Free Pattern: Snowflake Wishes 1

No matter what the forecast is for the UK as a whole, Wishes in the Rain very rarely becomes Wishes in the Snow, even if it's snowing in the hills nearby. However, I have crochet, and crochet snowflakes are not as cold! They're also perfect to decorate your Christmas tree or to give away to friends. I first crocheted snowflakes to put in Christmas cards a couple of years ago, and very soon I found myself making up patterns for them. I love looking at thread snowflakes but I wanted things that would be quick to make, so if I had a few minutes here or there I could get one finished, so these patterns are simple, easy to make, and written with dk, worsted and aran weight yarn in mind.


You can make them with a wide range of hooks and yarn combinations. The snowflakes pictured above are dk with a 2.75mm (C) hook on the left and is about 9cm (3.5in) from point to point, and worsted with a 3.5mm (E) hook on the right, about 11cm (4.5in) from point to point.

Any type of yarn will work for snowflakes; personally I like yarns that come with some sparkle for example Sirdar Snuggly Pearls. Depending on your yarn and hook size combination you may need to block the snowflakes. I always block them, even if they do come out flat, with a mixture of water and PVA glue to stiffen them, and to add glitter.

Pattern
You will need: 

• Small amount of white yarn in any weight you like (I used worsted and dk)
• Crochet hook, from 2.5mm to 3.5mm (E) or 4mm (G) depending on the yarn you use and how tightly you want to crochet
• Optional thread or ribbon to hang them to a tree - if you don't want to use thread you can make large loop in the snowflake, see below
• needle for weaving in ends
• optional materials for blocking: water, PVA glue and glitter, or spray starch

Stitches used:
US: ch, sl st, sc, dc. Optional, chainless starting dc.
UK: ch, sl st, dc, tr. Optional, chainless starting treble (see link above for explanation in US terms).

US Instructions:

Ch5, join with sl st to form loop

Round 1: ch3 (or make chainless starting dc), dc 11 times into loop, sl st into 3rd ch of ch3/starting dc to join.

Round 2: ch5, sc in next st, ch3, *sc into next st, ch5, sc in next st, ch3* five times, sl st into first st to join.

Round 3: sl st into first ch5 loop, ch3 (or make chainless starting dc), dc4, ch3, skip ch3 loop, *dc5 in next loop, ch3, skip ch3 loop,* 5 times, sl st into 3rd ch of ch3/starting dc to join.

Round 4: Ch1, (sc, ch3, sc,) in next st, (sc, ch5, sc,) in next st,  (sc, ch3, sc,) in next st, sc, ch3, *sc in next st (skip ch3 from prev round), (sc, ch3, sc) in next st, (sc, ch5, sc) in next st,  (sc, ch3, sc) in next st, sc, ch3,* five times, join with sl st to ch1 at start of round. Bind off, weave in ends.



UK Instructions:

Ch5, join with sl st to form loop

Round 1: ch3 (or make chainless starting tr), tr 11 times into loop, sl st into 3rd ch of ch3/starting tr to join.

Round 2: ch5, dc in next st, ch3, *dc into next st, ch5, dc in next st, ch3* five times, sl st into first st to join.

Round 3: sl st into first ch5 loop, ch3 (or make chainless starting tr), tr4, ch3, skip ch3 loop, *tr5 in next loop, ch3, skip ch3 loop,* 5 times, sl st into 3rd ch of ch3/starting tr to join.

Round 4: Ch1, (dc, ch3, dc,) in next st, (dc, ch5, dc,) in next st,  (dc, ch3, dc,) in next st, dc, ch3, *dc in next st (skip ch3 from prev round), (dc, ch3, dc) in next st, (dc, ch5, dc) in next st,  (dc, ch3, dc) in next st, dc, ch3,* five times, join with sl st to ch1 at start of round. Bind off, weave in ends.

Here are some photos of what your snowflake should look like after each round. For this one I've used Caron Simply Soft yarn and a 3.5mm hook.

US/UK: Round 4 alternative (for self-loop snowflake): Replace one ch5 with ch20 or ch25 to make a large loop. Make rest of round as normal.

Blocking
Blocking with PVA and glitter is messy but to my mind, worth it. Here's a picture of the steps I go through, followed by an explanation. Of course, you can leave your snowflakes unblocked or block them with spray starch instead.

1. I make sure I've sewn in all the ends etc before blocking snowflakes, and sort out ones that are self-looping to one side so I don't accidentally get the loops glue-y. I also prepare my workspace with some cling film so as not to glue glitter to surfaces in my living room, and I put cling film over a tray to hold the snowflakes while they dry. It may also be wise to have some kitchen roll to hand to mop up any spills.

2. I use Mod Podge but you can use any PVA glue. The glitter I have was sold as flower glitter in Hobbycraft a few years ago. I like it because the flakes are a little larger than most glitters. I think this technique works much better with iridescent glitter than metallic glitter, because when it's not catching the light metallic glitter looks like little black spots on the snowflakes, but iridescent glitter is harder to see.

3. I use those plastic boxes you get takeaway food in to mix my glue and water, but you can use anything you don't mind cleaning that is big enough to fit your largest snowflake in comfortably. I can't give exact amounts of how much glue and water to use, but it's around 50-50.

4: With glitter, more is more. I start off with a generous amount but keep finding myself adding more.

5. Mix the glue and water well. The resulting liquid will be very runny, not unlike cream.

6. Dunk a snowflake in the mix, and squish it with a spoon to make sure the mix soaks through.

7. Squeeze out the excess mix. I do this in my hands and don't wear gloves, so this is the messy part for me. Be aggressive - you don't want any bubbles of mixture forming in the holes in the snowflake.

8. Pull the snowflake back into shape, and lay out on the cling film to dry. You could pin it out if like and have a surface that you don't mind getting a bit gluey- maybe old foam?

I got about 14 snowflakes of different sizes done in that one box of mix pictured above. If you're running low, add a bit more water, glue, and glitter. Leave for at least a couple of days and then carefully peel the snowflakes off the cling film. Most of them don't stick but the occasional one may.

If you have made self-loop snowflakes, follow the same procedure but make sure not to get the loop wet or it will harden and be more difficult to use. For these, it's better to squeeze them flat in a folded piece of kitchen roll before reshaping and putting out to dry.

I used silver ribbon, and crochet thread to make loops to hang the snowflakes. The brands I used were Anchor Artiste Metallic thread in silver and Twilleys of Stamford Goldfingering in white. Where the holes in the snowflakes were smaller I used a needle to get the thread through. Burlap/hessian string might look nice, or twine. I have tried silver elastic but found it wasn't cost effective when purchased by the metre from the local haberdashery.

Enjoy your snowflakes, and look out for more patterns coming soon ♥

Free Pattern: Celebration Coasters

Hello. My name is Joanna, and I am addicted to designing coasters. In my defence, my cousin got married and although he and his wife said they didn't want presents, I couldn't resist making a little something!

These coasters have a matching holder, fastened with ribbon. Alternatively you could chain a length of yarn in a contrasting colour, or leave off the ties altogether.

The coasters are10cm/4in across when made in Sugar'n Cream, and 9cm/3.5in across when made with Rico Creative Cotton Aran, using a 4.5mm hook. 


Pattern

You will need:

• Worsted/aran weight cotton yarn, for example Lily's Sugar'n Cream, or Rico Creative Cotton. For one coaster you will need about 11m/12 yards of yarn. For the holder you will need about 24m/26 yards.  For a full set you'll need around 92m/100yards of yarn in total.
• 4.5mm hook
• 1m  ribbon (or 1m chain of contrasting colour yarn with ends sewn in)
• tapestry needle for sewing in ends
• Iron, tea cloth, water spray for blocking

Stitches used: ch, sl st, sc, hdc, dc, magic ring, chainless starting dc (this stitch is a bit tricky but well worth learning; if you don't want to use it you can ch3 instead). Some stitches need to be worked into back loops; if you're not sure how see this tutorial. US terms are used throughout; if you prefer UK ones please use this conversion chart.

Made with Rico Creative Cotton Aran

Coaster

Round 1: Dc 12 times into magic ring. Pull tight and sl st through first dc to join. (12)

Round 2: Ch 1. In back loops, 2 sc in each st around, join with sl st into first sc. (24)

Round 3: Chainless starting dc (or ch3), dc in same st, skip 1 st, (2dc in next st, skip 1 st) 11 times, join in top of 1st dc/ch3 (24)

Round 4: Ch 1, (sc in back loops of next 2 dcs, 3dcs into gap) 12 times. Join with sl st to first sc, bind off and weave in ends.

unblocked coasters don't lay completely flat

Blocking: When you finish, the coaster will not lay completely flat. Steam blocking will fix this, and only takes a minute per coaster. Lay one coaster upside down on an ironing board, and cover with a clean tea towel. Spray water over the towel, then iron briefly to flatten the coaster. If you have a steam iron you can use that instead of spraying water, and if you don't have a water spray, just dampen the tea towel first.

Holder

Round 1: Dc 12 times into magic ring. Pull tight and sl st through first dc to join.

Round 2: Ch2 (does not count as st - make 1st dc into same space as ch 2 throughout), 2dc in each dc around. Join to first dc. (24 sts)

Round 3: Ch2, (2dc in next st, dc in next st) 12 times. Join. (36 sts)

Round 4: Ch2, dc, (2dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts) 11 times, 2dc in next st, dc, Join (48 sts)

Round 5: Ch1, In back loops only, hdc in each st around. Join (48 sts)

Round 6: Ch1, (hdc, ch2, skip 2 sts) 16 times, join with sl st into 1st hdc. (16hdcs, 16ch2 spaces)

Round 7: (3hdc into ch2 space, sl st into hdc) 16 times. Bind off & weave in ends.

To add the ribbon, turn the holder inside out and weave ribbon in and out through the holes until it goes round one and a half times (so the ends are on opposite sides of the holder). Adjust the ribbon so that both ends are the same length, and turn the holder right way out again. Place the coasters in the holder and tie a neat bow.

made in Lily Sugar'n Cream

Do check out my other coaster patterns ♥

Recipe: Lime and Coconut Polenta Cake (Vegan, Gluten Free)

It's Christian Aid Week this week, and my church held a bake sale to raise money for their valuable work - they work to end poverty across the world by partnering with local organisations who are best placed to help in their communities (regardless of religion, creed or colour).

I've been busy with crochet for a few weeks but I can never resist the opportunity to bake! I made some regular red velvet cupcakes, but I thought it would be nice to make something egg, dairy and gluten free too because that way, everyone can have cake that wants it.

I wasn't sure I wanted to make cupcakes (not least because there's a limit to the number I can transport) but mini loaves seemed perfect - they're the right size to share, and it's easy to make several.

Last year I discovered polenta cakes, and I really like their texture and how they don't have any hint of grittiness that gluten free cakes can sometimes have. But the recipes I had tried up to now had many, many eggs in. I had some flavours in mind when I found this recipe for Flour-free Lemon & Blueberry Polenta Cake. I don't really like blueberries very much, but it seemed like a good place to start. 

The finished cake was very moist and a bit crumbly. I was pleased how light the texture was, not at all dense, and the lime and coconut flavours came through really nicely.

Ingredients

I doubled the original recipe I adapted this from to make five mini loaves. Half of this would fit one 2lb loaf tin.

Cake

• 200g sugar
• 200g vegan margarine (eg. vitalite)
• 4tsp ground flaxseed
• 8tbsp/120ml water
• 180g almond meal, divided
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 180g polenta (corn meal)
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 lemons, zest + juice
• 2 limes, zest + juice
• 200g coconut yoghurt (or coconut flavour soy yoghurt, or other non-dairy yoghurt + a few drops coconut flavouring)

Glaze

• Juice of a lime
• 50g sugar

Coconut icing

• 2 limes, zest + juice
• 200 - 225g icing/powdered sugar, sifted
• 50g desiccated coconut

Method

Cake

Preheat the oven to 170°C (for mini loaves - the original recipe suggests 180°C for one big loaf) and grease/line your tin(s).

Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer if you have one, or with electric beaters if not.

In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the flaxseed and water until it thickens, then add 2 tbsp of the almond meal and whisk until it thickens some more. Add the flaxseed mix to the creamed butter and sugar, and mix until combined.

Sieve the remaining dry ingredients (coconut flour, polenta, almond meal and baking powder) together to mix them thoroughly. It doesn't matter if some of the almond meal doesn't make it through the sieve. Add these to the rest of the mixture along with the lime and lemon juice and zest, and mix until combined.

Finally, add the coconut yoghurt (or yoghurt and coconut flavouring) and mix on slow until combined.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30mins (45mins for a large loaf) until a tester comes out clean and the cakes have pulled slightly away from the edge of the tin.

Glaze

In a small microwave safe bowl, mix the lime juice and the sugar. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time until sugar dissolves with a little stirring.

While they're still warm, prick holes all over the cakes and pour the glaze over.

Icing
Mix the lime juice and icing sugar together, until smooth. You may need to use more or less sugar depending on what consistency you like for your icing and how juicy your limes are. Mix in the dessicated coconut, and ice cakes. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top of the cakes to decorate.

Enjoy!

Free Pattern: Sailor Seagull

My nephew turned one a couple of months ago, and I wanted to make him a fun little toy for his birthday. I had some little bird chirping noise toy inserts  and we saw this cute little top at The White Company-

I thought it would be cute to make a little toy inspired by the seagull on the jumper, a little bit like the doll and dress I made for my niece a couple of years ago. I knew a one year old wouldn't appreciate how they match, but his parents would!

You can hear the bird sound maker on a little video I put on my instagram account (do follow me there if you'd like to see what I'm currently working on). It makes a squeaky, whistling sound - a nice change from a rattle.

After making a duck for the little yellow duck project last week, I thought it would be a good idea to test the pattern and make another duck at the same time, especially as a girl found my duck and was pleased with it. I did a plain 'jumper' style for the duck instead of stripes.

Since the duck isn't a sailor and it's been lovely and sunny here these past few days, I changed up the hat a little to make it more like a sun hat. I made the seagull with a 4mm hook and acrylic yarn, and the duck with cotton yarn and a 5mm hook.

Pattern:
(Instructions for the duck are in brackets where they differ from the seagull.)

You will need:

• 4mm hook (or 5mm if you prefer a larger toy)
• Aran/worsted weight yarn in grey, white, red, yellow, and light and dark blue. I used a mixture of Sirdar Supersoft Aran, and Caron Simply Soft worsted - Red Heart Super Saver would work well too. (For the duck I used Rico Creative Cotton aran in pink, yellow and orange. Lily Sugar'n cream would be another good choice.)
• tapestry needle
• stitch marker
• safety eyes / black yarn of any weight
• toy stuffing for head/body and hat
• optional rattle/bird noise maker

Stitches used: ch, sl st, sc, hdc, fphdc,  dc, magic ring, invdec (invisible decrease - put hook through front loops of next two sts, yarn over, pull through two loops, yo, pull through two loops), inc = 2sc in one st. US terms are used throughout; if you prefer UK ones please use this conversion chart.

Unless otherwise noted, the pattern is worked in spirals throughout. Do not join at the end of a round, but use the stitch marker to keep track of the beginning of the round that you're on. 

Head/Body

In grey (yellow)

Round 1: 6 scs into magic ring
Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (Inc, sc) six times (18)
Round 4: Sc, (inc, sc in next 2 sts) 5 times, inc, sc (24)
Round 5: (Inc, sc in next 3 sts) 6 times (30)
Round 6: (Sc in 9 sts, inc in next st) three times (33)
Rounds 7-12: Sc in each st around (33)
Round 13: (Sc in 9 sts, invdec) three times (30)

At this point I sewed on the eyes, and made the beak and sewed it on too. You could sew eyes and the beak on after but definitely use safety eyes now if you're going to.

Round 14: (Invdec, sc in next 3 sts) 6 times (24)
Round 15: Sc, (invdec, sc in next 2 sts) five times, invdec, sc (18)
Round 16: (Invdec sc) six times (12)

Stuff head, Change colour to white.

Note that for the body, you may need to change where in a round you switch colour to ensure the changes are at the back of the toy. Rounds should begin and end in marked stitch as usual.

Rounds 17, 18: Sc in each st around (12)
Change colour to red
Round 19: (Inc, sc) six times (18) (Change colour to pink for duck)
Round 20: Sc, (inc, sc in next 2 sts) 5 times, inc, sc (24)
Round 21: (Inc, 7 scs) three times (27)
Change colour to white
Rounds 22-24: Sc in each st around (27)
Change colour to red
Rounds 25-27: Sc in each st around (27)
Change colour to white (yellow for duck)
Rounds 28, 29: Sc in each st around (27)
Round 30: Invdec, 7sc (24)
Change colour to grey
Round 31: Sc (invdec, sc in next 2 sts) five times, invdec, sc (18)
Stuff body, and put in rattle or noise maker if desired
Round 32: Invdec, sc all around (12)
Stuff body a little more
Round 33: Invdec in each pair of sts all around (6) bind off and sew shut. Sew end back through body and trim off excess to hide.

Beak
In yellow (orange)
Round 1: 4 scs into ring
Round 2: (Inc, sc) twice (6)
Round 3: (2sc, inc) twice (8)
Round 4: Sc in each stitch around
Round 5: (Inc, 3scs) twice. Sl St into next St and bind off, leaving tail to sew to head. (10)

Tail
In yellow (orange)
Round 1: Work 4hdc into magic ring. Pull tight but do not join. Make sure you have enough of a tail to sew to body.
Round 2: Ch1, turn, 2 hdcs in first st, hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdcs in last st
Round 3: Ch1, turn, 2 hdcs in first st, hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdcs in last st. Bind off, weave in end.


Feet - make 2
In yellow (orange)
Round 1: 7 hdcs into magic ring. Pull tight but do not join. Make sure you have enough of a tail to sew to body.
Round 2: Ch1, turn, (hdc, fphdc) three times, hdc, bind off, weave in end.

Wings - make 2
In white (yellow)
Ch7, Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc, 2hdc, dc, dc6 into last ch.
Working down the other side of the initial chs: Dc, 2hdc, 2sc, sl St into 1st chain, bind off, leaving tail to sew to body (you'll need to weave the tail back through the wing first).

Hat - Sailor
In dark blue
Round 1: 6sc into ring
Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (Inc, sc) six times (18)
Rounds 5, 6, 7: sc in each st around. Bind off.
Attach light blue yarn, turn
Round 8: In back loops, (inc, 2sc) all around (24)
Round 9: (Sl St, sc, hdc twice, dc, four times, hdc, twice, sc, sl st) (x2) (24)
Bind off, leaving tail to sew to head.

Hat - Sun hat
(In pink)
Rounds 1-7: as above but don't bind off or change yarn. Turn.
Round 8: As above, sl st into first st of round
Round 9: Ch 1, (hdc in 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st) four times. Bind off, leaving tail to sew to head.

Scarf
In red (pink)
Row 1: Ch 31
Row 2: Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, and next 13 chs. Sl st through both next ch and post of st at the back of where the head and body join twice to attach the scarf at the back. (See image below - you can skip this if you'd prefer to just sew the scarf). Sl st into remaining sts & bind off.

Style the scarf as you like and sew in place with ends of yarn.

Assembly

Stuff hat and sew hat to head. I put most of the stuffing in before sewing the hat but I stuffed it a little more before sewing it closed. Positioning is up to you, but I think it looks cute slightly off to one side.

Sew wings to body with the round side at the top. You can sew all the way round or just at the top and leave the rest of the wing loose.

Sew feet next to each other to the base of the body.

Sew tail to the back of the body at the bottom. Weave in any ends that are left, and enjoy your little bird!

What I made: Little Yellow Duck

This evening I made a little yellow duck, to support the Little Yellow Duck project. Two years ago, Emma Harris, creator of the project lost a friend, Clare Cruickshank, to Cystic Fibrosis. She might have been saved had she had an organ donor. The idea is that you make a yellow duck, tag it, and leave it somewhere for a stranger to find who will hopefully visit the site, log it and read some information on organ, blood or stem cell donation.


I made the duck from Lisa Van Klaveren's Just Ducky Lovey, one of the patterns suggested by the project. It was pretty quick to make - each part only has a few rounds - and it was very straight forward too. I named the duck Darcy, because I don't know if Darcy is a boy or a girl duck. (Or neither. Though I don't think this Darcy would do all that well in a lake!)

Should I make one too? Yes, although you don't need to make the one I made. The project has a pattern page with knitting, crochet and sewing patterns. Take a look and see what you like. I will be leaving my duck somewhere on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the project, but ducks for the project are welcome all year round.

What I baked: Gluten-free, Vegan, Coconut Sugar Cake

I love baking, but I have a lot of friends who can't have regular cakes for whatever reason. I thought it would be a good idea to blog my attempts at gluten, egg and/or dairy free baking so I can remember what worked and what didn't, and maybe help someone else out.

My friend Emily and I thought it would be nice to bake a Simnel cake for our flute group practice this week. She can't have gluten, dairy, or (in my view) worst of all, chocolate, and another girl in the group is vegan and is currently not allowed to have sugar except coconut sugar.

This was a challenge! I checked with our sugar-free friend and she wasn't even allowed to have dried fruit. So a regular Simnel cake was out, and we thought we would bake a spice cake instead.

I got coconut sugar online, though it's the sort of thing you can get at health food shops. It tastes like dark brown sugar, almost like treacle. My husband thinks he can taste a hint of coconut in it but I can't really.


I searched for recipes and found this one for Chai Spice Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream from Veggie and the Beast. I liked that it called for raw sugar, because I thought the coconut sugar wouldn't be so different.

We only made the cake, not the icing. We had to make a few substitutions:

• Regular almond milk for vanilla (because the vanilla kind has sugar), 
• 3 cups less 6 tbsps Dove Farms Gluten Free Plain flour, 6 tbsps cornflour and 1 1/2 tsps xanthan gum all sieved together a couple of times for the cake flour (you can't get normal cake flour in the UK, but 1 cup plain flour less 2 tbsps with 2 tbsps cornflour is the substitution I would normally use)
• coconut sugar for raw sugar
• vegetable oil for canola oil (another ingredient you can't get in the UK)

Emily and I followed the directions as written. I make American recipes I find on the Internet quite frequently so I have a set of cup measures. I can't express how much easier it is to use them than to convert a recipe into weights. They aren't expensive and you can get them online or in shops like John Lewis.

I was able to powder the sugar to an extent in the food processor, but not all that well. I also had to hand grind some cardamom seeds, which turned out to be much harder work than I anticipated! I baked the cakes in my oven 175°C (350°F) for about 30 mins, but I swapped shelves half way round so that both cakes had the chance to cook the same.

I confess I was a little nonplussed about how they came out initially! The surface cooked before the mixture had a chance to spread out, so they were all lumpy. I sent this picture to my friend Myshelle who runs Mamma that Makes and she suggested cutting round a plate placed over the cake to make it more circular when they were cool.

Cutting round a plate worked really well - it's the sort of thing I wish I'd thought of by myself. The cakes were still uneven but they were much better. I debated cutting the tops flat too but decided I'd rather have a bigger cake - my flute group friends would forgive me for it not looking perfect!

I tried a second time to powder the coconut sugar in the foodprocessor, thinking that it might work better with less sugar. It didn't! But the blender on the other hand was a different story- it powdered perfectly in about 20 seconds, though I gave it a second 20 seconds just to be sure.

I made a water icing filling for the cake, mixing water into the powdered coconut sugar until it was a thick paste. I put a tiny bit of vanilla essence in but I don't think it was really needed - the sugar's flavour was enough. I topped it with thinner water icing, and balls of marzipan to make it a little like a Simnel cake (the marzipan had sugar in but was easy to remove from one piece).

I think it looked all right in the end (though it took a little effort to get the marzipan to stay in place as you can probably tell!). But more importantly, flute group enjoyed it. It was very spicy and flavourful, and the texture was really nice too. I think that cake flour recipes may work well for being made gluten free because gf flour can be a little gritty, but some of that would be replaced by cornflour.

One friend said she wouldn't have known it was vegan or gluten free if I hadn't said, and my vegan friend was really happy, because she hadn't been able to have cake in six weeks since she's been not allowed sugar.

Leftovers!

Should I make one too? I think this is a great recipe, so yes! If I make it again, I think I would use a little more tea as Emily says gluten free flour tends to absorb water more, and I would bake it for a bit longer at a lower temperature to allow the mixture time to spread out. But over all it tasted pretty good! I would definitely use coconut sugar again, too, although only in a recipe where it's flavour would complement the other ingredients. I think it would be good in apple muffins for example, and other things that would be spicy. And next time I think I'll try making coconut sugar buttercream.

Free Pattern: Sunshine Flower Coasters

I love spring. I love the daffodils on the grass on my street, I love the cherry blossom beginning to bloom, and I really love the light evenings so I can crochet in daylight - occasionally in sunshine!

Two years ago I made these coasters for Mothering Sunday for my mother in law and my grandmother in law. I wrote down the pattern, but then lost it D: Happily it turned up again a couple of weeks ago!

Made with Rico Creative Cotton Aran

I had inherited a set of wooden coasters that came in a holder, and I thought it would make an extra special gift to make a set of crochet coasters with a holder too. These are very simple to make and work up very quickly, perfect for a Mother's Day gift, especially if you've left it a little late.

Made with Lily Sugar'n Cream

The coasters are10cm/4in across when made in Sugar'n Cream, and 9cm/3.5in across when made with Rico Creative Cotton Aran, using 3.5mm hook. The holder is 12cm/4.5in in diameter, and 2.5cm/1in tall.

Pattern

You will need:

• 2 or 3 colours of  worsted/aran weight cotton yarn, for example Lily's Sugar'n Cream, or Rico Creative Cotton. For one flower you will need about 15 yards of one yarn + scraps of a contrasting colour. For a full set you'll need around 140 yards of yarn in total.
• 3.5mm hook
• tapestry needle
• Iron, tea cloth, water spray for blocking

Stitches used: ch, sl st, sc, hdc, dc, trc (triple crochet), magic ring. US terms are used throughout; if you prefer UK ones please use this conversion chart.

Flower

Round 1: Dc 10 times into magic ring. Pull tight and sl st through first dc to join.

(Optional - bind off and change colour)

Round 2: Ch2 (does not count as st - make 1st dc into same space as ch 2 throughout), 2dc in each dc around. Join to first dc. (20 sts)

Round 3: Do not ch; treat the st you did sl st into on previous round as first st. * skip next st, (dc, 3trc, dc,) in one st, skip 1 st, sl st* 5 times. Sl st into 1st st. (five petals formed)

Round 4: Ch1 *hdc, 2dcs in next 3 sts, hdc, sl st* 5 times & fasten off.

Round 5: With contrasting colour, join in back loop of hdc on previous row. Starting in hdc, * 2sc in each of 8 sts around petal,  sl st down to st in round 2 below sl st on round 3* five times. Sl st into where you joined the yarn, bind off, weave in ends.

Unblocked the coaster isn't flat

Blocking: When you finish, the flowers petals will curl up slightly. Steam blocking will fix this, and only takes a minute per coaster. Lay one coaster upside down on an ironing board, and cover with a clean tea towel. Spray water over the towel, then iron briefly to flatten the coaster. If you have a steam iron you can use that instead of spraying water, and if you don't have a water spray, just dampen the tea towel first.

Holder

Round 1: Dc 12 times into magic ring. Pull tight and sl st through first dc to join.

Round 2: Ch2 (does not count as st - make 1st dc into same space as ch 2 throughout), 2dc in each dc around. Join to first dc. (24 sts)

Round 3: Ch2, (2dc in 1st st, dc in next st) 12 times. Join. (36 sts)

Round 4: Ch2, dc (2dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts) 11 times, 2dc in next st, dc, Join (48 sts)

Round 5: Ch2, (2dc in 1st st, dc in next 3 sts) 12 times. Join. (60 sts)

Round 6: Ch2, In back loops only, dc in each st around. Join, & bind off. (60 sts)

Round 7: Attach contrasting yarn. 30 hdc, ch 25, sl st in 1st ch, 30hdc, join to first hdc with sl st, chain 16, sl st in fourth ch from hook, bind off.

Butterfly: With first colour, attach to ch4 loop. Ch2, dc, ch2, dc, sl st into loop, (ch1, hdc 2, ch1, sl st into loop) twice, ch2, dc, ch2, dc, ch2, sl st into loop, bind off, weave in ends.

Put the coasters in the holder, and hook the butterfly through the loop to fasten it.

You may also like to try my Lacy Coasters pattern ♥