by Alison | Patterns
Christmas Stockings
Traditionally Christmas stockings are hung on the mantelpiece around a fireplace so Santa can come down the chimney and put gifts in the stockings for everyone. They are also know as Christmas socks.
In days gone by every sock has an orange and a piece of coal in the toe. This symbolized food and warmth for the year. These days we are just as likely to give a Terry’s chocolate orange and we always give chocolate coins or money in envelopes.
Traditionally the Christmas colours are red and green as these are the colours of holly. Holly is the main shrub with red berries and glossy green leaves that grows through the winter months and is available to take into your house for decoration at Christmastime.
Each stocking is embroidered with the person’s name so Santa has no problem working out whose is whose so he gets the gifts right. Well that’s the theory.
There many ways to make Christmas socks and here are the ones I’ve made for my family over the years.
Crochet stockings
Red crochet sock for Mom and striped crochet sock for Dad
Knitted stockings
Knitted socks for the kids.
The inspiration for the socks were from two were bought by my mother years ago in Johannesburg from a craft market. They are the inspiration for the other two kids stocking which I knitted when they were born, and that is over twenty years ago now.
I tried to make the second two socks similar to the first two socks because the younger children liked to have the same as the older children.
I am not really a knitter and these are about as fancy I I get with a pair of needles.
How to trim a Christmas tree
We put up our family Christmas tree on the first Saturday of December every year. We have a “Trim the Tree” party where we order in food (which is actually a treat as we usually cook every meal in our home and don’t get takeout often).
We start at 5pm when the family arrives and it takes the whole evening to get the tree beautiful.
Every year you need to have a new ornament relating the what you did that year. This special ornament often has the year on it.
- Open all the branches and straighten.
- Add lights and check them by switching them on. Then switch them off.
- Add tinsel by draping from one branch to the next like smiles.
- Ad baubles.
- Add chocolate ornaments
- Switch on lights and say, “ohhh… and ahhh…”
Add the Christmas angel to the top. We have a Christmas book and write down each year which child added the angel and whose turn it is this year. The kids love to be the one to add the angel. Take family photos around the tree and it is done.
All that is left is to eat the food and have a drink. Cheers!
by Alison | Patterns
Wyre Wash Cloth crochet pattern
Part of the “Refreshing Spa Collection”
A wash cloth (or flannel as we used to call them) is a soft cotton cloth for use in the bathroom.
Each person in your household should have their own cloth and you can make them in co-ordinating colours to suit your bathroom decor.
Because we have four children I made a different colour for each child. Our eldest daughter had blue and white, our son brown and white (tip here; brown is a good colour for little boys), second daughter pink and white and the youngest daughter has purple/magenta and white.
Cotton wash cloths can be well – washed in the machine and come back fresh each time.
What you need:
- Two balls of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton one ball in white and one ball in a contrasting colour this will make two wash cloths as shown in the photo. I have used white and turquoise.
- Tapestry sewing needle to sew in the ends.
This pattern is at the beginner’s level.
You need to know the following crochet stitches:
- Chain (ch)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Double crochet (dc)
WYRE WASH CLOTH
Pattern only $2
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About Old English Creations original crochet patterns
Original designs
All our patterns are Old English Creations original designs created by our talented designers Alison and Lynn.
Each one is technically correct and uses US crochet terminology and not UK crochet terminology.
Our patterns are sold as a PDF downloads. This means you get a file sent to your computer and not an actual paper pattern. You have to print it yourself.
We have a few free pattern available and when you get them you can see the quality of our patterns.
You can print them on paper and you can read them on your iPad or phone.
Copyright
Our original patterns may not be reproduced by photocopy, posted on the web or sold without written permission from Old English Creations.
However, you may sell the finished item you created from this pattern.
Please respect the craft of the designers.
by Alison | Patterns
March Mobius Cowl pattern
This cowl is worked from a first row base then the work is twisted to form the Mobius. You continue in the round as it takes you over all the edges you work away from the center first row. Once you get going you can see the twist unfolding.
A Mobius strip is a two-dimensional surface with only one side as this pattern which has only one crocheting edge. Named after August Ferdinand Möbius 1790 – 1868.
This cowl uses the puff stitch.
This pattern is at the intermediate level.
You need to know the following stitches:
- Chain (ch)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Double crochet (dc)
- Puf stitch (ps)
March Mobius Cowl
Pattern only $2
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Share the love
If you love using our original designed pattern, help us grow and please promote, like and share with photos of your finished garment, using the hash tag #OECpattern.
We would love to see your completed creations.
About Old English Creations original crochet patterns
Original designs
All our patterns are Old English Creations original designs created by our talented designers Alison and Lynn.
Each one is technically correct and uses US crochet terminology and not UK crochet terminology.
Our patterns are sold as a PDF downloads. This means you get a file sent to your computer and not an actual paper pattern. You have to print it yourself.
We have a few free pattern available and when you get them you can see the quality of our patterns.
You can print them on paper and you can read them on your iPad or phone.
How to Use our patterns
You can print most of our patterns in Landscape Orientation, double sided and then fold. This makes it easy to take with you.
Copyright
Our original patterns may not be reproduced by photocopy, posted on the web or sold without written permission from Old English Creations.
However, you may sell the finished item you created from this pattern.
Please respect the craft of the designers.
by Alison | Patterns
Our Poulton Poncho pattern is now available to buy
We call it the Poulton poncho because it is named after the small town of that name in Lancashire. Well the town’s name is really Poulton-le-Fylde but that seemed like a long name for a crochet pattern.
Designed by Alison Stapleton
This pattern uses the clever trellis pattern and is made in two rectangles.
This pattern is at the intermediate level.
You need to know the following stitches:
- Chain (ch)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Double crochet (dc)
- Triple crochet (tc)
Poulton Poncho
Make this easy two piece poncho as a quick intermediate project.
Pattern only
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Share the love
If you love using our original designed pattern, help us grow and please promote, like and share with photos of your finished garment, using the hash tag #OECpattern.
We would love to see your completed creations.
About Old English Creations original crochet patterns
Original designs
All our patterns are Old English Creations original designs created by our talented designers Alison and Lynn.
Each one is technically correct and uses US crochet terminology and not UK crochet terminology.
Our patterns are sold as a PDF downloads. This means you get a file sent to your computer and not an actual paper pattern. You have to print it yourself.
We have a few free pattern available and when you get them you can see the quality of our patterns.
You can print them on paper and you can read them on your iPad or phone.
How to use our patterns
You may sell the finished garments you make from our patterns.
Copyright
Our original patterns may not be reproduced by photocopy, posted on the web or sold without written permission from Old English Creations.
However, you may sell the finished item you created from this pattern.
Please respect the craft of the designers.
by Alison | Basics, Patterns
Trellis Crochet Stitch
Trellis
A trellis is a wooden frame found in a garden on which plants can grow. Typically climbers and roses grow well on a trellis.
it is usually squares turned on their side to look like diamond shapes.
Trellises are also used to separate sections of a garden and to add interest in the ‘garden room’ designs so used nowadays.
Back and forth to make the diamond
The trellis crochet pattern is an interesting stitch combination which is worked back and forth during the row.
This means the work is turned during the creation of each block or diamond.
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by Alison | Patterns
Update number 3 on the Granny Jacket
You can catch up on the basic granny square, and updates number 1 and update number 2 so you know where we are at.
Finished jacket
Here is the finished jacket with a border of five rows single crochet on both sleeves and the front and bottom edge.
There is a square folded into a triangle for the arm gusset which gives it a bit more room.
Buttons or Toggles
This week I was at my local yarn store (LYS) and looked for suitable buttons for the jacket.
i want to have something a bit chunky and I was really looking for a natural wood or toggle type button.
I still haven’t decided just how many buttons I’ll need maybe three or five. I always choose an odd number it is somehow more visually satisfying to have a non even number.
Final thoughts
This jacket has worked out well. It is slightly heavier than I had imagined and it will be really good on colder days, which is fine as winter draws on.
I like the granny square look and will probably do another one without sleeves in the taupe colour and lighter accent colours for the spring.
The pocket is a good feature and I’m even thinking of making an inside pocket higher up for my phone, you know.
