Joya del Mar

Hello friends!
It's been such a busy time at the SLD Headquarters throughout December, with Birthday, mini-vacations, ALL the Christmas festivities... I ALMOST forgot to post my "Pattern of the Month!" (almost)
I devised this quick little pattern to make a beaded bracelet a few months ago and I have made many, many bracelets since, in all sorts of colour combinations :-) They're really fast and really easy to make! We've been wearing them at the beach, the kids have been wearing them around their ankles (cute!)

What you need:
-Approxiamtely 40-50 Size 6 (3.5mm) seed beads. These are large-ish seed beads and they're easier to thread onto the yarn, but there's no reason you couldn't use smaller seed beads if you can thread them onto your yarn :-) Also, glass beads are better, especially if you plan to get them wet (swimming, bathing etc)
-Small amount 4 ply or Fingering Weight cotton yarn
-2mm crochet hook
-bead threader or dental floss threader or waxed dental floss (for threading beads onto your yarn)

 I didn't have a purpose built bead threader and I couldn't find any dental floss threaders, so I used waxed dental floss to thread the beads onto my yarn and it was very successful :-) Take a length of WAXED dental floss, approx. 25-30cm long. Bring the two ends together and gently squeeze it together with your fingers, the heat from you fingers will soften the wax and the ends will stick together (see the picture above)

 Thread your yarn through the open loop in your dental floss, as shown in the picture above.

 Thread the closed ends of the dental floss through your first bead, slide the bead down the dental floss, and on to the yarn, as shown in the picture above. Continue doing this with the rest of your beads.

 How ever many beads you think you're going to need, add a few more! Once you start making your bracelet you won't be able to add beads, so it's best to have a few extra beads, rather than accidentally running out :-)

 Chain 25, *slide one bead up to your hook, as shown in the picture above, now slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the hook. Now continue to do one slip stitch each of the next 23 chain (for a total of 24 slip stitches)*. Chain 70, loosely & evenly, but not so loose that they are sloppy :-) (You can adjust the size of your bracelet here. You need to have 25 chain either end of your bracelet to tie it up, but the middle section can be varied to any length with more or less chain stitches. When you're doing the chains, measure it against your wrist/ankle etc, then do the remaining 25 chain for the tie). Repeat from * to *.

 Now you will be crocheting your beads into the centre bead section. Insert hook into next chain, slide bead up to your hook, wrap yarn round hook (as shown in picture above), draw yarn through, wrap yarn round hook, draw through both loops. Continue adding beads in this way until you reach the first slip stitch section. Fasten off. Carefully weave in yarn ends. Enjoy your new Joya del Mar (Jewel of the Sea) Bracelet!

Little Vests Collection

Hello friends!

It's been a very busy few weeks here, as I'm sure it is at your place too!

Sick kids, Birthdays, a little holiday, Christmas parties and general festive busyness!

But in the middle of all of this I have been working on some new patterns as well :-)

The Little Vests Collection is now available through Ravelry and Etsy and Craftsy!

Each of the four patterns are available to be purchased individually or as a part of an e-book, which includes all 4 patterns!

 The simplicity of the pattern not only makes it a fast, easy project, but means it's suitable for little girls and little boys.
Perfect for experimenting with stripes and/or hand-dyed yarn. And it works up just as beautifully in cotton yarns as it does in wool yarns :-)
Available in sizes Newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, & 18 months!

 Stay tuned to see some more new designs in the new year, including some little dresses, and all the Little Vests available in bigger sizes, up to a size to fit a 6 year old! :-)
I hope you're having a lovely festive season!!
xo

Olive, Feta & Rosemary Mini Muffins - Gluten Free & Fructose Friendly

Hello friends!

I have been busy cooking up a storm in the kitchen lately and I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the recipes here :-) I often get asked for the recipes to my little treats, as it seems even now folks are still having trouble finding nice, easy, cheap, fast recipes that cater for people with dietary restrictions such as gluten intolerance, celiacs disease, and fructose malabsorption/intolerance.

So here is a quick easy recipe for some delicious savoury mini muffins that can be enjoyed on their own or as a side to a tasty soup or hearty stew with lots of sauce to mop up :-)

Olive, Feta & Rosemary Mini Muffins - Gluten Free & Fructose Friendly 

2 cups gluten free self raising flour **
50g butter

1 egg

100g feta cheese, cut into 1cm cubes (or smaller)

1 cup milk (you can substitute with soy milk)

1 cup chopped, pitted kalamata (black) olives

1-2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (can substitute with dried rosemary)

cracked black pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven 190C (170C for fan forced). Grease mini muffin tray (I used Olive Oil cooking spray) Sift flour into bowl. Melt butter, allow to cool slightly then beat egg into melted butter. Add butter & egg mixture, olives, feta, milk, rosemary & pepper to flour. Mix to just moisten (don't over mix :-) Three-quarter fill greased mini muffin tray.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden on top and when muffin springs back when gently pressed. 

Makes about 35-40 mini muffins. Serve warm!

**If you have no dietary restrictions this recipe works just as well with regular wheat self raising flour as well :-)

If you're not going to serve your muffins warm from the oven, simply zap them in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm them through, they're much more delicious warm!

I like to take these along to gatherings/parties/picnic/BBQs etc where guests are asked to "bring a plate" as they travel well, almost everyone can enjoy them and because there always seems to be an abundance of sweet treats when everyone brings something to share :-)

Just remember that not all of the ingredients in these muffins will be suitable for everyone with a dietary restriction, so if you're unsure, ask whoever you're making them for about each ingredient :-)

Enjoy! :-)

More Patterns in the Pipeline

Hello friends!
As you may have read in THIS earlier post, I have been working on some new patterns recently. A series of little vests for little ones, in 6 sizes from New Born to 18 months :-)
Here is a preview of one of the patterns that will be available separately or as part of an e-book on Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy . All styles are in the testing stage at the moment and I hope to have the patterns released very soon!
This little red vest is made using a wool/alpaca/silk blend yarn, which is lovely and soft and warm :-)
All the little vests in this series work up very quickly and only use a small amount of 8ply/DK weight yarn so they make a fabulous last minute gift :-)
Stay tuned for more previews of this pattern series and for the official release date!
xo

Patterns in the Pipeline

Hello friends!
I have been working on a big bunch of new patterns over the last few weeks, and most of them are in the testing stage now, so they should be ready for release very soon :-)
The sweet little vest pictured above is one of the patterns. It will be available in 6 sizes from New Born to 18 months. Sizes from 2 years to 6 years will be released at a later date in a separate pattern :-)
Easy, all-in-one construction with NO seams at all! And if you choose to make the vest in a single colour, then you would only have two yarn ends to weave in, one at the beginning and one at the end! (This idea appeals to me immensely :-)
I made my vest with cotton yarn, but the pattern is lovely worked up in wool or alpaca. Any 8ply or DK weight yarn that matches gauge/tension can be used :-)
I think it would look particularly beautiful made using a lovely hand dyed wool :-)
This vest is part of a series of little vests, for both boys and girls that will be released together. The patterns will be available separately or as part of an e-book, available through Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy :-)
The plan is to have the patterns released in the next week so that you will have time to make up a few vests for all the little people in your life for Christmas presents :-)
Stay tuned for more previews of the other vest styles!
xo

Little Star Ornamnet

 Star Ornament 

Hello friends!

Here is my "Pattern of the Month" for November :-) I thought it was almost time to be getting a little bit festive, so I have made a pattern for a little star ornament :-) Of course, your star doesn't have to be for Christmas... stars are fabulous for any time of year or any occasion :-)
While they do make great ornaments to hang on a Christmas tree, these little stars would be just as lovely made in a nice bright colour to hang around and add a little bit of sparkle to any room in your house :-) You could even fill your star with dried lavender and hang it in your wardrobe to keep it smelling sweet & to ward off any moths that might be thinking about making a meal of your favourite jacket :-)

Enjoy!

xo

Materials:

*Small amount any weight yarn and an appropriate size hook can be used for this project. Choose a smaller hook, to work a tighter gauge/tension than you usually would for the weight yarn you choose. For example, I have used 8ply/DK weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook. This creates a nice sturdy shape and stops any toy stuffing from showing through :-)

*Small amount of toy stuffing or polyfil

*tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends

Abbreviations (British/Australian crochet terms used in this pattern):

ch: chain 

dc: double crochet

dc3: double crochet 3 together

sl st: slip stitch

st or sts: stitch or stitches

Special Stitch Instructions:

dc3 (double crochet 3 together): insert hook into next st, yarn over hook, draw loop through, insert hook into next st, yarn over hook, draw loop through, insert hook into next st, yarn over hook, draw loop through, yarn over hook, draw through all 4 loops on hook. Dc3 decreases 2 sts at once :-)

Pattern:

Side 1

Ch 75, join using sl st to work in the round, taking care not to twist the sts.

Round 1: 1ch, (does not count as 1dc, here or at any point throughout the pattern), 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in each st to end, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (75sts)

Round 2: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in each of next 5 sts, *dc3, 1dc in next 12 sts, repeat from * until 6 sts remain unworked, 1dc in each of next 6 sts, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (65sts)

Round 3: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, *dc3, 1dc in next 10 sts, repeat from * until 5 sts remain unworked, 1dc in each of next 5 sts, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (55sts)

Round 4: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in each of next 3 sts, *dc3, 1dc in next 8 sts, repeat from * until 4 sts remain unworked, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (45sts)

Round 5: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in each of next 2 sts, *dc3, 1dc in next 6 sts, repeat from * until 3 sts remain unworked, 1dc in each of next 3 sts, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (35sts)

Round 6: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, 1dc in next, *dc3, 1dc in next 4 sts, repeat from * until 2 sts remain unworked, 1dc in each of next 2 sts, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (25sts)

Round 7: 1ch, 1dc in st at base of 1ch, *dc3, 1dc in next 2 sts, repeat from * until 1 st remains unworked, 1dc in next st, join with sl st in first dc at beginning of round. (15sts)

Round 8: 1ch, dc3 (beginning with the first st of the dc3 in the st at the base of 1ch), dc3 to end of round, join with sl st in first dc3 at beginning of round. (5 sts).

Cut yarn, leaving enough yarn to weave through the remain 5 sts, pull tight and fasten off securely. **When you are weaving in your yarn end after completing Round 8 you might like to weave your yarn across any gaps that may have been created by decreasing so much in the last few rounds :-) 

Side 1 is complete.

Side 2

With right side of Side 1 facing you, you will now be working into the base of the foundation ch of Side 1. Beginning Side 2 by rejoining yarn at the same point at which you began Side one, work Side 2 as for Side 1 from Round 2 to Round 7. Stuff your star evenly. Complete Round 8 as for Side 1. 

Attach a 25ch loop for hanging, as shown in picture, weave in any loose yarn ends.

Enjoy your star! :-)

 © Copyright Shara Lambeth Designs. Copyright remains that of the author at all times. The pattern is for personal use only. Reproduction of this pattern in anyway (electronic, email, photocopying, transcribing etc) is strictly prohibited, except with the explicit permission of the author. Please do not sell the pattern or the finished product that is made using this pattern without permission of the author, as this is a direct infringement of the copyright laws protecting this pattern. Also please be aware that copyright laws vary from country to country (sometimes even from state to state), I am Australian, in Australia, therefore my patterns are protected by Australian copyright laws. This copyright protection still stands no matter what country the item is made in or who makes it. Thank you :-)

If you do want to sell the Little Star Ornaments you make using this pattern at a market, craft fair or in your online store please do ask, as in most cases I will give permission :-)

And please feel free to make as many Little Star Ornaments as you like for yourself, your friends and family :-)

I know it's only November....

Hello friends!
I know it's still only November, but I have been getting into the festive spirit recently :-) I had to start early so I would have time to make everything I'm dreaming of before Christmas :-)
Here is a sweet little "Granny Tree" I have crocheted using cotton yarn & a little Mother of Pearl shell button, both from Crumbz in Healesville.
The pattern I used is from The Royal Sisters Blog (if you've never visited this blog, do yourself a favour and head on over there!) :-) The "Grandma Tree" is part of a collection of clever crocheted Christmas decoration patterns available for free on the blog :-)
All of the patterns on the blog are really well written, nice and clear, with LOTS of explanatory photographs (Yay!) I've made many of the lovely things from the blog and adore them all :-)
Are you making things this Christmas?? What are you making?? Share in the comments! :-)
xo

Sun Hat For A Little One

Hello friends!
I hope you had a good weekend! :-)
I recently made this little sun hat for a little friend who is turning 2! I also made him a Milo Vest that I have written about HERE :-)
When asked what his favourite thing was he replied: "Outside!"
So I think a sun hat is a good present for him as we're coming into summer in the Southern Hemisphere :-)
I used a 10-ply or Worsted weight cotton, so it's sturdy, as well as being nice and cool on a hot day :-)
I really am pleased with the way this little hat turned out, so I think I might make a few more for the little folks in my life :-)

What have you been making lately? Share in the comments! :-)
xo

In the garden....

Hello friends!

As you probably already know from some earlier posts, like THIS one, I really love my garden :-) 

I recently made a trip to a local plant nursery to see what else was out there :-)

I found some really amazing plants that I hadn't seen before.

 I'm not entirely sure what they all are... but they're very pretty :-)

 I think this one pictured above is my favourite :-) I think it's some sort of Grevillea... but I'm not sure... do you know what it is? :-)

Another Milo

Hello friends!
You might already read about how much I love the Milo Vest pattern by tikki Knits HERE.
Yep, I've made another one. This time it's a Size 3, in grey and blue cotton stripes :-)
A little friend of mine if turning 2! I hope he likes is summer vest :-)
The beautiful Wendy Cotton DK yarn is soft enough to be worn against the skin, but I'm sure this versatile vest would look just as sweet with a long sleeve t-shirt underneath on a cooler day too :-)

Do you love to give handmade gifts? What have you given lately? Share in the comments :-)

xo

Little Knitting

Hello friends!
You may have read in some earlier posts that a few of my beautiful friends are having babies at the moment :-) Yay! And finally one of them is having a GIRL! Yay (again)! It seems like everyone has been having boys over the last few years and I haven't been able to make anything pretty, and lacy, and my colour palette has been a bit limited.... Let the girly knits begin!
The first little thing I have made is this tiny Newborn size Milo Vest in a lovely deep red cotton :-)
You can find the pattern for the Milo Vest by tikki Knits on Ravelry. I think it is one of my all time favourite patterns. It is SO versatile and easy and fast. The original pattern doesn't include the lacy pattern that I have added to my little Milo, but it's just a simple, traditional Fish Tail Lace, over a repeat of 8 stitches :-)
Do you have a favourite pattern that you have knit over and over again? Share in the comments!! :-)
xo

We made a cake!

Hello friends!
Yesterday I had one of my little nephews with me for the day... it was too cold and wet to play outside much... we didn't know what to do with ourselves... so we made a cake! And we put dinosaur sprinkles on it!
It was very delicious with tea :-)
We decided that a good motto is..."When in doubt, bake a cake!" :-)

What fun things do you do to eleviate boredom in rainy weather? Share in the comments! :-)
xo

After the rain...

Hello friends!
So, it's already November! Can you believe it?!
In the Southern Hemisphere, where I live, we're in the middle of Spring... not that you could tell today. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable and we often have four seasons in one day.

This week it has been windy and rainy and hot and cold. We've had a little bit of everything! We had two days of over 30 degrees celsius (not my favourite sort of weather) followed by two days of freezing, rainy weather. 

 The best thing abut the rainy weather is it gives the garden a good drink and it makes everything a little bit more beautiful :-) I took these pictures of some of the plants in our garden after the rain :-) So pretty :-)
What's the weather been doing at your place lately? Has it been a bit crazy? Share in the comments! :-)
xo

Petit Meow

Hello friends!
I made a little cat :-)
As you may know from some of my earlier posts I am knitting some toys for my lovely friends who are having a baby :-)

 To make this kitty I used Bendigo Woollen Mills DK/8ply Classic wool that I have dyed using a combination of food dye (the orange) and Landscape dyes (the purple). The pattern I followed was Tabitha the Destash Kitty, which is a free pattern by Oliver Boliver :-)

I really love the way this little kitty has turned out :-) The colours worked perfectly for the look I was going for too :-)
What have you been making lately? Share in the comments! :-)

Happy Halloween

Hello friends!
Happy Halloween... if that's your thing :-)
We don't celebrate Halloween in Australia, but I really do LOVE any excuse to dress up in costume :-) If you're heading off to a Halloween party or Trick or Treating tonight I hope the weather is kind to you!!
Do you celebrate Halloween? Are you dressing up? What are you dressing up as? Share in the comments!

xo

P.S. Today is the last day of Blogtoberfest 2012. I have absolutely loved participating this year and I will be sure to participate next year as well :-) I think I might miss posting something everyday... maybe I'll have to start up "Blogvember" hehehe. It has certainly encouraged to me to post a lot more often and shown me how easy it is to blog much more often than I had been doing in the past :-) I hope to see you all around here a lot more often from now on :-)

Little Rabbit

Hello friends!
As I wrote about in an earlier post I am knitting a bunch of toys for my lovely friends who are having a baby :-) So far I have knitted a dachshund and this little rabbit :-)
I made this little critter using Bendigo Woollen Mills 8ply/DK Classic that I have dyed using Landscape Dyes. I followed this free PATTERN from Lion Brand Yarns. I altered the ears a little though as I found that following the instructions as written in the pattern gave an unsatisfactory result, all lumpy and uneven up the sides of the ears :-(, So I did all my decreases for the ears one stitch in from the edges, rather than on the edges :-) The pattern doesn't include the scarf, but I felt that the little rabbit needed something to keep him warm :-) I made the scarf using some scrap 8ply/DK wool, cast on 4 stitches, knit one row, then all following rows I slipped one stitch purlwise, knit to end... until the scarf was the right length & cast off :-)
I wonder what my friends will name the little rabbit?

Howard Dachshund

Hello friends!
Recently I have been working on knitting some toys for two of my lovely friends who are having a baby together :-) And I've loved every minute of it :-)
Here is Howard the Dachshund! I dyed some Bendigo Woollen Mills 8ply/DK Classic using Landscape Dyes in colourway Wombat :-)
And I followed this PATTERN by Annie Watts :-) It's a really great pattern and Annie is a very clever designer :-)

I have also been working on a little cat, a bigger cat and a rabbit :-) I'll show you pictures of those creatures when they're finished :-)

Pinwheel Socks

Hello friends!
I'm still enjoying Socktober and embarking on new sock styles :-)
The Work in Progress pictured above is the Pinwheel Sock pattern by Elise Duvekot, which is in her book "Knit One Below". It's a really interesting book about a really interesting technique which was new to me. I love the vertical stripes appearing on this sock so far!
This pattern uses an "after thought" heel, which is also a new method for me, so I'm looking forward to learning more about socks as I go on with this project.
The black yarn I am using is a Bendigo Woollen Mills sock yarn (75% wool, 25% nylon) which is unfortunately no longer available and the coloured yarn I am using is Rico Design Superba Bamboo (which is a particularly delightful sock yarn to work with and wear :-)
I'm looking forward to being able to show you the finished socks I make using this interesting pattern :-)
What have you been working on lately? Have you recently learnt a new technique? Share in the comments :-)

Little Treasures Envelope

Hello friends!

It's time for my "Pattern of the Month" :-)

Here is a pattern for a Little Treasures Envelope to keep all your little treasures in :-) It's quick and easy and only uses a small amount of yarn. It's perfect for using up all those little bits of lovely yarn at the bottom of your knitting basket that are too pretty to throw away.

You could make a Little Treasures Envelope to hold a little gift you are giving to a friend, like jewellery. You could even use it as a cute "wrapping" if you are giving a Gift Card as a present :-)

Little Treasures Envelope

Materials:

3.5mm crochet hook

50m (55yds) DK or 8ply yarn

Button

Scissors

Tapestry needle to weave in yarn ends

NOTE: Even though 8ply/DK weight yarn is suggested for this pattern you can use any weight yarn & an appropriate size hook to make your Little Treasures Envelope. Heavier weight yarn will make a larger enveope & lighter weight yarn will make a smaller envelope :-)

Tension/Gauge:  Exact tension/gauge is not essential to the outcome of this pattern, however I decided that having a tighter tension than usually worked with this yarn weight would be better for this project as it would stop little treasures accidentally falling out of the "envelope" :-) 

20 treble stitches & 10 rows = 10cm (4")

Finished Size: If your tension/gauge is the same as is listed above then your Little Treasures Envelope will be 13cm x 10cm (4" x 5") when finished.

Abbreviations: (Please note that British/Australian terms are used through out this pattern with a conversion to U.S. terms listed in the abbreviation explanation below :-)

ch : chain

st or sts : stitch or stitches

dc : double crochet (U.S. sc : single crochet)

tr : treble (U.S. dc : double crochet)

PATTERN:

ch 35.

Row 1:  1 tr in 4th ch from hook, 1 tr in each ch until one ch remains unworked, 6 tr into this ch, you will now be working into the other side of the foundation chain (see Picture #1), 1 tr in each st to end. Turn. (70sts)

Row 2: 2ch (to count as 1 tr, here and throughout pattern), 1 tr in each of next 31 sts, 2tr in each of next 6 sts, 1 tr in each st to end. Turn. (76 sts)

Row 3:  2ch, 1 tr in each of next 31 sts, 2 tr in next st, (1tr in next st, 2 tr in next st) 5 times, 1 tr in each st to end. turn. (82 sts)

Row 4: 2ch, 1 tr in each of next 31 sts, 2tr in next st, (1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st) 5 times, 1 tr in each st to end. Turn. (88 sts)

Row 5: 1 ch (to count as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 42 sts, 2ch, skip 2 sts (buttonhole made), 1dc in each st to end. Turn. (88 sts)

Row 6:  2ch, 1 tr in each of next 31 sts, 2 tr in next st, (1tr in each of next 3 sts, 2 tr in next st) 5 times, 1 tr in each st to end. Cut yarn. Your piece should look like picture #2)

To finish:

Fold piece, as shown in picture #3. Rejoin yarn, using slip stitch, as shown in picture #4, dc through each st of both pieces folded together, and dc around "envelope" flap, and back down the other side, joining both folded pieces together (taking care that you have the same amount of stitches on both joined sides), fasten off. Weave in ends. Attach button to correspond with button hole. Fill your little envelope with treasures and enjoy :-)

 You can use all the little scraps of lovely yarn at the bottom of your knitting basket and make each row a different colour for a lovely stripey envelope. Maybe you have some self-striping yarn left over from another project, that would be perfect for this project! You can make this project using any type of yarn you like. You can use a big, chunky yarn and a larger hook to make a bigger Treasure Envelope, or you can use a lighter weight yarn and a smaller hook to make a tiny Treasure Envelope :-) 
Also, just in case you were wondering the little apple buttons are available in sets of 10 in my shop HERE :-)

 © Copyright Shara Lambeth Designs. Copyright remains that of the author at all times. The pattern is for personal use only. Reproduction of this pattern in anyway (electronic, email, photocopying, transcribing etc) is strictly prohibited, except with the explicit permission of the author. Please do not sell the pattern or the finished product that is made using this pattern without permission of the author, as this is a direct infringement of the copyright laws protecting this pattern. Also please be aware that copyright laws vary from country to country (sometimes even from state to state), I am Australian, in Australia, therefore my patterns are protected by Australian copyright laws. This copyright protection still stands no matter what country the item is made in or who makes it. Thank you :-)

If you do want to sell the Treasure Envelopes you make using this pattern at a market, craft fair or in your online store please do ask, as in most cases I will give permission :-)

And please feel free to make as many Treasure Envelopes as you like for yourself, your friends and family :-)