How to Crochet Sea Pennies

Hello.


Today I'm going to share a short tutorial with you on how to crochet Sea Pennies!


I'm using Rico Creative Cotton and a Number 4 hook for mine, but you can use any wool and hook to get different sized Pennies (which is a nice idea for a chunky winter scarf methinks!).
The Pennies are really quite easy and created here using 12 Double Crochet stitches (US) and I'm sure some of you have already worked out how to do this, but anyway - here goes!


Let's get started.

Make a loop with the yarn as shown above in the picture.  We are going to be creating a Magic Circle so that there is no hole in the centre of our Pennies.  
Leave a tail end of yarn about 4-6 inches long.

From the ball of yarn side, wind and secure the yarn as normal around your fingers, then take hold of the loop between your thumb and middle finger.

Take your hook and push it through the centre of the loop, pulling back a loop from which you will crochet 3 chain stitches.


So - recap - hook through the centre of the loop, pull through a loop then chain 3.

Then, into the centre of the loop, DC 11.


*Make sure you keep hold of the tail end of yarn with the loop bit of yarn when crocheting your stitches, don't leave it flapping about in the breeze or you won't be able to tighten the ring at the end to make the hole disappear.  Look carefully at the photograph below to see that the tail end of yarn is together with the loop part within the stitch.  (I do hope this makes sense).

Pull the tail very slowly to close the hole, then slip stitch to join the circle together.  You should have 12 stitches around your penny now. 
Finish off by sewing the tail end into the underside of the penny.  You will need to do this to each individual penny to avoid being left with a whole heap of hanging tails :)

Below is a guide for joining your first row of pennies together, and then how to continue with the rows you create beyond this.


So, first row of pennies:  Make your next penny in the same way as described above, but when you get to the 6th DC in the loop, you will need to join the new penny to the previously completed one.

To join as you go you will need to complete the 6th stitch on your current penny and then insert your hook underneath the 6th stitch of the first penny:
Pull the yarn through the stitch (2 loops on hook)
Pull the second loop through the 1st loop to secure, like a slip stitch.
Continue with the rest of your DC into the loop as described for the first sea penny until you have 12 DC in your loop.  Pull the tail gently to close the loop, finish off and sew in the ends.

You will carry on in this way until you have a first row of Pennies from which to start building your work.  The photographic instructions that follow are for Row 2 and beyond, where you have to join several sides of each Penny to the other existing Pennies.

 

Second Row of Pennies: How to join the the pennies.

First of all, you will make a magic circle (as describe above) and do 10DC stitches into the centre.

Next..

To join your newest Penny to the first row (to begin to create your second row), you need to take the first two joined Pennies on the first row (the light blue Penny and dark Teal Penny in photograph above), and count around 3 stitches around on the light blue Penny from where it joins the dark teal *see where hook is inserted, that is the the third counted stitch which is the first place to join your new penny).


Push your hook down under the stitch to make a slip stitch.

Pull the yarn up through the stitch - bit fiddly but do-able.
(2 loops on hook)
Pull the second loop through the first loop on your hook (as a slip stitch) to secure:

Next, do ONE DC into the middle of the Penny loop:

You are now ready to join the new Penny to the dark teal Penny of the first row.  Again, count three stitches around from where it originally joined to it's pale blue neighbour on the right and push your hook down through the stitch as before (see photograph below):

Pull the yarn up and through the stitch (2 loops on hook) and pull the second loop through the first loop on your hook (as a Slip Stitch) to secure.

Then do 1 DC into the centre (12 stitches total) of the new Penny.
Take the tail end of yarn and now gently pull it until the hole closes up tight like shown here:

Close the circle by gently pulling the tail end.
Join the circle by slip stitching into the first chain.
Finish off and sew in the ends.

If you are making a triangle shape like I am for a shawl, you will need to repeat these instructions exactly to put a penny on the corner here:

When you need to start joining 3 sides of your new Penny to 3 existing Pennies like so...

...you will do it more or less the same again, except for the very last part - there will not be a DC to do after your final Join As You Go stitch, as you will have already completed this:


First Join As You Go stitch onto bright blue Penny, followed by a DC into centre (11 stitches)
Second Join As You Go stitch onto light blue Penny, followed by a DC into centre (12 stitches)
Third Join As You Go stitch onto turquoise Penny, followed by tightening the centre of the circle up, and SS to finish in 3rd Chain of first Chain. 


It's absolutely fine to do it like this and won't make any difference to your Pennies.  After your last Join stitch, pull the circle closed and then join the circle together with a Slip Stitch as described above.

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So - are you with me so far?  Does it make sense?  I do hope so, I've read through it all several times and fingers crossed I've got it right, but as usual do get in touch if you are struggling please!


Enjoy making your Pennies, and please share links to any crochet work you create using them won't you, I'd love to see what you have made.




Sending Crochet Love out to you today!
Julia x

Artisan Feature: Meet Kirsty Elson

Hello.

Driftwood Boats

I am so pleased to be able to share the work of the talented designer maker Kirsty Elson with you all today.  Her distinctive nautical style is naturally appealing, with boats made from driftwood that Kirsty finds on her local beaches, to cards, framed work and textile art.


But lets start at the beginning:


Kirsty studied illustration and printmaking at Anglia Polytechnic University, which is now known as Cambridge School of Art.  Following the birth of her first child, her family made the move to Cornwall which is where she now lives and works.
Wanting to find something that was both flexible and creative to do whilst looking after her son, Kirsty began designing and making driftwood greetings cards...  

Driftwood Boat Greetings Card

And that was just the start of things to come.


Her work has blossomed into a thriving business, and she regularly trawls beaches close to her studio for driftwood and found objects that she can turn into wonderfully unique pieces of sculpture or art.
She considers herself very lucky that part of her work involves wandering about on beaches for a living (I agree - she is!)

Driftwood Beach Huts ~ Framed Art

Working with driftwood is Kirsty's favourite medium- each piece is absolutely unique, embellished with cheery fabric bunting and other beach-combed objects.  I love the recycled element of kirsty's work - something that has been thrown away or discarded, or washed up on the shore finds a new life in her bright, contemporary pieces such as this beautiful Driftwood Heart, or the Paintbrush Fish made from the handles of old paintbrushes!

Driftwood Heart

Paintbrush Fish

Kirsty is also a talented textile artist; polka dots and ticking fabrics feature widely in her work and she has designed and created the most covetable items in her studio ~ take a look:

'Cornish Harbour' Framed Textile Art

Sea Life Mobile

Kirsty is influenced strongly by her Cornish surroundings, especially the beautiful coastline ~ and the inspiration she draws from it is clearly reflected in the work she produces.

Lavender Fish

Love Birds

More recently, Kirsty has begun working on her collages again.  She creates these beautiful one off pieces using magazines and builds up the most amazing visual art work of local coastal landmarks.

'St Ives' Collage

This is a personal favourite of mine.  The attention to detail is absolutely amazing - I'm sure you will agree.


I have got to know Kirsty through Blogging, and am both inspired and awed by her outrageous talent.  If you would like to see more of Kirstys' work, you are welcome to visit her brand new gallery website:  Kirsty Elson Designs which was launched just this week, as well as the following online galleries which stock her work:


Kirsty Elson at Folksy
Not on the High Street

You can also find her inspiring Blog by visiting Sixty One A, and visit her Facebook Page for current updates on what she's up to.


I hope you have enjoyed this second Artisan Feature - I'll be hosting another one in March for you!


Julia x

A Feeling For Spring

It's that time of year when I begin to feel heartily fed up of the cold winter weather and start seeking out simple pleasures, little bursts of colour and clues that Spring is on the way.


Finding these glorious pink tulips, and daffodils was one of those signs - getting them home and popping them in an old jar made me almost squeal out loud with delight.  Flowers are such a simple pleasure, and although I don't buy them as often as I used to, I do really like having them in the house. 

Cookies are another pleasure here!! We made some of Nigella's yesterday (from Nigella Express) and boy do they taste good!  It was bitterly cold outside with frost still shimmering on the shed roof in the middle of the afternoon, so it felt very cosy to be busying in the kitchen with the Little One, mixing and stirring chocolate cookies...

Not to mention eating them...

Ahhhh....another pleasure...freshly baked cookies, a nice cuppa and a good mag to browse!


Mind you, we are trying very hard to get that healthy balance in our little home, and cookies and Sweet Things are considered as a bit of a treat, albeit very Necessary.  However, we have recently taken to eating copious amounts of this stuff too:

See that jar there in the middle?  That's our very own blend of Trail Mix.  You can use any kind of natural nuts, seeds and dried fruit that you enjoy, and I always keep a little tub of it in my bag for snacks on the go. 


Ours has 100g each of the following, in case you'd like to make some yourself:


Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Chopped Brazils
Almonds (the ones with their skins on as they're higher in nutrients)
Dried Cranberries
Dried Sultanas/Raisins


You can also throw cashews, pistachios and apriocots in, grab a handful when you're hungry - I promise it will help to keep your mitts out of the cookie jar (not that there's anything wrong with a bit of indulgence here and there though! :)  It's great at boosting energy levels and is marvellously good for your skin and little internal bits and bobs. 


A very Big Pleasure this week has been finding hooky time with the Sea Pennies Shawl.  It's progressing slowly as I've only had the evenings to work on it, but every time I take it out I can imagine sitting outside first thing in the morning come summer, sipping coffee and eating breakfast under a blue sky, wrapped up warm in it's sea foamy oceany gorgeousness...ahhh, not long til we'll be doing that again methinks!

I also decided (after a practice and a good deal of frogging) that the larger circles weren't really working.  I could then see very clearly in my minds eye what the shawl would look like made with 100's of small Sea Pennies, finished off with that wave edge - I think it's going to be pretty good!


Would anyone be interested in a Sea Penny tutorial?  I just wondered if you would like to learn how to make them, and join them as you go...that way you might be able to begin your own Sea Penny projects too.


Let me know - if you do I will try and do a photo tutorial for you in the next week or so.




At this time of year when days are still inclined to be rather short and often grey and dreary, I think it's nice to have something to look forward to.  Which is why I have exciting dates circled on the calendar that involve the Tent and Camping!!  We are off to Adam Henson's Farm (the nice chappie off Countryfile) for a few days in the countryside come April!  Oh, the very idea of getting the tent out again, my little red whistling kettle, that flowery melamine....

Remember this? (*happy sigh*)


I'd love to hear what cheers you at this time of year - will you share your thoughts with me?
Go on, you know I'd love to hear :)


Sending you warm chocolate cookies, a jug of colourful tulips, and quiet moments to appreciate the Small Stuff.


Love Julia x