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Craft projects

Crochet Stars in Three Sizes

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In this post you will find free crochet patterns in UK and US terms for you to make crochet stars in three sizes. I originally started working on these because we had heating on for the first time this year. My thoughts went straight to the making time remaining to me before Christmas 🙂

However, these stars don’t have to be for Christmas. There are many uses through the year as card toppers, in garlands or as decoration when wrapping presents. They also work as reusable table confetti like the crochet hearts I made last year. You can find the patterns for the crochet hearts in this post – Crochet Hearts in three sizes.

Firstly let me tell you that the stars in the photos here are worked in Sirdar Cotton DK on a 4mm hook. I love this yarn for the stitch definition and the soft texture. Using this yarn the small star is roughly 4cm across, medium star measures 5cm and the largest one is 6cm across. The pattern will work in any yarn quality but the stars will come up different sizes of course.

Crochet Star – three sizes. Patterns in UK crochet terms – (Scroll down for patterns in US instructions)

Small Star – UK instructions

First round – make a magic loop (see below)

making a magic loop
magic loop

Work 2 chain into the magic loop and 9DC.

chain two into the magic loop
chain two
working the first round into the magic loop
work the first round into the magic loop

Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the second of the starting chains.

close the magic loop and slip stitch to finish the round
pull the yarn tail to close the loop and finish with a slip stitch

Second round – Working into the same stitch, CH2, 1TR, CH2 picot*, 1DTR, 1TR. Work a slip stitch into the next stitch. There are eight stitches on round 1 remaining. Repeat the following pattern between the square brackets to the end of the row. [Working all the stitches in the following bracket into the next stitch (1HTR, 1TR, CH2 picot, 1DTR, 1TR), work a slip stitch into the next stitch] x 4. Finish off the yarn and you have your small star.

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown below.

work a slip stitch into the second chain from the hook to form the picot

Medium Star – UK instructions

First round – make a magic loop (see photos above)

Work 3 chain into the magic loop and 9TR. Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the third of the starting chains.

Second round – Working into the same stitch, CH2, 1TR, CH2 picot*, 1DTR, 1TR. Work a slip stitch into the next stitch. There are eight stitches on round 1 remaining. Repeat the following pattern between the square brackets to the end of the row. [Working all the stitches in the following bracket into the next stitch (1HTR, 1TR, CH2 picot, 1DTR, 1TR), work a slip stitch into the next stitch] x 4. Finish off the yarn and you have your small star.

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown above.

Large Star – UK instructions

First round – make a magic loop (see photos above)

Work 3 chain into the magic loop and 9TR. Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the third of the starting chains.

Second round – Chain 2, DC into the same space. Work 2DC into each of the remaining nine stitches then join with a slip stitch to the second of the starting chains.

Third round – Chain 2, 1TR into the same space. Into the next stitch work (1DTR, Chain 3, picot*, Chain 1, 1DTR). Into the next stitch work (1TR, 1HTR). Slip stitch into the next stitch to finish the first point of the star. Work four more points of the star as follows: [ into the first stitch (1HTR, 1TR), into the second stitch (1DTR, Chain 3, picot*, Chain 1, 1DTR), into the third stitch (1TR, 1HTR), work a slip stitch into the fourth stitch] repeat the instructions between the square brackets [ ] three more times and you are done!

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown above.

Patterns in US crochet terms – (Scroll up for patterns in UK instructions)

Small Star – US instructions

small crochet star

First round – make a magic loop (see photos above)

Work 2 chain into the magic loop and 9SC. Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the second of the starting chains.

Second round – Working into the same stitch, CH2, 1DC, CH2 picot*, 1TR, 1DC. Work a slip stitch into the next stitch. There are eight stitches on round 1 remaining. Repeat the following pattern between the square brackets to the end of the row. [Working all the stitches in the following bracket into the next stitch (1HDC, 1DC, CH2 picot, 1TR, 1DC), work a slip stitch into the next stitch] x 4. Finish off the yarn and you have your small star.

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown above.

Medium Star – US instructions

First round – make a magic loop (see photos above)

Work 3 chain into the magic loop and 9DC. Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the third of the starting chains.

Second round – Working into the same stitch, CH2, 1DC, CH2 picot*, 1TR, 1DC. Work a slip stitch into the next stitch. There are eight stitches on round 1 remaining. Repeat the following pattern between the square brackets to the end of the row. [Working all the stitches in the following bracket into the next stitch (1HDC, 1DC, CH2 picot, 1TR, 1DC), work a slip stitch into the next stitch] x 4. Finish off the yarn and you have your small star.

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown above.

Large Star – US instructions

First round – make a magic loop (see above)

Work 3 chain into the magic loop and 9DC. Pull the magic loop closed and join the first round with a slip stitch to the third of the starting chains.

Second round – Chain 2, SC into the same space. Work 2SC into each of the remaining nine stitches then join with a slip stitch to the second of the starting chains.

Third round – Chain 2, 1DC into the same space. Into the next stitch work (1TR, Chain 3, picot*, Chain 1, 1TR). Into the next stitch work (1DC, 1TR). Slip stitch into the next stitch to finish the first point of the star. Work four more points of the star as follows: [ into the first stitch (1HDC, 1DC), into the second stitch (1TR, Chain 3, picot*, Chain 1, 1TR), into the third stitch (1DC, 1HDC), work a slip stitch into the fourth stitch] repeat the instructions between the square brackets [ ] three more times and you are done!

* work a picot as follows. slip stitch into the chain two from the hook as shown above.

I hope you love these little crochet stars as much as I do. Happy crocheting!

Annie 🙂

Crochet Rope Edging

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This three coloured rope crochet edging makes a beautiful finish to any project. I was looking for an neat edge that used all three of the colours from my project. This edging forms a pretty rope effect and although it feels a bit fiddly to start with you will soon find you get into a rhythm.

crochet rope edging
three colour crochet rope edging

The materials I am using in this example are Sirdar Cotton DK and a 4mm hook. These photographs use the following colours, Red (shade 510), Honeysuckle (shade 508) and Citrus (shade 531). The base colour is Vanilla (shade 502).

Three coloured rope crochet edging pattern

Choose your start point and join in the first colour. Make a chain of five stitches and take the hook out of the stitch to leave a loop. Tip – as you work it is easy to pull out stitches so I recommend pulling a bit of thread through to leave a larger loop.

Join in the second colour to the stich alongside your first chain and again make a chain of five stitches then remove the hook.

Finally join in the third colour into the next stitch of your project, making your final chain of five stitches. When you have joined your third colour the work should look like this picture below.

crochet rope edging
three colours joined

Start making the three coloured crochet rope

Next we are going to start to make the rope. Put your hook back into the loop at the end of the first chain you made. In my work above this is the yellow chain. This is where it gets a bit fiddly! I found if I worked slowly at first and kept the colours from tangling, I got into an easy rhythm after a few colour changes 🙂

With your hook in the loop at the end of the first chain, bring this chain down in front of all the others and put your hook into the stitch next to the third colour. This is the next available stitch on the edge of your project as shown below.

crochet rope edging
hook placement for first twist of the rope

Make a slip stitch by putting your hook into this stitch, wrapping the yarn around and pull back through the work as shown below. Next pull this through the loop on the hook to form a slip stitch.

slip stitch to make the first twist
slip stitch to secure the first twist

Work another five chains with this colour and remove the hook from the work. Your edging should look like this picture below.

crochet rope edging 4
crochet rope edging after the first twist

You have made the first twist and the rest of the crochet rope follows the same method. Put your hook into the end of the chain nearest to the right of the work. Bring the chain to the front of the work and put your hook into the next available stitch to the left of the work. For my example here this means putting the hook into the end of the orange chain. Bring this chain forward and secure the twist with a slip stitch into the stitch next to the yellow chain, as shown in the photos below.

crochet rope edging 5
bring the next chain to the front of the work
crochet rope edging 6
work into the next available stitch
crochet rope edging 7
slip stitch leaving one loop on the hook
crochet rope edging 9
work another five stitch chain and move the hook to the next colour

Finishing your work – Tips

That really is all there is to it. Continue picking up each colour, bringing it to the front of the work and secure with a slip stitch before making a new five stitch chain. You will see your rope start to grow. More pictures below along with a few final tips.

crochet rope edging 10
third twist secured
crochet rope edging 11
keep going in the same way to form the rope

Using the rope edging on the ends of rows side

If you are working along an edge that has the ends of rows rather than a neat set of stitches this can be difficult to space. Measure the gap between two slip stitches of the same colour on your first edge and use that as a guide to place your slip stitches on this edge.

Changing the pattern to suit different weights of yarn or tension

If you find that the tension of the rope doesn’t sit well or look right then adjust the number of stitches you have in your chain. I found five chain stitches was perfect for this Cotton DK. You might need more/fewer if you are working with a different weight of yarn. Just find the right tension by trial and error working a small section then see how the edging sits.

Dealing with corners

If you are working on a square or rectangular project you will have to deal with a 90 degree corner or rather four corners! You should find that if you work three colours into one stitch either side of the corner the rope will continue round the corner. This means that you work all three colours into the last stich of the row before the corner. Turn and again work all three colours into the first stitch on the next side. Please let me know if you would like to see photos of this and I will add them or put up a separate post.

Adding in more colours

I only used three colours in my design here but you could work a rope with more colours or fewer. Simply adjust the length of chain you use to give the desired effect.

I think that is it for now. I put up a pattern for flower petal edging if you would like to try something different. You can see that pattern here – flower petal edging. Please let me know if you like this edging pattern and if there is anything else I can help with. Happy crocheting!

Annie 🙂

Flower Petal Edging Pattern

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I was absolutely thrilled to receive a comment on one of my early posts requesting this Flower Petal Edging Pattern. This edging completed my Sunshine Flower Blanket which you can see as it grows in these posts. These goes back to the early days of my blog 🙂

Sunshine Flower Blanket

Sunshine Flower Blanket – Progress!!

The Edging takes the theme of the flower squares I used to make the blanket. You can find the flower square pattern in a book by Tracey Lord called A Square a Day. I love this book and have used it as a source of inspiration many times.

Here is the pattern. For your ease I will list it twice using UK then US terms. The pattern uses three colours but you could keep to one or two if you prefer. My blanket was worked in Sirdar Cotton DK which is a glorious yarn with beautiful stitch definition and a lovely soft texture. I used their cream shade called Vanilla 502 for the background for the blanket.

The colours I used for the edging are:

  • Yellow – Yarn A – Citrus 531
  • Orange – Yarn B – Honeysuckle 508
  • Red – Yarn C – Red 510

Before we start there is a stitch here that you might not have come across. Picot 2 or Picot 3. These little stitches create the peak of each petal. I used Picot 2 on the orange round of petals and Picot 3 on the final round of larger red petals. To perform this stitch simply chain 2 for picot 2 and then slip stitch into the first chain stitch. For Picot 3, you guessed it – chain 3 then slip stitch into the first chain stitch. The stitch creates a little knot which adds texture and definition.

working the slip stitch to form the Picot 2.

Flower Petal Edging pattern – UK crochet terms

First round

Using Yarn A join the yarn to the edge of your work with a slip stitch and work two chain. Work a row of Htr into each stitch of the edge of your project.

Second round

TIP – there is no need to start each round in the same place. Moving the start point around the project will spread the positioning of the ends you will need to weave in and also improves the overall uniform appearance.

Using Yarn B join in the yarn to the edge of your work with a slip stitch chain two, (1Tr, picot 2*, 2Tr) all into the same stitch, 1Htr, slip stitch. This should give you your first petal. The first petal is slightly different as it has the starting chain so I will write out the repeating petal pattern next. Each petal is worked over four stitches of the row below. (*see instructions above)

[1Htr, (1Tr, picot 2, 2Tr) all into the same stitch, 1Htr, Slip stitch]

Repeat this petal all the way around your project.

Third round

Using Yarn C – join in the yarn between any two petals with a slip stitch working into the stitch from the first round. The pictures show where you should put your hook.

Work 5 chain and then 1DC between the next two petals. Again you are working into the stitch you created on the first round. This round should be super quick and it forms the foundation for the final round of petals.

The chain loops might be at the front or the back of your work once you finish this round. It doesn’t really matter where they end up – mine are normally at the front. Push them to the back as you work the final round, pulling the petals from the previous round to the front.

Fourth and final round

Keeping with yarn C working into the chain loop you created on the last round in each chain loop work as follows: 1DC, 3Tr, picot 3, 1Dtr, 3Tr, 1DC. A total of 8 stitches into the chain loop then move onto the next chain loop and repeat all the way around your project.

picture shows the front of the work – working the petals into the chain loops

Finish off the ends and you are done!!

Flower Petal Edging pattern – US crochet terms

First round

Using Yarn A join the yarn to the edge of your work with a slip stitch and work two chain. Work a row of HDc into each stitch of the edge of your project.

Second round

TIP – there is no need to start each round in the same place. Moving the start point around the project will spread the positioning of the ends you will need to weave in and also improves the overall uniform appearance.

Using Yarn B join in the yarn to the edge of your work with a slip stitch chain two, (1Dc, picot 2*, 2Dc) all into the same stitch, 1HDc, slip stitch. This should give you your first petal. The first petal is slightly different as it has the starting chain so I will write out the repeating petal pattern next. Each petal is worked over four stitches of the row below. (*see instructions above)

[1HDc, (1Dc, picot 2, 2Dc) all into the same stitch, 1HDc, Slip stitch]

Repeat this petal all the way around your project.

Third round

Using Yarn C – join in the yarn between any two petals with a slip stitch working into the stitch from the first round. The pictures above in the UK terms section show where you should put your hook.

Work 5 chain and then 1SC between the next two petals. Again you are working into the stitch you created on the first round. This round should be super quick and it forms the foundation for the final round of petals.

The chain loops might be at the front or the back of your work once you finish this round. It doesn’t really matter where they end up – mine are normally at the front. Push them to the back as you work the final round, pulling the petals from the previous round to the front.

Fourth and final round

Keeping with yarn C working into the chain loop you created on the last round in each chain loop work as follows: 1SC, 3Dc, picot 3, 1Tr, 3Dc, 1Sc. A total of 8 stitches into the chain loop then move onto the next chain loop and repeat all the way around your project. See picture above in the UK terms section.

Finish off the ends and you are done!!

I hope you love this edging as much as I do. Happy crocheting!

Annie 🙂

Crochet Chain Garland

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In an attempt to help reduce plastic pollution, I have been making sustainable decorations including this crochet chain garland. This is another fun, quick, easy make. I made the example here in sustainable cotton as part of a set of decorations I designed with weddings or girls bedrooms in mind.

Crochet Chain Garland with ‘table confetti’ hearts

If you like the little ‘table confetti’ hearts, the pattern for those is here.

This idea would also work with bright colours and different weights of yarn. The pattern is a fab stash buster as you can mix and match any colours you have. Each link in the chain requires only a small amount of yarn. I plan to make a super chunky version with the left over yarn from all my rainbow projects which you can see here

Crochet Chain Garland Pattern

Note – this pattern uses DK weight yarn and a four mm hook. However it can be adjusted to any yarn weight – instructions at the bottom.

For the first link.

Chain 35 and join to the first chain with a slip stitch.

First round – chain two. Work DC into the each chain (SC in US terms). Finish the round with a slip stitch to join to the top of the first stitch.

Second round – chain three. Work TR (DC in US terms) into each of the DC on the previous row. (SC in US terms). Again finish the round with a slip stitch.

Third and final round – work a round of DC (SC in US terms) as round 1. Finish with a slip stitch and tie off the yarn. You have made your first link.

Second and all subsequent links

Start with a chain the same length as your first link. If you are using the same weight yarn as I used that means a chain of 35. The only difference between this and the first link is that we need to join to the rest of the garland. To do this, thread the chain through the first link before you make the slip stitch into the first chain to form the loop.

Continue to form this link in the same way as you made the first. Each link in the chain is free to move through its neighbours. They are not attached – just threaded together.

And that is it! Continue for as many links as you like. Make patterns with the colours or make them happily random with any remnants from your stash!

Changing the pattern to suit different weights of yarn.

Consider what size of link will work best for the yarn weight. I find that links work well when the length of the link is eight to ten times the height. You can work out how many stitches it takes to make the size you require based on the tension square instructions on the ball band.

Example – Super Chunky – Lion Brand Yarns – Hometown USA. The ball band has a 10cm tension square of 12 rows x 9 stitches. The pattern gives the equivalent of four rows so the links would be c 3.3 cm high.

I want each link to be 8 to 10 times as long as they are tall so I need them to be 27cms which means 30 stitches. This is super chunky yarn so these chains will be HUGE – but I hope that gives you the method to use to adjust the pattern.

Hope you enjoy making these happy garlands!

Annie. 🙂

Making a Cushion Pad

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A quick post on making a cushion pad! I have put together a couple of heart cushion patterns. My favourite is this one – heart full of rainbows cushion. But cushion patterns aren’t much use unless you have a cushion to put inside them!

This post describes how you can make a quick cushion pad to fit inside your work. The method I use should give you a perfect fit and it uses up any old scraps of fabric you have. I used an old shirt to make mine!

Cutting out

First lay out the fabric you want to use on a nice flat surface. Make sure there is nothing underneath the fabric that you can damage or cut into!

Take one side of your cushion shape. Ideally you will have already blocked your work. This makes the shape more stable and easier to work with. Place the cushion shape onto the fabric. Try to be economical with the placing of the work – put it up against an edge or corner. You will need to two of these. You can fold the fabric if you are using a large enough piece and cut two at once. If you are using scraps (or a shirt like me) you will need to cut one then move it to a new place on the fabric.

This is going to be hidden inside your cushion so you can draw around the shape without worrying about the lines you make. If you want the cushion to be well filled and firm then the cushion pad needs to be a tiny bit larger than the cover. You will be stitching the cushion pad together which means there also needs to be a seam allowance.

Draw around your shape with a sharpie or other permanent pen. I drew around mine just a little outside the edge of the shape.

Cut out the shape adding the seam allowance so cut 1.5 cm OUTSIDE the line you have drawn. This should give you a shape which is a bit bigger than your cushion cover. Cut a second shape identical to the first.

Making up the cushion pad

Stitch round the shape leaving the seam allowance you added. Remember to leave an opening for the stuffing! Trim the seam allowance back to half a centimeter. Snip into the seam allowance on any curves. This allows the seams of the cushion to sit flat.

Turn the cushion outside in by pulling it through the opening you have left for stuffing.

Next, stuff the cushion!!! I used old stockings 🙂 Stitch up the opening you left to put the stuffing in ….. and you are done!

I wrote this because I had made a couple of heart shaped cushion covers and needed a cushion pad. You could use this method to make any shape of cushion. If you are making a cover in fabric the same method would work for that too. I hope it works for you.

Happy crafting!

Annie 🙂

Heart full of Rainbows Cushion

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This heart full of rainbows cushion is a companion project to my hearts and rainbows blanket. You will be working entirely in DC (UK terms) or SC (US terms). It is a simple project. However you will need to understand how to increase/decrease your stitches. I have suggested a method below but you might have one you prefer. The making-up instructions might be a bit tricky if you are new to crochet. I will put my instructions here and in the final PDF version of the pattern which will be available on Etsy. You can see the hearts and rainbows blanket here.

heart full of rainbows cushion and blanket
free pattern for hearts and rainbows blanket, heart full of rainbows cushion available on my blog

First things first. The yarn used to make the Heart Full of Rainbows Cushion is Lion Brand Yarns, Hometown USA yarn. This is a super chunky yarn which means the work grows really quickly! 🙂 I love this yarn for that reason and because it has lovely bright colours and is good value for the price. In the UK I buy all my yarn from Wool Warehouse. Note – at this point these are not affiliate links so I am not paid to promote either brand – I just love them!

To make the cushion you will need one ball of each of the colours of the rainbow. For the edging I used White and Black but if you wanted to keep the cost down you could edge the cushion in one of the other colours. You will also need a 9mm crochet hook.

I created a chart for this pattern which I like to print out and mark off as I go. I will write out the instructions long hand in the PDF pattern but if you want to get started, the free download is here:

Heart Full of Rainbows Chart (51 downloads)

Making the Heart full of Rainbows Cushion

Start at the bottom of the chart by making a chain of 4 using the violet yarn. Turn and work two DC (SC for US terms) starting in the third stitch from the hook. Chain four and turn the work.

Second row – work one DC (SC for US terms) into the third and fourth stitches from the hook. work 2 DC (SC for US terms) into the next two stitches. Chain 2 and turn the work.

Third row – work two DC (SC for US terms) into the first stitch. Work 4 DC (SC for US terms). Work 2 DC (SC for US terms) into the next stitch then chain two and turn the work.

Continue in this manner, increasing the number of stitches on each row to match the chart. Remember to change colour when the chart changes!!

When you get to the decrease rows again there are many methods you can use to decrease. To get a neater edge you can miss the second stitch of the row. You might find it easier to miss the first – this gives a stepped edge but as you are going to be edging the heart that should not be visible. When you chain two and turn at the end of the row simply miss the first stitch and work DC (SC in US terms) into the second. If the decrease is at the end of a row then stop one stitch short chain two and turn.

As you decrease follow the chart again and you will see that at the top of the heart you need to turn the work in the middle of the row. This allows you to complete one side of the top of the heart. You will need to rejoin the yarn in the middle of the work to complete the second side of the heart.

The final stage of each side of the cushion is to edge the heart. I did this in white but you could use whichever colour you like. This step gives you a neat edge to use when you join the two hearts together. Count the stitches you use on each side so that you can match front and back. The edging is entirely DC again (SC in US terms). Try to space your stitches so that the work lies flat without being stretched or pulled. I used the following number of stitches:

Working up the bottom side of the heart violet to Green – 27 stitches

For the straight section, part of the green, yellow and the start of the Orange, I used 10 stitches.

From the start of the decrease and up to the top of the heart I worked 15 stitches.

Work the six stitches across the top of the heart and from the top down to the centre I worked 14 stitches.

In the very centre of the heart where you have two stitches (number 26/27 on the orange row of the chart) work these two together.

Complete the second half of the edging to match the first. Work one round of DC (SC in US terms). At the centre of the heart again where you worked two stitches together, work three together on this round.

When you have finished one heart you will need to start all over again on the second side. I made two matching rainbow hearts but if you are using up scraps you could make the back of the cushion out of a single colour or just use whatever you have!

Making up the Heart Cushion

Now you should have two completed, edged hearts. I suggest you tie in the ends at this point but bear in mind that the back of this work is the inside of a cushion which nobody should ever see so there is no real need to make these ends disappear. The thickness of the yarn makes tying in ends neatly quite difficult. All you really need to do is secure them and make sure that nothing is visible from the front.

To finish the cushion you need to join the two hearts together. I used black for this – if your edging is neat this is a really quick job! Put the two hearts back to back ie with the sides you want to see on the outside. Join in black yarn (or your choice) and work DC (SC in US terms) all the way round putting your hook through the white edge stitches on both sides of the cushion. As you form your DC (SC in US terms) you will see that you are joining front to back.

Don’t join all the way round until you have put your cushion pad into the heart! I have done this – it made me feel very silly but it is easy to forget when you are on the downhill slopes towards a finished project!!

I have a separate post on creating the cushion pad which you can read here. If you want to be able to take your cushion cover off to wash it then you should leave an opening in the side which will need a separate fastening. I would recommend leaving a section of the bottom of one side of the heart. When you are edging just drop the back for a section so that you are only working into the white edge stitches on one heart.

My cushion has washable insides so I didn’t leave any openings to remove the cover.

I hope you like this heart cushion – the rainbow motif has come to stand for thank you to our nurses since I made mine! I have changed my social media image to this heart as my own small thank you. How our world has changed these last few weeks. Here’s hoping we get back to happier times soon.

Happy crocheting!

Annie 🙂