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

[Wendy]

The decorations are so bright and festive,
how wonderful of you.
thankyou for the joy they bring xo

[karina sala detexo]

beautifull.! great idea, lovely muchas gracias por tanta BELLEZA♥
Hugs from Argentina.

[Gill]

Ooooh you are a clever girl Lucy. Just when I think you can't better yourself, you do! I love the colours and those little bells are so sweet. And imagine those decorations on a babies mobile above a cot. You could have a whole new industry there.

Love and stuff
xxxx

[Denise]

Oh how wonderful. I stopped by to tell you I wrote a special post just for you and I find a new post with such colorful, cheerful ornaments. I love them. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Here is the desert post, I wrote with pictures of cacti as tall as houses, if you would like to pop by when you get the chance. If you click on my bunnies topic, there are pictures on my bunnies on leads that your children might like.

http://knittingkitties.blogspot.com/2010/12/sunny-walk.html

[Amanda]

YEAH I love them!!! I will be making some of these for sure ... another thing to add to my ravelry queue :)

[The Garden Bell]

So, my, friend A24,

You have gone above and beyond the call to duty this holiday season for us all. I'm going to be having wild dreams tonight that's for sure, unless I don't get any sleep at all and am up all night looking around the house for some of your yummie colors left from Circle of Friends. What a perfect way to use those mini-balls up.

But, it's figuring out just where I put all those bead boxes from before picking up a hook last year....mmmmmm... I think I will find them.

And about Scooter putting the Ka-Bosh to a tree here this year. That might have to change.

Now, just get Little B's paws away, unless they are sparkling clean. Then, he can touch as much as he would like.

Off to find that Rico Stash,
Hugs and Many Many Thanks for a posting to keep me awake late into the night,
Kate

[Emma]

They are just lovely - and those pointy triangles are a triumph!

[Lorelei Barkley]

Love them, very cute and the colours are great!

[Earendil]

that's very cute! :) i've been following your blog for a while now but i've never posted any comment i think... anyway, i love your work and the colours you use! good night!

[Alice and Raymond!!!]

Beautiful Lucy! these are sooooooooooooooooo fun and I think I'm going to have to have a go, not just for christmas but for everywhere, any time!
XXXXXXX

[Jen Gough]

Lovely! Can't wait for the pattern! It will give me something fun to work on for the holidays.

Thanks!

[becky]

Those are so pretty! I really NEED to make some of those.

[Nuning Mardiningsih]

Wish I was as talented as you, Lucy! Thanks for sharing such joy with us. Keep that creative hat on! :)

[Zofia]

these are so lovely! I cannot wait for your labour-intensive tutes!
Thank you :D

[annri]

Lucy, thank you! I've been spending my creative time on a volunteer commitment (a lovely crafty one) and will give it one last push tomorrow. After that, my creative time will be mine, mine, mine! And guess what, your beautiful stars will be at the top of the list! (also, I need to go put that bundle of Attic24 colorful cotton on my holiday wish-list; thanks for the reminder!)

[Krista - Poppyprint]

Man, I wish I could crochet. These ornaments are divine Lucy!

[Anne]

Lucy, I LOVE YOUR HOOKY DECORATIONS!!!! So lovely to see your new creations, to know that you've managed some hooky time, creative time, doing what you love. (You've had such a busy year with little B. etc.) The colours are fantastic, the designs gorgeous and I'm very much looking forward to the tutorial.
Your blog is the very first one I was introduced too and inspired me to start my own. So thank you for sharing your lovely bright and creative world with us out here in blog land. You are inspirational.
Have an absolutely gorgeous day
Anne xx

[Peng Peng]

OMG these are lovely!! can't wait for the tutorial post and may Master B co-operate to the fullest and let this happen !!

XXX

[Pat]

I love your blog! I've been following it for quite a while now. I absolutely love your new ornaments!!! Many years ago, when my boys were very young, I made some similar but simple three color circles for the bottom of our tree. I love the stitch design, embellishments and star edging on yours! I definitely have to make some. Thank you for all of the wonderful inspiration you've given to this long time crocheter.

[Jennifer]

Adorable! Off to find buttons, beads, and bells, Oh My!

xoxo

[claudia w]

Your ornaments/decorations are so happy beautiful! I love what you do!!!

[Gio]

Han quedado muy bonitas, es una idea muy original =)

[Blue Farfallina]

How do you managed to get the super pointy starts? These are just beautiful!!! colorful!!!...

[Gramma Rita]

So pretty! I love looking at your blog...it is so colorful and full of inspiration! :)

[frances]

Lucy, it's grand to see that the Christmas spirit has got you reaching for your crochet hook and yarn.

Yes! Cotton yarn is definitely better for this sort of project. The definition amongst the colors involved really stays strong and true, rather than that lovely fuzzy edge that wool gives (and is perfect for other projects.)

I have had some time off from my workplace, and have been in a Santa's workshop frenzy, painting cards, and knitting and crocheting my Christmas gifts. Just about on schedule, although finding posts like this one of yours does take me a bit off the schedule.

Thank you! xo