crochet shawls spotlight

I'm a huge fan of crochet shawls. They are so versatile especially with our British summers! You can take them out for the day, small lightweight and portable and handy for when the weather turns chilly. I like to crochet mine quite big, big enough to wrap around you like a traditional shawl or worn tied around the front (a little more trendy). I've taken a few of mine to Whitstable over the past few years, to sit on the beach and watch the sunset and the ombre shawl to Brick Lane London for bagels!

The one shown below is the Ombre Shawl by Annaboos House (link to Etsy)

Ombre shawl by Annaboos House (taken in Brick Lane London 2018)

Here are a few of mine in progress and finished ones with links to the patterns, some are free and some are paid patterns. I'm using hand dye yarn and more affordable yarn cakes to give you an idea of what you can achieve on different budgets. Although I adore hand dye yarn, its not everyones taste or budget. I have some new yarn cake on order that will make a fab shawl in King Cole Curiosity, maybe just a plain granny style with little tassles.

Keep an eye on my Instagram account for weekly (daily) updates on my progress. With my office furlough scheme set to continue into the Autumn the seasons and colours are set to change in my shawls.

The shawl shown below is crochet using Sirdar Colorweel Dazzle in shade 505. I'm planning to use 2 cakes (150g) each and add either a lacy style border or tassles. This version will be for sale in my Etsy shop later this month or early August.

Sirdar Colourwheel Dazzle (shade 505)

A couple of other versions od yarn cakes are shown below. Both these shawls were sold through my Etsy store.

Ombre shawl in Sidar Colourwheel

Wishing Well shawl with hand made ceramic buttons (Cherry Hill Studio Clay)

The Wishing Well shawl shown above is a lovely free pattern on the Sewrella web site and uses Lion Brands Mandala Baby in colour wishing well (thats how it got that name!).

I have some lovely DK yarn perfect for an Autumn/winter shawl that I bought on an Instragram de-stash account. Isn't it lovely and bright. Jellybeans Yarns in colourway Seahorse Nebula sock yarn (75% merino 25% nylon) and I was lucky enough to buy 200g.

Seahorse Nebula (Jelly Beans Yarn) on sock 4ply merino

 The next shawl is by my lovely friend Fiona at Sew Happy Creative, she created this simple yet effective shawl pattern (lets see what happens) last October but I've only just got round to testing it and now have three on the go. Its very addictive and works so well in both hand dye sock and Dk yarn cakes. To make a yarn cake version you'll need 2 cakes which and with the current sales is around £11, incredible value and makes such a great gift too. To make a hand dye 4ply version you will need 200g total or use mini skeins (around £32)

The rainbow fade version in progress shown below is crochet using Fiona's hand dye yarn on a super wash merino base 75% with nylon 20% and 5% stellina. I've had this yarn for some time so you'll need to contact Fiona via her Etsy shop if you want to buy some or any of her fabulous yarns. I know a lot of my Instagram followers have asked me for all these details.

Rainbow fade using Sewhappycreative 20g mini skeins with sellina glitter

I'm currently waiting for a hand dye special order from Hedgerow Yarns needed to finish my summer shawl (shown below), I just loved the blue/grey colour so much that I put in a special request in to have a 100g dyed up. Please take a look at Hedgerow yarns, the tiddlers are my favourite and I buy them almost monthly now to collect them. Actually, thats how this shawl idea started.

Summer shawl using Hedgerow yarns tiddlers

People often ask me how I chose my colour schemes, I really wish I could tell you how I do it, but its kind of second nature it just happens like magic. Happy crocheting and dont forget you can contact me through my Instagram account.

I may have started another Ombre Shawl using these beautiful summer colours from Sew Happy Creative. I've been collecting them and now that Fiona has released some new colours they mix really well with these. The inspiration came from a visit to Audley End House and garden three years ago! Its amazing how I took this photo not knowing I'd start a shawl using the same colours.

Audley End the vegetable gardens

my summer shawl