Rustic Wrap Cardi

I was having a sort through my stash at the weekend.  I'm pleased to report I've now made a reasonable dent in it and I've managed to clear a whole trug!  While I was going through everything I found a few yarns I had left over from my cloth nappying days and thought I should make something with it.  I wanted a cardigan pattern but as is so often the case, I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I came up with my own pattern.

The finished cardi has a 24" chest (approx age 5), if you need to adjust this you could add a couple more chains when you form armholes.

You will need:
6.5mm hook
300g worsted/aran or bulky weight yarn.  The original is made with Arucania Magallenes which is a thick and thin slubby-esque yarn.
4 stitch markers

1. Ch51, dc in 3rd ch from hook (turning ch does not count as stitch here or throughout) and each st across, turn (49)
2.  Ch2 (doesn't count!) 2dc in first st, dc in each stitch across, 2dc in last, turn (51)
3. Ch2, 2dc in first, dc in next 11, 3dc place marker in first and 3rd stitches just made, dc in next 25 sts, 3dc place marker in first and 3rd sts just made, dc in next 11, 2dc in last, turn (57)
4. Ch2, 2dc in first, dc to first marked st, *3dc in marked st, move marker to first st of cluster, dc to next marked st 3dc in marked st, move marker to third st of cluster, * dc to next marked st, rep **, dc to last, 2dc in last, turn (67)
5-10.  Repeat row 4, increasing by 10 stitches on each row > (77, 87, 97, 107, 117, 127)

To form armholes:
11. Ch2, 2dc in first, dc to  first marked st, ch2,  sk both marked sts and those in between and rejoin with a dc in st after second marked st, dc across to third marked st, ch2, sk both marked sts and those in between and rejoin with a dc in st after fourth marked st, dc to last, 2dc in last, turn. (71)
Leave markers in to help you see where you need to work when you join the sleeves.
12.  Ch2, 2dc in first, dc to last (remember to work a dc in each ch under arm (2dc in each ch2 sp), 2dc in last, turn (73)
13- 28:  Repeat row 12
Do not fasten off!!
Finishing round:  turn your work to work along side of front up towards neck band, ch1, work 2sc in each dc row end to first neck corner, work 3dc in corner st, sc in each st around neck, 3sc in next corner sp, 2sc in each dc row end to next corner, 3sc in corner sp, sc in each st to last corner, 3sc in last corner, join with a sl st, fasten off and sew in ends. 

To work sleeves, make sure you working in the opposite direction to previous yoke row!
1.  Join with a sl st in one of the ch sps under arms, ch2, dc in same sp, dc2tog across dc row end and marked st (remove marker), dc  in each st around to marked st, work dc2tog across marked st and dc row end, dc in other ch sp, sl st to join round, turn. (33)
2-19: ch2, dc in each st around, join with a sl st in top of first st of round, turn (33)

Fasten off, weave in ends, sew on buttons!  There are no buttonholes in this pattern, just use the holes in the fabric.

Draco Shawl

It's been a while since I posted, but I have a good excuse:  I accidentally came up with a new pattern!  As so often happens with me, I was messing around with one idea and ended up with something completely different to what I had intended.  Completely and marvellously different.  I have had a touch of the Willy Wonka creativity with this one!
So, I crocheted my way through my original draft, thinking first that I would end up with a triangle, then that I would have a parallelogram on my hands.  I got my husband to help me stretch it to check it would be long enough post blocking...  Then I blocked it and was totally surprised by the shape!

The kids decided it looked like a dragon wing.  I hadn't written down the pattern.  I would need to make another one.
So I did.  Only I have been beading a lot of my shawls recently and considered how I might bead this one.  At first I thought I should just do the tips of the points but hey I had a lot of beads...  maybe I should try something different...
So I crocheted and wrote down what I did.  The beading took aaages until it dawned on me I should probably just get a really tiny crochet hook.  The project sped right up and I was finished in a week!  I'm so glad I chose a yarn with silk in, the drape was much better in the second version of the shawl.

 

So that's what I did this summer!  The pattern has now been tested over on Ravelry and is available with 25% off for a couple more days (till Friday), Draco Shawl .  The price will then be going up to £2.  Follow the link to see my testers projects, they've chosen some awesome colour combinations!

 

The pattern has been my most popular to date and I've learnt a new skill - charts in excel!  I've also made a third version with matching yarn and beads:



The pattern is also available in my etsy store: RedcloverCrochet at the full price of £2