'Coastal Grandma' is the big thing everywhere right now! According to Glamour, the Coastal Grandma aesthetic is “the crisp, monied, perennially summertime lifestyle of a beautiful older woman in a Nancy Meyers movie or an Eileen Fisher photo shoot.” So think lightweight fabrics, pastel and neutral colours, and somewhat modest clothing.

Sounds appealing to you? If so, read on because we here at Crafty Llama have found five knitting/crocheting patterns that fit right into the Coastal Grandma aesthetic/trend!

1. The first pattern is by @Drops Design and it is a crochet bucket hat. The ‘Elven Queen Hat’ serves a fusion of trendy (bucket hat) and aesthetics (crochet beachy granny style).

What you’ll need:

• 4mm & 5mm Circular Needle (we recommend the KnitPro Zing Tips and Cables)

• 4mm & 5mm HiyaHiya Sharp Steel Double Pointed Needles

• Aran Yarn

• HiyaHiya Scissors

• Clover Darning Needle

4. This next pattern is called the ‘Camel Bucket Bag’ by @mamainastitch and it screams summer beachy-time fun!

Crocheted with some chunky yarn, this bag finishes off with a pair of bamboo handles that really give you the early 2000s vibe.

 

What you’ll need:

• 8mm HiyaHiya Crochet Hook

• WYS Chunky Re:treat Yarn

• Bamboo Handles

• Stitch Markers

• HiyaHiya Scissors

• Clover Darning Needle

5. Lastly, we’ve got another bag pattern by @mamainastitch (just in case the previous one wasn’t grandma-y enough). This bag is cross-body and knit in a herringbone stitch.

 

What you’ll need:

• 16mm (US 19) Knitting Needle

• Super Chunky Yarn

• HiyaHiya Scissors

• Clover Darning Needle

• Shoulder strap for bag

 

Credit to @Drops Design and @mamainastitch for their patterns and photos. Check them out for more knitting and crocheting patterns.

If you make any of these (or any Coastal Grandma designs in general!), tag us on Instagram @CraftyllamaUK for a chance to be featured on our page!

Have fun and happy knitting!

As every sci-fi fan out there knows, May 4th is celebrated around the world as Star Wars Day! In celebration of the day, we’ve collected together some of the best Star Wars amigurumi patterns to help you bring your favourite characters to life!

1. Han Solo

First up we’ve got the one, the only: Han Solo! This adorable little amigurumi pattern by @Ankita Palit is made with five different coloured yarns so it’s very detailed. You’ll need to know the basics of crochet such as magic rings, increase, and decrease.

As you’ve noticed, our name is Crafty Llama, so naturally we’ve come up with a free crochet amigurumi llama pattern for you to make at home! This is a beginner-friendly crochet pattern but you will need to know the basics of chain stitching, creating a magic circle, increasing and decreasing stitches, and making single crochets.

Tips:

• Make sure to keep a tight tension when you’re crocheting so there are no holes that your stuffing can come out of.

• Stuff your amigurumi llama with a lot of filling! You want it to look plump and hold its shape so fill it with a good amount of filling.

• Put your stitch marker on the last stitch of every row to keep track of how many you’ve done. This can be a bit difficult at times, especially while trying to follow the pattern at the same time, so consider getting a row counter to make life easier.

Since the warmer months are now approaching, many of us knitters/crocheters don’t really want to be making sweaters and hats yet (that’s more of a job for July – in my case at least, since it takes me six months to finish a sweater!). So what shall we occupy our idle hands with? Why not try your hand at knitting some cute fruits and vegetables! They’re perfect for little ones or for simply decorating your own house.

Without further ado, here is a list of five fun (FREE!) knitting patterns of fruits and vegetables to create your own set. After all, five a day keeps the doctor away! Simply click on the title of each design to view the pattern:

1. Knitted Avocado by Amanda Berry

The first fruity pattern is of the cutest avocado you’ll ever see! The avocado has two halves: one hollow and one with the pit – isn’t that adorable! To make this you’ll only need to know basic knitting stitches, such as knit and purl, decrease and increase. The pattern is also knit flat, so no need to knit in the round!