Red tea cosy with pearlised beads

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121907058/wool-red-tea-cosy-with-cream-beads

I've spent the past few months sorting out all my yarn and trying to get to grips with what I have. It's always tempting to buy more yarn, but my current yarn moutain is getting insurmountable!!

Anyway, here's a new tea cosy made with a lovely warm, soft cuddly yarn (wool / acrylic mix) in a delicious berry shade. I've experimented with the pattern quite a bit to try and get 'the ribs' to line up at the top - all very easy until I got to the decreasing part!



https://www.etsy.com/listing/121907058/wool-red-tea-cosy-with-cream-beads

The beads add a 'touch of glamour' - I crocheted these into the first row (after foundation) and then added some at the top too.

Check out my Etsy shop for this and more tea cosies.

Luxury mohair and wool crochet blanket

Well, I fancied a change from tea cosies so decided to make a blanket (or afghan if you prefer!).

 Made from a simple square motif, I have joined 88 squares together to make this lovely lap sized blanket.

I was inspired by an article I read about using a self patterning yarn / colour changing yarn to create a blanket - the idea being that the yarn naturally produces differently coloured squares. I'm pleased to say it worked! Putting the squares together took a bit of time - as the colours had produced randomly, there wasn't a fixed amount of any one colour. Nonetheless, it is very effective.

I joined the squares together with a double crochet stitch to create a ridge - I think this frames the squares nicely.

The blanket is finished with a couple of rows of treble.

I am really pleased with the result and am now in the process of making a second. Available in my Etsy shop!