Hello October…

And Hello everyone… welcome to this little catch-up from me and all things Coastal Crochet! 😊 💙

October is already in full swing and there’s been a slow transition between Summer and Autumn this year here on the south east coast… the days are still warm but the daylight hours are fading…

The sea sunsets are upon us again and we’ve already had some really good ones…

On a personal note, my dear father-in-law passed away at the end of September at the age of 87, so it’s been a sad time for my family and I… ❤️‍🩹

He had been ill for some months and when visiting him in those final weeks, I always brought my crochet with me to do whilst sitting by his bedside. I’m grateful for that… crochet giving me a little welcome distraction and focus…❤️‍🩹

My hooks have as ever been super busy behind the scenes and on a brighter note, we’re now gearing up to the Scheepjes 2026 ‘Perfect Picnic’ crochet-along (CAL) which launches on 21st October…

That’s only 2 weeks away!

You can read all about it here: https://coastalcrochet.com/2026/09/16/introducing-the-perfect-picnic-scheepjes-cal-2026/

There’s been such a lovely response and lots of decisions being made about which colour-way people are wanting to do… it’s going to be amazing to see all the different colours emerge in this crochet-along!

For those of you in the US, Jimmy Beans Wool now has kits in stock which is very exciting!

www.jimmybeanswool.com/collections/scheepjes-perfect-picnic-cal-kits

And here in the UK The Knitting Network still has a few in stock too: www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk-scheepjes-perfect-picnic-cal-collection

I earn a small amount of commission for kits purchased through these links and that is always appreciated.

I’ve been making progress with my Picnic under the Aurora colour-way and I’ve also been working incredibly hard to get all the new video tutorials ready including many hours of Dutch voiceovers!

It’s really exciting to be doing all the Dutch video tutorials for this CAL… I’m half Dutch and was born in The Netherlands, although moved to England in early childhood, so being able to speak the language and do the Dutch tutorials is a big achievement which I’m very happy about!

In other news, after hosting a lovely ‘Next Steps in Tunisian Crochet’ workshop at Made and Making earlier in the week, I’ve finally got round to publishing my Dunes Tunisian Crochet Cardigan which was originally designed for Inside Crochet magazine back in 2024!

The pattern is now available over on my Ravelry and Etsy if you’re interested…

Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dunes-tunisian-cardigan

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4589094179/written-pattern-for-dunes-tunisian

It’s a design I’m incredibly happy with and it’s a cardigan I love to wear!

In the Tunisian Crochet workshop we explored the stitch pattern used in the cardigan as well as lots of other different Tunisian Crochet stitches and techniques…it was fabulous!

Part two of the ‘Dreaming of Christmas’ CAL I’ve designed for Inside Crochet magazine is out now in issue 193…

In this part there are three square designs using yarn from King Cole. The squares this month feature snowy mountain scenes, holly, pine cones and snowflakes… I really loved designing these!

The official photos from the magazine photoshoot have also been shared with me and they are absolutely gorgeous! I gasped out loud when I saw them…😍

Now for something mindful… I was recently sent a beautiful little book written by Emma Friedlander-Collins and published by Leaping Hare Press.

It’s called ‘Mindfulness in Crochet – Meditations on Connection and Calm’.

It’s really unique – no crochet patterns or photos of crochet in sight!

It’s simply a gentle read with lots of beautiful written anecdotes and insights from the author… so I do recommend it for some reading time but don’t expect any crochet projects.

I’m going to Greece in a couple of weeks to visit Rowan, our middle son who works out there for a flotilla sailing holiday company! I’m sooooo looking forward to seeing him again… we’ve not had a hug for over 4 months… 🥰

Here’s something he helped to orchestrate with the boats out there this week…