very drawn to yellows!) This shawl can be used to keep the summer breezes from your shoulders or as a scarf in cooler seasons. Don’t you love it when your accessories have multi-purposes?
Bunting is such a great way to cheer up a garden, or any room in the house! This one from Cosy Rosie UK is perfect! Bunting is a great stash buster and scrap buster too. It would also help to make a lockdown birthday special, make it in red, white and blue ready for July 4th, or just because! They are so easily personalised too – appliqués, felt letters, buttons, ribbons, crocheted flowers… The world is your oyster with how you make this one your own.
This Summer Breeze Throw by Ambassador Crochet is perfect for watching the sunset / sunrise on those warmer days, or sitting under while you watch the kids run around the yard or the world go by on your porch. It has a gorgeous lacy texture so it looks stunning and you won’t get too warm under it as you enjoy the warmer months.
You can make these in any colour combos to suit your kitchen decor or just make them bright for the garden table so the kids can have their picnic or barbecue outside! They also make cute gifts.
If you haven’t tried a gingham project before but like the look of it go for it! Gingham isn’t difficult and once you work out what you are doing with your yarns you can wip these up in no time 🙂
These Magnolia Springs Mug Rugs are a great stash buster and (I think) have a rustic feel to them. They are quick makes and great for adventurous beginners due to the use of the star stitch, but there is a lot of great videos on how to do this stitch on YouTube! This pattern came as a surprise because there are also 2 other patterns in the PDF!
Have you seen the Wrapped in Diamonds wrap from Jo’s Crafty Hook? It uses the argyle stitch and is so pretty! Its a great summer wrap because of the lacy texture of it and is perfect for those summer evening walks or wearing in the garden while you read a good book or watch your hubby barbecue.
Jaded Crafts & Creations have this understated but super cute bonnet in sizes 0-24 months. It gives the perfects amount of cover to protect their little heads from the sun with a slight brim to keep the sun out of their eyes whilst they are playing!
If you have no children to make this for it would make a great item to donate!
Don’t you just love a sunhat? This one brings me back so many memories! Of course, this one is much cuter than the plastic ones we had as kids! I love Fosbas Designs’ take on this. It is practical, functional and will not take up much room in your bag if you aren’t wearing it.
The pattern has sizes from toddler to adult so you can make one for the whole family.
For those of you who also love a more traditional sunhat with the whole head covered, Strings and Cuddles have designed this rather beautiful sun hat.
The pattern requires 250-400 yards of worsted weight cotton and a 5mm hook. Its makes a super cute mummy and me project! I can think of several people who would love one of these. Its a pity Mother’s Day has been and gone!
Needle Klankers are gifting you this beautiful lacy shawl today. Its called Flowers in the Garden Shawl and is another one perfect for keeping that summer breeze off you or keeping you warm as you sit by the campfire while the sun starts to set. It is made with 4 ply yarn and a 5mm hook so the drape will be just gorgeous.
I am LOVING this Sea Waves Basket from RaffamusaDesigns! This particular one is made with t-shirt yarn and its fabulous! Maybe its because I live right on the coast. Who doesn’t love a great storage basket? They can be used anywhere in the home or garden and for just about anything. What would you use yours for?
I am loving the combination of the herringbone half double crochet with the shell stitch boarder. It looks quite stunning. These are perfect for indoor or outdoor use and are a great way to use up some of your scraps! You will need small amounts of DK (#3 weight) yarn and a 4.5mm hook.
This pattern is available as a free pdf download until midnight EST tonight!
To get yours grab the coupon code above, then click here or on the photo below. You will be taken to the designers blog post where you will be able to see all of the information about the pattern. If you want it click on the button in the post and use the coupon code.
Have you seen our Can and Bottle Cozy pattern? They are great for the kids in the garden, on picnics or at barbecues. My daughter insists that I always carry some of these and the coffee beanie cozies we have in my bag at all times … just in case they are needed. And to be fair she loves them! They are super easy to make, take me maybe 20 minutes each and are a super scrap buster pattern! Your choice of colours for this one just makes each cozy look so different (check out the photos on Ravelry if you don’t believe me lol). With the 4th July coming up quickly why not make some in red, white and blue??
CCbyFran have this super colourful Draops of Colour coaster pattern. She released it especially for this event and is also a sneak peak at one of the patterns she will have available in her ’25 Colourful Coasters E-book’ which will be released in June.
This pattern is suitable for beginners and is a great scrap buster too! Its also perfect for indoors or outdoors use and your choice of colours would make each one different. Im thinking that it would also look good using different shades of the same colour and watching the transition from dark to light or vice versa.
Today’s pattern is so quirky that I just love it! I’m not personally a big wine drinker (in fact I don’t really drink much at all ) but I know so many people who would just love this! I might make myself one for the glasses of orange juice. Its definitely made it onto the ‘to make for Christmas gifts’ list!
The pattern uses approximately 30 yards of #4 worsted weight yarn and a 5mm hook and the pattern is suitable for beginners.
Ashley’s blog post for this made me giggle – check out the list she made of when this can be used!
This design was actually inspired by her son and this is a good pattern for beginners to start to branch out with. You work in the round with dc, hdc and sc and there is some back loop only thrown in there. This is a perfect pattern for the outdoors as it helps to keep bugs from drowning in your drinks! Another great idea for a scrap-busting / stash-busting project. I would make mine in several colours so that drinks can be easily identified. We often put our drinks down on picnics, go and kick a ball around and then come back and wonder whose drink is whose.
I am kind of sad that this event has come to an end with this pattern! It has been great fun bringing you all of these wonderful patterns from designers around the world. We have had so many lovely comments on the blog, social media and via email about this event and are thrilled that you have loved it as much as we have.
If you make any of these we would love it if you could share your makes with us, either in our Facebook community group or with the hashtag #sunathome.
Shades of Spring Sampler Afghan Pattern The Shades of Spring Afghan was released yesterday and already it has been one of our best-sellers! Fun to Design It was such fun to design. Don’t get me wrong, there was some pull of my hair moments, some …
