Brick Stitch Dolphin Pattern

I was asked way back in January to make a dolphin charm using brick stitch bead weaving techniques. I  made the charm way back then and even posted a photo in Instagram, promising to make a tutorial "soon". Clearly to me, "soon", means 10 months later (or 44 weeks, according to Instagram.)

I know, I know... I'm clearly the worst kind of person. It's not my fault. I receive quite a few video requests, and I like to keep everyone happy. Also I don't want to just be a bead weaving channel, so I try to mix it up where I can. That is just an excuse... I just forgot to make the tutorial :D But hey, I'm only human

Enough waffling around... Here is the pattern:

As always, I used size 11 delica beads by the Japanese brand Miyuki. I also used beading thread by the company Nymo and a size 10 beading needle.

All items were purchased from http;//mailorder-beads.co.uk who were generous enough to give me a 10% discount code on full-items on orders over £5! It's valid until 31st Dec 2015 and the company do ship internationally! Just type TCOC10 in the promo code box at the checkout :D

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

Sugar Skull Brick Stitch Pattern

Hello! So I was asked to do a tutorial for my sugar skull brick stitch pendant which has been floating around Etsy for a while now. I put off making the video because it takes so long to make the pendant, I didn't know how I'd be able to cut the tutorial down! It's still a 30 minutes video, but worth it :D

The colours I used are:
DB010 - Opaque Black
DB200 - Opaque White
DB568 - Opaque Turquoise
DB-651 - Opaque Squash
DB-660 - Opaque Dark Orchid
DB-2115 - Opaque Guava

I also used Nymo beading thread in black and a size 10 beading needle.

Candy Corn Peyote Bracelet

This is the first of my Halloween tutorials! Although candy corn isn't easily accessible in Europe, as far as I'm aware anyway, I remember trying some when I was 17. It tasted a lot like honey and I thought it was delicious :) I made a peyote bracelet with a similar pattern to this when I was into making my peyote name bracelets, but I decided it would be fun to turn the geometric shapes into cute candy corns! The pattern isn't too tricky to do so and it's made using odd count peyote, which is my new favourite stitch for making bracelets!

Anyway... You don't come to this page to read my waffly descriptions. Here's the pattern:

Colours I used:

All Miyuki Delica size 11 beads.

DB010 - Black
DB200 - White
DB-1132 - Canary Yellow
DB-651 - Opaque Squash (Orange)

Cute Ursula Beading Pattern

I like Disney villains. They're always scary, but mysterious. I often wonder what made them evil and why they dislike the "good guys" of the film. When it was suggested by CraftGyver that our collaboration video should be The Little Mermaid, I knew who I had to make!!

One of my Instagram followers was kind enough to tell me about a computer program on which you can design patterns. It's free to use and, even better, you can save the patterns!!

Here is my pattern for a cute Ursula beaded charm using square stitch.

If you're new to square stitch, I recommend checking out my Square Stitch Basics tutorial! It explains everything you need to know to make this adorable sea witch.

Who's your favourite character from The Little Mermaid?

Bunny and Chick Amigurumi Egg Cozy

These adorable egg cozies are so easy to make! You can jazz them up in any way that you choose and add your own creative flair. They are perfect for both normal eggs and creme eggs, making them ideal for Easter. This pattern uses UK terminology.

You will need:
4mm crochet hook
DK yarn
6mm beads (eyes)

Bunny:
Fork

Chick:
3mm hook


Egg Cozy


Ch 2
Row 1: 4 dc in first chain.
Row 2: 2 dc in each stitch round - 8 dc
Row 3: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next stitch. Repeat from * round - 12 dc
Row 4: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * round - 16 dc
Row 5: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * round - 20 dc
Row 6: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * round - 24 dc.
Row 7-14: dc in each stitch round - 24 dc
Row 15: *dc2tog, dc in next stitch. Repeat from * round - 16 dc. Fasten off.

Bunny ears (make 2):

Ch 2
Row 1: 8 dc in first chain.
Row 2-4: dc in each stitch round.
Row 5: *dc in next stitch, skip next stitch. Repeat from * round.
Row 6-7: dc round. Fasten off.

Bunny tail:

Using a fork, make a mini pompom and attach to the back of the cozy.

Sew on a nose with embroidery thread (or felt) and the beads for eyes.

Chick's Beak:

Using 3mm hook

Ch 4
Insert hook into 2nd ch from hook, YO, pull through. Insert hook into final chain, YO pull through (3 loops on hook). YO and pull through all 3 loops. Fasten off and sew onto front.

See video below for how to attach chick fluff!

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!

Friendship Bracelets for Beginners pt.3: Candy Stripe Bracelet!

YAY! You have mastered the forwards knot! I'm so pleased because you're already equipped to make a basic bracelet!

I'm sure you have seen candy stripe bracelets before - they're the stripy friendship bracelets!

Source

As you can see, you can use any colour combination, the coloured stripes can be varying thickness etc. As my dad says, the world is your lobster! You'll be shocked at how easy they are, and I'm a little embarrassed to dedicate a blog post to it!!

I will only be using two colours for this tutorial, although I am using 8 strings. To start a bracelet of this thickness, cut 4 lengths of approx. 1m of each colour. You will then want to knot them together and plait a length of them so you are able to tie it. Tie another knot at the end of the plaited section and lay them out, alternating like so:

Starting with your first colour, which for me is blue, tie a forwards knot (see here if your memory needs refreshing) onto the yellow thread. Be sure to tie each knot tightly to have even knotting! Continue tying forwards knots down the rest of the strings until the first thread is now the last. (My first row of knots always looks wobbly, so don't worry if yours do too! The next row will be better, I promise.)


Now you want to take your second thread (for me, yellow) and knot another row of forwards knots, like you've just done. (See? I said the second row would be neater :) )

Continue to tie rows of forwards knots until your bracelet reaches the desired length. I always go for a little bit shorter than once around my wrist.

Tie a knot and plait the threads together, so it's the same length as the plait at the beginning. Tie one final knot, trim the ends and wear your bracelet with pride!!

Go and try your threads in different orders to get different looks.

Source

This bracelet I made, I used 3 strands of each colour, except for white, which I only used 2 of.. I spaced them out like GGG W RRR W. I knotted the them the same way as above.

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!