Loving my vintage granny chic coat!

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Check out my latest charity shop find, I am seriously loving it! It only cost me a fiver and after some granny chic styling it was good to go. I was chuffed to bits cos I got to delve into my stash of buttons and threads and even use my cute applique ducks!

Sure it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve made it my own, I love it and I aint gonna see it on anyone else!

If you are lucky enough to have a granny still alive, get yourself into her wardrobe, like NOW!

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♥ Gifted Crochet Bracelet ♥

     

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I love crochet and once you have mastered the initial steps you can whip up a lovely gift in next to no time! I found the best way to  learn was heaps and heaps of practice, so here is a little project to have a go at!

This project can be made using any yarn or beads available to you, you just need to adjust your hook and needle accordingly.(Usually your chosen yarn will specify the size of hook required, I usually find the best thing is to have a selection handy and play around until you reach the desired effect. Here I have used necklace cord and a 2.5 mm hook.)

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Once you have chosen your yarn the first thing you need to do is thread your beads. Get a length of thread and arrange in a U shape threading the ends of the U through the eye of the needle (as shown here):

Then arrange your yarn through the U:

Thread the needle through your bead:

Thread through and pull your bead down until it reaches the yarn:

Continue until all your beads are threaded. (it’s much better to have too many than not enough as you won’t be able to add more beads later):

Great, you are now ready to begin your beaded crochet. The next step here is to fasten on. Make a slip knot as illustrated here:

Insert the hook through the loop, and catch the tail with the end. Draw the yarn through the loop on the hook:

Pull the tail to tighten the slip knot around the hook:

Now we can begin to crochet:

Yarn around hook and pull through, you have just made your first chain stitch!

Continue 9 more times for a total of 10 stitches:

Now you need to slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring:

Yarn around hook and pull through, you are now left with a ring:

Yarn around hook and make 5 chain stitches. (you can adjust this number according to yarn and wrist size):

Now you can start your beaded crochet. Bring your bead right down to your work on the hook. Yarn over hook and chain stitch as normal incorporating the bead:

Continue this process until all beads are incorporated with an even spacing between them of 5 chain stitches (or your chosen amount). After your last bead work 5 chain, then a further 10 chain stitches, finishing with a slip stitch into the first chain of the 10 to form a ring to match the start:

Fasten off. (cut yarn leaving a good length for darning in, Yarn around hook and pull through.) Thread an embroidery needle to the end of your yarn and darn in neatly through several stitches, and cut thread:

Yay! one cute bracelet:

And from the back! You can either hook the ring around the bead to fasten or pull through to give a leaf effect:

Now you can gift wrap your creation. I tend to keep a whole stash of boxes, tissue paper etc. for this. Grab yourself a cute box and pop in the bracelet wrapped in tissue paper:

Customise your box by adding a cute crochet flower:

For a vintage feel wrap using some wallpaper. This one is vintage Laura Ashley. (You can find loads of stuff like this at charity shops and thrift markets.)

Wrap up and tie with a scrap of yarn and you got yourself one cute little parcel:

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