Ned's Polka Dot Blanket Recipe

Hello friends!

Recently I finished making a blanket for my little friend Ned who was born at the start of the year, (yes, it took me a while to finally finish it!! Ned was very patient though :-)

I made it using a technique called Tapestry Crochet. You can find lots of great tutorials on how to do Tapestry Crochet on youtube (This is a particularly good video, I used the first method she describes for my Polka Dot blanket :-). I highly recommend taking the time to look it up and learning this skill because it's so much fun and you really can do some amazing things with it :-)

It's a little bit like Fair Isle knitting, but it's completely reversible, with no exposed yarn carried along the back of your work. Yay!

I didn't use a pattern to make Ned's blanket, I just got out some graph paper and did a few calculations and came up with this polka dot design (with Ned's name in the corner :-)

I have had a lot of people asking for a pattern so they can make their own Polka Dot Blanket, I haven't written a pattern, as such, for this blanket, but if you have a little bit of crochet experience & a knowledge of tapestry crochet, you may find the following notes (or Blanket Recipe) useful to make your own Polka Dot blanket (without Ned's name in the corner, hehe). Referring to the photographs will also help :-)
You can find this blanket recipe on RAVELRY :-)

My blanket measured approximately 100cm x 100cm. I used a 4.5mm hook & Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply (DK) in the shades Lake and Oceanic. (Unfortunately it seems that Oceanic is now a discontinued colour, which is a real shame, as it is a gorgeous colour :-( ) I used approximately 2.7 200g balls (1080m or 1180yds) of Oceanic (Main Colour) and .7 of a 200g ball (280m or 306yds) of Lake (Contrast Colour).

Please note: I will use British/Australian crochet terms in this blanket recipe. U.S. crochet terms are different, so if they are the terms you like to use you may need to look up a conversion chart on the net :-)

Abbreviations:

ch = chain

st or sts = stitch or stitches

dc = double crochet

Using Main Colour make 137 chain, 

Row 1: Using Main Colour, 1dc in 2nd chain from hook, 1dc in each chain to end, 136sts in total. 
Row 2-4: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 5: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 5 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in each of next 20sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts. Repeat from ** to last 6 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 6: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1 dc in each of next 4 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts, **using Main Colour, 1 dc in each of next 18 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts. Repeat from ** to last 5 sts, using Main Colour 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 7-10: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 3 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts. repeat from ** to last 4 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 11: As Row 6.

Row 12: As Row 5.

Rows 13-16: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn. 

Row 17: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 17 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in each of next 20sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts. Repeat from ** to last 18 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 18: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1 dc in each of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts, **using Main Colour, 1 dc in each of next 18 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts. Repeat from ** to last 17 sts, using Main Colour 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 19-22: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 15 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts. repeat from ** to last 16 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 23: As Row 18.

Row 24: As Row 17.

Rows 25-28: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 5 - 28 make up the polka dot pattern. Continue working in this pattern repeat until your blanket reaches the desired length. 

I then did 2 rounds of dc around the entire edge of the blanket as a small border. Don't forget to do 3 stitches in each corner so the border doesn't curl up :-)

I hope you have fun with this blanket recipe :-)

© 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 blankets 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 blankets as you like for yourself, your friends and your family. You might also like to make some to donate to your local charities :-)

Mini Dachshund Laser Cut Brooch

Please welcome another new addition to my latest series of laser cut jewellery, Mini Dachshund! This brooch is made using sustainable Rimu wood, with a silver tone brooch pin at the back. He is wandering around my store with his friends Dachshund, Owl, Fawn, Fox and Whale. You can find them all HERE

Something new!

Laser Cut Wooden Jewellery

While today we had a pleasant reprieve from our wintery weather, with some sunshine and blue skies, I have been busily working away getting a few new things ready for my stores. HERE

I have added a few new laser cut wooden jewellery pieces, with more to come soon.

So stay tuned for more updates :-)

You may also like to look at this post about LASER CUT JEWELLERY

Work In Progress 15.06.2010

I managed to do a bit more of my scarf/shawl last night (although I am a bit slow, as I have injured my hand). I think I'm about 25% of the way through to the finished product, so I can't really complain about that progress :-)

Maybe I'll have it finished sooner than I think?!

See my previous post for more information about this project :-)

Work In Progress 14.06.2010

I have had a skein of Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn sitting in my yarn stash for quite a while and I knew I wanted to make some sort of scarf/wrap/shawl from it, but I didn't have a particular pattern in mind. So far I have started (and almost completed) 4 things with this skein, and have frogged them all (translation for non-knitting folks: frogging means to pull out all your stitches and re-wind your ball of yarn and start again).

Last night while browsing RAVELRY I came across this PATTERN.

I think this is the sort of thing I had been searching for all along, so I have started it today and will try to keep you up to date with my progress, in the hopes of having it finished and blocked and ready to wear in a week or two :-)

If you're a member on Ravelry too you can find me under the name: SharaDesigns. I'd love to have a few more contacts on Ravelry :-)

Laser Cut Wood Jewellery

So, in my last post I told you I was super busy making some prototypes for some new designs… remember? Well, here are a couple of them.

I've been playing around with laser cutting some of my designs into wood. These particular ones are made using New Zealand Rimu wood, which is sustainable and not on the list of endangered plant species :-)

As the lasers burn through the wood, etching the designs into the wood, it leaves a warm romantic scent of campfire behind, which I love. I started out with some very basic designs as I needed to see how this medium lent itself to my designs.

Now I know what works and what doesn't work so well… it's made it easier for me to go mad designing a whole bunch of new pieces. Lots of animals, lots of new words, lots more fun, lots of people. I'm looking forward too more new designs being ready for release. Hopefully in May!!

So see you soon with more designs and styles including brooches, necklaces, earrings, bangles and rings :-)

If you're after a particular initial on a brooch or earrings, let me know before April 16th, 2010, and I should be able to accommodate your custom requests :-)

You can find these designs and others in my Etsy store HERE and my Dawanda store HERE

Tune in next time for some more updates on what I've been up to and the new designs that are on their way :-)

Baby DaWanda

I decided I would feature a few of my favourite sellers at DaWanda who specialise in baby goods. I have my JoliBebe range available on DaWanda and have had a really great response since starting up there. I was so excited to see so many brilliant ideas and designs for babies on DaWanda, and below are a few of the really special and extra sweet products. Click on the name of the product for a link to the item in it's store on DaWanda :-)

Katie Jump Rope Halter Tunic from BlackEyedSusie

Corduroy Sun Suit from PinkDixie


Suede baby Moccasins from KaBoogie

Eco Friendly Baby Blocks from CutesyPoo

Tiny Felt Baby Booties from Ingermaaike

Pink Baby Pixie Shoes from MagicPumpkinsandFaeryDust

DaWanda

A few months ago I started selling on another website: DaWanda.com
It's an online venue where you can buy and sell all things handmade. Clothing, hats, shoes, paintings, prints, furniture, jewellery, bags and many more things can be found on DaWanda.
It's based in Europe, and users have a choice of viewing the site in English, German or French, so it reaches a very wide audience :-).
As a seller you can choose to list your products in just one of these languages, or two, or all three. Users can also choose whether they view other products on the site only listed in one particular language, or all the items listed in all 3 languages. There are a lot of choices, so you can customise it to suit you.
It's free, fast and easy to set up a store. There are NO listing fees. So to cover costs DaWanda charges a small 5% commission on the product price if/when the product sells. This means you only have to pay "fees" once you've already made some money (that makes sense :-). Because it's free to set up and start selling it's great if you just want to try it out as a venue, or perhaps if you've got new items that are a little different to your regular items and you want to "test the market" so to speak, then this could be a good venue for you.
Like many other online market places, DaWanda has an active forum, where you can connect with other sellers, ask questions about the site, running a small business, art/craft related queries, get feedback about your store or products, start a collaboration, join a group or community, seek custom items, promote your store and so on.
The forums are regularly monitored by the friendly and helpful DaWanda staff so it's never too long before your question, query or concern is answered.
The DaWanda front page has a great showcase of the products available on DaWanda, and unlike other e-commerce sites where it can be pretty tricky to get your products on the front page, DaWanda's front page is selected randomly and rotate regularly, so everyone has a good chance at making it to the front page :-)
There are many great features on the DaWanda website, both for selling and buying :-)
The "StyleLab" is fabulous! It's where, as a buyer you can find items that are customisable. So you can choose the colour, the pattern, the fabric, the size, the shape etc of an item then the designer makes it especially for you. And as a seller you can list items in the style lab, where you can give options for colours, fabrics, styles, shapes etc for a product that you can make to the customers specifications.
The "Coloranda" feature is also an exciting way to shop. You can click on any colour in the rainbow spectrum "dome" and it will show you a page full of products that have that colour in them! (Great way to kill a bit of time as well :-)
You can also make a "Pinboard" which is where you can keep track of all your favourite products on DaWanda. You can name your Pinboards so you know which one has which items in it etc. You can also make a themed Pinboard, for example, Reds, or Fabulous Bags etc. It's a fun way to showcase your selection of the best of the best products on DaWanda. It also comes in handy if you are searching for a present for someone in particular, you could make a pinboard full of all the products that might be make suitable presents :-) You can search through other people Pinboards, so you can see what everyone else likes as well, and a selection of Pinboards are "featured" on the Pinboard page, and these selections change regularly, so there is always something new and exciting to see.
There is also a "Trends" page, which shows you the products with the most fans, and the products that have been added to the most Pinboards. You can also see the most popular sellers and best selling members on this page. This feature is good if you just want to see what's popular, but it's also a great market research tool, along with the "Recently Sold" section to the Trends page. It lets you know what kind of things are selling well and so on.
The "Search" facility on DaWanda is great! You can search the whole site, or you can search within a particular category. You can view the search results in order of the most recently listed, the most popular or "random" which is the default order of results. This makes it very easy to narrow down your search, which can save you time and effort :-)
DaWanda are always running at least one promotion or competition that you can get involved in, which is great for getting involved, for getting your store name out there, for promoting individual stores, and DaWanda as a whole (which is great for everyone!)

As the push towards sustainable, eco friendly, unique, non-mass produced items becomes stronger sites like DaWanda become more popular and more important. Why not join in the fun? :-)
You can see my stores on DaWanda: SharaLambethDesigns , JoliBebe and ThePaperDoll.

Below are a few of my favourite recent finds on DaWanda.

Pocket Mirror
Linotte.dawanda.com


Cat Bag
Delavalle.dawanda.com


Bird Broochfuniscool.dawanda.com


Leaf Top
Hyenarchie.dawanda.com

Flower Earrings
Fluerfatale.dawanda.com

Welcome to 2008

Ah... yes... it's been a while since my last post. Please forgive me :-)
The holiday period got a little bit crazy, with unnecessarily hot weather, hiccups at the Post Office, orders coming in from all angles, and my Birthday (complete with excellent party with even more excellent friends!) in the middle of it all. But I have come through to the New Year relatively unscathed. Phew!
I hope everyone else had an enjoyable and relaxed Xmas and New Years Eve as well :-)

So here we are in 2008, and I thought it was only right to start off a new year with a new medium. RESIN. It's something I have been eagerly interested in for several years, as a new medium in which to realise my jewellery design ideas, but until now I thought it was out of my league.
Late last year I quite seriously considered doing one of the several Resin workshops in and around Melbourne, but the price tag was a little prohibitive. I wanted to be really certain that it was a creative journey that I was willing to embark on, so I did a bit of research (I love you Internet xox) and found 2 books that seemed to have some pretty good reviews and purchased them (at bargain Basement prices!!) from Amazon. The first is: "The Art of Resin Jewelry" by Sherri Haab (ISBN 0-8230-0344-2). It's a really great book if you know nothing about Resin, but are interested in finding out all the basics and getting some ideas for projects. The information is very clearly written in a simple to understand way, that isn't an insult to your intelligence. The instructions are also quite clear. Not all the products used in the projects are available in Australia, and as of yet I haven't been able to find too many U.S. websites that will ship a lot of the stuff internationally (which I think is due to the potentially hazardous nature of some of the products). However, if you have your wits about you, you should be able to figure out something that is a suitable alternative which is readily available in Australia.
Although I did really enjoy this book and all the hints and tips, I do have to admit that some of the projects are incredibly ugly (which is of course, simply a matter of taste) so I'm sure that the projects in the book that I think are beautiful, others will find to be hideous.
Despite this, it is an EXCELLENT introduction to the world of Resin jewellery. I can highly recommend it :-)
The second book I purchased is "Resin Jewellery" by Kathie Murphy (ISBN 0-87349-619-1). This is a slightly more "high brow" publication and is probably directed more towards people who have a bit of previous knowledge in jewellery design. It gives an excellent history of resin and other plastics, which gives you a great insight into how and why different products react in a certain way and how they can be best utilised. This book also gives you lots of information about different products, techniques and standard safety tips. But I think the best thing about this book is all the photographs of some seriously STUNNING and amazing resin work by artists and designers from all over the world. I found the images to be of great inspiration and made me DESPERATE to rush out and buy all the things I needed to start making my own Resin masterpieces :-)
So I can highly recommend this book also.
I have seen both these books on several websites where resin supplies are available, and they are both extremely over-priced. For example one Australian website is selling the Kathie Murphy book for $57AUD, and it is currently available on Amazon for approx. $5.20AUD. I did a lot of searching around and Amazon was by far the best place to purchase both the books (even with the crazy postage prices :-)

So far I have made a few smallish beads with the EasyCast 2-part resin I purchased, and they have been quite good. I used a purpose made polyurethane resin mould, also from EasyCast. The shapes and designs of the mould which has several cavities are quite good, however the resin really does pick up EVERY minute detail which meant that some of my castings came out with unwanted impressions that were left on the mould during production. I tried to gently sand this away without success. So I am in the process of making some of my own moulds using a "pour and mix" type of silicone rubber.
I am quite keen to see the results of this. I am making moulds for several different rings and some bangles also. I have so many ideas racing around in my head and I can't wait to post some photo's of my creations on here for you all to see :-)

Okay, I'm heading back to the studio (a.k.a spare room) to start casting some more of my ideas.
x Shara