Hellllllllloooooo

Its been a long time since my last post although I did try updating the blog on the 04/02/17; accidently deleted a post, reposted it and created some other pages.

I haven't had much chance for posting on here. I have been trying to crochet loads to get stuff ready to sell on Etsy and also taking care of my family and childminding. There is soooooooo not enough hours in the day. However I am giving up childminding in July to concentrate on my crafting and hopefully make that into a profitable business. I love doing all the crocheting but working on the marketing side of it is definetly not the easiest, especially when I can't get much done before 10pm.

Last year I signed up to the Prince's Trust Enterprise Program. It is a fantastic program that helps young people age between 18-30 set up their own buisnesses. If you are 30  you can still apply; I think you have to start the course a week before ur 31st birthday before your to old. Best ask to be sure and the link is here for those interested Prince's Trust Enterprise Program

I went to their business launch group meeting a couple of months ago which is when they decide if they will support you for the next 3 years with a business mentor and provide a loan if needed. I expected them to say no (I always feel like others will think a crafting buisness is a waste of time) but they accepted my buisness plan and now I have their support woohoo!!! I was over the moon that they thought my business could work and I definetly need help where marketing and planning is concerned.

As seen from my previous posts I like working from my own designs so I have now started to sell these. I will also be putting some up for free on this blog.

I also like cross stitching, I have been doing it since I was 8 and like with crocheting I like working from my own designs so I am planning on selling these too but have not done so yet.

I have been crocheting a lot of hats, hair stuff and other bits but in the middle of last year I became interested in crocheting miniatures. It started with teeny tiny flowers on a card and then someone told me about doll house collectors and I have absolutely loved crocheting small blankets and rugs since. I am hoping to do other bits like cushions too. Also I want to start cross stitching miniatures. I have some 28 count aida just need the time.

As well as stuff to sell I have also been crocheting bits for my kids. The latest being a toy rabbit for my youngest daughter's 3rd birthday. She absolutly adores it and has slept witb it every night since. Definetly, the greatest pleasure of crocheting is seeing my kids enjoy what I make and also watching my eldest crochet too.

I hope to start posting more regularly but may still be a little sporadic until after the summer when kids go back to school and I'm no longer childminding. I am also hoping to start adding tutorials. Got the camera, got the tripod just need the time. I can crochet left and right handed so I'm thinking  of doing mainly left handed tutorials. What do you think? What tutorials would you like to see?

Thank  you for reading

Doughnut Pincushion

Hello...I thought I'd share with you the pattern I use to crochet a doughnut pincushion. The instruction are in US terms but if you would like them converted to UK terms then please ask and I will redo it.

You will need
2 colours in double knit acrylic yarn

•  one for the doughnut, I use an "Oatmeal" colour 
• one for the icing, depending on the flavour you want choose appropriate colour.

3.5mm hook
polyester fibre

Abbreviations

• ch...chain
• sc...single crochet
• sc2tog...single crochet 2 together. To do this pull up a loop from one stitch and then pull up a loop through the other, yarn over your hook and take all 3 stitches off.  

Starting with the doughnut ch 28 and join the last chain to the first with a slip stitch.

Round 1: ch 1 and sc into every stitch around. Do not join to first stitch.

Round 2: sc into the first stitch of the previous round. By joining the rounds in this way it is easy to loose track of where each round begins because you are working in a spiral. For this reason it's best to add a stitch marker. sc in ever stitch around.

I use a bit of string of a different colour to what I'm working with for my stitch marker.

Round 3: *2 sc into first stitch and 1 sc into the next* continue doing this all the way around.

Round 4: sc into every stitch around.

Round 5: *2 sc into first stitch and 1 sc into the next* continue doing this all the way around.

Round 6: sc into every stitch around.

Round 7: *2 sc into first stitch 1 sc into the next 2 stitches* repeat all the way around.

Round 8-14: sc into every stitch around.

This is what it should start to look like.

Round 15: This is the start of the decreasing round. So for this round *sc2tog, sc into the next 2 stitches* repeat all the way around.

Round 16: sc all the way around.

Round 17: *sc2tog, sc into the next stitch* repeat all the way around.

Round 18: sc all the way around.

Round 19: *sc2tog, sc into the next stitch* repeat all the way around.

It should look scrunched up.

Round 20-21: sc in each stitch around. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.

This is what it looks like once all flattened out. Attach a needle to the long thread and start stitching the centre together. 

As you are stitching the centre ring together take your filling and start stuffing up the inside. Make sure it's  packed enough that you won't let any of your pins stab through the bottom once done. Fasten off by putting your needle through the doughnut to cut the excess string at the other side. If you still have the loose end from the beginning chain out then took this inside the same way.

Now the doughnut has been finished you need to make the icing. Leaving about a 7 inches tail ch 28 and join the last chain to the first to create a circle, then follow rounds 1-3 of the doughnut. I only did one round of increase for the icing because with the one round it folds over the top of the doughnut nicely.

Round 4-9: sc in every stitch around. (You could add a couple more rounds if you prefer) 

Round 10: This is the round for the drips and it's a do as you please round. Mine is different for each doughnut I made. For this round I single crocheted into some stitches and into others I did either double crochet, treble crochet or double treble crochet.  Sometimes I did more than one stitch into each single crochet of the previous round.

Once done fasten off leaving a long thread for sewing.

On the doughnut I sewed the icing on to the side with the decreasing rounds because the stitches on this side looked a little more spaced apart and I wanted to cover that up. To stitch the centre of the pink icing onto the doughnut use the 7 inch tail left over when you did your starter chain. Flatten your icing over the doughnut like in the photo above and stitch into the centre of the doughnut. I found it est to stitch into the stitches I made when sewing the doughnut together. Once done fasten off and pull the thread through the doughnut and cut of the excess. To sew the outer part of the icing is a bit more tricky be sure to stretch the icing into place and hold down with pins before you begin. 

Ta-daa one finished yummy doughnut!!!

Hope you enjoy making these, any questions please ask and be sure to share your tasty looking doughnuts to instagram using #charlottescraftyattic or to my facebook page xx

How to attatch a crochet dreamcatcher

Hello all hope you had a lovely Christmas. Today I thought I would tell you how I make dreamcatchers. I made some for a craft fair just before Christmas and a couple for Christmas presents and those who received them loved them and I've had a couple of people wanting to know how they are done so thought I would write it up a tutorial. I don't know if there is any "proper" way of making dreamcatchers but this is my way and so far it seems to work very well.

Just note I haven't included the crocheted web for the centre because depending on the size of your hoop you may need one made to different size then mine. However I you can use a doily pattern or make up your own.

Let's start with what we need.

1. Scissors or a stitch picker. It needs to be able to cut very close to your hoop without destroying other stitches. 

2. Glue. I use glossy accent crafting glue. It's stronger than Pva but don't worry to much if you haven't got strong craft glue because the beads will help hold the feathers in place anyway. I just like the extra security.

3. A stitching needle, one with a big enough eye for the thread you are using

4. Cotton thread. I used vertuoso by coats which is about a number 8 but the packaging doesn't say and it's discontinued now. Use whatever thin cotton you are comfortable with. 

5. As many feathers as you want dangling from your hoop. You can even have more than one together.

6. Crimping beads and as many beads as you want dangling with your feathers. I didn't crimp the beads because the thickness of the feather stem held them tight enough but if you need to then use a crimping tool to do so. 

7. The hoop. You can buy hoops from online stores such as Amazon that are suitable for dreamcatchers or you can use the inside hoop of a circular cross stitch frame. I however am currently using plastic hoops that are about 3 1/2 inch in diameter given to me by a friend from an old scarf hanging rack she had. So look what you may have around your house too. So longs the circle is solid and smooth I think just about anything can be used. 

8. Lastly pins to hold your stitching in place, but I forgot to add them to the above picture. So here they are...

                       

Ok so now we have everything we need to make our dreamcatcher let's get started with attaching the feathers. 

Firstly cut your cotton to a length a bit longer then you would like your feathers dangling from your hoop, this will allow for knoting.

Make sure the stem of the feather is fluff free, about a cm should do it.

Tie the cotton once around the feather as close to the fluff as possible

Wrap the little strand around the feather and smear some glue to hold the strand in place. I make the strand go up the stem ready to add beads.

Add a crimping bead to the long strand of cotton. If you need to use a needle to feed the beads through then do so. Pull what's left of the small strand through the crimping bead and pull the bead over the feather stem. It may take some tugging to get the feather through the bead but be careful not to snap the feather. It maybe that you need to trim or twist the stem to make it fit through better. Be aware that if you use more than one feather your going to need beads with bigger holes in order to fit everything through.

Add another bead to the long strand and again feed through the small strand and end of the feather. I use a large bead after the crimping bead and it helps make the crimping bead more snug if I push down slightly. I then trim the short strand down to the bead. 

Add as many more beads to the strand as you want and then tie to the hoop. Do not worry about the little thread left from the knot we will deal with that later.

Repeat these steps for as many feathers as you want to add and place them where you want them on the hoop.

Next you need to make a bobbin with however much cotton you think you need to wrap around your hoop.  I just wrapped my cotton in a ball but you would probably be better of wrapping it around a piece of cardboard. For how to do this check my trick or treat blanket post.

Tie the end of your bobbin around your hoop. I like to start at the top because if the knot looks lumpy at the end you don't notice once the thread used to hang the dreamcatcher is added.

Hold the small strand in front and start wrapping your bobbin around it and the hoop. Don't worry that your strands will be to far apart just push them together and keep wrapping around and around. When you think you have trapped enough of the loose strand just cut of the end as close as possible to your wrapping strand so it doesn't poke through. Keep wrapping.


When you get to where you attached the feathers pull the feather strand in front of the hoop. Your wrapping strand goes under and around the cotton strand so it doesn't get in your way. The loose strand from the knot you made earlier goes in front and you wrap over it as in the last step. Do this for all the feathers you have dangling.



When you get back to the start, thread your cotton onto a needle and pass the needle through a couple of strands on the hoop. Do not pull the thread all the way through but instead leave a small ring.



Pass the needle through the ring you just made and pull. This will create a small knot. Pass the thread through several strands on the hoop to weave in the end and then cut the thread as close as possible to the hoop.


This is what you should now have. 

Now you have to create a crocheted design for your centre, you could use a doily pattern providing it is to the size of your hoop. I will put my own pattern on here soon, the reason I haven't here is because I would like to explain in a separate tutorial how to attach the beads and make it larger if needed.

This is my crocheted web. I made sure my strand left at the end was big enough to start attaching to my hoop. I weaved in the chain I made to get behind one of the beads.

 
Go through the 2 loops at the back of the bead.

Thread your needle through a couple of strands on the dreamcatcher where you would like the first point to go and pull tight so that the point of the web is touching the hoop but don't pull so tight that the web crumples up. I like to start at the top.

At this point or even before you attach the web use your pins to mark out where you would like each point to go. Just be careful not to prick yourself like I always do. 

 Once you are happy with your placement go back to your first point and pass your needle again through the two loops at the back of your bead and through a couple of strands on your hoop. Now if you want you can pull your strand all the way through but once you feel your point is secure enough create a loop to pass your needle through and create a knot. Then weave in the ends by passing your needle through several strands on the hoop.

With each of the other points attach your thread to the loops at the back of your bead. I do this again by creating a loop and passing the short strand through it to hold it in place. Then attach the point as in the last steps. This time you will be left with two loose ends to weave in I do this by passing one through the hoop in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. I try to work at the back of the hoop so that if there is any lumps created from weaving in ends you won't see them once the dreamcatcher is hung on the wall, but so far I really haven't had much of a problem with this. Another thing I thought I would note is that if you do not have beads attached to your doily then just do as I still have and pass your needle though the two loops at the point of your work that you want attached to the hoop. 

Once you have attached all your points then thread your needle with a strand long enough to use for hanging your dreamcatcher. Remember you have to fold your strand so it needs to be twice as long as you would want it. Now thread your needle through a couple of strands at the top of your hoop.

Make sure your two ends are of equal length and knot the top together and ta da you have one pretty dream catcher!

 This is the view of mine from the back and front just so you can see how neat it looks. Sorry for the mess in the background but unlike my crocheting my desk is never tidy.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first tutorial and that you found it useful please let me know if you need any further help xxx 

Crocheting for a craft fair

So it's been about a month since my last post and that's because it dawned on me about a month ago that I really need to get making stuff for a craft fair I helped organise for my daughter's dance school month's before. Haha any normal person would have started crocheting the minute they decided to do a craft fair. I have definitely got to get out of the habit of doing things at the last minute.

Craft fair, I'm unprepared for :)

Any way the craft fair is this coming Saturday and I'm still rushing around panicking that I haven't made enough. This was meant to be my only craft fair but I have had a few friends asking for me to make something and someone has ordered 2 hooded cow's I made.

He so cute, he makes to hooded cowl look super!

I am now debating with myself whether I should actively try and sell my crochet bits and bobs rather than doing a one off, but still not sure. Will get this craft fair out the way with first and catch up with this blog. I have found so many lovely pages trying to find simple things to do for the craft fair and have made some things from my own patterns and have thought of more to try afterwards, so a lot of catching up to do, which is good because my hands need a break from all the crocheting.

Hope your all having a great run up to Christmas xx

Halloween

So Halloween has been and gone and we had a great time.

I loved the run up to Halloween making decorations with the kids

Having friends over to carve pumpkins

and baking Halloween cakes and decorating biscuits which the kids loved giving out to anyone that knocked on Halloween night. It certainly made them smile to be giving their home made treats to others.

I even got round to making a Halloween wreath

The pattern for the leaves comes from http://www.happyberrycrochet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/how-to-crochet-maple-leaf.html?m=1 very easy pattern to follow and there is even a video. The ghost I made up as I went along but I am planning on redoing it and writing up a pattern ready for next Halloween.

Halloween night the children went out trick or treating but not before getting some great shots of them posing with their dad. 

The older two definitely made a great Chucky and Chucky's bride they just looked so creepy.

The trick or treating was fun. I love how some people go to such lengths to do up their homes all creepy and try and scare the children. 

After the kids had gone bed it was mine and hubby's turn to dress up for the night, both started out as vampires but I became a witch when my teeth decided to fall out.

Looking forward to next year. Thinking Johnathan should dress up as Freddie Krueger.

Hope you all had a spooktacular night xx