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This post may contain affiliate links The Flower Power Bunting is a versatile decorative crochet creation that you could use to brighten up even the drabbest of places, e.g my 'office' aka the corner of our dining room where I have my desk. Choose your favourite colours and create beautiful bunting for your little ones’ bedroom, make a thoughtful gift for a baby shower or use cotton yarn to create bunting that you can hang in the garden to enjoy all summer long! If you would prefer to have an inexpensive printable PDF copy of the pattern with additional photo support you can get this from my website , Etsy or Ravelry . Skip to pattern Before You Begin: You will need: Your choice of yarn (see notes below) Crochet hook 0.5mm less than the recommended size for your yarn Recommended hook size: DK yarn - 3.5mm Aran yarn - 4.5mm Chunky yarn - 5.5mm Tapestry needle Scissors It might also be handy to have a measuring tape and the measurements of where you intend to place the bunting so that you can be sure to make enough motifs. Yarn Info: Yarn Weight You can use whatever yarn you have to hand to make your bunting, this makes it a great stashbusting project! However, the weight of the yarn that you use (DK, Aran, Chunky etc) will affect the size of your finished motifs. Yarn Fibre You can use any fibre yarn for your bunting. If you are planning to hang your bunting outside at all then I would recommend using a natural fibre such as cotton for extra durability against the elements. For the pink/green/blue bunting pictured I used King Cole Big Value Aran in Porcelain, Mustard and Cream, Yarnsmiths Create Aran in Light Sage and some blue scrap yarn from my stash. I used a 4.5mm hook. Yardage This is based off of my use of Aran/worsted/4 weight yarn and a 4.5mm hook. My completed triangle motif measure 13cm/5" across at their widest point. Per Motif: Yarn A - 1g Yarn B - 2g Yarn C - 6g Additional 5g for joining colour Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch MR - magic ring/magic circle HDC - half double crochet DC - double crochet Cluster - see special stitches below Special Stitches Cluster Stitch: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops (2 loops on hook) Yarn over, insert hook back into same stitch and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (3 loops on hook) Repeat to once more (5 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all loops. Stitch complete Note: Your first cluster will look slightly different because of the initial ch2 but this is okay and only noticeable if you know to look for it. Pattern Notes: We will be working in the round for this pattern and all rounds are worked with the right side facing. You will not turn your work at any point. For the purpose of this pattern I will be referring to the different colours used as follows: Yarn A - Mustard (centre shade), Yarn B - Cream (‘petals’), Yarn C - Porcelain (triangle colour) Ch 1 at the start of a round does not count as a stitch unless specified. If you find that you are getting an extra cluster in round 2 then it is likely that you are working into the slip stitch used to join round 1. You can always add a stitch marker to the join to make sure that you skip it. I provide suggestions for where to change colours but you can change colours whenever you would like - work round 1 and 2 in the same mustard/gold shade to create sunshine bunting! I recommend blocking your finished motifs before joining them as this helps to give them all a neat, uniform appearance. I made a total of 7 motifs with aran weight yarn and a 4.5mm hook which gave me bunting that measures approximately 120cm end to end. You can make more or less motifs and you can also alter the spacing between them to alter the length. You are permitted to make and sell Flower Power Bunting in small quantities but please ensure that you credit me, Brambles & Hart, with the design and share a link to either my website, Ravelry or Etsy for the pattern. You may not make changes to the pattern and try to pass it off as your own. Please do not use any of my photos to promote your own version of the bunting. - Thank you! The Pattern Bunting Motifs: Using Yarn A and a 4.5mm hook (or hook size needed for your yarn), make a magic ring. Rnd 1: Into MR, work 12 DC. Sl st to first DC to join. Fasten off. (12 sts) Join Yarn B to any stitch and ch2. Rnd 2: Cluster into first st, ch2, cluster into next st . Repeat from to around. Ch2 and sl st to first cluster to join. Fasten off. (12 clusters and 12 ch2 spaces) Join Yarn C to any ch2-sp. Rnd 3: Ch2 (counts as a st), 2DC into same ch-sp [This creates the first part of corner 1]. 3HDC into next ch-sp, 3SC into next ch-sp, 3HDC into next ch-sp. (3DC, ch2, 3DC) into next ch-sp to create a corner. Repeat from to and then create next corner (3DC, ch2, 3DC). Repeat from to one more time and then work 3DC to complete corner 1. Sl st to top of first DC to join. Do not fasten off. Rnd 4: Sl st across to next space Ch2 (counts as a st), 2 DC into same space. 3DC into each space along until you reach the corner. (3DC, ch2, 3DC) into the corner corner . Repeat from to two more times until you have completed all 3 corners. Sl st to top of first DC to join. Fasten off . Weave in all ends. Repeat until you have completed all of your motifs. If you require step by step photo support for making the motifs these can be found in the paid PDF version of the pattern. Joining the Mofits When joining the motifs together you will be working from the right to the left of the bunting. keep this in mind if you are intending to create a colour pattern for example. I recommend blocking your motifs prior to joining them. I also recommend that the top edge of your motif is the side with where you fastened off your yarn at the end of round 4. This way we can work over the join to hide it and have a nice finish to the two visible sides. Using Yarn A and a 4.5mm hook (or same hook as before) Ch 13 This will be the length of the starting chain before you join on any motifs. You can make this section longer or shorter by altering the number of chains. Keep a note of how many chains you do so that you can repeat it at the other end. Bring in your first motif to join. SC into a corner space and into each st along up to and including the next corner space. ( 20 sts ). Ch3 This will be the width of the space between motifs. If you would like them closer together then omit any chains. If you would like them further apart then add more chains. Bring in next motif SC into the first corner space and into each st along up to, and including, the next corner space. ( 20 sts ). Repeat until you have joined all of your motifs together. Try to keep the same number of chains between each one and an even tension to have them equally spaced out. Once you have joined joined your last motif ch13 or however many chains you did at the start of your bunting. Fasten off your yarn. You can then weave in the two tail ends of your yarn or just trim them down. Congratulations, you have completed your Flower Power Bunting! I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern, my first free garment pattern no less! I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #FlowerPowerGarland #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart If you would like to join my pattern tester list so that you can be the first to know about upcoming pattern tests you can do that here . Be sure to check out my other patterns also, all free patterns can be found on the website and I have paid patterns on my website, Etsy and Ravelry. I'm also over on YouTube now so please do subscribe!

If you follow me on social media you will likely have seen the crochet ripple blanket that I made for one of my husband's colleagues recently. It definitely got a lot of love and I can completely understand why - ripple blankets are just so satisfying to both make and look at! I have had many comments and DMs asking about my version of the blanket, how I set out my colours and the ripple pattern that I followed so I'm going to share it with you here. The Yarn: I used Paintbox Simply Aran in Vintage Heather and Pine Green along with Yarnsmiths Create Aran in Antique Gold and Parchment. My blanket was approximately 80x95cm. To make a similar size blanket you will need: 1x 100g ball each of Antique gold and Vintage Heather 2x 100g ball of Pine Green 3x 100g ball of Parchment I used a 5.5mm crochet hook. The Pattern: The basis of the ripple blanket is the Neat Ripple Blanket pattern from Attic 24 . This is the first ever ripple pattern that I used when I was learning to crochet and in my opinion it really is the best. It's well written and easy to follow for beginners plus she provides some step-by-step photos which are super helpful if you haven't made a ripple blanket before. The neat ripple pattern is a simple one row repeat and once you are a few rows in it becomes really easy to remember the stitch pattern to create the peaks and valleys of each ripple and it makes for a soothing mindful project - great for making whilst listening to an audiobook or watching your latest series. Whilst I love the original pattern and have used it many times before, including for my youngest son's baby blanket (look how tiny he was!), I did make some slight alterations for this particular blanket. The original Neat Ripple Blanket from Attic 24 uses DK weight yarn and a 4mm hook but for this one I used aran/worsted/4 weight yarn and a 5.5mm hook. You can absolutely play around with yarn weights and hook sizes and still have a beautiful finished project. I also chose to work my stitches (almost) entirely in the BLO (back loop only). This is what creates the beautiful rippled texture that compliments the ripple stitch pattern so well. I say almost entirely in the BLO as I do recommend working the first and last stitch of each row through both loops as normal just to help with the structure of the blanket. I find that this prevents the stitches from stretching out and becoming gappy when working the border. Colour Blocking: For this blanket, I had a colour block section of the 3 contrast colours at either end with a larger section of the neutral shade in the middle. For the starting section, each contrast colour consists of 4 rows, working the pattern as usual just in the BLO, before switching to the next colour. Once I had worked my 3 contrast colours (Pine Green, Antique Gold and then Vintage Heather) I the began the large section of Parchment. The middle section consisted of a total of 36 rows, which is 3x the amount of rows for the contrast section. I felt that this would give nice proportions and it did seem to work well but you could absolutely make this section longer. The final section is worked in reverse of the inital contrast colour section so that it is the same whichever way around you have the blanket. This time I started with Vintage Heather, then on to Antique Gold and finally Pine Green. For ease, follow this pattern: Rows 1-4: Pine Green Rows 5-8: Antique Gold Rows 9-12: Vintage Heather Rows 13-48: Parchment Rows 49-52: Vintage Heather Rows 53-56: Antique Gold Rows 57-60: Pine Green The Border: I followed Attic 24's initial instructions for the border to help square off the edges, although I have been known to leave them as the ripple and I think that looks pretty too, using Parchment before switching to Pine Green as this was my chosen border colour and adding in a row of HDC in the 3rd loop to add some texture to the border also. You could absolutely leave this out and work either in the BLO or as a normal HDC round. Using Parchment: Round 1: Square off ends using Attic 24 pattern Round 2: HDC around, (HDC, ch2, HDC) in each corner Using Pine Green Round 3: HDC around, (HDC, ch2, HDC) in each corner Round 4: HDC in the 3rd loop around, (HDC, ch2, HDC) in each corner Round 5: SC around, 3SC in each corner Finishing Touches: As this blanket was to be given as a New Baby Gift I wanted to package it up nicely for the recipient and one of the easiest ways I know to do this is to use a cupcake box. You can get them really cheaply from places like B&M, Home Bargains and Poundland and they are the perfect fit for baby blankets. I have previously gifted large blankets in large cake boxes too, they work a treat - no pun intended! I did make up a matching newborn Pixie Bonnet to go alongside this blanket and I think it made such a delightful little set. What do you think? I hope that this little overview of how I made my Colourblock Ripple Blanket has been helpful. I honestly think that you could do a ripple blanket in any colour combination, or even a solid colour, and it would look stunning. I'm yet to see a version that I don't love. It's a great project for beginner and advanced crocheters alike and this version goes to show that something as simple as working in the BLO can take one pattern and make it look a little different! It's all about experimentation and finding the joy in the art of crochet. Be sure to follow me on Social Media to stay up to date with all of my latest crochet projects, free patterns and tutorials! Instagram @brambles.and.hart TikTok @brambles.and.hart YouTube Brambles and Hart Happy crocheting! Shelley ♡

As part of a Hobbii Challenge I was sent some of their blanket yarn to try out. Now I have used blanket yarns before (e.g. Bernat blanket yarn, Yarnsmiths Snug as. a Bug) and these are categorised as a super chunky/super bulky/6 weight yarn. I was expecting similar with this yarn but wow I was mistaken! It's huge! The Details: Name: Hobbii Blanket Yarn Yarn Weight: Jumbo/7 weight Composition: 100% Polyester Ball Weight: 300g Yardage: 43yds/ 39m Recommended Hook: 25mm   My initial thoughts: This yarn lives up to its' category of JUMBO it is the chunkiest yarn I have ever used. As it's a 300g ball it was big and squishy and I was really impressed with its softness but I can't deny that I was slightly intimidated by the thickness of the yarn. My trusty 5mm hook was clearly not going to be the one for the job with this yarn and so I ordered a sparkly new 25mm crochet hook from Amazon as this is the hook size recommended on the ball band. I gave the yarn a bit of a stress test - I rubbed the strand between my fingers to check for shedding and there wasn't any which is great and I also pulled on the tail end of the yarn to see how easily it snaps - blanket yarns are notorious for breaking easily. This yarn did break when I pulled it but I did have to give it a good pull.   Let’s Crochet! My initial thought was to make a blanket with the 'blanket' yarn. I had 6 balls - 2 each of silver, anthracite and misty green. I attempted to crochet with the beast of a 25mm crochet hook and I found it quite difficult. The hook felt quite cumbersome in my hand and it was hard to stop the stitches from being too tight. Also, it seemed quite the yarn eater and I wasn't sure that 6 balls would actually make a decent size crochet blanket and more than 6 balls at 300g each would be ridiculously heavy. Upon attempting to undo, or frog, the start of my blanket I found that the yarn didn't frog smoothly. It would get stuck and need a good pull which on one occasion did result in the yarn breaking. Now to try something different... I didn't want to buy another crochet hook, a bigger hook wasn't likely to feel any better crocheting with so instead I decided to try finger crochet! I made some small cushions for my boys to take when we go camping. Finger crocheting with this yarn was so much easier than standard crocheting and it was actually a lot of fun. It's a bit of a finger workout and can be a tad fiddly to get started but once I was in my rhythm I loved how quickly it worked up. For the cushions I crocheted two 4 round circles and then stitched them together. Thanks to the thickness of the yarn they didn't require any stuffing, they're plump enough on their own. This bodes well for when it comes to washing them and yes, this yarn is machine washable! My boys love their new cushions and assure me that they're very comfy for both laying their head on and sitting on. Also great frisbees apparently but that was not their intended purpose - thank goodness they're so soft! Overall, Hobbii Blanket yarn is.a nice, novelty yarn. It's definitely not something that would be a staple in my stash but it is a great yarn for experimenting with and making super squishy home decor or even plushies if amigurumi is your thing!   Rating: 5.5/10 + Soft and squishy texture + Doesn't shed easily + Nice array of colours +Fun to use for finger crochet/knitting - Recommended 25mm crochet hook still felt too small - Difficult to frog or pull the yarn without snapping. -Not the most practical yarn due to its size

A couple of weeks ago I was kindly gifted some samples of the new Colour Burst yarn from Stylecraft. I have spent some time playing around with it and seeing whether or not I would consider using it for future projects and if I would recommend it to other crocheters. The Details: Name: Stylecraft Colour Burst Yarn Weight: DK/Light worsted/3 weight Composition: 80% Premium Acrylic, 20% Polyamide Ball Weight: 100g (I was sent 30g samples) Yardage: 320m/349yds Recommended Hook: 4mm Machine washable: Yes, at 30 ° Special notes: There are currently six colourways available   My initial thoughts: This yarn is really soft to the touch, I find Stylecraft Special DK, their 100% acrylic yarn, to be very soft but this more so. Could that be from the addition of the polyamide? Perhaps! I believe that polyamide is a type of nylon so that should also add some durability to the yarn. The colouring of this yarn is reminiscent of watercolour paintings, the colour changes look to blend quite well and there are some splashes of colour which offer a speckled effect. As with all varigated/colour changing yarns how they look in the skein is not always a true indication of how the colour placements look when they have been knit or crocheted with. On the Stylecraft website you can see each colour in a knit sample but, as is usually the case, there are no crochet samples. The Colourways: There are currently only six colourways avaiable, their shade names are: (top row L-R) Catherine Wheel, Fireworks and Festival. (Bottom row L-R) Northern Lights, Stars and Pixels. All six of the colourways contain a pink shade of some kind with four of them being quite pink heavy. If pink is not your colour, then with the exception of Stars (blues) and Pixels (Green/Yellow), this may not be the yarn for you. Having said that, Stylecraft may well release more colourways in the future. My favourite shades are definitely Fireworks and Stars but I'm also drawn to Pixels so we will see how they work up.   Let’s Crochet! I am on a bit of a granny square kick at the moment so I did make a simple 4 round granny square with each of the colours and joined them together using Yarnsmiths Create DK in Off White to give a neutral contrast. The colour changes are not too jarring, instead they blend together nicely creating subtle colour changes. I really like that as you move into a new colour there are still flecks of the other colours within it. I think this helps the yarn have a satisfying, cohesive feel. In terms of the granny squares, Pixels takes the crown here as being my favourite shade with Fireworks a close second. I think both would make a beautiful Hexagon Cardigan. Do you agree with my choices? I feel that Northern Lights is the odd one out in this palette, it's oversaturated and doesn't have the same pastel tone as the rest. It sticks out like a sore thumb in all honesty. The other five all work beautifully together, complimenting each other well and could definitely be used in a patchwork style granny square blanket but I would have to omit Northern Lights for sure. When it came to crocheting with Colour Burst I found it really easy to work with. The smoothness of the yarn meant that it glided nicely along my crochet hook and the recommended 4mm hook felt like the appropriate choice although I do feel you could size up to a 4.5mm if desired. I didn't experience any splitting and when I frogged a square to see how that went it came undone easily with no tangles. Overall, it was delight to crochet with physically. Would I Recommend? Yes, I would recommend this yarn if you enjoy working with varigated yarns, particularly with the colour pink. It's nice to crochet with and creates a lovely soft fabric and the colour changes are pleasing to the eye. I think picking one or two shades and combining them with a neutral, solid colour would make for a really striking project. I'm picturing a little girl's granny stitch cardigan made with Fireworks and Cream - beautiful! Personally, I'd ditch Northern Lights from the colour palette completely as I really don't feel it works with the others and I'm just not a fan. I hope that in the future Stylecraft introduce more shades that don't contain any pink especially for those of us boy mamas who want to use the pretty yarn but need there to be less pink!   Rating: 7/10 + Beautifully soft texture + No splitting + Subtle and delicate colour changes   - Lack of colour variation (too pink) - Northern Lights colourway doesn't fit   Thank you to Stylecraft Yarns for sending me the samples of Colour Burst to try, I definitely have two new favourite colourways in Fireworks and Pixel and am looking forward to experimenting with them for a future project. Stylecraft Colour Burst can be purchased from LoveCrafts (affiliate link) for £3.49 per 100g ball. If you have any Colour Burst in your stash, or are thinking about purchasing some, what projects do you have in mind? Which colourway is your favourite? I'd love to know so please do leave me a comment below. I hope you have found this yarn review helpful and informative. If you have any other yarns that you would like me to review then send me a DM on Instagram @brambles.and.hart Happy Crocheting! Shelley ♡

Hello 2025 and Happy New Year to you all! ✨ I hope that you have had a wonderful start to the year and that you have lots of exciting crochet projects in mind for the coming year - I know I do! I have decided to attempt a book blanket again this year and I am really looking forward to it. As I said in my last blog post, I read a lot in 2024 (82 books in total!) but I did not keep up with making the squares. As with any long term project motivation can falter and I think I made it more complicated than it needed to be. Last year I was making a different type of granny square depending on whether or not I was reading a physical book or an ebook. I then got into audiobooks and couldn't decide which type of sqaure to use. All in all it just made it seem like such a hassle to the make the squares that I kept putting it off. This year, I'm learning from my mistakes and adapting to hopefully make things easier to stick to. My Book Blanket Plan I'm using DK weight yarn and a 4.5mm hook. I 'll be making a 4 round granny square for each book that I read or DNF. This includes physical books, ebooks and audiobooks. The colour of the square will relate to the star rating that I give the book. I'll use the CJAYG (crochet join-as-you-go) method to connect all of my squares and form the blanket. And the most important bit... Finish the book - make the square! I'll use Sundays to catch up on a square or two if needed. The Yarn I am going to be using Yarnsmiths Create DK from Wool Warehouse which was kindly gifted. My colour palette is very similar to last year. It could potentially be very green heavy as my most common ratings are between 3 and 4 stars. If you would like to make your own book blanket colour key then you can download my Canva template here . I just copied and pasted the yarn photos of my chosen shades from the Wool Warehouse website into the template, you can do the same with whatever yarn you choose to use. Reading Challenge My aim is to read a total of 70 books in 2025. In 2024, I read 82 but there were quite a few short stories or novellas so I feel they boosted my total a little. This year I will be tracking my reading on Fable, I started using it around the end of September and I really like it. Previously I was using Goodreads but Fable is far more aesthetically pleasing and I love that it gives you fun updates about the type of reader you are. It tells you what your most popular genres are, which authours you're reading the most of and tracks your reading streaks. This in particular I find very motivating! I purposely broke my reading streak so that I could start a new one on the 1st of January. I'm excited to see how many days I can keep the streak up for! If you would like to join Fable then you can do so here (I'm not an affiliate or anything, I just genuinely love the app!) My username there is BookBeneathThePines - so let's be friends! Bookish Community Do you love reading too? I'm assuming that if you're reading about my book blanket plans then you do! If you want to join with me in making a book blanket then be sure to tag me in your content @brambles.and.hart and use #BookBlanket2025 and #Booksandcrochet. I'm hoping to find a whole community of people who love both books and crochet like me! As Brambles and Hart is my crochet business I don't want to overrun my instagram/TikTok with bookish content so I have started a separate account that is more bookish/personal! I would absolutely love for you to follow me there @booksbeneaththepines I'll be able to share book reviews, what I'm currently reading and all things book related. I will share updates of my book blanket on my Brambles and Hart pages though and of course my monthly wrap ups here on the blog. This year I've decided to just embrace everything that I love! ♡ I'll be back with an update on my book blanket at the end of the month so be sure to keep an eye out for that. I'll share everything that I've read in January and the squares I've made - because I will have made them! Happy reading and crocheting! Shelley ♡

Wow, January has been a great start to my reading year! I have managed to read a total of 21 books this month and there have been some great ones! Books Read This Month      (Title, Author, Format, Rating) Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, Kindle/Physical, 4.5 stars The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman, Kindle, 3.5 stars Home Front by Kristin Hannah, Physical, 4.25 stars Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage, 4 stars Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Audiobook, 4 stars Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage, Kindle, 4.5 stars The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 3.75 stars Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Audiobook, 3.5 stars The Keepers of Metsan Valo by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 4 stars The Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 3.75 stars Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage, Kindle, 4 stars The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 3.5 stars The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 3.25 stars Five Survive by Holly Jackson, Physical/Audiobook, 2.5 stars The Vanishing by Wendy Webb, Audiobook, 3.25 stars Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, Kindle, 4.5 stars The Good Samaritan by John Marrs, Kindle/Audiobook, 3.5 stars Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher, Audiobook, 4 stars The Crash, Freida McFadden, Kindle/Audiobook, 3 stars It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, Physical, 3 stars Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros, Audiobook, 4 stars Best Book of the Month: Iron Flame and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. The Empyrean Series has my heart at the moment. The excitement I felt at the release of Onyx Storm is not something I've experienced since the Harry Potter books as a child. It has been a truly amazing experience, to feel that hype, excitement and positive energy about a book series again. If you have yet to delve into the world of the Fourth Wing then I really recommend it! I have seen people describe it as Dragon Smut and whilst yes there are definitely dragons and sure there are also some spicy scenes they are in no way smut. The world building, epic fantasy, action, relationships, history and characters in this series are truly incredible. If you have yet to start this series, what are you waiting for??? That being said book 4 is not due out until around 2027 🙃 Worst Book of the Month: Five Survive by Holly Jackson I started reading this as a physical book but I found it so tedious and the characters all so unlikeable that I switched to the audio version to see if that would help. It didn't. The storyline had the potential to be fantastic as it was different to anything I've read before but it just fell flat. There was nothing that I liked about any of the characters and I didn't really care who the sniper was or why they were there. I also worked out part of the twist within the first 50 pages which was really disappointing! Audiobooks I have completely fallen in love with audiobooks and yes I absolutely do count them towards my reading goal. Reading is reading in whatever format you choose - this is a hill I will die on! Audiobooks are great for when I'm working because instead of mindlessly watching Netflix I can listen to my latest read instead and be so much more productive. A large part of my work is obviously sitting down and crocheting and this does mean that I can watch a lot of TV but I'm really trying to limit that this year and limit my screen time in general. Since switching to audiobooks whilst working this month I have found that my concentration is better and I'm crocheting faster because I'm not so distracted by the telly. When I posted a mid-month update of the books I'd read so far I got quite a few DMs from people asking where I listen to my audiobooks so here is a little breakdown for those also interested. I have an Audible subscription - this gets me on credit (book) per month and there are also a lot of free books included in the Audible Plus catalogue. I currently have a Kindle Unlimited subscription and there are a lot of books on KU that come with the audible narration. When you borrow the book from KU the audiobook is added to your Audible library. Spotify now offer 15 Audiobook Listening Hours to those with a premium subscription. They do have a good selection of audiobooks to choose from but any hours you don't use are not rolled over to the next month and I don't like that. Also it will just cut off mid chapter if you run out of hours, so frustrating! Libby - this is a FREE app which you can download and then link to your local library (Use your local library services people!) and then you can borrow audiobooks that your library have available in their catalogue. This is very much going to depend on your library service, unfortunately the offerings from my local library aren't great but some people seem able to get an amazing selection from theirs so it is definitely worth checking! If you know of any other apps/platforms through which you can get audiobooks please do let me know! Blanket Progress I have managed to stay up to date with making my squares this month. They are all made and all joined together (not a single end has ben weaved in but that's okay!) As I was making the squares for the books I realised that I needed to add in some extra colours and alter my ratings key a little. I tend to rate books between 3 and 4 stars, it seems to be my default but within that there can be quite a range and so I decided to add in colours for 3.25, 3.75 and 4.25 stars. I use Fable to track my reading and they allow you to do the quarter star ratings so now my book blanket can reflect those too. Bookish Community Do you love reading too? I'm assuming that if you're reading about my book blanket plans then you do! If you want to join with me in making a book blanket then be sure to tag me in your content @brambles.and.hart and use #BookBlanket2025 and #Booksandcrochet. I'm hoping to find a whole community of people who love both books and crochet like me! I will be sharing updates of my book blanket on my Instagram/TikTok and my monthly wrap ups here on the blog so do follow along. I'll be back with another update on my book blanket at the end of February so be sure to keep an eye out for that. I wonder if I'll be able to read as much in Feb? Happy reading and crocheting! Shelley ♡

I think it's safe to say that my attempt at a book blanket this year was a bit of a failure. I have a total of 30 squares made and joined together but I am just finishing up reading book number 80! Why do I think I failed? There are a number of reasons why I think I didn't keep up to date with the book blanket but the main reason is time management. I didn't block out any time to specifically focus of working on my blanket squares. With so many patterns I was working on, commissions, personal projects and family life I really should have set aside some dedicated time once a month or so. I also think trying to have different squares for physical and kindle books made it harder than it needed to be. I could never remember which square design was which so I was always having to check and that just got annoying. I know it's a small thing but it would stop me from just making the square each time. Lastly, is the fact that I read far more than I'd expected to! As this year is the first year that I've really gotten back into reading I initially set my reading goal to 35. When I passed that early on in the year I upped it to 75 thinking that that would be a real stretch but I reached that goal too! Best Books of the Year I have read some fantastic books this year and listened to some really good audiobooks too. Here are a few of my real stand out reads of the year: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah The Women by Kristin Hannah The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Yes, she has become one of my most favourite authors of all time!) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Slewfoot by Brom The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Godkiller by Hannah Kaner Have you read any of these? What did you think? I have a lot of books on my TBR waiting to be read and I am sure that 2025 will be another great reading year. Especially as Onyx Storm releases in January! Are you as excited about that as I am? What's Next? I could try to get all of the squares complete by the end of this year, if I do I will let you know but I think it's more likely that I will admit defeat for this year. I'm not going to let this failure to complete deter me from trying again next year though. I've learnt a lot from my attempt this year and I think I can definitely do it if I try again. I think I'll use a similar colour palette to this year as I really did like it but I think I'll stick to solid granny squares whatever the format of the book be it physical, kindle or audio. This will mean that I can just pick up my yarn and hook and make the square without much thinking other than: what colour relates to this star rating?. I'll also be using the Fable app to track my reads throughout the year. I highly recommend this app. I came across it a couple months ago and I absolutely love it. It shows you different statistics on your reading habits, you can join book clubs and my favourite feature - you can give partial star ratings! Sometimes you just need a half star! If you're considering a book blanket in 2025 then let me know! I'd love for us to work on them together. Don't forget to use #bookblanket2025 and I'll be able to see your progress. I actually can't believe that it's almost the new year, it's very exciting! Happy reading and crocheting! Shelley x

As the weather turns, the nights draw in and the sun rises later in the morning what is better than pulling on a chunky, cosy cardigan? Maybe the sweet satisfaction of knowing that you made the cardigan yourself! The Hazel cardigan is a great project for those new to making garments, if you can crochet a rectangle then I'm certain you can make this cardigan. So go raid your stash for your favourite chunky yarn and let's get going! If you would prefer to have a printable PDF copy of the pattern with photo support included you can get this from my website , Etsy or Ravelry . Before You Begin: You will need: Chunky/bulky/5 weight yarn (see below for note on choosing your yarn) 6.5mm and 7mm crochet hook or size required to meet gauge Tapestry needle Stitch markers Scissors Optional: buttons if you wish to add them Yardage: This is an approximate amount based on using Paintbox Simply Chunky (136m/146yds per 100g) 785m, 884m, 952m, 1020m, 1156m, 1252m, 1360m, 1496m, 1632m A note on yarn choice: not all 5 weight yarn is equal, there can be a big difference in the thickness of a yarn within this category. For example, Hue + Me is definitely on the heavier side whereas Stylecraft Life Chunky is on the much lighter side. For the Hazel cardigan I recommend using a yarn that is on the lighter side of chunky to ensure that the fabric of the cardigan has nice drape and doesn't feel to stiff. It is of course personal preference and you can choose to use whichever yarn you would like, just note that yardage can vary widely depending on the yarn used as will the overall finish of the cardigan. Yarns I recommend: Stylecraft Life Chunky, Paintbox Simply Chunky, Hayfield Bonus Chunky Tweed, Stylecraft Special Chunky. Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch SC - single crochet HDC - half double crochet BLO - working in the back loop only HDC 3rd loop - half double crochet in the third loop (see special stitches). Gauge: 10 sts by 9 rows = 10cm x 10cm/ 4" x 4" How to make a gauge swatch: Using a 7mm hook, ch 20. HDC in 2nd ch from hook and in each stitch across. Ch1 and turn.  HDC in each stitch across.  Repeat until you have a total of 14 rows.  Then measure the inside stitches/rows to check your gauge. You want to ensure you match the gauge for the stitches but if you find yourself out a little on the number of rows then you can counteract this by working more/less rows on each panel and sleeve. Measurements In CM To Fit Chest (circumference) Finished Chest (underarm to underarm) Length (shoulder to hem) Sleeve (underarm to wrist) X-Small 71-76 45 56 41.5 Small 81-86 50 56 42.5 Medium 91-97 55 58 42.5 Large 101-107 60 58 44.5 X Large 111-117 65 60 44.5 2X Large 122-127 70 60 44.5 3X Large 132-137 75 62 46 4X Large 142-147 80 62 48 5X Large 152-158 85 64 48 *Please note that sizes 4X and 5X were unfortunately not pattern tested due to a lack of applicants. If these are sizes you wear please do consider joining my tester group, I'd love to have you! Time adjustments can be made to tests where required. Special Stitches: HDC in the 3rd Loop For this stitch, you work a HDC as normal but rather than through the top of the stitch you go through the 3rd loop of the HDC from the previous row. The 3rd loop will be the bar along the front of the stitch as you are looking at it (see photo) To complete your HDC 3rd Loop, YO and insert your hook under the 3rd loop, pull up a loop so there are 3 loops on your hook. YO and pull through all 3 loops. Pattern Notes: The Hazel Cardigan  is made up of 5 pieces; two front panels, the back panel and two sleeves. The neckband ribbing is worked directly onto the cardigan once all seaming has been completed. The sleeves are worked independently and then sewn onto the main body, therefore if you would like to follow the sleeve pattern for a different size this is easy to do. Ch1 does not  count as a stitch. The stitch counts for each size will be given as follows:  ( XS, S , M , L , XL , 2X , 3X , 4X , 5X   sts ) If separate instructions are required for a specific size this will be made clear. Where only one stitch count is given this means that it is the same for every size. The RS of your panels will be those showing the ridge detail created by working into the 3rd loop. If you are making the ribbing of your cardigan in a different colour to the main body/sleeves you will need to work the ribbing and the HDC row along the length of the ribbing in one colour and then switch to your second colour on the HDC 3rd Loop row. The Pattern Back Panel: Using a 6.5mm crochet hook    (or hook 0.5-1 mm smaller than that needed to reach gauge) Row 1: Ch 12. Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 11  sts). Row 2: SCBLO in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 11  sts). Row 3 onwards: Repeat row 2 until you have a total of 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 85  rows. Now turn your work clockwise so that you can work along the long edge of the ribbing. HDC into the side of each row of ribbing. Ch1 and turn ( 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 85  sts) Note: If your main body is going to be a different colour to your ribbing then switch colour now. Switch to a 7mm crochet hook.    (or hook needed to meet gauge) Row 1 (RS): HDC in the front 3rd Loop of each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 85 ). Row 2 (WS): HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 85  sts) Row 3 onwards: Repeat row 2 until you have a total of 40 , 40 , 42 , 42 , 44 , 44 , 46 , 46 , 48   rows. (This includes the rows worked in the 3rd loop)  Neck Shaping   Row 1 (RS): HDC in the first 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts. HDC2TOG across the next 2 sts. Ch1 and turn. ( 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 33  sts) Row 2: HDC2TOG across the first 2 sts. HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn.  ( 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts) Row 3: HDC in the first 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30  HDC. HDC2 TOG across the last 2 sts. ( 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31  sts) Fasten off. Neck Shaping cont. With RS facing, count 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34  sts from the left and attach your yarn. Ch1 ready to begin the first row. Row 1 (RS): HDC2TOG across the first 2 sts. HDC in the next 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts.  Ch1 and turn. ( 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 33  sts) Row 2: HDC across, HDC2TOG across the last 2 sts. Ch1 and turn. ( 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts) Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in each st across. ( 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31  sts) Fasten off. Front Panels: Both panels begin the same. Using a 6.5mm  crochet hook or hook used for back panel ribbing. Row 1:Ch 12. Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 11  sts). Row 2: SCBLO in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 11  sts). Row 3 onwards: Repeat row 2 until you have a total of 21 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 41  rows. Now turn your work clockwise so that you can work along the long edge of the ribbing. HDC into the side of each row of ribbing. Ch1 and turn ( 21 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 41  sts) Switch to a 7mm crochet hook  (or hook used for back panel) Row 1 (WS): HDC in the front 3rd Loop of each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 21 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 41 ). Row 2 (RS): HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 21 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 41  sts) Row 3 - 29: Repeat row 2. We will now begin decreasing on every even number row and this is where the panels are worked slightly differently so follow Panel 1 instructions for one side and Panel 2 instructions for the other to ensure that the decrease shaping is the opposite for each side of the cardigan. Panel 1 Row 30 (dec): HDC2TOG across first 2 sts. HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 20 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 37 , 40  sts) Row 31: HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 20 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 37 , 40  sts) Row 32 (dec): Repeat row 30 ( 19 , 21 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 39  sts) Row 33: Repeat row 31 ( 19 , 21 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 39  sts) Repeat rows 32 and 33 (dec row, non-decrease row) until you have a total of 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31  sts and a total of 41 , 41 , 43 , 43 , 45 , 45 , 47 , 47 , 49  rows. Final 2 rows: HDC into each st across, ch1 and turn. ( 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31   sts) Fasten off leaving a tail approximately 35cm for seaming. Panel 2 Row 30 (dec): HDC in each st across until 2 sts remain, HDC2TOG across last 2 sts. Ch1 and turn. ( 20 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 37 , 40  sts) Row 31: HDC in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 20 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 37 , 40  sts) Row 32 (dec): Repeat row 30 ( 19 , 21 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 39  sts) Row 33: Repeat row 31 ( 19 , 21 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 39  sts) Repeat rows 32 and 33 (dec row, non-decrease row) until you have a total of 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31  sts and a total of 41 , 41 , 43 , 43 , 45 , 45 , 47 , 47 , 49  rows. Final 2 rows: HDC into each st across, ch1 and turn. ( 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 31  sts) Fasten off leaving a tail approximately 35cm for seaming. Sleeves: Make 2 the same Cuffs Using a 6.5mm hook.       If you feel your cuff is going to be tighter than you’d like use a 7mm hook. Row 1: Ch 10. Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts). Row 2: SCBLO in each st across. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts). Row 3 onwards: Repeat row 2 until you have a total of 18 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  rows. Join the ribbing by working a sl st in the BLO of the last row sts and the underside of the starting chain. Turn your work so that you can work around the top edge of the cuff. HDC into the side of each row of ribbing (the same as when doing the ribbing for the panels). Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 18 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts) You will now be working in joined rounds. Using a 7mm hook. Rnd 1 (WS): HDC into the front 3rd loop. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 18 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32  sts)       Note:  Working into the front 3rd loop here is the same as for the panels but you are working on the inside of the sleeve, with the WS of the cuff facing you. See photo support. Round 2 (RS):  HDC into the first st, 2HDC into the next st. Repeat this around the cuff. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn.  ( 27 , 27 , 30 , 33 , 36 , 39 ,   42 , 45 , 48  sts) Rounds 3-7:  HDC into each st around. Sl st to join, ch 1 and turn. ( 27 , 27 , 30 , 33 , 36 , 39 , 42 , 45 , 48  sts) Round 8 (RS) INC: 2HDC into the first st, HDC around, 2HDC into the last st. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn.  ( 29 , 29 , 32 , 35 , 38 , 41 , 44 , 47 , 50  sts) Rounds 9-13: HDC into each st around. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 29 , 29 , 32 , 35 , 38 , 41 , 44 , 47 , 50  sts) Round 14 (RS) INC: 2HDC into the first st. HDC around, 2HDC into the last st. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn.  ( 31 , 31 , 34 , 37 , 40 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 52  sts)   Last INC round for size XS Rounds 15-19: HDC into each st around. Sl tst to join, ch1 and turn. ( 31 , 31 , 34 , 37 , 40 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 52  sts) XS Round 20: HDC into each st around. Sl st to join. ch1 and turn. ( 31  sts)          Continue working rounds of HDC until you have 32   rounds in total. Fasten off leaving a 50cm tail.   All other sizes Round 20 (RS) INC: 2HDC into the first st, HDC around, 2HDC into the last st. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn.  ( 33 , 36 , 39 , 42 , 45 , 48 , 51 , 54  sts) Rounds 21-25: HDC into each st around. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 33 , 36 , 39 , 42 , 45 , 48 , 51 , 54  sts) Round 26 (RS) INC: 2HDC into the first st, HDC around, 2HDC into the last st. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 35 , 38 , 41 , 44 , 47 , 50 , 53 , 56  sts)  Last INC round for S , M , L , XL Rounds 27 - 32: HDC in each st around. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 35 , 38 , 41 , 44 , 47 , 50 , 53 , 56  sts)           Sizes S , M , L   XL  work rounds of HDC until you have a total of 33 , 34 , 34 , 35  rounds. Fasten off leaving a 55cm tail. 2X , 3X , 4X , 5X   continue Round 33 (RS) INC): 2HDC into the first st, HDC around, 2HDC into the last st. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 49 , 52 , 55 , 58  sts)          (This is an optional increase round, you can replace with a standard HDC round if you wish) Round 34 onwards: HDC in each st around. Sl st to join, ch1 and turn. ( 49 , 52 , 55 , 58  sts)     Repeat until you have a total of 36 , 36 , 37 , 37  rounds.  All remaining sizes fasten off leaving a 65cm tail. Seaming: Notes before you begin: The Right Sides of your work will always be facing each other. If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to mark the RS of both your panels with a stitch marker. I recommend whip stitching as the seaming method but please feel free to do whatever you are most confident with if you usually use a different method. Before you begin seaming your panels together, lay your back panel down flat and line up your sleeves so that you can mark where your arm holes need to begin (the end tail of each sleeve should be orientated to the underside centre so that it will be inline with the seam). Main Body Lay your back and one of your front panels side by side, WS facing you, with the shoulders lined up. Ensure that your rows are lined up as evenly as possible. Thread your tapestry needle with a long tail, approximately 100-120cm (rather too much than not enough) and work the needle through the very edge of both panels from right to left, tying a knot to secure.  You will then whip stitch your two panels together until just before the stitch marker denoting where your armhole will begin. Do not fasten off your yarn just yet incase you need to adjust your seam. Shoulders Using the long tails left from the neck shaping, whip stitch your along the length of your shoulders. Fasten off. Repeat for second front panel.  Sleeves With the WS of your cardigan facing you, insert your first sleeve through the armhole and line up the sleeve to the armhole. It should fit neatly without the need to stretch out the sleeve or the armhole too much. If your side seam needs increasing or pulling back then adjust as needed. Using the long tail left on sleeve, whip stitch around the armhole and the opening of your sleeve. You want to ensure that you work through each stitch of the sleeve. Fasten off and repeat for the second sleeve. Turn your cardigan the right way out and double check that you are happy with how everything is seamed before weaving in all of your ends. Ribbing: With your cardigan facing you, attach your yarn to the bottom left corner of  the left-side front panel.  Using a 6.5mm hook , ch10.  Row 1: SC into the 2nd chain from the hook and into each at along. Sl st into the next 2 sts along. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts) Row 2: SCBLO into each st along. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts). Row 3: SCBLO into each st along. Sl st into the next 2 sts along. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts) Row 4: SCBLO into each st along. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts) Repeat rows 3 and 4 around the front opening of your cardigan until you reach the bottom right-hand corner. Fasten off and weave in your ends. When working into the main body of the panels you will want to work approximately 2 rows of SCBLO ribbing per 3 HDC rows of the panel. A note on buttonholes: If you would like to add to add buttonholes to your Hazel cardigan, I suggest using stitch markers to note roughly where you would like your buttonholes to be along the front of your cardigan. I usually use 4-6 buttons for my cardigans depending on the size of the button. You will work your ribbing as normal until you reach the first stitch marker. I recommend working the buttonhole on a WS row, when you are working away from the cardigan.    Buttonhole row: SCBLO in the first 4 sts, ch2 and skip a st, SCBLO in the final 4 sts. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts)    Next row: SCBLO in first 4 sts, SC into the ch2 space, SCBLO in last 4 sts. Sl st into the next 2 sts along. Ch1 and turn. ( 9  sts) I would always check that my button fit through the hole. If it doesn’t you may need to skip an extra stitch to create a larger buttonhole. Aim to have the same number of standard ribbing rows between each buttonhole. Generally, I have mine spaced about 8 rows apart. Congratulations your Hazel Cardigan is now complete! I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern, my first free garment pattern no less! I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #BHHazelCardigan #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart If you would like to join my pattern tester list so that you can be the first to know about upcoming pattern tests you can do that here . Be sure to check out my other patterns also, all free patterns can be found on the website and I have paid patterns on my website, Etsy and Ravelry. I'm also over on YouTube now so please do subscribe!

Since getting back into reading and fell in love with my Kindle again it's probably no surprise that I've also started eyeing up all of the pretty accessories that you can purchase now for them. I'm talking cases, stickers, pop socket, stands, automatic page turners and of course cosy covers. What nicer thing can you do for your Kindle than give it a beautiful cosy case to keep it well protected when you're out and about. Make it cute and crochet and you really are ticking all of my boxes! This free pattern is for the sweet Daisy Delight Kindle Sleeve. New Updates added! Is it only for Kindles? Absolutely not! The beauty of this pattern is that you can easily adjust the sizing so you can make it for any brand e-reader, your iPad or tablet or even an extra large one as a laptop sleeve. I'll provide hints and tips for how to alter the sizing throughout the pattern. My Kindle is quite an old model now and not quite as large as some of the newer ones so it is most likely that you would need a different stitch count to me anyway. That being said, the ease of altering the size of the cover also makes this pattern very adaptable in terms of what yarn you choose to use, For mine shown here I have used an aran/worsted/ 4 weight 100% acrylic yarn but you could chose to use a thinner or thicker weight yarn and perhaps try cotton for extra durability. The Pattern You will need: Your choice of yarn, I used Yarnsmiths Create Aran in Light Sage, White and Antique Gold. 4.5mm hook for sleeve 4mm hook for Daisies Tapestry needle Scissors Button Optional: Glue Gun, scrap paper. Good idea to have your Kindle/tablet/laptop to hand too. If you are using a different weight yarn then I recommend using a hook that is 0.5-1mm smaller than that suggested. If your tension is generally quite tight anyway then you may wish to stick with the original size. Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch SC - single crochet HDC - half double crochet BLO - Back Loop Only Kindle Sleeve Using your main colour in my case Light Sage and a 4.5mm hook, ch as many sts as required to cover the width of you Kindle. Note: If you want a snug fit then ch to just cover the width of yout device, if you'd like a looser fit then have a couple chs either side. I chained 20 and I will refer to my st counts throughout but you can simply replace these with your own. Rnd 1: In the 2nd ch from the hook HDC, HDC in each ch along until one remains. Into the final ch work 3 HDC and turn your work so that you are now working along the bottom side of the ch. HDC into each ch along, working 2 HDC into the last ch. Sl st to join, Ch1 and do not turn. (40 sts) Note : Here's how to work out what your stitch count should be (Starting ch - 1) x 2 + 2 = Stitch Count My example - (20 - 1) x 2 = 38 + 2 = 40 sts Update: I got a new kindle Paperwhite and have made a new sleeve for it which uses. astarting chain of 22 and an overall stitch count of 44 sts. Rnd 2 (RS): HDCBLO into each st around. Sl st to join. Ch 1 and turn. (40 sts) Rnd 3 (WS): HDC in each st around. Sl st to join. Ch 1 and turn (40 sts) Rnd 4 onwards: Repeat rnd 3 until you are almost at the top of your device. Ensure that you end after completing a right side facing row. (I worked a total of 20 rounds) Fasten off main colour and attach contrast colour. For me this was White. Update: For my Kindle Paperwhite I work. a total of 22 rounds. All of the contrast colour rounds will be worked with the RS facing. Rnd 1 (RS) HDC in each st around. SL st to join. Ch1 and do not turn. (40 sts) Rnd 2 (RS): HDC in st around. SL st to join. Ch1 and do not turn. (40 sts) Before the final round where we will create the button loop we need to work out where the centre is on the front of our work. To do this take your total st count and divide by 4. For me this is 40 divded by 4 = 10 This is how many sts you will work before completing your button loop. Rnd 3 (RS): Sc into the first 10 sts, ch 11, sct into the next st to join loop. Continue to sc in each st around. Sl st to join. Fasten off contrast colour and weave in all ends. New! Alternative Button Band If you would like to use the button band seen in the photo with the purple sleeve instead of the simple chain loop then follow these instructions for Rnd 3. Take the total number of your stitches and divide by 2 e.g. 40 sts /2 = 20 This shows that we have 20 sts at the front and 20 sts at the back. We will be working the button loop across 3 sts so we need to find the central 3 sts at the back of the sleeve. e.g. Back = 20 sts 20 - 3 = 17 As this is an odd number I would divide 16 by 2 to give me 8 sts either side of the band and add in the extra stitch to the beginning of the round before the button loop. I find this gives me the most central placement but you could opt to add the extra st in after the band is complete. Rnd 3: SC into the first 9 sts (8 plus the extra 1). HDC into the next 3 sts, ch1 and turn. We will now work across those 3 sts only. HDC in each st, ch 1 and turn. HDC, ch1 and skip a st, HDC in last st, ch 1 and turn. (button hole created) HDC into first st, into the ch sp and into the last st. HDC2TOG across the first 2 sts, HDC into last st. Sl st down the side of the band until you reach the bottom and ca rejoin the final round of the sleeve. SC into the next st and into each st around. Fasten off and weave in your ends. The Daisy For my Kindle sleeve I made 2 small and 2 large daisies. You may wish to make a different amount to give the finish you desire on your cover. Small Daisy Using Antique Gold and a 4mm hook Centre: Into a MR work 8 SC. Sl st to join. (8 sts) Fasten off and attach White. Petals: Ch 4, HDC into 2nd ch from hook and next ch along. SC into final ch. Sl st into next st along the centre to join petal. Repeat this around until you have created all 8 petals. Fasten off and weave in your ends. Large Daisy Using Antique Gold and a 4mm hook Centre: Into a MR work 10 SC. Sl st to join. (10 sts) Fasten off and attach White. Petals: Ch 4, HDC into 2nd ch from hook and next ch along. SC into final ch. Sl st into next st along the centre to join petal. Repeat this around until you have created all 10 petals. Fasten off and weave in your ends. Attaching Daisies I personally prefer to use a glue gun because it's quicker, easier and makes my inner crafter's heart smile but if you don't like them or don't have access to one then you can sew the daisies onto your sleeve. A good tip here, especially if you are using a glue gun, is to arrange the daisies onto your sleeve how you would like them and then take a quick photo on your phone that you can refer to as you attach them one by one. I would also recommend placing a piece of scrap paper into your Kindle sleeve whilst you glue them on just to prevent and glue transfer to the other side of the fabric which could result in it getting stuck. Your final touch is to sew on your button and then your Daisy Kindle Sleeve is complete! I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern. I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #DaisyDelightKindleSleeve #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart

The '-ber' months are here and with that comes Pumpkin Season. I for one want cute little pumpkins adorning everything! I've got some plush pumpkins on my mantel piece, a pumpkin garland above my desk and now I have a pumpkin cup cosy for my favourite seasonal beverages! I don't know if it's just my local Starbucks (other coffee shops are available) that don't always give out the cardboard sleeves anymore but I know that if I don't have one my coffee ends up burning my hand. To solve this problem I have designed the super cute Pumpkin Cup Cosy and I now keep one in my bag and one in the car so that I always have one to hand. Using this pattern you can now make one too! I am also pleased (and extremely nervous) to say that you can now get a full tutorial for this pattern on my YouTube channel! Click here to view! ♡ Yes, your girl has started a YouTube channel! I so often get asked for videos for certain patterns or parts of patterns so I thought it was about time and this seemed like a nice simple pattern to begin with as I have never filmed a full length tutorial before. Please do go and like and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you would like to see more free pattern tutorials in the future! The Pattern You will need: Chunky/Bulky/5 weight yarn in your main colour. I used Stylecraft Life Chunky in Natural Neep* Scrap yarn in pumpkin shade - I used a super chunky yarn but chunky or aran would also work. Scrap yarn for stalk - I used aran weight yarn 5mm hook for sleeve 6.5mm and 4mm hook for pumpkin applique Large eye tapestry needle Measuring tape Scissors Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch MR - magic ring SC - single crochet HDC - half double crochet DC - half double crochet Crab stitch - reverse single crochet. Sleeve/Cosy: Using main colour and 5mm hook Ch 30 Row 1: HDC into the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch along. (29 sts) We will now sl st to join to the first HDC of the row to join so that we can begin to work in the round. Ensure that your work is not twisted. Ch1, do not turn. Rnd 2: HDC into each st around. Sl st to join and ch 1. (29 sts) Here you will want to measure the width of your cup cosy and it should be approximately 4.25' or 11cm wide. Rnd 3-7: Repeat round 2. Rnd 8 - Crab stitch border. To create the crab stitch (reverse single crochet) border you work around the cosy anticlockwise, the opposite way to that which you would normally crochet. SC into each st and each chain space around, sl st to the first st to join. Fasten off your yarn and weave in your ends. Use the end from the start of your work to close the gap at the bottom of your cup cosy from where we joined the initial row. Note - if you have a very visible seam (usually on darker colours) that you find unappealing then when working your rounds, skip the first st at the base of the ch1 and work your final st into the sl st from the previous round. Pumpkin Applique: Using your pumpkin shade Hook size depends on weight of yarn. My recommendations would be: super chunky/chunk - 6.5mm, aran - 5mm Rnd 1: Working into your MR, SC, 7DC, SC. Fasten off and weave in your ends. Stalk/stem: Using aran yarn and a 4mm hook Attach your chosen colour to the pumpkin by pulling up a loop through the MR and ch4. Sc into the 2nd ch from your hook and into the next 2 chs. Sl st through the MR to join. Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough for attaching the stalk. Weave in your other end. Attaching Applique You can either sew your applique on or use a glue gun, the choice is yours. To sew your pumpkin onto the sleeve, take a long strand of your pumpkin colour yarn and use that to sew through each stitch of your pumpkin onto the sleeve. Then using your tail from the stalk, sew around the stalk to secure in place. Weave in all of your ends and your Pumpkin Cup Cosy is finished and ready to adorn your next seasonal beverage! What is your go to order for this time of year? Are you a PSL lover or do you prefer a Chai Tea Latte like me? I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern. I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #BHPumpkinCupCosy #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart

I love to have a garland hanging on my mantelpiece and I tend to change it with the seasons. Last year I made a pumpkin garland and I have put that up again this year as we moved into Autumn but I decided that for spooky season I wanted something a little different. Enter the Ghosts & Gravestones Garland! Combining my favourite little pumpkins with some plush ghost and gravestones you get a cute and spooky garland that is the perfect decoration in the run up to Halloween. The Pattern You will need: Here I will list the yarn and hook sizes that I used but you can absolutely use whatever you have to hand. This is intended to be a stashbuster friendly project! Just be aware that if you use a different weight yarn to me then your garland may vary in size. Ghosts & Gravestones : Yarnsmiths Create Aran in white and Light Grey Heather Small amount of black for ghost eyes and RIP lettering 4mm hook Pumpkin Body: Stylecraft Super Chunky XL Tweed in Gingerbread 7mm hook Pumpkin Stalk: Stylecraft Special Aran in Khaki 4mm hook Garland Chain 4mm hook Optional: Saftey eyes for the ghosties instead of crocheting them Tapestry needle Large eye tapestry needle for super chunky yarn Measuring tape Scissors Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch MR - magic ring SC - single crochet HDC - half double crochet DC - double crochet For the ghosts and gravestones, you will make two of the main bodies, add the detailing to one and then sew them together. This is mainly to keep all of the yarn ends from the detailing hidden on the inside. If this won't bother you then you could just make them with a single layer. Ghost: Make 2 per ghost - I had a total of 3 ghosts on my garland so I made 6 bodies. Using White and 4mm hook Ch 7 Row 1: HDC in the 2nd ch from the hook, HDC in first 4 sts, 5 HDC in the last st. Now working along the underside of the ch, HDC in last 5 sts. Ch1 and turn. (15 sts) Row 2: HDC in first 6 sts, work 2HDC in the next 3sts and then HDC in the final 6 sts. Ch1 and turn. (18 sts) Row 3: Work 3HDC into the first st. HDC in next 6 sts along. 2HDC into each of the next 4sts. HDC into next 6 sts and work 5 HDC into the final st. We will now work along the bottom of the ghost. Sl st to bottom edge then work 5DC into the centre (this will likely look like a little hole so it's easy to spot), sl st to edge again. Work 2 HDC into same space as first sts from this row.. Sl st to first HDC to join. (35 sts) Fasten off. Note: If you are going to be making two ghost bodies and sewing them together then on one leave a long tail for sewing. If not you can weave in the ends. Eyes (Make 2): Using black yarn and a 4mm hook Make magic ring (MR). Into the MR work 2 SC, sl st to join. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. To attach your eyes to the ghost you will sew them onto the main body, or you could use a glue gun but I actually did sew mine on. An alternative is to use safety eyes though with this option I would definitely recommend doing the double layer option for additional safety. Gravestone: Note: This is very similar to the Ghosts, it's just row 3 that's different. Using Light Grey Heather and a 4mm hook. Ch 7 Row 1: HDC in the 2nd ch from the hook, HDC in first 4 sts, 5 HDC in the last st. Now working along the underside of the ch, HDC in last 5 sts. Ch1 and turn. (15 sts) Row 2: HDC in first 6 sts, work 2HDC in the next 3sts and then HDC in the final 6 sts. Ch1 and turn. (18 sts) Row 3: HDC in first 7 sts along. 2HDC into each of the next 4sts. HDC into last 7 sts. Now work 7 SC along the bottom edge of the work to give a neat finish. (25 HDC, 7 SC) Fasten off. Note: If you are going to be making two gravestones and sewing them together then on one leave a long tail for sewing. If not you can weave in the ends. Using a tapestry needle and small amount of black yarn, stitch on your RIP letters and then use khaki yarn to add on some grassy detailing. When adding the RIP lettering to the gravestone you can first write out the letter using a disappearing ink pen if you'd like to. Double layering To attach your front and back layer of the ghosts/gravestones, place your two pieces with the RS of each on facing outwards. Then use the long tail from of piece and whip stitch around, work through the stitch on the front piece and the corresponding stitch on the back. Fasten off and weave in your ends. Pumpkin Applique: Using Gingerbread (or your chosen pumpkin shade) and a 7mm hook Make a MR Into your MR work a SC, 8DC and a final SC. (9 sts) Fasten off and weave in your ends. Stalk: Using khaki and a 4mm hook Attach your stalk colour to the pumpkin by pulling up a loop through the MR and ch4. Sc into the 2nd ch from your hook and into the next 2 chs. Sl st through the MR to join. (3 sts) Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough for attaching the stalk. Weave in your other end. Joining Garland I will provide the instructions for how I join my garland, you can adjust as necessary. You can make your garland as long as you like, using as many ghosts, gravestones and pumpkins as you like in whichever combination you like - that's part of the fun! For my garland, I used 3 Ghosts, 3 Gravestone and 7 pumpkins and placed a pumpkin in between each ghost/gravestone. This is what fits nicely along my mantlepiece. It creates a garland approximately 115cm long. Using one of your aran weight yarns and a 4mm hook. To begin - ch 15 To attach a pumpkin, work a SC into the top of the stem. Ch 17 between motifs. To attach a Ghostie or Gravestone, insert hook through a stitch at the top and pull up a loop, repeat through the next two sts so there are.4 loops on the hook, YO and pull through all loops. When you are ready to finish your garland, ch 15 to match the start and the fasten off. Your garland is now ready to adorn your home/office/wherever with spooky vibes! I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern. I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #GhostiesandGravestones #BHSpookyGarland #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart

With granny square appreciation day having just past I thought it the perfect time to share this fun project that is ideal for using up some scrap yarn. (In all honesty, the post was supposed to be released last week in time for Granny Square Day I'm just behind schedule - I blame the school holidays!) I needed a new coaster for my desk so that I could stop leaving coffee rings everywhere. Of course, I decided to make some! I chose to use cotton yarn because it works better with hot items, there's no risk of any sort of melting like you could potentially have with acrylic yarn. Also I really don't like the feel of acrylic yarn when it gets wets so just best avoided for this project. The Pattern You will need: 5 colours of Hobbii Friends Cotton 8/4 or other comparable yarns (This is a 4ply yarn) You could use all the same colour if you wanted to. All strands are held together throughout this pattern. 6mm clover crochet hook Large eye tapestry needle Scissors If you use a thicker yarn e.g. Paintbox Cotton Aran then I would use 3 strands of yarn rather than 3. Stitch Abbreviations (US Terms) St/s - stitch/es Ch - chain Sl st - slip stitch DC - half double crochet Crab stitch - reverse single crochet. Granny Square Using all 5 strands of yarn together, create a magic circle. Rnd 1: Into the magic circle, ch2, 2 DC, ch1. *3DC,ch1* repeat from *to* 2 more times. Sl st to top of ch2 to join. Ch2 and turn. Rnd 2: Work 2 DC into the chain space at the base of the ch2. (3DC, ch1, 3DC) into the next 3 chain spaces. 3DC into the first chain space, ch1. Sl st to top of ch2 to join. Ch2 and turn. Rnd 3: Work 2 DC into the chain space at the base of the ch2. *3DC into the next chain space. (3DC, ch1, 3DC) into the corner* Repeat from *to* two more times. 3DC into chain space. 3DC into the first corner, ch1. Sl st to top of ch2 to join. Ch1 and do not turn . Rnd 4 - Crab stitch border. To create the crab stitch (reverse single crochet) border you work around the square anticlockwise, the opposite way to that which you would normally crochet. SC into each st and each chain space around, sl st to the first st to join. Fasten off your yarn and weave in your ends. The Chunky Granny Square Coasters are the perfect accessory for your desk or coffee table - I love a pretty and practical project! I think these would look great in all sorts of colourways but I also think a singular colour could be really striking. You can pick your favourite colour/s to suit your own personal style. I could see these being ideal as quick makes for markets, create a set of four, tie together with some twine and add a cute label with your branding on and your ready to go! I have created a super simple label template on Canva that you can access here, change the colours and fonts to best suit you the simply print and attach! I really hope that you enjoyed making this free pattern. I'd love to see your work so please do tag me in your posts on social media @Brambles.and.Hart and use the hashtags #ChunkyGrannyCoasters #BHFreePatternMakes #BramblesandHart