Summer Bunting

Back in March I was thinking about the monthly column I write for Simply Crochet magazine, wondering what would be a good subject to write about for early summer. I was thinking summery thoughts, dreaming of the sea, salty sea breezes and that joyful feeling of freedom that comes with being on holiday. And then I thought of bunting. I thought of how the streets of my home town in Dorset are always strung with bunting during the summer to welcome visitors, and how the same thing also happens here in my Yorkshire home town. It is such a cheerful and nostalgic sight, and a string of homemade bunting carries those same feelings of happy cheer and childhood nostalgia for me.

So I happily wrote about crochet bunting and garlands for the magazine, and then thought how much fun it would be to make up a little bit of summer bunting in my favourite shades of coastal blues. Perhaps I might even share it with the readers of Simply Crochet magazine, inspire them to hook up a little bit of fluttery summery decoration for themselves?

To keep things simple, I chose just four colours to work with, using my favourite Stylecraft Special DK :: Petrol :: Turquoise :: Denim :: Cloud Blue

I came up with a neat little triangle worked in four quick rounds, the last round being a simple edging to pretty it up a bit. I made 12 triangles, then strung them together with three rows of crochet to make quite a thick decorative band running along the top.

To finish it off nicely, I stitched on some spotty buttons

Ta-dah!!!!! I love the simplicity of this decoration, it is unusual for me to be so minimal with my colour palette (!) but I really enjoyed immersing myself in these summer blues.

Now then, I debated long and hard about sharing this next bit with you, it is not that pretty! You have to first understand that a string of bunting is a devilishly difficult thing to photograph. It is long, and floppy, and the backdrop takes a lot of consideration. I confess that I failed miserably. Would you like to see my pitiful attempts?

I tried outside first. However, my backyard is currently looking very sad and scruffy, and not that great for a photo shoot. Plus my neighbours cat Bert insisted on coming in for a nosey and would not leave even when I asked him nicely.

I had a bit of better luck inside, hanging it across my mantel. The finished string measures 135cm, and it was actually a pretty good fit across my old fireplace, but of course it ended up right at the bottom of the picture.

Luckily, I was able to send my bunting to the lovely peeps at Simply Crochet who do things the Professional Way. I asked Tanya if she could take some "behind the scenes" pictures to show me, as I was reaaaaaaally curious to see how it would be styled. I had imagined my bunting hanging in a beautiful little white washed summer house, or maybe a cute retro beach hut? Or how about a wonderful light-filled little boys room, with blue gingham bedding and vintage wooden boats? Oh yes, my creative mind overflowed with all sorts of ideas!!!

When the pictures came back, I laughed and laughed. How fanciful I had been!

Of course, these things simply take place in a carefully staged, professionally lit photographic studio. No summer houses or beach huts or gorgeous houses.

There is also a fair amount of technical computer wizardry involved too, something else that I would fail miserably with no doubt. But the finished result? Well..................

............just gorgeous!

This is how it will appear on the printed page, and I think the team at Simply Crochet did a terrific job. My Summer Blues Bunting pattern will appear in issue 19, which will be in the UK shops on Thursday 29th May.

So. What next? Well.....when I originally designed the bunting in shades of blue, I had been thinking of the sea. But part way through making it, I realised that it would make a terrific decoration for a little boy's bedroom don't you think? It would make a great gift to welcome a new baby boy into the world, or to decorate a toddlers bedroom. I then got curious about how this pattern would turn out if it was worked up shades of pink? We can't have the boys taking over, now can we?!

So I chose fours new colours of Stylecraft Special DK ::

Clematis :: Fondant :: Magenta :: Raspberry

Oh so pretty! They took me instantly to a summer garden full of roses and clematis and raspberries and sweet peas.......

These colours were a joy to work....

... and as with the blue bunting, I finished the string off with some pretty spotty buttons.

Love how it turned out. Super pretty, and perfect for little girls (or big girls, come to think of it)

I am continuing to work with the lovely peeps at Wool Warehouse which is giving me a great deal of pleasure I have to say. The team there are so friendly and enthusiastic about all that they do, it's bloomin' marvellous to chat and plan and get all giddy with folks who love colours and yarn *almost* as much as I do! You can find all the Attic24 colour packs and buttons and things HERE on their website, it's looking very cheerful on that page I have to say!

As you know, any excuse to play with colour and yarn and I am right there in a jiffy. This week I've been in my element, faffing about with my yarn balls, planning and playing and scheming in full, glorious colour.

I wanted to have a play with other colour combinations for my bunting, to see how I could bring different sets together. I know that choosing successful colour combinations can seem like an impossible task to some, and yes it can be very hard to get it right especially if you are doing it via a computer screen. So, just for the pure pleasure of doing it, here is what I have come up with......

:: pomegranate :: spice :: petrol :: meadow ::

This is quite a feisty combo, kind of hot and spicy and rich.

 

:: pomegranate :: spice :: gold :: meadow ::

Taking out the deep petrol colour and replacing it with rich gold gives a lighter feel, but still full of rich, warm tones.

 

 

 

And here's how those two triangles came out.

Next I went for some prettier, more mellow tones..

:: pale rose :: grape :: gold :: camel ::

These colours remind me of sunshine and fragrant summer flowers.

Now taking out the gold and adding in the richness of the pomegranate..

:: pomegranate :: camel :: pale rose :: grape ::

And here's how the triangles turned out. I love these colours, they are soft and warm and mellow.

Ooooooooo! Now there's a lovely palette! I can picture a cushion coming together in those pretty summer colours :)

Some rich, earthy colours coming into play now ::

:: copper :: magenta :: mocha :: raspberry ::

Then changing out the earth colours to add some water!

:: denim :: raspberry :: petrol :: grape ::

Oh yes, I really love these ones too. The one on the right (with the blues) is maybe a touch too dark, perhaps I would lift out the petrol and put a lighter blue in there instead.

Do you like these colours all together? I think they are absolutely WoNdErFuL and the instant I looked at this photograph I wanted to go grab my hook and start making granny squares with them. I can see a big granny blanket right there in those colours, it would be so beautiful! All sort of rich and mellow and warm and spicy! Can you see it? Can you imagine it? Oh the possibilities!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aaaanyyyyyhow.....maybe there is a new blanket idea germinating there, but for now, back to the bunting. I really adore these colours, they aren't my usual palette of clear brights, but there is still a brightness there. I'd say "rich" is a more appropriate word.

I think I will make six more and string them together to add some rich, spicy colour to a little corner of my home.

I am really enjoying working with Wool Warehouse on various yarny projects and am thrilled to be earning a small commission on each sale of the blue and pink yarn packs mentioned earlier in this post. There is 400g of yarn in each of these packs, so you could make shed loads of bunting, or maybe even a small baby blanket or cushion with the leftovers!

I think the pink pack would also make a beautiful Blooming Flower cushion (like a giant rose)...

 

...and how about a ripple-stripe cushion with the blue pack? Perfect for making and gifting a little handmade goodness, or creating a little something for yourself to remind you of summer days.

You can find all Attic24 yarn packs right here.

I am also loving the designing and writing work that I'm currently doing for Simply Crochet magazine, but I would like to reassure you that the magazine doesn't in any way ask me (or pay me) to promote it here on my blog. I write about it every so often cos I love chatting about my creative journey and thought it would be fun to share some colour-love with you. I hope you might feel inspired to go grab some balls and hook yourself a little string of summer colour!

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♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

Yarndale 2013 :: The Yarn Bombing

Keeping On

Mandala Wheels for Yarndale

Festive Wreath Beginnings

Comments

[woola oops]

Great project !

[M Wakefield]

Hi Lucy, I really want to make your pink bunting, and I bought a pack a couple of years ago, I have since been having treatment for breast cancer and therefore didnt get round to doing it, however, I do not have a pattern, as this was not included. Are you able to direct me to where I can find it, the Summer bunting. many thanks in advance

[Kirsty Bennett]

Hi Lucy,

I've just made your Moorland Blanket, and am definitely hooked. Working on accompanying cushions covers with the left overs. I'd like to make your Summer Bunting (Should be nice and quick!) with my own choice of colours, but can't work out where to get the pattern - I've been chasing Simply Crochet but can't work out how to find the pattern. I'm happy to pay for it, of course, but I'm just going round in circles. What's the best way to get hold of the pattern?
Thanks for all your lovely ideas,
Kirsty

[Jolanda]

Thank you for the nice pattern in Simply Crochet Magazine. During our holiday I crocheted a bunting for my sons bedroom. If you like, you can see a picture on my blog: http://creatiefbezig.blogspot.nl/2014/07/zeeuwse-kust.html
Jolanda

[Beth]

Oh how I love your work and wish we got Simply Crochet UK version here in Oklahoma! I love the bunting pattern... now you just need to sell your patterns in your shop for us folks across the pond (hint hint) :D

[Tara Lever]

Thank you for your email re; the bunting, I couldn't reply and can't find my comment now but sending thanks for the info. X

[Tara Lever]

Hi all, this bunting is gorgeous - I've just received my pack as a gift for a friend - I don't crochet myself so don't have the magazine and unsure if my friends gets the magazine...How do I get hold of instructions please or is issue 19 still available to buy anywhere?
Thank you.

[Diana]

Dear Lucy, I am a new Fan of you work. I am fascinated with the combination of colours and the nice products you make. I am new to crochet and I am at the moment experimenting techniques, stitches, materials, etc... I always doubt when choosing my yarn if acrylic is a good option. I try to go for natural based materials (cotton-wool), which are more expensive, there are less options in brands/colours/prices... I would much like to hear from your experience. Is this kind of acrylic-based yarn resistant and warm/soft enough? Are there issues with skin sensitivity? Don't get me wrong, I am not questionng your way of working, I just want to learn from your experience if possible.
Thank you very much for your time and thank you for making me dream a bit more whenever I see your beautiful work!

[Vanessa]

I have just bought myself a bell tent. Hmm, I wonder what would look amazing hanging from the entrance.......? :)

[Liddy]

Hi Lucy,
Love the blue bunting and it got me thinking about summery bunting alternatives.
I would love a string of beautiful colourful beach huts to put in my garden so that I can look at them and dream of owning one by the seaside.
Any ideas for a pattern?
Thanks
Liddy

[Saskia Lepper]

Thank you very much to this pattern. I must have them and bought the original magazin. I´m ready now with my first summer bunting if you want have a look here http://kleinesfadenallerlei.blogspot.de/2014/06/pimp-your-garden.html
Your Ideas are fantastic.
Kind regards
Saskia

[Kim]

Can't wait for you to post your tutorial for the Summer Bunting, will certainly brighten up the house for Winter here in Australia. Love all the fantastic colours. Kim.

[KayEleC]

Lovely bunting! Been a subscriber to Simply Crochet from the start so it was lovely to see you pop up as I have been following you separately for years!

Their pic is lovely of course, but my vote is with Bert, I like your homely, real and less clinical shots.

Happy hooking this weekend (now 6/6) and enjoy your trip to the plant man...can't wait to see what you buy!

xxx

[Lisa Smith]

Greetings from Oregon, USA!
I love your bunting! I am planning on ordering the pink pack ASAP! On my computer monitor the Magenta looks decidedly lavender in color, which is the one color that I can't quite reconcile myself to! Could you suggest a better substitution for Magenta that is more in keeping with the pink family? Should it be lighter or darker?

I was pleasantly surprised that, even with the exchange rate not in my favor, the currency conversion is not too terribly cost prohibitive.

Now I just have to wait for my issue 19 to arrive! Should get here around the same time as the yarn, I hope! (Just received issue 18, so I'm about 1 issue/month behind in you in the U.K. with my U.S. subscription.)

Warm Regards, Lisa in Oregon

[Alva Clark]

I have very recently started crocheting and mastered the Granny Square. However I was not sure if I could follow a crochet pattern. I followed your instructions from Simply Crochet for the blue bunting and am very pleased to say I have managed it. I recently changed my decor in our downstairs toilet to a seaside theme with boats and lighthouses. I plan to hang my bunting along the top of the window, it should look good. Thanks for your great instructions. I have previously purchased the yarn packs from the Wool Warehouse but so far they are lying in my stash I hope to get hooking soon to use the yarn to make a bag and more bunting. Love your work Lucy.

[C]

I agree with Estella- real photos are so much better than 'perfect' magazine images. I LOVE the style photos on this blog for that reason- beautiful but still real life. Please don't change them!

[Anna]

It is gorgeous Lucy! Of course the photo taken by professionls is lovely.. but I like to much your photos too! :) Congrats on being featured in the magazine! Have a nice and enjoyable weekend ahead!
Anna

[Gillian McM]

Dear Lucy, I'm unable to get hold of Simply Crochet here - will the beautiful bunting pattern eventually appear on your blog? If not, I'll just admire it from afar!

[Janette Surtees]

Oh how lovely those triangles are Lucy! loving your colour combinations. Ive just discovered a website called Design Seeds - it's all about colour combinations. Have a look - you won't be disappointed. Hope to come to Yarndale this year, all the way from sunny Taunton in Somerset. Janette

[Andrina T]

LOVE the bunting! OMG! *swoons with color happiness!*

[Rowena]

Hi Lucy

Long time reader, first time commenter!

I got my Simply Crochet and the pattern - yay! This will be for my little boy. I wish they made it clearer in the mag that the packs of yarn could be purchased at Wool Warehouse though, I ended up buying the colours separately and buy similar, but not as nice buttons!

[Vikki]

Hello Lucy,

I love this summer bunting especially with that pretty edges to it. May I ask you how do u do this? as i would love to have a go with my first ever bunting in my life!

keep it up and it is such a great inspire coming from you to the follower crocheters like us.

good luck

[Vikki]

hello,
Just want to say it was so lovely to have look at your website and it had inspire me to do more of crocheting,... I am not brilliant but do my best at it.

your Summer bunting have given me an idea to do for my lovely Niece's bedroom.

Do you save those endings which you have cut off each project for the birds to make their own nests out of it? As I am sure I read it somewhere that someone had suggest this idea which I thought was brilliant!

thank you for your lovely inspires in those gorgeous projects you have made so far!..

Good luck in your current and future projects.

[Carol]

I loved the Bert photo best too.
Carol xx

[Amanda]

Lucy-
I love the bunting you've come up with! I've been meaning to write to you about your festive Christmas bunting pattern. I used that pattern to create a bunting/banner for my twin girls nursery, putting their names on it. It turned out splendidly, and really is the focal point of the nursery. : ) Thanks to you I also got turned on to CarolineRoseArt, and now have one of her pieces hanging above the bunting. Thank you for your wonderful blog, patterns, and all the color and smiles you bring to your readers!