Ali’s fabric swap
We have all had a lovely half term, me and the boys drove up to my parents for the week. It is always such a change going home, here it is so hilly EVERYWHERE, it’s really strange to be able to see for miles as its so flat in North East Lincolnshire, though it does make walking a lot easier! We took them to the Humber bridge with the aim of walking it but it was so incredibly foggy that we walked along the bank instead
as you can see we wouldn’t have seen much from the bridge, no matter how flat it is! We also went to Steels, the famous fish and chip restaurant. It’s great, it never changes, from the banquets to the decoration to the bread and butter and tea served on tap. Coming from Grimsby I think I know my fish and chips and these are some of the best. (I would have taken a photo but they didn’t last long enough…)
Its a fair old drive back home, around 5 hours and after doing it I really do take my hat off to reps who do it all the time and work, I’m good for nothing after driving that far! To make me feel even more inadequate, you must read the blog caribou crossing chronicals. Its who I sent my fabric swap too. Karen is in the middle of a massive 8000 km drive to pick her daughter up from uni. She lives in the Yukon Territories in Canada, what a fantastic address!
What I sent, some Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler and vintage fabric as well as some beads and silks.
But best of all, after my pathetically epic drive, I found this parcel waiting for me.
How beautifully wrapped! And look inside…
3 exciting little bags
a detail of some of my faves
Thank you so much Linnhe! I have made some great Internet crafting buddies and found some wonderful blogs through swaps and wee mindings is one of them. Thanks to to Ali of very berry for organising a great swap too and introducing me to a load of new blogs xx
Procrastination
(I’m sure I’ve titled a post with this before…)
However, it is something I excel at – deferring action. Though thinking about it The Oxford Dictionaries definition isn’t quite fair, I do defer action, that I don’t want to do, while filling the time with other sorts of ‘actions’ I do want to do.
Then again, defering action. I think maybe I wasn’t deferring action, just ‘embracing’ the action. So while I should have been tidying the wholeback bedroom ready for the in-laws arrival, I tidyed only the beads.
And I got to thinking (while I was tidying not procrastinating) that I didn’t have a turquoise necklace and I love turquoise, lots of my clothes are turquoise.
Voila!
Made from broken necklaces, old beads and a bracelet my oldest found on the street last year.
Unfortunately I still have to tidy the back bedroom…
A bit more patchwork
So what is your longest W.I.P? I’m guessing a few of you can beat me, although thinking about it, can that patchwork cover I made the other week from the patchwork I did 27 odd years ago count?
Anyway, I digress. I bought this gorgeous standard lamp 3 years ago for £10 as I loved the main part (the stand) but the lamp shade was too fussy with satin and tassels. So I immediately ripped it off, made a rough pattern of the sides and got my favourite fabrics out and randomly pieced them together. In my excitement this took a couple of weeks and I pinned the segments to the lamp – and, well, it has remained like that in our lounge till a month ago.
A flash of inspiration and I finally gave into the embarrasment of comments from visitors (though in all honesty not from family members, they gave up years ago) and cut them to size and stuck them to the panels.
Now while it is 100% improved, it clearly still isn’t finished. I have some old braid to glue to the joins but not enough plus, should I glue or stitch, though the base isn’t that solid. And most importantly what to edge the bottom with? I want to crochet a trim, but what? I’ve been looking and looking and can’t find the right one. I think I want a deep, lush one, with beads or tassels though? Any suggestions?
Handmade Heart’s Swap
So I signed up for Lisa’s Handmade Heart Swap over on her wonderful blog Noodlebubble where we had to make something heart shaped. I had decided not to crochet my main item for this swap, I fancied doinga bit of sewing, but when I saw who I was partnered with I knew exactly what to make.
Cheryl of cherylbugs clearly loves sewing and is quite good at it, and I had found this pattern in my stitch dictionary that I had wanted to try and here was the perfect occasion! What do you think?
I also included some little extras, some fabric, a little flower and of course some chocolate! I heard back from Cheryl today and she absolutely loves it, the pincushion is in use, the flower had been worn and the fabric is loved – I love a good swap!
Update: Just received my swap parcel
a really cute heart from Zoe of top floor treasures , isn’t the fabric gorgeous!
A bit of Japanese Crochet
Remember this:
From the fab book Irish Crochet Lace? Well I had a spare couple of hours yesterday with nothing actually planned so I had a go.
It took a couple of attempts to follow the diagram but when I got my head around it it was quite clear really, if anyone is considering following a Japanese pattern I would only recommend spend a bit of time looking at it first. I just wanted to have a go, being quite inpatient, which is why I made a couple of mistakes, but really it’s not that complicated – and what a result!
It is interesting to work as it involves a few different techniques, the way you begin, working each petal in total before starting the next one, introducing several threads to crochet over. I just need to find the right yarn, I did this sample in some sock wool which I quite like, but I’m not sure if it might be nice in a mercerised cotton – then what colour? Also, I do have quite a few bags, do I need another one and I’m thinking these squares might make a nice lampshade cover…Ooh, what to do what to do?
Crocheted Lace Scarf
I’ve finished it and I am really, really pleased with it!
I worked it all in a number 3mm hook with gorgeous lace weight yarn from fyberspates. I made it up as I went along really. I knew I wanted a sampler so I choose stitches I liked or wanted to try and just worked them together.
So I started off with Offset Scallops then several rows of Hdc’s. But it was too wide so I turned it sideways and worked 3 motifs from Beyond the Square, Crochet Motifs book, then a Picot Arch Mesh onto the end, my new favourite stitch, isn’t it gorgeous!
Then it was rope stitch, broken up with 3 more motifs from the same book that I altered slightly so they would fit, then back to rope stitch. But I worked this seperately then joined it on as I wanted the rope stitch to be a different direction so this section is actually side to side.
Then I worked a Fan Trellis Stitch, finishing off with 3 traditional granny squares. I finished it off with a couple of rows of Dc then a large picot edging.
It is so soft (though that is due to the wool!) and I love the variety of stitches. It was also really enjoyable to make and it could have ended up like a Dr Who scarf as you don’t get bored with the pattern, you just change it! Definately an idea to work with again.
