Crocheted Clothes Hanger

Hello again! I've been away from the blogging world for the last week and a half as things have been moving on apace here kitchen-wise. We spent the last weekend choosing paint and then painting the understairs cupboard and new kitchen ceiling (goodbye Artex icicles!), and this week the kitchen is finally being fitted. Hooray! It's all very exciting and exhausting. Consequently there's been no time to spare, and along with all of this P collected B from university for the last time - where did those three years go? It's lovely to have her home again.

There hasn't been any time for crocheting this week, but do you remember I was making a little project during half term in the garden and at the beach? Well, I finished it and can now show it to you ... a pretty clothes hanger for D. I found that there are lots of lovely crocheted clothes hangers on the internet on sites like Pinterest which are very inspiring indeed. Go and take a look - they're amazing! D's been revamping her bedroom recently and loves blues and greens, so she chose the colours and I obliged. 

Here's how I made mine (apologies for the lighting in these photos - I took them outside while I crocheted outside under my cherry tree and the shade is very dappled). I crocheted 10 chain stitches followed by 80 rows of double crochet in white cotton yarn. 

 This was wide enough and long enough to fit the wooden hanger bought from the local market. I found the halfway point and pushed the metal hook through a gap in the crochet. 

Then I over-sewed along the edge, sealing the wooden hanger into its crocheted sleeve.

Now it was time to decorate it. First I used the pattern for centifolia roses from this brilliant book which I've had for a few years now. I'm surprised at how few flowers I've made from it, given what an inspiring book it is.

They were easy to make and worked up quite quickly, with pleasantly jumbled petals. I couldn't resist photographing them next to the real thing.

 However, they didn't seem to be quite the right shape for this project. I wanted something a bit more defined, so I used the Attic 24 May Rose pattern, and made a blue rose with a couple of little green leaves. I was going to add some little buds, but quite liked the simplicity of the design, so kept it as it is. D was happy with it too, as it matches her room.

I've now made a good few of these hangers. Here are some which were decorated with roses I made from Heather's blog. I love their swirly simplicity.

I've also made several as presents for friends and relatives, with other kinds of flowers on them like apple blossom, primroses and pansies, depending on preference. They're quite fast to make and infinitely adaptable as they can be as elaborate as you like. 

I shall spend the next few evenings catching up on all the blogs I've been missing. See you soon x