tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84758339602320051322024-03-14T01:21:08.325+00:00A Bunch Of ButtonsA crocheter hopelessly addicted to mothering... or maybe the other way around...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-76687048994709762912014-10-29T21:33:00.000+00:002014-10-29T21:33:11.138+00:00Pickled SheepLast year at <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/">Yarndale</a>, my good friend<a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.co.uk/"> Curly Girl Coop</a> surprised me with a course in Yarn Dyeing. It was good messy fun, and I vowed I would do some more at home. You didn't need expensive items - undyed yarn, a microwave, some dyes and plenty of stuff to mop up the mess with! We experimented with a variety of dyes, from acid based to plain old food colouring. My efforts looked something like this...<br />
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and here's the actual piece of sheep I dyed. Look at those curls!</div>
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It was great to see how different materials soaked up the dye differently. I loved it, and my friend obviously knew this as for Christmas she bought me these beauties... </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMnPYX-vfOI/VFAD-_i5sCI/AAAAAAAAGhs/6eb2-kSVeGg/s1600/Yarn%2BDyeing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMnPYX-vfOI/VFAD-_i5sCI/AAAAAAAAGhs/6eb2-kSVeGg/s1600/Yarn%2BDyeing.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Excuse the small hand, but she couldn't help rearranging the packets as I was trying to photograph them! That's a hank of aran weight merino yarn, and four colours of that American drink thing - Kool-Aid. Finally, 9 months later, I got started on yarn dyeing adventures. I took the opportunity whilst Little P was at nursery one afternoon, I most definitely did not need her help here!</div>
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I started by reading up on dyeing with Kool-Aid. It is acid-based, which helps to set the colour. Some dyes you need to add vinegar, but no need with this. I did read that some people added vinegar to the water when soaking the yarn to boost the acidity as it helps to keep the colour bright and vibrant. I did just this. </div>
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When wool gets wet, it just smells like a wet sheep. I guess it essentially is that really. When wool is soaking in a mix of vinegar and water, it just smells like a pickled sheep. Luckily, when you burst open the sachets of Kool-Aid, all bad smells are covered up by a deliciously fruity aroma. I used 2 sachets of Kool-Aid in a small beaker of water and mixed it up well. I wanted my colours to be vibrant and not wishy-washy.</div>
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All set up and ready to go...</div>
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I laid out my hank in a hoop shape and decided to roughly colour each quarter a different colour and blend them at the joins... I toyed with the idea of just using red and orange as they blend so well... but plumped for going all out with the 4 colours. There are plenty of more opportunities for stylish yarn, this was pure fun!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFAAAw4JLJQ/VFFU_nTAjhI/AAAAAAAAGj4/qUvvTh1wLKI/s1600/Yarn%2BDyeing7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFAAAw4JLJQ/VFFU_nTAjhI/AAAAAAAAGj4/qUvvTh1wLKI/s1600/Yarn%2BDyeing7.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Using a plastic syringe, I squirted the colours on, rubbing them into the yarn and making sure they all soaked in. You could squeeze out the excess liquid, but you would end up with paler coours. So mine was dripping with dye to keep it bright. So far so good. The next part was the tricky part for me. I carefully transferred the dripping yarn to a microwaveable deep dish thing, and covered it well with cling film. This was tricky to do, as I didn't want the colours to touch too much and become contaminated. Alas, with so much dye on it, that was impossible...</div>
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Microwaving the whole lot sets the dye. It's dead easy too. I just stuck it on high power for 5 minutes - you want it to boil and the water it's in to become clear. It had a bit longer after 5 minutes, but not too much as the cling film begins to look as if it is going to burst...</div>
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After it was cool enough to handle, I gave it a rinse. Phew, no colour leakage! Then I took a look at it. Mixed results - great bright colours, but lots of areas where colours had merged to create 'brownish' splodges...</div>
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As you can see, the bottom picture shows some of the contaminated areas. Hmm... On the plus side, there were also some lovely colours in there too... Time to dry it off on the washing line!</div>
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Once it was completely dried, I got out the trusty yarn ball winder and balled that thing up!</div>
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Now that's what I'm talking about! The dodgy colours get completely lost in the ball and you can't notice them at all.</div>
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Love it! Overall, very happy with the results in my first foray into dyeing with Kool-Aid. Would I do it again? You bet! I may like to try with a cotton yarn next time as I use those types much more. I'm not sure if cotton would work as well, but I'd like to try! </div>
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Next question was what would I make with this? I'm not all that good at wearing wool, as it makes me itch, so a scarf or hat was out of the question. But I could probably handle some gloves, fingerless ones at that! I noticed my hands were getting a little nippy on the handlebars when biking Little P to nursery, so that would be perfect!</div>
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When I looked at this yarn, I really thought the star stitch may really show off the colours, so I made a swatch... sorry about the quality, but these two pictures are from <a href="http://instagram.com/abunchofbuttons">my Instagram feed</a>...</div>
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and here are the finished fingerless gloves, made following this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/star-stitch-hand-warmers">free pattern by Hilah Kellner</a>. </div>
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I must say they are bright, but I somewhat love them. They aren't too itchy at all on my hands either. It is a very satisfying feeling knowing that not only have I crocheted these, but I've also the yarn, making them totally unique. I really enjoyed my adventures in yarn dyeing and hope to do some more soon, probably not until the New Year now, as it's a busy run up to, dare I say it, Christmas! </div>
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Thanks for stopping by, until next time :)</div>
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-80386600438324248142014-10-28T22:16:00.001+00:002014-10-28T22:17:46.317+00:00The Adventures of KikiWow, it's been another age since I last dropped in here. I have so many good intentions, and with Little P at nursery every afternoon for a while, I thought I'd have more time for things like this - but I seem to have less if anything! How does that work?<br />
It's been another busy few weeks, settling the Little Lady into nursery routine, which she has finally got used to just as half term arrives! Also, adopting a 4 month old kitten from the RSPCA has eaten up a fair amount of my time. She is so lovely, such a nice temperament and great fun, but definitely scatty and crazy and keeps me on my toes. It's like having two children. I know there is a big cliche of cats and wool... but I guess I didn't entirely think that through when adopting Kiki! She goes crazy for it, absolutely nuts. she loves grabbing the balls in her mouth and making off with them. She looks as pleased as punch with herself too. It's made crochet difficult at best - I have scratches all over my hands from fending her off! I even designate a small ball of wool for her, but it's not as interesting as the one I'm currently using! And then there is batting the hook. Catching the dangling stitch markers. Emptying the stuffing all over the floor. Crochet is now a battle of wits with the cat, but it is also very funny I have to admit. My Instagram feed is mainly full of Kiki related catastrophes and woolly disasters at the moment.<br />
Meet the Kiki, A.K.A. 'Squeaky' ...<br />
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There has been crafting... mainly crochet. First up, I finally managed to finish the 'As We Go Stripey Blanket' (<a href="http://notyouraveragecrochet.com/as-we-go-stripey-blanket/">pattern here</a>) <br />
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As I have said before, it was a love-hate blanket. Love the pattern and colours, do not like the wavy edges. It is a well written pattern, and I'm glad I went for it, but it's not one with a 'flow' that you really get into and can carry on watching the telly whilst making, as you have to swap pattern every line almost, and do lots of counting and checking. Now it's finished, the wobbly edges bother me less as it is rarely laid out completely flat, but crumpled on the sofa, usually with a child or a kitten on it! It's had a lot of use already, in fact, the kitten is laid out on it right now.<br />
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I also made a few hats, as it is getting a bit cooler now, especially when I whizz Little P to nursery on the back of the bike. I had my eyes on a pattern for a while now - <a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/all-grown-up-striped-slouch-hat/">The All Grown Up Slouch Hat by Moogly</a> and just needed to find yarn to go with it. I don't get on with wearing wool, I just itch, so wanted a cotton based yarn. I suddenly remembered a certain yarn I had squished in a John Lewis haberdashery once before - Rowan Softknit Cotton - an aran weight cotton blend which is super soft, non-itchy and in some yummy colours. After playing around with a colour palette, I settled upon these...<br />
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It's hard to get a picture that does it justice, as it looks very different when it's slouched on a head! I love love love the way the back-post double crochet makes 'ridges' around it, almost like rows of surface crochet...<br />
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I really love wearing it! Super snuggly! May have to make a snood to go with it. I would make everything out of this yarn if I could!<br />
On the topic of hats, Little P brought two little friends home over a weekend from nursery. We had to do the usual - write in a little diary what we did with the cuddly toys and take pictures of the fun we had with them. First thing the Little Lady asked for was for me to make little hats for them... so obviously I did!<br />
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Two miniature MyBoshi's for two little nursery friends! When we returned them to nursery, I was commissioned by one of the staff to make a pink hat for a little girl who is undergoing chemotherapy and has lost all her hair. I was more than happy to do so, in fact I made 2. One earflap hat to keep her warm in winter, and a prettier one made from the super-soft leftover Rowan Softknit Cotton I used for my hat...<br />
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The top one is made from MyBoshi yarn and is a pattern I made up as I went along... I did take notes as I think Little P wants one too now! And the bottom one is made from Rowan Softknit Cotton and is from a pattern called Perenni and is available as a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/perenni">free Ravelry download</a>. It's the second one I have made, and it's a lovely little hat. I really hope these fit the little girl they are going to, as it's not easy guessing sizes!<br />
One of Little P's good friends turned 5 earlier this month, and I made her an 'E' shaped cushion, to match her sister's 'A' shaped one I made her earlier this year. I do like these chunky letters, but they are a bind to put together nicley! The instructions are so well written and diagrams help loads, which makes it a bit easier!<br />
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That's my Little Lady modelling it! They are fun things, and would love to make more, but I just can't do them too close, as they do test my patience a bit! If you fancy a go, patterns for all letters can be bought through <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/one-3d-letter---crochet-pattern-pdf-pattern-for-one-letter-only">Ravelry in the CAROcreated store</a>.<br />
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I have been designing amigurumi again, in the form of a monster. My friend had a little boy earlier this month, and after a flurry of girl babies it was fun to make something boyish. I drew a few monsters in Little P's colouring book with wax crayons one morning and decided I would make one of them. I love making monsters, so much fun. I made up 'Spike' as I went along, (named Spike as that's what my friend would like to have called her little man if she had no boundaries!) and he turned out something like this...<br />
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I rather like him, although I think I would tweak his bottom a bit so he sits flatter and not so pear-shaped. That monster took ages due to the amount of time spent recovering balls of yarn from a certain kitten. Oh the joys!<br />
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I am conscious that this post is getting lengthy, and I'm getting tired, so I shall leave the second part for tomorrow. That is my adventures in yarn dyeing. Seems like ages ago, but only just got around to uploading photos and sorting them all out. So watch this space... yarn dyeing coming this way very soon!A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-86132774070721522312014-09-20T14:48:00.000+01:002014-09-20T14:48:00.541+01:00To BuntIt has been an age since I last fired up the laptop and got to this point of sitting down and preparing to write. It's also been an age since I turned the laptop on and was able to even get to this stage. First, there was a mountain of photos to sort through and edit, then upload. And then I actually have to remember what has happened over the last couple of months, and what I even intend to say... so here goes!<br />
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Somehow time has skipped to mid-September all of a sudden, and a whole summer holidays has been and gone. It was indeed nice, had a few days out - rock pooling on the North Norfolk coast, wildlife parks, boating trips on the Norfolk Broads to name but a few. Oh, and the family trip to London - Little Lady's first 'proper' holiday. </div>
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She was not much into the idea of going away anywhere (a summer holiday-long problem, some insecure phase she went through!) but nevertheless we made our way out of 'the Bump' as she calls it (that's East Anglia to the rest of us) and ventured to the Big Smoke. It was a home from home really, as we stayed at my Auntie and Uncle's house, so plenty of home comforts and toys for Little P to play with. And she did. We got out and about a lot too, showing her the sights, travelling by as many means as possible - underground, overground (wombling free), boat, bus and cable car. We had a lovely time, my particular favourites were the Emirates Airline cable car-thingy and seeing the memorial poppies 'spewing out' around the Tower of London...</div>
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It really is quite a sight. I didn't take too many pictures as I really couldn't be bothered to keep getting the camera out on busy streets whilst trying to juggle a buggy too, but this is one of my faves I shot, looking down Whitehall back at the Houses of Parliament, and the sun catching it just right...</div>
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I love London. I couldn't live there as the business frustrates me, but it's such a great city and I never get sick of visiting it!</div>
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Amongst all the frivolities of summer, there has been much crafting. New endeavors, old favourites, and plenty in between.<br />
My favourite makes recently have been for a delightful little arrival - a new baby girl cousin for Little P. I met the little cutie the other day for the first time, and was able to deliver my presents to her and her big sister. I had made a baby blanket for her a while back, but can now show it off! I used Lion Brand Baby's First chunky cotton yarn and 3 colours plus white - I love the palette, babyish but without being wishy-washy like some baby yarns can be...<br />
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It's very chunky and soft, but at the sametime breathable as it is cotton. Perfect for the upcoming colder months. I used the free pattern by <a href="http://www.thestitchinmommy.com/2013/12/shell-stitch-baby-blanket-free-pattern.html">The Stitchin Mommy</a> as a guide... super easy to follow and with chunky weight yarn, works up really quick too.<br />
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I love it, and want to make more of these, quick, fun and very pleasing! Here she is in her full glory...<br />
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I hope little Cora enjoys this blanket as much as I did making it! I also made some bunting for the girls - as I knew their Mummy loves the crochet bunting! Some for the newborn...<br />
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and for the big sister...<br />
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I made this using Lily Sugar 'n Cream Solids - 100% cotton worsted weight yarn. I love this yarn, the colours, the stitch definition, the way it doesn't split hardly at all when crocheting. I also love playing about with the colours when designing bunting - the last few I have made have all had 'neutral' triangles with coloured edges, so it was fun to reverse it this time!<br />
This is also when Little P, whilst studying her bunting above her bed asks 'Mummy, why did you bunt my name?' Yes I thought, what a good verb - <i>to bunt</i>. It should be added to our language. I often find myself bunting names right now.<br />
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The little piles of freshly pressed triangles melt my heart!<br />
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I have also had more fun with Lily Sugar 'n Cream - making more moss stitch covers for iPad and iPhone. I call it 'moss stitch' as that was what the pattern I first followed called it, and if you search for moss stitch, it comes up with that, although someone has informed me that this is in fact 'linen stitch'. Apparently moss stitch alternates between single and double crochet, whereas linen stitch uses single crochet and chains only. Whatever it is truly called I love it - works up quickly and creates many different effects depending on how you use the colours. For example, working alternate coloured rows and white rows gives you a 'spotted' effect...<br />
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That's from my <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/loose-ends.html">bolster cushion</a> I made a while back. Here is the first iPad cozy made from my own free guide available <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/ipad-cozy.html">here</a>. It is made with tropical summery colours in mind...<br />
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It has a reverse single crochet border and double button detailing to fasten...<br />
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And another, using colours inspired by <a href="http://society6.com/product/three-stripes-summer-brights_print#1=45">this piece of art</a> by Her Art. Summery goodness...<br />
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I wish I used a smaller hook for this one though, as you can see there are a few gappy bits when the iPad is in, but I do love it!<br />
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I also toyed around with a smaller one to house my phone if I sling it in my bag - it just gives a bit of protection...<br />
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And a mossy-montage...<br />
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Also on the crochet front, the 'as we go stripey blanket' as striping as it slowly goes. I have been picking it up in the evening again recently, and it has started growing after somewhat of a break. It is a love/hate blanket. I love the colours and different stitches, and it looks pretty. But on the other side I can't deal with the 'wavy' edges that using all these different stitches creates. I have read that when the border goes on it does pull straighter. I shall continue to stripe away and see how it turns out!<br />
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Other crafting adventures have included painting old furniture and flower pots - pictures next time! And making this card for my brother and his girlfriend who have just bought their first house together...<br />
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It is made with different papers, a Copic Multiliner and POSCA glitter markers. I had great fun making this one afternoon whilst Little P was at nursery... which has been an eventful time in our lives! 2 weeks in and she is getting better there - gets upset leaving me but then has a great afternoon playing and joining in with everything. She just likes to make it hard for me dropping her off!<br />
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I have also been playing with the camera in the garden as usual. I love patterns and design in nature. This sunflower head sums it up...<br />
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and this dew drop covered spider web...<br />
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We also met these creepy looking characters in the garden one afternoon - a sycamore moth caterpillar I have since found out. Would make sense as they were on our little maple tree!<br />
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Now I must be off, a bit more flower pot painting before Little P returns and is a bit too helpful! Until next time..<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-300481502612272002014-07-13T14:59:00.000+01:002014-07-13T15:09:41.011+01:00Quilt LoveI thought I'd just give a quick update on the craft swap with <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/">FromTwelveToTwoFifteen</a>... well as planned last Sunday I quickly popped over to where she was staying, dodging rain showers and traffic in town and we happily swapped blankets! Very happily! I was so eager to see the patchwork quilt she had made for Little P after seeing photos of it on her blog... It did not disappoint!<br />
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It's so bright and cheerful and each and every fabric is lovely - I like just sitting and looking at them all and how well they work together! </div>
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It certainly is a feast for the eyes. It's so soft and squishy too. My favourite part is the edging...</div>
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and how it works so well with the fabric on the back. Amazing. I wouldn't know where to start when making one of these but I'm so glad Maddy does! Little P also loves it too. She spotted it as soon as she walked in and promptly made herself a bed on the floor with it and asked it she could sleep under it all night. I like it because it is just the right amount of 'girl'... It's not covered in pink, pink, pink, but it's definitely a little girl's blanket! Love it! So glad we did the swap! Here's a look at some of the fabrics...</div>
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It will definitely be a Forever Quilt... so thank you so much <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/">FromTwelveToTwoFifteen</a>! </div>
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I've been getting on with new crochet projects since the completion of the <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-crafty-swap.html">big granny square blanket</a>. It didn't take long at all to get inspired for new things, and with plenty of babies on the way again (not my own!) why not start with a baby project? Something not quite so big as the last project!</div>
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I'm not usually a fan of baby yarns. Don't get me wrong, I love the softness and squishiness, but it's the colour palette available that gets me. Pale pink. Pale blue. Yellow. White. That's it. I like bright and vibrant colours usually. But it just so happens that the idea I had for my latest yarny venture called for these colours. After looking at my own stash and realising I did not have the correct colour combination available, it seemed only natural to order more yarn. What else? After scouting about the internet for various colour combinations and yarn weights, I settled on Lion Brand Baby's First - a chunky weight cotton blend yarn in just the right colours for what I wanted. I do love cotton and cotton blends! </div>
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So it is essentially pink, blue and yellow - traditional baby colours, but the blue is more 'teal-ish' and the pink is a bit stronger than many baby pinks. It's so lovely and squishy and nice to work with - it can split a bit but as long as you pay attention it's fine. Also being chunky weight, it works up really quickly, and I'm almost done! The only downside of this yarn is that it is only available in 9 colours - all quite pale and babyish. It would be awesome if it was available in a range of bright colours too, I would use it loads.</div>
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It's been a dull rainy week here in my part of the world. Except yesterday which was a scorcher. I've been papping in the garden again whilst Little P runs around playing. I soon know when she gets bored of me taking pictures as she tries to put her hand in every picture! Loads more daylilies out in the garden, but one of my fave plants, my Pineapple Lily (Eucomis bicolour) is in flower and looking great...</div>
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I have also had a stamp carving session but will show more of that when I finish the rest of it, but now I'm going to head off and try and squeeze in a bit of crochet before Little Lady returns, so until next time...</div>
A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-69692390026069353942014-07-05T20:42:00.000+01:002014-07-05T20:42:36.120+01:00The Crafty SwapYou may remember that once upon a time I mentioned a craft swap I'm doing with Maddy of <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/">From Twelve to Two Fifteen</a>... well the time is almost upon us to complete the task and swap creations. Tomorrow is the day, I'll venture over to see her whilst she is back in the UK and present her with what has been a mammoth project over the last few months... the giant granny square blanket.<br />
Firstly I was building up piles and piles of brightly coloured granny squares made from lovely yarn - Mostly Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran with some RICO Essentials Soft Merino Aran thrown in to complete the colour palette.<br />
This...<br />
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Became this...</div>
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which have eventually become this...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFKOroeJTSw/U7hEPJRteLI/AAAAAAAAFBU/k1Y5xRWqwQo/s1600/Maddy+Blanket1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFKOroeJTSw/U7hEPJRteLI/AAAAAAAAFBU/k1Y5xRWqwQo/s1600/Maddy+Blanket1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have to admit I love it, and this picture doesn't really do it justice at all. There are 100 granny squares (made using Attic 24's <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/summer-garden-granny-square.html">Summer Garden Granny Square </a>pattern) and they are all joined in one continuous motion using <a href="http://babylovebrand.net/2013/08/27/continuous-join-as-you-go-again/">this method</a> by Babylove Brand which I found very easy to follow! It actually all joined together quicker than I thought, and I will definitely be joining future granny square blankets in this way. Revelation. I have really enjoyed this project, and will miss it somewhat. I've had endless evenings of crocheting random colour squares and then the privilege of combining them to make a blanket which I hope will be greatly received. I have already had a preview of the quilt made for Little P, as Maddy finished a while back and posted about it <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/2014/05/14/the-forever-quilt/">here</a>... I have 'borrowed' a pic off her blog to show it off, but will no doubt take more photos when we receive it tomorrow!<br />
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Isn't it super lovely? Sewing is really not a craft I know a lot about, so I can't even imagine the work that went into this, but I know it will be huge amounts since it has been dubbed 'the forever quilt'! I know Little Lady will love it and spend many hours using it in her games and snuggling under it... as will I.<br />
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Here's a few more pics of the blanket, before I part with it... I think it deserved a montage...<br />
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and another full-body shot...<br />
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and a little look at it all packaged up...</div>
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and a close-up of that super little detail...<br />
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Yep, personalised wooden buttons bought for me by my trusty friend <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.com/">Curly Girl Coop</a>... the perfect detailing to finish it off!<br />
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So there was an enormous cavern left where the blanket once filled my evenings... but not for long. It seems it's baby time again... it always seems to come in gluts, 3 babies due close together, then none for months! So I'll be back on baby crafting for a bit, and see what else takes my fancy. I also still have the '<a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/what-difference-day-makes.html">As We Go Stripy Blanket</a>' which I started work on months ago but it went on the back-burner when the BIG granny blanket came along. I did find time last weekend to figure out and type up a pattern for a square I created last year (or maybe actually the year before that) as I have been asked a couple of times recently for a pattern for it. I have titled it 'The Popcorn Flower Square' and it can be found from a link at the top of the page or by simply clicking <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/popcorn-flower-square.html">here</a>.<br />
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I've also been enjoying the glorious sunshine over the last week, and have had lots of lovely days with my Little P, including trips to the park and beach. We took a day trip to Southwold earlier this week, which was great fun. Always such a lovely place to visit. I particularly love the shot of Little Lady wandering along the pier...<br />
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I've had great fun also playing with my camera, and trying to snap some nice shots of the nature around me. There are plenty of flowers in the garden to practice on, since I went overboard on my daylily collection a few years back! They are great plants, the flowers may only last a day but there are so many of them, staggered throughout the summer months. Here are a few of my faves...<br />
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I also found myself a teeny weeny baby cactus from a local exotic plant nursey, and look forward to watching him grow!<br />
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My cacti and succulent collection is coming along nicely... Now I realise I do have a few collections going on... ooops.<br />
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I also made it out into the countryside again with the Little One and spotted a few more of those Six-Spotted Burnet moths I took a photo of before. I managed to get close up this time and I am pretty proud of the photo I got...<br />
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Look at him drinking! I love it!<br />
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Right, got to go, I'm continuing on a new project and having a well deserved cup of tea. I shall update you all on the craft swap in due course! So until next time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-53032088233701815952014-06-14T22:49:00.001+01:002014-06-14T22:49:08.349+01:00PrioritiesWhen I embarked on this journey into Blogland, I had great ambitions. I would blog weekly. I would have lots of photos. I would design lots of new things and share them with the world. I would give anyone who took time to read my blog a little insight into the life of me. Weekly became fortnightly. Fortnightly became monthly, and now it is just when I get the chance to sit and organise myself.<br />
Blogging is something I very much enjoy, and think about a lot. I am always thinking of what I'll write, taking pictures and organising them. But actually taking the time to down write has fallen down my priorities list somewhat - until now, when I find myself waiting for the super-late England match to kick off!<br />
Anyone with a high-maintenance 3 year old will know that they will take up most of your time, and energy. Often when I finally get her to bed, I'm ready to hit the sack too. It's not just physical exhaustion, it's the mental too. Questions all day long, good ones too. Why is asked for everything. Why do apples float? Why why why... by the end of the day I have run out of answers!<br />
Of course, I am happy she is inquisitive and asks questions. She's growing up so fast and most of the time is a pleasure (she is very much still a nightmare at other times!) and I love being her Mum and am privileged to spend all the time I do with her.<br />
Spare time gets split between 'boring' household chores and routines and my little bubble of 'being me'. I have been indulging in what makes me happy and what I'm interested in over the last couple of years. Crochet fills a great deal of my creative time... and rubber stamp carving. And lots of other little things I love - music, art, plants, nature, rocks etc... When I sit back and look at my life and the things I have surrounded myself with, I realise I am very happy right now. I love my life - my girl, my family and friends, my hobbies and interests. One interest I have 'indulged' in recently is rocks and minerals... I have always been fascinated by rocks and minerals, the colours, patterns and forms they take on. I love opal... natural opal, not lab created stuff. I love my opal ring, and my Australian boulder opal pendant. I also have a small collection of stones and crystals which I am now able to display on a super shelf!<br />
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It is very much inspired by <a href="http://stoneandviolet.com/">Stone and Violet</a> but made by a friend who takes old wooden pallets and fashions them into furniture. I wondered if he could make smaller items so I dropped him a line and a day later he made the most beautiful mountain shelf! Any local people to me check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PalletWoodFurniture">Joe's Pallet Wood Furniture Facebook page</a>!<br />
Nature has also been filling my time. Spring is a super time of year, and last year you may remember I was preoccupied with nesting blackbirds in our garden... well this year it has been the turn of the goldfinch. Yep, such a beautiful little bird nested in a small tree outside our lounge window. Great viewpoint! The Little Lady and I spent many an hour sitting at the window chatting and spotting the birds as they were to and fro from the nest. I love her taking an interest too. I even tried some stealth photography to try and capture one of the babies who was peeping out of the nest...<br />
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Ahh baby goldfinch and a proud parent. I didn't see them fledge however. They were suddenly gone, but there are quite a few goldfinches about here at the moment so I hope they are doing OK. Last time I spied them, they were sitting right up on the edge of the nest and looked pretty big.<br />
I have been out and about with the camera snapping the beauty that is nature. Here are a couple of my faves:<br />
A single Allium flower opening<br />
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A trip to see some wild orchids at a local wildlife reserve was fruitful... there was a field littered with these amazing flowers...<br />
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And some strange moths I have never seen before... No idea how I spotted these on a blade of grass in a meadow, but I'm glad I did. I since researched and discovered that they are Six-spot Burnet moths. Who knew?<br />
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Obviously crafting has been filling my time. The main project is the ongoing blanket for the craft swap with Maddy (see her lovely blog<a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/"> FromTwelveToTwoFifteen</a>) The granny squares have been piling up...<br />
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And today I reached the 100 mark! Then came the laying out and colour planning, and then learning to continuously join the whole lot! I used <a href="http://babylovebrand.net/2013/08/27/continuous-join-as-you-go-again/">this tutorial</a> to help me along my way. So far I have 2 rows of 10 joined, and I really like the continuous process... it's easier than I thought it would be so far! More pictures to follow...<br />
I also made a couple of gifts for a little man who entered the world a few weeks ago... It's a friend of my Mum's, so she asked me to make some bunting with his name on, and I made a cute little giraffe toy for him too.<br />
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Pattern is that of <a href="http://ilovebuttonsbyemma.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/crochet-giraffe-pattern.html">I Love Buttons by Emma</a> and yarn is a mixture of Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo and King Cole Bamboo Cotton. I love this pattern - it's super easy and it's great fun to use loads of colours, even if the changes are a bind.<br />
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And there is the bunting, looking good against the blue sky. I like this bunting - a very simple pattern by <a href="http://pinkmilkjewels.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/simple-crochet-bunting-tutorial.html">Pink Milk</a> adapted slightly to add a border to it. Finished off with felt letters, as I find they look neater than crocheted ones.<br />
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Yarn is Rico Creative Cotton Aran in a variety of colours - my favourite for making bunting.<br />
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Last year I, like hundreds of others, partook in making bunting triangles for <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/">Yarndale</a>. I loved being part of a community project, thinking my tiny contribution helped to make an awesome spectacle of bunting strung up around Yarndale. So naturally, when the Yarndale team called for mandala makers, I was of course intrigued. Firtsly, I love the cause - even though I won't be able to make it this year - and secondly, I love mandalas. I have made a few previously and admit that they are totally addictive. I love playing with colour and texture... and just winging it round by round. I turned to my stash of Lily Sugar 'n' Cream, a lovely stiff cotton in amazing bright colours and set to work. Previously my mandalas had been a riot of colour, but this time I fancied sticking to a colour scheme, so I just picked 3 colours that I liked together...<br />
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I'm not sure exactly how I made it as I followed a rough pattern but adapted it a fair amount. I am pleased with it, and rather like limiting my colour use sometimes - I think it shows the pattern off a bit more in this case.<br />
I also decided to decorate the packaging up a bit, and to keep it in my style I decided to carve up a couple of mandala stamps. I researched simple mandala patterns and tweaked them to make them suitable for stamp carving. I used jet black StazOn ink and was super pleased with the overall effect...<br />
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I also stamped up the back with some Yarndale bunting...<br />
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I mounted one of the stamps up and sent it off to Lucy as a little extra gift, as I was quite proud of it!<br />
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So that brings me nearly to kick-off time... can I manage to actually stay awake for the match now? I'm not so sure about that! I will try and pop in and post when I can, but blogging is taking very much a backseat at the moment like I said, but it is always at the forefront of my thoughts! So until next time, however long that may be...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-46145324328927343162014-04-20T21:06:00.001+01:002014-04-20T21:06:55.180+01:00A Quick Update...Birthday time has come and gone, and now so has Easter (just about) and don't I know it! It's been a rather busy two weeks, starting with the third birthday of my Little Lady. It was a fairly low-key day, lots of playing at home with her new (Princess based) toys and a couple of visitors - being a weekday most people were working and friends were schooling, but it was good really as she just wanted to play with her new things. There was dressing up, Play-Doh, Disney films and plenty of swapping princesses into different dresses. All day! And a little bit of baking... I (with the help of my Mum) decided to bake a cake for her party the next day. Only trouble with Little P is that she is allergic to eggs and dairy products, kind of key ingredients for a cake.... well not if you follow <a href="http://www.icedgembakes.co.uk/special-diet-blog/cakes/vegan-egg-and-dairy-free-vanilla-sponge-cake-recipe">this recipe</a>! It tastes pretty good, it's light and fluffy, very easy to make - much easier than a normal sponge, and it rises well - unlike some egg-free sponges. This was the first time we had also ventured into decorating a cake using roll-out fondant icing... after a fairly successful practice run, we were ready to go again, and this is what we came up with...<br />
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Thanks for your help Mum!<br />
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With presents of course, there are Thank-You cards. I did think it would be nice to sit down with Little P and make some together, but she doesn't have a lot of patience for that kind of thing at the moment, and I wanted another excuse to get stamping again. And that's exactly what I did. I wanted to once again keep it simple, and had a few ideas kicking about the little creative space in my mind. I had spied some nifty ice-cream cards once before, I think by<a href="http://yellowowlworkshop.com/"> Yellow Owl Workshop</a>, so decided to have a go at my own simple version. Hot off the press...<br />
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There has been some crochet too, but that is for next time. It's been lots of Little P fun these holidays, a trip to see some baby lambies...<br />
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and today an egg hunt...<br />
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And now I'm off to finish yet another cold cup of tea... I must remember to drink it whilst it's hot! So until next time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-11165322216207808382014-03-29T14:21:00.000+00:002014-03-29T14:21:08.763+00:00Birthday Preparations Once again, things have been busy around these parts. There has been much crafting (mainly crochet) in the evenings when the Little Lady is asleep. There has also been preparation for the Little Lady's third birthday next week - agh can't believe I will have a 3 year old! She's having a little party with her friends and I'm currently in the process of (trying) to make a cake for her. I've never done the whole party cake thing, where you cover it in roll-out icing and make it look all pretty, so I'm excited to have a go at that. The tricky part is the actual cake, as Little P has food allergies - dairy and egg - pretty standard in a cake mix! I've made cakes before for her, but they always turn out pretty flat, but there was one Victoria sponge type thing I made once which was great... only trouble is I didn't bookmark the recipe and I am trawling the net trying to re-find it! If it all goes to plan and the cake works, I will show it off here, if it's a complete failure I'll just let the vaults of time swallow it up and forget about it. One 'trial' cake is already out on the lawn for the birds... it was definitely not the recipe I tried before!<br />
Little P is super excited about her birthday this year, finally old enough to appreciate it and understand. It's all about princesses with her at the moment - completely the opposite of me and how I was as a child. She's so imaginative as keeps playing with her imaginary princess friends in the house - this morning they were all at a Royal Ball, and it was so busy we had to queue to get a ticket!<br />
So needless to say, I have a few princess related presents for her birthday - not that I'm trying to fuel the obsession! I also thought it would be nice to make her a little something, as I don't seem to have made her a toy for quite some time. Princess? no... she has enough of them... but maybe a Tinkerbell? I had a look for some patterns on <a href="http://ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a> and decided to give<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amigurumi-tinkerbell"> this one</a> a go as I thought it was sweet (not necessarily the most Tink-like but super cuddly)<br />
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I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo, which is still one of my favourites for toy making as it's soft and has a very neat finish. I changed the pattern slightly - firstly the skirt 'leaves' weren't working out for me so I adapted it to make my own skirt. Also the wings seemed too 'floppy' and I fancied something a bit more decorative, so I searched for a pattern for some small wings and found <a href="http://mammathatmakes.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/barbie-month-15-barbie-fairy-wings.html">these</a>. <br />
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I'm quite happy with her, she is cute and I'm sure Little P will love her. I personally am not a big fan of the 'fringe' and if I were to do it again I'd definitely do her hair slightly different, but this is a great little pattern and it's super-easy.<br />
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I have also made another softie for Little P's friend, who had his second birthday last week. The Little Man loves Monsters University, especially Mike Wazowski, so I thought I'd give one of them a go... <br />
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This little chap was fun to make (although his fingers and toes tool a while to work!) and I'm pleased with him - he's probably one of the more intricate amigurumis I have made - he even has surface stitches for lips and an eyelid! And felt detailing for mouth and eye. He even has pipe cleaners in his legs so they can bend nicely. I like this little chap and was sad to see him leave my table - although I have been informed that he was well received by the Birthday Boy! yay! <br />
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In my last post I mentioned a 'blog swap' with Maddy of <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/">From Twelve To Two Fifteen</a>, and showed off my stash of yarn I ordered especially for it.... well there has been progress, in the form of a small pile of granny squares. I love this pattern (<a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/summer-garden-granny-square.html">Summer Garden Granny by Attic24</a>) and it works up so quickly. I am also loving the yarn and the colours and can't wait to make the pile grow and grow! <br />
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You may also remember my empty frames waiting for prints to arrive.... well shortly after that post they turned up. Both on the same day too, to make it doubly exciting. Both were bought through <a href="http://etsy.com/">Etsy</a> from artists which I very much admire. <br />
First up is a little 5x5 print from an artist called <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Geninne?ref=shop_sugg">Geninne Zlatkis</a> - I have a couple of her books and love her stamping, so it's great to have one of her watercolour prints up on my wall. It came all the way from Mexico (a country I love) and features cacti (which I very much love) so needless to say I do indeed love it. I also kind of want to frame the packaging it came in - the outer envelope and inner paper bag are both hand-stamped with some of those famous Geninne stamps which are so beautiful...<br />
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Love it! The second one was from an artist called<a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RiverLuna?ref=shop_sugg"> RiverLuna</a> from San Francisco (another place I love) and is another watercolour print. It's so pretty, I love it up on my wall, and my little collection is looking good.<br />
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I have my old California licence plate up too, and hope to get a picture sometime soon, when light is better. A little bit of 'me' space full of things I love. <br />
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I'm now going to head off and maybe crochet some more squares, and I can confirm the cake attempt no.2 is out of the oven and looks good, phew! So until next time...<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-49518102435870412552014-03-09T21:53:00.000+00:002014-03-09T21:53:54.359+00:00What a Difference a Day MakesIn typical British fashion, I'm going to kick off with the weather - what an absolutely glorious Spring day! We've had a very mild Winter here in these parts, not really any frosts or anything as yet. And we've also been lucky enough to escape most of the deluge of rain that has battered our country... so it seems very strange that Spring might be on it's way without having a real Winter. I told Little P we could play in the snow, and get the sledge out... no such luck as yet, but to be honest I'm glad about that. I hate cold weather. Give me hot weather and clear sunny skies any day. California dreamin' at the moment! <br />
Today, was an absolutely lovely day here. Considering it's early March, I found myself sitting in the garden, hook in hand, crocheting away with a t-shirt on. And I even have small 'tan lines' on my arms to prove it! I still doubt the weather though - I think Winter will suddenly hit us just as all the plants have budded up and then destroy all nature's good work. But hey, I'll enjoy the good stuff whilst it is here!<br />
It felt so good to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin whilst I crocheted away. And to see tiny snippets of life bursting up around the garden was lovely. I also made the most of the opportunity to get outside with my camera and snap some of my recent makes.<br />
First up is the ongoing blanket project - the 'As We Go Stripy Blanket' (pattern<a href="http://notyouraveragecrochet.com/as-we-go-stripey-blanket/"> here</a>). It's a slow burner, but then was always intended to be - a relaxed evening project, perfect for watching TV and getting on with. It is intended for my Little P when complete, and she has already had the work in progress out several times to snuggle under.<br />
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I do love how it working up... The colours compliment each other lovely, and I'm loving testing out new stitches...<br />
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This will definitely be on the back burner at the moment though, as I have some more 'important' projects on the horizon. A couple of bits of amigurumi which must be kept under wraps right now, but here's a little green hand saying 'hi!'<br />
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The most exciting thing coming up for me is a 'blog swap' with the oh-so-talented Maddy - the creative mastermind behind <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/">From Twelve to Two Fifteen</a>. A while back we decided on making something for each other (or more likely each other's children!) and blogging all about it at the same time. Maddy makes super amazing patchwork quilts using funky fabrics and modern geometrical patterns... ticks all my boxes! She has already shown a sneak peak of what she has been working on <a href="http://fromtwelvetotwofifteen.com/2014/03/04/ok-so-i-lied/">here</a> - take a look at those chevrons! So exciting!<br />
In return, Maddy will receive a crocheted gift from me, and she told me she would quite like another granny square blanket in a bright, cheerful colour scheme... also ticks all my boxes. I decided that for such a special occasion I would order some new yarn (don't need much excuse!) I have wanted to make a blanket using 'nicer' wool for a while now, so I ordered a bundle of merino based wools - Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, topped up with a few colours of RICO Design Essentials Soft Merino Aran. The two yarns actually look and feel very similar, so I'm sure they will work well together...<br />
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Look at that squishiness...<br />
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I'm so excited to get started!<br />
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On the non-woolly front, there has been stamp carving by the bucket-load. I will get round to taking some pictures and showing my adventures in stamping, but you can always take a look at my Instagram feed. I ordered some rubber from Hong Kong a while back, and it took an age to arrive (serves me right for ordering just as everything stops for Chinese New Year!) It was pretty good value (even with the enormous shipping bill) and looked great too...<br />
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I had some extra large A4 sized sheets and some smaller ones - I was particularly looking forward to using the orange sandwich block. First impressions were that they weren't quite as thick as I'd hoped - the previous ones I bought were super thick and yummy blocks. I started by trying the blue block - it wasn't quite what I had hoped for though. It was quite tough and a bit crumbly. I moved onto the orange sandwich block - this carved better but was still not a patch on the previous ones I tried. So I was a little disappointed - the lesson I took from that cheap was not always cheerful. If I'm going to bother to order premium Japanese rubber blocks, then I will make sure I order the proper ones!<br />
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I have also bought a couple of other little bits and bobs to brighten up my space. I've started a mini 'gallery' on my bedroom wall - a few prints here and there. The first one that has arrived and is framed is one by an artist called <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EloiseRenouf?ref=shop_sugg">Eloise Renouf</a>. I love her work and it was hard to choose just one, but I'm so chuffed with it hanging on my wall...<br />
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The empty little frame to the right is waiting for a small print from Mexico from the amazing <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Geninne?ref=shop_sugg">Gennine Zlatkis.</a> More on that when it arrives!<br />
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I'm also rediscovering my love of plants, especially cacti and succulents, and I'm gradually creeping them back into the home...<br />
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I found this little beauty in a local garden centre - I love the wooden tray, and the 3 little pots, and plan to fill them with some succulents I am currently propagating. Until then, this little cactus can rest there! I also found a Lithops (living stone) which I have wanted for ages, so picked him up and brought him to a good home. He must be liking it as I can see a new pair of leaves emerging in there...<br />
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My Dad was having a clear out and found this old Californian vehicle licence plate he didn't want - guess who had it and cleaned it up?! Fits perfectly in a space on my gallery wall!<br />
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I'm still California dreamin'. But now it is time to do some real dreaming, in bed! Goodnight all, until next time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-43379318643770747202014-02-02T21:50:00.001+00:002014-02-02T21:50:33.753+00:00January AdventuresTimes have been busy lately (hence my reduced posting on here). Little P is actually a small child now and not a baby at all. I talk to her like anyone else, and she responds just like anyone else. That girl can talk. And she remembers everything... which is great, but also troublesome, as she holds me to every 'promise' I make. Days are fun, but absolutely exhausting - she has bucket loads of bouncy energy, and the rest of us just try to keep up with the pace. <br />
Crafting time is reduced to evenings when she has finally dropped off to sleep, and the occasional weekend dabble, in amongst other household duties. Of course I have been crocheting, mainly in the evenings whilst watching the telly, but I have also really got into carving rubber stamps. <br />
I have always liked stamps, and have had a few kicking about for a while. Some were rubber ones, other clear cling stamps. I like them, but making my own is something else. I've also always enjoyed doodling... flowers, mandalas, typography etc etc. This goes hand in hand with stamp carving, and I can bring my doodles to life - well into rubber form, to be used again and again.<br />
A while back I <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/linoprinting">dabbled in lino printing</a>. I say 'dabble' as I found it pretty tough going - lino blocks are so hard to cut! But I did find the possibilities endless and exciting. I also saw a tip recently, telling you to heat your lino block with an iron for a while to soften it up - this would help a lot, so maybe I'll re-dabble at some point! Whilst researching lino printing ideas, I came across the whole rubber stamp carving scene. Basically the same process as lino printing, but with soft rubber blocks. I ordered some Speedy Carve rubber block <a href="http://www.bladerubberstamps.co.uk/onlinesales/product.php?product_id=2054&category_id=19&gallery_id=78">online</a> as I couldn't find any in stores. It is a very soft, pink rubber block, thick enough to use without mounting. It is not overly cheap here in the UK, but worth every penny, and I'm careful how I use it - keeping all the little offcuts for future use!<br />
I will collate some pictures of the stamps I have made so far, and hopefully you will be able to notice some progress in my carving ability! My first major project was the Christmas 'Thank You' cards to be sent from Little P. I had various ideas kicking about in my mind, but eventually settled on this idea...<br />
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I sketched various birds, trees, bunting triangles and speech bubbles, but decided on this simple idea. I played around with lots of colour variations with me new stamp pads...<br />
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The ones in the bottom picture are called Color Box Queue pigment ink pads or 'cat's eyes'... a great way to get a lot of colours in small amounts... and a lot cheaper than buying individual stamp pads. The top ones are VersaColor pigment pads in various shades (perfect for multicolour stamping) and Jet Black StazOn - a permanent solvent based ink that gives a great print. <br />
Using the StazOn and the Color Box cat's eyes, I made a whole host of 'Thank You' cards...<br />
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I particularly liked this one...<br />
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I also carved a 'block of lines' stamp to make it easier to write on the back...<br />
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Amongst my research and pinning on my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/abunchofbuttons/stampage/">'Stampage' Pinterest board</a>, I have discovered some inspirational people...<br />
- <a href="http://geninne.com/)">Geninne D. Zlatkis</a> and her amazing book 'Making and Impression'<br />
- <a href="http://balzerdesigns.com/">Julie Fei-Fan Balzer</a> and her awesome book I received yesterday 'Carve, Stamp, Play'<br />
- Christine Schmidt of <a href="http://www.yellowowlworkshop.com/">Yellow Owl Workshop</a> and her book 'Yellow Owl's Litle Prints'<br />
and finally...<br />
- <a href="http://mizutamahanco.blog27.fc2.com/">Mizutamahanco</a>, a Japanese (hope I got that right?!) eraser-carver and illustrator, who is simply awesome. Her skills are second to none, and she makes it look so easy. I have 2 of her books, but I have no idea what they are called or anything as it's all in Japanese - but I wanted it for the pictures!<br />
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I follow all these creative-beings blogs and Instagram feeds, and it fills me up with inspiration. <br />
Some of my books... <br />
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Mizutama's illustrations....<br />
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After swooning over Mizutama's stamp carving, I wanted to try using some proper Japanese rubber carving block... the thick ones, often with another layer of rubber over the surface. I had to order from afar (this shop on Etsy called<a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/lovesprouts?ref=shop_sugg"> LoveSprouts</a>) and have it shipped here. At around £7 a block (14cm x 10cm) it's a bit pricey, but then there is the shipping on top of that. <br />
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My LoveSprouts order, with free plain stickers to stamp!<br />
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And the lovely Mizutama rubber blocks...<br />
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Was it lovely to carve? Yes. Does it add an extra 'neatness' to my stamps? Yes. Is it worth all the money and shipping costs? Probably not... and I won't be having it very often at all. I have ordered some different Japanese rubber blocks from this<a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/minitoba?ref=l2-shopheader-name"> Etsy shop</a>, and am eagerly waiting their arrival. They are thick blocks (still 1cm) but not the brand name, and come in larger sheets, which makes it all a bit more viable. Let's see if they are nice to carve or not... I do love the SpeedyCarve, but it is a lot thinner, at 5mm. <br />
I had a little play with the nice, thick Japanese rubber blocks and had some nice results. Here's a little taster of my adventures...<br />
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Rubbish light... and it was daylight too. <br />
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I also have made a series of interchangeable plant and cactus stamps - I tried some cacti on a card too...<br />
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I made some pots, and different plants, some sketched by me, and some using Geninne's templates in her book. I love being able to mix and match them all, great fun! <br />
I'm so in love with stamping, I find it so relaxing to actually do, and love the endless possibilities and creativity of it all. I have been thinking about maybe doing 'A Stamp A Day'. Obviously, it would not be practical for me to get all my carving stuff out every day to carve a stamp, but maybe do it as an average - so make sure I get 7 done in a week. I have so many ideas that I think this could work out quite well!<br />
I'm also loving crocheting a blanket again. After the rush of festive crochet, I needed to do something different. I have been longing to make a blanket again... the gentle repeating rows, so therapeutic. A while back I had seen a pattern I liked for a mixed strip blanket and I stored it away somewhere in my 'I want to make this one day' file. Then I noticed again cropping up in various places, including <a href="http://instagram.com/thepatchworkheart#">The Patchwork Heart's Instagram feed.</a> That was all it took to get me started on my own version. I'm using the <a href="http://notyouraveragecrochet.com/as-we-go-stripey-blanket/">'as we go stripey blanket'</a> pattern from Not Your Average Crochet, and a few colours of Stylecraft Special DK yarn. It's a well written pattern, and looks great, but it's not such a rhythmic blanket, due to all the colour changes, different stitches and hook sizes, but it is a fun one. I've done a few rows, and managed to get a couple of pictures whilst the sun was out today...<br />
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Lots of pinks and purples for Little P. <br />
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Oh I do love my crochet. It's been about 2 years since I first taught myself, and I have never looked back. It's opened up new crafty avenues too, and really brought out my creative side. Thank you crochet. Now I must be off, bed is calling, so until next time...thanks for stopping by :)A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-14642480578222158932014-01-12T21:17:00.000+00:002014-01-12T21:17:29.204+00:00Better Late Than Never...Well, it's been a while (43 days to be precise) since I last sat down and typed up a post. In that time, Christmas has been and gone, and 2014 is in full swing It's been a busy period... but also very enjoyable. Having a little one about the place certainly brings out the festivity in yourself! It feels too late to be talking too much about Christmas, as things are just getting back to normal and into the usual routine, but I have a few photos to show of some of my festive makes - I took these pics way back before Christmas, but haven't had a chance to do much with them!<br />
First up are the cards I made. It's the first time I have made my Christmas cards, and I am pleased to say I will be doing so again. I don't have a huge amount to make so it is pretty manageable. The hardest part is deciding what to do... crochet motifs? stamping? embellishments? I went mainly for printing with lino block shapes, but did have a handful adorned with buttons and pretty papers...<br />
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The lino printed selection made from a simple triangle and snowflake shape...<br />
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And some fancy button work...<br />
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I was pleased with both types of card - I love the low-tech effect of the printing, and the fact it's imperfect... but I also rather like the simplicity and neatness of the paper/button ones. Who knows what I'll create next year?!<br />
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I also decided to make some of my tags and wrapping paper (by make, I mean decorate!) I bought a roll of brown wrapping paper and some plain tags in red and brown and a few supplies from <a href="http://thehomemakery.co.uk/">The Homemakery</a> to pretty them up. The tags were a mix of washi tapes, stamps and fabric tape. Here's a few of my favourites...<br />
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And then there is the wrapping paper... I have discovered a great new creative outlet for myself - stamp carving. Yep, taking blocks of rubber and carving my own stamps ready to print with inks. The possibilities are endless, and I really love it, from the designing phase and carving, right through to the end product. I have been doing a lot of this recently and will write more about it at some point soon. To start with, I carved simple shapes - a Christmas tree was used for the wrapping paper. The rubber used for carving stamps is so much easier than cutting lino blocks. It's more expensive obviously, but well worth it, and normal stamp pads work great, whereas lino blocks need a proper printing ink. <br />
Lino block printing definitely still has a place for certain things, but at the moment rubber stamp carving is where it's at for me! So here is my first attempt at carving a Speedball Speedycarve block (the pink stuff) to make wrapping paper...<br />
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I was chuffed with it, and it has sparked a whole new line of interest, bordering obsession, but like I said, more to come another day. <br />
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Things have been quiet on the crochet front since Christmas, but the build up was fairly full of it. I promised a picture of my Christmas bunting and star garland in situ - the light is rather poor in the lounge and it never gets better, so I took the best ones I could and brightened them up on my laptop to try and make them look more true to life...<br />
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I got quite a few nice comments on the bunting, and have already started on a 'Merry' to hang above it next year. I thought I better start it now so that I have yarn from the same batch and don't forget exactly how I made it, although I'm not exactly into crocheting Christmas things in January!<br />
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The stars also looked rather sweet on the fireplace...<br />
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It's been a grey few days here, and it's getting colder too... but I did manage to get out and take a couple of photos in the garden. I absolutely love the pinky-white flowers on the Viburnum bushes at this time of year... a little bit of fresh colour in an otherwise bleak garden...<br />
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And a couple of others just because...<br />
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After a busy Christmas period, it's quite nice to get back into routine. Little P is so much better when she has familiar routine, and everything goes back to functioning that little bit better. I am also back to limited crafting time now, but any time I've had I have been busy designing and making stamps to make some Thank You cards for Little Lady's Christmas presents. They are all made now, and just need writing up at some point! Then I'll probably get back to crocheting (Little P wants a Hello Kitty toy) and showing my stamp carving efforts. But until next time, I must be off - I'm watching Sherlock and it's getting interesting!<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-58712912727568344042013-11-30T14:23:00.001+00:002013-11-30T14:23:11.095+00:00Keeping on Top of ThingsNobody needs reminding that Christmas is just around the bend. I installed an app on my phone to create Christmas lists, and each day it reminds me how many days to go until the Big Day... today it is just 25! <br />
I am rather excited again this year about Christmas - since having Little P I seemed to have regained a lot of the festive excitement I had as a child - but it also means there a lot of things to do. Especially this year as I have decided to make my cards, and gift tags, and even some wrapping paper. It did seem like a great idea back in October! I am really enjoying making them though, it's just the time factor as usual, and having a very helpful Little P who wants to join in with everything!<br />
I've had a go at lino printing again. Very simple stuff, but very effective too. I've carved a few 'trial' stamps and blocks and have had mixed results. The ones that have worked though I'm very happy with, and I am learning more about carving lino with each attempt. The cards are still mostly a work in progress but I have a sneak preview...<br />
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I made these with a simple triangle and snowflake stamp, and some block printing inks...<br />
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I plan to do some more tomorrow when I have some spare time, and have a new block to try printing with... exciting! I really like the simple, yet colourful effect of these cards, and am chuffed with them... they looked great all lined up when they were drying off!<br />
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I have also finished the Christmas bunting that my Mum asked me to whip up. Tomorrow will be decorating day, and I will hang it then but light in the lounge is notoriously bad, so I'm not expecting the photos to be great. I took a couple of sneak previews in the little light I could find by the back door...<br />
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I love a pile of bunting triangles! It's made using RICO Design Creative Cotton Aran in 3 colours - Cherry, Pistachio and Natural. It's based on the <a href="http://pinkmilkjewels.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/simple-crochet-bunting-tutorial.html">Simple Bunting Tutorial by Pink Milk</a> although I've tweaked it a little bit to suit my needs. There are 11 triangles - 2 with holly on, and the rest spell 'Christmas' using matching felt letters. I'm very pleased with it and can't wait to see it hanging up!<br />
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It will also be time to hang the<a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/have-yourself-handmade-little-christmas.html"> star garland</a> on the fireplace, so I'll try and get a picture of that too! I really hope it stays and little hands don't pull on it too much...<br />
I also have the little felt decorations I made to hang on the tree...<br />
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I'm also very busy trying to crochet some gifts too... I have had a little Santa production line going on in the evenings when Little Lady is tucked up in bed...<br />
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Ho Ho Ho! I do like these little chaps!<br />
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Me and the Little Lady have also been making pom poms. The idea is to stick them around a paper plate wreath, although she has claimed them as her 'fluffy balls' to go in her 'special box' and I am not allowed them. She loves picking the colours for me and choosing which size pom pom maker to use for each one. I just do the donkey work and wind the things! I'm just using up some scraps of Stylecraft Special DK, but I love all the colours!<br />
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With all the gifts for everyone else, I felt I needed to treat myself just a little bit. Those of you who follow the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/">Attic24 blog</a>, will have seen the giveaway she is hosting with <a href="http://fig1.co.uk/">Fig1</a> to giveaway a load of <a href="http://rice.dk/">RiceDK</a> goodies... <br />
I had my first glimpse of RiceDK wares several years ago and really liked it then. Over the last 18 months of following Lucy's blog - who often makes reference to Rice products - I have been sorely tempted to order something. Somehow I resisted... until there was a 10% discount code on her blog to buy from the Fig1 online shop. Sorted. Now just to choose what I want... <br />
That was the hard part. The range of melamine products are to die for. Over the last year I have been collecting a few oddments of melamine, the plan being to one day to have a cupboard full of mismatching colourful melamine cups, bowls and plates. I have previously bought some from John Lewis...<br />
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The top ones are by a company called <a href="http://www.anorakonline.co.uk/">Anorak.</a> The bowl and plate in the bottom picture are <a href="http://johnlewis.co.uk/">John Lewis</a>' own (I think the range was called Pioneer) and the cup is an <a href="http://www.orlakiely.com/uk/">Orla Kiely</a>. And no I have 3 more items, from Rice! Yay the collection is growing slowly!<br />
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I love, love, love these. The colours are great. The patterns are beautiful. And they are nice and sturdy too (and very bouncy thank goodness!) Little P instantly claimed these for a pretend picnic on the lounge floor, and she had to use all 3, so I didn't get to study them for a while!<br />
I love how the insides are coloured too. So pretty.<br />
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What a happy treat to myself! <br />
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Now I must go, time is of the essence and I need to go and make some more gift tags whilst I have 5 minutes! So, until next time (when Christmas will probably be pretty much on top of us!)...<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-55757369767224306702013-11-10T17:07:00.001+00:002013-11-10T17:07:24.634+00:00Have Yourself a Handmade Little ChristmasYep, it's all about Christmas crafting this year. Last year I felt I left it a bit late (the Christmas tree skirt was finished in time for the tree to come down!) so I have started in good time this year. It's not just crochet either - it's a multi-discipline crafting bonanza! I'm making my own cards - simple ones, but pretty ones I think. I also have 'stuff' for Little P to make her own too. That will involve heaps of glue and glitter and sequins and stickers - but she will have great fun (and so will I cleaning up after her!)<br />
The last 3 weeks have been ridden with ailments - first me and the Little Lady were under the weather. Little P took quite some time to get over it, and is still not fully there, although she is becoming more her usual self now. The cheeky streak is back! It was hard getting out of the house at times as Little P wanted to stay in (most unlike her) but I needed a break too, so I suggested we drive to the City to the<a href="http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/"> Hobbycraft</a> store. We will just pick up a 'couple of bits' for Christmas crafting... needless to say I bought more than I anticipated, but it will definitely all get used and enjoyed. The trip did also cheer up Little P, who was very excited about making Christmas cards and picking the bits and bobs she wanted - within reason. <br />
I have also been trying my hand at hand-sewn felt decorations. I have seen them in shops and refuse to buy them as the quality of the stitching doesn't often look great, and they aren't cheap either. It would be much more satisfying to make some - all you need is felt, stuffing, thread and buttons, and a little bit of practice at blanket stitching. So I acquired some Christmassy colours of felt and thread, and some pearl buttons and got to work. <br />
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Not bad for a first attempt hey? I found blanket stitching around the points a little tricky, but in my later creations, I've ironed it out a bit and they look a little smarter! So simple, yet so sweet, and a lot cheaper and more pleasing than shop-bought ones. I also really enjoyed hand stitching these, and it reminded me of sewing lessons at Middle School - the ones I used to hate and had no interest in, how I wish I'd listened and learned more now!<br />
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I have other 'big' ideas for Christmas crafting too... I saved the 5 'cone bobbins' that my Hoopayarn came on, and plan to turn them into nativity characters, safe ones that Little P can play with. Amongst my Hobbycraft purchases were some polystyrene balls for their heads, and a small polystyrene figure, which will become baby Jesus if all goes to plan. He has already had one accident - when reviewing my purchases, Little P managed to snap his head off! Nothing a bit of glue won't sort! <br />
My Mum asked if I would crochet some Christmas bunting to hang up in the lounge, so I have to figure out my plan for that too. I have made a small crochet star garland to hang on the fireplace. I needed a small, repetitive project whilst I sat and watched 'Inception' one evening, so picked some festive colours and made 12 little stars. I improvised the stars a bit after looking at various patterns, but they are pretty simple...<br />
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Round 1 - 15dc in magic ring, slip stitch to close.<br />
Round 2 - the points, chain 6, sc in 3rd chain from hook, hdc in next, dc in next, tr in next. Skip 2 stitches from Round 1 and slip stitch into next. Do this 5 times to make 5 points. <br />
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Easy peasy little stars... I then strung them together by making a simple chain and slip stitching through the top of one of the points of the star. I think I had 30 chain stitches at each end, and 20 between stars. I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo and a 3.5mm hook.<br />
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Amongst all this festivity, I have made a couple of much needed beanie hats. The weather has most definitely turned for the worse, and I was searching around for a suitable slouchy hat pattern. Then right on cue my friend <a href="http://www.curlygirlcoop.blogspot.com/">Curly Girl Coop</a> alerted me to the wonderful world of<a href="http://www.myboshi.net/"> MyBoshi</a>. If you like beanies and colour, you'll love this stuff. It's a company who specialise in making customisable beanies and hats and other woolly goodness, using their own brand yarn, which is a mix of 70% acrylic and 30% merino. It's surprisingly soft, and not at all 'fluffy' or 'itchy' - two things I can't stand for a hat! It has an amazing range of colours and gives a lovely 'polished' and professional look to the hats. The only negative is that a lot of the information is in German and there are only a few 'do-it-yourself' patterns available, unlike the enormous range available to buy as ready made boshis. <br />
The basic pattern is very simple however, and I think it could be easily adapted to create different effects. It just so happens that my local yarn store is selling this... Luckily my friend Curly Girl Coop had left me a few colours to choose from after she had raided the stand, so I bought a few to take home and try.<br />
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My first effort, the one on the left, worked up so quickly and easily. I had to add a couple of rounds to make it a bit longer so it covered my ears, but the pattern was very easy to follow. I was hooked. I had to make more. Little P picked her colours out (the brightest pink in the world and violet) so I whipped her one up too. It was a little tricky as she wouldn't let me measure her head, so it was a bit of guesstimation, but I got there in the end. The last one, bottom left, is a slouchy hat. I love the colours of this one, and can see me wearing it a lot. Also very quick to work up, I finished it in an evening - this included colour planning which takes up the most time!<br />
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I just love how the yarn looks... so polished...<br />
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My advice? If you need a winter hat and you can crochet - it's MyBoshi all the way!<br />
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I could quite happily buy loads more colours and make loads more hats! I just need more heads to wear them!<br />
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I also managed to type up a little pattern for my Father Christmas amigurumi, which can either be a toy or a hanging ornament. Find it <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/father-christmas.html">here</a>. I think he will look good next to <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/ronald-fat-lireindeer.html">Ronald the Fat Little Reindeer</a> too...<br />
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Must be off, so until next time, happy Christmas crafting!<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-4726051689527114132013-10-20T15:33:00.001+01:002013-10-20T15:33:25.237+01:00Unfit for PurposeUgh. I am sitting here typing this whilst snuggling under a big granny stripe blanket and eating some pretzels. They are my 'ill' food. Whenever I love my appetite, I turn to the humble salted pretzel before anything else. I always have done, since I was little. They are the only thing I fancy when I'm ill, and I'm afraid that time is now. In fact both I and Little P have had a poorly weekend. She was really unwell last night, but seems to have bounced back a bit brighter than me today! I wish I had her resilience! <br />
I know when I'm unwell as there are certain key signs - I get dry lips, itchy eyes and I don't crochet. Yep, I have hardly even looked at any woolly goodness the last few days, and it's rubbish. I've been thinking about it a lot though, when I can put my self-pity to one side for a moment. I've been scheming, planning, getting my head round new ideas, but no making. I have mustered up a row of chainless foundation single crochet (I found a great tutorial by Futuregirl<a href="http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2009/3/tutorial-foundation-single-crochet.aspx"> here</a>). It's a new skill for me, but I'm pretty sure I'll never go back to the dreaded chain for starting blankets etc now! <br />
Before the dreaded illness struck me down, I was happily crafting away any spare moment I had. First up, I have finished my mandala rug using Hooplayarn - a t-shirt yarn available in a whole load of yummy colours. Of course I went bright! I got mine through an Amazon seller (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=0&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=204-4326747-7108345&seller=A2WD0ORXXS1F18">Rachel John - Extreme Textiles</a>) in 3 colours, Sea Green, Dark Peach Melba and Bright Violet. Beautiful...<br />
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I then worked them up into a rug using the wonderful <a href="http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/crochet-an-amazing-mandala-floor-rug--craft-6032">Mandala Rug pattern by A Creative Being.</a> I had to order another 2 bobbins of Hooplayarn to get there but now it's finished, I love it!<br />
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It was prone to ruffling when I worked it up, but when the edge went on, it seemed to flatten out a great deal. It sits proudly on the floor of my room (I can't take a picture of it in situ as the light is so bad, so I made the most of the October sunshine!) I do love it, and so does Little P, as it has pink in it. I want to make more, but have no room for another one at the moment (although I have another half completed one in an assortment of colours that I had previously started, and maybe it would be rude not to finish it?!)<br />
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It adds a super splash of colour to my room and stands out lovely on the maple laminate flooring.<br />
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On a not-so-large scale, I have also made some mittens for Little P. Not just any mittens, but these <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hedgehog-mittens-2">hedgehog mittens </a>from Crochet Gifts for Christmas magazine. I instantly knew I had to make them, but had no 4-ply yarn. So I made it my mission at Yarndale to find some browny coloured 4-ply yarn suitable for making these hedgehog mittens. I came across some Drops Alpaca yarn which fitted the bill perfectly, and is super-soft for Little P's hands, but also has a slight 'fuzziness' to it too, which would be perfect for mittens! <br />
I wasn't sure what size to make these - the pattern has small, medium and large for children - and Little P once again would not let me measure her. I went with small first - too small, but very cute. I then followed the large pattern but had to adapt it to make the thumb and body slightly longer - I guess these were written for tiny babies hey? The pattern is fairly simple though, and I love how the bobble stitch gives the 'prickly hedgehog' effect. I had a couple of issues with the pattern - the main one being that the bobble stitch works wrong-side as the bobble 'pops' out of the back of the work. This wasn't a problem through as I made them inside out and then turned them the correct way round! Here they are...<br />
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They are a bit cute, but the lighting never seems to do them justice and show off those bobbles!<br />
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Only trouble is, I kind of want a pair!<br />
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I've been trying to get into the festive spirit a little bit earlier this year, as last year I left it too late to crochet much Christmassy stuff. I've already gathered a few crafty bits for making cards and decorations with Little P. I say 'with' - she can be a bit too helpful sometimes, but I try to involve her in as much making with me as I can! I made a small order from <a href="http://www.thehomemakery.co.uk/">The Homemakery</a> - a lovely online store with some delicious crafty bits and pieces. I had to restrain myself to the bits I thought I really needed, rather than wanted! They have some adorable Christmas ribbons in at the moment, so I snapped a few of these up, along with some baker's twine, gift tags, paper doilies and washi tape. Lovely.<br />
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I also ventured into town earlier this week with Little P to get some Christmas craft paper and buttons for the cards we will make. That was fun. I'm not a fan of going into town, and only do it when I really need to, and to make it even more 'enjoyable', Little P was extremely mischievous and wanted to touch everything and escape the clutch of her reins. And she wanted a 'sparkly' hula-hoop like her friends have - but could we find one?! No. Cue tantrums.<br />
We have had lots of fun this week though at home, and spent a long time making pom-poms with my new tiny pom-pom makers! These little pop-poms are only about an inch when made - perfect for that I needed them for...<br />
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Little P was in charge of picking colours and there was a lot of pink, as usual.<br />
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What I really ordered these for was to make tiny pom-poms to go on tiny bobble hats, of my tiny Father Christmases. I have been designing again, and wanted to make a Father Christmas with dangly limbs to sit on a shelf or fireplace. The first one I mocked up is made from Rico Creative Cotton, and is maybe 30cm from tip to toe. I was quite pleased with him and Little P is enjoying him. I was then asked if I could make a smaller version to hang on a Christmas tree - why not? This time I used a mix of King Cole Bamboo Cotton and Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo with a 3.5mm hook to create a mini-Santa. <br />
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I'm happy with these chaps - I like the level of detail in the tiny mittens and all the white trimmings. Plus I even tried a loop-stitch beard on the little guy. (See my friend Curlygirlcoop's excellent tutorial <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/loop-stitch-tutorial.html">here</a>) <br />
Here's big Santa... <br />
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and Little Santa...<br />
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I love his little thumbs! Here he is hanging in a not-so-Christmassy tree...<br />
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So that's why I needed tiny pom-pom makers. I have also typed up the pattern for the iPad cozy I made. </div>
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Find it <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/ipad-cozy.html">here</a> with the instructions to make whatever size cozy you need!</div>
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I'm now going to rest again - this typing is far too strenuous today! And hopefully recoup so I can pick my crochet hook up this evening. So until next time...</div>
A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-17876766226773743322013-10-06T12:52:00.000+01:002013-10-06T12:52:00.392+01:00The Delights of Yarndale pt. 2A whole week has now passed since Yarndale. I'm still kind of in a daze about it - it was just <em>that </em>good. I returned home to a happy Little P, who was very cuddly and clingy for a while (which was just what I wanted too!) and then it was straight back into the swing of things. We've had a fairly busy week, going to groups and doing all the normal stuff that needs to be done, but I do feel sad that Yarndale has now passed. It was always a glimmer of excitement on the horizon, and now we've swept right past it, but at least I can say I've had a great experience there and I'm already looking forward to next year! <br />
I also have a small 'haul' I brought back from the North, which I get to play with and drool over. I carefully took it outside into the garden to photograph - you have to make the most of the natural light now Autumn is firmly upon us! I had my little helper with me, and she was <em>very</em> helpful indeed. It was pretty difficult to take a photo before the subject matter had disappeared of was covered by her face, but we got there in the end, although you may see lots of Little P's wellies and hands in the pictures!<br />
The haul in it's entirety with Little P looming...<br />
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I was particularly nervous about the delicate yarn bowl I bought from the <a href="https://beta.folksy.com/shops/willofibre">Willofibres</a> stall. I don't much fancy it's chances around a toddler, although the kind lady on the stall advised me 'if anything were to happen - Araldite!' It's a rather beautiful bowl, and I had my eyes on it before I even left home, as I had spied it on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Yarndale?fref=ts">Yarndale Facebook page</a>. I do love it...<br />
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No haul would be complete for me without buttons. I think I was quite restrained in the button department this time, coming away with 9. I treated myself to some lovely wooden log ones, which I've always liked, and some rather pretty enamelled coconut ones too. See, I did good, as there were so many wonderful buttons there in a whole host of materials and forms, including some lovely ceramic ones.<br />
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Obviously, one of the main things I wanted to drool over at Yarndale, was yarn. There were thousands of skeins or hanks or whatever form they took all over the auction mart. What was good was that it wasn't just full of ones you could pick up down your local High Street, but rather lots of hand-dyed and spun ones from local producers. This meant a lot of it was pricier, but I think it's totally justifiable as it's not an 'everyday yarn'. And also after the 'Dyeing to have fun' workshop I took part in, I really appreciate the amazing skeins these people produce. I didn't actually purchase any such yarn at Yarndale as I had no project in mind for it, but I wish I did, as I'm sure I could have found something to make! There's always internet shopping... I did have a good look at lots though, and some of my favourite colourways were on <a href="http://astashaddict.co.uk/">A Stash Addict</a>'s stall. When I get some of my current makes out of the way I may just have a good look at those again!<br />
I obviously did buy yarn though. One project I had to buy for was some adorable hedgehog mittens I want to make for Little Lady. It called for 4-ply yarn and I have no such thing! I waded through the stalls and found some Drops Alpaca yarn. It was remarkably soft, I imagined alpaca to be a bit 'scratchy' like some other wools, but it wasn't at all. I should have known really after stroking some live alpaca earlier that day! The yarn was also pretty cheap, so I picked some up and checked another thing off my shopping list. <br />
There was also an abundance of lovely bags on show about the place. I had thought I needed a small project bag, one I can chuck all the bits I need in and take out with me, but nothing too big. Luckily, I found just the thing, and my friend Leah found an awesome sheep one amongst them all for me. <br />
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As you can see in the bottom right picture, I treated myself to some ribbon. I thought the buttons were pretty apt! <br />
The other yarn I bought came in the shape of this super-soft Drops Baby Merino. Right up my street - bright colours and very reasonably priced too. I haven't figured out what to make with it, but I do love it and am excited to use it! I also topped up my stash of merino tops for needle felting. There were many stalls with delicious colours to choose from, so I restrained myself to just 6, and picked them out whilst Leah joined the snaking queue for lunch. Oh the colours...<br />
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You may be able to see in first picture, I also treated myself to a new needle felting tool - it's a bit more advanced than the single needle I had previously been using. I plan to do more needle felting, and make a hanging decoration (see my friend <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/needle-felt-hanging-decoration-tutorial.html">Curly Girl Coop's great tutorial</a>). Another Tulip Etimo hook may have made it's way into my shopping too, well you can't have too many of those can you?! And what trip would be complete without a souvenir? I had to treat myself to this little Yarndale pin badge!<br />
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I also took a couple of little things for Little P. I bought her a postcard from Skipton, and a couple of fluffy things from Yarndale. First up, a little rabbit keyring from the <a href="http://www.bigwigsangora.co.uk/">Bigwigs Angora</a> stall. Unfortunately, said rabbit was unable to make the photo shoot as he was busy playing with Little P! Mr Alpaca however did manage to get papped. I love love love this furry little thing. I got him from the <a href="http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/">Toft Alpacas</a> stall, which was packed with lovely stuff. They even had some teddy bears, which were insanely soft, and plenty of amigurumi which were very cute.<br />
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I think that rounds up what I bought, but I also came away with stuff I made. Well, dyed anyway. The 'Dyeing to have fun' workshop ran for 2 hours in the auditorium. It was great fun, and broke up the shopping nicely. I thoroughly recommend the workshops to anyone going in future, as they give you a chance to learn or do something you wouldn't usually do. I certainly haven't thought of dyeing my own yarn, but I found this basic introduction very interesting and great fun. We each arrived at the table to find a brown paper bag, filled with different types of undyed wool, and some clearing up materials to soak up spills! It was interesting to see how different types of wool took up the acid dyes differently. My particular favourite was the 'straight off the sheep' piece. The little curly bits were great, and took up the colour really well!<br />
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My other favourite was the merino wool we used (below, left) as it too took up the colour really well and is super soft. I could actually use it for needle felting. We also dyed some wool roving, spun yarn and a knitted piece, just to see how they all came out and to experiment with colour. Here's my efforts...<br />
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Curly Girl Coop also had some nice bits to take away, my personal fave was her 'spotty' piece (see her Yarndale write-up <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/yarndale-2013-part-ii.html">here</a>)<br />
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All in all, a great time was had. It was a great weekend with great company, and I just can't wait to go again. I would like to say a big well done and thank you to anyone involved in the planning and running of the event, and to all the exhibitors who made it such a great day out! <br />
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Now I must go, gifts to make! I will be back soon with some pictures of what I've been making recently in the near future, but until then...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-29511333601703944812013-10-01T20:55:00.000+01:002013-10-01T20:55:45.568+01:00The Delights of Yarndale pt 1Well, the little glimmer of excitement that I could just about see in the far off distance, kind of speedily crept up on me the last few weeks. That excitement being <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/">Yarndale</a>... for anyone who has not heard of this, it was the first year of this woolly craft show held in Skipton, North Yorkshire and run by a team of local crafters including the infamous Lucy of the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/">Attic24 blog</a>. I was just a little bit excited! A whole weekend away (my first since having Little P) and going to a festival of woolly goodness ran by my biggest inspiration in the crochet world - what a lot to look forward too!<br />
Friday morning was somewhat hectic. I had to pack both me and Little P up for our holidays, and as usual she was a little bit too helpful! It's so hard to get anything done in a hurry with my little sidekick, but we managed it just in the nick of time. Then at 1pm, my ride promptly arrived. My good friend <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.co.uk/">Curly Girl Coop</a> had offered to drive to 200-odd mile trip 'up North' and I sorted out the accommodation in return. It was a long journey... 6 and a half hours roughly, as we encountered a bit of Friday afternoon traffic and the roads aren't that great either, a lot of single carriageway. <br />
Gradually the countryside became more hilly and green as we left the arable farmland of the East behind. It is a really beautiful part of the country, I don't think I would ever get bored of those views! Seeing more and more sheep reminded me just where we were going and why! Yarndale!<br />
We arrived at the <a href="http://www.thecravenheiferinn.co.uk/">Craven Heifer Inn</a> at Kelbrook (just outside Skipton) just in time for dinner, which I had luckily pre-booked, as it was packed. I can see why, the food was excellent - especially the Eton Mess I had for pudding. With a long and exciting day ahead of us, Leah and I returned to our very comfortable and spacious room and relaxed before catching an early night!<br />
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The day was finally upon us. We needed no alarm to wake us up, the thought of Yarndale made us jump out of bed and get ready. After a hearty Yorkshire breakfast we drove to Skipton Autcion Mart - the venue for Yarndale. It's used to being filled with cattle and sheep to be auctioned off, but today was full of creativity and colour. And wool too of course. We arrived at 9.30am, half an hour before it was due to open. The car park was already filling, but it was fairly quiet around the front of the building. There was a nip in the air and a gentle mist rolling in from the Yorkshire Dales, but you could see the Sun was trying to break through to shine down on Yarndale. The trees outside had been yarnbombed by the Yarndale team, and the granny bunting that had arrived from all over the world was strung up. I had a quick scout about but couldn't see any of mine! It was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, as they received over 6000 triangles! We began to queue and already the place was coming to life. People were arriving thick and fast, and the queue soon snaked across the car park. We were lucky as we were about 11th in the queue. The doors opened a little before the scheduled 10am and in we all rushed, just like the sheep and cattle who usually frequent this place I suppose!<br />
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Once inside, we were greeted by the entrance foyer decorated with hundreds on bunting triangles strung up on the ceiling. It looked awesome. It also made me think I had no hope in finding one I made. <br />
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The venue was very open and airy and very agricultural. I had no problem with this, in fact I think it added to the character of the event, and it didn't get too hot or stuffy which was great. The exhibitors stalls were all situated in animal pens, which I first found quite funny, but then realised it was actually a very practical way to do it! We raced about to get the bits and bobs we really wanted before it got crazily busy. Leah had surprised me by booking us on to a yarn dyeing workshop for a couple of hours, so we did a bit of shopping before heading to the auditorium for the class.<br />
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This was our dyeing fun! It was great to do something I wouldn't usually do at home or have the resources to do so. We spent a couple of hours trying out hand at dyeing different wool (from straight off the sheep to knitted pieces) and seeing how each one took up the dye differently. It was great fun experimenting with colours and I'd definitely recommend this course for anyone going another year.<br />
It also broke up the day nicely. The auction mart was now brimming with people, it was hard to get about down the aisles, so sitting down for a couple of hours was actually a treat. <br />
There was quite a number of stalls selling all sorts of fibre related items including plenty of hanks of hand-dyed wool. I now appreciate just how difficult it is to produce those beautiful hanks after attempting to dye yarn myself! <br />
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Some of the highlights for me were seeing the alpaca a couple of exhibitors had brought in. I love these animals, they have such character and are so sweet, and apparently make great wool too!<br />
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There was also a stall selling angora rabbit wool, and they too had brought some of their animals in! I love this super-hairy ball of fluff!<br />
We shopped around the stalls for a bit before joining the long queue for lunch. It seems a lot of people weren't happy with the food facilities, but I was of the impression that when you get a lot of people in one place, you have to expect to queue, unless you cater for yourself and bring a packed lunch! The caterers were working their socks off to keep the queue moving, and the pork and apple burgers we had for lunch were really quite tasty! Lunch Yarndale style...<br />
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We sat on a pavement outside, and it was lovely to have a break from the hubbub and sit in the glorious Skipton sunshine. We then went back and finished out shopping before deciding to walk into the town centre along the Yarn Walk. The walk was about 25 mins and it took us through a beautiful park and along a canal, all of which had been yarnbombed for the festival.<br />
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The picturesque surroundings of Yarndale...<br />
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And the yarnbombing...<br />
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I love the little duckies made by Lucy! I'd seen her make some of these things on her blog, so it was great to see them in real life! We spent a little while walking around Skipton town centre, and even sat down and had a drink in the lovely sunshine before walking back to the auction mart. Skipton really seemed like a lovely little town, we didn't get to explore it much, but I'd love to go back in the future, maybe take Little P up there with me! </div>
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The Yarndale bus...<br />
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One of the biggest highlights for me, and I am sure many others, was meeting the wonderful Lucy of Attic24 in person. When I first got into crochet, 18 months or so ago, I was only interested in making toys. I loved this so much, but had no incentive to make blankets or cushions or anything as it all seemed so drab, that was until I discovered her blog. The colour and patterns just blew me away. This is what I wanted to make... the colour and style just summed up what I wanted to do. I started by making a couple of her patterns, but soon found that most things I liked got linked back to her blog, so have been a fan ever since. She was hanging out in the knit and natter lounge all day, and had displayed a little bit of Attic24 in the corner. <br />
There was a small queue of people who wanted to speak to her, so we joined it. She was really nice and patient with everyone, as she had a constant stream of people all day. It's hard to constantly make happy chit-chat with people you don't know, so I take my hat off to her for standing there all day and letting all her fans say hello. It must have been exhausting for her! She was super-nice though, and genuinely seemed overwhelmed by the love and support for her and the Yarndale team at what they had pulled off. I think they knew it was going to be big, but maybe not this huge! We had just a little chat, I declared my appreciation for Yarndale and kind of told her she was my hero and then I asked if she would have a photo with me, and she kindly did :)<br />
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That is genuine happiness on my face I can tell you! And after we said bye to Lucy, we ventured behind her to the collection of bunting triangles laid out on a table (covered in her gorgeous ripple blanket!) and there was MY GOAT BUNTING! I couldn't believe it! I had found one of my bunting, and it was sitting central on the table behind Lucy, double bonus!<br />
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The corner was filled with Lucy's creations, and it was great to see them in real life. And touch them. Those lovely looking blankets really did feel as good as they look in the pictures! The lampshade that Lucy recently yarnbombed stood there next to her famous crochet chair. It was great to see such a feast of colour in such a small corner. It has inspired me to make more blankets and use some nicer (cashmerino type stuff) yarn to really set it off. <br />
So all in all, a great day was had by both myself and Leah. I couldn't fault the experience and it lived up to the high expectations I had for it. If only it wasn't so far away! The next morning came and we had another hearty breakfast and then set off on the long road home, although it was considerably quicker with a lot less traffic! I would also like to personally thank Leah's sat nav, which we named Cora due to her Irish accent. She was faultless and kept us on the right path throughout! <br />
I'm still in a kind of post-Yarndale comedown, but Little P is certainly worth coming home too, how I missed her! I also have returned with a few bits and bobs from Yarndale. I will take some pictures of my haul and show it off soon, so until next time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-25661395490163561182013-09-17T20:20:00.000+01:002013-09-17T20:20:32.252+01:0011 Days and Counting!Until <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a>! I am beside myself with excitement. I kee<span id="goog_1964066743"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1964066744"></span>p having dreams where I forget to pack important things - not the usual toothbrush etc, but my crochet hook and yarn! It has taken over my brain entirely. I'm lucky enough to be going up next Friday with my good friend <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Curly Girl Coop</a>, and staying a couple of nights 'oop North' near Skipton. Just going away is exciting enough for me (I don't get out much these days, and this is my first 'break' since the Little P arrived 2 and a half years ago!) so going to a festival of yarn is something else! I am a little apprehensive about leaving my Little Lady for 2 whole days - it's the longest we've ever been apart (The other time was when I went to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally, so you can see how my priorities lie!) but she is in very capable hands, and will probably have a whale of a time, her own little holiday! And maybe we'll even appreciate each other more when we reunite, as she's been running me ragged this week!<br />
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Casting my excitement to one side for the moment, I'll show you a couple of things I've made recently. You'll have to forgive the lower standard of photography, but I left it too late in the day and the light had disappeared - leaving ghastly colour photos, not true to life at all! A little computer magic and they look a bit better, but still not as good as daylight - come back sunshine!<br />
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My recent makes have all been made from the wonderful Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton. I know I rave about it, but I love it, and it is my favourite yarn. I think. It's just so bright and cheery and nice to work with. First up was a couple of coasters for the desk I'm sort of borrowing from my Brother (I was under strict instructions not to mark the surface of it, so better not put hot mugs of tea on there!) I just wanted a simple little pattern, free of course, but not a circle. After looking through <a href="http://ravelry.com/" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>, I found <a href="http://chirpinbirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/fun-flower-coaster.html" target="_blank">this one by ChirpinBirdie.</a> Perfect. And it was also made using Sugar 'n Cream, bonus!<br />
I love the little coasters, so quick to make, endless colour combo's and they do the job well, and protect the desk. I hooked up 3 whilst watching some crime drama on the telly box!<br />
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I also whizzed up yet another <a href="http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/little-spring-mandala.html?m=1" target="_blank">Made in K-Town Mandala</a>, just incase I needed a bigger coaster, and well, cos it looks nice!<br />
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That's before I blocked them, but there would have been even less light if I had waited any longer to take pictures!<br />
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A while back, I received a message on Ravelry from a member, asking if she could translate my <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/monty-moo.html" target="_blank">Monty Moo</a> pattern into Danish, so it could be used for her<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/skabninger/" target="_blank"> Facebook group's</a> 'animal of the month CAL'. Of course I was only happy for Monty to go Danish! I had a snoop at the Facebook group the other day, and was pleased to see a fair few Danish Montys taking over the world, or at least a few homes in Denmark. Some people have also adapted him in various ways to turn him into a baby snuggler, how cute! I'm so proud of Monty for going global! I have no idea what is being said about him as it's all in Danish, but there are several smiley faces and hearts, so I think they like him, and this makes me very happy! Go Monty! <br />
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Due to high demand (well, 2) I've adapted the <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-laptop-is-encased.html" target="_blank">laptop cozy</a> into an iPad cozy. The first I made exactly the same way as the laptop cozy. Only problem was the drifting seam. On the laptop one, which is thicker, it was disguised more easily, but the iPad one, with it's thin sides, was proving a problem. I'm not sure how many times I frogged it, and how many round-joining techniques I tried before I got it to a standard I was happy with. I wasn't obviously overly happy still, as I've gone on to improve it... with the moss stitch. What else? I loved using the stitch on my <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2013_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">bolster cushion</a> and was looking for an opportunity to use it again. It turned out much better too, the joins are pretty much invisible, it looks nicer, all round winner really. I WILL write up the tutorial soon and it will appear here in the near future. So here it is...<br />
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Of course it's made from Lily Sugar 'n Cream. Here's a close look at that moss-iness...<br />
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I received some exciting post last Friday too... I treated myself to a jewellery tree as I'm sick of my necklaces getting all tangled, and wanted to display them nicely. I've seen a few in shops but nothing stood out - they all looked like glorified mug trees. I had a bit of a look around the internet and came across this Baobab Jewellery Tree sold by Out of Africa Gifts - they have an <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OutofAfricaGifts?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">Etsy</a> and <a href="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Out-of-Africa-Gifts?_trksid=p2047675.l2563" target="_blank">eBay</a> site. I have to admit, it was bigger than I imagined, but it's perfect. It's different, a beautiful, functional item which is a centrepiece in it's own right. It's handmade in Kenya with wood bound tightly with banana leaf, and wired branches so you can bend them for your every need. It's also fairtrade, and a portion of the sale goes to a Christian aid charity in Nairobi. So not only do you have a beautiful jewellery tree, you feel good about buying it too! <br />
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Now I must go, Little P is tucked up in bed, the football is on, and I'm going to crochet whilst I watch it, so until next time...<br />
A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-19349303589360317742013-09-08T14:13:00.000+01:002013-09-08T14:13:40.068+01:00NormalityIf there is such thing, we are back to it. It's been a nice Summer - some bits didn't work out as planned, but things got done, fun was had, and the weather for once played ball - we've had amazing long sunny spells since July (this is not usually the case here in the UK I can tell you!)<br />
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Now, September has set in and the weather has instantly become more autumnal. Schools are back and Christmas chocolates are already in the shops. Boo hoo! I love Summer - the sun, heat, nature - and not having to wear jumpers and coats, I hate those things! I really should move somewhere a bit warmer...<br />
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But, with all the change as we lose our Summer once again, a sense of relief also comes into play, as normality is restored. It's just me and the Little Lady pootling about our business through the week, doing jobs, shopping and plenty of things to keep her entertained! The Summer was lovely, but it's nice to be settled back into our familiar routine.<br />
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This means less crochet time however, but it's OK as that time is transferred to full-time Mummy, which is a job I love! I've managed to sneak in some most evenings through the week, which is just enough to keep me sane/happy. This week's project has been the <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/join-the-tiny-a-long/" target="_blank">FreshStitches Tiny-A-Long</a> - a crochet-a-long where you can make any of her patterns, but the twist is they have to be tiny (or at least smaller than worsted weight yarn!) I consider FreshStitches animals to be large. If you make them out of the suggested worsted weight yarn, they can be a foot or more tall! Whilst I like the odd larger creation, storage is not practical! Previously I have made her patterns with DK weight yarn, meaning they came out smaller than intended, but for me they were still plenty big enough. For the tiny-a-long, I decided to go one smaller, into unchartered territory - 4ply yarn and a 2.5mm hook! Arghhh! I had none of this, so of course I had to shop. I wanted to use cotton, as usual, and remembered the <a href="http://www.dmccreative.co.uk/Products/Needlework-Threads/Crochet-Threads/Natura.aspx" target="_blank">DMC Natura Cotton</a> my friend once used. It comes it loads of yummy bright colours, so I went and picked out a few I liked. <br />
I still didn't know what I was actually making, so I browsed <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/amigurumi/" target="_blank">FreshStitches patterns</a> and tried to figure out what would look good in the colours I had bought. I probably did this the wrong way round, as I usually know what I am making before I go colour hunting, but it actually worked out rather well!<br />
So now I will introduce Jacques, le Hermit Crab!<br />
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Friendly little chap isn't he?! I added the smile as I thought he needed it - and Little P likes to pretend to feed these things, and we need a mouth for that! <br />
Even with the 4ply yarn and 2.5mm hook, he still turned out about 9 inches long, imagine if you made him full size?! I striped the shell too, to make him a bit more interesting and bright, and I'm pleased with how that turned out, even if it was a bit of a faff changing colour every row!<br />
My main gripe with the construction of Jacques, was the 5 rows in the middle of his 'body'. They comprised of single crochets, slip stitches and half-double crochets. I understand that this is a necessary technique in order to get his body shape, but working with such small yarn, it slowed the process right down!<br />
In fact, the whole thing took a lot longer than I expected as the yarn was infuriating! It may look and feel lovely, but it was very, very splitty, and working with a small hook, you really noticed it. I was dead chuffed it I managed to complete a stitch without stray loops appeared from where the yarn had split. I won't be using this for amigurumi again in a hurry... or ever!<br />
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I was not looking forward to assembling him (I often find sewing on bits can be tricky!) but this was actually plain sailing compared to the rest of him! I don't blame <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amigurumi-jack-the-hermit-crab" target="_blank">the pattern</a> at all, that's great - it's that yarn! And I won't write the yarn off entirely either - it's just not made for amigurumi! I think he was worth the blood, sweat and tears though, and I've rather fallen in love with him since his completion last night. Little P found him this morning and had to get her other toy crab so they could say 'hello' to each other. Ah sweet child!<br />
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I also had another one of those exciting yarn deliveries on Friday. All the way from the States. You guessed it - more Lily Sugar 'n Cream! I've had a few people ask where I get it from, so here is the link to the <a href="http://shop.bernat.com/" target="_blank">Bernat shop.</a> It's relatively cheap, comes in great colours and variations (even smells?!) and works up lovely too. I love it. Not for everything - I'm not sure I'd ever use it for toys or blankets, but for decorative stuff it's top notch. Obviously, being as it's from over the pond, shipping is relatively large ($16 to the UK). But I figure, if you order enough (meaning loads) it balances out quite well! Also, I have only been charged shipping once out of 3 orders - I'm not sure how that works? But I was charged this last order, which ruined my idea that if I ordered enough they scrapped the shipping! However, it still works out a good price per skein (mine was about £2.20 per 71g, and works out about the same price per gram as Rico Creative Cotton), and I'm quite happy to pay for the luxury of this stuff!<br />
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I ordered a couple of super-size balls this time, and will do so in the future if they have the colours I want available. I also tried a super-sized striped ball of 'Creamsicle', yummy isn't it?<br />
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Which leads me nicely on to the other thing I've been getting on with this week - the <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/little-sunshine-hat.html" target="_blank">Little Sunshine Hat</a> pattern is written up, and ready to download as a PDF file (via Google Drive)!<br />
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Now the Summer is over, I've finally pulled my finger out and got it written up, good timing eh? Better late than never! I used the Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn to make these hats, as it has enough strength to it to hold it's shape, but is soft and floppy enough to make a nice hat too. Go take a look! I hope to be writing up another pattern sometime soon, when time allows, but until next time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-87593017070890106132013-08-28T16:19:00.000+01:002013-08-28T16:19:55.627+01:00The Laptop is EncasedSince I got my new laptop a while back, I've been wanting to make it a little cozy to keep the dust off. I have been toiling over what sort of fancy stitches to use for a few weeks, and then the other night, it hit me. The answer was obvious really, the humble single crochet would suffice. Just rounds and rounds of single crochet, creating a neat little jacket for the laptop to live in. I would let the colour do the talking, instead of the fancy stitchwork. One colour wouldn't be enough. Nor two, or three, but my whole collection of Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn would be involved.<br />
It looks so wonderful siting in it's box - so many bright cheery colours side by side - but what good is it in it's box? I'm a bit protective over this yarn, not because it's expensive or anything, but it comes all the way from America, so I don't buy it very often and use it only for the right kind of projects, It's 100% cotton, which I love, but is not super-soft like some others. It has a certain strength to it and is great for things that need to keep their shape (like the mandalas I made). I realised though, that if I use it up, I will just have to make another order won't I?!<br />
There was no master plan, I just started with an oval shape and made it the right size to snuggle the laptop, and then just went round and round. I used joined rounds as I think these look neater with colour changes, The seam has a tendency to wander to the side, so I kept starting a few stitches back again in order to keep the seam on one side of the sleeve.<br />
I love, love, love all the colours and how they look together. I finished it off with a little button fastening, and did a final round of reverse crochet to give a nice edge effect. It's a funny stitch - not natural at all, but it does work out in the end if you keep going! Here she is, avec laptop...<br />
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And a closer look at the colours and edging...<br />
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<em> </em>I posted a picture up on Facebook when I finished it, and have already racked up two orders for iPad sleeves in this style! Wahoo! I'm rather chuffed other people like it as much as I do, and I'm sure my laptop is a much happier machine now it has it too. Looks like I will be making another order for this yarn!<br />
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In other news, I've just realised it is one month until <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a>! And I know this month will absolutely fly by... I'm so excited! I shall be there on the Saturday with my good friend<a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Curly Girl Coop</a>, and we plan to fill her (small) car with as much yarn and things as possible. I do have a thing about buttons, so plenty of those!<br />
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Now, I'm going to get back to my to-do list and put the laptop back in it's little home. And then I'm off out for a meal with my family - good times! Until next time...<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-34156252859384819722013-08-23T11:33:00.002+01:002013-08-23T11:33:52.825+01:00Covert ActionYesterday, our quiet cul-de-sac was taken over by a film crew and a celebrity. I use the word 'celebrity' fairly loosely, as he is probably way down on the A-Z list. If you are from the UK, you probably know him, that bald chap - Dom Littlewood. He is often on 'The One Show' and programmes like 'Cowboy Traders'. Yesterday he was filming a new episode of 'Cowboy Builders' right across the street from us. I spent most of the morning standing on the toilet seat, aiming my camera out of the tiny gap in the bathroom window, and this is my best shot:<br />
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That guy did not want to turn around, so this is the best shot I could get. Loving his co-ordinating shoes and jacket. There was also a female presenter, no idea who that was. It didn't look like Melinda Messenger, who had been in previous series of 'Cowboy Builders'. I was waiting for the 'builder confrontation' but it never happened. I can't wait to see this episode, as the rogue builders in question done a fair amount of work in my parents' house a few years back... and totally messed it up, and ripped them off, so I'll be happy to see them get publicly humiliated. Don't get done, get Dom!<br />
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So that unexpectedly changed my plans yesterday, poor Little P had to amuse herself a bit whilst we took it in turns to peer out of the window. She kept calling him 'John Lewis' too which was funny... can you tell where we shop?!<br />
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I have been playing about with the camera as usual - the garden being one of my favourite places to experiment. Only when you see the really close-up detail of flowers and insects do you appreciate just how amazing and beautiful nature really is. Nothing we make can compare. I'm always photographing flowers, and noticing patterns inside I would never have seen with the naked eye. But the other day, I had a different subject. A grasshopper. He actually sat on my hand whilst I photographed him - Little P was a bit weary, and kept calling him a chameleon! I was amazed he sat there, I actually had to put him back, he didn't hop away. He was quite happy having a scratch of his body and face. Here is the little chap...<br />
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In between these antics, and occupying the Little Lady, there has been a bit of crochet. Designing in fact. I mentioned in my last post that whilst making the amigurumi monkey for my niece I had an idea for my own monkey - well I put the cogs into action and produced one!<br />
It started as a few rough sketches in my notebook (along with a bit of colouring help from Little P)...<br />
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and got refined to this tiny sketch in the corner of a page...<br />
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I knew I would use my trusty Rico Creative Cotton Aran for this, as I did the last monkey. Little P wanted a pink monkey too, and I have a thing about pink and green together, so he needed some green 'bits' too. Then began the experimenting... <br />
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Originally, I had planned for this monkey to be quite a big thing, but I decided to try a scaled down version, to see if I actually like the design. It turns out I do, and so does Little P, which is the most important thing! I'm happy with proportions, so in theory I could scale him up to be the big chunky monkey I once envisioned. <br />
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And there he is! I actually have ideas for a whole series of these animals. I really like his rectangular body shape, with the face as part of it, I think it's quite unique. My Mum has some ideas too, so watch this space for some more animals like this!<br />
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I also got quite an exciting delivery in the post this week, more <a href="http://hooplayarn.com/" target="_blank">Hooplayarn</a>! Each bobbin is quite sizeable, so I couldn't order too much, I limited myself to 3. I love the colours! Think they look lovely together...<br />
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In fact, I think my original plans for them have changed. Instead of adding them to the mixed colour mandala rug (see <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-big-blanket.html" target="_blank">last post</a>) I may make another rectangular rug just using these. Any oddments can get added to the mandala rug, but I think these deserve to be together, in their own ruggy glory. I ordered mine through an <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=&seller=A2WD0ORXXS1F18" target="_blank">Amazon shop</a> as they had a great range of colours and were a good price.<br />
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I've also started crocheting a simple stripy sleeve for my laptop - just to keep the dust off. Will post about that when it's finished! I think I can hear it calling me now, but one thing before I go...<br />
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Please go and check out my friend Leah's new blog - <a href="http://curlygirlcoop.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Curly Girl Coop</a> - I taught her some of the basics of crochet about a year ago and her love for crochet has taken off, just like mine did! She shares the same love of colour and amigurumi as I do - but we differ a fair amount with other things (she still doesn't get grannysquares), but please go give her a look, it's a great blog already! <br />
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I've just been informed that the film crew are back outside... I can't waste another day watching, that's so old hat now! Time to crochet, so until next time...<br />
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-34361502173842809772013-08-17T15:07:00.000+01:002013-08-17T15:07:16.523+01:00The Big BlanketSomething happened the other day, something that hasn't happened for a long time. I was projectless. Not for long, I will quickly add, but for a brief window in my life, I was projectless.<br />
A couple of my larger projects have been finished and sent to their new homes, including one very large one. Introducing the massively enormous patchwork blanket, a present for my Auntie and Uncle on their silver wedding anniversary.<br />
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I started this just after I finished Little P's mini patchwork blanket, so maybe back in March I think, and finished it a few days before the day it was due - so it was a mammoth project, 5 months in the making! It was more of an 'evening project', one for when Little P had gone to bed and I could watch TV and crochet square after square, joining as I went along. <br />
I based it on <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/granny-patchwork-blanket-ta-dah.html" target="_blank">Attic24's Patchwork Granny Blanket</a>. It is made up of 144 six-round granny squares (my calculation told me that was nearly 20000 double crochet stitches alone!) and then finished off with a calming border - 7 rounds of 'grannying' and then a round of moss stitch (in purple to give 'dotted' effect) before finishing with a round of bobble shells (see <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/bobbleshell-edging.html" target="_blank">Attic24 tutorial</a>).<br />
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I forgot to measure if, but it must be at least 180cm x 180cm. It consumed an enormous amount of yarn - Stylecraft Special DK - in loads of colours! I machine washed it before giving it to my Auntie and Uncle, and was so nervous hoping it would come out in one piece, and not just a jumble of wool! It was greatly received and I was a bit sad to see it leave, as it had been a labour of love for so long! I guess I'll just have to start another blanket, as I feel a bit lost without one on the go! Just look at that feast of colour...<br />
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Yesterday was the 3rd Birthday of my little niece, so of course I had to make a little something for her. Just like her cousin, Little P, she is all girly and pink and fluffy, so I thought I would make something pink. I decided on a monkey, using the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/monkey-girl" target="_blank">'Monkey Girl' pattern by Lilleliis.</a> I changed it a bit to fit with my colour scheme, and adapted the face a bit, but the general shape followed that pattern. I used Rico Creative Cotton Aran as it's super soft and bright - great for chunkier toys...<br />
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Here she is having a photo shoot in the garden (ignore the weeds! No time for weeding at the moment!)</div>
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Whilst making her, I had an idea for my own design monkey - and more animals, maybe a series - so watch this space for a new creation! <br />
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After finishing the monkey, and catching up with a couple of other bits, I actually had to think of something to crochet. I had an empty list of my phone to-do app - first time in a long, long, time. I had caught up after all the babies, birthdays and anniversaries. What to do? <br />
It didn't take long before I rediscovered the bag of Hooplayarn I had picked up at last Autumn's Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally (read my post <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-week-of-treats.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I had bought loads of odds and ends in a variety of colours, with the plan of making a rug. I had visions of a small, round rug, but never really got on with it. Now was the perfect time to start, and with my recent love of mandalas, it seemed like a great opportunity to make a really big one. <br />
I started my research, but it didn't take long to find inspiration. I wanted to keep the pattern fairly simple, and let the colours do the work - although I didn't want just round after round of double crochets. I discovered that one of my fave bloggers, <a href="http://winkieflash.nl/" target="_blank">A Creative Being</a>, had in fact designed just what I was looking for, and had a <a href="http://hub.tutsplus.com/tutorials/crochet-a-gorgeous-mandala-floor-rug--craft-6032" target="_blank">free pattern</a> - brilliant! <br />
I set to work with my Hooplayarn and a 15mm hook. It was a struggle at first, but I soon got into the rhythm of working with such massive yarn. <br />
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It worked up fairly quickly, but I soon realised my odds and ends wouldn't go that far. In fact, I've now ground to a halt, and have ordered some more Hooplayarn to get me going again. <a href="http://www.hooplayarn.com/" target="_blank">Hooplayarn</a> are exhibiting at <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a> in a few weeks time, and I'm hoping I can get some more odds and ends then! I love it so far though...<br />
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mmm.... colour...I hope the new bobbins hurry up and arrive so I can continue with it! <br />
Now I'm a bit stuck again for projects... maybe I will have a play with that monkey design?! Until net time...A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-62720742505505347002013-07-31T15:30:00.002+01:002013-07-31T15:30:42.772+01:00The Wedding Day!Last weekend was an exciting one. Little P was a bridesmaid at my Auntie's wedding, and despite all the build up nerves (will she sit still? Will she be quiet? Will she sleep etc... etc...) it all went swimmingly well.<br />
Getting ready in the morning somewhat took it out of me however. How hard it is to get ready for a wedding with a two-year old determined to undo everything I had just done. We battled through and amazingly got out of the house in one piece and on time-ish. Little P is so headstrong, and those tantrums are certainly living up to the whole terrible-twos thing. I'm worried she is turning into a right princess however, as she has everyone at her beckoning call, bowing down to her every need. She does say please and thank you though!<br />
The Little Lady looked absolutely adorable in her ivory dress and shoes. A proper little princess. She even got to have a little wand to wave around, which she thought was great. All of a sudden, there we were, sitting in the room waiting for the Bride and Groom to enter. I can't believe how quickly time had flown to get to that point. I'd managed to contain Little P to sitting on my lap (she's really not very good at keeping still) but she was chatty. Very chatty. It was all a bit exciting for her, and she kept shouting out. Please be quiet for the service I prayed!<br />
No such luck, but it was funny at least! She made some funny remarks about the Bride emerging from some curtains, and I could see smiles around the room. And then she liked to loudly point out that my Auntie was 'over there' etc etc. It was funny, although I was on edge as I just didn't know what she would come out with next! She was a good girl though, no tears throughout the day, not until just after 9pm when she finally reached her limit of dancing and twirling about. <br />
I couldn't have asked for her to have been better for me, and it was a lovely day for us all. Little P really likes dancing and couldn't wait for the party to start. We had to stand by the doors and watch the band set up, just incase we missed the start of the dancing! Little Lady danced solidly for about an hour before we left, and considering she'd been up since 7.30am without a nap on such a busy day, I think she did rather well. Needless to say she crashed pretty instantly when we got home, and so did I!<br />
It was a coolish day, so it also meant the little crochet cardigan I made her to wear got some use too, especially when we went out for a few photos. It looked really nice with the outfit and it was nice to say 'yes' when people asked if I had made it. I also sported a crochet cardigan - but I cheated and bought it! I was very happy with my first venture into crocheted garments - making something that needed to actually fit was a different ball game entirely!<br />
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I had made my Auntie and Uncle a little something for their wedding too. My Auntie had previously expressed her love of my crochet toys and asked if I would make her some. I decided to make a bride and groom of sorts for a wedding present. I had a look about for 'crocheted bride and groom' animals, but nothing took my fancy, so I thought I'd have a go at my own, and who better to base it on than <a href="http://abunchofbuttons.blogspot.co.uk/p/monty-moo.html" target="_blank">Monty Moo</a>?<br />
My own design cow, so I knew how he worked out. I already had ideas about how the bride would work out so I sketched a little, planned the colours and away I went. This was quite some time ago now... I finished the bride and was very happy with her. I made a frilly dress and a bunch of flowers to go with her, sweet isn't she?!<br />
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Now for the groom. The project stalled for a while as 1) I knew I had plenty of time, and 2) I wasn't so sure on how to tackle the groom. Really, he should be easier, as he's wearing a suit and top hat. But I wanted his white shirt to be visible beneath the jacket, and for the jacket to 'overhang' the trousers with a little tail, not just be like one big black bodysuit for him. Working with black was something I had not done a lot of before, and seeing the stitches was a bit of a nightmare at times. Also, the black yarn seemed to work up smaller, so my first attempt was tiny - I couldn't have a huge bride and a teeny groom, not good! So I upped the hook size and began again. He still worked out a tad smaller, but not too noticeable by the time he had his top hat on. Add a flower and a bow tie and now we have Mr. Moo!<br />
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They look quite sweet together I think...<br />
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In amongst all the frivolities, I have managed a spot of crochet. I've finished the granny bunting for <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a>, and shall post that off soon to Lucy of <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Attic24</a>. I stopped at 10, I think that's plenty enough when you look at the numbers of parcels arriving for the cause. I have a couple I think I will be able to pick out! Meet my Goaty bunting. I think I will spot him if he does get strung up (not sure he's too in keeping with all the other colourful ones, but he is funny!) Notice the parched grass... maybe today's rain will green it up again?!<br />
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Wahoo, just a couple of months until Yarndale is upon us... cannot wait! After talking about crochet, all I now want to do is crochet, and with a few hours to myself, that is exactly what I intend to do, so until net time...<br />
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<br />A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-44678211904117202792013-07-21T14:25:00.000+01:002013-07-21T14:25:19.660+01:00All Singing, All DancingSo, I am currently recovering from a late night. I don't have many of these nowadays and I'm quite thankful actually as it seems I can't handle them!<em> </em>I know I sound old, but it's just how it is! It was, however, a very good night, worthy of feeling a little bit tired this morning.<br />
I was invited by my Auntie to her 'hen night' as she is getting married next weekend. We were off to see 'Evita' the musical and then out for a meal. I have never been to a musical before, and to be honest, didn't think I would ever go - I am just not into singing and dancing like that. I always find the singing in movies unnecessary, I really don't see the need for breaking into song and dance every five minutes. I know I sound miserable, but it's just not my thing at all. I love my music, but not musicals and all that frivolity! Anyway, I didn't hesitate in accepting the offer to go along to see Evita, as it was my Auntie's hen night, and I was really chuffed to be asked to go. Plus, I kind of saw it as a challenge to prove me wrong about theatre!<br />
And I was proved wrong, to an extent. The opening 10 minutes, I did think, 'oh no, I'm not going to like this'. I saw my Mum look at me as if to say the same thing, but as it went on, I really did get into the story of Evita. I have never really known much about Eva Peron or any of the work she did, but I found it fascinating. It was the story that done it for me, rather than the singing and dancing (even if it was Marti Pellow!) I had to have a quick scout on Wikipedia at the interval to check I was understanding the story properly! <br />
So, all in all, I have come to the realisation, I may not think so much of the singing and dancing, but a musical can still very much be enjoyed if there is a good storyline. There I said it, I enjoyed Evita, and I never thought I'd say that about a musical! I must be more open minded to these things!<br />
So after a late night and a few glasses of wine, I'm a little weary this morning. In fact, it's not morning, it's actually afternoon... I had a very rare lay in! <br />
My little blog also passed it's first birthday earlier this month. Looking back at it I realise I haven't posted nearly as many times as I would have hoped to, but I guess that's what happens with a baby/toddler around all the time! I'm not so ambitious now, more realistic with posts - maybe fortnightly, but really whenever I have the chance to sit down and get it all together. I love keeping a little diary of my crafting and such things, and it is lovely to look back over the months and see what I have made in a logical timeline. It is however, not my priority. When I get some 'spare time' my priority is to do what I love - crochet. And watch the cricket. They go quite well together actually. I'm currently sitting here watching The Ashes, and enjoying England rattling the Aussies. It's quite a relaxing sport, and seems to sit really nicely with crochet for me.<br />
I hope to pick up my hook in a bit, I've got a couple of projects on the go at the moment, the <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a> bunting being one. Lucy of <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Attic24</a> has sorted out a postal address now, and set a deadline for the end of August, so I'm getting my act together and churning out a few more triangles for the cause. I'm not going to make loads, but I think 10 will be my goal. I have a couple which I think I will definatley be able to spot as my own when I go in September - I can't wait!<br />
I've had a couple of projects fly off the hook the last couple of weeks. First up is a cute little giraffe toy for a baby boy born a couple of weeks ago. I wanted it to be 'floppy' and cuddly for the new arrival, so searched for a pattern and found this wonderful <a href="http://ilovebuttonsbyemma.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/crochet-giraffe-pattern.html" target="_blank">free pattern</a> by Emma Dent. It's written for quite a few colours, but I just used 2 plus cream. I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo, as it's really soft and nice to work with and perfect for baby toys. It also comes in lovely colours, and recently they launched a few new colours, so I couldn't wait to use them. I sneaked the new 'Deckster Blue' into the giraffe. I love it, such a lovely blue, I can see me using a lot of it in the future. The other new colour I love is Suzi Sizzle - a deep orangey-red colour which is just gorgeous. So without further ado, here is my little giraffe - I was very proud of him I must say!<br />
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The last couple of weeks has also seen the conclusion of the <a href="http://freshstitches.com/" target="_blank">FreshStitches' Mystery CAL</a>. I was once again duped by the clues, and had absolutely no idea what I was making. After Clue 1 I had this...</div>
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And after Clue 2 I had all this...</div>
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Clue 3 just left one piece to crochet, and the crucial assembly instructions. A lot of the guesses seemed to point to kangaroo with baby joey. I was not convinced by this, as I couldn't really see kangaroo in the pieces I had, but after I saw some people who had pinned their pieces together to back up their guess, I was a bit swayed. It could be a kangaroo I guess. </div>
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And it was. All was revealed in the final clue, and Amber was indeed a kangaroo, with her little joey to fit in her pouch! Very cute!</div>
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She is lovely - quite large (and I used DK weight yarn instead of worsted so it was smaller than the pattern suggested). Assembly was tricky in places, getting those legs to attach nice and straight so Amber could stand without support, but I am very pleased with the final result, and Little P loves her!<br />
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I still have the mandala bug too. And love using Lily Sugar n' Cream yarn. So I combined the two again to make the gorgeous mandala pattern by <a href="http://winkieflash.nl/" target="_blank">A Creative Being</a> featured in <a href="http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/" target="_blank">Simply Crochet</a> magazine issue 7. I love, love, love it...<br />
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and a couple of close-ups...</div>
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I wouldn't be British if I didn't mention the weather. It has been glorious here the last couple of weeks (except this weekend!) and the Little Lady and I have been revelling in the sunshine. Plenty of outdoors time and trips out to the zoo and beach, and of course the swings. There has also been paddling pool action, a lot later this year, but it has finally made an appearance! Little Lady loves splashing about and anything to do with water, so there has been plenty of fun with that in the garden. The weather also spurred me to make her a new sunhat. I made a couple last year using <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ella-hat---pretty-ruffled-beanie" target="_blank">this pattern</a>, but fancied making a new one. I ordered some more Lily Sugar n' Cream from the States (I ordered <a href="http://shop.bernat.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, great prices and fairly quick delivery considering it is from the US) including some yummy variegated ones - (from L-R) Summer Splash, Playtime and Key Lime Pie.<br />
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I love it when the Postman brings this...</div>
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I really wanted to use Playtime for the hat, as Little P loves Pink and bright, fun colours. I couldn't find a pattern I really liked, and didn't really want to buy one, as they really are very simple to make. The main thing is not gauge, but getting the head measurements right. And if you make it too big, just take an increase round out, and if it's too small, just add one in. I played around a bit (Little P wouldn't let me measure her head!) but I roughly knew the size using the hats I made last year as a guide. <br />
I wanted a fairly simple hat, nice and airy so it doesn't get too hot, with a slightly ruffled brim. After trying a few variations, I came up with this...<br />
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Modelled by Little P...<br />
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She must have loved it as she went to bed with it on, and wouldn't let me take it off her!<br />
I have made a note of the stitches, and hope to type it up as a pattern sometime soon. <br />
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Well, this post has taken an age. I didn't realise I had so much to say! Maybe smaller, more frequent posts may be the answer?! Now it's time for lunch and a little bit more cricket-watching hooky before the Little One returns!</div>
A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-6418071045579827642013-06-30T14:48:00.000+01:002013-06-30T14:48:42.300+01:00Loose EndsYup, lately I have been tying up many of these loose end things. Since I lost got a chance to write, I have been hooking up a few things and completing some of those projects that have been going on an age. I still have one rather large one in the pipeline but I did manage to cross a couple off my to do list!<br />
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Months and months ago I spotted a bolster cushion on a visit to John Lewis. It was a feathery one too - I never usually go for these but it felt so nice and squishy. Since then, I've been keeping an eye open for stitches or granny squares I like to make a cover for it. I never really found anything that stood out enough to transform the bare white bolster to an explosion of colour. It went on the backburner for quite some time. Until I discovered the moss stitch. I saw a couple of pictures on Pinterest which really jumped out at me, and I thought, I really have to give this stitch a go, but what can I make... the obvious answer, the Bolster! It also gave me a chance to use up some more Lily Sugar n' Cream yarn that I ordered with the bolster in mind months ago. </div>
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I was still in two minds whether to do each row a different colour to give a tweedy effect, or whether to alternate cream yarn in with the colours to give a spotted look. I eventually opted for the latter. So I'd hook up some rows until it was big enough to stretch around the cushion, without being saggy or gappy. Sorted. Then the ends - 2 circles. There was only one thing for this - the <a href="http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/little-spring-mandala.html" target="_blank">Made in K-Town Mandalas</a>! Yes! I got to hook up 2 more of those! I knew they would be a bit big in their entirety, but i would keep going until they were the right size. I love making these, so didn't have to think too hard about choosing these for the ends. </div>
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With the main body parts made, it was a case of stitching them together. Once I stitched the main 'spotty' body to form a tube around the cushion, it became evident that it was a bit 'gapey' at the ends. I counted my stitches and worked out how many times I had to decrease to get to the number of stitches on the outside of the mandala - which was 72. I then staggered the decreases evenly around the end. I also worked a couple of plain single crochet rounds around the edge of the mandalas in order to pull them in around the cushion. I then sewed it all up using a simple whip stitch, and voila, the Bolster!</div>
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I'm pleased with it, after so long deciding how to do it, it's nice to have it sitting there all finished and ready for action. Which mainly involves being squished behind me or under the little Lady. She has dubbed it 'Mummy's cushion' and she has claimed the first ever cushion I made last year, the Puffy Flower cushion! So we each sit with our cushions on the sofa watching Peppa Pig in the morning, noon and night. </div>
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Here's a close up of those moss stitches...<br />
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and a montage. I think it deserves one!<br />
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The moss stitch is so simple to do, yet so effective and can be used in many ways to create different effects (see this blog <a href="http://shropshirescrappersuz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-do-moss-stitch-stripes-spots-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I shall definitely be using it again (and already have, making some pretend oven gloves for Little P as she keeps stealing the real ones when they are needed!)<br />
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Little oven gloves... not for use in a real oven!<br />
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It is basically just single crochet one, chain one, skip a stitch and do it all over again. I started by chaining an even number a bit longer than I needed, as it does shrink up somewhat. Then I sc in 2nd chain from hook, ch1, skip 1 chain and repeat until the end. You then either chain 1 and turn, working the same pattern, or join a new colour in. You need to be chaining over your stitches in the previous row, and sc'ing into the chain spaces, and as long as you get that right, you'll end up with a nice square piece. When joining a new colour on the second row, you need to start with a slip stitch in place of the chain (you can't just join with a chain!) and then sc into the next stitch and continue as usual. To get the spotted look like my cushion, I worked 2 rows of cream, then a colour, 2 rows of cream, then another colour etc etc. It just so happened to work out that I used 3 repeats of my colour pattern, but I didn't plan this - it was luck!</div>
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Also flying off the hook this week was my first item of clothing. A cardigan for the Little Lady, who is due to be a bridesmaid for my Auntie at the end of July. She has the most beautiful dress and shoes but we worried she may get a little cold around the shoulders - well you can't expect it to be hot in July can you?! We thought just a short, bolero type thing would be best - nothing bulky. I wanted to have a go at making one, as I've never made something to fit before (just a couple of hats) so this would be new territory for me.</div>
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I trawled the wonderful <a href="http://ravelry.com/" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> for patterns and my heart resided with this one, the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunburst-cardigan-pdf12-101" target="_blank">Sunburst Cardigan</a>. I didn't mind buying a pattern as long as I really liked it and knew it would be suitable. The stitching in this is so pretty and the pattern gets good reviews - it has lots of pictures, charts and very clear instruction - perfect for the clothing novice! </div>
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I already knew the yarn for the job before I started (that limited my search to pattern for DK weight yarn) - Sirdar Snuggle Baby Bamboo in Cream, and I had plenty of it. Then came the sizing, the pattern has various size guides, but I know my Little Lady is a titch, so I made the size 18 month one - a size down from her age. </div>
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To begin with the chain and first few rows looked really long and I was worried it would be too big, but as it went on it began to take it's proper shape and it seemed fine. You have the option of cap sleeves of longer, puff sleeves. I opted for the latter as the cap sleeves wouldn't have really made much difference. I will try and get a picture of it being modelled some time in the future, but no luck so far! So here it is!<br />
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and a closer look at the pretty stitches...<br />
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The other excitement this week has been the release of Clue 1 of <a href="http://freshstitches.com/" target="_blank">FreshStitches</a> new <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amber-mystery-cal" target="_blank">Mystery Crochet-A-Long</a>. The last one was great fun (even if I wasn't overly smitten with the final product), but that not knowing what you are making is quite fun. A lot of the guesses on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/freshstitches" target="_blank">Ravelry group</a> seem to be pointing to Kangaroo, possibly with baby. I'm not convinced by this argument, but have no suggestions to put forward myself as I genuinely have no idea at this stage! This pattern calls for only one colour yarn, so I went with a variegated yarn - King Cole Bamboo Cotton Prints. I love it colours (and Little Lady picked it out too) so it was a no-brainer. </div>
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The pieces of Clue 1...<br />
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A close up of the lovely yarn...</div>
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I am so excited already about <a href="http://yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a> in September and have been making a few <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/granny-bunting-triangles.html" target="_blank">granny bunting triangles</a> for the cause. I have only made 6 so far, and some people seem to have made loads, but every little helps right? Plus I hooked up a shameless self-plug of a triangle... my blog logo! At least I'll be able to spot it at Yarndale right?!</div>
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and the others...</div>
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In other news, I have been watching bits and pieces of Glastonbury on the BBC, and realising how out of touch I am with popular music and culture. I am officially old. But hey ho, I'd rather be that way I think than like some of those little yobs! So until next time, I'm going to go and sit in the sun whilst it makes a brief appearance!</div>
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A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8475833960232005132.post-53074045839343627932013-06-02T13:50:00.001+01:002013-06-02T13:50:29.290+01:00Eye Candy of the Woolly SortI love Instagram. I love following fellow hookers and seeing what the world of crochet is creating. I like uploading snippets of my life as a Mummy and a hooker. I find it such a good place for inspiration too, and found plenty of that last week! It was <a href="http://instagram.com/thepatchworkheart" target="_blank">The Patchwork Heart's feed</a> that caught my eye, and her wonderful mandalas that she had crocheted using lots of bright colours. I instantly fell in love with these and had to make one as soon as I could.<br />
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With some of my larger projects nearing a close, I needed no more excuses before I began to hook up a pretty mandala. I have seen things like this before, but wondered what you would use them for, so never made one. After seeing these ones, I didn't care what they were used for, I just had to try one! For me it's just a pretty thing, something nice to put on my bedside table, to stand a drink on, or a vase and it just adds a splash of colour to it's surroundings. I instantly knew it was time to bust out the Lily Sugar n' Cream yarn I ordered from America (I am very careful how I use this, very selective, only to be used for the perfect project - it is my precious!) </div>
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I found the pattern that The Patchwork Heart used - it's on the <a href="http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/little-spring-mandala.html" target="_blank">Made in K-Town blog</a>, and began to put hook to yarn. I had no colour plan, just bright, see what happens kind of thing. The tutorial is really easy to follow and in no time at all I had made my first mandala. Happy face! Here it is...</div>
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Obviously, one was not enough. There were so many colour possibilities. Better make another then...</div>
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Ah, they are such a riot of colour, and the yarn I used is 100% cotton and has a certain stiffness to it so they keep their shape really well. It's not such a super-soft cotton, I describe it as more rope-like, but it's perfect for these kind of things! </div>
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I thought my Little Lady may like one too, a mini one. I wanted to try a new pattern out, so I scoured Ravelry to find <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/magic-spike-mandala" target="_blank">this one</a> by Tamara Kelly. It had the option to make a smaller, coaster sized mandala, or a big, placemat-sized version. Using the same yarn, and no particular colour plan, I hooked up a little one for the Little Lady. I like how it turned out, but I'm not in love with it like I am the Made in K-Town ones. The actual crochet is not quite as fun and playful as the other pattern, but it does produce a nice coaster type thing. It shall go by Little P's bed so she can put her drink on it at night too, just like Mummy. </div>
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I was enjoying making pretty things. Pretty, colourful things. I didn't want to stop, this is what crochet is all about! On a practical note, Little P needed some facecloths for the bath, and I've been saying for ages I'll make some - I feel begrudged to buy things I can easily make - so I took the opportunity to whip up a couple of pretty cloths. </div>
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I used RICO Design Creative Cotton for both of them, as it is lovely and soft, and the colours are so bright! I hunted for some cloth patterns and found a couple I liked - a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flower-power-dishcloth-2" target="_blank">flower</a> and a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-star-dish-cloth-or-wash-cloth" target="_blank">star</a>.</div>
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The star was fun to make, it took no time at all and hardly any yarn in each colour. And the flower worked up quickly too, although not such a fun pattern!</div>
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I will have to have a go at playing around and making my own design mandala-thingy - watch this space!</div>
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The BIG exciting news of the week is that I booked tickets to go to <a href="http://www.yarndale.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarndale</a>! I am so excited! My friend (a great friend I must add) approached me with the idea of going together, making the pilgrimage up North to the Yorkshire Dales. I read about Yarndale from the <a href="http://www.attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Attic24 blog</a>, and thought I had absolutely no chance of going, so I never even entertained the idea. It was just a dream that one day I would go. So it was a total surprise when my friend text me to pretty much tell me I was going to go, and stay overnight too.</div>
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I have not had an overnight stay away since the Little P was born - so this was big news for me! After deliberation, I am in fact having 2 whole nights away. Staying near Skipton in a rather lovely looking inn, and spending a whole Saturday at Yarndale! I am very excited - a festival of woolly goodness created by (amongst others) Lucy of Attic24 - my crochet heroin! And I might even be able to see her in the flesh, as she will obviously be there! Starstruck! </div>
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Lucy is planning on yarnbombing the half-hour walk from the train station to Yarndale - that will be epic! As part of it, she is calling for fellow crocheters to help the cause and make <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/05/granny-bunting-for-yarndale.html" target="_blank">bunting triangles</a>, which she will link together and use to decorate the walk. So many people are contributing to this - hundreds and thousands - I think she will have her work cut out crocheting them all together! I, am of course going to make a few - not loads like some people - but a few when I can fit them in. It would be great to be able to spot mine hanging up around Skipton when I go to Yarndale!</div>
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I must be off now, things to do, yarn to see. Until next time...</div>
A Bunch Of Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942008682483599422noreply@blogger.com1