LillaBjörn's Crochet World

Örresund Sky Bathmat was inspired by my latest trip to Sweden, where I tried to escape from my real life, to switch off, recharge by the sea and to feel happy again. I spent long hours at the beach in Malmö making this bathmat. It didn’t have any name even after being finished. I asked for help on my page on Facebook and was given so many nice and creative suggestions! One of them was to call it Evening Sky. And this name resonated with what I felt and saw in Malmö. So I decided to call my new design Örresund Sky Bathmat. Read the whole story behind this design HERE and check more pictures of a finished bathmat HERE.

DISCLOSURE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you purchase a (any) product via a link on my blog, I get a small percentage contribution from the store which enables me to keep providing you with free patterns. It costs you nothing extra to visit the store via my link, but ensure I get the credit for the sale. Thank you for your support!

Örresund is a strait between South of Sweden and Denmark. Famous bridge is connecting both lands with Malmö on one side and Copenhagen on the other. It only takes 30 minutes by train to go to Copenhagen city center. And when you travel over the sea you can see a wonderful view on not less famous Turning Torso building. It is situated in my favorite part of Malmö called Västra Hamnen. I came here every morning to have a cup of coffee and to enjoy crochet by the sea. And in the evening I saw my first Malmö sunset in 15 years. And it was fantastic…

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You will need:

Yarn in 5 shades. I used Bloom by Scheepjes in shades 417 (3 skeins), 419 (3 skeins), 421 (3 skeins), 403 (2 skeins), 409 (2 skeins)

Please, read my review about this yarn HERE. You can choose and purchase your shades via Wool Warehouse*, Deramores*, Paradise Fibers* (US) or in your local Scheepjes stores.

Crochet hook Clover Amour* 4.5mm
Scissors and tapestry needle to weave yarn tails in.

Finished Measurements

The size of finished bathmat will depend on yarn and hook you choose, and also on your personal gauge. My mathmat is approx. 55cm x 75cm (21 ½” x 29 ½”).

Gauge

18 sts x 20 rows = 10cm x 10cm (4” x 4”)

Level

Intermediate (though I believe advanced beginners can handle this pattern as well).

Stitch guide and Abbreviations

US standard abbreviations are used in this pattern. But if you are used to other terms, please check this Crochet Translation Project which might be helpful in translation to your native language.

st(s) - stitch(es)
ss (slip stitch) – insert hook in indicated st, yo, draw yarn up and pull 2nd lp through the 1st lp on hook.
ch - chain
sc (single crochet)– insert hook in indicated stitch, yo, draw up a lp, yo and pull through both lps on hook.
FPtr (front post treble crochet) - yo twice, insert hook from front to back to front around he post of indicated stitch, yo, draw up a lp, *yo, pull through 2 lps* 3 times.
RS right side
WS wrong side

Important Notes and Tips

Ch1 in the beginning of every row doesn’t count as sc. So 1st sc of every row is made in 1st sc of previous row.
FPtr's should be made to the height of working row. They must not be too loose or pull.
Always skip 1st of previous row behind every FPtr just made.
You can easily adjust the size of Örresund Sky Bathmat. To make it wider make any even number of ch in the beginning. To make it longer, just crochet more rows in each stripe.
To reduce the amount of yarn tails, don’t cut yarn while making colorful stripes. You will get floats of yarn on the sides but they will be hidden by the border. (So cut yarn before and after each colorful stripe always leaving 20 cm/8in tail).
Change colour on the last yarn-over of the last sc of the relevant row.

Örresund Sky Bathmat - Free crochet pattern by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

INSTRUCTIONS

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Copyright LillaBjornCrochet 2016. All rights reserved. This pattern is for unlimited personal use only. Do not reproduce or sell the pattern. The pattern may not be copied in any way (print or digitally), in part or in full. Items may be sold that are made from this pattern as long as the designer is credited. Shop owners, if you wish to make a kit with yarn using this pattern, please request permission and copyright details from me before offering any kits for sale. Please, read Copyright page for more information.

Örresund Sky Bathmat consists of 7 colorful stripes divided by 6 narrow stripes in gray. Colorway for each colorful stripe is given below.

C1 – 417 (Blue), C2 – 419 (Light Turqiouse), C3 – 421 (Gray), C4 – 403 (Dark Purple), C5 – 409 (Pink)

Colorful stripe 1

Ch 86.
Row 1. 1sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1sc in every ch to the end. Turn. (85sc – same stitch count is for the rest of the pattern)
Row 2-3. Ch1 (doesn’t count as sc here and throughout), 85sc. Turn.

Row 4. Ch1, *1sc, skip 1 st on row 1, 1FPtr around next st of row 1, skip 1st behind FPtr just made; repeat from * to the end leaving 1 st unworked, 1sc in last st. Turn.

Row 5. Ch1, 85sc. Turn.
Row 6. Ch1, 1sc in 2sts, *1FPtr around st from 3 rows below visible just after FPtr below, skip 1 st, 1sc in next st; repeat from * to the end leaving 1 st unworked, 1sc in last st. Turn.

Row 7. Ch1, 85sc. Turn.
Row 8. Ch1, *1sc, 1FPtr around 2nd st from 3 rows below, skip 1 st, 1sc in next st, *1FPtr around st from 3 rows below visible just after FPtr below, skip 1 st, 1sc in next st; repeat from * to the end. Turn.
Rows 9-12. Repeat rows 5-8
Row 13. As Row 5
Row 14. As Row 6
Row 15. As row 7

Gray stripe

Row 16-20. With C3. Ch1, 85 sc, turn.

Colorful Stripe 2

Row 1. Ch1, 85sc, turn.
Row 2-15. As for colorful stripe 1.

Continue with the pattern alternating colorful and grey stripes (repeating rows 1-20) for 135 rows in total. You should get 7 colorful stripes and 6 gray stripes between them.

Colorway for stripes:

Stripes 1 and 5:

Rows 1-6 with C1.
Rows 7-10 with C2.
Rows 11-12 with C1
Rows 13-15 with C2

Stripes 2 and 6:

Rows 1-6 with C4
Rows 7-10 with C5
Rows 11-12 with C4
Rows 13-15 with C5

Stripes 3 and 7
Rows 1-6 with C2
Rows 7-10 with C1
Rows 11-12 with C2
Rows 13-15 with C1

Stripe 4
Rows 1-6 with C5
Rows 7-10 with C4
Rows 11-12 with C5
Rows 13-15 with C4

Border

After row 135 change to C3, turn and start working the border around the bathmat. The border is made in back and forth, so in the eand of each row join with slip stitch in 1st sc and turn.

TIP: to hide floats of yarn – crochet 1st round of the border over them.

Round 1. In this rnd mark 2nd sc of 3 in each corner.

(RS) Ch1, 3sc in 1st st, 83 sc, 3sc in last sc, turn quarter, 108 sc along next side (make 12sc evenly in each colorful stripe and 4 sc in each grey stripe), turn quarter, 3sc in 1st ch, 83sc, 3sc in last ch, turn quarter, 108sc along next side (as previous); join with ss in 1st sc of this rnd. Turn. (83 sts on each short side, 108 sts on long side, 3sc in each corner = 394sc in total)

Round 2. In this rnd mark 2nd sc of 3 in each corner.
(WS) Ch1, 1sc in 1st sc. Continue crocheting with sc around the blanket making 3 sc in each marked st, join with ss in 1st sc. Turn.

Round 3-5. As Round 2. Fasten off. Weave in all yarn tails.

Congratulations!! Your Örresund Sky Bathmat is now finished!

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p.s. This bathmat is quite slippery. If you want to use for a bathroom you shoould add some anti-slip material underneath. I have 2 ideas about how it prevent it from being slippery. And I will share my thoughts with you next week!

Crocheted rugs are trendy nowadays. Especially lace mandala’s made with T-shirt yarn are very popular. If you would like to make one for your home, it’s very important to also think about the safety. Handmade rugs are very slippery, and they are not suitable for use without special anti-slippery materials applied. I’ve tried ABS Latex (by Schachenmayr) and wrote my review about it. DISCLOSURE:

Do you remember gorgeous yarn I showed you 2 weeks ago? It’s called Spirit and it’s a brand new cotton blend yarn from Scheepjes. I was playing with it in the summer, and I am finally free to show you some sneak peeks. Yes, I do knit sometimes. And I truly think that Spirit yarn was just created for simple knit stitches (and it works great with crochet, too).

Simple knitted baby blanket with garter stitch. Made with Spirit yarn by Scheepjes. Design by Lilla Brjon Crochet

If you have never heard about this yarn before – please check my review HERE. After its publication I got a few questions about the colour changes. If they are long, or short, and how do they look like in the finished project. In my review you could see two small samples made with garter knitting stitch and single crochet stitch. But here are more knitting samples made with 9 different shades. Maybe they will give you a better impression of how Spirit yarn is “talking”.

These are small parts of my new baby blanket, which is not quite finished yet. But I hope that next week it will be ready for a big reveal. I chose garter knitting stitch and wanted to use as many shades as possible to show you what Spirit yarn is about. And I really like the effect.

You can purchase Spirit yarn via Deramores* (international shipping) and in your local Scheepjes stores.

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DISCLOSURE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you purchase a (any) product via a link on my blog, I get a small percentage contribution from the store which enables me to keep providing you with free patterns. It costs you nothing extra to visit the store via my link, but ensure I get the credit for the sale. Thank you for your support!

I find something magic and mystery about Celtic knots. They have been attracting me for a long time, and I have always wanted to crochet something with them. If you search with key words “celtic crochet knots” or “celtic crochet” you will most likely see lots of crocheted cowls, and scarves, and mittens, and maybe cardigans. But there are not so many Celtic Mandala’s. I thought it’s unfair and decided to think of one myself. And this is how my new Celtic Cabled Mandala was created.

Celtic Cabled Mandala pattern can be used to make a round purse, chair pad, table decoration, wall haning and pillow throw. You name it! Original design by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

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Celtic Cabled Mandala pattern is available in my Ravelry shop HERE. And you will get a 30% discount with code CELTIC through Monday, October 31.

A Story Behind the Design…

To be honest I made first attempts in Celtic designing a year ago when I was working on my Joana’s Mandala and Border patterns. But unfortunately that time my inspiration took me into absolutely different direction and finished design didn’t look Celtic at all. But still I loved it a lot. So I named this mandala after my friend and let idea of designing something truly Celtic go. For a while.

I believe that ideas live their own lives, and sometimes they are very stubborn. They are knocking the door to your creative world again and again. And they just don’t want to leave you alone. This was the case of my Celtic idea. And also my husband insisted I should come back to this and finally create something with Celtic knots.

I started to browse lots and lots of images and illustrations to see which knots can suit my idea the best. I was amazed how widely Celtic elements and signs are being used in contemporary art and design: in painting, jewelry, leather art. Everywhere. And there are lots and lots of Celtic tattoos out there.

During my visit to Sweden I saw a man on the beach. And he had a Celtic mandala tattoo on his leg. Such an absolutely ideal, wonderful tattoo with 4 Celtic knots framed inside the circle. After I came home I started to search for similar knots, and found one which seemed not very difficult to be translated into crochet. I couldn’t find its meaning. But as far as I understood it’s a variation of Triquetra (Trinity) Celtic knot which symbolizes eternal life or the never ending circle of life. If you have a deep knowledge about Celtic culture I will be very grateful if you could help me to find the meaning of this knot.

And I started to crochet… Well… It was not easy. Not easy at all. After probably 5 attempts I could come up with a simplified version of this pattern which was the most elegant in my opinion. Because of working in rounds, I had also to struggle with “turning effect”, and had to apply some tricks to keep the pattern symmetrical. And I am so happy it worked out!! After main part was finished I also came up with a small border, which helped to enlarge this mandala a bit.

About the Pattern and Different Ways to Use

This pattern was tested and approved by 14 experienced testers. The difficulty level is Advanced (or Advanced Intermediate). This pattern uses lots of front post stitches, and although they are not difficult themselves, their placement can be tricky. But there are tons of pictures in the pattern to walk you through every single round and stitch. This is the most detailed pattern I have ever created. So if you are familiar and comfortable with cabling (front and back posts stitches), you will handle it. But, please, be aware that it needs lots of attention, concentration and counting!!

This pattern contains complete instructions to make a round Mandala purse. Its size will depend on yarn, hook and your personal gauge. Mine is approx. 26cm (10 1/2 in) large across and 2.5cm (1in) deep. In the picture below you can see what the back of my bag looks like.

But this pattern can be used in many more ways. As a chair pad (with extended version), table decoration, potholder, wall hanging and even a pillow throw. You name it! By the way if you decide to make a pillow cover, you can later make a pillow form yourself just in exact size needed. Please, check THIS tutorial.

What You Will Need

I used yarn in one solid color to make purse and chair pad. I chose Bloom by Scheepjes for the bag (you can purchase it at Wool Warehouse*, Deramores*, Paradise Fibers (US)* and in your local Scheepjes shops) and Soft Fun yarn by Scheepjes for chair pads (available at Wool Warehouse*, Deramores* and local Scheepjes shops).

You will obviously need a crochet hook (I used Clover Soft Touch 4mm hook*) and zipper, 2 metal rings and strap for the bag. Here is the detail of bag’s closure. To make it look more professional you can line it with fabric using THIS sewing tutorial.

After 5 solid mandalas were finished, I decided to try something else. To make Celtic Cabled Mandala in tapestry crochet with two colours at once: one for overlay image, and another one for background (with Stone Washed* yarn by Scheepjes). It was tricky, but possible! And I decided to create another tutorial about how to use tapestry crochet for this pattern. It is offered as a bonus to the main “solid” version.

What else to add? I am VERY happy with my new purse. And I think I will make another one. Or maybe two? And what about you? :)

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DISCLOSURE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you purchase a (any) product via a link on my blog, I get a small percentage contribution from the store which enables me to keep providing you with free patterns. It costs you nothing extra to visit the store via my link, but ensure I get the credit for the sale. Thank you for your support!

Are you a blanket type of person? I can’t say I am. I don’t even have so many blankets at home. Five years ago I made a granny square blanket with scraps of yarn for my son. Surprisingly it’s still alive, though some repair was needed. Then I made Birthday in Malmö blanket and Moonlight Butterfly Baby Blanket. I am still working on my Last Dance on The Beach project and it’s my Number 1 wip to be finished before next year comes. So as you can see there are not so many blankets in my “portfolio”. But little by little I start to be hooked in!

Spirit Baby Blanket - super easy and FREE knitting pattern by Lilla Bjorn crochet

I am usually not patient enough to finish a large project. Especially if it consists of motifs. But recently I’ve noticed a nice large and “lazy” project can be a very refreshing change from all intricate designs I am usually busy with. I like to use my brain a lot while crochet, but sometimes it is also great to switch off, don’t count at all. And just crochet or knit. For long, endless hours.

One of such easy and lazy projects is my new Spirit Baby Blanket. It is named after yarn Spirit by Scheepjes it was made with. You could see some sneak peeks last week (HERE) and read my yarn review HERE. I should say I am in love with this yarn! It is one of those great “self-pattern” examples when with minimal efforts you get a wonderful result in the end.

I didn’t think of something extraordinary for this blanket. It is made with basic garter knitting stitch. With simple colorful stripes. But yarn print (it’s not even a print, but semi-solid shades) makes it look very special.

I made these pictures in the end of summer. In the forests where we used to walk with my dog almost every day. I just loved to shoot this blanket against the wood, and grass, and on the lake shore. And I feel these backgrounds speak to the nature of Spirit yarn. Each shade is named after an animal, and I used 10 colors in total.

Spirit Baby blanket is approx. 82cm x 110cm (32in x 43in) and it only weights 260g! It’s light, airy and very draping… Just perfect for cool summer days, or beginning of autumn.

Spirit yarn is available for purchase via Deramores* (international shipping) and in your local Scheepjes stores.

Free pattern for my Spirit Baby Blanket will be published next week!

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DISCLOSURE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you purchase a (any) product via a link on my blog, I get a small percentage contribution from the store which enables me to keep providing you with free patterns. It costs you nothing extra to visit the store via my link, but ensure I get the credit for the sale. Thank you for your support!

My new Forest Spirit baby blanket is finished, and today I can share a free pattern with you. I am very happy with the final result. This blanket is very light and airy, but warm at the same time. And the colour changes within every stripe are so nice. This project is very easy and is suitable for beginners. Self-patterning Spirit yarn* helps to reach a wonderful effect with the most basic knitting garter stitch.

Forest Spirits baby blanket is a very easy knitting project suiteable for beginners. Free pattern by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

Probably it’s better to call this pattern a "tutorial", as I am not experienced in writing knitting patterns. But I tried to explain every step. And you will also find complete information about shades I used, their colour way and yardages. You can see more pictures with the finished blanket HERE.

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You will need:

• Fingering yarn. I used Spirit yarn by Scheepjes in 10 following colors (one skein of each) – 260g in total: 305 (Gazelle), 315 (Salmon), 309 (Dolphin), 307 (Grasshopper), 301 (Orca), 308 (Turtle), 304 (Lion), 303 (Eagle), 311 (Butterfly), 302 (Wolf).

Spirit yarn is available for purchase via Deramores* (international shipping) and in your local Scheepjes stores. If you haven't tried this yarn yet, please, read my review HERE.

You will need approx. 20-22g for 1 stripe. And 18-20g in each of three shades for the border (I used 304, 308 and 302)

• Circular needles size 4 mm/US6 80cm
• Tapestry needle to weave yarn tails in

Gauge

With garter stitch 19sts x 36 rows = 10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in)

Size

Tutorial is written for one size: approx. 85cm x 110cm (33 1/2in x 43in) when stretched.

But you can easily adjust its width by casting on more (or less) stitches in the beginning. And if you want a longer blanket you can just knit more rows (and make some of the stripes wider according to your taste). For example, if you want to make your blanket 10cm (4") longer - you should add 36 rows.

Stitch guide and Abbreviations

US standard abbreviations are used in this pattern.

st(s) - stitch(es)
yo - yarn over
k - knit stitch
p – purl stitch
RS - right side
garter st

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: 1st st in the beginning of every row is always knitted in front loop (pic. 1-2). And last stitch of every row is knitted in back loop (pic. 3-4).

To change color, simply start to knit a new row with new yarn.

Work in rows. Begin with yarn 305.

Cast on 140 sts (or as many sts as you need for a desired width of your blanket) on needle size 4mm / US6. Work 36 rows with garter stitch (10cm/4in).

Make 9 more stripes with garter stitch (36 rows) with each shade for 360 rows in total, don’t bind off. Here is the order of colours: 315 (Stripe 2), 309, 307, 301, 308, 304, 303, 311, 302.

Border

Border is made with same circular needles in rounds, always on the right side. To get a garter stitch effect, you should knit and purl on every other round. HERE is a video tutorial about how to work with garter stitch in rounds.

You should also make 2 increases in each corner on every other round (when you knit, not purl).
You can read about different ways to increase HERE. Please, choose the one you are comfortable with. I worked twisted yo, k1, twisted yo in every corner for my blanket. Be sure to mark central stitch in the corner and move the marker to next rounds as you progress. It will help you easily find the stitch where you should make increase on next rounds.

Instructions (Border)

Work in rounds on RS. Begin with yarn 304.

Rnd 1. K1 in 139 sts, make 2 increases in last st (don’t forget to mark central stitch), turn a quarter.

Continue to knit along another side, making k1 in every “ridge” till you come to next corner.

Make 2 increases in 1st st of the foundation row, k1 in each of next 138 sts of foundation row, make 2 increases in last st, turn a quarter.

Continue to knit along 4th side in a way as previous, make twisted yo (or 1 increase) and k1 in the same st where you began this round.

Rnd 2. Continue with yarn 304. P1 in every st around.
Rnd 3. Change to yarn 308. K1 in every st around making increases in every corner.

Rnd 4. Continue with yarn 308. P1 in every st around. Change to yarn 302.
Repeat rnds 3 and 4 with yarn 302, bind off loosely. Weave in all yarn tails using tapestry needle (you can weave them into the seam between the blanket and the border).

Congratulations!!! Your Forest Spirit Baby Blanket is now finished! :)

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Ok, it seems like I am writing about handmade blankets again and again. Am I turning into a blanket person? I hope so! Blankets are very cozy and they make great gifts. Earlier this week I shared a free knitting pattern of my new Forest Spirit baby blanket. And today I would like to tell you something else. If you haven’t heard about it yet, a new (second) issue of Scheepjes YARN book-a-zine* was published in October. And it features my new Moonlight Butterfly baby blanket design.

2nd issue of YARN book-a-zine by Scheepjes is full of mystery and festive patterns. Review by Lilla Bjorn crochet

Did I tell what it feels like to see your name in print? I hope I will never get used to it. And every time I will be as excited as when I got mail from the Netherlands with freshly printed copy of YARN. Maybe I am totally old-fashioned. But I just love to turn pages of a real printed magazine, and to smell the print. And to turn pages of a new Midnight Garden issue is a true journey to the world of esthetic pleasure.

October 2016 issue is full of mystery, night dreams, foggy and super stylish pictures. With a feel and smell of festive season coming. 15 new patterns (mainly crochet, but also knitting and sewing) are featured. And I am so honored to be a part of this fantastic project again (just to remind you, two my designs were published in 1st Sea Issue of YARN book-a-zine. These are Striped knitted top and Stepping Stones crochet pouf cover. You can read my review of this publication HERE).

Moonlight Butterfly baby blanket. Crochet pattern by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

This time I created a small and cute baby blanket with butterfly motifs. Scheepjes wanted me to design something for a chapter “Fluttering in the Wind” and I immediately thought of a square with colorful butterfly. I wanted to create a blanket which would remind a print with plain background (I finally chose grey shade) and many butterflies in different colours. Later when I started to play with yarn, I decided to make butterfly’s antennas free standing. So that small hands could explore them, it would give babies a nice motoric experience.

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For this design I combined SoftFun and SoftFun Aquarel yarns by Scheepjes in dusty, washed out shades. Moonlight Butterfly blanket is not bright, and I avoided to use pink to make it unisex. This pattern is ranked as intermediate mostly because of the butterfly’s shape and not regular repeats. But all the stitches used in this pattern are very common. And advanced beginners should handle it without a problem.

I definitely should tell you more about 2nd issue of YARN book-a-zine. When reviewing something, I try to be as objective as possible. And I should say that I absolutely love this edition. Every small detail is well polished, the whole issue has a very clear and nice festive concept, it’s printed on a thick and mat paper, the photography is great! When you hold it in hands, it feels like a lasting for years book rather than a magazine.

Let me show you several of my personal favourites (sorry, I am not free to give away everything, and it would also spoil your own “ohhh” and “ahhh”). Designs you see in the picture below are created by Miss Neriss.

Except of the patterns you will find useful articles, for example about how to choose a crochet hook. And you will get acquainted with fiber and textile artists. YARN is featuring Mr. Finch!!! Do you know him? If not – that’s a huge mistake. I started to follow him on Facebook 2 years ago. It’s the most brilliant and mystery textile artist I know!

Every issue of YARN book-a-zine has a very handy flop in the end, with all abbreviations used in the patterns, punched holes and blank pages which you can use to keep yarns and shades under control and to make notes about your projects. I used mine to plan Lapghan with Spirit yarn*, designed by Dedri from Look At What I Made.

Excited? 2nd issue of YARN book-a-zine is already available for purchase via Wool Warehouse HERE*, Deramores HERE* and in your local Scheepjes shops. It’s published in English and Dutch and the price is £5.95.

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Have you started to create gifts and decorations for a festive season? I am in rush every year so this time I decided to begin pretty in advance. And as my favourite shapes are circle (mandala), square and sphere, I decided to make a small garland with colorful crocheted baubles.

Festive garland with crocheted baubles. Super easy to make and very cute!

Have you made any baubles? It’s so relaxing and pleasing. Each small bauble is made in no time. And it’s a small finished object which can be used right away. As a pin cushion maybe?

I bet there are hundreds of crochet patterns for any kinds of simple baubles. So I decided not to invent anything and just to find a ready pattern and follow it. Did you know that crocheted spheres can be very different and not all of them are (mathematically) ideal? I was so happy to find Ms Premise-Conclusion blog. She has worked out a formula to make a perfect crocheted sphere. And her pattern is free. You can find it HERE. What is great is that she created instructions for baubles in different sizes. So whatever yarn weight and crochet hook you have, you can make the size you need.

To make these baubles I used 2.5mm (C) crochet hook and Sport 100% cotton yarn Catania by Schachenmayr. It’s available in different shades on Craftsy* and Loveknitting*. I chose not very bright colours. And stuffed my baubles with stuffing for amigurumi (if you don’t have any special stuffing – don’t worry. You can use stuffing from your old pillow).

After all you baubles are finished you can join them into garland. All you need is the same yarn (long enough tail) and a needle with big eye. A tapestry needle can work just fine.

Insert the needle into beginning whole and pull it through the bauble. You can make knots on both sides to secure baubles from moving.

That’s it! Your festive garland is ready! Have you put up a Christmas tree already? I haven’t! I have to think about it... :)

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Festive season is right here! I bet you are already busy with preparations, gift and home decorations making. For some reason I am very late with this every year. I am working all days long and suddenly it’s Christmas and I don’t have anything prepared. This year I decided to begin pretty in advance. I have quite a few gifts already waiting to be wrapped. And I have started to make hanging decorations. Our family moved to another apartment last weekend and I am so happy to have all my yarns and boxes unpacked. So that I can peacefully continue to grow my festive garland.

Have you seen it? I had lots of fun making small colorful baubles and joining them into a garland. You can read everything about it HERE. And I will be adding something more intricate – new Snow Baubles made in overlay crochet. Last year I created a small collection of Christmas hanging decorations (Starry Dream, Starry Day, Frozen Snowflakes and Winter Pastels Balls) and I thought it would be nice to add something new this year, too. My idea was to create a bauble with a snowflake pattern.

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The pattern has been just released and you can purchase it with 25% off HERE on Ravelry with code SNOW. The offer is valid through Monday, November 21, and then the price will become regular.

As any other overlay crochet pattern, Snow Baubles are very versatile. They can be used as separate hanging decorations (for a Christmas tree, for example, and you can attach a ribbon into the joining seam, and maybe some beads), they can also be joined into garland and this is how I will use them.

And there is no need to hide them into a box after festive season is over. These baubles will become perfect decorations for nursery. Or you can even use them as pet toys! I’ve made several for my dog and she loves to play with them.

I chose 4 shades for my baubles. You can make them with true Christmas colors, or take any shades you like. Almost every type of yarn will work for this pattern (but maybe not too fluffy, structured and fuzzy yarns, and they make overlay image less vivid), but I would recommend to choose solid and contrast enough shades.

I personally prefer stiff cotton yarns for my overlay work. For Snow Baubles I used Sport yarn Catania by Schachenmayr (available for purchase online via Craftsy* and Loveknitting*). Of course you can use DK, worsted yarn or even thread to crochet baubles. Yarn weight will only influence the size of your finished bauble. And of course you should use appropriate crochet hook (I used 2.5mm /C).

Each bauble consists of two “cups” joined together with flat “zip” method and stuffed with amigurumi stuffing. Don’t worry if you don’t have certain kind of stuffing, as you can use your old pillows for this purpose. You can also put some herbs, cinnamon and other spices inside your baubles to make them not only look but also smell festive.

Like the pattern but not sure you can handle it? In fact it’s much easier to make Snow Baubles than it may seem. They look a bit intricate but only usual crochet stitches are used here. The pattern contains lots of step-by-step pictures to guide you through every round. So even though it is ranked as Intermediate, Advanced Beginners should also be able to follow it. And if you are an experienced crocheter and don’t need all the pictures, you can use a “print copy” of this pattern with only text.

I’ve only finished two Snow Baubles so far but need to make more. So I am back to my crochet. And see you soon again!

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If you follow me for at least a year, you may know that last November I participated in 2nd Annual Sales Event. And I am happy to be a part of this again this year. I teamed up with 23 brilliant crochet designers to bring you the best offer of the year, with games, prizes, giveaway and discounts of course.

If you have been thinking about trying some of my patterns, now it’s right time to do so. 3rd Annual Sales Event is going on right now, and you can use code ENABLER to save quite a bit in my Ravelry store HERE. The code is valid for all my paid patterns, and the more you purchase, the larger your savings will be. You can use this offer through Monday, November 28th.

Code ENABLER is also valid for all paid patterns in Ravelry stores of all 24 participating designers. Click the links below to discover hundreds (and thousands) of amazing crochet patterns and choose your favourites!

Abigail Haze from Abigail Haze Designs
Alessandra Hayden from Just Be Happy Crochet
Amber Millard from Divine Debris
Ann Mancini-Williams from Glamour4You
Ana Dyakova from Ana D
Briana Kepner from BrianaK
Carolina Guzman from One & Two Company
Carolyn Calderon from The Purple Poncho
Crystal Bucholz from Cyrstalized Designs
Danyel Pink from Danyel Pink Designs
Emily Truman from Em's Corner
Jennifer Dougherty from Crochet by Jennifer
Jennifer Pionk from A Crocheted Simplicity
Julie Desjardins from ACCROchet
Kate Wagstaff from Crafting Friends Designs
Luz Mendoza from Luz Patterns
Maria Bittner from Pattern Paradise
Melody Jo Rogers from Melody's Makings
Pam Dajczak from Sincerely, Pam
Sonya Blackstone from Blackstone Designs
Susan Carlson from Felted Button
Theresa Grant from Unravel Me
Viktoria Gogolak from CrocheTrend

Know participating designers well? Then you can enter a fun Trivia game “Name That Design” for a chance to win gift card. Each of 3 winners will get 40$. Not sure how to participate? It’s very easy. Just click THIS form and enter your answers. Submit and you are all done. The lucky winners will be announced and e-mailed on Tuesday, November 29th.

If you feel like the questions are too difficult, just have a closer look at the patterns in each designer’s Ravelry store. And I am sure, all the answers are there.

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I missed autumn this year. My favourite season. And I can’t believe it… Every autumn we used to walk with my dog through the woods, smelling wet air and looking at the colorful happiness around. And this year everything was too fast. I was too busy with designing and preparations for a move to a new apartment. And when I could finally breathe again – autumn was gone… But I got a lucky chance to see its last traces in Holland where I met with my blogger friends – a creative team collaborating with Scheepjes company.

Last weekend felt like a fairy tale. Holland is getting prepared for Christmas and looks festive with all cute and stylish decorations and evening lights everywhere. We were driving in the dark from Almere to up North together with Nerissa, Dedri and Sarah. We were looking at cute small houses in the suburbs of Groningen. And the scenery was filled up with magic.

And next morning I saw my autumn. With small drops of water on grass quivering in the morning sun, with brown and wet leaves covered by fog, with fresh and moist air I missed so much. I was home…

What are Scheepjes Bloggers Days about? They are all about yarn and crochet. I usually spend all my days at home. I don’t go to public places very often as I am pretty happy with my small crochet world. I don’t normally crochet in public. And I was amazed to see the reaction of people when I started to crochet at Schiphol airport (where I had 3 hours to wait for Sarah’s and Dedri’s flight). People looked very interested. Some of them commented: “oh, that’s pretty” or “oh, you are so fast”. But many of them were smiling. Just looking and smiling! And I felt like crochet makes people happy. And maybe a world stuffed with technologies and mobile phones, and internet – a little bit better.

And I thought – we, crafters, should bring our crafts to public more often. And I am not talking about craft fairs or yarn shows… Maybe we should even think or a world’s flash mob - just pick exact time and go crochet to streets, cafes, everywhere. It would be nice to see people smiling. Let’s the whole world stop for 15 minutes, step away from internet, and just smile. We crocheted a lot during Scheepjes Bloggers days, or we were talking about crochet and yarns. And it felt very natural and comfortable.

credit: Simy Somer

Scheepjes Bloggers Days are about meeting friends, hugs and laughter; they are about learning, sharing creativity, inspiration, experience, ideas. This time Scheepjes invited Kate from A Playful Day to give a photography workshop. I am trying to grow my photography skills but very often it feels like my pictures are not telling the story themselves. It was so nice to meet Kate and hear lots of useful advice. And I have finally found a common language with my phone. I could even make a few shots with it. What do you think? :) (Many thanks to Dedri from Look At What I Made for capturing my creative process and struggles!)

Scheepjes Bloggers Days 2016: Lilla Bjorn Crochet

credit: Look At What I Made

Here are my Celtic Mandala chair pads...

Celtic Cabled Mandala: overlay crochet pattern by Lilla Bjorn

…And detail of my Autumn Winds Cowl.

Autumn Winds Cowl: free crochet pattern by Lilla Bjorn

Scheepjes Bloggers Days are about playing with colors...

Scheepjes Bloggers Days 2016: Jellina Creations and Atty's

Jellina and Atty

...and birth of new projects.

Scheepjes Bloggers Days 2016: Miss Neriss and Crafts From the Cwtch

Sarah and Nerissa

For me personally Scheepjes Bloggers Days are about dreams coming true. I have met Susan from Felted Button for real! Three years ago when I was not even thinking about designing, I found her Etsy shop and was staring for hours at colors and textures. I wished I could be able to come up with something like this myself one day… And after three years I meet her, and talk to her!

Scheepjes Bloggers Days 2016: Felted Button

Susan

Scheepjes Bloggers Days are about finding way back to yourself. After several months of instant stress and fear not to be in time, I have finally breathed out. Two days of “my own autumn” in Holland helped me to discover peace and creativity again… I’ve got LOTS of ideas! And I feel strong again to bring them to life…

On the way back to Almere

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What can feel better than finishing a crochet wip on which you have been working for several months? I am not fond of large and epic projects as there are so many other ideas flying around. And my brain wants to catch each and everyone, and to develop it into a new design. But with a large project going on it’s not possible. So even though crochet blankets are very attractive I try to hold myself and reject them (always against my will). But there is one, very-very special, blanket I couldn’t resist. From the very beginning I knew I MUST make it. And this is Last Dance On The Beach CAL hosted by Scheepjes. Last week I finally finished it and today I am so very excited to share pictures with you.

Last Dance on the Beach - Scheepjes CAL 2016 - free crochet blanket pattern

This blanket has lots of meanings for me. I am very proud to be a part of this wonderful project as a designer. Together with my blogger friends we created square motifs for this blanket to bring into life CAL idea of Marinke Slump (aka Wink) from A Creative Being… Marinke tragically passed away last summer, and Scheepjes initiated Last Dance on the Beach CAL in a memory of this talented, kind, open hearted young lady. You can read more information about this CAL in my blog post HERE.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to meet Marinke in person… To be honest at the moment I lack words to express my thoughts precise, and correctly … Many people in the world struggle with depression. It’s an invisible enemy crashing people’s lives. Last Dance on the Beach CAL united literally thousands of people who were making blankets in different parts of the world. Who were sharing their love, and who were trying to show that everyone’s life matters.

After this CAL started I read many thankful comments over different social media channels. Everyone of us feels damaged, and frustrated, and broken, and deeply sad from time to time. Someone lives with this through entire life… and then it’s very important to know you are not alone. That together we can make each other’s life a lit bit better. I know Last Dance on the Beach CAL brought light to many homes, and families and lives. And these are not just the words...

There were kits in three different colourways available for Last Dance on The Beach CAL: Dance in the Sea, Dance in the Rain and Dance under the Stars. Kits are no more available for purchase but if you visit Wool Warehouse HERE* and click each of the kit, you will see exact shades and yardages used for each blanket. There were basic kits with premium acrylic yarn Colour Crafter and luxury kits with Merino Soft. You can also create your own colour combination. In THIS blog post about the kits you will see how many skeins of each colour are needed to finish the blanket. And all patterns are available on Scheepjes website HERE.

Scheepjes donated small amout of money on every sold kit in Marinke Slump’s name. And after CAL was finished a cheque of 18.100 euros was handed to organization Mind. And it means many more people will get help in their struggles on the way to light.

I am very proud my own blanket is now finished! I wanted to make Last Dance in the Rain but in a slightly different colour combination. I left out whites and browns, and only used the shades of grey and blue. I forgot to weight each square before joining, so yardages are not exact…

I used the following shades of Merino Soft (and Amour Clover crochet hook 4.5mm*):

603 (11 skeins) – squares 2 and 8, joining and border
604 (5 skeins) – squares 5 and 7
605 (5 skeins) – squares 1 and 12
610 (5 skeins) – squares 4 and 10
612 (5 skeins) – squares 3 and 9
613 (5 skeins) – squares 6 and 11

To say I LOVE my new blanket is to say nothing… I am just very happy and proud.

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If you like to crochet and you have kids and/or pets – you will feel my pain. My kid is 5 years old already and now he understands he must not touch my yarns and wips. But it’s very difficult to explain it to my dog who sometimes gets very bored and start to look for “toys” everywhere. Once I left my half finished scarf on the sofa over the night. I went to bed very late and couldn’t wake up early. And what did I see when I came to a dining room in the morning? Well… Almost entire scarf was frogged and yarn was everywhere around the place. My dog literally killed the skein! And this made me think about how I can secure my work in the future.

Yarn House will keep your yarn safe and clean

“Well, you can just hide your wips and yarns” – you might say. Yes, but with many projects going on at the same time it’s not always possible. Unfortunately I am not very well organized and when I start something new, the traces of my creative thinking are everywhere. And then it’s too late to hide them, because I need to hurry to a kindergarten to pick my son up, or somewhere else.

But I’ve come up with several ideas, which might be helpful for you as well.

1. How to prevent crochet wip from unexpected frogging. The answer is quite simple: you should just secure the loop. My friend Nerissa from Miss Neriss inspired me to make stitch markers with small clasps and silver charms (you can see her beautiful picture on Instagram).

Custom stitch markers can be made with silver chamrs, transparent thread and beads. Easy and unique!

I used transparent thin thread and beads to make mine. I think they look very cute, and now I can safely leave my wip on the sofa without worrying it can suddenly frog because my kid is jumping besides.

Attach stitch marker to the loop of your crocheted wip, and it will be secured from unexpected frogging

If you don’t feel like making stitch marker yourself, you can purchase them. Loveknitting (HERE*) and Amazon (HERE*) have very nice examples.

But if you don’t have any charms and well closed stitch markers and don’t want to purchase them, you can use this small trick. Just make your loop larger and tie it into a knot. Don’t pull too tight so that you can untie it later. But with a knot your loop and wip will be well secured.

Easy trick on how to prevent your crochet wips from unexpected frogging.

2. Yarn bowl is another wonderful way to protect your skeins from being attacked by your cat or dog. Today there are many wonderful wooden yarn bowls on the market, and you can choose anything you like (HERE* for example).

Wooden yarn bowls will not only save your yarn but will also become wonderful interior accessories fro your home

Scheepjes started to produce nice wooden accessories, including these yarn bowls. I got mine on Bloggers Day and I am truly in love. Not that it helps to keep yarn safe, it is also a wonderful interior decoration!

3. Together with yarn bowl I also got a Yarn Ball House. I have never seen anything like this before. But it looks like a great idea to protect the yarn.

This Scheepjes yarn house has a stick inside on which you can “wear” the skein, and two small sticks to fasten from outside. After yarn is inside the house you should just pull the tail through the hole, close the “door”, click the clasp – and your yarn is very well hidden and secured... But I personally found it a bit difficult to pull the yarn while it was worn on a stick inside, so I think it’s even better just to put ball or skein into the house and close the door.

Scheepjes yarn houses and bowls are available for purchase via Wool Warehouse HERE* in your local Scheepjes stores.

These were my tips on how to secure your yarn and wips. Do you have your own? Please, share them in comments!

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End of the year is almost here. And it’s time to make some analyzing, and conclusions. I believe it’s right time to finish current crochet projects (I feel sooo wonderful when I finally can finish a new wip!). But I think it’s also a good time to start working on something new. So that my beginning of year 2017 is not “empty”.

Mini Nooodle yarn by Scheepjes is a mini version of a regular T-shirt yarn. Review by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

I decided to design something with T-shirt yarn again. And I chose three shades of Mini Nooodles* by Scheepjes. It would be better to say this yarn is a “mini” version of a normal T-shirt yarn you are probably used to work with. The stripes are only 1.5cm wide (approx. ½ in) while regular T-shirt yarn is 2.5cm (1in).

10mm (N/P) hook is recommended for Mini Nooodles and I think it’s an optimal size. I have worked with this yarn several times before and used it for my Stepping Stones pouf cover pattern (available in 1st Sea issue of YARN book-a-zine). And also I chose this yarn from my Andromeda rug. And Clover Amour crochet hook 10mm* worked perfectly for both projects.

Stepping Stones crochet pouf cover. Original Design by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

Stepping Stones pouf cover (from YARN boo-a-zine)

Very often I can hear that T-this yarn is difficult to work with. That it’s very hard on hands and you get very tired after a short time of crochet. To be honest I didn’t try regular T-shirt yarn, and I have no opinion here. But I would say Mini Nooodles is just ok!

It’s 50% cotton and 50% polyester. It’s very stretchy and “slippery” if I can say like this. The stitches slide very well on a crochet hook without being stuck. Of course it takes a little bit more efforts to crochet with this yarn, but I personally can crochet for 2 hours in a row with no problems at all.

Andromeda Rug

Mini Nooodles is a super chunky yarn. It comes in skeins of 160g with 80m yardages. The skeins are not very big but it also gives a great opportunity to order exact amount of yarn you will need for your project. I believe I will use 6 skeins for my new design (which will be FREE and soon available here on my blog) – 2 in the following shades: 004, 035 and 259.

Wool Warehouse stock a wide range of Mini Noodle yarns by Scheepjes and you can check them HERE*. This yarn is also available in “print” version and in neon shades. This yarn can also be found in your local Scheepjes shops.

I am very excited about my new project and I will keep you updated about how it progresses.

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It’s hard to believe but one more year is almost gone… For me it almost flied. Really fast. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was sitting in front a computer and typing the same post about results of year 2015… And year 2017 is almost knocking at my door. Already! I hope it was a good year for you. And if it was sad for some reason, I hope new year will bring you joy, peace and happiness.

Original crochet designs by Lilla Bjorn. www.lillabjorncrochet.com

Right now I am sitting upstairs in a small house in the middle of Czech mountains Beskidy. My friends from Belarus are visiting us. And we decided to escape from the city, and celebrate New year eve in the nature. There is a fire in a fireplace. And I can hear kids laughter outside. Together with my husband they are trying to set up a fire outdoors and to cook something to eat… It’s a nice moment to stay alone for an hour. And to think of passing year and about what it brought to me.

I’ve made a collage using crocheted projects designed in year 2016. I believe these are not all of them, are they? (all available in my Ravelry shop HERE). When I put them together I was surprised to see that colour palette is not so bright and vibrant as it was last year. It's more into calm and blue blues and pastel. And I wonder what it will look like in a year again.

Spanish Mandala

So what did year 2016 bring to me?.. It was a nice year. I am thankful for my family, parents and friends being healthy. I don’t see them often. But it’s always great to think of them and know they are well.

I am continuously trying to grow as a crochet designer. And I continue to work in overlay crochet and to create mandala’s. This year two wonderful designs were born. It’s Spanish Mandala and Joana’s Mandala and Border. And I finally created a true Celtic Mandala (and I am sure more Celtic designs will come in the future).

Overlay crochet mandala patterns by Lilla Bjorn

This year a few of my designs were published for the first time!! They are Stepping Stones pouf cover, Striped Top and Moonlight Butterfly Blanket published in YARN book-a-zine. Lisa the mouse amigurumi pattern was published in November issue of Crochet Now magazine (unfortunately I haven’t got hard copy of this magazine yet to show you, but I will as soon as a I get it!). And 2 my designs were published in a freshly printed Baby Rainbow Book. I got a copy 2 minutes before I left my home and went to the mountains. I just looked through it very quickly (it’s amazing!!) and I will share more details and pictures with you when I come back home.

Striped Top. Knitting pattern with mohair and Alpaca Scheepjes yarn

Being a journalist in my past life I had several hundreds of articles and interviews published in newspapers and magazines. But it felt absolutely differently to be published as a crochet designer. You know I am not an educated designer, or an artist… I am just a crafter who has been crocheting and knitting for entire life. And to see my design and my name in printed magazine… it feels WOW! Like a recognition.

I continued to collaborate with Dutch yarn producer Scheepjes. Being a part of their Bloggers team I visited the Netherlands twice this year (if you search my blog with “Notes from the Netherlads” you can read my reportages about these stays). And I was lucky and proud to participate in Last Dance on the Beach CAL as a designer. Just 2 weeks ago I finished my own Dance in the Rain blanket. And I am so happy with it! In collaboration with Scheepjes company I have created a few free patterns. And I will continue to give them away next year as well.

Last Dance on the Beach Blanket. Made by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

Thank you very much for staying with me and reading my blog. And joining my CAL’s! I almost forgot to mention Peacock Tail Bag CAL which was running in the summer. I got lots of lovely messages and e-mails, and I am so happy you are loving overlay crochet technique as much as I do. I am thinking about a new CAL for the next year. I hope my creative energy will be enough to accomplish what I have planned.

Peacock Tail Bag. CAL in overlay crochet. Original design by Lilla Bjorn Crochet

My blog has almost hit 2.000.000 views! WOW! We should definitely celebrate this. With a new free pattern maybe? ;-)

What else to say… I don’t know. It was a nice year. Full of inspiration and ideas. And I hope next year will be the same. At least.

Happy New Year!

And let all your dreams (and plans) come true!
With love,

After a short but very nice holiday break I am entering year 2017 with a new design. You may have read about this in my previous post HERE. I am playing with Mini Nooodle* (T-shirt) yarn by Scheepjes and this time I am working on a new round pillow design. It will be free and soon published on my blog.

How to crochet Camel Stitch: photo-tutorial by Lilla Bjorn

Nowadays crochet that looks like knitting is very popular, and I decided to try my hand in designing something very simple to contribute to this trend. I am playing with a Camel crochet stitch, working in rounds with colour changes on each round.

Camel stitch is very widely used in crochet wear design. Usually combined with half double crochet stitches (hdc - US term). But I thought it might be nice to try a bit “tighter version” with single crochet stitches (sc).

Camel stitch is very simple. The only difference is in a way you insert the crochet hook. If you are a beginner you may only have worked through both loops so far. You can also crochet in front loops or back loops only. And you can also crochet in 3rd loop – to obtain a “knit look” effect.

I’ve made pictures below to give you an idea of what “loops' anatomy” looks like. In 2nd picture you can see that 3rd loop lies just behind back loop on the wrong side of your work. And this is the one you need for a Camel stitch. It might be easier to see it in hdc stitches. If you would like to practice, you may use a free hat pattern recently released by Miss Neriss (available HERE).

Camel Crochet Stitch Tutorial

For my new pillow project I work in rounds and change colours on every round. I decided to write this short photo-tutorial to show you the tips I have come up with (especially for joining the rounds). US terms and abbreviations are used here.

Round 1. To begin make a magic ring, ch1 (which doesn’t count as sc) and 6 sc into a magic ring. Join the round with slip stitch (ss) in 1st sc of the round after ch1 (insert the hook under both loops (front and back).

Round 2. Change yarn making ch1 with new colour. Now you will be working in 3rd loops of the stitches from round 1. The 1st sc is made in the same stitch as join.

Ch1, 2sc (3rd lp) in each stitch around; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1.

If you just join with ss, there might be a joining seam visible on right side. I was thinking of how it is possible to avoid it, and here is the tip I have come up with: after you join the round with ss, drop loop of yarn from the hook (pic.1 below), then insert the hook under back loop of same stitch as join (from back to front – pic.2), put the loop on the hook again and pull it under back loop to the wrong side of your work (pic.3). It should help to make the seam less visible.

Round 3. Change yarn again in the same way as on Round 2 and work again in 3rd loops of the stitches.

To make a flat circle, make 6 increases on each round. I will post complete instructions together with the pattern of my new pillow in 2 weeks.

If you would like to try Mini Nooodle yarn, it's available via Wool Warehouse HERE* or from your local Scheepjes shops.

Have a nice weekend,

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If you come to my apartment you will see no signs of crochet. I mean you will definitely understand I have something in common with yarn and crochet hooks, as they are literally everywhere. Such a colorful mess of started and unfinished wips. But for some (no) reason I don’t use my own creations as decorations for my home. I create them, finish them, and hide them in a cabinet. Where tens of other finished items are sleeping. Forever. The same story is with my handmade sweaters. I never wear them… And if you ask me why, I will not be able to answer you. I simply don’t know…

UFO crochet pillow made with Camel stitch. Original design by Lilla Bjorn

Two weeks ago my best friend from Belarus was visiting me in Brno. She is admiring handmade in general and every time is trying to “steal” something from me. I was showing her my latest mandalas, and pillows, and blankets. When she saw my Space pillow I made some 5 years ago, she took it out of the box and said: “I think it will be pretty cool on your sofa, and I think you should not hide it again for another 5 years”. And she put it on my sofa, and, yes, it looked pretty cool with all my dusty greys.

Today I finished a new pillow. If you have been following my blog recently you could see some sneak peeks. I normally have difficulties with giving names to my new designs. But this time it was obvious that the pillow reminds of an UFO. So I called it an UFO pillow. And when I put it on my sofa next to Space pillow – they made a wonderful couple. And seems like I will be using them both a lot!

While making UFO pillow I was practicing Camel Crochet stitch. Or its tighter version, better to say. You can check my photo-tutorial HERE. This stitch and color changes on every round helped to obtain a very nice look-knit effect. But at some point I got bored to just repeat the same pattern, and decided to add a small touch of overlay stitches. And they made the whole pillow look even more like UFO.

I used almost 6 skeins of Mini Nooodle* yarn by Scheepjes, 2 skeins in each of 3 shades: 004, 035, 259 and 10mm Clover Amour crochet hook*. And my finished pillow is approx. 50cm (20in) large across.

Be sure to come back to my blog next week, as I will publish a free pattern for UFO pillow!

UFO crochet pillow made with Camel stitch. Original design by Lilla BjornUFO crochet pillow made with Camel stitch. Original design by Lilla Bjorn

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Today I would like to share a happy news with you. I participated in first book in my life. I mostly self-publish crochet patterns via pattern marketplaces, and some of my designs have been published in magazines. But there is nothing to be compared with the joy of carrying a real printed book with your own designs. Just before New Year’s Eve I got a mail from Great Britain. With a newly published Bold Baby Crochet book inside.

Bold Baby Crochet Book

Almost a year ago my friend Dedri Uys (a creative mind behind Look At what I Made) asked if I would like to participate in a new book with baby crochet designs. I silently jumped up to the ceiling and said “Yes, of course I would love to!” And today I can tell you everything about this wonderful project.

Bold Baby Crochet book contains 30 colorful and modern crochet projects for babies: clothing (booties, socks, cardigans, hats and other), gifts and toys and decorations for nursery (wall hangings, baskets, organizers). The patterns mostly call for an easy level, with several Intermediate and Advanced projects.

The book was published by Quantum Books Ltd. and several authors, well known crochet designers, contributed in its creation. And I am happy to say some of them are my friends! The authors are Kirsten Ballering (Haak Maar Raak), Carolyn Christmas (Pink Mambo), Sophie Cormier (Illumikniti Designs), Shelley Husband (Spincushions), Carmen Jorissen (Crafty Queens), Doroteja Kardum (Croby Pattern Designs), Rhondda Mol (Oombawka Design Crochet), Amy Ramnarine (The Stitchin' Mommy), Pia Thadani (StitchesNScraps) and of course Dedri Uys (Look At What I Made) who put everything together and contributed beautiful patterns!

“I firmly believe that there is no greater gift for a baby than an item handmade with love. When I had my first son, a friend of ours made him a little octopus toy out of an old T-shirt. I cherished that toy right up until the day we lost it in the outing. There was something so comforting and special about the fact that she had taken time to create a gift. It spoke of love and carried meaning”. From Introduction by Dedri Uys

I designed a medium sized Monster pillow (with Stone Washed XL* yarn by Scheepjes) which can also be used as a storage for toys, and baby clothes. And Rainbow Waves Stroller Blanket – with Merino Soft* by Scheepjes. Pillow pattern is very easy to follow and crochet beginners should be able to handle it with no problems at all. A little of embroidery is included but all stitches are very simple. And blanket pattern calls for a little bit more experience. I used front post stitches to create textured waves on the surface. The same stitch pattern is repeated through the whole blanket so it’s not difficult to make.

“The projects of this book have been designed with babies and toddlers in mind. Three dimensional pieces are crocheted seamlessly or securely fastened in place. Buttons, beads, sequins, and other plastic components have been avoided as often as possible”. From Disclaimer of the book

Though the publisher and authors warn readers to ensure all elements are joined securely to prevent a choking hazard.

In the end of the book you will find a list of techniques, special stitches used in the patterns and advice how to block finished items to make them look professional. Written instructions are accompanied by high quality step-by-step pictures. So even a crochet beginner will receive all information to handle the patterns.

Bold Baby Crochet book is already available for a pre-order via Amazon US* and Amazon UK. It will be officially released and go for sale on March 1, 2017.

Sophie’s Universe Book

Of course I should mention another fantastic news which literally exploded the world of crochet a week ago. Dedri’s Sophie’s Universe Book was finally published and went live for sale!

Photo Credit: Dedri Uys (Look At What I Made)

If you haven’t heard about this epic and one of the most amazing blankets – please, check Dedri’s blog. Sophie’s Universe is a CAL (crochet-a-long) introduced back in 2015. It was the first CAL of that kind, no one else had made anything like this before. Dedri created a quite intricate pattern of a large blanket, with a mixture of techniques and stitches. Her idea was to invite people to a crochet journey where they can learn something new, increase crochet skills and build up self-confidence.

Literally thousands and thousands of people from all over the world joined this CAL and completed their blankets in a wide variety of colors. The CAL was translated to many languages, and there are also video’s available for each part (made by Esther from It’s All In A Nutshell). Step-by-step tutorials with huge amount of progress pictures are still available in free access on Dedri’s blog. But she also wanted to publish a book, a beautiful modern book where all tutorials, and Sophie’s Universe story, would be kept in one place. And her dream came true thanks to Scheepjes.

Photo credit: Dedri Uys (Look At what I Made)

If you fell in love with this blanket, you can use the same yarns as Dedri. Yarns packs are available for purchase at her Wool Warehouse shop HERE*.

Sophie’s Universe book is a true gift to all fans of this CAL. First bunch of copies was sold in no time. But next wave will come soon. The price is £16.95/€19.95. The book will be available via Amazon US* (not available yet) and Wool Warehouse* (UK, international shipping). You can leave your e-mail at Wool Warehouse web-site and you will be notified as soon as books are back in stock. I signed up myself and am patiently waiting for them to arrive…

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Decorative pillows can never be enough. Don’t you agree? Today I am happy to share a free crochet pattern for my new UFO pillow (check more pictures HERE). With this pattern you will not just make a new accessory for your interior, but you will also practice Camel stitch and get acquainted with basics of overlay crochet. Enjoy!

UFO pillow - free crochet pattern by Lilla Björn. With this easy to follow pattern you will get acquainted with basics of overlay crochet and will learn how to make Camel stitch

You will need:

T-shirt yarn in 3 colors. I used Mini Nooodle yarn (reviewed HERE) by Scheepjes in shades 004, 035 and 259 - 2 skeins of each. You can purchase this yarn at Wool Warehouse HERE* or in your local Scheepjes shops.
Crochet Clover Amour hook 10mm*
Stuffing. You can use old duvet
Zip. I made a closure with zip so that pillow throw is easy to take care of.

Measurements

My pillow is approx. 50cm (20in) large across.

Gauge

Gauge is not critical for this pattern but try not to work too tight because then it will be difficult to insert the hook into 3rd loops. There are overlay stitches added on the surface of mandala – please, always make them to the height of working round. They should not pull.

Important Notes

This pillow is made with Camel crochet stitch. To obtain a look knit effect insert the hook into a 3rd loop. You can find a complete tutorial about how to work this stitch and how to join the rounds with a less invisible joining seam HERE.
Because of tight tension, it may be difficult to insert the hook into a 3rd loop, so please don’t crochet too tight. If you still find it impossible, feel free to switch to a smaller hook and crochet loosely than usually.
Ch1 in the beginning of each rnd doesn’t count as sc. 1st sc of every rnd is made in the same st as ss join.
Don’t cut yarn after each round but carry it behind your work. To change color make ch1 in the beginning of each rnd with new shade (unless otherwise is stated in the pattern).
Don’t forget to skip 1 stitch of previous round behind every “overlay” dc on rnds 18 and 23.

Stitch guide and Abbreviations (US terms)

rnd round
st(s) stitch(es)
ch chain
yo yarn over
lp(s) loop(s)
sk skip st(s)
ss (slip stitch)– insert hook in indicated st, yo, draw yarn up and pull 2nd lp through the 1st lp on hook.
sc (single crochet)– insert hook in indicated stitch, yo, draw up a lp, yo and pull through both lps on hook.
dc (double crochet)– yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo, draw up a lp, *yo, pull through 2 lps* twice.
*…* *crochet following directions* as many times as indicated

Add this pattern to your Ravelry Queue

INSTRUCTIONS

Color Key: C1 - 004, C2 - 259, C3 - 035

Mandala (make two)

Rnd 1. With C1 make a magic ring, ch1 (doesn’t count as sc here and throughout) and 6 sc into a magic ring. Join the round with slip stitch (ss) in 1st sc of the round after ch1 (insert the hook under both loops (front and back).

Rnd 2. Change to C2 making ch1 with new color (here and throughout).
NOTE: On this and next rnds you will be working in 3rd loops of the stitches from previous rnd (unless otherwise stated in the pattern). 1st sc is made in the same stitch as join (here and throughout).

Ch1, 2sc (3rd lp) in each stitch around; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (12 sts)

Rnd 3. Change to C3. Ch1, *1sc, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (18 sts)
Rnd 4. Change to C1. Ch1, *1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (24 sts)
Rnd 5. Change to C2. Ch1, *1sc in next st, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 2 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (30 sts)
Rnd 6. Change to C3. Ch1, *1sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (36 sts)
Rnd 7. Change to C1. Ch1, *1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 3 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (42 sts)
Rnd 8. Change to C2. Ch1, *1sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (48 sts)
Rnd 9. Change to C3. Ch1, *1sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 4 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (54 sts)
Rnd 10. Change to C1. Ch1, *1sc in next 8 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (60 sts)

Rnd 11. Change to C2. Ch1, *1sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 5 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (66 sts)
Rnd 12. Change to C3. Ch1, *1sc in next 10 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (72 sts)
Rnd 13. Change to C1. Ch1, *1sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 6 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (78 sts)
Rnd 14. Change to C2. Ch1, *1sc in next 12 sts, 2sc in next st * 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (84 sts)
Rnd 15. Change to C3. Ch1, *1sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 7 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (90 sts)
Rnd 16. Change to C1. Ch1, 90sc; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (90 sts)
Rnd 17. Continue with C1. Work in both lps!
Ch1, *1sc in next 14 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (96 sts)

Rnd 18. Change to C2. Work all sc in BL.
Note: on rnd 15 you will have 2 sts skipped between dc’s.

Ch1, *1sc on rnd 17, 1dc a st of rnd 15 (in both lps) which is directly below next st of rnd 17, skip 1 st on rnd 17 behind dc just made, 1sc in next 2 sts of rnd 17* repeat to the end; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (96 sts)

Rnd 19. Change to C1. Work in 3rd lp.
Ch1, *1sc in next 7 sts, 2sc in next st, 1 sc in next 8 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (102 sts)
Rnd 20. Change to C3. Work in 3rd lp. Ch1, *1sc in next 16 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (108 sts)
Rnd 21. Change to C3. Work in 3rd lp. Ch1, *1sc in next 8 sts, 2sc in next st, 1 sc in next 9 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (114 sts)
Rnd 22. Continue with C3. Work in both lps! Ch1, *1sc in next 18 sts, 2sc in next st* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (120 sts)

Rnd 23. Change to C1. Work all sc in BL and attach dc’s in the same way as on rnd 18.
Note: on rnd 20 you will have 2 or 3 sts skipped between dc.

Ch1, *1sc on rnd 22, 1dc in a st of rnd 20 (in both lps) which is directly below next st of rnd 22, skip 1 st on rnd 22 behind dc just made, 1sc in next 2 sts on rnd 22* repeat to the end; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (120 sts)

Rnd 24. Change to C3. Work in 3rd lp. Ch1, *1sc in next 9 sts, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 10 sts* 6 times; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (126 sts)
Rnd 25. Change to C2. Work same as on rnd 24. (126 sts)
Rnd 26. Continue with C2. Work through both lps. Ch1, 126sc; join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (126 sts)

If you want you can make your pillow larger by adding a few more rounds:
Rnds. 27-30. Same as Rnd 26 (I used C1 for rnds 27-28, C3 for rnds 29-30). Join with ss in 1st sc after ch1. (126 sts) Fasten off.

Congratulations! Your mandala is finished!

Putting pillow together

If you don't wish to make any closure, join two mandala’s together using a “flat zip” method and yarn C2. Leave s small opening and stuff your pillow. Then continue to join, fasten off and weave in yarn tail in.

For a zip closure - pin zip to front mandala with a few sewing pins and then sew it with running stitch using a needle and yarn of the same color as on the last round of mandala. Because T-shirt yarn is too big for sewing, I used Sport weight cotton yarn of the same shade.

Then pin another half of the zip to the back part of your pillow. Make sure you cover with zip exactly the same amount of stitches (of the last round) as on the front mandala. Sew zip to the back with the same yarn.

Place front and back parts with wrong sides facing each other. With C2 make a slip knot and start joining both parts with "flat zip method" inserting the hook in back loops on both front and back part. The 1st stitch is made right after the zip ends. When you come to the beginning of zip, fasten off and weave all yarn tails in.

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Something very special will be happening in almost 2 weeks. Have you heard about Hygge CAL? It’s a new (very beautiful and just fantastic) crochet project introduced for year 2017 by Scheepjes, together with designer Kirsten Ballering of Haak Maar Raak. If you haven’t heard anything about this CAL before, today is the right day, as kits went for sale. So if you would like to add this project to your collection and use the same yarns, you should hurry up!

Photo credit: Scheepjes

So what’s Hygge CAL (crochet-a-long) about? As Kirsten explains on her blog, the word “Hygge” is Danish and it’s translated to English as “cosiness”. It’s about a rectangle shawl (or wrap). And I have never seen anything like this before! Hygge CAL is about mixture of yarns and techniques. Together with classical crochet you will do lots of embroidery, a little bit of tapestry and surface crochet, and you can line your finished shawl with fabric, if you like.

Photo credit: Scheepjes

The size is approx. 36cm/14in wide and 180-190cm/75in long, depending on your gauge of course. I was very lucky to see this masterpiece for real back in November in the Netherlands, on Scheepjes Days. And I even tried it around my neck! It’s so soft, and warm, and truly cozy! And the length is very generous. I could easily wrap it around my neck (and I even had a thought to steal it…) and Christa of The Curio Crafts Room made a picture of me (thank you very much!).

Photo credit: The Curio Crafts Room

Two different yarns are used for this shawl, but both of them are cotton. No wool! Good news for those who have wool allergy. The background is crocheted with Stone Washed (reviewed HERE) – the most famous yarn by Scheepjes, and colorful accents and embroidery are made with Catona (reviewed HERE), another my favourite yarn which I very often use for my own overlay projects.

Kits are now on sale and you can choose from several colour ways: Rainbow, Pastel, Jewel and the Limited editon Simy's choice kit. They are available for purchase at your local Scheepjes shops as well as from large retailers who ship orders internationally: Wool Warehouse*, Deramores* and Loveknitting* (for US customers).

Photo credit: Scheepjes

Starting date for Hygge CAL is February 15. A week earlier Tips&Tricks will be released to give you necessary information to complete this gorgeous shawl successfully. CAL will last for 13 weeks, and every week a new part will be released. Written instructions and charts will be accompanied by high-quality video’s made by Esther of It’s All In A Nutshell. So you will be carefully guided through every step, and you should feel safe!

For a true CAL spirit you can join one of 2 groups on Facebook (very active and friendly): Dutch (here) or International for English speaking people (here). If you would like to share wips and finished shawls on social media, please, use hashtag #ScheepjesHyggeCAL so that we all could find your masterpiece and admire!

UPDATE: the kits are sold very fast! In case you are not lucky to order your own - here is a complete list of yarns and shades used for each colour way. You can purchase them on Wool Warehouse (Catona* and Stone Washed*), Deramores (Catona*and Stone Washed*) and Paradise Fibers (US) (Catona* and Stone Washed*).

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