Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog: Starflower Mandala: Row by Row

Two or so weeks back I posted my STARFLOWER MANDALA PATTERN The original plan was to provide photos of each row - but there was such a high demand for the pattern (long weekend = lots of crochet time) - so I decided to go ahead and publish with just the few photos of the first four rows!Hundreds (maybe thousands?) YAY! My original STARFLOWER MANDALAS were crocheted with Stylecraft Special DK and a 3.50mm hook, giving a finished Mandala of 33 cm in diameter. The Starflower Mandala in this post was made with Raeesah Cotton Soft DK and a 4.00mm hook, giving me a finished Mandala of 45cm in diameter. Yarn weights are referred to quite differently in various regions, so I thought I would also include this rather useful RAVELRY LINK for Standard Yarn Weights.Crochet Hook Sizes are also referred to differently - if you need to know which hook to use go and have a look HEREThe photos were taken at various times over the course of a few days - so there is a bit of variation in the colouring.

How to Crochet 5: Seaming Your Work In this how-to series we could move right on from single crochet to the other stitches (double crochet, half double crochet and triple crochet) but I'm pausing to talk about "seaming" because if you want to make anything other than washcloths or rectangular scarves or afghans (which are all good) you're going to need to seam some pieces together. Seaming is a good skill to have and it can be the difference between a cute sweater looking handmade instead of homemade. I am going to share two different methods. Click to view the full tutorial. SEAMING WITH THE MATTRESS STITCH: You will need a tapestry needle to do the seaming, which is a large blunt needle and a big eye for threading the yarn. The mattress stitch is so fabulous because it's virtually invisible if you line up the stitches correctly. To start, cut a length of yarn about twice the length of your seam and thread your tapestry needle. You can keep these stitches loose right now--you'll pull them tight later. And right side:

Nibble nibble, hop hop Nibble nibble, hop hop Posted on Updated on If you are a regular follower you will immediately notice that these bunnies are very closely related to some particularly cute owls made recently. Right, on with the tutorial. Various scraps of yarn and a corresponding hook – I used 8ply and a 4mm hook.2 x 9mm safety eyes (or beads or buttons)A very small amount of black crochet cotton or embroidery flossA needle to sew your creation together with. Round 1: Make a Magic Circle and chain 3, then crochet 13 DC into the circle and pull tight, join with a SS to complete the round (14 DC). Round 2. Round 3. Round 4. The round goes like this: Chain 2, 2DC into next stitch, 1 DC into next, 1 DC into next, 2DC into next stitch, 1 DC into next, 1 DC into next, 2DC into next stitch, 1 HDC into next, Chain 1, SC into each remaining stitch around. Round 5. Round 6. You need to make two of these (they are the bunny front and back!). Ears. You can find more detailed instructions for the ears here. Muzzle.

What is Knooking? What is knooking? Think crochet hook + fabric that has been knitted. Knooking has been said to be the new style of knitting, using a specially designed crochet hook. Why Use a Knook? The knook is a special crochet hook that helps you to create knitted fabric, without the worry of dropping stitches, as can be encountered with regular knitting. With a knook (hook), you create actual knitted stitches. Kooking is said to have originated in Japan. Names for Nook Hooks Super Miracle Needle (Japanese)Amazing Needle (American)Magic Needle Knooks are crochet hooks with the usual hook on one end but with a hole at the other end, that is threaded with a cord. If you've always wanted to knit, but like the ease of crochet, now you can do so, using a knook--a handy crochet hook that replaces knitting needles and creates knitted fabric.