Yarn Review - Stylecraft Bellissima

When Stylecraft asked me to do a yarn review,

 I chose the amazing

  Bellissima DK. 

I just could not resist the wonderful new colours,

 that have recently been added to the range.

 I'm a DK girl and its not often I stray away for Special DK

 but this yarn is special!

The 4 new shades that have recently been added,

 provide a fabulous pop of colour to the range

 and I knew I just had to use them immediately!

I've been busy making granny stripe cowls this winter

 and Bellissima is the perfect yarn to wear against your skin.

 It is 100% acrylic, smooth and silky soft,

 which makes it comfortable, cosy and non irritant.

 The yarn is round with a pearly appearance and satin feel. 

It has fabulous stitch definition,

 is luxurious to work with and to wear.

Bellissima DK is now available in 18 vibrant shades 

but you need to know that Bambino is identical!

This yarn marketed for the baby range comes in another 11 shades.

Combined together this gives us a total of 

29 beautiful colours which cover the whole spectrum,

 ranging from deep and vibrant to pale and pastel.

There is sure to be something for everyone here!

As you will have seen on IG and FB,

 I've had oodles of fun with my Yarn pegs

 coming up with fabulous colour recipes.

   Yarn Pegs from

Dotty'syarnpegs on Etsy 

One question I have been asked a lot,

 is how does it compare to Special DK

Both come in 100g balls, are beautiful to work with,

 are machine washable and can be tumble dried on low heat.

Bellissima details

Composition : 100% Acrylic                              

Ball Weight : 100g                                             

Yardage/Meterage : 293yds/268m                     

Needle Size : 4mm                                            

Tension : 22 stitches x 30 rows to 10cm square

Wash Care : Machine Wash at 30 Degrees C   

Cool Tumble Dry     

Cool Iron                  

May Dry Clean        

RRP : £3.10                                                    

For me, the main difference is quality.

Bellissima and Bambino are luxurious,

 perfectly suited for making garments.

Special DK is gorgeous, soft, extremely affordable

 and has a huge colour palette, which makes it

 my go to yarn for blanket making.

Bellissima is also available in Chunky

 which would be perfect for snuggly winter clothing!

If you would like to make your own granny stripe cowl

you can find my free tutorial

HERE

 

You will also find ready made granny stripe cowls

 for sale in my Etsy shop

HERE

If you have a go at making a cowl

don't forget to tag your work on

 Instagram with #inspiredbythepatchworkheart

I'd love to see what you are making

and do share your photos in my 

Facebook Group

Happy hooking friends

Heather

x x x

Mandala Magic

Mandala making is an addiction beware!

A mandala is the new doily.

Little circles of colour and pattern completed in an hour,

 perfect to satisfy any colour craving and the need for creativity!

They are beautiful around your home

 for use as table mats to protect furniture

or just alone to add a cheerful burst of colour and crochet!

This star doily is 9.5 inches / 24 cm diameter

 and is perfect for under a vase.

This granny star doily is a free pattern from the blog of

Sweet Sharna

it is really easy and suitable for beginners

 who have mastered the granny square.

If you don't want to make your own,

 you will find these for sale in my Etsy shop

HERE

I have been using the gorgeous colours of

Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK

and have put together 3 colour packs for you to suit all tastes.

Rainbow, pastels and Cath Kidston style

in my colour pack shop

HERE

Small mandalas are perfect for use as coasters.

These coasters are 5 inches / 13cm diameter.

This pattern is a particular favourite of mine as it is very thick.

It is from the book

Vintage Style Crochet Projects

 by Agnieszka Strycharska.

It is clearly written in US terms and has a lovely clear chart too.

I like to buy crochet books to give payment to the author,

 knowing how much time it takes to write a pattern and get it into print.

 However if you wish to search around

 you will find many free patterns for mandalas on

 Ravelry and Pinterest.

Classique cotton dk is a thick cotton yarn with a good twist.

 It does not split and it has a lovely natural cotton finish.

 The colours are just wonderful 

and as I said before mandala making is addictive!

Coffee and crochet is as always my favourite pastime

 and much pleasure is to be had matching my mug to my yarn!

This is another free pattern from the blog of

Crochet Millan

 called the Little Cherry Blossom Mandala.

It is a medium sized mandala 9 inches / 23 cm in diameter.

It is a wonderful step by step tutorial with photos and

 instructions in Swedish and English using US crochet terms.

When this pattern is made the mandalas curl,

 as you can see in the stack below.

So blocking is important to improve their finish.

I pin them out onto a foam blocking board (bought on ebay)

spray with cold water and leave to air dry over night.

The transformation is amazing!

Blocking is magic and well worth doing.

It really doesn't take long and when you get used to doing it,

 it just becomes part of the process.

There are stacks of these pretty colourful doilies

 here in my

 Etsy Shop

 waiting for new homes!

They are perfect gifts for Mothers Day, Easter, 

New Home, Birthdays

 or at any occasion when you may gift flowers.

Light weight and easy to post too!

When you have accomplished these smaller mandalas,

 you may like the challenge of a giant mega mandala!

These are super as a table centre.

They are fascinating to make, using a variety of stitches and colours.

This is another free pattern from the blog of 

Redagape

 called Mandy's Mega Mandala.

It measures a giant 16 inches / 40cm in diameter

 and will make a wonderful crochet statement in your home.

If I haven't yet tempted you to dig out your hook and get making,

 then take a look here at my 

Pinterest board

 for a collection of mandala patterns!

Wishing you all a happy hooky day

Heather

x x x