Patterns

I couldn't resist rushing back indoors to grab the camera to take some photos of the amazing ice patterns on the car windscreen the other morning. Such wonderful patterns...like nature's own cut glass!

Neither can I resist a floral pattern when I see one...so these had to come home from the charity shop with me on Tuesday. I think they are supposed to be table mats, but I propose to use for small hand cloths in the kitchen. I'm not sure if they're vintage, but they're unused and of a lovely, thick, barkcloth type fabric and I just love those vintagey roses!

And more gorgeous, vintagey roses to look at on the cover of March's Country Living magazine, which has just arrived...a recurring pattern it seems!

Time for coffee and quick browse through the pages....

Back soon,

Rebecca

x

Crocheted Hearts Pattern

I used Fine Filz-It yarn and a 4mm crochet hook.

Abbreviations

ch = chain

htr = half treble

crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec. – crochet two half trebles together in a cluster to decrease.

Starting position: yarn in your left hand and hook with one loop on in your right hand.
To decrease: put the yarn over your hook (make sure the yarn comes from behind the hook and over), insert hook into htr, catch the yarn with the hook and draw through. You should now have 3 loops on your hook. Put the yarn over your hook, as before, insert hook into the next htr, catch the yarn with the hook and draw through. You should now have 5 loops on your hook. Put the yarn over your hook (as before) and draw it through all 5 loops on your hook.
You should now have just 1 loop on your hook

To begin:

Ch. 3
Row 1: 2htr in 3rd ch. away from hook (2htrs)
Row 2: Ch.2, 2htr in each htr (4htrs)
Row 3: Ch.2, 2htr in 1st htr, 2htr, 2htr in last htr (6htrs)
Row 4: Ch.2, 2htr in 1st htr, 4htr, 2htr in last htr (8htrs)

Continue, increasing at the beginning and end of each row until you have the size heart you would like (remember, if you are felting your heart, the end result will be smaller).
I crocheted 10 rows (20htrs)

To shape the top of the heart (based on a row of 20htrs):
Row 11: *Ch.2, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec., 6htr, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec., and turn your work
Row 12: Ch.2, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec., 4htr, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec.
Row 13: Ch.2, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec., 2htr, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl. to dec.*

Check your work to see if you are happy with the shape of the top of your heart & fasten off. If you require a more pointed top, complete another decrease row as follows:

Row 14: Ch.2, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl, crochet 2htr tog. in a cl.
Fasten off.

With wrong side facing, rejoin yarn to continue shaping the other side of your heart and repeat from * to *.

Darn in the loose ends, but remember not to trim them if you intend to felt the heart.

Happy Crocheting!

Rebecca
x