Dainty Delicious Darling Scarf Pattern

Hello!  This is the pattern I used to create the Dainty Darling Scarf, but please note that this is to be used as a guide only. Be sure to adapt the number of chains in each round according to the weight and thickness of your chosen yarn. I used two strands of yarn to make the colourful flowers, and only one strand to create and join the squares. I furthermore joined each square to the next in 5 different places from corner to corner. This is a far cry from a professional chart and set of instructions, please give me a shout if you need any more help and I will do a photo tutorial too!

Round 1: Ch 6 and close to form ring

Round 2: 12 2Treble clusters with 5Ch between each

Round 3: Ch10 joined with sc into each Ch5 space of the previous round

Round 4: Ch8 joined with sc into each Ch10 space of the previous round

Round 5: Ch8 joined with sc into each Ch8 space of the previous round

Round 6: Create Square shape by crocheting 4 treble cluster, Ch10,  4 treble cluster into a Ch8 space (not clear from drawing) and Ch8 joined with sc into each Ch8 space of the previous round in the relevant spaces

  

I have seen many similar looking patterns captured in Japanese crochet books over the years and simply grabbed a hook and worked from mood and memory, creating my own, but certainly not unique version.

Heeeeeeelp?! 

For an informative Crochet Symbols and Directions Chart with UK and US terminology, 

head over to Dabbles and Babbles

Craftsy published a tutorial titled "Understanding Crochet Diagrams, the Key to breaking the Code"

Slugs on the Refrigerator published and in depth article about "Reading Crochet Charts"

This is the same pattern in DK bamboo and a 4mm hook.
Here in rounds 4, 5 and 6, I hooked 5ch, 6ch and 8ch in stead of 8ch, 8ch, 8ch as in the square made out of lacy merino (scarf). Hope this makes sense!

Have a great week!

Dainty Delicious Darling Scarf

Hello!

One could easily fantasise about being a dainty lady, wearing this delicious darling scarf. I on the other hand, prefer to team something as delicate as this with raw grey linens and natural stone. The look is as strong as it is fragile and the result mesmerising.

However, neither of my two dresses in silvery grey (this one shows my knees - against the dress code in Qatar!) and charcoal linens, inspired me this morning and I promptly decided to hunt down tunic style dresses in faded Japanese linens in order to showcase my beautiful scarf. Wish me luck!

I have been shopping all my life and I have nothing to wear!!

Yarn:
Madeline Tosh Prairie in Calligraphy, a one ply, 100% superwash hand-dyed merino wool
Eden Cottage Theseus Lace, a merino and silk 2 ply lace weight yarn soft, somewhat shimmery and luxurious
Hook Size: 3mm

 

Photos of flowers, top and jewelry linked in Pinterest

Winding yarn is a wonky affair!

Hello! This is the start of a dainty scarf in lacy Merino yarns from Madeline Tosh and Eden Cottage. After many evenings of winding yarn before I could put hook to project, I have to admit that it is a dreadful task for impatient peoples like me. I still have so many skeins to wind from hank to cake and even though the Girl Teen is assisting, it remains a huge task when the yarn is slighter thicker than cotton thread and over 600 meters long! 

I am using two strands together to create the colourful flowers and one strand in neutral to join it all together. After many trials and errors with regard to the pattern, I have come to realise that frogging and these delicate yarns are clearly also not the best of friends. That said, now that I have settled on a pattern and understand where to join the squares together, it is an enjoyable, beautiful project.

Don't you just love Instagram?  I really enjoy sitting back from time to time to take a look at all the photos I have liked.  That in itself is a great indication of what one likes with regard to photography, styling, craft, mood, travelling, food and many more. These are some of the beautiful images I have liked over the past month.

Have a great weekend, I will spent mine with the family at a beach club here in Doha and also finalise itineraries for our summer holiday to be spent travelling Croatia extensively. At first we were going to travel Sweden and the Netherlands, but when the Teens mentioned the beach word, I told them to identify a must visit place with the help of Google Earth. The result was Croatia after they saw the islands, the beaches, the national parks and the beautiful towns and cities. The country has been on my bucket list too, so all in all we will have a whale of a time! Have you been to Croatia?

Loop London!

Hello!  The Afrikaans word for walk is "loop". I literally did a Loop London two weeks ago when I not only walked and walked, exploring the city on foot, but I also shopped and shopped - at Loop yarn store! I arrived back home with no less than 23 hanks of yarn in Lace (Merino, Silk and Linen) and Worsted Merino by Madeline Tosh, Artisan Yarns, Eden Cottage and The Uncommon Thread.  

I visited the shop twice, the first time to buy the Worsted Merino (6 hanks in purple and green) and linen (oops also 6 hanks in purple and green). What was that all about? Oh wait, I also got married in lilac and mint, those colours must have stuck with me after all these years! At the same time I picked up a few hooks, a pin for a shawl and the glorious Sophie Digard scarf in the above photo.

Once a back at the swanky hotel in Knightsbridge next to Harrods I called home for a few nights, I realised that I shunned the opportunity to buy the most amazing lace-weight yarns.  I have long since admired the work of Alice on Instagram & on her blog.  Right there and then I decided to return to Loop for more shopping as I would like to try my hand at something more delicate in the spirit of Alice's work and needed those lace yarns.  

I then invested in the most beautiful mushroom, stone and greige colours, a yellow, pink and charcoal too and am plotting and planning the next project for these yarns and am already whipping up sample squares to see where it will take me. Of course as I was about to exit the door, I spotted the Sophie Digard necklaces and promptly bought two of those too, one for myself and one for Anisa from Hellohart who introduced me to Editor Dala Watts, leading to an article of my work in the South African Ideas magazine!  I wanted to say thank you in a special way and have been keeping my eyes peeled for that special item that turned out to be the Sophie necklace!

The great thing about the Loop yarn store is also the location (not reflected in the above photo!) They are located in Camden Passage Islington. Camden Passage is world famous for its vintage and contemporary shops, markets and arcades. Be sure to pop into the leather handbag shops near Loop. I dislike the majority of women's bags on sale and much rather buy from markets or independent shops where simplistic styles are crafted by hand. This shop delivered a glorious green leather bag with a huge flap that disguises Ipad and wallet alike.

Just pho you! Finally, just before you hit the Underground, walk across the road where you will find a delectable bowl of Pho in a cafe serving Vietnamese street food. I have had a need for hot, brothy, salty, soothing beef noodle soup ever since we left South East Asia! There are few things better than a tangle of slick rice noodles in a rich, crystal clear, intensely beefy broth; the warm aroma of cinnamon, cloves and star anise rising up in a cloud of steam, balanced by a squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh herbs and chilies. Ah hell, I entered heaven!

Have a great week!

The Garden

Hello, I am just popping in to wish you a Happy New Year! Please accept my apologies for not participating in Instagram and blogging initiatives at the moment. As mentioned in the last posting, I am snowed under with professional projects, research work and business travelling.  

The photo above is an update of The Garden throw, the most beautiful pattern I blogged about previously.  I have finished about forty 25x25cm squares to date.  It is gorgeous, I cannot wait to see it in all it's full glory once finished.

We made time to visit a great new souq/bazaar here in Qatar, located in a town with the name Al Wakra, just south from Doha.  The maize of buildings stretches for 3 kilometers along the Arabian Sea with an esplanade running down the open beach side. It is build to reflect the town's fishing village heritage and features aged walls and brightly painted wooden doors. The souq will eventually be home to hundreds of shops and eateries. Only a handful are open at the moment and judging by the beautiful cafe in which we enjoyed coffee and cakes, we can look forward to atmospheric and quint eateries. Magical, I love Arabia!

Have a great week.  Cheers!