Easter eggs

Easter.
Traditional way of dyeing eggs on Easter.
 Chocolate on Christmas, chocolate on Valentines day, and what a surprise chocolate on Easter....
Starting to get a bit boring!!
Where is the excitement and surprise???
Well this is the way we dyed eggs on Easter in Latvia every year...I am only gonna show one way of doing it on this blog, very simple, but beautiful.
Oh, I did add some chocolate, well everyone loves chocolate, especially kids :)

Materials:
Scissors
Thread
Fabric squares
Lacy fabric,
 nion peelings from red or normal onions or both
little plants ,leaves, flowers and other bits from nature,whatever you can find outside
grains, like rice wheat, grey peas, pearl barley etc

1st step:
 is to put all the onion skins in the pan with about 3l of water and let it simmer, while you getting all the eggs ready.

 

2nd step:

Get the little squares of your fabric ready fill them with grains, but not too much, just a pinch, spread about, get your egg, put a flower or leave on the side or where ever you wish, press it down, wrap around with the cloth and tie it at the end with your thread.

Use your imagination, don't worry if something falls out, or doesn't stay straight etc.

 Every egg will still develop nice pattern and every each and one of the will be different a nice surprise.

rice,wheat grain, grey peas,and some leaves

just lace and an egg

lacy fabric,will maybe leave nice lacy pattern

some rice, some yellow flower, and green leaf

Used some thread to just tie it around the egg on its own

simple grass , peas and wheat grains

a fragment of lace fabric, gray peas and some green leaves again

here is the first batch of the designed eggs, ready to cook

 I left the onion skins to cook for about an hr, then added some vinegar, approx 3 table spoons.

Vinegar helps keeping that colour bright and strong.

You may need to add some more water, because quite a bit might evaporate.

3rd step:

put your eggs in the boiling water  slowly with a spoon.

Make sure you don't drop, other wise they will brake.

You need to boil the eggs hard, for about 10-15 min

While your first batch cooking, you can make the other batch ready,if you still want more :)

I dyed 15 eggs.

Once they have cooked, take them out and leave to cool down for a while.

Once they cooled down, you can start unwrapping them.

 Use scissors to cut your little pouches.
 Wash off any excess leaves, flowers and grains.
Rub a bit of oil on them to make them shiny.

Look at all of those patterns,organic and natural

can you see the delicate in print of  grains and dills  on the egg/

Well that's it...
Kids love this fun, but time consuming process of dyeing eggs.

So much fun with natural and organic materials, mixing them and not knowing,what the result going to be :)
Beautiful and lovely Easter surprise every time you unwrap that little pouch.
Magic...

I used a basket and big fruit platter to display my Easter eggs, added some chocolate and obviously some of my crochet too :)

Please share the ways you celebrate Easter, what are your family traditions
And have a Happy Easter  everyone:)

Crochet tiger hat for kids

Crochet tiger hat.

Free pattern.

Made this hat a while ago, and it was very popular on my crochet magic page :)

There are many tiger hats online, some free patterns, some not, and here is mine.

I am a novice in creating patterns, so please be understanding.

Mostly I don't even use any patterns at all, just look at pictures to have inspiration etc.

When I had another order and had to make another hat, I thought I have to record it and publish that pattern:)

Hope you enjoy it, please be free to ask any questions, as my pattern might not be as clear as the one from professional crocheters :)

 Pattern.

Materials:

Patons Fab acrylic yarn in orange,

black, royal blue and white.

Hook size 3.5mm, 4 mm and 5mm

Threading needle.
Sizing

Stitches used:

st(s) – stitch(es)

ch – chain stitch

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

sc – single crochet

sl st - slip stitch

Hat:

1st Rnd: Start with black yarn, hook size 4mm, ch 5, sl st

2nd Rnd: Ch 3, then  14 dc in the ring, sl st (15sts)

3rd Rnd: Join the orange yarn, ch 3, dc in the same st, 2 dc in next st and so around sl st, ( 30 sts)

4th Rnd: 

With black yarn, ch 3 , 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next stixh and so on,sl st at the end

 ( 45 sts)

5th Rnd: With orange yarn, ch 3 ,dc in next 2 stiches, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts and so on ,sl st at the end ( 60sts)

Note: You have to increase your stitches in every round until you reach the right size, thicker the yarn, less increase rounds you will need.

 6th Rnd:With black yarn ch 3, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 3 sts and so all around, sl st  (75sts)

7-17th Rnd: Ch 3 and dc in each st all around, sl st, for each round use orange and black yarn accordingly

18th Rnd: Orange yarn. Using 3.5 mm hook, to make the edge slightly tighter (I believe makes the hat shape a bit better): ch 2 and sc all around in every st, sl st at the end fasten off. Your last round may be with orange or black yarn.

 ( If you wanted bigger hat, like the one in the picture below, then  your last round might be in black yarn )

Ears:

 Make 2:

 Black and orange yarn. I doubled up the yarn and used hook 5 mm:

1st Rnd: ch 5, sl st

2nd Rnd: ch 2,  7 hdc in the ring, don't join in the ring, just turn over and start next round,

3rd Rnd:  Joind the orange yarn, doubled up aswell, ch 2 , hdc in the same st, 2 hdc in next st, and so in all 8 sts, fasten off, orange, thread, not long, black thread long enough to sew on the ears. 

 

Cheeks:

Make 2:

 White yarn, hook 4mm:

1st Rnd: Ch 5,sl st

2nd Rnd: Ch 3, 13 dc in the ring, sl st (15sts)

3rd Rnd: Ch 3 dc in the same st, 2 dc in the next st, and so all around, sl st, fasten off, leave thread long enough for sewing (30sts)

Note: You can make little black  wiskers, or dots for wiskers now, before you sew on the white cheeks on the hat, to make the hat neater from inside out.  

 

 

Nose:

Use black yarn, hook size 4mm.

1st Rnd: Ch 4, sl st

2nd Rnd: Ch 3 14dc in the ring, sl st ( 15sts) 

3rd Rnd: Ch 3 dc in next st, dc in next stitch and so all around,sl st, fasten off, leave long enough thread to sew on the nose. (15sts) 

Note: I used my yarn cut off,to stuff the nose,to make it nice and shaped, before I sewn it on.

 

Eyes:

Make two:

 

With blue yarn and either hook size 3.5mm or 4 mm, depending on the size of the finished eye. 

I had to use hook 3.5 mm.

1st Rnd: Ch 3, sl st

2nd Rnd: Ch 2, 13hdc in the ring, sl st, fasten off,leave long enough thread to sew on the eyes.

Finaly after you sewn everything on, you can create  a  little smile with the same black thread , makes that little tiger hat  little bit nicer and friendlier :)

Below my little boy wearing, his tiger hat, what do you think? I think he looks adorable.

Enjoy the pattern. Hope it helps.

Dace.

 

Crochet hat with flowers

Cute crochet hat for girls, this one made to fit age 1-2 yrs

Materials:
 Hook 5.5 mm and 4 mm UK size
 I doubled up 2 types of yarn:
 Aran 75% acrylic in cream
25% wool and Patons baby fab 100% acrylic in white, ( pale pink and bright pink for flowers)
Gauge:
 6 stitches=5 cm
6 stitches =2 inches

Stitches used:

st(s) – stitch(es)

ch – chain stitch

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

sc – single crochet

sl st - slip stitch

Hat:
I used Aran yarn combined with baby fab white yarn, 
1st Rnd:Using hook size 5.5 mm ch 5, sl st in the last ch
2nd Rnd: ch 3, 11 dc in the ring around, sl st (12sts)
3rd Rnd: Ch 3, dc in the same st, 2 dc in next st and so on around, sl st (24sts)
4th Rnd: ch 3, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next and so on around, sl st  (36sts)
5th Rnd: Ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st and so on around, sl st (48sts)
6th- 11th Rnd: Ch 3 dc in next stich and all around, sl st, fasten off
12th Rnd: Join cream and pink yarn together, chain 2 and sc all around, sl st and fasten off.
Sew in all the ends.
Hat measures approx circumference: 42 cm and height 18cm.
You can find great info about all the hat sizing   and other sizes on this site: bevscountrycottage

Flowers: 
 Well I attached 3 same flowers in 3 different colors.
But you can make one, or 2 or more, choose the same color or  different ones, choose the same flower pattern, or use different flowers all together,  make it the way you want it :)

1st Rnd: Using hook size 4mm,
ch 5, sl st

2nd Rnd: Ch 1, 12 sc in the ring, sl st 

3rd Rnd: Ch 3, 3 dc in next st, ch r sl st in next st, ch 3 , 3 dc in next st, ch 3 sl st in next st and so on until you have 6 flower petals

4 th Rnd: Work in the back of the flower, sl st in the back loops of the beg of the first petal, ch 5, sl st in the end of the petal, ch 5,sl st in the next back of the petal, until you made 6 arches, sl st at the end.

5th Rnd: Sc in the first arch, hdc, 4dc, hdc, sc,
2nd arch, sc, hdc, 4dc, hdc, sc and so on in every arch until you have 6 big petals, sl st at the end and fasten off, make sure to leave longer thread at the end, so you can stitch the flowers to the hat.

Arrange your flowers on the hat the way you want, stitch them on and that's it, hat ready.
Be free to ask any questions if you unsure about this pattern.
 You might need to increase stitches for the hat, for more then 3 rounds, depending on thickness of yarn and your hook size.    

      

Crochet Occasion flower motif dress for girls...

Hi everyone, not long ago I have finished crocheting this gorgeous dress:

crochet occasion dress for girls

 It made of about 50 small flower motifs in 2 colours.
 
crochet flower motifs

The skirt part of the dress I used very simple netting pattern,

back of the dress, netting

and at the bottom finished of with 2 layers of frilly crochet pattern

So what do you think? Isn't it beautiful?

back of the dress

It took me about 10 evenings to make this dress, and I enjoyed every minute of it...

It is my first dress for a little girl, apart from 3 dresses, that i made  for myself   last year :)

I used 100% cotton 200g in white and 100g in purple.
One white button and less then 2m of purple ribbon. I used crochet hook size 1.75 mm and I thought it would be nice to add little flower detail on the ribbon,just finishing it of at the moment and will add picture later. :)
So that's my dress for a special order, for a beautiful girl :)