Crochet Tutorials – PipsRainbow

In a blink of an eye it’s November!! How did that happen! Anyone else feeling the cold? It seems to have just switched all of a sudden. My advent shawl is well and truly out and about now and my wrist warmers are an absolute must! I find that if my wrists are warm, then my body seems to stay warmer. So it’s a no brainer for me.

I have been working on a few rather exciting projects recently. Can’t wait to share them with you. I do have a rather new labour of love though. I joined Knit School a few months ago and I seem to have been absorbed in the wonderful world of knitting jumpers at the moment. It is ever so fulfilling learning a new skill and being able to create different garments. The wonderful Michelle at Knit School is the most incredible teacher & provides you with so much information and encouragement. Really feel that I am learning so much at the moment. If you are ever interested in joining, then pop over to The Loveliest Yarn Company website where you will find a link to Knit School. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

https://theloveliestyarncompany.co.uk/

I love that I can switch now between crocheting and knitting. I am finding that they both seem to really compliment each other. So watch this space… Ekk!!

So as it is November, it’s about to be the time of year, when we remember. We remember those who have fought for us. Who have been to war for us and those you have lost their lives for us.

There aren’t really any words to describe the sheer sadness of all the lives that have been lost in wars and the brutality of the life that has been taken away from so many families. Even in times like these, when a pandemic surrounds us and lockdowns have been endured, we will still remember them…

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them. Not the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them. Lest we forget.

It always make me count my lucky stars and be so terribly grateful for all we have. A time when you hold your family that little bit closer to you.

So I thought I would share my crocheted poppy pattern again with you all. I know quite a few of you made them last year, so thought I would share it again for those of you who didn’t. They are ever so easy to make and you only need a little bit of yarn. If you are able to make some for others, don’t forget to ask them to pop some pennies in a Poppy donation box. I think last year I made about 15 for friends and family members, so there was a lot of poppy love going around.

Hope you enjoy the pattern.

Level – Easy

Supplies –

For each poppy, you will need a 4mm crochet hook, a little bit of red, black and green double knit yarn. You will also need some scissors, a safety pin and blunt ended needle. And don’t forget a safety pin so that you can attach it. (If you did want to make them in a different weighted yarn, just make sure that you change the hook size accordingly. So I would use a 3mm hook for 4ply yarn and 5mm for Aran weight yarn.

PipsTips – If the poppy is for a child, you can always leave a little yarn tail to tie it to a coat. (I did this for my son. I can’t trust him with a safety pin!! Ekk!!)

Stitches –

Slip Stitch (ss) – This is where there is no height to the stitch. It’s usually used to join rounds. So insert the hook into the front of the stitch you are joining to. This is usually the first stitch you made in that round/row. So yarn over hook and pull through that first stitch then also through the loop on your hook.

Chain stitch (ch) – To make a chain, place the yarn over the hook then pull it through the loop on your hook.

Treble (tr) – To make a treble crochet, firstly yarn over your hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should now be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through the first two loops, yarn over hook and pull through the last two loops.

Magic Ring – Fold over the yarn to make the loop. Insert your hook through the loop and grab the working yarn (long piece) and pull through the loop. Hold the tail and the working yarn and pull so that the knot tightens, but you still have a loop. This has created a magic ring.

Half treble (htr) – A half treble crochet is basically one less movement than a treble. So yarn over hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through all 3 loops.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Ok so here we go…

1 – Start with your black yarn and make a magic ring. Then chain 1 and work 6dc stitches into the ring. Finish by pulling the tail tight to create the ring. (6)

2 – Now work 2dc in each stitch in the round and finish by ss into the first stitch. Fasten off your black yarn. (12)

First Petal –

3 – Now change to your red yarn and attach into any of the dc stitches. Then ch1 and work 1dc in the next 6 stitches and then ss into the last stitch of your 6 stitches. This is the start of your first petal. (6)

4 – Turn your poppy and work *1dc, then 2dc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** 3 times. Ss into the last stitch. (9)

5 – Turn your poppy and work *2tr, then 2tr in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** 3 times. Ss in the last stitch. (12)

6 – Turn your poppy and work 1dc in each stitch. Ss in last stitch. (12)

Second Petal –

7 – Now you are going to work the other petal. So ss into the first black stitch and work 1dc in the last 6 stitches. Ss in the next stitch, which is the bottom part of the first red stitch you made In the first petal. (6)

8 – Turn your poppy and work *1dc, then 2dc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** 3 times. Ss into the last stitch. (9)

9 – Turn your poppy and work 1dc in each stitch. Ss in the last stitch. Now ss in the bottom of the first stitch on the other petal, then fasten off your red yarn. (9)

Now sew in your black ends in the centre of your poppy using your needle. Now with the red yarn ends, use these to first sew up the sides of the poppy petals back down to the centre of the petal, this will help to keep the petal shape. You can see in the photo below how I am picking the top stitch of the petal and then in the photo below that, sewing it back to the centre of the poppy.

Now use the two ends to sew on your safety pin to your poppy and then fasten off each end.

Leaf –

Start by chaining 10. Then work 1dc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Then work 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 2tr in the next stitch, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc and then finally 1dc. That will take you to the end of the foundation chain.

Now you are going to work up the other side of the foundation chain. So in the second chain work 1dc, then 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 2tr in the next stitch, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc, 1dc then finish by working a ss into the last stitch. Now fasten off leaving a tail to sew your leaf to the poppy. Sew your other little end into your leaf and the longer one you can use to sew your leaf on to your poppy.

And there we have it. Your little poppy. I hope you have enjoyed this pattern. Don’t forget to donate your pennies into a poppy box.

Anyways, happy hooking chaps!

Stay Safe.

🌈Xx

(Free pattern designed and brought to you by PipsRainbow. Thank you for not copying or recreating it. ☺️Xx)

Well, the end of our lovely summer holiday is finally here and our little rainbowbods are going to be starting back into their new academic years. We’ve had an absolute ball this summer and we are definitely not ready to get back into normalness again! Boohoo!! I’m feeling decidedly wobbly about next week and the new chapters that my two are starting out on. I know they have to spread their wings and fly, but boy how I have loved having them under my wing for 6 weeks. Just the best.

I think our summer has mainly consisted of – beaches, the sea, body boarding, waves, bbq’s, bike rides, family walks, friends, baking, swimming, day dreaming, playing, parks, cuppas, a serious amount of ice creams, cakes, curries, Reading, weaving, loom bands, braids, camping in a caravan, National Trust trips, Bore Street Bakery trips, Toy Story 4 and obviously a rather large amount of crocheting. I don’t reckon we could have fitted much else in!

Now there are four little fellas that will help us remember the Summer of 2019 and here they are.

You’ve obviously met Paddy and Ivey, so now I would like to introduce you to Boo and Flip. Boo (second from the left) is a very proud Daddy of his two little squirts. He is always finding new adventures that they can all go on and keeps them on their toes with excitement. Flip (second from the right) is the Mummy turtle. She loves keeping them all close, under her flipper, but will always be up for any adventure that Boo has concocted up!! She is always by his side, following him in whatever path he takes. Two hearts as one, having lots and lots of fun.

So this is the free pattern for the two parent turtles, but if you want to make the little brother and sister, Paddy and Ivey too, you can either find the pattern in the pattern list or follow the link below. Happy hooking!

https://pipsrainbow.com/little-paddy-ivey-turtle/

Level – Easy

Supplies –

Right then, supplies. As this is a Using Up Year pattern, I have used lots of odds and ends to make my little turtles. Each little turtle uses a total of 90g of double knit yarn, so that will give you a rough idea of how much you will need.

(Also, quick tip, if you have lots of 4ply that you want to use up, you can always work 2 strands together to create a double knit weight yarn. I did this for Mr Turtle. It’s a great way to use up yarn.

You will also need a 3mm crochet hook, some scissors, toy stuffing, a piece of different coloured yarn for a stitch marker and a blunt ended tapestry needle to sew all your ends in. And don’t forget a pair of safety eyes, if you want to use them and some black yarn for the eyebrows and mouth.

I think these two are enjoying a snuggle in the garden. A mummy and daughter relationship is so special.

Hmmm, these two seem to be up to something?!?! I wonder what rascalliness can a Daddy and son create?!?

Stitches –

Magic Ring (mr) – For a magic ring, make a loop with the yarn, leaving a tail. (Make sure the tail is under the working yarn.) Now insert your hook into the loop, from the front to the back. Wrap the working yarn around your hook and pull the yarn through and pull tight to create a ring.

If you are unsure, here’s a little video on how to make a Magic Ring.

Slip stitch (ss) – This is where there is no height to the stitch. It’s usually used to join rounds. So insert the hook into the front of the stitch you are joining to. This is usually the first stitch you made in that round/row. So yarn over hook and pull through that first stitch then also through the loop on your hook.

Double Crochet Decrease (2dctog) – This is where you crochet two stitches together to decrease the amount of stitches in the round. So insert the hook through the front of the first stitch only (the front V) and then insert again through the front of the second stitch (the front V). Now yarn over your hook and pull it back through both stitches, so you will then have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over your hook again and pull through both loops. And there is your 2dctog. (Basically 2 double crochet stitches crocheted together.)

If you need a quick recap on how to do these stitches and a few other snippets of Amigurumi techniques, then follow the link below. Happy watching.

Ok so here we go…

Body –

1 – Using your 3mm hook, make a magic ring, chain 1 and then work 6dc stitches into the ring. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – 6 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (6)

7 – *1dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

8 – *2dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

9 – *3dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

10 – *4dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (36)

11 – 14 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (36)

15 – Work 2dc in the first stitch then work 1dc in the next 17 dc stitches. Now work 2dc in next stitch, followed by 17dc stitches. (38)

16 – Work 2dc in the first stitch then work 1dc in the next 18 dc stitches. Now work 2dc in next stitch, followed by 18dc stitches. (40)

17 – Work 2dc in the first stitch then work 1dc in the next 19 dc stitches. Now work 2dc in next stitch, followed by 19dc stitches. (42)

18 – Work 2dc in first stitch then work 1dc in the next 20 dc stitches. Now work 2dc in next stitch, followed by 20dc stitches. (44)

19 – 22 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (44)

23 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 20 stitches. Followed by 2dctog stitch and then 20dc stitches. (42)

24 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 19 stitches. Followed by 2dctog stitch and then 19dc stitches. (40)

25 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 18 stitches. Followed by 2dctog stitch and then 18dc stitches. (38)

26 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 17 stitches. Followed by 2dctog stitch and then 17dc stitches. (36)

27 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 16 stitches. Followed by 2dctog stitch and then 16dc stitches. (34)

28 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 15 stitches. Followed by 2dctog and then 15dc stitches. (32)

29 – 30 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (32)

31 – Work 2dctog, then work 1dc in the next 14 stitches. Followed by 2dctog and then 14dc stitches. (30)

32 – Now work *3dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (24)

33 – Now work *2dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (18)

34 – Work *1dc, then 2dctog* Repeat this ** 6 times. (12)

35 – Work *2dctog* Repeat this ** 6 times. (6)

Now it’s time to fasten off, stuff your turtle’s body and then sew it up with your yarn tail.

Head –

1 – Make a magic ring, chain 1 and then work 6 dc stitches into the ring. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – *1dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

4 – *2dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

5 – *3dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

6 – *4dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (36)

7 – *5dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (42)

8 – *6dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (48)

9 – 14 (6 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (48)

15 – Now work *6dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (42)

16 – Now work *5dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (36)

17 – Now work *4dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (30)

18 – Now work *3dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (24)

19 – Now work *2dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (18)

21 – 25 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (18)

Finish your head, by slip stitching into the next stitch and fasten off. Now stuff your head with your toy stuffing so that it will be ready to then sew on to your turtle’s body.

At this stage, you could attach your safety eyes. With the eyes, you need to make sure you have them in the correct place, because once you have pushed the back on. It is very hard to get them off. So keep looking and checking that you are happy. Remember the dome on the back of the safety eye faces out. This is how it stays secure on your turtle’s head.

Shell –

With the shell, I have used lots of different colours. It’s a great way to use up lots of little bits of yarn and you can start new yarns at any part of each round. As this is a double knit pattern, you can even use 2 x 4ply yarns together. I love creating lots of different colour ways with this method.

1 – Make a magic ring, chain 1 and then work 6 dc stitches into the ring. (6)

2 – Work *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

4 – Work *1dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

5 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (18)

6 – *2dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

7 – *3dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

8 – *4dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (36)

9 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (36)

10 – *5dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (42)

11 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (42)

12 – *6dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (48)

13 – *7dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (54)

14 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (36)

15 – *8dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (60)

16 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (60)

17 – *9dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (66)

18 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (66)

19 – *1dc in the first stitch. Then 1dc in next. Miss a stitch then 4tr stitches in the next stitch. Then miss 2 stitches. *Repeat after the last 4tr stitches, Miss the 2 stitches and then slip stitch into the first dc stitch from the start of the round. (66)

20 – Work 1dc in each stitch, then slip stitch into the first stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail to attach the shell to the body. (66)

Front Flipper x 2 –

1 – Start by working 12 chain stitches, then slip stitch into the first chain to make a ring.

2 – Now work 1dc in each chain (12)

3 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

4 – Work *1dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

5 – *2dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

6 – 7 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (24)

6 – Work 2dc in the next 6 stitches. Follow this by working 1dc in the next 18 stitches. (30)

6 – Work 2dc in the next 6 stitches. Follow this by working 1dc in the next 24 stitches. (36)

7 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (36)

8 – Work 24dc stitches. Then work *2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (30)

8 – Work 18dc stitches. Then work *2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (24)

8 – Work 12dc stitches. Then work *2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (18)

9 – Work 6dc stitches. Then work *2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (12)

10 – Work *2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (6)

Now slip stitch into the next stitch and fasten off. Leave the tail quite long, so you can use the tail to sew the leg onto the body.

Back Flipper x 2 –

1 – Start by working 8 chain stitches then slip stitch into the first chain to make a ring.

2 – Work 1dc in each chain. (8)

3 – Now work 1dc in each stitch. (8)

4 – *Work 1dc, then 2dc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** 4 times. (12)

5 – *1dc, then 2dc into next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

6 – *2dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

7 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (24)

8 – *3dc, then 2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

9 – 10 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (30)

11 – Work 2dc in the next 6 stitches. Follow this by working 1dc in the next 24 stitches. (36)

12 – Work 2dc in the next 6 stitches. Follow this by working 1dc in the next 30 stitches. (42)

13 – Now work *5dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (36)

14 – Now work *4dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (30)

15 – Now work * 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. Then work 18 dc stitches. (24)

16 – Now work *2dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (18)

17 – Now work *1dc, then 2dctog.* Repeat this ** 6 times. (12)

18 – Work *2dctog.* Repeat this 6 times. (6)

And there we have it. Your 7 little turtle parts. Now it’s time to sew it altogether. I usually start with the head and then the front legs follows by the back legs. And finally the shell. If you would like a firm shell, you can add a little stuffing in the top of the shell before you sew it up.

Once you have sewed them all on, it’s time to use your black thread and needle to sew on your little eyebrows and mouth.

And there you have your turtle. Here’s my Daddy and Mummy turtle. Think they are attempting to play in the canal, cheeky chappies!!

I really hope you have enjoyed this pattern. Can’t wait to see all your little turtle creations. Don’t forget to share them and link me in.

For an extra special touch, you might like to do is initial the right back flipper with your black thread. Reminds me of Toy Story and all of the toys feet!

Any problems just give me a shout.

Happy hooking chaps!!!

🌈Xx

Poppies

Mr and Mrs Turtle