Crochet Christmas Decorations :: Ta-dah!!

Hello, and welcome to a beautifully bright and festive hooky Ta-dah day! Yippeeee, my favourite kind of a day!!! Firstly though, I'd like to say thank you ever so much for all your wonderfully enthusiastic responses to the early glimpses of these little decs in my last post, I really love it when you love what I'm up to. Thank you.....I think you're going to like today's pictures!!

I've been so incredibly happy immersing myself in this latest project, it's honestly had me leaping off the furniture with pure giddy excitement. It's been really good to have my old creative bounce back I have to say.

As with most of my designs and patterns, I started out with a very clear idea of what I wanted to try and make before I even picked up my hook. I wanted a simple circular shape, something that would be easy and quick to make up. Nothing too complicated or faffy and plenty of scope for playing with colour (of course). I remembered a pretty little pattern I'd seen in the quirky granny crochet book I've got (remember I showed you some pages from it in this post? The book is called "Granny Crochet Favourites", written by Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss). It was actually a pattern for a Potholder, but I loved the simplicity of the circular design and thought I could adapt it and re-work it somehow.

So on Sunday morning I sat and had a go at working the original potholder pattern, working my way out of the brain freeze that always happens with written patterns. Keep at it, frog it back, try again, scribble notes, alter stitch numbers, scribble more notes and soon enough things begin to fall into place.....

.....and the beginnings of a great little workable pattern starts to come about.

I started out making simple circular shapes, then went on to attempt various edgings. I tried lots of different picot edgings (none of which looked right) and some little scallop edgings (which I loved but made the whole thing look too flowery).

Then with a lot of ooomphing and tsking and harumphing and frogging I finally managed to produce what I was after :: a pointy triangle edging.

WOW, a pointy triangle, that was a GREAT moment!

Cos you see the pointy triangle edging can magically transform a humble circle............

...............into a  S T A R!

Yaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first attempts were made using Stylecraft acrylic as that was what was nearest to hand at the time, but I soon abandoned that and got stuck in with my cotton stash. I think cotton yarn makes the best decorations, I really do. Something about the unwoollyness of it that I love for making decs, and the colours are very vibrant too. This particular cotton yarn is called Rico Creative Cotton, you can read a little more about it in this post (scroll down near the bottom). Its a lovely yarn, reasonably priced and comes in the most delicious colours :: you can buy it from First4Yarns and they've even got all my "Attic24 colours" selected ready for you look.

oH My. WhAt FuN! These decorations are SuCh FuN to make! Not only do you get to pull together some sooooper dooooper colour combos, but you can also get really giddy over embellishments too. Yes, I love nothing more than embellishing my hooky with some colourful buttons, beads and bells. It's the icing on the cake. For me, it turns an excited jiggy-jig moment into a deliriously happy leap-off-the-furniture moment.

I'm telling you now, making these decorations is seriously addictive.

Circles and stars with cute little beady dangly bits can be whizzed up in no time at all.

Last night I went to visit a friend who is also of Hooky Persuasion, and over two cups of tea and the most divine cupcake with swirly wirly icing, I produced six circles ready to transform into decs.

ooooooooooooo yum yum yum, the colours are just so scrummy, don't you think?

And ooo ooo ooo, those teeny tiny little bells are to die for, so tinkly and festive!

Yes, Little B thinks so too, he has taken rather a shine to my decs. In fact, I ended up giving him his very own hooky decoration (minus the buttons and beads) in an attempt to keep him away from mine. It sort of worked. For a weeny while at least.

So.... as of this afternoon I have managed to complete six decorations look, with another two in flat-circle form awaiting their stuffing and embellishments.

Not only that, but I've also managed to finish off the entire photographic bit of the pattern/tutorial for you. Yes! I really, honestly have!! Don't ask me how I managed it, but somehow I did. Admittedly Little B spent rather more time than usual learning to Play Independently, and he did good for his Mummy for the most part. We also have an extremely messy house and an alarming lack of clean clothes, but hey ho, I did the photographs!

So I shall now begin the labour-intensive task of uploading the shed load of step by step pictures and writing the equally large shed load of words to accompany them. And then you too will be able to get giddy over your very own hooky decs.

I'll be right back as soon as that Minor Miracle occurs....see you soon I hope!

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Comments

[Lee Smith]

they turned out beautiful, lucy! i just don't know how you managed to get this all done with a toddler at home! :) i'm hoping to get some of these made myself, when my six month old and four year old are resting...

[barb]

Beautiful work, you are the best!

[greenrabbitdesigns]

They are great! The pointy bits really are pointy, aren't they! Brilliant idea, thanks for sharing. :)
Vivienne x

[Catherine]

There is nothing quite like having a creative break-through. So happy for you! Thanks for the beautiful photos. Well done!

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy what beautiful decorations!! When you said that you had made them from Rico cotton I was really excited!!! YES I have a stash upstairs.
Can hardly wait for your tutorial..........
Thanks as always for your generosity.x

[Bev]

Lucy they are fantabulous, you are so clever, this will be my project for next Chrstmas.

Bev

[Pobby]

WOW Lucy, I LOVE them! They are so delightful! Thank you for sharing.

[Sally]

Stunning!

[Linda Gilbert]

Lovely Lucy! Lovely,Lucy! Just lovely
Kindest Regards Linda

[mjm alicats mom]

Llove these when you write your tutoiral I am going to give them a try.
I have been teaching myself to crochet from your blog and am half way through a granny square afgan

[Tina]

So colorful and awesome - love them! :-)

[Kali @ Poppy Lane]

Yummy Indeed!!!!
I am giddy with delight at such gorgeous crochet Christmas decorations - your creations make my heart skippity, skip :)

[Cuckoo]

Ah what a treat right before bed time. Except I know I wont nod off easily now as I have the itchy urge to whip out my hook but I must be sensible and take this poor battered body to bed. The baby has been kicking my ribs for the past hour so I should go and lie down...but I WANT to hook away. I wish the yarn I ordered last week would arrive but I think it's havening fun sledging. Hopefully it'll arrive by the time you post your tutorial. And guess what? It's a nice big stash of the very yarn you mentioned above from the very same shop! See? You are my guru! xxx

[barbara]

They are sooooo nice! Well done, as usual, I shall say! :-)

[Rosana Colagiacomi]

Lovely!! I will do some!!! Kisses

[Jacquie]

Oooooh love this post . Your enthusiasm is well deserved , these are stunning Lucy .
Can't wait for the tutorial :0)
Jacquie x

[Sandi Lee]

Love, love, love, love yes love these so much. I want to make some now, must go look at the yarn shop too.
xx Sandi

[Fiona]

They look great - I'm looking forward to the tutorial as I have some spare cotton that would be perfect for these. Loving those stars!

[Vicki Porter]

They are just wonderful, thank you Lucy xx

[Lisha]

You are so clever and talented Lucy!! I love the smoothness of the cotton colours and the stars are my favourite. Your colour combinations are magical and inspirational thanks for sharing.

It's always lovely to see your pictures.

Lishaxx

[Kimbles]

Lovely decs Lucy and the addition of bells - fab!

[Mriek]

I love all the colours you use in your work! You brighten my day!!
Love,
Mriek

[Bobo Bun]

I know just how exciting it is when you get to make an idea real Lucy. Your pleasure just yells out from your post. I love the wee bells the best and your colourways are fabulous.

Have a great weekend.

Lisa x

[swedishouse]

I LOVE Lucy...thanks for sharing.
Look forward to your wonderful tutorials...
A friend has just had a baby...I am going to make one as a pram mobile toy...minus buttons and beads of course.
Thank you
Happy Decemeber Days...
LOVE PEACE enJOY
Julie
x

[Wendy Wager]

All the above and a BIG THANK YOU for being such an inspiration and bringing skippyhearted loveliness to us all x