It is time for my annual crochet along and this year we’re going to do something different. We are going to bring on the light and make all kinds of sparkly pretty ornaments to brighten up our home in the darkness of winter. My wish is that while working on these, we all collectively think about how we can bring more light and love into our lives and that of the people around us. Compassion and light is what is needed now.

So, let´s bring on the LIGHT people! Let’s work together on the LUZ decorations and let our lights shine all over the world.

The LUZ crochet along will run for three weeks, starting on November 9th, and each week we do a different design. the pattern will be on 50% sale during the CAL. I will make video tutorials for each part and crochet everything along with you. The tutorials are available for FREE on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TinnaThorudottirThorvaldar

For now, the only file included here is the introduction, with all info on supplies etc. on November 9th I’ll add part 1, november 16th part 2 and November 23rd part 3. You will get update alerts once I upload each new part and it will be added automatically to your library here, once you purchase the pattern.

I want this to be a beginnerd friendly crochet along, so we start off with very simple little stars in week 1, week 2 we do larger flower pieces that are a bit more intricate and then we finish with the bells for week 3. All the different pieces we make during the crochet along can both work as hanging decorations or to be fitted up on fairy lights.

Yarn and hook

You can use any kind of cotton yarn to make our LUZ decorations, and honestly any scraps will do! if you use finer yarn, the motifs will be smaller and if you user thicker yarn they will be larger. I like it best to use yarn that suits a 2 – 3 mm hook.

That would be 1, 2, 3 or 4 ply yarn, in other words lace, super fine and fine weight yarn. You only need a little bit too, so pretty much anything you have lying around will do. And for a whole 10 light series of bells or flowers, you need less than 50 g.

It’s fun to use sparkly gold and silver yarn for these too, so maybe just check and see what your local yarn shop has on offer.

For the pieces we will stiffen flat, you can use any thickness of yarn really, but for the bells it’s important to have the approximate gauge given, so that your crochet piece will fit the bell insert for stiffening. For the bells I use yarn that suits a 2-2.5 mm hook.

Recommended gauge for the bells, working half double crochet stitches with a 2.5 mm hook:

30 HDCs and 17 rounds = 10 cm

Other supplies

If making lights, then you need fairylights, I like to usethe ones with 10 lights and either clear or white cord. I understand that you can get different types of fairy lights, depending on where you live. That’s why I made the pattern so that you can decide on the size of opening at the top of the bells & flowers, so I think any kind of fairy lights should work.

You will need some kind of stiffener: you can use for example the Stiffy fabric stiffener from Mod Podge, water based sealer glue or adhesive lacquer. Or even just PVA glue watered down a bit.
A small painting brush or a sponge to apply the stiffener.

Darning needle, pins and scissors.
Then we need some sort of a motif or insert to use as base to put inside your crochet pieces on, while stiffening it. All info on the ones I use in the introduction file.