Crochet for Beginners: UK Treble Crochet TR (US Double Crochet DC)

Are you starting to see where the US and UK terminology cross over? It gets very confusing when you first start, but try to just stick to just UK or US patterns when you first start so you don't have to try and "translate" them at all :)

So here is my next video, the UK treble crochet or US double crochet! I have had some lovely feedback on my videos and already have some subscribers so thank you so much for your support! Don't forget that you can subscribe too so you don't miss out on any future videos.

Crochet for Beginners: UK Double Crochet DC (or US Single Crochet!)

So the second video that I uploaded to my YouTube channel demonstrates how to do the basic double crochet stitch! For those of you who aren't aware, US and UK crochet terms are different, annoyingly, so where I can, I will try to list the alternative term :)

Crochet for beginners: Chain Stitch Ch (and my venture into YouTube...)

So I have set up a YouTube channel... I don't know if this is going to be a success or useful to anyone, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway! My first videos are a series of how to do basic crochet stitches! There's going to be 3 videos posted a week, although that may severely cut down in the future. I sound really awkward on camera at the moment, but I'm hoping that the more I do it, the more used to it I'll become and the more relaxed I'll be :)

If you'd like to check out my channel, visit http://youtube.com/thecornerofcraft

Here's the first video! How to do the basic chain stitch: 

New Bracelets!

I treated myself on Saturday. I bought myself a bead loom from where I work and have had a lot of fun making bracelets on it! I'm getting quite speedy at it now :)

Don't mind my very-fetching pyjama trousers!

This is my first attempt. I made it while watching Eurovision (which was wonderful, as always) and it looks so 80's! I do love it though. Sewing all the ends in took me such a long time though, and I didn't even do it that neatly :/ Then I wrongly tried to add the ribbon end on, to attach my clasp on, and broke a couple of the beads... oops! I managed to salvage the rest and just sewed the clasps on, but I now know for next time!

I watched a very useful video where crochet cotton was used instead of thread for the warp of the loom. Then the ends of the bracelet could be braided and tied on the wrist that way, instead of bothering with a clasp. Because I have become obsessed with making doilies, I had treated myself to some crochet cotton and decided to give it a shot.

I love the finish of these bracelets. They're a lot more laid back, and I can charge less for them because I don't need to spend so long sewing in the ends of the bracelet!

I'm using a thinner crochet cotton with this bracelet.

And now for some better photos:

Have you ever tried using a bead loom? If so, what's your favourite warp thread to use?

Making My Own Brick Stitch Pattern

This isn't the first attempt at making my own pattern as my carrot and bunny necklace were also a "The Corner of Craft" original, but this was the first time making a pattern with this much detail!

I don't know what made me decide to make a sugar skull pendant, but something did, so I had to make it! I looked around online for a brick stitch pattern of a sugar skull, and I was left sorely disappointed. There simply weren't any around! I could only find peyote, and I'm not going there again! (I've still now finished the peyote bracelet that I started to make myself!)

After much trial and error on BeadTools, I eventually got the shape of the skull to be as close to perfect as I could manage it and the detail to match other pictures of sugar skulls I had seen. As I haven't yet bought BeadTools, I am unable to save my pattern so had to quickly make it up so I didn't lose it! Here is the finished result and I hope that you like it! This little guy is listed in my Etsy shop! http://thecornerofcraft.etsy.com

Have any of you made your own beading patterns before? If so, what's your favourite program to use?

My Crafting Inspiration: Bead Crumbs

Time for another crafting inspiration methinks! When I first started beadweaving at the beginning of the year, I decided very early on that I didn't want to make the kind of things that everyone else seemed to be making! I was much more interested in making charms and pendants instead of whole beaded pieces of jewellery. After a bit of Etsy browsing to see what was out there, I found Bead Crumbs, aka Jayne. She is an incredible beader, based in Hawaii (SO jealous!) and she makes amazing pendants and charms of all sorts. Her patterns are inspiring and her passion for beading is slightly addictive! She's also extremely approachable, and was able to recommend a beading computer program for me to use and such.

After looking at her amazing work on Etsy, it truly inspired me to work on my own beading techniques and skills that I had newly acquired. I shall share some pictures with you now of her amazing work! All photos are taken from Jayne's blog.

How cute is this gorgeous lamb??

This hibiscus flower is so summery!

This is my favourite charm that Bead Crumbs makes!

PB&J!

Bead Crumbs on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BeadCrumbs
Bead Crumbs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeadCrumbs
Bead Crumbs' Blog: http://handmadecuties.blogspot.co.uk/
Bead Crumbs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeadCrumbs

My Lace Making Experience

Yesterday, I went on a lace making workshop at The Malt Cross, here in Nottingham, with the very-talented Louise West, from Louise West Lace Design. Lace making was something that I'd been desperate to try and make for years and years. It looked so complicated, I thought it would take forever for me to pick up and learn!  The session was only £15 for 3hrs, and the materials were all provided for us. Unsurprisingly, the class was full! Everyone must have had the same thought as me: "when in Nottingham, learn to make lace". (Even though Nottingham lace was about the mass-production of lace, instead of the handmade stuff! Fun fact I learnt at the workshop...)

Looking at my pattern, pillow and bobbins, I was terrified. Louise taught us how to make the basic cloth stitch, which is apparently one of the two stitches used to make lace. (Only 2! I thought there would be loads!) She is so quick at making lace, which isn't surprising as she's been doing it for 21 years, I definitely was scared that I wasn't going to get my little snake bookmark finished in time!

She taught us that you only ever use 4 bobbins at once. 2 goes over 3. 2 goes over 1. 4 goes over 3 and then 2 goes over 3. We were muttering that mantra to ourselves when we first started to make the lace and were all engrossed in our work.

I soon picked it up, as I think I have a knack for patterns and sequences and was well on my way! Two hours later, I had a little snake bookmark! I'm so proud of myself :D

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and would recommend it to anyone, if you see Louise teaching a workshop near to you, go along! It's so therapeutic and I think I could become very addicted to making lace...

Check out Louise on Facebook, Twitter and her website for more information about her work.

New crocheted items??

Oh hasn't time flown by: I can't believe that it's already May! It doesn't seem long since Christmas and those festivities, and now we're approaching Summer at a very fast rate, although no one seems to have told the weather that yet here in England... I guess I can't complain. Since the Bank Holiday weekend, the weather has brightened up nicely!

Anyway, enough of that chit chat. I have been working on some new crocheted items for The C of C! If you follow me on any social media, be it Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you will know that the doily-bug has bitten! It's my ultimate dream to turn The C of C into a tea room and craft shop, hence the obsession with tea cups! But I want to kit my tea room out with crocheted doilies, which may be easier said than done to be honest... I knew they'd take me a while to make but my first one took me 7 hours!! It was 100% worth it as it's so gorgeous.

Since posting that picture, I've had several people enquire about buying a doily off of me! I started to make a slightly easier pattern, which only took me 3 and a half hours to make. Much more affordable for people!

I also took  a pattern and adapted it to make doily coasters! These still need tweaking. I think I either need to starch them or put them into a clear coaster so they're sturdier, but they only take me half an hour to make! Perfect :D

Do you think doilies are here to stay or are they just old fashioned now? Let me know your thoughts!