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…
Edit
hopefully you can find me here:
Must stop experimenting…
I didn’t realise how much of a short attention span I must have, there’s me, complaining about my boys and their severely short attention spans and it turns out they must take after me. This keeping a blog thing has made me realise that I’m great at getting ideas, often turning them into reality (either by mistake or design) but what I am incapable of doing is following them through with further progression – its always onto the next idea.
So no more! I have ‘experimented’ with my last new idea, I am only going to explore ideas I have already set in motion, like this one I started yesterday…
Its made from scraps of Amy Butler fabric I’ve had for a while, a bit of an old dress, an old shirt and a favourite but broken necklace, and of course a bit of crochet, a double shell trim that I extended to fit the flap.
I boxed the corners and lined it with interlining to give it some stiffness so it retains its shape. I’m now envisaging a whole range of them, all the same shape but with different fabrics and crochet bits SO I’M NOT GOING TO LOOK IN OR WRITE IN MY IDEAS BOOK. I’m going to work on this for a while, and my curtain ring jewellery, I think that can go a lot further too.
So it is written down I am only going to work on those two ideas, although its half term next week so If I manage to do anything it will be a miracle!
On a last note, the latest issue of that fab magazine Beads and Beyond has a tutorial for my Miyuki earrings. Those flowers are what I made that evening necklace and my beautiful green bracelet from as well – ooh – another idea I need to pursue…
Not my New Years Resolution list
23rd December 09
New year resolution lists really wind me up, who actually Carry’s them on beyond February? If I’m being honest its the idea that you have to do it – everyone else is. WHAT THE POINT!!!
Having said that I have a list that happens to correspond the the chiming of the new year, purely because I’ve been mad busy making stuff for Christmas and that rush has finished, I now have time. That’s my reasoning and I’m sticking to it!
So, I really want to sort out my website. I’ve only had a couple of sales through it, they all come from Folksy, so I think i’m going to remove that bit. I also want to make it more atractive. Having said all this I have NO idea how to actually do all this, a friend set it up and I can’t ask them again, so make the most of it before I crash everything.
I also struggle with the light taking photos, our house is a long narrow terraced house with absolutely no natural light, well, not much. So i’m going to figure out some sort of light box – sounds good – again have no idea – watch this well light space!
Finally I’m not the most organised, I have bits of paper everywhere with ideas, patterns, notes, drawings, receipts. So I have started already. I bought a couple of books yesterday and spent a happy hour cutting and sticking with the kids (so it was justified)
Ideas book
Patterns book
see what I did there…there’s no flys on me I tell you!
And just to show I’m still crocheting, a pair of funky handwarmers for me.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
