Brick Stitch Peppermint Pattern

When I was approached by Sarah from SoCraftastic to collab again, I couldn't refuse! I also had a request to make a video on this pendant, so I though I would combine the two. These were one of the first things that I made when I learnt how to do brick stitch, so they truly are perfect for beginners :D

Here is the pattern, so you can follow along with the pattern as you follow the tutorial!

Brick Stitch Patterns to Older Videos

So back in early 2015, I went on a bit of a brick stitch rampage. I discovered how to make my own patterns,  but I couldn't save any of them. I made videos for these patterns, and one of my lovely followers on Instagram shared with me a beading program in which I could save the patterns I make! ANYWAY I thought it high time to trawl back though my past videos, and make patterns for the tutorials I hadn't done.

All of these tutorials can be found in my bead weaving playlist: click here to view the playlist

Brick stitch bow

Hello Kitty

Minion!

Owl

Penguin

Piggy

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?

Pattern Herd: Lego

The boy and I went to see The Lego Movie on Saturday night and fell in love with it! Everything is awesome... So yes, time for a Lego-themed pattern herd I think!

1) WyldStyle Hat

This amazing hat is by Kim Jones from Not So Knotty. It's such a cool hat and I love her character! This pattern is $3.99 USD and is available on Ravelry.

2) Lego-Inspired Backpack

An amazing pattern by Moogly for this gorgeous Lego-look backpack! Any guy or gal would love to have this. You could even use their favourite colour! This pattern is available for free on Moogly's website.

3) Lego Wallet/Pencil Case

This lovely pattern is by Liat Cohen. I love this pattern! I'm tempted to make one for the boyfriend as a birthday present :D It's the perfect place to keep your stationery :) This pattern is a free Ravelry download.

4) Lego Man Mittens

These amazing mittens are a knitting pattern by Carissa Browning. These are incredible!! Everyone should have Lego hands sometime in their life! This is a free Ravelry download.

5) Lego Block Blanket

Eva Ferrebee has been kind enough to share this pattern for a lovely blanket! Much like with the backpack, you could change the colours to suit the recipient! It's so cool :D This pattern is available for free on allfreecrochet.com.

6) Lego Minifigure

Look at this happy chappy :) Trish Hicks has designed this little cutie! I love his hands and his face is just adorable! Ah so happy :D This pattern is available for free on Colorado Homefronts on Blogspot.

7) Lego Brick Scarf

Oh wow! I think I have found my next project :) Deborah Birchall of FitzBirch Crafts designed this pattern when she mentioned that she'd seen a crocheted Lego brick pattern to her sons! The pattern is available for free on her blog.

8) Lego Brick Doorstep

This knitted doorstep is a pattern by Lizzyastro and makes very good use of a brick and Cola bottle caps! I'm impressed with the inventiveness :) This pattern is available for free on Instructables.

9) Lego Block Scarf

Another scarf option for you all! This time it's by Samantha Marsalla. It's a scarf for toddlers too, but you could very easily make your own and add more blocks :) The pattern is available for free as a Ravelry download.

10) Lego Face Square

Glamour4You has designed this little guy's face on a square. It will accompany a Lego brick blanket perfectly!  This pattern is $1.00 USD and available on Ravelry.

Pattern Herd: Year of the Horse

So Chinese New Year has come around again and this year is the year of the horse! Coincidentally, I was born in the year of the horse too :)

If you'd like to know more about the year of the horse and what it all means, I have found a handy dandy link here. I don't know if I 100% agree with what it's saying as I can't apply some of the characteristics to myself, but I guess some of them are true!

Anyway, enough of that. You're here for a pattern herd (ironic as it's for horses) not for whether I always want to be in the limelight or if I'm great at communicating!

1) Amigurumi Horse by Tanya on Little Things Blogged

I love this horse! I love its bright blue colour. Guaranteed to stand out in a herd. He has an amazing oversized head and a lovely long, white mane. This pattern is available for free on Little Things Blogged.

2) Carousel Horse Pattern by BeadedBundles

I love carousels. My friend and I always go on one if there's one around when we're together! It's a tradition that started on Brighton seafront and has just continued. This carousel horse reminds me of these times and I love its simplicity. The pattern is available for download on Etsy.

3) Brown Pony Pattern by April Draven

This "brown pony" looks suspiciously like Bullseye from Toy Story 2 and 3! I suppose for copyright reason the name wasn't used... But if you know a Toy Story fan, or you are one, then this pattern is perfect for you! It is available for free on April Draven's blog :)

4) Hermione the Unicorn by Dawn Toussaint

I guess this pattern isn't strictly a horse, but it's a type of horse! And look at her gorgeous little face. It's difficult not to include her! A beautiful unicorn with a rainbow mane and lovely blue feet! The pattern is a free Ravelry download: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermione-the-unicorn

5) Pony Pattern by All About Ami

Another pattern that was made to commemorate the year of the horse, All About Ami has designed this cute little pony that could easily be adapted into a unicorn, although she is gorgeous just as she is! The pattern is available for free on All About Ami.

6) Pony Hat by NyanPon

Ah! I want one in every colour! I love this hat, it looks so snuggly and warm. Perfect, especially as it snowed here (Nottingham, UK) yesterday! We are not used to that. I love the individuality of this hat. Definitely will stand out from the crowd in this. This pattern is available for free on NyanPon's blog.

That's it from this pattern herd! If there's anything you'd like to see "herded", leave a comment!

Pattern Herd: Last-Minute Crochet Christmas Decorations!

So your house may be decorated by now. If it's not, you'd better get a move on! There's less than a week to go until the big day!

If you received a surprise gift from someone and don't know what to give back, these decorations won't take long for you to whip up for panic-presents or even labels for presents!!

These little gingerbread houses are gorgeous and will look at home on most Christmas trees! They don't require a lot of difficult stitches so you'll be able to make them without too much concentration. The free pattern by Ursula Markgraf can be found here.

I made these for one of my friends who lives abroad because they're so lightweight. I managed to get it down to making one in 10 minutes. The pattern uses basic stitches and also doesn't require a lot of concentration. Perfect to do while watching a Christmas film! The free pattern by Marianna can be found here :)

Look at how cute these little sockies are! These could be hung on the tree with little chocolate in for your guests. The stockings are easy to make, but they will require a little more concentration to make the first one than the other patterns I have written about! They are very easily customisable by adding different embellishments. The free pattern by Le Monde de Sucrette can be found here.

These's little bells are adorable! They'll make any tree look that little bit more Christmassy! There is both an English and a Spanish pattern for these bells. If you keep scrolling down, you'll get to the English version! Free pattern by "Crafteando, que es gerundio" can be found here.

This little guy will take a little more time and dedication than the other patterns I have posted. It's worth it though; look at his little face!! He looks so snuggly and warm with his stripey scarf too. The free pattern by All About Ami can be found here.

I know I've already done a pattern-herd of snowmen, but we're just going to have a slight overlap! This happy bunch can be made in no time and you can give each one its own personality. Perfectly customisable for your recipient! Living The Craft Life provides this free pattern.

These bundles of deliciousness are the creation of Twinkie Chan, who is renowned for making food-based crochet items! Using a polestyrene ball, these crocheted sweets are oh-so easy to make! They consist of a square, which you then shape into the sweet. This free pattern, complete with video tutorial, can be found on Twinkie Chan's blog, here.

Well I can't exactly write about Christmas decs without Father Christmas (or whatever name he is known by in your family)! This cute FC will stil proudly on any Christmas tree! The free pattern, which isn't too difficult, is by Pebie and can be found here.

I hope that this post has given you some last-minute decoration ideas! Let me know what your go-to pattern is for an unexpected present!

Christmas In The Corner of Craft House pt. 2!

I cannot take credit for the masterpieces you see underneath! It is my very talented housemate who is a fan of Star Wars! I saw these snowflakes on Tumblr and knew that he'd love to have these as our decorations! You can find them here and they are designed by the very talented Anthony Herrera. The template has a shaded in section in the snowflake outline so you know which part to cut out.

I am a fan of Star Wars but I'm not geeky about the characters in Star Wars, but the ones I recognise, I realise how talented the artist is in designing these snowflakes. The templates are not free. You are required to give a voluntary donation to access the PDF download, but I think that's very reasonable! The amount of time and experimenting Anthony Herrera must have done is incredible!

I'm sorry that the photos are so bad. I'm no photographer and it's difficult to take pictures of things on windows!

How does your house look at this time of year? Let me know!

Pattern-herd: Snowmen!

You are going to sense a theme with the pattern herds in the run up to Christmas... I am a big fan of the holidays and I have been in a Christmassy mood since October! Oh the curse of being in a choir and practising Christmas songs!

There are so many cute snowman patterns on the internet! It's another great and simple way to decorate your house and lovely presents for people that will be loved and kept for years :) This pattern herd will feature more knitting patterns than last week's.

1) Snowman in Grandma's Favourite Dishcloth by Miriam Giles

This dishcloth is so gorgeous and creative! I wish that I'd thought of this. I think this dishcloth will add a lovely wintery touch to any kitchen. This knitting pattern (with a crocheted border!) is available for free

2) Snowman Jar Cozy by Doni Speigle

Look at this jar cozy! It's so cute and will make any jar (hopefully full of sweets) look adorable. You could also make it in orange and have a jack-o-lantern jar cozy instead for halloween. This fun crochet pattern is available for free on Whiskers and Wool blog.

3) Snowman Stocking by Bernat Design Studio

This knitting pattern will require a lot of patience and counting but it will be completely worth it! A perfect present for a special someone and is guaranteed to become an heirloom and tradition. This pattern is available for free on Yarnspirations.

4) Snowman Ornament by Audra Brown

Ah they're so cute! Look at their little bobble hats :D These little guys will look great on any Christmas tree and make a lovely gift. This crochet pattern is available for free as a free Ravelry download.

5) Cabled Snowman Mittens by Jean Gifford

These knitted mittens are so adorable and look so warm! I want a pair in every colour so will have to send the pattern to my mum and talk to her nicely. This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download.

6) Snowman Mug Hug by Michele Wilcox

This mug hug will make anyone smile :) A lovely accompaniment to a hot chocolate or a cup of christmassy tea :) This crochet pattern is available for free on Red Heart.

7) Socks with Christmas Pattern by Drops Design

I'm wishing that I was more talented with knitting. I just don't have as much patience with it as crochet! I'd knit Christmas socks all year so I could have a different pair for each day in Advent. This knitting pattern is available for free on Drops Design.

8) Melting Snowman by Renske de Busschere

It's such a sad thing to make but his happy little face makes him irresistible. Maybe this little guy will be good to make after Christmas :) This pattern is available for free as a Ravelry download. 

9) Crochet Snowman Hat by Sarah Zimmerman

I'm definitely going to be making some of these hats when my orders are all caught up! I think they're gorgeous and look adorable on children. This pattern (in sizes from newborn-adult!) is available for free on Repeat Crafter Me. 

10) The Abominable Snowman (Yeti) by Elin Tjerngren

Time for something a little bit different to round off this pattern-herd!  The abominable snowman may not be the ideal symbol of Christmas, but this guy just looks a bit sad, lost and confused! This pattern is available for free on CraftCravings on Tumblr.

I hope that you enjoyed this pattern-herd! If you have any ideas of any patterns that you'd like to be "herded" or you'd like your pattern to be featured, don't be afraid to get in touch!

Quick and Easy Fingerless Gloves - UK Edition!

I said I'd post the UK terminology for this pattern, and here it is! I'm sure most of you, if you're anything like me, are used to having to use US patterns anyway! Ah the joys of the internet...

You will need:

A 4mm crochet hook

Double Knit Yarn

A Yarn Needle

Chain 35

Row 1: DC in 2nd chain from hook then DC in each chain. Then chain 2 and turn. (34)

Row 2: Skip the first stitch that the chain comes from and TR in each stitch along. TR in the chain from the row before. Then, as before, chain 2 and turn. (34)

Rows 3-20 (17 rows): Repeat the 2nd row.

Row 21: As row 2, but chain 1 and turn at the end of the row. (34)

Row 22: Skip the first stitch that the chain comes from, DC in each stitch along. Then DC in chain from last row and fasten off the yarn, leaving a long tail. (34)

To make up the gloves, either sew or SS the two edges together for 6 rows. Skip 3-4 rows (making space for your thumb) and then sew up the rest of the glove.

These gloves are completely customisable! If you'd like longer gloves, continue to DC for more rows. You can also add embellishments to the gloves to make them more individual.

I added some little pink hearts to spice up these grey gloves, that I made using a pattern I found on Ravelry.

And for my Mickey Mouse-obsessed sister, I added some Mickey ears :) I will write the pattern out for that in a later blog post!

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