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MRS MOON BLOG

Lovely Nathalie

September 06, 2013

Our first day back at the shop yesterday, kids back to school, summer hols over, feeling a little tincey wincey bit down and then we come in to Mrs Moon and there is Nathalie bearing gifts....

She crocheted these BEAUTIFUL rugs for us over the summer out of old fabric scarves....  They are absolutely gorgeous and we may have shed a tear or two on receipt of them (had nothing to do with the plate of baklava she bought in too!)

Nathalie has such an eye for colour and is so creative... these are so simple but absolutely perfect.  We are negotiating which one will go to which home!

Campsite (or poolside, if you're lucky) Crochet

August 08, 2013

I was looking for something simple but satisfying to take on holiday to crochet and think that I may have come up with exactly the thing!  Problem is, I go on holiday and Saturday and think I may be at least half way through it by then!  

I've been loving Granny Stripes for the whole of this year... they have been bit on the catwalk this year too, but haven't translated them into a blanket before.  The beauty of the stripe rather than the square is that you don't get that awful feeling where every round gets bigger and bigger until you can't face starting a new one.  With this throw you know exactly how much yarn you are going to need and as each row is the same, don't feel like your project is never going to end.

I'm using my favourite yarn of the moment (well, for quite a while actually), Blue Sky Alpacas' gorgeous Melange and Sportweight.  After much deliberation I've chosen 5 stripes to go on the neutral background (toasted almond melange), bubblegum, saffron (both melange) and buttercup, hibiscus and capri sportweight.

I'm loving how it looks already and am sure by the time I'm back from camping en France it will be done.

If you want to have a go yourself you will need:

6 skeins of Toasted Almond

1 skein each of Bubblegum, Saffron, Buttercup, Hibiscus, Capri

3.75mm crochet hook

Finished size: 132cm x 70cm approx

Using toasted almond, Ch 132 (or as big as you'd like, use a multiple of four stitches)

Row 1: 2tr into 4th ch from hook,*ch1, skip 3ch, 3tr into next ch, rep from * to end working 3tr into last ch. Turn.

Row 2: ch4, *3tr into first ch1 space, ch1, rep from * to end finishing with ch1, 1tr into top of ch3.  Turn.

Row 3: ch3, 2tr into first ch1 space, *ch1, 3tr into next ch1 space, rep from * to end working 3tr into last space. Turn

Continue repeating rows 2 and 3. 

Once you have 7 rows of A completed, change to your first colour, I have used bubblegum, working 5 rows in this colour.  Then change back to neutral for 7 rows.  Continue as desired.

You can of course change the numbers of rows in each colour... I think random would be quite nice, but requires more thought... too much for my holiday!

Will post a pic of the finished article when I'm back!

Have fun.

Susanx

 

Super Spud Sweater!

June 06, 2013

As the temperatures begin to soar (?) we have been having a renewed love-in with Spud & Chloe's super Sweater yarn.  It is such a versatile aran weight yarn and is great for summer projects being a mix of wool and organic cotton.  It's superwash too, so you don't need to worry about  how to care for it once it's knitted up and just happens to come in a fabulous range of 28 bright colours which are bang on trend for this summer.

We have always been fans of Sweater and as a result have quite a few of our own designs using it - it has great stitch definition and is also lovely for crocheting .  As you'd expect, Spud & Chloe do their own great patterns which you can now buy as downloads direct from the Spud & Chloe website.

Our Sweater collection here shows (clockwise from hanger on wall) Hampton baby blanket, Teddington and Ailsa crochet throws, Amyand cushion, Beaconsfield baby blanket and BeTween cardigan.

If you've not tried it before, this is a great time to take the plunge!

Beginner's Guides

May 03, 2013

Teaching knitting and crochet is almost a full-time occupation at Mrs Moon.  We meet lovely people week in week out who want to start off on their knitting and crocheting adventure. It gives us an enormous amount of pleasure, especially when they come back again and again as their confidence grows and they take on more and more projects.... and inevitably start teaching us a few things!

We could probably run classes in our sleep by now and have produced guides that run through the classes step-by-step so that those who can't make a class can have a go on their own.  The guides include patterns for first projects and start from the absolute basic point of making a slip knot... a very good place to start!

We've got kits for the whole shebang or you can buy the guides individually for just £7.00.  Great gift idea or something to pack to take away to the sun over the summer.... far lighter than a suitcase of books! 

Perfect Summer Scarf

April 24, 2013

My criteria for the perfect summer scarf:

  1. Must be warm (in case the sun goes in)
  2. Must be quick to knit (before the sun goes in)
  3. Must be colourful (to cheer you up when the sun goes in)
  4. Must be made of cotton (to differentiate it from a winter scarf)

And voila!  Here it is.  Practially perfect in every way.  So quick, chic and satisfying, that I'm making more... (unheard of for me!).  The Blue Sky Worsted Cotton is just the softest cotton imaginable and comes in the best range of summer colours.  With 20 different colours in stock, there are loads of combinations to try. 

The pattern is a great project for new knitters as it uses some basic techniques again and again and again, so by the time you've finished, you'll be amazing at them.  I've knitted picot hems at either end as you go, but you can easily just slip stitch these hems at teh end if you prefer.  All instrucitons are included.

As the pattern only needs a small amount of the contrast trim, it might be an idea to knit two scarves, reversing the colourway.  You will need two skeins 0f each colour in this case.

If you'd like to have a go, you can get the pattern, named Godstone, here.

 

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