Hooking Just For Fun

I would have liked to go out somewhere today, but I had to stay in for the gas engineer to do a 'Landlord's Safety Inspection'. At the moment, whenever I'm home I'm hooking up the Mumbles... but I fancied a change from the ripple for a little weeny bit, and I’d had an idea floating around in my head. I normally only crochet for a purpose, but I decided that I would make a quick little something just for fun.

I took one of these:

This was simply labelled 'coloured rings', and is £1.10 for 2 from Boyes.

I took these from my cotton stash:

I've lost the labels, but I'm pretty sure these are all Patons.

These from my bead stash:

Dyed howlite skull beads - bought some time ago from Etsy.

And some bits of equipment:

I love my thatched cottage pin box and my scissors with their lovely case. All from the Cath Kidston sale a while ago.

First I did this:

No pattern, I just made it up as I went along.

Then I did this:

To help thread the tight-fitting bead, I dipped the end of the cotton in some melted candle-wax and smoothed it down. Then I simply snipped the waxy bit off afterwards.

I made some of these:

This circle is based on the first 3 rounds of the Japanese Flower Scarf.

I had a go a making a double one too, and stuffing it:

This circle is the first two rounds of the pattern used for the Glastonbury Blanket, with a third row of chain stitches double crocheted into the gaps. Stuffing inbetween, and then whip stitched together.

Next I had a go at these:

Small amigurumi ball, various patterns form a Pinterest search and then I made it up based on several similar ones.

Then I decided to have a go at my own design, not bad from this side:

I made this one up based on the small ball, but with extra rows and increases, and a colour change.

From here you can see it needs a bit of work:

Not a very neat colour change!

Then I put it all together:

It’s the first time I’ve done anything like this, it's not perfect by any means but I think it turned out ok - for a first attempt, just making it up as I went along. 

If I did it again I would be more careful covering the ring, as my colour sections aren't even (because I lost count and was too lazy to go back over it and check...) I would also make sure that the crochet onto the ring (the pink pointy bits) fitted properly - I have an extra gap in this one.

Speaking of doing it again, there are so many possibilities with this!! You could make one with amigurumi eggs for Easter, or daffodils and pastel colours for Spring in general. Bright flowers and butterflies would be nice for Summer. Leaves and acorns in the Autumn? Snowflakes in the winter with mini bells instead of beads? A simple one in white with glass beads to catch the light could be nice at any time of year… Ok, I’m getting carried away now. It’s a good job that I have more cotton stash, and the hoops are only £1.10 for two :)