Because we are conscientious and care deeply ❤️ about advising our customers properly (and certainly not because we are weak and want to buy everything 😂), Ségolène and I, Céline, also known as Mamie Crochet, gave in to our urge to try the wonderful yarns available in the shop.
Here is an overview of what we have made and our thoughts on the experience.
But first, a little about Céline and Ségolène!
Céline has been our regular crochet teacher for 3 years now! She teaches beginners and improvers, and recently added Tunisian crochet classes too!
Céline has been crocheting since childhood, when her grandmother taught her. For several years she has continued developing her skills to offer us well-researched, fun classes!
As for Ségolène, our pattern-cutting and sewing teacher... she will tell you herself 😂"I felt like trying crochet this summer after seeing all those videos of crochet tops and bags on social media. So I decided to give it a go on impulse: I bought a hook and some yarn and tried to learn on my own from tutorials. How can I put it? It was awful... I understood nothing, I did not know whether I was doing it right or where to start. In short, I soon gave up.
A few months later, I decided to give crochet a second chance, but this time I wanted to do things properly: I signed up for the ‘Discovering Crochet’ class taught by Céline. I rediscovered crochet: how to hold the hook properly and make the right movements, with someone there to help at the slightest difficulty or hesitation. And that is how my new passion began!
My first project: of the projects available in the beginners' class, I chose the headband. It lets you practise the first basic stitch you learn: single crochet. It is not too big, so you quickly get that lovely satisfaction of finishing something (and it was perfectly timed for the approaching cold weather).
Now, whenever you see Ségolène and Céline together, you can be sure they are chatting about crochet and their projects!
Let us discover their latest creations!
Ombelle by Fonty becomes a shawl and fingerless mitts
Céline: Ever since the Fonty yarn balls arrived in the shop, my heart beats faster whenever I pass the shelves. I think I will make a project with every yarn! As I had to start somewhere, I chose Ombelle. The colours are simply ‘wow’, and it took me a while to settle on a shade: pink 2012. I started with one ball, bought in October, without knowing what I would make. After making the shawl in Katia Holi mentioned below, I knew it would be THE perfect project to showcase this gorgeous yarn.
So, with Ségolène's help, in December I chose magenta 1038 and violet 2021 to complete the gradient. After trying a few hooks, I opted for a size 6 hook for a loose, airy effect. The yarn glides well for a mohair and is very pleasant to work with. If you are a beginner, it is not the easiest to unravel, so choose a simple project where mistakes are rare. That said, with a little patience and small scissors to help separate fibres that have caught together, it is quite possible to unravel it without losing even a centimetre of this wonderful yarn.
Yarn and equipment requirements : Ombelle 1019: 1 ball; 1038: 1.5 balls; 2021: 1 ball, worked with a size 6 crochet hook (Tulip)
While crocheting my shawl, I fell so completely for Ombelle that I wanted to make a pair of fingerless mitts with it. For a denser result, I used a smaller hook than for the shawl. They are warm and light at the same time. If you want better insulation, though, it is best to work it with a second yarn: BB mérinos, Moustache, Alpaga or Polaire would all be perfect.
Yarn and equipment requirements : Ombelle 2034: 1.5 balls, worked with a size 4 crochet hook (Tulip)
The écharpeke scarf in Stone washed XL and Fonty yarns
Céline: Among the latest yarns to arrive in the shop are the Stones washed xl from Scheepjes, a cotton-acrylic blend that is perfect for the transition between seasons. As soon as it arrived, I tried it! Once again, choosing a colour was the hard part. I finally went for brown 862 so I could match my écharpeke scarf to my ‘mega-granny’ cardigan below. This yarn is very easy to use: it glides nicely but not too much, does not catch and unravels very easily, so it is ideal for beginners. It works up quite quickly too. I would really like to make a spring cardigan with it.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Stone washed XL 862: 1.5 balls, worked with a size 5 crochet hook (Tulip)
The écharpeke scarf in Fonty BB mérinos 817 and Saperlipopette 5001
This little scarf is perfect for continuing to test Fonty yarns. It is quick to make and uses relatively little yarn. I wanted warmth and softness, and the combination of BB mérinos and Saperlipopette is ideal. I chose Tunisian crochet to try the ‘point barré’ (barred stitch) and am delighted with the result! Although the back of Tunisian crochet differs from the front, the soft halo from Saperlipopette makes the difference subtle. This écharpeke scarf is easy to wear and not at all bulky, especially when you have to move lots of fabric rolls and dozens of boxes of stock! It does not slip down: goodbye draughts!
Yarn and equipment requirements: BB Mérinos 817: 1 ball; Saperlipopette 5001: 1 ball, worked with a size 5.5 Tunisian crochet hook
And when I say we will soon have two crochet grannies...
Ségolène: I had to try Scheepjes - Stone Washed Flow XL too.
Have you seen that choice of colour gradients?
How could I resist?
So I was weak and gave in... again. To blue... again.
I had no project in mind, so I took inspiration from Céline and crocheted my own écharpeke scarf. I worked it entirely in back-loop single crochet.
This yarn is so soft! It feels lovely around the neck, and the écharpeke design protects your neck from draughts without being bulky.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Scheepjes Stone Washed Flow XL 05: 1 whole ball, worked with a size 5.5 hook
Holi by Kati becomes a shawl and a scarf!
Ségolène: Without a second thought, I got carried away and took on quite a challenge: my first scarf. The yarn was an obvious choice for this project: Holi by Katia, limited edition 501. Blue, pink and mauve, my favourite colours, all in a beautifully smooth gradient.
For this new project, I chose half double crochet to learn a new stitch. The yarn has a slight halo, and I will not pretend the first rows did not take a lot of concentration, but it gradually became easier. It was quite a long project, but watching the colours change as you work really helps keep you motivated. To give you an idea of how long it took me: the entire Harry Potter saga!
Yarn and equipment requirements: Katia - Holi 501: 1 ball, worked with a 4.5mm hook
Céline: When I saw the scarf Ségolène had crocheted with this yarn, I immediately wanted to make a shawl. The softness, the slightly airy texture and the colour changes of Holi won me over! It is very pleasant to work with. For beginners, its slightly fuzzy texture makes the stitches less obvious, but Ségolène still managed to make her scarf having taken only the beginners' crochet class before tackling this new challenge.
So if you dream of a soft, light project, go for it: this is a good yarn for getting used to fuzzy yarns.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Katia Holi 506: 1 ball, worked with a size 5 crochet hook (Tulip)
The hat in navy DMC-Knitty glitter
After the scarf came the hat! Having no idea where to start, I signed up for the ‘Hat and Fingerless Mitts’ class. This class also teaches new stitches, including rib stitch and another special stitch. I chose navy Knitty glitter. It is beautiful, but the dark colour made it harder to see my stitches. Looking at the photo, I think this hat is crying out for a little pompom. What do you think?
Yarn and equipment requirements: DMC Knitty glitter in dark blue, worked with a 4mm crochet hook (Tulip)
DMC Big Knit becomes a wonderfully comfortable granny cardigan
My mega-granny cardigan in DMC big knit colours 100 and 102: I love it!
I really wanted a granny cardigan that was a little like a jacket and would not take too long to make. Big Knit by DMC was the ideal yarn! Its thick texture let me use a 10mm hook, which made the process quick and very satisfying. The brown shades in colour 102 are beautiful and give the yarn depth. I think the contrast with the ecru shows them off wonderfully. I am delighted with the result. The yarn is very easy to crochet; the only thing to watch is when sewing the pieces together with a needle: do not use too long a strand, or it may unravel and you will have to cut another before finishing.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Big knit colour 100: 4 balls; colour 102: 3 balls, worked with a size 10 hook
The summer bag in Hoooked Zpagetti jersey / T-shirt yarn
Céline: After seeing all those jersey-yarn bags on social media, I naturally wanted to make one. So as soon as Eugénie brought in Zpagetti by Hoooked, I rushed to buy a ball to crochet myself a summer bag. This yarn is very pleasant to work with. It is quite thick, so the work grows quickly, and it is perfect for accessories. I used about 3/4 of the ball, and my bag is big enough for a purse, sunglasses, a book and tissues: in short, you can easily take everything you need. I still have enough yarn for a little matching pouch.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Hoooked zpagetti in petrol green: 3/4 of a ball, worked with a size 10 hook
The cowl in Merino Essentiel Ombré
Ségolène: I spent many weeks looking at the turquoise Merino Essentiel Ombré. I resisted... then I gave in! And I have absolutely no regrets. What wonderful yarn! I loved crocheting it: it is soft, thick (so it works up quickly, hehe), warm, and I adore its turquoise gradient. For a change from a scarf, I made a cowl. This project introduced me to double crochet (which works up quickly too). Well, I say quickly, but it still took me the entire first season of Desperate Housewives to make it.
Yarn and equipment requirements: DMC Merino Essentiel Ombré 1010: 1.5 balls, worked with a 6mm crochet hook (Tulip)
Phone pouch in DMC - Eco vita 4 metallic petrol
Ségolène: In case you had not noticed, I like blue and sparkle. Which is exactly what Eco Vita 4 by DMC offers. Its stiffness was perfect for this little phone pouch. The design comes from the book "Crochet - L'atelier des débutants" by Caro Tricote, which Marie-Hélène gave me for my birthday.
Yarn and equipment requirements: Eco vita 4 metallic petrol, worked with a 4mm crochet hook (Tulip)
The shawl in Dmc Pirouette XL
Céline: Well, Pirouette XL and I have a long love story. I have already made two scarves and a shawl in regular crochet with it. I find the changing colours beautiful: the yarn is full of vibrant shades, and it is lovely to watch them change as the piece takes shape. This time I wanted to try it in Tunisian crochet, and I am glad I did! I think the result is gorgeous. The way Tunisian crochet rows are constructed really showcases all the yarn's colours. The size of the yarn makes the project grow quite quickly, which is a real advantage when you have lots of projects in mind!
Yarn and equipment requirements: Dmc Pirouette XL no. 1104: 2 balls, worked with a size 8 Tunisian crochet hook (Knitpro)
That is it for our creations. We hope this article helps you choose from all our yarn balls and gives you ideas for future projects.
We will keep testing the new yarns as they arrive, so keep your eyes open: Eugénie has more lovely new arrivals in store for us!
If you would like to start or improve your regular or Tunisian crochet, discover our wonderful range of classes here.
Hooks at the ready!
