Guest designer - Mandy McKenna

We're pleased to welcome today a friend and follower of IACW, who has designed and written a tutorial for a Christmas tree decoration especially for us.

Over to Mandy:

I have four children, the eldest of whom went to sixth form last month and the other three are home-schooled by me.  Before that I had a career in teaching and went to Bible College as a mature student for three years.  We are a Christian family and try to treat other people as Jesus would treat them. 

On the crafty front, my Gran taught me to crochet when I was little.  I never really got on well with knitting but loved embroidery.  In recent years I have tried my hand at beading & jewellery, quilting, and dabbling with polymer clay.  

I got into scrap booking several years ago and make cards for special occasions.  Like many people, I have always loved crafting and ‘making things’ and usually have several projects on the go at once.  I love to go to Art Galleries and do ‘Arty stuff’ with my children. 

I love to learn and am currently taking an online course with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer which has been very liberating and inspiring. 

This is my blog… http://6ichthusfish.typepad.com    I was really pleased to be invited to do a post here on IACW.

Crochet Christmas Tree Baubles

By Mandy McKenna

 

The baubles are crocheted in the Japanese style of Amigurumi.  With Amigurumi crochet, each ‘round’ in the crochet carries on from the round below, in a spiral pattern.  It’s different to traditional crochet patterns because you don’t make the ‘3 chain’ to take the work up to the next level (which is how you usually make Granny squares for example). 

 The baubles I’ve designed use a round ball pattern, which is the basis for many Amigurumi  soft toys, so if you enjoy this tutorial, you could then move on to more complex Amigurumi patterns if you wanted to. 

 I’ve made the tutorial photo rich so that if you are a beginner at crochet you can follow the pattern easily.  When I started out with Amigurumi, the hardest thing I found was keeping my place on the crochet and not losing where I was.  So stitch marking  the round you’re on is really important.  I’ve experimented with different ways to mark the rounds in Amigurumi and here I’ve shown the way that I’ve come up with that works well for me. 

 Materials you will need

You will need some coloured yarn.  I use the brightly coloured Bamboo Cotton by ‘King Cole’ which is 50% bamboo and 50% cotton.  It’s similar to double knitting.

 2mm hook (which gives a very tight finish that I like), but you could use a 3mm or even 4mm hook if you wanted.

 Various sequins, beads, bling and ric-rac.  Note the baubles are meant as a decoration, NOT a toy.

 Embroidery thread to match or contrast with your yarn.

 Darning needle

 Sewing needle that will take embroidery thread but that will also pass through the holes in your beads

 It’s also worth noting that I’m using the USA term ‘single crochet’ in this pattern.  This is the same stitch as ‘double crochet’ in the UK. This is because most Amigurumi patterns have US terms.

 PART ONE Crocheting the bauble.

 When you start an Amigurumi pattern, you can use what’s called a ‘magic loop’ but it’s another thing that can put people off amigurumi, so on this pattern I’m beginning in the traditional way where you make a loop and do 2 chain, try to make the first chain stitch quite loose.

 

 Round one

Into the second chain from the hook, do 6 single crochet stitches (6sc)

 

 Round two

 Do 2 single crochet stitches (2sc) into each of the single crochet stitches below.  You need to count and make sure you have 12 stitches in round two.  (12)

 

 You can begin to see the crochet ‘spiralling’ .  Now you need to add a stitch marker.  The best way I’ve found is to use a contrasting piece of thick thread in the LAST stitch of the round.  This is because if you make a mistake or get lost in the pattern, you can rip the work back to the stitch marker, knowing the work was correct up to that place and then you can begin the round again.

 Round three

 Do 2 single crochet (2sc) into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet in the next stitch…

 

 Repeat another 5 times to give you 18 stitches. Notice how you must actually crochet INTO  the stitch which has the stitch marker in it…

 Count the stitches to check you have 18, then move your stitch marker.  (18)

 

 Round four

 Do 2 single crochet (2sc) into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet into each of the next two single crochet stitches on the round below.  Repeat another five times (so you did that 6 times altogether).  Count to make sure you have 24 stitches then move your stitch marker.  (24)

 

 Rounds five to nine

 Do 1 sc into each stitch around.  Count 24 sc stitches then add your stitch marker into the 24^th stitch. Rounds 6 to 9 are the same.  I usually make a mark with a pen on some scrap paper every time I’ve done a round and moved my stitch marker.  It’s easy to forget which round you are on if you don’t keep track.

 

 Round ten

 Now it’s time to decrease. 

‘Single crochet decrease’ by crocheting two stitches together.  Insert the hook into just the front loops of the first two sc stitches below…

 

 … then do 2sc.  Repeat another five times to give you 18 stitches.  (18)

 Round eleven

 Do 1sc then single crochet decrease (by crocheting two stitches together, see previous photo).  Repeat five times to give you 12 stitches.  (12)  Stuff the bauble firmly with toy stuffing.

 

 Round twelve

 Single crochet decrease all the way around (a total of six times to give you 6sc stitches.  (6)

 Measure about 1 metre of yarn and snip off.  Pass the cut end through the last stitch and pull it firmly.

 

 Thread a darning needle onto the yarn and make one small neat stitch on the top of the bauble…

 

 Then push the darning needle right through the bauble…

 PART TWO  crocheting the ‘hanging loop’ on the bauble

 Wrap the yarn around the tip of your little finger…

 

 Insert the crochet hook through the loop you made around your little finger, catch the yarn and pull it through…

 

 Pull the yarn through…

 

 Yarn over the hook and pull through.  Pull this stitch tight and push it down towards the bauble so that it’s touching the bauble and there isn’t a big gap…

 

 Then single crochet around the ‘hanging loop’  …

 

 Fasten-off by passing the cut end through the last stitch.  Pull the end tight and thread a darning needle on the yarn.

 Push the needle down through the bauble and out the base.  Make a few small stitches and fasten off.  Thread the cut end up into the bauble.

 

 PART THREE  Decorating the bauble

Choose some embroidery thread and a needle that will fit through your beads.  Insert the needle up through the base of the bauble and out where you want the sequins and beads to go. 

 

 To fasten off tie the two ends together at the base of the bauble.  Thread the loose ends up into the bauble.

 

 There are many different ways to decorate the baubles.  I tried ric-rac and beads, different sequins with beads and used mini-dots to add some bling!  You can also crochet stripes on the baubles (during rounds 5 to 9). 

 

I’m happy to help anyone who needs it… my e-mail is abm38@hotmail.co.uk

Bye for now.

Thanks Mandy, for such clear instructions and fabulous photos. If any readers make Mandy's baubles, we'd love a photo or blog link. And here is some more of her work, this time a monster,

and look at this fabby butterfly, instructions here! 

Cheerio.

Comments

[Diana]

Mandy thse are gorgeous and I have the most perfect cotton to make some!
Thanks for the wonderful instructions.
Love from Di

[Debbie Roberts]

Im getting my crochet hook out as we speak. Absolutely gorgeous decorations and fabulous instructions.

Debbie x

[Eleanor]

Fantastic tutorial, even I (not a real crocheter) can follow it I'm sure.
Such sweet little baubles, can't wait to try.
E
xx

[Helen (wee haggis)]

Great tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing - these baubles are fab :)

[joy aitman]

Love these. Off to hunt for my crochet hook. The instructions are perfect. Thank you

[Alix]

wow thanks for the great tutorial...i will def. have a go at these beauties!

[GlitteryKatie]

These are fabulous!!! WOW!

[Caz]

Thanks for a great post Mandy! I love these.

Caz
xx

[Maz]

Daughter - what an inspiring bit of creativity. Soooo proud! Your unbiased mam xxx

[jayne]

Someone tried to teach me crochet but weren't very successful ... Your photos look easy I might have to try again lol !

[Mandy]

Hi Jayne, I'm really pleased you might give crochet another try. Here's a simple tip I usually tell the folks i've taught to crochet... (it works for me)..... keep the yarn TAUGHT in your left hand and & let the right WRIST do all the work. Infact, my left hand doesn't really move at all while I crochet. Obviously if you're LEFT HANDED reverse this tip! Hope that helps a bit... don't give up!
Mandy

[Lyclejan]

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