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Giveaway: Floral Blocks to Knit and Crochet

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floral blocks to knit

Congratulations to Donna.

They say that April showers bring May flowers, but where I live the May flowers have been getting rained on quite a bit lately. So I thought it would be fun to share some flowers of the knit and crocheted variety this week.

75 Floral Blocks to Knit by Lesley Stanfield features pinwheels, hexagons, circles and squares with floral motifs in lace, colorwork and embroidery. Some flowers are applied to the blocks while others are integral to the block and still more are flower or leaf shaped themselves. These projects offer lots of ideas for afghan blocks, pillow fronts, washcloths and more.

Likewise 75 Floral Blocks to Crochet by Betty Barnden has a bunch of fun designs of different shapes, sizes and techniques using crochet. This book includes a directory of blocks showing collections of blocks in different colors that you might combine for a project.

The giveaway this week is for both books; there will be one winner.

For a chance to win leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, May 17. Why don’t you tell me what your favorite flower is? I usually say zinnias, but I love sunflowers, too. And roses.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  2. My favorite flower is one with purple in it! Thank you for the opportunity to win the books.

  3. Oh where to start, here on the coast of Vancouver island Canada ,choosing one flower is the most difficult questions ever !!! Lilacs are out ,they count as first right now as they are loaded with childhood memories. The pink bloosems with snow fall petals fill our streets, most are finished now but oh the early days of spring are so sweet.

  4. I would absolutely love to win these books! I adore flowers, as well as knitting and crocheting…what a perfect combination! Flowers have such a deep meaning for me. Ever since I was a child I would spend hours wandering through the pages of my great grandmother’s Language of Flowers books! I learned so very much about botany. I learned to love flowers and the meaning behind them. I not only enjoyed reading about them, but reproducing them as well. I started drawing flowers, painting them, sculpting them, and sewing them! So many beautiful flowers, it’s hard to pick just one favorite! As a teenager I went through a sunflower stage, and decorated my room floor to ceiling with sunflowers! I’ve also always enjoyed the delicate beauty of the many varieties of orchids. Then of course there’s the classic rose. I have so many favorite varieties of roses, but one that has a special place in my heart is the sterling rose; a pale purple, almost silver rose. Dinner plate dahlias have also been a favorite in my garden. And who could forget the lotus? Teaching us that the most beautiful of creations can come from the mud. And then there’s the beautiful songs, poetry, and prose about flowers. The song about lilies of the valley my mother sang to me as a child, and my favorite, a poem about a garden and many flowers, called Maud, by Alfred Tennyson. One of my favorite lines goes, “Beginning to faint on the light that she loves, on a bed of daffodil sky…” Isn’t that beautiful? But then again, aren’t all flowers beautiful? Well, I’ve gone on and on, but I wanted to share my love of flowers with everyone, and hope that I might win these beautiful books and continue my collection of all things floral! Good luck to everyone, and take time to stop and smell the roses!

  6. I forgot my favorite flower, which is the iris. I do love purple flowers.

  7. My favorite flower is Peonies, and luckily I’ll soon have 9 blooming plants in my back yard!

  8. My favorite flower is a Sunflower. But there are so many that are a close second.
    Fushia, bleeding hearts. Coneflowers…

  9. wow pretty book! i love so many kinds of flowers; gardenia, calla lily, rose, orchid, bird of paradise, …i really could go on lol 😀 thanks for the chance 🙂

  10. Daisies. They are always happy. They always remind me of Sunshine and Spring,my favorite season.????

  12. Favourite flower has to be Fuchsia as there are so many varieties, colours & shape. Would love to win these as I am new to crochet & loving it

  14. My favorite flower….I have three, the lilac…carnation and the rose.
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway.

  18. The crochet books looks brilliant but I think my favourite is the blue ‘thistle’ int he knit book. Really hope I’m lucky enough to win – thank you for the chance!

  27. Daisies always make me happy. And they go so well with almost every other flower, so they’re versitile.

  28. My favorite flower is the buttercup (daffadil) because it is the first sign of spring to me.

  32. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway! My favorite flower is the pansy. But I like violas, violets, lilac & peonies too!

  36. Bleeding hearts -fascinated me as a child exploring in my Nanny’s garden.

  37. I like all flowers, but I’d have to say sunflowers are my favorite. Since I don’t have a green thumb, I’d love these books to create my own blooms 🙂 Thanks for this wonderful giveaway!!

  39. I live in the desert in Botswana so ANY flower is a blessing……. even the weeds 🙂

  40. How do you pick just one? Lol
    Tuberose for smell and Passion Flower for beauty.
    Thank you for the chance to win the books!

  42. Its really hard to narrow it down to just one. A rose would be my number one choice but I love them all. Great giveaway. Thank you

  43. Roses have always been my favorite flower, I currently had 7 bushes in my garden.

  44. One of my first goals since I retired is to create a wreath for the door of my new house. I have been trying to save up enough different flower patterns I find here and there on the internet, but these books would really make it possible to begin knitting and crocheting flowers right away! I REALLY would love to have these two books!

  50. So many flowers that I love—lilacs for the scent, lily of the valley for its delicacy. I love the flowers that attract my butterflies and hummingbirds. Thank you for the chance to win such fabulous books.

Have you read?

Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns

During the summer (which is what it is where I am writing from) I like to share patterns for things that you can knit and use even when it’s warm out. And sometimes they are things you can use when it’s cold, too, like this collection of coffee cup cozies. Because hot coffee is a must almost any time of year. 

This simple pattern form Darling Jadore is a great one for beginners and could be a good first knitting in the round project. It uses worsted weight yarn and includes video tutorials if you need extra help. 

If you want a perfectly plain cozy that you can jazz up with your own designs, check out the Base Doodle Cup Cozy from Jamie Lomax. This free pattern on Ravelry comes in two sizes (short and long) and is meant to be used with her doodle charts to make it your own. You could also keep it plain, add stripes or design your own motifs to stitch on it. 

Most coffee cozy patterns that I see are just sleeves meant to go over travel mugs, but what if your mug has a handle? This pattern from Stacey’s Knit Wits has an I-cord loop and button so you can use it on a mug with a handle or a travel cup. It uses DK weight yarn.

Coffee cozies are a fun way to play with stitch patterns and learn new techniques. If you’ve never knit cables before, this cozy from Purple Wool Co. would be a great first cable project, as it features simple braided cables all the way around. It uses worsted weight yarn and is worked in the round. 

Try double knitting to make an extra-insulating coffee cozy with this pattern from Tracy Leming. It includes little color changes so you can get the concept of how double knitting works on a small scale. It also can include a little pocket for a tea bag if you want. This one uses worsted weight yarn and is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Or try stranded knitting with the Love in the Air cozy from Danielle Thuen. It features hearts of different sizes and is worked in sock yarn. You’ll need to make sure those floats are nice and loose so it will stretch to hug your cup. You can find this pattern on Ravelry. 

They’re also a fun way to add a bit of flair to an otherwise plain cup. KnitnKaboodle Designs has this lovely leaf-shaped cozy pattern, which you could use for hot or cold beverages by changing up the fiber you choose (that’s pretty much always true). It is made in pieces that are stitched together and can be worked in a single color or choose different colors for each leaf.