The Cool Cottons Collection

Well, it's about time I blogged about crochet, eh? I've been so busy making things for all the magazines (and I do mean AALLLLLL the magazines) that I haven't had time to make anything for myself for a long time. So I've gathered together some of my favourite patterns from the past year or two, and I'm releasing them as PDFs for you to buy and download. 

I cannot tell you how excited about this! I recently met with www.lovecrochet.com and was so excited to be invited to be part of their movement. So I decided to release my downloads through these guys- and the great news is they sell just about EVERYTHING you need to make the projects. You can just add the pattern to your basket, and then add the materials listed below the pattern. Handy, eh?

 So if you search for me as a designer, you can see my first five patterns- the Cool Cottons Collection. Five crochet projects to take you through high summer, all in beautiful, crisp cottons. Some of you may have seen these patterns in magazines before, but for those that missed them first time around, they're now available to keep forever, in my newly-designed PDF format! Wanna meet the gang? Come on then...

 A lined watermelon clutch bag with a zip closure, crocheted in Rico Creative Cotton Aran- isn't it super cute and juicy!

 Is there an occasion when a pineapple bag isn't appropriate? I don't think so. 

 Sandy is a 70s-inspired fringed semi-circular shawl perfect for summer evenings and festivals 

This Woodstock messenger bag is one of my faves.

Delta Dawn is a pretty wrap which features an unusual Japanese floral trim.

To download any of these patterns to keep forever, search under my designer name Kath Webber or CLICK HERE to take you straight to my pattern page, you can also search for me on ravelry and click the links to the pattern. 

Happy hooking everyone!

xxx

A crochet designer? A crochet designer!

So it would appear I'm not exactly getting back into the swing of this blogging lark. And here's why. I'm just so busy! And it's all thanks to YOU. All of you. for your endless support and encouragement, for connecting with me here, on Instagram, Facebook and 'IRL'. Thanks to you, I'm able to find crochet solutions, find creative spirit and come up with ideas that people think are worth paying for.

Over the past year or so I've become a pretty much full-time crochet designer. Of course I'm still working hard on my features writing, too, and really excited to be subediting at 91 Magazine, but the bulk of my time (as you can well understand) is dedicated to crochet. Designing, making and writing up the patterns is really time-consuming but in my mind, time well spent indeed.

Since my book came out THREE YEARS AGO (?!) I've been writing patterns for Inside Crochet, Mollie Makes, Simply Crochet and my blog even featured in Homemaker magazine. More recently I've added some more magazines to my repertoire- The Art of Crochet, Love Crochet and Let's Get Crafting! Knitting and Crochet, and I'm loving the different briefs and design challenges I come up against. I've finally nailed hats! Wahoo! Next up, garments. 

Late last year I was lucky enough to be invited to Simply Crochet's offices for a pattern writing workshop, and the help and support given was amazing. Editor Sara really made me and my fellow designers Hannah Cross, Anne Egan, Louise Smith and the wonderful Fran feel part of the team, and I felt so proud of all the work I've done for them. I hope you don't think this post is a total boast-fest. But it's nice to celebrate one's achievements, yes? and also good for the soul to say 'yes, look what I've done, look at all the things I've made.' 

I'm also really excited that soon you'll be able to download some of my Simply Crochet patterns from Ravelry! For less than the price of a cup of coffee. Amazing. Including this beauty! And my neon doily rug, basket weave trio and super chunky striped and spotty hats. 

Also I met up with the wonderful Steel and Stitch in November (with gorgeous Claire Montgomerie- I was a bit star struck!) and I'm really thrilled to say that I'll be teaching alongside Emma Friedlander-Collins at the British Library (!!!) this Saturday, 20th Feb as part of the Alice and Wonderland Exhibition. It's all free and we'll be making some Alice-themed crochet goodies- come join us!

So anyway, with another four or five project to finish by the end of next week, I'd better get back to it! Visit my Ravelry page for updates on patterns, maybe one day I'll even get around to producing some of my other favourites for you to download. Thanks again guys, you're awesome. 

xxx

New year, New blog

Oh, hi. Is anyone there? I decided to have a spontaneous re-design today! Do you like it? I am IN LOVE. I was neglecting my blog. It had become a tired space, no room for growth or improvement. Just drab photos of sporadic makes. It wasn't a place that inspired me anymore, just an obligation that had no worth to me. I've not felt like picking up my hook for myself, and left several knitting projects abandoned. Unfinished books, dusty sewing machine and a busy life built around a growing school boy and difficult toddler have all left me and my blog in the doldrums. 

I once read that comparison is the thief of joy. Ain't that the truth! I don't need my blog to look Scandinavian- because I'm not. And I don't need it to have detailed tutorials and glossy, styled images. All I need is a personal space, cultivated to my tastes and loves; a place that I can escape from real life. Therefore I need somewhere tidy, clean and colourful, reflecting my loves, passions and memories. So I made it happen. I deleted the expensive Etsy-bought template; beautiful though it was it didn't feel like 'me'. 

And on this sunshine-filled winter morning I gathered my very bestest craft supplies: Liberty 'Betsy' tana lawn in my favourite-ever (discontinued) colour way, my very favourite knitting needles (bamboo, 4mm), this stunning Rowan Alpaca yarn (what shall I knit with it? I need it near my face, or my hands, it's the softest thing I've ever known), the best-ever mustard yarn (Rowan Handknit Cotton, FYI), this beautiful blue silk thread on a wooden spool- a relic from my grandparent's sewing box- and a couple of jaunty coloured hooks. I tend to use these plastic hooks for decoration, really I prefer the Clover Amour crochet hooks. I also added my favourite vintage brooch- I'd like to write a little about my favourite outfits too. 

All of this inspired me. Lately, crocheting for work and making things for others has turned me off. It's hard when you also have been recently diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome to get motivated! However, it only takes a look around Pinterest, a flick through some favourite magazines (see right) and a pile of books to get me on the right and proper hooky path. I'm finishing off a 'Hook a Stitch' feature for Simply Crochet at the moment, and a huge baby blanket for a friend that I put off for ages...the headache of working with black yarn was too much for me to contemplate! Then I have a list of things to make- including two of Kat Goldin's designs. 

I also have some knitting projects I want to try- a few hats (perhaps for next winter), perhaps a cardigan or two, and some socks of course. My sewing is improving a lot, I'll share a couple of recent makes soon I hope. I want to make dresses, dresses and lots more DRESSES! And blouses, I have recently discovered love of blouses. With pretty handmade skirts and clogs, what can go wrong? I hope this will inspire some style posts, too. 

I have recently got a new camera phone so I hope when the winter light gives way to Spring I'll take some better photos! And perhaps even finish off so projects that have been lying abandoned in my box for so long- remember that Wes Anderson-inspired blanket? Well that's half complete. And I'm having major second-sleeve syndrome with my Quince & Co. Annabel cardigan. I will finish it! So there we are, my creative intentions for 2015. And as you as my witnesses, I know I'll be motivated enough to finish them!

Thanks for staying me with me all these years. I think it's my fourth bloggiversary! See you soon for more stitchy chit chat. 

xxx

Hooked on Simply Crochet!

I've been banging on for ages about being involved with Simply Crochet magazine. It's really exciting for me, as I'm delighted to be one of their regular designers! I think the mag is so fresh and fun, and although crochet tennis shorts aren't up everyone's street, I'm really honoured to share the pages of a magazine with some of my crochet heroes. Kat Goldin, Lara Messer and of course Lucy of Attic 24 are all regular contributors too. As well as affirmation for me as a designer and crochet lover, I'm really excited to be able to share my designs with such a big audience of crocheters. And working to different briefs often challenges me to go outside my usual comfort zone!

Here are some of my designs in the current issue 23...more from me in issue 24 out on Thursday! So get gettum while you can...

                   

A nifty, quick ear warmer in my favouritest of favourite colours...

And a lovely geometric design including (you guessed it) MORE MUSTARD hurrahhhh! 

I absolutely LOVE the styling of this cushion, I would like to have it on an Ercol Windsor chair in my front room but I have neither the cushion nor the Ercol Windsor. Ha! 

I will share more from issue 24 next week. 

In the meantime, happy hooking!

xxx

Sandy Shawl

Hello! I hope you've enjoyed my holiday pics, and not found them too dull!

 I have something rather exciting to share with you...

 Yes! My first pattern published in Simply Crochet!

Her name is Sandy (after my nan) and it's a shawl I designed back in April. It's crochet in Rowan Handknit Cotton, and I love its drape and boho fringing. 

 What do you think? I love the styling of this shoot. 

Festival vibes are the focus of this issue, out on 29th May. (tomorrow eeeeeek!)

And here are some close-up shots of the shawl. Like Lucy at Attic 24, I found it so difficult to photograph! I loved her behind-the-scenes post about seeing her bunting pattern styled and shot. 

I love the way my shawl has been styled- so simple. The shawl is quite decorative and features quite a few different stitches, so it needed a simple setting. 

It's a perfect summer shawl in this cotton, or would be beautiful for winter in a cosy, soft aran yarn on a 5mm hook. I love it! 

There are also loads more gorgeous patterns in this issue, well worth the £4.99 cover price, I reckon.

Happy hooking!