It’s been a hot minute, so I thought I’d catch you up with what I’ve been busy with.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen the flood of photos I shared of my latest design:  Green Thing Flower Blanket.  This blanket has been dubbed ‘The Never Ending Blanket’ by my mom and ‘Flower Power’ by quite a lot of other people.  I know, MY name isn’t exactly inspiring (Christiaan doesn’t like it), but this blanket started its life as a large green teardrop-shaped ‘THING’ that I wanted to grow into flowers.  The pattern for the teardrop was saved as ‘Green Thing’ for the longest time until I used it as a base for the hearts that form ‘I Carry Your Heart‘…

… and then the base for the large Flowers in GTFB.  (I just noticed that that is almost BFG spelt backwards, haha)

This design, like I Carry Your Heart, happened organically and carried me with it on an exciting journey of not-wanting-to-do-anything-else.  I LOVE those designs… the ones that wake you up in the night to scribble down ideas after you fell asleep to the maths of where to go next!  

I had hoped to share the pattern weeks ago, but the border and I had an altercation.. a fair few altercations, actually.  I am pleased to say that I now have a border I am happy with, but I also have a very exciting trip coming up, so I’ve had to put plans of sharing the pattern aside to prepare for my trip (more about that in a minute).

I have decided to share the pattern for the GTFB as a crochet-along, starting 20 June 2023.  It will be a casual, unofficial affair.  It probably won’t have all the bells and whistles expected of a CAL, but I’ll do my best, and you’ll be just fine!  

I also completed the Ophelia pattern (Yarn Bookazine 12) I bought the yarn for at Yarndale last year.  I used Scheepjes Whirlette and Alpaca Rhythm held together and it is LUSH!  

I have also been working on:

• growing I Carry Your Heart into a full-sized blanket
• extending the Unseen Mandala
• creating a series of squares to complement Daisy’s Bouquet
• a jumper to go with the Diversion Scarf and the Buddy Wrist-warmers

I have ALSO been cooking and baking a lot, which is the place I go when everything is too much.  AND I’ve been trying-and-failing-but-loving doing a challenge where I tackle one shelf a day to declutter and organise.  I’ll spare you photos of that, but can I just say that taking a before and after photo of a cleaning job is SO fulfilling?  Try it!

Now onto my trip!

I will be going to Australia in just under two weeks.  I will be teaching some workshops at the National Crochet Conference in Sydney, and I am so very excited about it. 

My friend Cass will be helping me with the workshops.  I first met her when she shared her gorgeous photos of her Sophie’s Universe (which you can find in the book).  We met in ‘real life’ when I taught some workshops on the Crafty Adventures cruise 2019 (Oz/NZ).

She’s a hoot, and I can’t wait to team up with her for these workshops.

The workshops will run from 1-3 June, and there are A LOT of workshops to choose from.

You can find all the details for the WORKSHOPS HERE.  There are a fair few I would have liked to attend if I weren’t already teaching at the same time!

The line-up includes the likes of Jenny King, Petra Creutziger, Susan Walsh, Lyndall Reeve, Jill Bradley, and Lynda Tomkins, to name but a few.  The workshops cover all sorts:  dyeing yarn, writing patterns, reading charts, drop-spindling, overlay/mosaic crochet, free-form… 

Shelley Husband will also be teaching workshops, and I mention her here separately purely so that I can share a photo of her with you (also from the last time I went to Oz – the last time I went anywhere that wasn’t England).  I cannot wait to connect with her again.  She is an amazing teacher and a really wonderful soul.

My Workshops

Things to Note Before I Share the Workshops:

• I will be providing printouts for each workshop.
• There will be time for you to show me your work, so if you have been working on one of my patterns and would like to bring it along or ask questions, please do so.
• If you want me to bring a specific item along (or have a specific question about one of my patterns), please leave a comment on this post, and I will see what I can do (mental capacity and baggage allowance allowing).
• The links provided below will take you directly to the relevant workshop booking page.
• I will be bringing the Green Thing Flower Blanket along so you can see it before it makes its proper border-and-all-online-debut!

1 June – Sophie’s Universe – Full-Day Workshop

Sophie’s Universe is a continuous square blanket with lots of floral detail and texture.  First presented in 2015 as a crochet-along, it remains extremely popular, with lots of beginner crocheters choosing it as their first project.  If you have been too daunted to try it, this is your chance!

In this workshop, we will cover the first 30 rounds of Sophie’s Universe (or as much as you can make in one day).  This will take you through the first three parts (the large mandala) and on your way to squaring it up.

2 June – Rag Rugs – Morning Session

Rag Rugs are great for using up various scraps of leftover yarn of different weights, composition and colours.

In this workshop, I will show you how to explore creating rugs out of multiple strands of scrap yarn held together, as well as using fabric (if that’s your choice).

We will discuss the basic formula for creating rag rugs, which colours work well together, and how to fix ‘bulging’ or ‘rippling’ as your project grows.  We will also touch on a few sturdy edging options.

2 June – Charlotte’s Universe – Afternoon Session

Charlotte’s Universe is a large continuous square blanket with lots of floral detail and texture (much like Sophie’s Universe).  

In this workshop, we will create the central square that starts Charlotte’s Universe, focusing on Front and Back Post stitches, Popcorns, and Stitch Anatomy (with Right and Wrong side facing).  This will give you the understanding you need to complete the rest of the blanket (FREE online HERE).

3 June – Amish Puzzle Balls – Morning Session

I LOVE this pattern.  It was my first ‘serious’ design (because I was too lazy to get my sewing machine set up to sew one), and led to my first book. 

In this workshop, we will work through making a traditional Amish puzzle ball that comes apart into three segments which have to be ‘built’ to create the ball.  Once you understand the logistics behind this Puzzle ball, you can branch out and make some Amamani (Amigurumi Amish Puzzle Animals) for the little ones in your life.

3 June – Advanced Stitches – Afternoon Session

My last workshop is probably my favourite.  Not because it is more special than the others but just because I had so much fun choosing which stitches to showcase.

In this workshop, we will be covering textured stitches, with a focus on ‘different’…

Different ways to insert your hook (front post, back post, third loop), different ways of elongating stitches (spike stitches, extended stitches, Alpine Stitch), a different way to yarn over (or rather, yarn UNDER)…

I am constantly learning new ways of doing things, and it makes me SO HAPPY!

I hope to see you at one of my workshops.  If you plan on attending, please let me know so that I can look out for you.  For those of you who are a continent away (or even just on the other side of the UK or Oz), I hope to see you on my birthday when we start the CAL for Green Thing.

This blog post contains affiliate links. I only link to products I personally use or would use.  All opinions are my own.