Oh. My. Goodness. Me. I am so so so so so so so SO EXCITED to be sharing this wreath with you today. So very, VErY excited. This has been such a tremendously joyful project, and my friends I have to tell you that the finished wreath is waaaaaaaay better than I ever imagined it could be.
Now please Resist The Temptation to Scroll Down!!!!! Hahahaaaa....do as you're told now, and I'll try and hurry through to the all important Ta-dah moment. I did take a lot of pictures mind you, this is a hugely photogenic project and I've taken full advantage.
I started working on my Autumn wreath about a month ago, in mid October. You may remember a flurry of colourful, leaf-strewn Autumnal posts in the Attic at that time?
A few weeks later, I took a break from the leaves, acorns and toadstools and worked up the stripy wreath base, using nine colours of Drops Big Merino (colours 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15).
I used a 35cm "half round ring
One of the things I most enjoy about wreath making is getting inspired by so many new ideas and patterns. It's exciting looking for inspiration and I've loved building up the many components that make up the finished design. I've loved thinking about it and planning it, but above all I've loved actually making it. Some of the patterns I used were designed by other talented designer-makers I found on the internet....
....and some of them I designed myself.
I also used one of my favourite books for some of the leaf designs (100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet
WOW!!!! I just adore that cover, isn't it lovely?. It inspired me to take lots of photographs of my own crochet bits n bobs before it all got stitchety-stitched down onto the wreath. I make no apologies for the tonne of photographs I'm about to share with you, I had an absolute ball with my camera yesterday, and I'm excited to show you.
So......................if you're ready.......
.......please let me present to you......the Autumn Wreath
[ d e c o n s t r u c t e d]
Enjoy......................
ONE Stripy Wreath Base (info in this post)
THIRTY TWO Little Leaves (pattern here)
FIVE Double-stranded Leaves (same pattern as above, but using two strands of DK yarn on a 5mm hook)
THREE Irish Leaves, with embroidered detail (pattern from this book
THREE Oak Leaves (pattern from this book)
THREE Twirly Twists (these are SO simple to make, just work a chain of any length, then make 2tr's into each stitch across, it'll twirl all by itself)
TWELVE Weeny Balls (find the pattern somewhere half-way-downish in this post)
FOUR Spotty Toadstools (the one on the left is from this pattern, the other three are my own experiments)
FOUR acorns (my own pattern, similar pattern here)
NINE Michaelmas Daisies (pattern here)
THREE Autumn Flowers (no pattern, sorry, they were experimental one-offs!)
TWO Sunflowers (pattern from here, with a slightly different centre)
ONE devilishly cute Hollie Hedgehog (more info about her in this post)
So did you add all those numbers up?
1+32+5+3+3+3+12+4+4+9+3+2+1?
That's right.....82.
Eighty Two individual pieces make up my Autumn wreath.
Let me show you..............................
Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want a better look?
Ok! How's about I spread them out a bit for you?
Flowers, leaves and acorns.......
....toadstools, balls, leaves, twirls and one cutey-patooty little critter.
Oh the Joy of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY♥HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At first, I thought it was madness to unpin it all just to take photographs. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew it would be so worth it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed doing it, I really had a huge amount of satisfying, heart-skippy fun. The above picture is one of my favourite images EVER.
After the joy and the happiness and the prancing around with the camera was over, there came a considerable amount of hard graft. I spent an aaaaaaaaaaage pinning the whole lot back together again. Incidentally, I can highly recommend these pins, they're called T-pins and are especially designed for blocking and crafting activity in general. Find them here.
It has to be said that stitching together 82 pieces of small crochet is a bit of a pain in the back end. It is laborious and tedious, no other way around it. I'm not sure what advice to give about this really, other than grit your teeth, stay positive and crack on. One thing I've learnt is not to stitch things down too thoroughly. If you over-attach, it all ends up looking a bit flat. You need everything to be secure, and you need some very neat, invisible stitching, but you need the bits n bobs to look as if they have only just landed.
As well as the crochet I made, I also wanted to add in a bit of artificial Autumnal pizzazz. I thought that possibly a few bits of non-crochet would look good, so I searched around and found these wonderfully real looking artificial berries. Even though the leaves look very plasticky, I was amazed at how real the berries looked.
In the end, I wasn't too sure about the berries and kept changing my mind about them. Yes or no? Add them in, or leave them out? In the end I went with it, and think they look good. I simply cut the little clumps of berries (five in total) free from the plastic leaves and stuck the wired stalk straight into the polystyrene base. Easy.
Hollie Hedgehog was the very last thing to be stitched in place. I felt pretty bad sticking a needle into her bottom, but it was a necessary procedure. I am sooooooo pleased with her, she looks wonderful sitting in her wreathy bower.
So.
It's time.
Time for the Grand Ta-dah.
I am Very Thrilled with this creation of mine.
It has made me happy on so many levels. It's been a true pleasure (excepting perhaps the stitching).
Here it is then.................................
Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-daaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes, it is so worthy of two rounds of applause. Do you like? Does it make you feel all warm and cosy and fill you with fuzzy-feel-good, or is that just me?!
I am very, very, very pleased with it. In fact, I absolutely love it. I look at it and every single thing about it makes me happy.
I'm pleased that I could finally take down and dust off my Easter wreath, gosh that was long over due! For a month or so now, my new Autumn wreath will take pride of place before the Christmas wreath comes out to play again.
I just love how this wreath has come together in such a vibrant celebration of Autumn.
The combination of it all mixed together is very pleasing to look at. Yes, it's full (more is more, right?!), but oh I love it for that. It's exuberant, joyful and bursting with creative, seasonal feel-good.
That little hedgehog just makes me ridiculously happy. Awwwww, Miss Hollie, you are such a sweet heart!
I think it's safe to say this has been a hugely successful project. It has been a pleasure to make, and I've really enjoyed how it's made me connect with Autumn and appreciate the goodness of the season this year. That's been pretty special.
So.....what's next? You were wondering that too, weren't you?! I'm already dreaming up some sort of Winter wreath idea, something to fill the gap between Christmas and Easter. I'm thinking icy blues and cool greens, delicate snowdrops and snowflakes and frosty berries. A robin, or perhaps a little mouse? My Creative Mind is alive and kicking it seems.
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I wish I was clever enough to do this!! It is absolutely gorgeous, congratulations :)
Posted by: Caro | September 02, 2015 at 10:53 AM
Love this, did you use any particular yarn or weight for the flowers etc?
Posted by: Ruth | July 07, 2015 at 08:30 AM
Lucy!!!
what kind of angel are you??!!! You are inspired by the Heaven... I'm definitively sure.
thanks for everything!!!
Posted by: claudia | April 27, 2015 at 04:27 PM
Thank you for posting the free wreath pattern! It is fabulous!! :) I have included it on my blog Karla's Making It (linking to your pattern, of course)! You can view it here http://www.karlasmakingit.com/free-crochet-patterns/free-crochet-wreath-patterns/
Posted by: Karla | April 01, 2015 at 07:41 PM
Have you got a pattern formthe sunflower please? I followed the link but found it very confusuing.
Posted by: GILLIAN CROWE | March 19, 2015 at 08:48 PM
Love the sunflowers on this one
Posted by: Wendy Hewings | March 10, 2015 at 07:52 PM
You leave me speechless! It's simply awesome!
And you are so talented..hats off to you!
Maybe you could design a Christmas wreath too and inspire us to make one. All the best!!
Posted by: Carol | March 08, 2015 at 06:42 AM
This is beautiful! Love the sunflowers, mushrooms and hedgehog! I hope to one day make one too. Currently working on the ripple blanket :)
Posted by: Rebecca Clarke | February 05, 2015 at 05:38 PM
Absolutely amazing. I want to stop the housework and make one right now! Well done and thank you soooooo much for sharing with us all.
Posted by: lyndseliz | January 31, 2015 at 01:10 PM
I keep going back to look at your beautiful wreath, and today I am going to go buy a wreath base and get started! I already have the book, and I will send a picture when (and IF!) I ever get it done! Thank you for sharing - it's just gorgeous!
Posted by: Kathleen Stark | November 18, 2014 at 02:27 PM
I am sitting and thinking what is your bigger talent - making beautiful things from wool or writing about them :-) It is a real pleasure to watch and read your blog. Thank you!! :-)
Posted by: Anna | November 17, 2014 at 03:12 PM
That is a truly astounding piece of craftsmanship! You are right to be absolutely proud of yourself! It is beautiful and I love it!
It's lovely to meet you by the way! Whereabouts in the North of England are you? My husband is from Northumberland!
Posted by: Kezzie | November 02, 2014 at 03:30 PM
Beautiful, colourful.
Posted by: LettieBreytenbach | October 29, 2014 at 05:42 AM
Absolutely wonderfull. I love it.
Posted by: Liesbeth | October 23, 2014 at 12:02 PM
Wow!!!!! This is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!
Posted by: Aisha | October 18, 2014 at 07:54 PM
I just finished putting my wreath together. On the top of my list of my favorite things I ever crocheted and still liked when I was finished. Thank you for your time and patience posting this.
Posted by: Deborah Fitzpatrick | October 17, 2014 at 03:27 AM
That is so beautiful. Here in New Zealand you usually only wreaths for funerals and Christmas but this is so lovely I just might make one and start a new tradition.
Posted by: Jocelyn Zame | October 09, 2014 at 09:02 AM
Hello Lucy,
Thank you so much for the explanation to make this gorgeous piece.
Can I ask you wether it is ok for me to translate the patterns in Dutch, and to refer to books that are in Dutch with simular flowers ?
I would like to make a very very simular wreath and blog about it.
I will always link back to the original tutorials.
If you are not ok with me translating / refering, NO PROBLEM , I can only ask ! :-)
I do understand that it is not "easy" or "common" to give away your work .
Please pardon the language mistakes,
kind regards from Belgium,
Carla
Posted by: Carla Killens | October 07, 2014 at 01:01 PM
can I get a pattern for the Wreath project .
I is sooo beautiful I want to make me one . a Christmas one also you you hav eone
Posted by: Lillian Day | September 23, 2014 at 01:36 AM
so beautiful and inspires me to learn how to crochet :)
Posted by: Amy G | September 21, 2014 at 04:39 PM
This is perfection at it's max. Love, love, love the work. Thank you for enriching my day and making me look forward to trying it out myself.
Posted by: FRAN PERKS | September 19, 2014 at 08:00 PM
I'm planning on making myself one of these!!!
Posted by: Kathy | September 19, 2014 at 02:46 AM
such a delightful inspiration!! i shall put this on my what 'shall i crochet?' winter list - and next fall I might have something to hang - although nothing so dramatic and yet simply lovely as yours!
BTW thanks u so much for all the pics of the pieces!
Posted by: cynthia | September 18, 2014 at 11:53 PM
It is just wonderful! Thanks for sharing your hard work with us!
Posted by: Aude | September 16, 2014 at 11:20 AM
Love your little hedgehog..she is so cute and the wreath is beautiful!
Posted by: Maryann | September 14, 2014 at 08:06 PM