The Vivid Winter Accessories crochet pattern collection is released on 14th November 2023! The written patterns are available as pdf downloads in English in both UK and US crochet terms with links to video clips for tricky steps. Get your copy of the patterns and enjoy fun to make projects that result in useful winter items. You can find the patterns on Ravelry as individual patterns or an e-book bundle of all three or on Etsy as individual patterns and you may like to sign up to my mailing list before the end of November 2023 (UK time) to get a special introductory offer in this month's newsletter.
After the popularity of the patterns for the Vivid Bucket Hat and Vivid Bucket Bag, the Vivid Winter Collection follows up with designs for a yoked cowl, warm mittens with three finger options and a fun festive bauble tree decoration, all featuring the alternating colours V-stitch. You can read more about the Vivid Bucket Hat in this blog post and the bag in this blog post.
The yoked cowl (Ravelry / Etsy) is a really handy cold weather accessory with three style variations that ensure it works well inside or outside your coat and is comfortable whether you prefer a close, draught-free neck or an airy wide neck. The flexibility of the V-stitch allows it to pull on over the head and shape itself to your neck and shoulders. It’s also easy to adapt and there is a customisation section at the end of the pattern with ideas to help you make a truly unique item that reflects your personal style.
The mittens  (Ravelry / Etsy) are another useful winter accessory with a multitude of style customisations and five sizes to ensure it works well for different wearers with different style tastes or mitten use. Using the pick and mix customisation section gives you so much flexibility to get the perfect result for everyone you make a pair for.
The bauble tree ornament  (Ravelry / Etsy) is a really fun, fast and colourful project for those wanting handmade decorations for their home during the festive season. It has two filling options to suit your preference and is also easy to adapt. The customisation section at the end of the pattern has plenty of ideas to ensure your bauble is enjoyable to make and looks unique. You could make a matching set or a fun collection of baubles to use up your yarn scraps.
I loved creating this collection during my livestreams on Twitch. The easy pattern let me chat with viewers and I was also able to record clips so you'll find links in the pattern for parts where a visual aid could help. You'll find links throughout the patterns.
The flexibility of the V stitch makes for stretchy, soft and easy to wear accessories. It's a fast, simple stitch pattern with a memorable repeat and the pattern has notes, plus a link to a video clip, on changing colour neatly without fastening off.
The cowl and mitten samples were made with Drops Nepal and Alaska yarn which are soft aran/worsted weight natural wool yarn (the Nepal also has alpaca for extra warmth and softness) and it worked really well for this design, resulting in a springy but soft and flexible fabric and it's a great budget option. I have a lot of Drops yarn that I bought while I took a career break when my children were little and the quality is so impressive for the price. The bauble is made with various scraps of cotton yarn.
I know some of you will be substituting yarns to fit your budget, yarn availability in your part of the world, style preferences, health and ethical considerations. Not every yarn will turn out the same way and I want all crafters to feel they can create something they'll love, so I would suggest that going for an animal fibre (or similar synthetic) yarn in aran/worsted weight and with a low to medium twist should work well for the accessories and any yarns of the similar weight to each other for the bauble would be great options, so you could consider making a cute mini bauble in a lighter weight yarn or giant bauble in a bulky yarn too. Just use a hook that gives you a fabric you like (usually this will be the same as or close to the yarn band suggestion).
Don't be afraid to hold two thinner yarns together to get the right weight. That could work very well in this stitch pattern. My younger son has requested his mittens to have alternate stripes of the same black wool alpaca blend as his brother's mittens (It's so soft, Mummy!) but with purple, blue and orange 4ply/fingering weight Knit Picks Palette held together for the remaining stripes. I think it's going to look like a neon stained glass window! Stay tuned for photos when I have them.
I was fortunate to work with some great testers who gave feedback on how the pattern could be improved before being released. Bev (Ravelry), Heather (Ravelry) and Manuela (Instagram) tested the patterns at very short notice for which I am so grateful. I really love their projects and the ways in which they adjusted them to suit their requirements. Bev added a few extra rounds for her neck, while Heather started with foundation stitches on a sligthly larger hook in place of the tradtional foundation chain. Manuela created two baubles and decorated them so beautifully with ribbons and festive cord. All made such helpful and clear suggestions on how I could make the pattern better for you. Here's a gallery of their finished work. Thank you testers; I'm always so grateful for your work!
If you are interested in testing one of my patterns in future, just sign up to my mailing list. I offer all my new pattern tests to subscribers first.
Downloadable copies of the Vivid Yoked Cowl, Vivid Mitts and Vivid Bauble crochet patterns, including in separate files US terminology and UK terminology versions, are available from Sunday 14th November 2023. You can find the patterns on Ravelry as individual patterns or an e-book bundle of all three or on Etsy as individual patterns and you may like to sign up to my mailing list before the end of November 2023 (UK time) to get a special introductory offer in this month's newsletter, plus monthly news, updates, behind the scenes info, testing opportunities and exclusive offers just for subscribers.
If you're a fan of matching accessories, you might like to get the pattern for the Vivid Bucket Hat and Bag too. Although designed and made in cotton yarn for summer, I think the hat could work well in a cosy woollen yarn too. You can buy both in my Ravelry Store as individual files or as the Vivid Picnic Collection e-book, with a discount. That feature doesn't exist on Etsy unfortunately but both of the individual patterns are in my Etsy Store.
Do let me know if you make one of them. I'm always excited when I see that someone has used one of my patterns!