♥ With Summer in the UK seeming to have decided to hang fire for a bit, I took matters in to my own hands the other day and set about creating my own little piece of Summer for my kitchen shelf. Seaside Cottages, Cornishware china and a garland of Summer Daisies were definitely what was called for..... and here's what I did ! After a little dig around in my yarny odds and ends drawer I found some small amounts of cotton, DK I think, in white and cornflower blue and a length of some thin blue ribbon. I used a 3mm hook. You'll also need a small amount of stuffing for the crochet beads. The pattern for both the daisies and the crochet beads will work in any weight yarn, just remember to use the correct hook size to match. To make the Daisies: Begin by making a Magic Ring, and work 8 DC into the ring. Pull the ring closed and SL ST to join. Now work 2 DC in to each stitch. 16sts. SL ST to join and finish off. Sew in the ends. Join in your second colour and chain 7. Beginning in the 2nd chain from the hook work 6 DC, bringing you back to the beginning of the chain. SL ST in to the next stitch. Now chain 7 again and work the petal as before. Continue making petals around the circle. I found 14 petals to be about the right amount, leaving you a stitch to SL ST back into to. Finish off. Sew in your ends. I decided to block and stiffen my daisies, which I did by spraying them with Fablon Ironing Starch Spray and then pinning them out onto a board to dry for a couple of days. To make the Crochet Beads: ( for a full picture tutorial clink here Crochet Beads ) Round 1:Make a Magic Ring and work 6 DC into the ring. Pull the ring closed and SL ST to join. Round 2: Work 2 DC in to each stitch 12 sts. Round 3: Working in a continuous round, DC 36. Round 4: Decrease 6 times, 6sts. Finish off leaving a long tail. Stuff the bead and using a needle and the tail of yarn, run a gathering thread around the bottom of the bead and pull closed. Finish off and sew in the ends. To join the garland together I alternated the flowers and the beads and I used a large needle to thread the ribbon along the back of each daisy and through the centre of each bead. Once finished it was just a matter of hanging it in place, and whilst it may not be quite up there with a holiday in the Caribbean, it's more than Summery enough for me ! ♥ My little Seaside Cottages are made by the lovely Loraine of Shabby Daisies - Seaside Creations. She sells through Etsy or her facebook Page. ♥