Happy New Year and About Crochet Mood Blanket 2014!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I'm so sorry for the lack of blog posts but I was travelling across the country, visiting family etc, so I didn't really have time to write an update for you all!

I also hope that Father Christmas/Santa was good to you all and gave you lots of craft-related gifts! I received crochet hooks and a case from my uncle and auntie! You may wonder why I need more crochet hooks, but these are in a lovely variety of sizes and have handles! So useful and very comfortable to use. The case is so pretty too so I can now travel with my hooks with pride!

My mum was thrilled to bits with the earrings that I made for her (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, refer to this blog post here!) and has told me that next year I will be receiving an order from her as presents due to the number of compliments she's received! Always lovely to hear :)

So my sister was browsing Instagram, as one does, and came across a crochet project. Mummy_Stacey on IG had the great idea to make a blanket through 2014! The basic idea is to assign colours to specific emotions or moods and to crochet or knit one square/stripe a day/week using the colour that reflects your mood! I thought it was a brilliant idea and knew that I had to make one! There was a lot of chat about a Facebook group for this project so I offered to make one. The group was set up the morning of New Year's Eve and at the moment, there are over 1,700 members! I can't believe how many blankets there are going to be by 2015! Some people are even dedicating to more than one blanket. If you search #crochetmoodblanket2014 on Instagram, you will find many many posts about this wonderful idea!

Several members of the group have decided to do different types of squares. I have some lovely examples here from the Facebook group!

These gorgeous squares are by Janet Stone on Facebook. She explains that the flowers are constant and stands for faith and hope, and the colours will show her dominant mood for the day. The pattern is her own creation! Amazing talent :)

These lovely solid squares are by the very-talented Faye Walsh, also known as Little Dove Crochet. These squares will really make an impact! She is aiming for a colourful patchwork and isn't assigning a colour to a mood, just crocheting what takes her fancy each day!

These wonderful squares have been made by Cara Mia. She has decided not to go for the classic square and took inspiration from the Crochet Motifs book you can see in the photo above. She was originally going to do a different style square each week but now she's not sure because this square works up so quickly!!

I've chosen just to do a basic granny square for my pattern of choice because I knew I'd stick to it then :) I also haven't selected specific colours to moods. My mission for this blanket is to stash-bust so I will just be using colours that take my fancy each day, but it will also be reflecting my mood! Here are days one, two, three and four:

I felt creative on this day, hence the variegated wool!

Brown for boredom because I had a 4 hour train journey back to Nottingham!

Blue for day three because it was cold and raining outside!

I chose light yellow and mint green today because I had a relaxing day :)

Each of my squares will have a white border as a joining colour and I will be joining as I go, using Attic24's tutorial. This means I will actually end up with a blanket instead of a collection of squares!!

Stacey has been kind enough to thank me on her IG for making the group and I have since doubled the amount of followers! I cannot believe it but I am also very thankful. I think that I will make a lot of friends through this project :)

I will dedicate one post a week to #crochetmoodblanket2014 and show you all my 7 squares from the week and why I chose the colours I did.

Come and join the fun on both Instagram and Facebook!!

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!

Exploring Etsy - Christmas Ideas Under £10!

I've decided to include a new segment to The Corner of Craft's blog in which I explore Etsy and find pieces that I enjoy and share them with you all!

This gorgeous necklace from ArtemisBridalJewelry is a lovely addition to any jewellery box! It only costs £6.27 so will make the perfect stocking filler. Available here :)

What better present than dinosaur crayons!? Perfect for children and those big kids that we all know :) These amazing crayons are from IvyLaneDesigns and cost just £5.61. Available here

This is a nail varnish ring! A ring that's been painted with nail varnish to give it this sparkly, magical colour! Such a brilliant idea by xSparklesMakeMeHappy and only costs £6.90! Available here

You can make your own Christmas minion for a loved one with this downloadable pattern by JAMigurumi. The pattern only costs £2.28 and is available here.

This necklace by FourSeasonFair is perfect for any Harry Potter fan! In a gorgeous antique gold colour, this necklace only costs £1.18 and is available here :)

No Christmas tree is complete without bacon! These delightful tree ornaments are by OlechkaDesigns. They're only £4.39 each and are available here :)

Gingerbread man soap! These will smell amazing and also look adorable in your bathroom. These soaps are by SymbolicImports and costs only £3.31. They are available here.

This is just perfect for any Christmas hairstyle! These clips are also perfect for children and toddlers, not just for adults! These are by the very talented Avabowtiquee and only cost £2.35. They are available here

These mugs of hot chocolate are absolutely gorgeous! They would look perfect on a necklace and just look at their little faces :) These are handmade by CheekyCharmz and only cost £3.13 each. They are available here.

Nativity finger puppets! They're so cute and look at those moustaches :) These creations are by dolllady237 and are £7.52. They are available here.

I hope that you liked this first "exploring Etsy" and please let me know if there are any improvements I can make! Also let me know if you'd like to be featured :)