Crochet roses and wooden beads

My newest additions to the shop. 
I simply cannot get enough of crocheted roses and wooden beads. 

Vintage cross-stitch finds

Recently we cleared my hub's grandmother's house and I felt if on a treasure hunt. We once had such - I will refer to it later in the post. 

Among other things I got  (yes, there will be other posts about this, you did not think I could stick to just one, did you?) these were the most desired ones. Cross-stitch samplers,screaming 'retro,' shamelessly ruined simply because they were made on a too narrow strip of fabric. Honestly I did not expect this from a seasoned stitcher. I already have some ideas how to use them - they are gorgeous.

 

This unfinished piece was probably supposed to be a tablecloth. Here, she used the same color combination as for the above sampler. I guess it was a hit at a certain point in time (the 1970/80s). 

 This tablecloth left me puzzled. It looks like she got tired of stitching the orange squares and just filled out one completely, just to see what it would look like. 

And these below are her used tablecloths, but well preserved. 

I am happy to report that I became the proud owner of the swooning embroidered tablecloth I talked about here. And some other finds I got earlier.

Spring Flower Necklace 2- a crochet pattern

 

I couldn't let the arrival of spring go unnoticed, so what better way to celebrate it than with a charming flower necklace. 

 

  

Both  the necklace and the pattern are in the shop.

The lost road nostalgia

 

One day browsing the net I came upon this Let's Knit magazine called Nostalgic Crochet. What draw me to it was this picture showing these gorgeous coin purses in a specific pattern. Actually it was the pattern that captured my attention. 

My grandma called it "The Lost Road".  It was one of her most favourite patterns. When I was just a little girl, whenever we had it on the table, tracing the whirling pattern, I couldn't help but imagine a dirt road winding deep into green woods and wondered how could a road lose itself. It's a fond memory of mine.    

 The lost road... 
Grandma made me a tablecloth and doilies to accompany it.
The round doily (in the center of the collage below) is actually a sampler from my hub's grandma. Apparently she liked it too.

I proud myself of being able to "decipher" a pattern just by looking at it (same as grandma) but this is a tough one.
I know I have this pattern somewhere and when I find it I'll post it here.

Vintage didactic boards

Recently at school Jacob learnt about traffic, so this vintage didactic board came in handy. He was a bit puzzled since no policeman of ours wears gloves like the ones pictured but I love having the opportunity of broadening his sense and knowledge of other cultures and hence difference in styles. 
 
These boards were used to teach professions. I've got only these two, my sister's got a different pair, generously given to us by our mother.

As Jacob's teacher encourages the children to re-tell stories and invent them, we used the boards for that too. 

Crochet Mini Doilies {Necklace and Bracelet} - a free pattern

 I have a special treat for you today. A pattern for the mini doilies. The same one that was published in the Simply Crochet magazine - read about it here.

So with no further ado, roll up your sleeves and gather your hooks.

Pattern requirements

Skill level: easy

Time: 5 - 10 minutes for 1 doily

Yarn and hook: For the main body (the motif)of the mini doilies I used doubled embroidery floss to gain on density, but light and medium cotton thread / crochet yarn can also be used. For the border I used ecru crochet thread, size 30 (20 tex).   

Use a 1.9 mm (B1-E4) hook. However, if you use other sizes of yarn for this project, you should consult the label of your yarn/thread because it always gives information about recommended hook sizes.

Gauge: not important for this project.

Used terms: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), slip stitch (sl st.).

Chain 5 and join to make ring.

 

Now this is important: DO NOT work into the ring! 

Start crocheting right away in the 1st st. 

That's how there won't be a hole in the middle.  

Round 1: 

Start by making 2 sc in the first stitch, and 2 sc in all the remaining stitches (10).

Round 2:  

2 sc all through the round (20) 

Repeat this round until you are satisfied with the size of the “doily”. End by making a sl st. For my necklaces and bracelets I usually make doilies of 2 to 3 rounds before I make the border. 

The border 

 

Insert ecru  in the next stitch.

*Chain 3 and sc in next stitch*. Repeat from * to * until the end. When you come to the last stitch make a slip stitch into the very first stitch/ 3-chain you made.

This is the front...

... and the back. Neatly weave all ends.

Joining

 

To make this style of necklace (and any other you desire) you will need jump rings to join the doilies together. I marked the position of the jump rings for clearer understanding. When it is done, attach a chain to it.

For the bracelet, I usually use two jump rings to join them together lined up and add a small chain and adequate closure (usually a clasp).

For inspiration of other styles and color combinations, check my doilies here.

If you want to download this as a PDF file, you can do so here

If you decide to make them, I'd love to see them! Just drop me a note in the comments.

Enjoy your new jewelries!