Day 30: What’s your name on Ravelry? If you don’t have a Ravelry account, why?

My name on Ravelry is, again, EssHaych :) My name on most crocheting and craft sights is EssHaych ie DeviantArt, Craftster, Flickr, Facebook...

Well, this past month has been very interesting!! I've actually enjoyed answering the questions, and have loved the comments! Thank you to all of you for that, especially Joan who has posted every single day along with me! I hope you have all enjoyed reading!

Day 29: Do you have any tips, or things that you’ve learned from crocheting?

Oooo, let me think! I think the biggest thing I have learnt about crocheting is you never stop learning and improving.

I learnt the basics, then occasionally the odd fancy stitch and thought that would be it. But 3 years on I am still learning and adapting my work. My crocheting is vastly different, to me, from even the beginning of the year. I find my stitches get neater and tighter the more I do.

So even if you're not happy with your work or you think it'll never be as good as your crocheting idols, just carry on and you will get there! It won't happen over night, and you might not even notice it is changing much, but one day you will look back on some of your earlier work and be pleasantly suprised by the changes :)

(I also find that by crocheting your maths gets better! Weird, but true...)

Day 28: Do you do any other crafts besides crocheting? What are they, and did learning to crochet come before or after learning these other crafts?

I've always been into making things ever since I was a toddler. I would collect old cereal boxes and Fairy liquid bottles etc to make stuff from.

One craft I really love, apart from crocheting, is sewing/painting canvas tote bags. Pretty specific I know lol! I went through a phase back in 2005/2006 of painting these Ebay bought calico bags and selling them. I once got about £11/$18 for one of my hand painted bags! It's a craft I have just recently taken up again, but now instead of buying the bags ready made, I bought a meter of calico fabric and am making my own, with lining.

I also like general sewing (I like making skirts, bags, cushion covers), jewellery making and even had a go at Felting. But no matter what I try, I always end up going back to crocheting!

PS - EssHaych has gone to Cyprus! So if I don't reply to your comments don't think I'm ignoring you, I'm just busy relaxing on a sun lounger! ;p The remainder of these 30 Days posts are pre-written :)

Day 27: How do you acquire most of your yarn? Online retailers, local yarn shops, swaps, or large chain craft stores? What’s your favorite?

Most of the yarn I buy is from shops like Wilkinsons, QD, HobbyCraft, Pound Stretchers, my local market and basically anywhere I see nice yarn on my travels. I also found a great yarn shop in neigbouring Benfleet, which had the biggest selection of acrylic DK I've ever seen! So now when I want a certain colour I'm more than likely to go there.

I've also done the odd yarn swap with crafty friends, which is great as it's an oppertunity to get some (usually) American yarn. I know it's a sin to like Red Heart Super Saver, but I love it!

Day 26: Have you ever been a part, or wanted to be a part of a crochet-a-long? What was it? If not, why?

I once attempted to take part in a 12 month Granny Square crochet along on Craftster. I got the first 2 months done then kind of forgot about it. I would like to do an amigurumi crochet along, I think that would be fun.

Day 25: Do you have a crocheting book or a place where you keep patterns, ideas, size measurements? Post a picture of it!

Yes I do! Here they are...

The Hello Kitty book is my first pattern book, where I started writing down patterns I found online that I liked, and later my own patterns.
The 2 sketchbooks are for, obviously, my sketches for new ami's. 90% of my patterns start life as a doodle in one of these 2 books.


The Monsties Sketches and Pattern


Knitted Character Pattern

As you can see - I like to make doodles of what is going through my brain at the time first. I can leave the pictures there for ages without trying to make a pattern out of them, and often go back to them months later. I also write my rough patterns in this book alongside the doodles. I don't write down the proper wording, I just jot down how many stitches should be at the end of each row. Might not make much sense to others, but it will do for me!

Day 24: Have you ever made your own pattern or dyed your own yarn? How did it turn out?

Haha, joke question?!

I've written some patterns, but never dyed yarn, though I would like to. My first 'published' pattern was Fun Egg Cosies back in about 2009...

... and my newest is going to be Morris Mouth - out next month :)


I like writting patterns, I find it really rewarding. I would much rather make up a pattern as I go along than follow one. Even when following my own patterns I usually change something about it, to make it different or to improve it. I am currently working on a new Sam The Teddy :)

Day 23: If you had the supplies (and patience) for it, what project would you start today?

If I had the skill and patience, I would make this...


Tiered Frilled Dress



...or this...



Renaissance Tunic by Vashti Brahaclose


I have a problem with clothing. I've only ever completed 1 clothing item - a baby cardi some time last year. I think clothes projects take such alot of time I would get bored, so I don't even start them. Plus I know I'd be half way through crocheting it when I realised the sizing was all wrong :(

Day 22: Have you ever stricken someone off your to-crochet-for list because they didn’t appreciate/take care of your last crochet gift to them?

No, I don't think I have! Most of the things, I think, have gone down well with family and friends, so I'm lucky really. I'd hate to make something and the person hated it, as I put alot of thought into what I make people for presents :)

Day 21: Do you crochet gifts for friends and family for the holidays or birthdays?

I crochet for my Mum alot, and my Mum's side of the family. I like to make them things for Christmas - just something little every year :) And it's usually amigurumi.

This year though I have made a much larger item for my Aunt and cousin Clair. I'm not gonna say what it is just incase they read this post lol!

Day 20: Do you crochet in public? Was anyone offended/incredibly happy/curious that you were doing so?

I've never crocheted in public! What with my OCD thing about cleanliness I would find it difficult to go from touching dirty public stuff (lift buttons, door handles, hand rails...) to whatever I was crocheting.

Having said that, I would really like to do so, so that I can wear the great t shirt on the right! :D

Day 19: Do you watch movies and/or listen to podcasts while crocheting? What are your favorite things to crochet to?

I usually listen to music whilst I crochet. I have been listening to music through various devices (cassette - Mini Disk - CD - Ipod) since I was around 8, and it's something I very much enjoy. My hearing has suffered tremendously over the years as I wear headphones turned right up lol. So when I crochet I often listen to that. My favourites at the moment are:

The Darkness - Permission To Land

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War

All Time Low - Dirty Work

Day 18: Do you crochet English or American?

Although I am English, I crochet American. It's just the way I learnt, from places like YouTube and NexStitch. Plus I actually think the American terms make more sense, really :)

Day 17: Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined? What’s the story behind it?

Not ruined exactly, but it can easily happen with me.


Some of you already know but I have OCD, and one of my 'things' is I can't touch things that have been on the floor. So if I drop a project on the floor I can't carry on with it, and if I drop a ball of yarn on the floor I usually throw it away. I've not lost too many projects due to this strangeness, but I have wasted alot of yarn. It's so fustrating, I hate it so much, but there's something in me that will just not touch it again, let alone make something with it :(

Day 16: Have you ever had a crocheting related injury?

I don't think I've had an actual injury due to crocheting, but I get lots of little things that bug me.

I get alot of hand cramps, and also the tip of my right index finger has become all calloused (hard skin) due to the way I hold the hook. And I get alot of burns, like rope burns where the yarn is wrapped round my fingers for tension...

Ho-Hum! :p

Day 15: What was your least favorite pattern and why?

My least favourite pattern was from a book called Amigurumi, by Lan-Anh & Josephine Wan that I bought last month.

I did the chicken pattern from the book, and there were about 6 errors, I'm not joking. I know the odd mistake is unavoidable, but 6?! And in a published book?!! I wasn't impressed :(

Day 14: What’s the worst yarn/fiber that you’ve worked with and why?

I've worked with a lot of nasty white DK. Like I said last week, I hate thin yarn, and white always seems to come up extra thin. I think it's because all the bleaching it has to go through, I don't know. Some of the worst yarn I've used has actually been from some of my favourite brands, like Robin and Woolcraft. When I find a nice white yarn I buy loads of it!

Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for?

I have a skein of Red Heart Super Saver Economy Yarn in what I believe is Ocean 0995 (I've lost the lable) that I recieved from OnePinkHippo in a yarn swap last year. It's a lovely yarn, but as I only have 1 skein of it, and I can't buy it over here, I am saving it for something nice. And not too big.

Day 12: Where do you keep your stash? Post pictures!

I keep my stash in a mixture of places dotted around my room. So instead of loads of pictures, here's one big picture of my stash from back in March...

I have a big hold-all for my whites, blacks, browns, greys and beiges (I have no idea why I have so many beiges...); a flexible plastic bucket for my colours and an Ikea LP container for my multicoloured and Aran. I also at the moment have a big carrier bag at the end of my bed with some new yarn I bought recently, that I haven't sorted yet :)

(I must stop buying yarn. At my last count I counted 70 balls of the stuff...)

Day 11: Do you have a “Crochet Hero” or someone that is just way too awesome for their own good? Do share!

I love Mr.Fox on Etsy!

I first fell in love with his designs after seeing these two...

Mr Bunnyford AND Horace Behr

I thought they were so original and creepy. Some of my other favourites include Merrick (The Elephant Man), Contemplating Amigurumicide and Rabbit Crochetfixion.

Check out the Etsy shop here
Deviant Art page here
Ravelry here