Emma Varnam’s blog – Knitting, nattering, crochet and craft

January traditions and updates

27 Jan 2024

Whilst January is a month of new starts… new promises… new/old intensions, I like to squeeze in a few little January traditions. Firstly, catching up with good friends. Whilst Christmas can be a whirlwind, I do like to sprinkle a few ‘catching up’ with pals in the diary. Last weekend I indulged in seeing my yarny best friends for our traditional laughter-advice and wisdom session. It would not be easy to speak so consistently about yarn, knitting and crochet with many other people. Understandably some of my other good friends would reach for a telephone for distraction. But when I see my crafting besties – the conversation is in full flow and the fingers are moving just as fast as we work on our current project. By the end of our time together my creative tank is full, and I drive home with new ideas and resolve.

In the dark weekends of January, I also love to indulge in the sticky alchemy of Marmalade making. This year I have less time to squeeze in all the batches I want to make. But I did manage to make to different types. A tawny – using the whole oranges in method and a dark and thick cut, especially for my Dad. Every year the same recipe is used and yet…every year there is a different result. But that this the fun of it. Homemade marmalade on toast is surely one of the greatest delicacies. It would ideally be on a toasted white bloomer with salted butter which is melted ever so slightly. Toast is such a rib and hip sticker that I ration myself to almost just once a month indulgence. But then it does mean I can nearly eek out the marmalade to last a full year.

So, this weekend I will be seeing some other fab friends – and I hope to take some lovely photos. I cannot wait to have lighter days so I can take a few better photos. I know I wanted to mention to you two very exciting things. Firstly, if you read Inside Crochet magazine, my second of the monthly columns is in. This month I am talking about being inspired by fashion. If you do read it, I would love to hear what you think. This February issue is particularly good. There are some really fab garments. There is also a great Vintage Cushion supplement and one of my designs is in. A lovely cosy round cushion.

I just heard the my lovely little book Cute Crocheted Food has been shortlisted for the Creative Book Awards. I am so thrilled. This book was so much fun to create and it made me smile everyday during the design process. It is lovely to think about other people enjoying it. I will keep you updated on how we do. But honestly there are some fabulous books shortlisted so it is just a thrill to be in excellent company.

Finally My latest book arrived in the post this week: 10,000 Crocheted Hats! I know…. Really – yes really. The combination of different, brims, main hat section and crowns multiplies up toe 10,000. I started the projects in February last year and so it is amazing to see the book now. I promise to share more about the book next week, but in the meantime – thank you so much for popping into the blog and having a January catch up.

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Patch Passion

20 Jan 2024

I have been inspired by patchwork for such a long time. Seriously it is the craft I would love to do – but I don’t. Why? I mean I love it so much and I understand the basics. I have even done some English piecing when I was young (you know covering little paper hexagons with fabric and sewing them together). Yet I never seem to carve out the time.

I had lovely memories of a house I used to visit as a child. The mother of a friend had made beautiful hand stitched patchwork curtains for every room. They were mesmeric. Very beautiful and such a labour of love. When we first moved to our current house I decided to make a patchwork curtain for the spare room. I really can’t believe I had the dedication. But it is rather special and has fabrics which belong to treasured clothing, pieces of embroidery from old pyjamas. It is these memory scraps which make it so beautiful. And yet that was the last time I did any patchwork.

But the patterns, the traditional blocks are so inspiring. The combination of simple shapes to create a new pattern. They really lend themselves to our crochet craft. I literally have about 5 blankets in my head that I would like to do.

The Stargazer is really popular and I love that so many people have downloaded the pattern. Currently in use in these cold days it brings so much joy. But then my next adventure has just been in a recent issue of Inside Crochet. the Hexagon Blanket is so fresh and joyful and so reminiscent of traditional granny flower patterns it is wonderful used as a bed spread. A number of years ago I designed a Scandi inspired blanket in browns, yellows and ochres. It was my first play at traditional quilt patterns. I really enjoyed the pattern, but have re-worked the colours in blues and pinks – colours which I am very fond of. I think if you remake a large pattern, you really do need a bit of space so that you can enjoy the making journey again.

I have come to the conclusion that I am not sewing patch work because crochet for me as a much quicker craft – and if I am honest it is much more mobile. So what is on the hook now? Back before Christmas I was inspired to star making a scrappy pattern. I have used the smallest squares of Bellissima and Bambino as a central pattern. The pattern was inspired by the new quilt book by ‘Quilt Alchemy’ by American artist Sara Larson Buscaglia. You can see her work on instagram as Farm and Folk.

Honestly I think I need to say that the quilt inspired designs are not always plain sailing. This design definitely has fiddly sewing-in elements. I enjoy working half-and-half Granny Squares, but they are not everyone’s jam. Finally since taking this photo I have decided that I do not like the beige colour and have switched to my faithful blue. So there has been some quite severe ripping back. That might explain why I haven’t quite finished this project yet.

So even though I can’t get into sewing Quilts…luckily one of my lovely and brilliant friends is a fabulous quilter. You can find her on Instagram here. For my birthday. She presented me with this beautiful quilted bag. Isn’t it just simply gorgeous! It even has a liberty print liner. I can’t tell you how excited I am to use it this weekend. Whilst I am not quilting I am still surrounded by clever people who are and the inspirational patterns and that I can bring to life in yarn. All I need to do is to get those 5 other pattern ideas out of my head and onto the hook.

I wonder if you have a craft you keep meaning to take up – but just don’t seem to be able to divert your time. Is it just better to admire from afar?

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Making and re-making – the little doll

13 Jan 2024

If you read last week’s blog, you will know that one of the things I would like to achieve in my crafty world this year is to finally finish, write up and and publish my doll pattern. It has been a two year journey – no not a journey, because we have not been going anywhere – a two year stop-and-start.

I have made lots and lots of toys. Bunnies and bears are a joy to me, in lots of shapes and style. But a doll design has alluded me. I’m going to be honest – I have designed a pineapple last year in a morning… I mean seriously how hard can it be!

There are a number of things I like to get right before I let a design go into the world. Firstly I do think about the yarn. I think about the price point – is it reasonable? Also how easy is the yarn to get hold of? Now these things are important. I know you might make a design using your stash, and to be fair that’s the best scenario, but no one would thank me if I didn’t say what yarn I have used in the original.

Honestly I think I have made 3…perhaps even 4 versions of a doll. For most of the toy animals I make I have used a DK weight yarn, but with the doll I felt I need to finer stitch. It seems to matter more with the faces. So I have been searching for the perfect 4ply yarn – oh my we have been around the houses. I think I have experimented with 5 different types. It can get a bit expensive this trial and error. But the availability of tones has been important to me for skin colour – I think I have finally cracked it. I know if you make toys you might say – Emma …4ply that is fiddly! Yes… Yes I know but I promise you – have a go and I am sure you will get into it. Or lets be honest – used a larger hook and DK you already have – your doll will just be a bigger toy for bigger hugs!

The really….really difficult thing has been the faces. I have never been really pleased with the head size and the face shape. I have made 4 versions of the head, and looking through my notebook with all the crossings out and over writing it has been quite difficult to decipher. I was so frustrated with me lack of ‘getting it’ the lovely little girls have made as samples have been placed quite firmly in the corner – poor things. But in the New Year break I was determined to crack it – and started again.

Crochet friends of mine have said that the ability to create good faces for toys is one of my USP’s (they are kind people), so I didn’t want to get this design wrong. So I think we are there now. Ideally to help you replicate the look of the doll and for you to feel satisfied with your make I like to be specific with the placing of features – which round to place the eyes – how far apart they should be etc.

(If you are reading this and are not a crocheter…sorry this might be far too much tedious detail…but this stuff matters).

Then there is hair… thinking about it… it might be the hair that has really halted this project. For a crochet doll there are lots of different ways you can tackle the hair. You can make essentially a ‘hair-hat’ or helmet. An added piece of crochet that fits the shape of the head and that is just sewn on. You can also just take strands of wool and sew them to the head at a centre parting. I have done loads of ‘doll hair’ research. Perhaps too much. I have even used my sewing machine to sew a centre parting between two pieces of paper with professional doll hair. I mean it was fun. But it just didn’t feel like a technique that was accessible to everyone. I couldn’t solve the problem. What I have finally landed on, is a combination of two techniques. Creating a piece of crochet to sew to the head and adding some simple pompoms for bunches. I think this looks cute and is easier to recreate.

The body and the limbs haven’t changed much at at all. I have been happy with them all along, but I have thought quite a bit about the clothing. Full disclosure my preferred option would be to release this design with a pretty cotton skirt. My very first bunny design for Inside Crochet – way back in 2015 was Bonnie Bunny. She was really the prototype for what developed into Jack and Emily in Cute Crocheted Animals. But in that design, I combined some simple crocheted clothes with a pretty and simple cotton dress. I have wanted to return to this idea. So the doll design will come with two options; a simple crochet dress and instructions to make a very simple skirt made from cotton fabric. The dress is small enough that it could be hand sewn and would not need a sewing machine.

Two years ago I did ask you all what other clothes and accessories you would like me to design for the dolls. I still have that list – but I am always keen to add to the idea. So if you have a suggestion I would love to know.

So what next? Well what I need to do is to take a few instruction photos, which will much easier to follow the pattern. At the moment I am thinking I will release this pattern on my website and Etsy shop. So after I have taken all the photos I will begin writing up the pattern and then get the pattern tech-edited. This is really very important. I have a few dedicated makers who make lovely versions of my toys, so I will also ask them to have a look at the patten and make up their own version. After so much trial and error, I am finally pleased with how things are looking. I hope you like the dolls too. See what you think and please do leave a comment below. Have you got a project that took you years and years to finish?

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Making good lists

5 Jan 2024
I respond well to lists – there must be some deep seated, school based reason – but lists work well for me. I am not obsessive. I can function without them. In fact most of the time I do function without them. But if I really need to get something done – a good list is ideal.

Just before going back to work after Christmas I made a very prosaic list – you know boring stuff like… put away clothes, put away Christmas decorations, clean fridge, book hair cut. How ridiculous – all these things were staring me in the face, but to really get them over the line – the physical list had to be made. I don’t know about you but there is something about a line going through the task which helps and I need to balance my tragic sense of achievement with an inner rebelliousness and procrastination. There is the nub.

This year I am not in the market for a New Years resolution – some years… Yes. Not this year. But a list seems like a good idea. But in addition to the practical ‘to-do’, I’m going to make a good list.
- Laugh more
- See more friends – actually do the arranging
- Arrange a holiday
- Hug my son – even if I have to surprise him
- Hug Stanley the cat more
- Go on a walk – weekly
- Read more books
- Design and dig the new bed in the garden
That’s enough to be going on with – those are life lists and to be fair if I managed all of these – and indeed more of these past the first few months of the year that would be excellent.

But what about the creative lists? Well yes, there will be one of those, but I am trying and aiming to not give myself too much ‘to-do’ on the old designing front. I have designed ALOT in the last year. You can see a correlation between my blogging activity and my designing/writing. When I am designing a lot then I go very quiet on this space. There is not enough time for both. But what am I thinking for the first few months? Well here is my mini-list:
- Finally write up the dolls pattern (sorry Ida… I know you have been wanting it)
- Work out which of the blanket designs in your head you want to do
- Design 1 blanket in 2024
- Actually TELL people about the books you have written
- Publish some of your Christmas designs you have never published (they are stuck in a wardrobe)
So there you go that’s it – finally. We will stick to those too lists and any more is a bonus. Have you made a list this year? Or a resolution? Do you make a crafting list? I would be intrigued to find out – or do you find it annoying and does it cramp your creativity. Honestly I would like to add ‘blog more’ to my list but don’t just dare at the moment. We will just leave that there and make it a very, very secret aspiration.

Have a lovely weekend.
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Shop - buy Emma Varnam crochet patterns and books

January traditions and updates

Patch Passion

Making and re-making – the little doll

Making good lists