Blue moon ... blue (and purple) beads

I recently received a message via my Etsy shop asking for some renegade beads. This particular customer wanted some cooler spectrum beads in blues and purplee instead of the single colour options I list quite frequently. I had a root around in my leftovers jar and managed to come up with the above selection. They look so pretty together, I might make up some more bi-coloured renegade sets as I'm sure other people would be interested in them as well.

Immediately after I listed them in the shop (along with some other sets), I made a note in my diary of the amount I listed today (this is a habit of mine) and my diary tells me that there's a bloon moon today. This bodes well for this blue and purple lampwork set, fingers crossed the customer likes them!

Please feel free to make suggestions for other colour combinations at any time either via my Etsy shop or right here in the comments section. 

I hope everyone is having a Happy Blue Moon Easter Saturday.

Red, pink and purple crochet valentine hearts

I've been using up some of the leftover colours from my rainbow spiral blanket crotcheting these simple little valentine hearts in red, pink and purple.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, I had it in mind to make enough to yarn bomb one of the trees in my garden but I may have to scale things down a bit. Maybe a little wall hanging instead although it has to be said I am eyeing up a houseplant with bad intent! I don't know yet, depends on how much time I get, all will be revealed on Valentine's Day!

For anyone who wants to make some themselves, they're really easy, here's how I did it using a 4.0mm hook and double knitting yarn, they came out at 3inches tall and 3 inches wide.

Abbreviations (UK terms)
ch - chain
ss - slip stitch
dc - double crochet
htr - half treble
tr - treble crochet
st(s) - stitch(es)

Ch 4, join with a ss into a ring

Row 1: Ch 1 to count as first dc, 12 dc into ring (13 stitches)

Row 2: Ch 3 to count as 1 tr, work 1 tr into the same st, 2 tr into each st all the way around (26 sts)

Row 3: Ch 3, 1 htr in next st, dc into each of next 3 sts, htr into next st, skip next 3 sts, work 12 dtr into next st, skip next 3 sts (the first of which will be hidden by so many dtr worked into one st, so be sure to check), ss into next st, skip 3 sts, 12 dtr into next st, skip next 3 sts, 1 htr into next st, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 1 htr, 1 tr in same st as 3 ch, ss into top of 3 ch, fasten off.