Lily Pad Hexagons...

Hello from not so sunny Scotland!  I haven't forgotten you all, it's just taken me longer than expected to get organised, and I also wanted to have something good to share.......  but first....

Scotland in the rain is lovely; I'm really enjoying my new job and I love my new home.  This is the view from my kitchen window -

and these were my moving in treat to myself...

I can see a loch from my bedroom window, but I'm not taking any pics until I can get out there when the sun is shining, and that has only happened so far while I've been at work.  Of course this time of year it's barely light when I go to work and nearly dark when I finish, so opportunities are few...

Now enough of the necessities of life and on to the good stuff!  I'm brimming over with new ideas at the moment, and I have lots of new projects on the go.  One of the first is a progression from the puffed daisy hexagon; I can hear the shouts of "ARE YOU NOT SICK OF BOBBLES YET?", and the answer is NOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo.....  I wanted to see what another round of bobbles would look like behind the first row, and they look awfully good (imo!!).

And if you look from the side I think they look rather like lily pads......

Now I'm aware that my instructions for the puffed daisy hexagon has stumped some readers who are not quite as experienced in the crochet techniques required, so I have produced a photo-heavy tutorial below that I hope can be followed by all.  I use american crochet terminology, dk cotton and a 4mm hook.  Abbreviations - ch - chain; dc - double crochet; sl st - slip stitch; sts - stitches, tc - treble crochet.

Lily Pad Hexagons

FOR A PRINTABLE PDF OF THE PATTERN CLICK HERE.

1. Chain 4 stitches, and join into a circle.  Chain 3, then work 11 dc into the round; join with a slip stitch to top of ch 3 and fasten off. (12 stitches)

2. Now can you see that the top of the stitches are made up of loops; we usually work under both loops, but you can work under just the front loops, or just under the back loops.

In order to make this project we are going to work a round in the front loops, and a second, separate round in the back loops....

So, connect your second colour into one of the back loops with a sl st, and ch 3, REMEMBER YOU ARE WORKING ONLY IN THE BACK LOOPS OF THE STITCHES IN THIS ROUND; dc in the same st,  *2dc in next stitch, rep from * 10 more times.  Sl st into top of ch 3. (24 dc)

3. Now we are going to make the outer bobbles - ON THIS ROUND WE ARE WORKING ONLY IN THE FRONT LOOPS OF THE STITCHES.  Ch 4.

4. Now work 4 tr into the front of the next st.  Pull up the loop and drop from your hook.

5. Push your hook from front to back into the first treble worked.

6. Now also catch the dropped loop onto your hook.

7. Holding the yarn tight, pull the loop through the 1st treble to form a bobble.  1 bobble made...!

8. Ch. 4

9. and join to the front loop of the next st with a sl st.

10. Ch 4; make next bobble in front loop of next stitch.  Continue like this until 12 bobbles have been made, finishing with ch 4 and sl st into bottom of first ch 4. Fasten off.

Note that as we worked into only the back stitches of the first round we still have the front stitches to work in - we'll be doing that next.  Below is the back view, and similarly the unworked back loops can clearly be seen at the base of the bobbles - we'll come back to them.

11. Ok, lets put the inner row of bobbles in.  Insert your hook into one of the front loops of round 1, and join your chosen colour with a sl st.

*Ch 4, 4 tr in next st, drop loop, insert hook into top of 1st tr, catch dropped loop and pull through to form bobble, ch 4, join with sl st to next st; rep from * 5 more times. (this is all a repeat of what we did on the previous row, only you're making 6 bobbles this time not 12). Fasten off.

Now this could be your tadaaa! moment if you wish, pop a pin on the back and make a brooch, or sew to embellish a bag or cushion. 

12. But to make into a hexagon; join yarn into one of the back loops at the back of work, under the bobbles. (remember I said we would come back to them)

Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next st, *2dc in next st, 1 dc; rep from * 10 times more. Join with a sl st into top of ch 3. (36 dc)

13. Plain sailing now, we are back to working under both loops.  Ch 3, dc 4, *[dc1, ch 2, dc 1] into next stitch, dc 5; rep. from * 4 times, [dc1, ch 2, dc 1] into next stitch.  Join with a sl st into top of ch 3, fasten off and weave in ends.

And there you go, Lily Pad Hexagon...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mW3AXhH8P0w/Ty6BoGpNvLI/AAAAAAAAAcE/Oek0g2u1Ojw/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG

I hope you like it...  I have nearly finished my first project with it, and when finished I'll blog it here (soon I promise), but in the meantime this is a sneak preview.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WeUnIx3eEAU/Ty6CcrXJ7jI/AAAAAAAAAcU/PY2X-qVuUQQ/s1600/IMG_0106.JPG

Before you ask, no I haven't photographed them in sepia...  I can do subtle, natural tones!!!

Granny Bobble Blanket; just a note to say that I have edited the pattern; it just didn't lie flat in the middle, so I've taken the whole first row out, started again with a magic circle and worked the second row directly into that.  This works much better and finally lies flat!  Please accept my apologies anyone who has started this already and aleady found the problem; that will teach me for sharing too soon....

Almond Blossom Bag

Hi there; I hope you are all well out there and up for some bag love.   I gave a sneak peak of this project in my last post - did you guess what it was??? 

This is a special project using my Lily Pad Hexagons, but I thought it deserved to be a pattern in it's own right taking into consideration the construction and lining (...yes, sewing too!!!)  Don't let this put you off however; as the hexagons are quite solid and the bag would not necessarily need to be lined...  it just gives it more support.

So if you are tempted to give this a go you will need to crochet 13 Lily Pad Hexagons http://colourinasimplelife.blogspot.com/2012/02/lily-pad-hexagons.html

Sew 11 of them together as in the picture below -

The top and bottom of the image above will be the sides of the bag and the left and right will be the top edges (I haven't photographed it but the round handles will fit into the indents the hexagons make at each side).  Notice the top and bottom edges form a zig-zag - below I have numbered each side -

To construct the bag take another Lily Pad Hexagon and sew it to the main piece above along sides 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 (using all 6 sides, it will enclose the hexagon completely), and then sew side 1 to side 8.  Repeat with the other hexagon at the other side.  You should now have a 'bag' shape; attach your yarn to any stitch in the top edge of the bag and work a single crochet into every double crochet and chains around the top edge - in the inner corners of the hexagon shape at the front and the back single crochet 2 together and similarly at the top of the hexagon 'points' work [2 single crochet into 1st chain, chain 1, 2 single crochet into 2nd chain]

To attach the round handles, look at the image above and see that the round handle will fit between the 3 hexagon 'sides' of the front and the back of the bag.  To attach hold the bag the opposite way to the picture above, with the body of the bag towards you and the open top of the bag away from you; join your yarn into the chain stitch in the middle of the hexagon point to the right of where you will attach the handle.  You will now work a single crochet into each stitch around the 3 sides and as you work these stitches you will work over the handle - this 'catches in' the handle and secures it to the bag.  To illustrate this -

Insert your hook into the next stitch and hold the handle above the stitch.

Catch your yarn around the hook.

And pull through the stitch.  Now working over the handle, yarn around hook again.

And pull through both loops to finish the single crochet.

Carry on around the 3 hexagon sides.

Finish off with a slip stitch into the chain of the hexagon point to the left of the handle.  Attach other handle on opposite side in the same way. Weave in all ends.

To line the bag; I am not an expert seamstress by any means and there may be a more professional way of making a lining for this bag, but this is the way I cobbled a lining together and I'm pretty happy with it.

Before you attach all the hexagons together as above, make a template of one of the hexagons - I did this very un-scientifically by drawing around one -

Cut this template out and use it to reproduce on your lining fabric the layout of the first 11 hexagons used in the construction of the bag -

I'm sorry for the rubbish photo, but you should just be able to make out the 11 hexagons.  I also drew around 2 single hexagons.

I then marked a 1/4 inch seam allowance around each shape, getting to use my quilters rule for the first time!  Worth every penny...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LCwjw3WYKw/Tz_tt8WM67I/AAAAAAAAAgs/E0ePMIdJXxo/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG

I then cut these out around the seam allowances.

Constructed in the same way as the crocheted bag above, and with some muttering and the odd curse, I machine stitched the separate hexagons to the main body of the bag.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-501fFSxozUQ/Tz_uuZcKlpI/AAAAAAAAAhE/rDj_6Ei1454/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UV39m_55KPI/Tz_u21nyA7I/AAAAAAAAAhM/0QI4UY9ZY5M/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG

The top edges I then folded down the seam allowances and ironed closed with wonder web - I cut notched in the fabric to enable this -

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rwQh91TLQ3k/Tz_vdx5f-DI/AAAAAAAAAhc/nOeUwlJkE7c/s1600/IMG_0175.JPG

I then pinned the lining into the crocheted bag, and machine stitched to attach, working from the inside.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sarPtcb7FPE/Tz_v9apMthI/AAAAAAAAAhs/_TC-tf-wtdk/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG

I then crocheted the handles on as above and voila!!!!!

One Almond Blossom Bag -

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4LfgvdcMqi0/Tz_wqNiwa2I/AAAAAAAAAiE/_FDRvqf9j-w/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG

I don't know what Almond Blossom looks like by the way, I just named it for the colour!

I hope this has got your creative juices flowing as much as mine!!!

Last weekend I returned to Cumbria for a family party to celebrate my Dad's birthday; a great time was had by all, much wine was drunk and we tucked into some very good roast beef.  Returning already on a high I was thrilled to find waiting for me 2 very kind award nominations; thank you Debi from http://hooksandyarns.blogspot.com/ and also http://littleorphanskein.wordpress.com/.  I felt super special!!!  I believe I need to spill a few beans about myself, and nominate other blogs, and I'm wrestling with these decisions at the moment, so this will have to keep for another post - who knew it would be so hard....

In the meantime, happy crocheting!xx