I have been crocheting, lots actually!  3/4 way through ‘Zany’ for my mum, I am thinking of turning those crocheted and knitted squares into a blanket and have done some bigger ones, I need opinions though so will photograph and will be asking you soon, also it was a good friends 60th last week.  If it wasn’t for this lady me and my other half wouldn’t get any nights out at all really and the boys adore her and strangely she adores the boys!  She loves bright colours and chunky jewellery so I bought her a gorgeous silver and turquoise bracelet and was going to make a box to put it in, but it was a funny size, so, resort to what you know!

I’m not sure what the thread is, just a mercerised cotton I think in ecru, I used a number 2 hook.  To make the pulls for fastening I was going to do that twisty thing with a pencil and a door handle to make a cord, but I wanted neat ends that joined up, so I googled how to crochet a double crochet base which gave a lovely cord.  Before I sewed the ends together I threaded on a crocheted curtain ring so you could pull them to fasten it.

I will be back soon asking for advice re blanket!

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!

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!

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…

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?

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.

It did take a while to figure out, the instructions are not that clear and there was a mistake printed too but I will persever with it.  I love the chunkyness of it and that fact it looks like knit.  I’m think i’m going to make this into a bag, but this has definitely taken over the top of my list of new projects, especially with winter coming!

Update:  I’ve finished my bag!  I’m quite pleased with it, if I was to do more I need to tweek it a bit.  The handles are off an old favourite bag that wore out last year, It was perfect in size and I wasn’t happy when I really couldn’t repair it any more, but it lives on!  I’ve lined it with some thick denim left over from some curtains, which give it a bit more structure and I put a little pocket in side for my phone.

my new bag Ta-darrr!

Spurred on by something I’ve been working on for a magazine article, one thing led to another and before you knew it I was cutting up plastic bags.

I kinda have done something similar for the folksy upcycle christmas challange last year, where I cut up a duvet and made that doily floor rug, but this had to be something new, so I thought more delicate.

So this

became this

 became this

and with the aid of a crochet hook became this

and with the addition of bits from charity shops and an old chandelier – became this!

What do you think?  I really like it, the flowers look pearlescent and rich and feel gloriously soft and light.  which I think contrasts nicly with the chunky chain. 

Glamorous evening wear, just don’t tell anyone its from a Morrisons plastic bag!

First up is the shocking pink, organic, fair trade scarf.  I saw this on Ruffles And Stuff’s blog, from a link on crafteroo and fell in love immediately with it.  So simple, so recycled and plain fab!  I used an old top of mine that I’d ear marked for this exact project ages ago and seeing as Emma likes bright colours, and I have like a gazillion scarves, I thought I should make it for her instead!

What do you think?  (excuse the face, It was 7.30am and Rich was rushing to work, the boys were trying to sort out their breakfasts, mornings aren’t generally good etc etc…)

It is such a simple pattern, and coming in at 158 inches makes for lots of drape!

Second up is a little pot I crocheted, from an old music tape from my long and distant carefree youth (the Prodigy if you were interested!), no pattern, just sort of made it up as I went along.  Although a little squeaky to work with, it is so soft when crocheted and has a fabulous sheen to it so it almost looks like woven metal.  Topped off with a button from my stash.  Look at the gorgeous shadows it makes

I also added some buttons in an upcycled paper bag ( an idea I complety pinched from Rachel of contented who I did the pincushion swap with and will use again and again as it was fab!), some ribbon and a lush bar of fairtrade chocolate.  With it being a completely green swap I made a couple of boxes from a cereal box to pack everything in that were very bright and quirky and I like them!

Luckily Emma loves her scarf and pot and I’m sure the chocolate has gone down a treat!  For this swap I was organised for a change and sent it early, with us being away last week, so when Emma sends her bits through I’ll let you have a peek!