Crochet Therapy and Recovering

Happy Monday everyone!

It's been quite a while since I've posted here. My last post was written the day before I went away for the weekend. It really was a good weekend, spent with family, but my health kinda crashed after and it's been hard to pick up again.

I've been thoroughly enjoying the changing seasons. Autumn is my favourite time of year and October is my favourite month. The leaves have been painted in the most beautiful colours. The seed pods of various plants and trees are such interesting shapes. I've been enjoying seeing and smelling autumn whenever I can get out. Do you like autumn too?

I want to share something I made while I was recovering my health. My head is still very foggy, though, so I apologise for any nonsensical writings!

I showed the beginnings of this shawl in my last post. It was just a little triangle then. It's another Victoria shawl by Sandra of Cherry Heart. You can see the first one I made here. This is such a lovely pattern and easy to memorise too, which is great for when you want to crochet something with a therapeutic repetitiveness to it. I only had the strength for 5 to 10 minutes of crochet at a time but the pattern is written so well and includes charts and stitch counts so that it is hard to lose your way even with all of the stopping and starting that I did.

Let me tell you about this yarn. I love this yarn. It is 100% alpaca 4ply, it has a slight halo and is sooo soft! It makes a beautifully drapey fabric that is warm and cosy when crocheted. It is yummy.

Making this was such good therapy. It is so nice to watch a crochet project grow and grow, isn't it? Then, holding it up and seeing the finished project... It is good for the soul. 😊

Last time I crocheted this Victoria shawl, I made it with just one colour so this time I decided to use two -lavender/light purple with a few rows of grey at the border to create a bit of interest. I really like how turned it out.

Sandra has designed the Victoria shawl to be just the perfect size. It will cover shoulders and arms when worn the traditional way, but it's not big enough to be cumbersome, so you can wear it draped asymmetrically across your shoulders or around your neck like an oversized scarf.

I can see me making many of these in my future. I made this one for my shop but I enjoyed wearing it for this photoshoot so much that I think I might just *need* to make one for myself too 😊. Not that I don't already have enough shawls and scarves to keep a small army warm.😁

It feels really good to be back, writing and showing pics. I have lots of things in the pipeline to share on the blog, including a new bag that I finally finished. My plan is to review the pattern, so if any of you like to make handbags look out for that appearing on my blog soon.

Do you like to crochet? Have you made the Victoria shawl pattern before, or do you have another favourite? Do share in the comments. I'd love to hear about what you've been making.

I hope you have a brilliant week

                                                                          *B*


Ps. I made a page for my shawl on Ravelry here
     The shawl has been listed in my Folksy shop, the link is up on the right if you fancy a look

I'm linking up with Jennifer's Winter Link Party at Thistlebear

New WIPs For Summer

Summer? I can't see summer. Just rain and the howling wind. Ah, well.

I've started a few new projects to keep me occupied while we've been stuck indoors, dodging rain. They're mostly gifts for friends. I love giving handmade gifts. There is something about summer too; I love to give gifts in the summer. Do you feel the same way?

I've made a stack of these tissue holders for a few friends. Some have already gone to their new homes. I used this tutorial to make them if you fancy making some yourself. They are very quick to make and perfect for little gifts. I even made one out of manly fabric for a man friend who always has tissues and a sniffle due to allergies.

These are finished so not technically WIPs.

I've started on a Lalylala crochet doll pattern too. (Isn't that the best name for an amigurumi brand?) Getting two matching legs was pretty difficult but I think I've got something close to a pair here. I can see this is going to take a lot longer than I thought it would. I was hoping it would be finished by this weekend. No way.

I've also started another one of these Victoria shawls by Cherry Heart. This time I'm using a pale lavender. I might use a different colour for the edging this time... I'll see. This is a great pattern for evening crochet in front of the telly and I'm thoroughly enjoying making this one.

Have you got any WIPs you're working on this summer?

Have a lovely weekend guys.

                                                                             *B*

Lily Pond Blanket Ta-Da

So, I jumped on the lily pond band-wagon.

Forgive the pics, This blanket hasn't been out of use long enough to block yet 😊

Do you remember this crochet along from a couple of years ago? The lily pond blanket was designed by Jane Crowfoot and was released in segments over the course of a couple of months. I was still quite new to crochet when I saw the blanket pattern and read about the crochet along, having learnt to crochet about six months earlier. This pattern looked like it would be a huge challenge. I love a challenge.

I bought the yarn kit to make the blanket but ended up swapping a couple of the colours that came in the kit. The kit I bought came with a bright neon pink which clashed with every other colour. I couldn't even see where it was meant to sit within the other pinks so I swapped it for a soft rose colour. I think the pinks harmonise a lot better now. The other colour I swapped was teal. The teal, being a little bit green and a little bit blue, created a bridge between the two colours and as the blanket is dominated by the greens and blues, I thought the colours would blend together too much with the teal. It needed definition between the colours, so I bought a dark blue to replace the teal. I did add some teal here and there, just to add a bit of depth where I thought it suited it.

The blanket is made up of eight square or long rectangle blocks that are then joined together. Seven of the blocks are to be made four times and the eighth is made five times so 33 blocks altogether plus a pretty wavy border.

I am totally in love with those colours!

I thoroughly enjoyed making this blanket. When I started I only knew how to do doubles, trebles and chain stitches. Every block had something new for me to learn. I had to learn more stitches, creating wave patterns, pinwheel patterns, fans, multi-layered flowers that sit on a square block. I learnt to adjust tension by changing the hook size. There is even a bit of embroidery in the little blossom blocks. I learnt so much and every pattern block was a challenge so it never got boring. I did have to frog and re-do many a section though. Particularly the bobble stitches. They took me so long to master!

See the stray petal that has landed on the blanket?

The 3D flowers are so pretty and so tactile as they are made up of many layers of pinks, cream and a deliciously warm yellow, all shaped into dainty petals.

This is my favourite block.

I love to learn new things so I really relished in immersing myself in all of those stitches, completing each section one stitch at a time, absorbing all of the new stitches and tricks I was learning along the way. I was amazed to see how my skills in crochet developed over the time I was working on this project. When I first started I was still very new to crochet and I found the blocks very challenging and very difficult and each one took me a long time. As I was getting nearer to finishing the blanket I found the blocks and the stitches easier and easier.

I decided that whenever I got frustrated or fed up with working on it I would put it down and work on other things until I regained enthusiasm. I had no deadline and I wanted to enjoy every part.

Do you have any projects like that? Forever projects. Something that is just for you, just for fun. It doesn't matter how long it takes to complete. It is a project to work on for a while then put away while you work on other things and come back to later. Something to make just for the pure enjoyment of the making and not so much the finished object. This blanket was one of those projects for me. Completely indulgent, something to get lost in when I needed it.

It took me two years to complete. Two years just working on it bit by bit and I enjoyed every stitch! My crochet has come a long way since I first started this blanket. I've made many more things in between and even started to sell some crochet shawls and scarves alongside my jewellery both locally and online. My long term goal is to design a few crochet patterns of my own. I have some ideas floating around but nothing really solid yet.

I love my new blanket. The pattern is beautiful. I love the flowers, I love the patterns created by the different stitches and I love how varied it is. It feels so good to snuggle under knowing all of the time and effort that went in to making it.

I couldn't resist taking photos of the blanket amongst the pale pink blossom that had fallen from the trees. It seemed to be the perfect backdrop for such a pretty blanket and it totally matched the colour palette 😊.

I hope you are enjoying the spring as it transitions into summer and have had the chance to enjoy the blossom.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely week!

                                                                      *B*


P.S My lily pond blanket Ravelry page is here, if you're interested 😊

Linking up with Annemarie's Link Your Stuff

A little Bag And A Bit Of Crochet

Hello lovely peeps. I hope you've been enjoying the spring and all of the blossoms and scents that float around this time of year. Or the beautiful autumn colours and scents if you're in the south 😉. Although it's been snowing and hailing here this week, it was lovely and sunny in my part of the English hills at the weekend. Perfect picnic-in-the-park weather. What better than to sit on a blanket in the sun with a sweet husband, some snacks and a crochet project on the go?

Bliss.

This is my first pair of crochet socks and my second attempt at making them. My first attempt came out a bit small. The toe section would only cover my big toe! I have quite a tight tension when I crochet and apparently a much tighter tension than the designer of these socks. 😊 I had to go up a hook size to get the right tension. Now that I have, they're hooking up a treat. It's growing quickly and fits perfectly. I've now reached the heel section of sock number one and I'm really looking forward to learning how the heel is made. It's always good to learn new tricks.

The yarn has quite a high wool content so the socks will be lovely and warm when they're finished. I just love the colour and the texture of the stitches. yum.

It just so happens that this project fits nicely into another project I finished recently. It is completely accidentally the perfect size.

Two balls of wool, one partially made sock and a hook all fit inside

Maybe I should have embroidered 'socks' onto the front instead of 'stuff'.

I have wanted to make a dorothy bag for ages so had a rummage around in my stash and found this rather nice cream and gold home dec fabric. I bought almost a metre of it for £1 on a market stall and it's been sitting, waiting to be sewn into a bag ever since. The good thing about this fabric is that it's reversible, with the reverse side being a negative of the pattern on the right side which made it an ideal lining too. The lining peeps over the top of the bag a little bit, so it has a lovely flash of gold at the top.

I used a scrap of liberty fabric over a small piece of the reverse (lining) side of the main fabric to embellish the front. My disappearing marker disappeared rather quickly on the liberty lawn so I had to plan out my lettering and visualise the size and spacing of the letters as I was embroidering them. I think it worked out ok. It's not perfect but I'm happy with it. I also used a gold embroidery thread to stitch over the sewing line on the larger rectangle to mirror the gold cording of the drawstring.

I'm really pleased with how my 'stuff' bag has turned out and my sock project definitely looks tidier in a bag than piled in a jumble on my work table 😊.

I used this pattern for the 'stuff' bag, if you're interested in having a go yourself. (The download link is towards the bottom of the post)

Thanks for dropping in. I hope you have a lovely week.

                                                                             *B*

What Do You Do With Your Scrap Yarn?

I've recently finished a blanket I've been working on and I'm so glad it's finally complete. Crocheted, joined up and ends sewn in. It's been the never ending project for 2 years! But now it's done and I am cosily snuggled underneath it as we speak. I haven't got any photos yet but I will take some for a Ta-Da post soon.

The thing is, there is a lot of yarn left over from this project which makes my acrylic stash overflow a bit. I decided to pull out all of my acrylic double knit scraps to take stock of what I have.

There's enough to make another lap blanket here

These are the scraps from three projects. two crochet blankets and one woven scarf. Yummy colours and many possibilities 😍

I took advantage of all this spare yarn to try a little pattern I've been meaning to try for aaaages. It is a free tutorial on My Giant Strawberry which is a hugely inspirational blog written by Anne who is a wonderful artist. Anne has been showcasing artists and their sketchbooks recently which has been really interesting. I love looking through other artists sketchbooks, don't you?

This rose weighs 49g so I'm thinking it would take a lot of those to use up all this yarn 😉

One idea I have to use it all up is to make a blanket of flowers. Lots of flowers in a jumble of colours all attached by the petals (as opposed to crocheting them into square blocks). It would look like you were sleeping under a flowerbed, which is a fun thought. 😊 Another idea is to learn to free form crochet and start at one end and free form shapes all the way to the other end. Have you ever tried free form crochet? If you have I'd love some advice. If you haven't come across it before, type it into google and look at the images. It's like painting with yarn! This appeals to me as when I was younger I painted everyday, and with the left over paint on my palette I would paint a page in my sketchbook, starting in one corner and adding paint whenever I had some left to use. I like the idea of doing that with yarn. It looks so fun, but it would be a big learning curve. Then there's the simplicity of stripes. Simple is tempting.

In the mean time, I'm thinking my rose needs a hat to live on so first I must make a hat.

I'd like to know, what do you do with all of your scrap yarn? Is there a favourite scrap busting pattern you always use, or do you save it all that *perfect* project that will come along?

*B*

Crochet-Block

I've suffered artist's block many times. You know, when everything you want to draw, paint or design is just a bit 'meh'. Normally I would work in a sketchbook and work through the block. I even bought a new sketchbook specifically for one particular artist's block that was so bad I didn't want to ruin my other sketchbooks by working in them.

What I currently have is crocheter's block. I didn't know there was such a thing until the end of last week. After the triumph of winning a game of yarn chicken with a scarf, as I blogged about in my last post, I've had a few stalled starts.

The crochet items in my shop have been getting a fair bit of interest which is really exciting as I only moved my shop online in September after selling in shops locally for a few years. So, full of enthusiasm and a head full of ideas I bought a bundle of woolly goodness for projects for my shop and some for me.

The rainbow yarn is going to be a pair of socks. Squee, rainbow socks!

You know how it is when you have a bag full of delicious new goodies. You want to start using all of it all at once. I had three potential shawls, two pairs of socks, a scarf and two neck warmers in there. Which to start first?

I know what the yarn will become already as I always buy yarn and fabric with specific projects in mind to make sure I don't over spend or end up having beautiful materials languishing in cupboards and boxes. I had to learn to have this willpower when I realised I was buying lovely but unusable things.

Found a fabric that would be perfect for a little tote bag? Then buy a lining fabric to match at the same time. Want that yarn in your favourite colour? Work out what you would like it to be and buy enough for that project and no more. It can be so frustrating to be itching to make something and realise you don't have quite enough of one thing or nothing to co-ordinate with another.

So far I've made a scarf and a neck warmer, and they turned out well... Then I started on a gentlemen's scarf. That's where my crocheter's block started. It's based on a scarf I made for my husband two years ago (wow, is it that long ago already?). I designed it specifically for him and the way he likes to wear his scarves and he loved it. Way more than I thought he would. He's been telling me to make more to sell ever since as he's sure other men would love it too. So, I finally listened and bought some wool in 'manly' colours. The problem is, two years is a long time ago and I didn't think I would make another one so I didn't write any notes on how I made the original.

Long story short, some experimentation was required. I used my husbands scarf as a guide and made a start. After a few rows I realised I must have used a bigger hook the first time around. The fabric was very dense and I'd like it to have more drape. I tried to frog but the wool in the yarn had fused together a little bit so it tore away instead of unravelling normally. Arrrrgh! I can't go back so have to go forward. Only now of course, it is using a lot more wool and I will need another ball to finish it. I haven't got another ball because of my 'only buy as much as you need' rule. Sigh.

See how dense it is? At least it will be scrummy warm

Lesson learned: write notes on new designs so I can repeat it and buy wool that can be easily frogged for prototypes.

My husband's solution is to just buy more wool and finish this scarf for him. He really loves the colour and pattern. I think that's what he secretly wanted all along. 😊 He'll have to wait though, I threw it back into the stash for now.

After that I decided to start a project I've been looking forward to for ages. My first pair of socks! I found a great pattern and some nice yarn that I really love. This is going to be a luxurious treat for me. It will cost way more than I would normally spend on a pair of socks. Of course the pattern recommended doing a tension square first, but as the pattern fits a range of sizes and I'm very impatient, I skipped that. Sigh, again. 

This is the toe piece with a few rows to go. It fits my big toe. 

Shamefully, that little piece of yellow plastic? That's my stitch marker. It broke. I'm good at breaking plastic stitch markers. Now I'm using the piece that broke off. 😔 Fortunately it's easy to see where your up to with this pattern.

Here it is squished out so you can see how little it is. 

Looks like I'll be doing a tension square after all. Not now though, I've thrown this back into stash too. I'm taking a break from crochet to do some embroidery and secret sewing until my crochet mojo comes back.

I absolutely love this yarn. It is Drops Fabel and is so soft and squidgy. I've never really liked yarn that has a speckled pattern before but I decided to give it a go as it is the yarn Elin, the designer used in her pair and I really like the look. 

I love the way the colour is coming out, it's so subtle and delicate. I'm still really excited about making my first pair of socks. Watch this space.

Before I sign off, I have to share this photo of the aftermath of cutting out some fabric pieces. This is top secret, so I can't show what it will be yet. Just look at the mess this fabric has made. It leaves a trail of purple fluff everywhere it goes. 

Do you ever suffer artist's/crocheter's block? What do you do about it when it strikes? Please share in the comments if you have any tips.

                                                                             *B*

Yarn Chicken

Do you play yarn chicken?

Yarn chicken is a game of nerves and determination. It is played when you are reaching the end of your yarn and the end of a project or row and you don't know which one will end first.

When I began the final row of this scarf my chances of finishing it looked bleak but I went ahead anyway. I was amazed to reach the half way point. I crocheted on.

                                                         The yarn ball looks so small.

                                                     The end of the row looks so distant.

                                                                              Eek...

                                 

                                                                          Wait...

                                                                   This looks good...

                                                                  Ha ha ha! Woo hoo!

                                                              Eat that, yarn chicken!
                                          (eat that yarn chicken? What does that taste like?)



Bekki 1 - Yarn 0

                                                           
                                                                       *B*

Winter Projects

Hi there!

I have some WIPs to show you today. Jennifer over at Thistlebear is throwing a link party every month this winter for peeps to show off what they are working on and to encourage and motivate each other to finish their projects. What a great idea! I'm joining in this month. I encourage you to go and check it out if you haven't already. There are some very lovely and inspirational projects being shared over there.

On to my WIPs

I'm taking part in an ATC swap over at Very Berry Handmade. For those that haven't heard of an ATC before, it stands for artist trading card and is a small piece of art, about the size of a business card, that is given away as a mini showcase of an artists work. Ali of very berry handmade organises a swap twice a year for textile ATC's. It's a lot of fun. I'll have more to share on that soon.
I've designed my ATC already but have only got as far as pulling the fabric and gathering the supplies I want to use. I'm going to try something a bit different this time. I'm going to have a go at layering with felt to embroider a landscape and -this is the biggest leap for me- use beads amongst the embroidery. I know that a lot of you would have done this a hundred times but using beads in an embroidery project is totally new to me. We'll see how it goes...

I'm also playing with ideas for new things to add to my shop (link in side bar). Firstly, I'm designing some arm warmers in a 4ply yarn that will give an extra layer under a winter coat but that will look nice to wear indoors too. This will be a long term project. Secondly, I've got some super chunky wool that is a pleasure to crochet with. It works up so quickly and the chunkiness is satisfyingly thick and bulky. I'm working on making some chunky necklaces. I like to have something warm to wear around my neck indoors but don't want to wear a scarf all day and I thought there are probably people out there who feel the same so I'm making one or two for my shop. Hopefully these will look chic enough for the office and will still keep the chill off. We'll see how that goes too... :)

Just for fun, I'm making a rhino softie. I really enjoy sewing sofies and soft sculptures and when I saw this online I had to make one. Unfortunately the pattern doesn't seem to be available anymore, in that the blog I found it on seems to have gone offline so I can't share it. This is going to be another long term project that I will work on bit by bit. So far, I've cut most of the pieces out, now I need to start sewing it up.

They're my winter projects. I have enough here to last me until spring. :) What are you working on this winter? Are you making something cosy to snuggle in when the nights draw in? Or are you a late night crafter with a sewing project you can rest on your lap while you work and watch telly at the same time?

                                                               *B*


Linking up with Winter Project link party at Thistlebear

Alpaca Victoria Shawl

One of the blogs I follow is Cherry Heart written by the lovely Sandra Paul. Sandra makes the prettiest things, whether it's knitting, crochet or sewing. I love her style. Her projects and her blog have an easy going, effortlessly pretty feel to them which makes reading her blog like a breath of fresh air. In fact cherry heart is one of the blogs that inspired me to start my own blog.

That being said, it's no surprise that when Sandra released a pattern for a crochet shawl earlier this year I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The Victoria shawl is a good sized shawl pattern that is plenty big enough to cover your shoulders and arms.

The pattern made by the cluster stitches in the main body of the shawl is beautifully delicate and after you've completed a few repeats is easy to remember. The finishing touch is the border design which is just soo pretty. It really adds a feminine flare and frames the shawl beautifully.

Sandra recommends using a luxury yarn for this shawl and I have to completely agree. I used 100% alpaca which is buttery soft and has a wonderful drape. I think it was the perfect yarn for this pattern, not just for its softness but also because alpaca is such a warm fibre which is pretty ideal for a shawl.

Here are some modelled photos. Embarrassing, but I always appreciate bloggers modelling their makes. Mustn't be a hypocrite.

I was deliciously cosy during this photo shoot.

A bit of a cliche shawl pose, but the best way to show the full size of the shawl

Victoria pattern pros:
                                   Easy to follow instructions, well written. A crochet chart is included, which I actually didn't use this time as the written instructions were so clear but are very useful for understanding a pattern at a glance.

Cons:
          Not really a con but this pattern is marked as an intermediate level pattern which I agree with, so not for a beginner. Like I said, not really a con as those who are more experienced at crochet would enjoy making this shawl because of the intermediate level of difficulty.

Crochet is such a relaxing craft. Especially when crocheting a repetitive pattern as in a shawl. It can be quite therapeutic. If it's a craft that you've thought you might like to learn then I encourage you to get some wool and a hook and give it a go. There are plenty of places online where you can learn to crochet. In fact Sandra has some good tutorials on cherryheart for stitches and patterns here that I've found enormously useful when learning to crochet.

                                                                         *B*


Linking up with Link Your Stuff