Crochet news : My Pittura Cardigan

Hello again,

Well after showing you lots of favourites patterns from just one crochet magazine (check it out here to see all the pictures!), I will let you know which one it is that I have started last weekend...

I am using the Louisa Harding Pittura yarn which is Wool and Bamboo, so soft.
Here is a link where I ordered the yarn from. The colourway is 604, called Kahlo (after the painter Frida Kahlo), it reminded me of a summer meadow with pretty flowers.

Louisa Harding ; Pittura 604

Last weekend we went to Germany to visit a music festival (as we do every year) and I took my pattern along to get started. This is after roughly an hour's journey crocheting in the car.

I am using a large 5.5mm hook (as indicated in the pattern), though the yarn is different, but similar.

My Pittura Cardigan - first stitches. Having a coffee break in the warm sunshine!
 

Did you guess the pattern? It is called Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John. Here are the pattern pictures.

I immediately fell in love with this pattern and knew I had to make it. I was intrigued by the construction. You first make one half of the shoulder section, then go back to the centre and make the other half in mirror image. You then continue underneath and crochet downwards to add the body. This is useful because then you can decide how long you want to make it and try it on whilst working on it.

This was quite different from other patterns I had seen and it looked not too difficult. The pattern consists of rows of shells. The only thing that bothered me slightly was the gaping front, I wanted to change that (I added more rows).

Here are finally some more pictures, it is not finished yet, but I am making good progress. Unfortunately the weather here has been so bad lately that I have not been able to make better photos, sorry! The light does not show the colours very well.

Trying on for fit (also wearing my windowpane cowl)

arm holes

centre neck section

 

front view

side edge view

And here are a few photos from the day when I started the cardigan, it was beautiful spring weather in Germany and the sunshine was warm and lovely. I was admiring the cherry blossom!

And here is just one last photo from our journey back on Sunday afternoon:

We went and visited the IJssalon/Chocolaterie Bellissimo (address: Jan Deckersstraat 57, 5591 HP Heeze, Netherlands) because I mentioned to my partner that we had visited a nice Ice cream café on our way back the year before, and luckily he managed to find it via Google streetview! Hooray! This was the first ice cream of the year, even though it rained, hailed and snowed on our journey back afterwards!

Wish you had been there to taste the ice cream with me!!! :) It was delicious!!!
(I had hazelnut and chocolate, plus cream! What's your favourite?)

Bookazine review: Simply Haekeln - Fantastische Haekelmode Sonderheft April 2016 plus get a free Crochet eBook

Hello my dear Blog Friends,


Thanks for all your lovely recent comments and encouragement. I'm so glad you like to visit here!


Fantastische Haekelmode

Today I want to give you a little review about one of my recent book and magazine purchases.

Disclaimer: I bought this bookazine myself whilst in Germany, nobody is sponsoring me to write this review! (I wish!)

I realise that not all of you are German speaking, so I have researched the patterns and found you relevant links. (Also I might be interested to know whether there is an equivalent English edition of the Simply crochet bookazines, you might find some of the identical patterns perhaps. Can you help?)

I have taken some photos of the summary pages and also a few of the patterns that I like best and might want to make!

The cover shows a woman wearing a triangle shawl (more later), plus 6 further photos of different patterns. They are all patterns suitable for Spring.

In total there are 33 patterns inside this bookazine, which is very good value for money. The price of the magazine is Euro 9.95 (approx. £7-8). I noticed on the Ravelry site that some of the individual patterns cost around $5 or so, which makes me happy that I followed my impulse to get this magazine!

Inside the magazine are sections for each type of pattern. The First one is Fashion for both children/babies and Women.

The next section is callers Accessories and shows a number of shawls, bags, hats, socks and ear rings.

There is another section for Home accessories, such as a table cloth, a motif for applique, a pretty granny square, hacky sacks and a bike basket.

Here I will share with you some of my absolute favourites from this magazine. There are plenty to choose from!

I have added the designers' names under each picture, you might recognise some of them, they are pretty well known.

Take Robyn Chachula, for example. Check out her amazing designs here on her Ravelry page.

Likewise, Kristin Ohmdahl, Ravelry link here!

And here is Kathy Merrick.

Warning: Once you look at these Ravelry links of each designer, you will start to swoon and want to add practically everything to your making wish list!!! They are brilliant!

I recently bought a book by Robyn Chachula, I must share that with you another time.....

So you see, buying such a bookazine might be a great idea to find out about designers you didn't know before and Ravelry can help you find further designs by them.

Also a magazine is pretty portable to carry around with your project.

The funkycrochet Round-up of favourite patterns!

 

 This first jacket is called Ventura Vest.

Robyn Chachula

This sleeveless cardigan is named Winkle Vest

Tracy St John

The next one is called Petal pullover, Ravelry link here.

Robyn Chachula

This beautiful shawl is Corona Borealis

Kathy Merrick

Here is the Honeycomb shawl

Kathy Merrick

A beautiful and colourful granny square: Ripples on a Coral Reef. Read more about it below!!!

Victoria Hewerdine Thornton

This lovely shawl is called Foxglove Wrap.

Robyn Chachula

And this Cover star is called Wisteria Shawl

Kristin Ohmdahl

How to get a free eBook of 20 granny square patterns for FREE!

As for the Granny Square above, I have just found out (good job I was looking up each link for you!) that this motif is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD! How is that for you?

Not only that, but if you follow the link (which leads you to the Crochet Me website where you need to register for free, but trust me, this is a great website for discovering lots of fantastic pattern, I was already subscribed to them before this) - you will find that not only can you download this lovely granny square pattern, no, you will get a fantastic eBook (32 pages) with a total of 20 granny square patterns which can be made into a blanket called the Chain Reaction Afghan. I just downloaded my copy!

This is the free eBook and all the 20 different crochet squares shown on the cover are included
(Photo copyright Interweave Crochet and Crochet Me website)

A special Thank you to my friend Jodie from Lupey Loops who urged me to write something about the books and magazines I showed you recently! I'm so happy to do this and I finally found the time to share this with you!

So, what would be your favourite pattern of the ones shown above and why? Please leave your comments, I would be very interested to hear which ones you like best.

And the second question to you all is this: which one do you think I have already started to make last Friday??? (it was love at first sight! I was hooked, hahaha!!!)