Crocheted Vessels – part 2
After the first experiment I was trying for a more organic form this time. Essential to that I wanted the vessels to be self supporting. But how? I’ve used pva before as a stiffener but it does alter the yarn and the feel of the fabric created, makes it feel harsher. I’ve also used starch in the past and that can soften over time, so I tried fabric stiffener this time.
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.
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?
Plans
Aside from the mundane though needed plans i.e get a job, write more tutorials for the magazines while trying to find a job, complete the maths course I’m struggling through to help me get the said job… I’m talking about more interesting and fun plans.
This year I want to concentrate on creating some ‘vessels’ from crochet. I’m not going to worry about producing cost effective things for my shops – I want to get really creative and experimentive again. I can’t say much more as I don’t know, I just feel the need to experiment, so look out for hopefully interesting though possibly bizarre photos soon, I’ll document the process here.
I do like to have a few things on the go at once though and have been crocheting a scarf for myself over Christmas from lace weight wool. Its a sort of sampler and I’m making it up as I go along. It a lovely merino silk mix in my favourite teal colour and is so light and delicate. I got the wool from fyberspates, it is a dream to work with.
Next my mum bought me a lovely Japanese crochet book last year and I have been wanting to make this since then though am slightly intimidated by it.
I do like a challange and this is certainly that, but it would be so worth it. To cover myself immediatly I am not envisaging finishing this in 2011, I definately see this as an ongoing thing!
A couple of other things, a shawl I’ve secretly started, its a pattern I saw on ravelry and it is gorgeous and quick apparently and I can so see me wearing it in France this summer… pics in the next post. Then there is the lamp I’m covering in patchwork (for the past 3 years) that is nearly finished now and if I’m honest lots of other bits started all over the place. Oh yes, and I signed up for the valentines swap on crafteroo – don’t say anything!
Crocheted and (very) upcycled coat hangers
I have been looking for old fashioned coat hangers to cover for ages but in Barry at least, its nigh on impossible. I love the look of them, it is something akin to granny squares I think, the colours, texture, associations with the past, let alone the practicality of them.
As is often the case it was the last place you would think to look that you find it. The local pound shop. A pack of 4 covered in an awful lilac nylon/polyester/god knows what for £1.99 – wah-hey!
I was going to rip off the covering, in fact I did, but then put it on again as it served as a great padding. So using up yet more remenants I crocheted a chain the length of the hanger and worked two in double crochet and 2 in my favourite up and down stitch, alternating trebles and doubles. I crocheted till it was wide enough to wrap round the hanger then I cut the end leaving a longtail to sew it together along the underside. Before I did that I found the middle of the crochet and just hooked the hanger through. I then embellished them with some flowers, ribbons and buttons.
2 in cream
and I thought, why not do 2 to match my clothes – thats not taking coathanger love too far is it ?!
Aren’t they fabulous, my favourite is one with the teal flower, it matches my favourite cardie and best of all, the ribbons are of my cardie from those annoying long hanging things you get in garments and the beads came off an old necklace!
Finally I thought I’d show you what I bought in the sales. Its things like this that make me want to get good at dressmaking, I think I’ll let the pictures do the talking!
Waterfalls, hospital and a bit of origami!
I’ve been amiss with my postings for a while, lots going on, some good, some bad and some a ****** nightmare! However this does mean I have lots to share that I will spread out over a few posts, though we are away camping with friends again next week so I will be carrying on with my amiss-ness for a while longer, if such a thing exists.
Last Sunday it was glorious here in South Wales, so we took a 40 minute trip up the motorway to Glyn Neath, Breacons waterfall country. It was stunning, quiet, a bit dangerous (though thats probably just us) a bit hard trekking up and down but so, so worth it.
The first one we discovered Sgwd Gwladus
This picture just doesn’t do it justice, its in a deep sort of gorge surrounded by lush greens. We climbed up to the top and laid on the ledge that the water falls off, holding onto the boys legs VERY tightly!
The next one we visited was The Horseshoe Falls, several semi circular waterfalls and there would have been lots more pictures
however Tom slipped by the far one and broke the fall with his chin, cutting it right open in a nice clear line. We were in the middle of nowhere, with only narrow muddy tracks leading eventually to the car – a good half an hour away. Though I had a packet of clean tissues – go mum.
Tom was so brave, with dad holding his chin together and me hurrying Adam along we made it in 20 minutes! So, after a bit of glue and several steri strips he is over the moon that he is going to have a proper scar now, and a great story to tell his friends about his brave trek while severely injured!
One of my crafteroo buddies, Vintage Violet has had one of her fab tutorials featured on a brilliant website of awesome turorials . While checking it out I saw the gorgeous Kusudama Ball and just had to have a go. I tried it in thick paper first and quite a large square about 20cm.
But thought it would be too large and chunky to complete, so I started another one with papers from a magazine. I also didn’t glue them, I used double sided which does make it a lot quicker.
Itsn’t it fab! I love it and its not as complicated as it looks, and quite theraputic too, folding all those bits of paper. I can see a mulitude of uses already, unlike the husband who really cannot see any at all, and my oldest who was about to drop kick it – see what I have to live with!
The instructions are clear to follow, one of the folds confused me a little but a quick scout around utube made it clear. This one was made using 10cm squares, and does grow quickly – I think they’ll be breeding fast!
A sneaky peek at my new Winter 2010 Collection
You may have guessed from previous posts that I am loving crochet cable at the minute, it is so effective and just plain gorgeous!
Ignoring my stash busting 2010 promise (its only the second time – honest, and I have good reason too!) I mean, I can’t create a whole new range from my poor selection of odd balls of acrylic can I?
So, I’ve bought some gorgeous aran, among other gorgeous wool that I’ll show you soon, and have been playing with some new ideas for scarflettes, cowls and gloves. They were quite a good seller last winter so I wanted to improve on my designs a bit more.
Its still in the early stages, (2 sport mad boys off school FOREVER are not conducive to creativity of the crochet sort) but I am really pleased with how its going so far, what do you think?
I’m working on a couple of different designs and I need to get a friend round so I can photograph her wearing them, not me twisting my arm in the mirror – but hopefully they should be in my shops in around a month!
Crocheted shell bowl
Well, the title pretty much gives it away!
I’ve had an idea in the back of my head for a while for creating bowls though didn’t intend to work on it till I’d exhausted my bag ideas first, but when I saw those shell bracelets in the sale the other day, well they were just sitting there and the football was on…
What do you think?
I’m quite pleased, these shells are quite heavy so I had to make the fabric dense to support their weight, so my fingers are killing me! I like the combination of rough, simple string and the lustrous, deep shells. I think I’d like to do another one but make this more curved and possibly more Lacy, though that might have to involve some sort of starch, I don’t know, but definitely it has possibilities!
A plea, and a new idea!
Over on UK Handmade they are getting a petition up to bring back a second series of the Mastercrafts programme, as the BBC have said that even though the first one was hugely successful they have decided not to recommission it. So if you have a minute please pop over to UK handmade here and sign their petition, they want to get as many signatures as possible and they will present it to the BBC with as much publicity as they can.
I rarely go into town, but needed a few bits so I managed to fit in a quick wander – when what did I see in the sale? Oohh, I could do something with that I thought, I popped over to Wilko’s and got some string too. I’m posting now because my fingers are KILLING with this wonderful new idea and they needed a break. If they recover I’ll post some pictures soon!
Green Swap goodies
Well, Emma aka bagladee has received her parcel…. and I can show you what I made!
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!
Yes, i’m finally on it, I’ve got a fan page under ‘Hooked Yarn’ and I’m slowly figuring it out. I’m aware I sound like my Nan, but it really is like learning a new language but in some ways it is harder! You flick from page to page, finding some advice on one, reading it then flicking onto the next one and before you know it you’re 5 pages on and can’t remember how you got there so can’t find it again!
I am slllloooowwwwwlllllyyyy getting there, but on the plus side there is so much interesting stuff to find, and this morning I was chatting to a friends mum I haven’t seen for years – Hey Nita!
Right, I’m having a break from the screen and do some nice simple quiet crochet – before I get the monsters…
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