I’d forgotton how versatile this technique is, and I’ve been using different things to cover like bracelets.

My first experiments:

What do you think?

I’ve been a bit busy with the hook again, this time a number 4,  starting my 2010 challange early using up odd balls of wool I have in my now depleating stash.  Yay me!

We went away at the beginning of the week, we’d booked a cottage as a suprise for my dads 60th, it was wonderful, near Leighton Buzzard, on the edge of the Grand Union Canal, we had snow and sun and a brilliant pub in walking distance – what more could a girl, or her wonderful dad want!  While there my mum showed me some fingerless gloves she’d done, from a pattern.  They were gorgeous and it got my little brain thinking I could do that – but better obviously!  So, after playing with my number 4 and some trebles, here are the results, now in my folksy shop for £20 a set, bargain for Christmas I say!

Just a quick one, I’ve just made my earrings for tonight, in fact they are the second pair, the first didn’t go with the necklace, so what do you think?  (if you click your mouse on any off my photos, they’ll enlarge)

I made a couple of my ring buttons for the main part, unfortunatly here in South Wales, the weather is dull dull dull so the picture isn’t as clear as it should be, but i’m pleased with them, and they are nice and light too, and jingle – I like to jingle!

(I didn’t make the necklace, it was off a wonderful friend)

I am rubbish at this blog keeping aren’t I, could you imagine if I kept a diary?  The diary itself would be a beautifully handbound book with lots of inviting crisp white pages, I would sully it with enthusiasum on the 1st of January, probably with a list of what I intended to document, and it would go downhill from there…

However, I do have valid excuses, the boys are back at school so its getting into the routine of clubs, I only got the time of 2 of them wrong, 1 by an hour, the other by a day!  And I have just finished a hugely exciting, though for the time being very secret, project that if it comes off will be FANTASTIC!

The other project that has been keeping me busy is also secret, though for a different reason!  I’ve signed up for another swap over on incy wincy stitches blog

and I am very excited!  Ive been partnered with Gemma from jimjam sandwich and her stuff is beautiful!  I love her use of fabrics and delicate embroidery, look at these

and she has a 15% discount in her folksy shop for National Cupcake week, I’ve got my eye on that blue one! 

I’ve had great fun making Gemma’s jewellery, her favourite colours are teal and cerise, and i’m really pleased with what i’ve done.  Its an idea i’ve had trundling through my head for a while, and I think i’ll do some for my shop, but I can’t post any pics, it’ll spoil the supprise!

I’ve finished the bag, using those fab handles.  I tried a few swatches of chunky and aran type crochet stitches, but none seemed quite right.  So I got all my wools out (and let my mind luxuriate in all the colourful beauty of it) then, because I obviously have patchwork on my mind at the minute, I came up with this:

I am really pleased with it, the colours and textures go together well, and it was fun to do, almost like painting.  This is definatly a direction I want to explore further.

I’ve lined the bag in brown cord, and vileane so that it is quite solid, with a magnetic snap closure.  Unfortunatly the weather here is wet and grey, no good for photos, so I took a couple for here, but will take some better ones for the shop, hopefully soon!

I’ve also finished the squares for the granny square swap,

I’ll post some picures when Sam and Izabella have recived them, I really hope they like them!

Finally, I experimented with the Silver Egyptian square, but I need some silver wire, the colours I have don’t go, so I had a little play with what I intended to experiment with at another time, combining buttons, seams, crocheted edgings and fabrics.

The fabric is off a top I customised, and the buttons are made from bits in my fabric box.  The edging is called a Double Shell Trim, and is really simple to do.  I’m quite excited about the posibilities with this, i’ll keep you updated!