Galleria Umbrella Cosy: SUNFLOWER GLORIOUSNESS- free pattern

 This is the story of my sunflower umbrella which I have thought about , dreamt about and put on wish lists for many many months if not years until finally I simply went and ordered it!  To cheer myself up on tose many many wet and grey rainy days! It took ages deciding but then a sunflower it just HAD to be.

 It comes with an amazing spring action that's effectively a defence weapon too!

 Excellent for those smart coats which don't have a hood.... Besides a daughter broke my new'' Paperchase'' butterfly umbrella so I had none...BUT BUT BUT it comes in a small black box, and NO CASE!

THIS is ow it looks when ready to be taken out.....

YOU can get one here....:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Galleria-auto-folding-umbrella-Sunflower/dp/B003AFMS5C/ref=pd_sim_sbs_luggage_29?ie=UTF8&refRID=1D93W5W7CERB6ZN1QPQX

Or they have a DAISY  or Gerbera and many others too.... SEE?

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Galleria-auto-folding-umbrella-Gerbera/dp/B003AFMS3Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1399316224&sr=8-3&keywords=galleria+umbrellas
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Galleria-auto-folding-umbrella-White/dp/B003AFTZ4Y/ref=pd_bxgy_luggage_img_y


So a case had to be made to make it easier to carry and to protect the contents!
These are the yarns I gathered together:

 And this is the case I made: the pattern follows shortly. It fastens neatly onto the handle for safekeeping.

 It has a drawstring closure which fastens as you carry it by the same green handle...!

 It has a picot edge finish, meant to be scalopped petals but it seemed a bit fussy...

 Nice bit of ribbing for a snug collar/ neck fitting?

 Here's the carrying cord being made: a chain which is then slip-stitched back on itself.

One caveat: it's better lined with a bit of lining or gingham as the ''prongs'' can catch in the crochet fabric a bit?
Mine were remnants of DK cottons in:
Lime green=A
Deep Orange=B
Yellow-Orange=C
Golden Yellow=D
Lemon Yellow=E
60 grammes of DK cottons in total.
Use a 3.5 (or 4mm hook), you want a firm fabric?
Chain 6  in C and close with a slip stitch: ss.
Ch 3 and work 15 Tr into ring= 16 sts close with ss.
ch3 and work 2TR into each Tr = 32 sts.
Change to D: 3ch, work*  2 HTR into 1st Tr and 1HTR into next repeat from * all around. Close with ss.(48sts)
Change to E: ch 3 then work* 3Tr 1ch and repeat from * all around. : 12 groups of 3 Tr. The turning chain does not count as a stitch. close every row with a ss from now onwards.
Change back to D and work 48 Tr. close with a ss.....
Change to C and work a Tr into each Tr but where there is the ch sp in t2 rows below, work a SPIKE stitch into that ch sp, this should be every 4th stitch.
Next row:&&  In C after ch3  work 48 Tr
Change to A:  after ch3 WORK 48 HTR.
Change to D: after ch3  work 48 Tr.
Change to C :  after ch3 work 48 Tr.
Change to B: after ch3 WORK 48 HTR.
Change to E ch 3 then work 3 TR and 1 ch all the way around as before, repeating the 4 sts.Change to D and work  3 ch then TR all around.
Change to C and ch3,  work 3 Tr then a spike stitch TR at the level of the ch sp 2 rows below but pick up a loop from the deep orange (B) stitch below the ch sp instead, repeat those 4 sts all around. Use the ch sp only as a marker.
repeat from && to current spike stitch row once more.( 8 more rows)
Continuing with C work 3ch and 48 HTR all around.
Change to A ch 3, work* 1 front post treble, 1 back post treble , repaet from * all around using the posts of the HTR in the row below: ribbing set up row made.
Continue in ribbing stitch pattern for 3 more rows: using D,C,B.
Eyelet Row: With C work 1TR, 2 CH all around.
Edging rows:
With E ch1, work 1dc in each TR and 2 dc into each ch sp al around.
Ch1, *work 2 dc: 1 dc in each of next 2 stitches, then in 3rd stitch work ( 1dc , 3ch 1dc) into the stitch, repeat from * all around.

Fasten off and sew in all ends.

Cord: With A chain a length long enough to feed through the eyelet row spaces loosely and add a section long enough for a handle , slip stitch back along the chain one way and then back the other side- SEE PHOTO-  to make a thick flat cord. Feed through the eyelet holes and sew together the ends, sew in all yarn ends.

FABRIC LINING:

CUT RECTANGLE 30 CM BY 26 CM  and sew  a 2 cm hem ( 1 cm folded twice) at one of the ends, the 30 cm thus becomes 28 cm.
Sew the two 28 cm edges together making a tube with a 2 cm seam.( the circumference becomes 24 cm)
Cut a circle with a diameter of   7 cm and sew the unhemmed tube edge to the circle with a 1 cm seam allowance. Neaten all seams with a zig zag finish or overlocker style stitch.
With wrong sides together and right sides facing outwards, hand sew the hemmed top edge of the fabric tube into the dark orange row of ribbing of the crochet tube. i.e. just below the eyelt row being careful NOT to catch the cord or the eyelet row at all.


ENJOY!!!!