A new look, new hooks and new projects!

Welcome to the first post of the newly revamped Dinkyflowerpots blog. I felt it was time for a change and, although not too radically different (a new background, header and title font) there has been a bit of a spring clean. Hope you like it!


I am finding increasingly these days that I prefer a comfier handle on my crochet hook. Maybe I am just getting older, maybe I crochet a lot more - either way it's not as easy to keep hold of the thinner variety of hook, of which I have many.

So, whilst also trying to keep an eye on cost, these are my latest acquisition, with lovely chunky bamboo handles no less.

They are so smooth and light to hold and I am loving them quite lot.

For those who are interested (and depending on your thoughts re buying from Amazon these days), this set of 10 crochet hooks cost me £4 with free delivery. Similar can be found HERE.


Creating crocheted/knitted clothes for little ones isn't something that I have ever really done. I helped out with the jumpers, hats and blankets for charity (the latest details from which will be in another post in the next week or so), but that is about it.

I am also not one for completing
a) anything that is too big (but this is soon to be remedied)
and
b) anything for myself.

So, in my 'book', an item that is small and for someone else is usually the way to go as it has twice the chance of being finished!

A couple of other knitters I know have been making some very nice 'modern-looking' jumpers and cardigans for the little ones of relatives and friends, but nothing so far has been of the crocheted variety. I too have a couple of relatives who have not long both had girls so, after a brief search through some of Sirdar's more recent publications in a local shop, I was lucky enough to find me this - The Baby Crochet Book.

After checking that I could follow the patterns!!...... I bought it in the sale for £6.99 and have designated this little bolero cardigan as my first new project.

Sirdar recommend that this should be made with yarn from their 'Snuggly' range and I found some in the sale, online, at Black Sheep wools.

The little 'wiggly-worm' bits in a contrasting white give it lovely texture and interest but I am sure that it must be easier to knit with than to crochet as I am constantly getting stuck on the 'worms'. Also, it is a bit of a pain if you have to undo any of your work and I am getting stuck on the 'worms' going that way as well. As this pattern is a learning process for me, the yarn is probably something I should have taken into account, but there you go. It gives me more reason to get things right first time!

Other than that it is a nice soft yarn to work with and further updates will follow as I progress! (NB. Picture take before acquisition of new hooks!!)

Anyhow........talking of other things that I don't complete, I did mention larger items. This includes blankets. My recent experiments with dyeing acrylic yarn have given me a reason to try and get past this hurdle and I have started a blanket that I intend to finish whilst also testing out the newly dyed yarn to see how the colourways and dye patterns work.

Instead of working in individual squares or stripes, or following a pattern, I though I would start from a largish plain square in the middle (where I may add some embellishment at a later date) and work my way outward, making things up as I go along, depending on how the mood and the yarn takes me.

It is quite a revelation watching the pattern appear from yarn that you have dyed yourself. This is the centre square and I wasn't at all sure what to expect.

It has been a pleasant surprise and gives me ideas for other dye combinations that I might try.

Working out from the middle I have used the different colourways as I have dyed them, combining them here and there with the un-dyed yarn in it's original cream shade

Working this way holds my interest far more mainly because I have no idea what I will do next until it happens....therefore it has far more chance of being completed. I will have a blanket yet!

So, this is my progress to date. I have a new blue/grey/green colourway to start adding next and then when I have used all the dyed yarn I will make some more. The randomness of whole process totally fascinates me!