St. Patrick's Key Fob

Like just about every other Irish person I celebrate St. Patrick's Day with genuine gusto. It helps that it's such a big everyone's-invited kind of gig. For one day the whole world gets to be Irish, and I'm all for inclusivity. Let's build bridges instead of walls, and hold parties instead of wars. And if you can dance a jig or two, down a drop of the hard stuff and tell a few tall tales in our time-honoured national tradition, more power to you, I say.

The shamrock, symbol of my homeland, is one of my favourite motifs. So, inspired by St Patrick's Day, which is looming large on the near horizon I give you my latest creation, craftily made from left-over 4 ply from my Spidery Scarf, and, as such, another idea for using up your left-over sock wool.

I worked the panels on 10 ct. canvas, which produced a 2" square, although I'm sure you'd get a better - but smaller - result on 12 or 14 ct. The 4 ply is a bit thin to give an opulent coverage on 10 ct. but it was all that I had at the time, and I was too impatient to wait for larger count canvas to be delivered. To make up for my low count I worked full cross stitches for the central shamrock and frame, rather than the half cross stitches that I normally favour. My background of mint green was worked in tapestry wool that was closer to double knitting, so I worked it in half cross stitch.

Here are the patterns for my front panel:

And here's the chevron pattern for the back:

Once I'd worked the two panels, I trimmed the excess canvas, and stitched the ribbon in place so that it was centred on both panels.

Then I bound the edges of the panels together with a series of overlocking stitches, and lightly stuffed the square with some toy-stuffing, before sewing it closed at the top where the ribbon was sewn in place. 

And ta-dah! I was done.

I know I'm a bit early, but Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit! HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Bonny x