Friday 30 December 2011

Not your granny's doily

Well I never.

Big doily

I've become a bit partial to a doily or two, since finding some in a charity shop a while back.

And then I saw this on t'internet and was inspired. A giant doily rug? Genius!

Rug inspiration

You know me by now- I do love some chunky yarn and a big hook, so I bought some lush Hoopla yarn from the lovely Stocki at Stockton Crafts and a mahooooousive 20mm (comedy) hook and got making.

Big doily

Pattern from here
(What, I ask you, did we do before Ravelry?)

Big doily

The Hoopla yarn is great fun and easy to work with (mine has some stretch to it) and as it's made from selvedges from the textile industry, eco-friendly too. It does have a few joins and isn't perfect, but that, I think, adds to its charm.

Big doily

The only problem?

Big doily

Ahem.
Mine is a leeeeetle bit too small. I only used about half the yarn!

Back to the drawing board, methinks with a slightly bigger doily pattern...

(...if anyone has any patterns they think would work, I'd love to know)

Have a happy, happy, happy New Year!
Xx











32 comments:

  1. I love the rug, and you are right just a bit too small. I have seen them all over pinerest and have thought about giving one a go, but I would be very upset if anything got on it. Let us know how it goes,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well I never...you should have told me it was you I would have given you mates rates! I am making a rug from exactly the same colour..but mine is granny squares! I'll blog it soon. As an extra Chrissy pressie I have just awarded you the Liebster Blog Award...details on my blog.. and thanks so much for mentioning Stockton Crafts...sadly I shall be selling off my stock of Hoopla in the new year as I am not going to be stocking it for much longer. Ps: Look up Hoooked Zpagetti Yarn patterns on Flickr for more inspiration / links to Hoopla patterns. Happy New Year! :)x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your rug, are you going to just keep going until it's big enough? Gorgeous colour too xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hahaha that's brilliant! Keep going with it :) so inspiring!

    Jo x x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! I am impressed, wonder how long it took to make the huge version!
    Good luck with finishing it :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my goodness. I am in love with the doily!! You did an amazing job. Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is so beautiful, colour, design, just wonderful. A suggestion - as you are working in the round, could you simply keep going? If you chained a loop from the tip of each petal to the next, then worked treble crochets into the loop you'd have another round. Looking at the artists work I think she has done something similar. Are you feeling brave enough to make it up as you go?!
    If you decide to stop there I still think it is beautiful. Well done!
    Becky x

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's a lovely doily pattern even if it is a bit too small. I have a hankering for a doily rug, so if you manage to find a pattern that's the right size please let me know!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oooh, I've not seen that yarn before, must check it out!! I love the giant rug!!

    I guess you need to find a pattern where you can add more rounds....

    S x

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a brilliant idea hon! The scale of them plays tricks with your mind - I'd keep standing on it and imagining that I was really, really tiny - standing on a regular doily!! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ha! Yes, a bit small but looks great. I can't imagine working with such a big hook. You might need to go to the thrift stores for old tshirts and start cutting your own for a big rug. I've seen other bloggers do that and they turned out great. Definitely would be cost effective. Best wishes for the new year, Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great project, but I reckon it could be yarn hungry and expensive .....my mate did the opposite with a load of cotton and a tiny hook with mind of making a table cloth, last I saw it it was as big as a Doily and I think she had given up!

    Hope you have a lovely new year!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ah, but wouldn't it make a wonderful cushiony carpet for some borrowers ;D

    Happy New Year x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oops, I meant Borrowers, the sort that live under the floorboards ;D

    ReplyDelete
  16. you have inspired me! I'm just looking at the yarn now! The problem I'm having is I don't know if I need stretch or non-stretch, what did you get? I have a pattern in a magazine for a crochet doily rug - want me to scan it for you?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well it still looks awesome! Perhaps use it as a table embellishment of some sort?
    Looking at the pictures I think you could do with a bigger needle too... And I think the lady in the other picture is doing it by hand, for the simple reason that there aren't any 50mm hooks out there ;)
    Anyway, it looks great :)
    Have a good 2012!
    xo,
    wink

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ohh wow, that yarn is just the sort of thing I need. Must investigate, hope it's not too pricey! Hope you have a fab 2012, looking forward to future posts. xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love it! I've seen the rungs on Pinterest, but had no idea where to begin looking for yarn that chunky! I hope you find a pattern that you like- this is too fabulous a project not to see it through!

    ReplyDelete
  20. A teeny bit too small for a rug but I would just keep adding rounds making them up as you go or just find a larger doily pattern and go for it with the huge hook and yarn!

    Great idea though! I need a new rug for my kitchen, must get round to that. The last one got cut in half by the boyfriend and his mate while they were replacing the worktops, lol! I have no idea how they managed it but it was the wrong colour for my new pink kitchen anyway :-)

    Happy New Year to lovely you!
    Lori xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well, I think it's a BEAUTIFUL little rug. And I'm sure it's actually exactly the right size if you drink a little bit of 'drink me' potion!!!
    The colour is gorgeous!!! I'm stating right here and right now that my resolution for 2012 is to learn to crochet!!!
    Thanks for the inspiration!
    Happy new year!!!
    Carly
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh my goodness, I've been DYING to try something like this!! Please keep us updated on how it's going! That yarn looks like a lot of fun! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow! First of all, I am madly in love with this idea. Madly!!! Don't give up, promise me. Okay, I think what you need is bigger yarn, or whatever might substitute for it. What she's using in the photo looks like rope, and you'll probably have to hook it with your fingers.

    As for the pattern, I think there was a crocheted rug pattern in Erika Knight's book "Simple Crochet"--probably not room-sized, but bigger than a doily, anyway. And with big enough "yarn" and using your fingers instead of a hook-shaped baseball bat, you could do it. I hope you do, I am dying to see it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Happy New Year love!!!
    Ha ha, LOVE the mini foot rug!!!! Well done with it though. Looks like it will take an age to complete.
    Good project for 2012 though.
    Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh, I have been wanting to try this for so long...I just might get some cording and give it a go! I have enjoyed reading your blog and wanted you to know that across the pond, here, some of us are obsessed with covering jars and cans with crocheted wool. Help, I cannot stop...here is a pic. I am now spray painting lids and and small (plastic) animals to glue on top. Wherever will this end ;)
    JARS

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh is this is simply wonderful, and the colour is spot on. I have just looked at the yarn,and it is a bit pricey- although I suppose you could just make it yourself from old t-shirts?
    Wishing you a super creative new year. I have really loved reading your blog, and think of you everytime I look at my pixie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've been wanting to make one of these and have bought this pattern from etsy: http://www.craftsy.com/project/view/Doily-Rug/5462

    I haven't made it yet so can't tell you what it is like but will let you know when I do! From memory I think the pattern calls for using two strands of yarn at once.

    Good luck with it!

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is brilliant! And what a great color! You're so talented....

    And happy new year to you and yours!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I need that yarn.
    I would say improvise. You know the patter so just make the rest of it up. Do some sort of stitch in one crochet stitch then skip a few. Since I don't know the pattern it's hard for me to suggest something definite. If you'd like, email me and we can work something out. I'll email you so you have my address.
    Awesome job. I want to do this.

    ReplyDelete
  30. So cute! I desperately want this pattern, but Ravelry sends me to a page with nothing. Do you still have it?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi, ThreeTwentyThree Creations- I might have a copy of this pattern scrawled down somewhere- do you have an email I can contact you at?

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment or ask a question and l'll reply to you right here.
Have a fab day.
Sarah Xx