I thought I should have a sort of talisman and doing what I do, I thought I’d make a scarf to go with my smart coat.  I bought a reel of grey yarn from a charity shop ages ago, loads of it for 50p.  Its a lovely silvery grey colour and quite fine, laceweight I’d guess,  Idon’t know what it is, but its soft and fairly firm.  I tryed a couple of different patterns, I knew I wanted it lacy and not straight.  Nothing really looked right, so I frogged it several times and just sort of made it up as I went along, got to a point I liked and repeated it several times, then just increased stitch size on the edges, and added a picot to make the triangles.

I’m pleased with it, I used a 4mm hook and blocked it to show the pattern off.

While browsing ravelry to find a nice scarf pattern, I found this, from lionbrand and really liked it.  With Rich working away now I tend to go to bed earlier, the telly is full of dross, It’s so cold too.  But I’d just finished my last book, then I remembered we had a spare radio now Tom is in the spare room, so I got a signal in our room and I listen to 4 extra now, its great!  But my hands were itching…and that pattern was calling me, perfect for a bit of late night crocheting, simple, chunky, warm…

I had 4 and a bit balls of King Cole Aero in my stash – a week later and hey presto

I had to alter the edging a bit as I knew I didn’t have enough yarn to finish it as written, also I had added an extra repeat of the pattern as I wanted it nice and big, but I think its turned out great!  It is so warm with a nice weight to it and with my new scarf pin (whittled this weekend at the woods by my eldest!) it sits perfect.I love how it sits up like a collar, elegant and warm too.

I know, shocking isn’t it.  We’ve had these for I don’t know, 13 years and they still have bought cushions covers on!  In my house!  Okay, melodramatics aside it is pretty poor that they are not handmade.  But what to do, they have to look right, subtle, not too chunky, possible a mix of techniques.

I looked through my  books and I saw an idea in ‘Essential Crochet’ by Erika Knight, the first book I bought, insidently I did the throw over the leather settee from this book, it was the first thing I ever crocheted actually.

So, an improvement?

A brill project if you fancy a new cover, quick and simple and quite effective.  Made using Patons washed haze dk in teal, from stash and while is good for this pattern, not being fluffy, each ball did have a couple of knotted joins in which is really annoying.  The pad is one of the smaller red cushions that I cut up and sewed back together into a circle.  (The pad is feathers so the house and back garden look like I have plucked several seagulls…)

It going to be a work in progress, not sure what to do next, I’m thinking crocheted cable in sock wool, but I don’t have enough of one in my stash so it maybe patchworky, I don’t know.  I fancy doing some tapestry too, maybe a bargello one and a made up design, the only problem with them is they take a while, and i’d have to buy the canvas an the wools.  Either way, at least I have started to right a too long forgotton wrong!!

it has been chundering away in the back of my mind.  I’ve been wanting to ‘make-over’ the side board for a while but not sure how, till I saw that!

So, a bit of lace from the stash and a bit off an old dress and a can of spray paint and hey presto, what do you think?

Before: Tired, neglected, bashed about through several house moves

during:

(a picture of some of the ‘important’ junk that came out of the drawers, I mean, who needs so many cables and more importantly – for what end?)

Ta-darr!

How much better!  I’m not pleased with the handles, I just sprayed them to get rid of the black, I’m not sure what to do with them yet, obviously older style ones would look better, but the holes are pre drilled so I’d have to find some exactly the same size as the ones on now, any ideas let me know!  But the rest – I love, it’s simple, it goes and I did it!

There were quite a few injurys…

but the whole point is that they did really enjoy it, they have produced something they are proud of, 1 is finished, the other, well, it might need another pair of hands if it ever wants to see the light of day, however you have to grab your moments and for a crafty mum who comes from a long line of crafty mums, who has subsequently broken the line by producing 2 non crafty boys – this is success!

Actually I think I may have over sold myself a bit there.  My mosaic bowl.  I love it, but its very, erm, homemade is a polite way of describing it I think.  I got a couple of books out of the library and it seemed pretty straight forward.  It wasn’t.  I have a new respect for tilers and mosaicers (?) I don’t know if I had the right stuff, the man ant B & Q said it would do the job, or if its just me but I couldn’t get the consistency right or smooth it.  In my defence some of the pieces were 15mm thick, some 2mm, but that is the point, its made from pieces we found on a fabulous holiday in Scotland from the beach at the edge of our cottage.  So long I don’t put anything in it, or let the kids touch it, or let any sunlight get near it it should last the year out!

Finally for now, my lamp.  Started 3 years ago and made from scraps of frabric and ribbon, I love it, nuff said!

So far I’ve finished 9 30ishcm squares made  up of smaller ones.

I’m going to make 3 more (I’m running out of wool now) and am thinking of edging them all in a couple of rows of grey to try and bring them together, and using a decorative stitch to join them, maybe.

I have nowhere in my house where this could go though, as I’ve said previously thats not really a consideration in the beginning, which maybe isn’t the best way to start, so I’m thinking its going to be a very pretty picnic blanket, though one which no one will be able to eat on…or sit on…

A couple of weeks ago my oldest monster turned 10 and part of his present was to take him and a friend to Go Ape.  I’m a cool, hip, trendy mum I thought ( I tell you, my head really is a lovely place, you should visit sometime its great for the self esteem) I can do this, in fact I WANT to do this.

If you haven’t heard of it or seen it they are all over the country, go look at their website, you’ll get the idea!  They say:

We take one lush, green forest and a healthy dollop of breathtaking scenery; blend with a smattering of tree-top high wires, tricky crossings (using ladders, walkways, bridges and tunnels made of wood, rope and super-strong wire) and wind-in-your-face zip wires; finished off with a liberal dose of people in search of their inner Tarzan. 

Inner Tarzan – really, though my scream on the last Tarzan swing was more like ‘I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die’, rather than the ,’I can’t believe I’m allowed to do this,’ type of joyous scream from Tom.

Look how high we are!!!!

Completely fearless!

Where, exactly, has my baby gone, really, I need to know!

The bruising is slowly fading though and really it was some of the best fun I’ve ever had and the sense of achievement we all got afterwards and the absolute delight and exhilaration on Tom and his friends face was more than worth it. 

Besides, I’ve two years to forget it all before the next one is 10…

I did use that ‘free’ time wisely though.  While I am still working my way through my wool stash (summer blanket on the way, pictures soon) I thought I should use up some of my jewellery bits too.  Not only do I have a few beads, I also have a largeish collection of broken necklaces, odd earrings and general shiney bits from, well, all over really.

So I got playing, sorry, I mean working

And a matching pair of earrings too

I’ve even listed them in my folksy shop too, so if you fancy some vintage glamour pop over and have a look!

However

To see if it would work and what form’s I could create with it, I crocheted to the dimensions of a glass and used that as a base.  I also used a firm stitch, a rib to help the form.

So this is the first attempt.  I had to stiffen it twice in the end as the fabric was quite thick, but it worked!

So next idea was to see if a lacy one would work

It worked better than a thicker fabric and I do love the shadows it creates and how delicate it looks.  The next idea came from my love of the details on clothes, I particularly have a thing for buttonholes and buttons. 

This too is firm, but it’s not quite how I imagined, the button loops should be finer.  The final one was just to try a different shape.

Think I like it, not sure.  As before I need to look at them for a while and think.  The lacey one is definitely my favourite and I think this is the direction I’ll try again, but try to combine some more ‘details’ maybe.

I found 3 small glass jars (it must be a sign of age, being bought jams for Christmas, I don’t remember receiving them before…) that are 8 cm high and I like that there are 3 so I can try a few different ideas.

I like them, primarily because they are 3.  They are red as that is what I had most of.  I like that they have a rigid structure.  I like the different shapes.

I want something more organic though.  I was going for a glass effect, but its not me, I don’t really do ‘bright.  Also not so rigid, more curvy, more natural.  I think.  And bigger.  The only problem is that if I want it bigger and freeform will it hold the structure, I won’t be able to stiffen it if it isn’t a standard shape to sort of mold onto something.  I think I maybe have to create a rigid base to work on initially.

Right, off to the drawing board again!

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?

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?