Guest Author - Kate Pullen

In many parts of the world the dark days of winter have passed and spring is definitely on its way.

No longer are we thinking about the snug crocheted woollies and chunky garments to give warmth and comfort during the cold days, our attention instead is turning towards light weight and lacy tops, summer garments and summer household accessories. Not only does the type of item crocheted change with the season, but also where we crochet will alter. With warmer and lighter evenings more of us are inclined to sit outside with our hooks and yarn and no longer snuggle
up next to the fire. Hence lightweight crocheted items are useful not only for their practicality of purpose - but also because they are easy to carry around and more portable than bigger and heavier crochet projects.

So now is the time to start thinking about spring and summer projects and making some new crochet plans. Lightweight crochet scarves are a super spring accessory and can provide a bit of extra warmth for the days when it is a little chilly as well as providing some additional color and texture to outfits. It is very easy to adapt patterns for use with lightweight yarns, have a practice with some lace weight yarn and a larger hook, following your favorite scarf pattern. The crochet will turn out much more open and lacy than normal - the scarf will probably have different dimensions and might make a lovely wrap. As this isn't a precise art by experimenting you will come up with different looks and effects - make sure you make a note of what you are doing in case you want to replicate it later!

Spring being the season of many new flowers is also a great time to practice making crochet flowers. These have oodles of uses and can be used to make brooches and hair accessories, to liven up garments, to hang of bags � even make mobile phone charms! The internet is full of patterns for flowers, don�t forget the every fabulous Crochet Pattern Central for ideas!

Our minds will soon be turning to alfresco eating � so how about crocheting some table mats and outdoor eating accessories. String might be an unusual thing to crochet with - but would make a great outdoor tablemat. Cheap and hardwearing � what a great combination! Yarn made from recycled plastic bags is also useful to crochet with, and will make super waterproof mats for outside use.

Experiment and have fun - use this spring to try something new!