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 …
