I am very excited to be releasing my Toasty Earflap Hat pattern tomorrow…so watch this space! It will be available in sizes newborn to large adult, and is a really super pattern for all the family… I have already made myself and Mr R one to keep our ears toasty warm on our freezing dog walks.
I have made a very quick video to demonstrate how to crochet the crab stitch, which is the final round of the hat. I thought it may be helpful. Let me know what you think
This easy crochet cup cosy is a quick and thoughtful handmade project, perfect for gifting, craft fairs, or everyday use.
Although this crochet cup cosy was originally designed as a Valentine’s Day make, it’s a lovely little project to crochet all year round. Whether you’re making one as a small handmade gift, a cosy treat for yourself, or a quick stash-busting project using yarn you already own, this cup cosy is simple, practical, and perfect for everyday use.
This easy crochet cup cosy tutorial shows you how to make a cosy step-by-step using simple stitches — perfect for beginners and a fun stash-busting project.
This cute coffee cup cosy has a cute ribbed top brim and a chic lacy body made from clusters of v stitches, before nipping in at the base with a band of double crochet stitches and being finished with a yarny little heart.
The pattern is simple and quick to hook up and can be made from stash… just perfect for gifting and treating your best friends or of course yourself! They are also great sellers at markets, so if you are a finished piece seller, they make a great low-cost, high-appeal item for fairs and craft markets.
If you’re in the mood for more relaxed, feel-good makes, I’ve also shared 7 crochet projects you can make with yarn you already own — perfect for cosy evenings and stash-busting.
a small amount baby / sport weight yarn. I used Scheepjes stone washed in Moon Stone and Red Jasper. Pattern does share how to make cosy smaller or larger, so dk yarn will work also.
darning needle to weave in the ends.
Abbreviations used UK terminology (American terminology in brackets)
st – stitch
slst – slip stitch
ch – chain
dc – double crochet (sc -single crochet)
htr – half treble crochet (hdc – half double crochet)
tr – treble crochet (dc – double crochet)
dtr – double treble (tr – treble crochet)
Turning ch does not count as a st unless otherwise stated
V st – in same st, 2tr, ch1, 2tr (in same st 2dc, ch1, 2dc)
BLO – work in back loop only
If you’d prefer a printable, ad-free version of this pattern, the PDF is available to download below in both UK and US versions — ideal for offline crocheting or for keeping in your pattern library.
⭐ Easy to print and follow anywhere
⭐ Ad-free for a calm crochet experience
⭐ Available to download in both UK and US crochet terms
⭐ Helps support my small crochet business
Ch5
Row 1: Dc in second ch from hook and in each st along (4dc), ch1 turn,
IN BACK LOOPS ONLY
Row 2: Dc in each st along, ch1 turn (4dc)
Rows 3 – 33: repeat row 2 (increase or decrease rows in rib to fit around your cup. Rib number of rows must however be a multiple of 3, remember the cosy will stretch) join rib ends with a slst to form a circle, ch1
Round 1: work 33 dc into top of rib, ch2 (or dc the equivalent number to rows in your rib eg/ 30 rows in rib then 30dc in row 4)
Round 2: * v stitch in 1st st, miss 2sts,* repeat * – * to end of round, join with a slst in top of ch2 (11 v stitches)
Round 3: ch2, *v stitch in ch 1 of previous round* see picture below. Repeat * – * all around, slst in top of ch2
Round 4 – 6: repeat round 3
Round 7: ch1, dc in first st, *miss a st, dc in next st* repeat all around, slst in top of ch1 (29dc)
Round 8 – 10: ch1, dc in each st around, slst in top of ch1 (29dc) fasten off at end of round 10.
In accent colour make heart. If you would like more of a photo tutorial for this click here otherwise follow the instructions below.
Ch2
Round 1: 10dc into 2nd ch from hook, slst in to top of 1st dc form a circle
Round 2: Ch 1, 2dc into each st around (20dc)
Round 3: Ch4 (counts as a dtr), 1dtr in the next 3 sts, 1tr in next 4sts, 1htr in next st, dc in next st, ch3, slst into same space (this creates a picot), dc in next st, 1htr in next st, 1tr in next 4 sts, 1dtr in next 4 sts, slst in to bottom ch1 of beginning ch4.
Round 4: ch4 (counts as a dtr), 3dtr into next 3sts, (these are actually the chains from previous round) 1tr in next 3 sts, 1htr into the next st, 1dc in next 4sts, slst in picot space, ch4, slst in to same space (picot made), 1dc in next 4 sts,1htr in next st, 1tr in next 3 sts, 1dtr in next 4sts,
slst in to the cleft of the heart to finish. Fasten off leaving a long tail and sew to cosy, weaving in any loose ends.
Now, just make as many cosy’s as you have best friends or just make one for yourself!
If you enjoyed this pattern, I’d love to know.
Please leave a comment below, give the post a like, or save it to Pinterest so you can find it again later. Every little bit of support helps keep these free patterns coming — thank you so much for being here.
Want to stay organised with your crochet projects? You can join my email list to receive your free Crochet Project Planner and lots of cosy crochet inspiration.
Happy hooking,
Niki xx
Hey lovelies, I’m in need of pattern testers again. This time for my Toasty Ear Flap Hat. Written for sizes newborn – large adult.
Here’s what I’m looking for.
Do I need to have test crochet before?
Nope… as long as you can crochet and read from a written pattern you are good to apply to be my tester. Infact, I am looking for people with varying abilities of crochet.
Is there a deadline?
Yes…if you are successful in applying for the role of tester I will require you to finish the test within a week of receiving the pattern.
Other than crochet the pattern on time what else do you need me to do? Good question! I will need you to give me lots of feedback, to include the good, the bad and the ugly! Spot typo’s and grammatical errors and make pattern corrections. I need you to keep in touch even if this means you can’t meet the deadline…life happens, I understand that.
I also require a good quality photo of the finished item that I will be able to use on all social media, my blog and in my Etsy shop…I will of course tag you. Photo’s need to be clear and free from a cluttered background…think insta worthy!
I will require you to be active on social media, ideally you need to be active on Instagram and or facebook with a public account….What does this mean? I would like you to share photo’s with specific hashtags for the pattern, both during and after testing and the pattern is available on general release,
Do I get paid to test a pattern?
Nope…I wish I could say yes, but sadly the answer is no! You also need to be able to provide your own materials…in this case a small quantity of aran / worsted weight yarn and fluffy pompom (or make your own woolly pompom) However, you will get the pattern fully edited for free and you can choose another of my patterns for free also. If your photo’s are of good quality I will use them here on my blog and in my social media / Etsy shop and I will always tag you so people can head your way!
So if you are interested and can turn this around for me within 7 days, and you are happy with the terms above, ideally send me a direct message on instagram…you will find me @yarnyrobin. I have about 4 spaces available and if you are successful I will be in touch within the next week.
XXXXX
Isn’t she lovely, isn’t she wonderful. Isn’t she lovely made from love
Lionel Ritchie
Let me start by saying I simply loved hooking every stitch of her. Isn’t she just adorable. I made her for a lovely sidekicksista aka a beautiful crafty friend. I can’t wait to hook another crochet angel. I would love to gift some more and make one for myself too.
The pattern is certainly not for beginners and it took a little deciphering, however it is a beautiful pattern that did not disappoint. I have never hooked with such a small hook before, a 2.5mm! That also took a little practice. The pattern states to hook with a fingering weight yarn held double stranded and gave a lovely denseness to the fabric of the doll.
I love everything about this angel, from her crazy curly hair to her button fastened limbs and little blush cheeks (which were ridiculously good fun to paint on)
Here are the full pattern details
PATTERN: Crochet Angel
By: Irina Moilova @crochetconfetti
You should also know, before you fall down this crochet angel hole…she has lots of other beautiful dolls to make…you may get hooked!
XXXXX
Welcome back…It has been a while!
Welcome to you, if you used to stop by here and spend some time with me, it’s good to have you here. And if this is your first time here, you are very welcome. Please stay, grab a cuppa and I will tell you what has happened here at the nest whilst the world has gone crazy!
It is sooooo good to be back here, in this lovely spot of the cyberspace. I have not dropped in for so long, but the time is right to start writing again. I think we can all agree that the world has changed so much over the last couple of years with Covid.
How are you?
Really, how are you? let me know in the comments below, I would really love to catch up with you.
I’ll start with a little nest update and then share my hooky plans for this year…I’ve got lots planned. So, if you want to skip the nest update and jump straight to the crochet, skip the next couple of paragraphs…I don’t mind.
The big news is the little Robins are not so little anymore and are now 18,17 and 14 years old… yep! how does that happen so quickly? The eldest is teetering on the nest edge and has pretty much fledged…I am full of pride and fear all rolled into one.
Our saddest news occured in October when we had to say a very hard goodbye to our beloved labrador, Alfie. He was the grand old age of 15 years, 9 months and 6 days old, when rainbow bridge finally called him. We buried him in our garden and I miss him so much. He will be in our hearts forever.
Little Jess was so good and seemed to understand where her pal had gone, but it wasn’t long before Mr R suggested we should find her another buddy as she has never been on her own before.
I felt like it would be a betrayal and couldn’t settle the idea in my heart. A couple of months later, Mr R had found a lovely little chap and had called to see if he was still available, but had to leave a message. That night as we waited for a call back, Alfie came to me in a dream and licked my hand. The following morning the lady called and said the handsome little fella was still available and we went to fetch him home… it felt with Alfie’s blessing.
Let me introduce you to Duke, he is now 16 weeks old. He’s a cheeky chappy, who loves a cuddle and to zoom about the house. His Mother is an Italian greyhound and his Dad is a Beddlington terrier / Whippet mix, so he shouldn’t grow too much bigger. He has settled well and Jess seems to approve. Life has a way of being heartbreakingly, beautiful and hope is everywhere, if you just look for it.
So, you are up to date largely. Lockdown was full of Mr R renovating the garden whilst I worked through. I have impressively pinned an enormous amount to my pintrest boards, oh! and have wrestled a large dose of unwanted anxiety. I didn’t do a great deal of crochet, other than orders, which I was grateful for.
My big plan this year though is to get back to blogging and pattern writing and sharing it with you. That is what I enjoy and have come to realise, I have missed. My baby Etsy shop has been great fun over the last couple of years; and to my suprise has been quite successful. However, I have made the decision to make it a pattern shop as of now. There are several reasons for this, the first and main one being time!
Whilst crocheting to order is great and has been very satisfying it leaves me zero time to write patterns and to crochet other things…like the crochet angel at the top of this post (I will post about this separatley). I also don’t want to have to deal with orders getting lost in the mail (this seemed to happen several times last year).
So a pattern shop it is…and that, well that makes me happy, very happy indeed. I have lots of ideas and I have missed being here…it may be a bit old school but I aint’ getting tiktok and reels!
This is what I am currently writing up…’my toasty earflap hat’. It will be available in sizes newborn to large adult. I made this one for me, for the bitingly cold dog walks I am taking every day. It is so warm and toasty, hence the name. It is perfect for those cold winter days and I’m looking forward to making it available.
I still need a couple of pattern testers, so if you have some aran yarn in a couple of colours (less than 100g) and you are able to turn this around within the next week or so, drop me a message. You would need to provide me with some good quality photo’s and in return I will send you the fully edited pattern.
Anyway, I’ve rambled enough. Now it’s your turn…let me know how you are doing by leaving a message below.
XXXXX
These beautiful baby bloomers just fell off my hook…what do you think?
I am totally in love with them, and that colour is looking mighty fine!
The textured pattern is a delight to hook and I adore the little cinched in waistband. I think these would look great paired with a simple pair of tights, but equally would suit a little boy also. The ribbed banding around the waist and legs finishes the pattern with a soft definition and you know me…I always love to crochet a rib.
You can just imagine a cute little baby bum in that can’t you?
The pattern was great to follow and I highly recommend you pop over and take a look at this designers patterns, she is certainly bossing the way in British crochet baby wear. I will pop all of the details at the bottom of this post as usual with all of the relevant linky things too.
And if you don’t fancy hooking your own pair I am happy to hook some for you…just click here and drop me a message.
The yarn was also a delight, super soft for baby’s skin and has a gentle sheen which compliments the textured pattern of these bloomers. This yarn is also practicle in that it is machine washable and anti-pilling and can even be popped into the tumble dryer!
This mustard has to be one of my favourite colours right now. It reminds me of fields of rape seed in the countryside and sunflowers and yet makes me think autumn will come again…and I can’t wait for the beautiful season that is Autumn.
Pattern: Camden Bloomers by Babes in the Wool
Yarn: Stylecraft Bambino in Mellow Yellow.
If you have read my previous posts you will know we are awaiting the birth of a precious niece any day soon. Little did we plan the birth of someone so longed for and precious in the middle of a global pandemic and a national lockdown!
However, the rainbows that adorn the windows of homes all across the country and that have become the symbol of communities united and a sign of thanks and of hope over the last 8 weeks or so, have inspired me to hook something for babies born in lockdown.
You probably could have guessed it would be a bonnet…they have become my favourite things to make!
What do you think?
These are available to buy in my shop…just click the picture and you will be magically transported there. Or if you fancy hooking your own, you can purchase the pattern from my shop too…the pattern is for the basic bonnet so you would just have to change your yarn to the rainbow colours in the last 6 rows (the last row been the main colour of the bonnet). The ears are optional! Of course if your not sure just pop me a message.
I have had a lot of love for these and have just sold one to a lovely Mama who is expecting a rainbow baby (a baby born after pregnancy or child loss) and one to a Mama to be who wants to use it as part of her pregnancy announcement.
I really do feel so privileged to make bonnets and hats and to help create special memories for parents and carers.
xxxxx
Hi, I just wanted to drop by to share with you this fabulous and free crochet sampler rainbow pattern by the amazing Sharon from The Stitch Foundary
It’s a quick make and looks fabulous hung up in the window to show support to all of our key workers at this unbelievable time and to add some cheer and unite in community spirit.
From a crochet point of view, the pattern is free, easy to follow and has several different stitches which give the rainbow some lovely textures. There is no gauge to worry about and you can make it from scraps…what’s not to love!
I did alter mine slightly…sorry Sharon!
I used 5 stitches to complete my popcorns in the orange row, instead of the recommended 3 stitches…just because it made my popcorns fatter and I like nice fat popcorns! Then on the last row of red I chained 5 and missed a stitch, instead of chain 3 between each stitch…just because it made the row less ruffled and more arched and I preferred the more simple finish.
Anyway, it’s a fabulous pattern and will make you smile if you hook it!
xxxxx
Apparently April 2020 has been and gone, it has seemingly slipped by silently…drowned out by the roar of Covid-19, and all without as much as a blog post from me. My sincerest apologies, the NHS has been a crazy place to be employed of late and I have found it difficult to transition from there and slip into the rather relaxed mode at home…it feels like I am straddling two time zones!
I have been productive however, and I have a few things to show you and some good patterns I have found to share with you. The first of which is from one of my all time favourite designers…Mon petit violon. I have a brand-new niece scheduled to arrive in this world at any moment and I fell in love with the ruffle romper by Mon Petit Violon. So just before we were locked down I ordered 2 balls of Rico cotton soft in saffron. As soon as they arrived through the letter box I got my hook out and, well pretty much got lost in the beautiful stitches and shape of this romper. I oohed and aahhed as I hooked (no, I really did…out loud!). The pattern is a wonderful hook, it is clearly written and comes in two size options 0 – 6 months and 6 -12 months. I am hooking the 0 – 6 months as baby is due any day now.
There are plenty of helpful pictures included in the pattern too and although the stitches used are simple, I would suggest you would need some previous knowledge and experience of crochet and reading patterns so as not to be overwhelmed. Oh and of course it is very important to test swatch your gauge to begin with!
So there I was oohing and aahhing and hooking away merrily and what I should have done was read the partof the pattern which suggested amounts of yarn, because just as I got to the ruffle part…I ran out of yarn!
I should have ordered 3 balls! No problem! I thought and hit the button to order more…but an ‘out of stock’ message appeared! No problem! I thought as I checked the box that said ‘send email when back in stock’.
Three weeks passed and no email…a frantic search online found my heart sinking as shop after shop did not have any balls of saffron left. In desperation last week I put an appeal out on Instagram to see if any lovely hooker, anywhere in the world had some in their stash to sell to me… and my wonderful #sidekicksistas came to the rescue. The beautiful Karen alerted me to 3 balls that were available at Laughing Hens! Now I had never come across this beautiful gem of shop before…but I hit the order button and am now just waiting for my yarn to arrive, so I can get that ruffle hooked hopefully before my niece arrives!
Talking of patterns I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for the support you have given to me with my recent pattern release.
You have really blessed me!
I promise I won’t leave it as long before I next drop by.
Stay safe.
xxxxx
Oh my days…I hope everyone is well and staying safe…what strange and frightening times we are living in! I am still having to work, but the rest of the Robins are tucked up tight at home with Mr R for safe keeping.
Photo credit: with thanks to @homeandangelmum on instagramIn between my shifts for the last 4 weeks I have been trying to distract myself by pattern writing…and today I have been able to release my offering of this adorable baby bonnet. It has taken me 4 weeks to write, get pattern tested, product tested and edited, so it has kept me well distracted from the worry in this world.
(If you want to skip the rest of this post, you will find a 20% off coupon code at the bottom of this post!)
Photo credit: with thanks to @kyliesianmed on instagramThis beautiful baby bear bonnet is sure to make a perfect baby shower gift for a precious little one. Or indeed this cute little bonnet would make a sweet photo prop to take along to a newborn photoshoot. Of course, it would also be great for dress up and everyday wear too!
What do you think?
Photo credit: with thanks to @mrslozmiller on instagramFancy hooking your own beautiful baby bear bonnet? This beautiful pattern is easy and quick to hook up and comes in sizes
Newborn
0 – 3 months
3-6 months
6 – 9 months
9 – 12 months
1 – 2 years
2 – 5 years
Materials you will need:
Aran / worsted weight yarn – pattern recommends Stylecraft special, but any aran/ worsted yarn may be used (5.0mm) crochet hook
Tapestry needle
Tape measure
stitch marker (optional)
The pattern is written using UK crochet terminology and has a handy conversion of stitches into US terminology provided in the pattern notes.
You are welcome to sell what you make using my patterns – I hope this bonnet sells well for you! Please do include a link or reference to my shop for the pattern. This pattern including photographs are copyright protected and you are not permitted to reproduce, redistribute, copy, share or re-sell.
Use code
for 20% off pattern price valid until 04.04.2020.
Stay safe lovelies.
xxxxx
