By Helen: 1st post of the month

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that you had a lovely Christmas and continue to have all your wishes met in 2016. Important question: did you stay dry? I should explain, in case you haven’t seen pictures of the terrible weather that the UK has been experiencing, large parts of the UK have suffered from bad flooding over the Christmas period. So many people have been affected; my heart goes out to every single one of them. Here is York, where byhelen is based, has also been badly hit: with the two rivers, the Foss and the Ouse, both breaching their banks and flooding back into the city. In large parts of the city people and out of their homes as the clean-up starts and small business have been affected as visitors choose to stay away from city centre. If you are visiting York, it is very much open, please come as support our amazing independent traders.

I am luckier than lots of people in the city; the flood touched my door-step, but didn’t, this time, make it into my home. I am so very grateful for this. My home was saved, this time, because of sandbags and the amazing community spirt, that we repeated see in the Bishy Road area of York. My home was saved, this time, because of an amazing group of people from a mosque in Batley. These amazing people, drove to Cumbria (all ready badly affected by flooding,) and decided that people there were getting help, so they decided to come to York and help us. They spent the day in our area helping move sandbags to protect streets and homes and offering support to all. They came back two days later, to make sure that we were still ok. We were. I can’t thank these wonderful people enough...

In all the devastation of the flooding, the sense of community shone through and York, despite what Mother Nature was throwing at her, remained as beautiful as ever…

I hope that we don’t experience this level of flooding again, but I fear that we will.

I hope that your Christmas was drier than ours and that you enjoyed the festivities.

Here’s to more sunshine, hope, love, laughter and craft in 2016…

6 Jan 2016 10:08:10 | 1st post of the month, York

crochet inspiration…

Last Friday, I went on my annual trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show, in Harrogate, (yes I went last year, and the year before, and the year before) and as ever it was brilliant. The things that I loved most about the Knitting and Stitching Show, isn’t the shopping (although that was amazing) it is seeing the creativity of other artists. One artist that I was drawn to this year was Sophie Digard…

Sophie’s exhibition, hosted by Selvedge magazine, featured her amazing crochet. I thought that I’d take some photos for you lovelies so that you can see her amazing work…

The catalogue, which supported the exhibition, explained more about Sophie and her inspirations, I particularly loved the pages that showed the photographs next to the finished work…

Isn’t Sophie’s work just fabulous? It reminded me of the diversity of crochet, from Sophie’s delicate work through to Felieke Van Der Leest work that I featured a a few weeks ago..

Isn’t crochet just the best?!?

3 Dec 2015 11:37:54 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, Crochet, inspiration, Other people's stuff, Review

amazing exhibition featuring crochet: Into the Zoo…

It’s been a bit quiet here in blog-land, as I’ve been away. You’ll be hearing quite a lot about my time away over the next few weeks. I’m not going to apologise for telling you about my time away, I’ve had an amazing time and can’t wait to share some of it with you!

I want to start with the most amazing exhibition that I have ever visited. The exhibition featured crochet: in a way that I have never seen before. The exhibition was inspiration, fun, poignant, thought-provoking but most of all you walked around with a giant grin on your face.

The exhibition was at the Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, which is the national museum of decorative arts and design, in Trondheim, Norway. The exhibition Into the Zoo featured work by the incredibly talented Felieke Van Der Leest . Felieke Van Der Leest combines plastic animals with precious metals and textile techniques, especially crochet, to create a zoo where humor and seriousness go hand in hand. The aim of her work is to appeal to both the inquisitive child and the playful adults: and it certainly did.

Want to see?

This is a small selection of Felieke Van Der Leest amazing creations on display. If you’re grinning like I was when I saw her work, I would recommend treating yourself to a copy of the exhibition book the Zoo of Life. The book has lots and lots of photographs of Felieke Van Der Leest’s work and also explains the thinking behind some of her creations. The book is a lovely memory of this amazing exhibition and will put a smile on your face!

Thank you for the staff at Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum who allow photographs (without flash) to be taken in the galleries! If this exhibition ever comes to your country, please, please, please, get yourself along!

7 Oct 2015 11:09:16 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, Crochet, inspiration, Other people's stuff, Review, Travel

lovely, lovely, September…

Ok, so this post is going to be similar to the post I wrote you this time last year, and the year before and the year before and the year before! I’m not going to apologise: I just love, LOVE, L-O-V-E September. September, for me is the very best of all the months: there is still a hint of Summer in the air, but there is a twang of Autumn with cool mornings and dew on the ground. It is in September when Mother Nature buts on her very best show, the changing colours of the trees and the decaying seed heads that exploded like fireworks all over the garden. I thought I’d share some of those fireworks with you…

I hope you enjoy Autumn as much as I do? Let me know about your favourite season…

All photos were taken at Helmsley Walled Garden it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area!

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2 Sep 2015 09:49:31 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, celebrations, inspiration, Seasons

crochet water-lily square…

Hello! Hello! Hello! I know I’ve been very quiet for the last few weeks. I’ve changed jobs and I’ve been having a few family things going on, hopefully, things are starting the settle down and life will return to normal and I’ll be picking my hook back-up over the next few days. My hook hasn’t been totally still over the last few weeks. You can always catch-up with me on Facebook! I’ve slowly, slowly, been working on a pattern to share with you. The crochet pattern is for a water-lily square, inspired by the water-lilies that I saw at Burnby Hall. I hope you like it…

To crochet a water-lily square you will need yarn in a selection of colours (I used Stylecraft’s DK), a yarn appropriate hook (I used a 4mm) and some scissors. Ready?

Round one: 5ch, ss to join…

Round two: 3ch, working into the ring, 2tr tog, *3ch, 3tr tog,* repeat *-* 3 more times, you should have 5ch sp, finish off and weave in ends…

Round three: join new yarn in any ch sp, *dc, htr, 3tr, htr, dc* into ch sp, repeat *-* into each ch sp…

Round four: working into the back of the petals *ss into 2^nd tr, 5ch* repeat so you have 5ch sp…

Round five: as round three.

Round six: as round four.

Round seven: as round three.

Round eight: as round four.

Round nine: as round three only work evenly so you have 4ch sp, finish off and weave in ends…

Round ten: join new yarn in any ch sp, 3ch, 2tr into ch sp, 2ch, working into the same ch sp, 3tr, 5ch, *3tr, 2ch, 3tr, into ch sp, 5ch, * repeat *-* in each ch sp…

Round eleven: 3ch, 2tr, 3ch, 3tr, into ch sp, 3ch, 2tr into next ch sp. Continue working in this way around the square, finish off and weave in ends. You should have 3tr, 3ch, 3tr in each corner, 3tr in each side ch sp and 3ch between each…

Round twelve: join new yarn in any ch sp and continue crocheting as with round eleven…

After round twelve I finished off and started my next water-lily square, but it is up to you how many rounds you decide to do before finishing off. I’m going to crochet a few more squares, then join them together so become a water-lily cushion cover.

I’d love to see what you crochet yours into. You can share them here, on Facebook or on Ravelry.

Happy crocheting!

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For those of you that prefer a copy and paste pattern, here it is…

Round one: 5ch, ss to join.

Round two: 3ch, working into the ring, 2tr tog, *3ch, 3tr tog,* repeat *-* 3 more times, you should have 5ch sp, finish off and weave in ends.

Round three: join new yarn in any ch sp, *dc, htr, 3tr, htr, dc* into ch sp, repeat *-* into each ch sp.

Round four: working into the back of the petals *ss into 2^nd tr, 5ch* repeat so you have 5ch sp.

Round five: as round three.

Round six: as round four.

Round seven: as round three.

Round eight: as round four.

Round nine: as round three only work evenly so you have 4ch sp, finish off and weave in ends.

Round ten: join new yarn in any ch sp, 3ch, 2tr into ch sp, 2ch, working into the same ch sp, 3tr, 5ch, *3tr, 2ch, 3tr, into ch sp, 5ch, * repeat *-* in each ch sp.

Round eleven: 3ch, 2tr, 3ch, 3tr, into ch sp, 3ch, 2tr into next ch sp. Continue working in this way around the square, finish off and weave in ends. You should have 3tr, 3ch, 3tr in each corner, 3tr in each side ch sp and 3ch between each.

Round twelve: join new yarn in any ch sp and continue crocheting as with round eleven.

After round twelve I finished off and started my next water-lily square, but it is up to you how many rounds you decide to do before finishing off. I’m going to crochet a few more squares, then join them together so become a water-lily cushion cover.

xxx

12 Aug 2015 12:03:08 | 1st post of the month, Crochet, Flower of the month, How to...

Cornish inspiration…

A couple of weeks ago, Si and me popped down to Cornwall for a few days. I say popped, but the reality of it means a seven hour train journey, still it is worth every minute. I love the light in Cornwall, especially, that of St. Ives. The light makes everything look brighter, more alive: I think it is something to do with the reflection from the sea (don’t quote me), no wonder artists flock there. I took a lot of photographs, but they don’t really capture the zingy light, still there provide good inspiration for some crafty projects that I want to work on…

Nb – any Cornwall experts will note that the first photograph is not St. Ives, it is Charlestown - you know of Poldark fame!

6 Jul 2015 08:21:30 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, inspiration

crochet layered flower….

Well after a few weeks of fuzziness the world is starting to look clearer. There are going to be some big, but very exciting changes in mine and Si’s life over the coming months. I’m changing jobs and Si has some really exciting opportunities that he is exploring. So, in celebration me and a large glass of something red, my crochet hook and my camera sat out in the sunshine and designed a new flower, especially for you! I’ve called it a layered flower, as it has two different layers of petals...

You are going to be crocheting into the front loop only and back loop only of a double-crochet. In case you need a reminder, this is what I mean….

Front loop only…

Back loop only…

You can use any yarn that you have to hand and a hook appropriate for the yarn. A copy and paste pattern is at the bottom of this post!

5ch, ss to join…

7dc into the round, ss to join…

Working into the front loop only, * ss to first dc, 5ch, ss into the dc*…

Repeat *-* until you have your first layer of petals…

Working into the back loop only **ss to first dc, 7ch, ss into the dc**…

Repeat **-** until you have your second layer of petals…

Have fun experimenting with different number of double crochet and different lengths of chain petals. I’d love to see you flowers. You can share them here, or on Facebook or on Ravelry.

Happy crocheting!

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For those of you who like to copy and paste patterns…

5ch, ss to join
7dc into the round, ss to join
Working into the front loop only, * ss to first dc, 5ch, ss into the dc*
Repeat *-* until you have your first layer of petals
Working into the back loop only **ss to first dc, 7ch, ss into the dc**
Repeat **-** until you have your second layer of petals

5 Jun 2015 10:28:14 | 1st post of the month, Crochet, How to...

metal flowers…

Morning lovelies. Are you ready for a lovely l-o-n-g weekend? I certainly am. It’s going to be busy! Tomorrow I’m helping out on a York Makers stall, where a few of us are showcasing our makes and promoting what we do and our Spring Fair. The stall is part of the Bishy Road E By Eck, street party, here in York, to celebrate the Tour de Yorkshire. Sorting out the stall, for tomorrow, and the one next Saturday, has taken quite a lot of my time. I’m very conscious that I haven’t shared much crochet with you recently – I hope you don’t mind? Normalish services will resume shortly! Today I thought I’d share some inspiration with you, it comes from Metalwork Galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which Si and me visited a few weeks ago...

Amazing aren’t they? Hope they provide you with some inspiration for your weekend makes!

Happy making….

1 May 2015 10:09:20 | 1st post of the month, inspiration, York

Spring is springing…

March is here like a lion: hopefully that means she will leave like a lamb and this cold weather will end. Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of Winter (it is one of my favourite seasons) but I have had enough now and would like some warmth. I think that Mother Nature must also be getting restless with Winter. Have you noticed? She is slowly, slowly starting her Spring show, reminding us that Spring is just around the corner and that the Earth is beginning to warm-up and wake-up from its Winter sleep. A few days ago I wrapped-up and headed out with my friend and her little girl, in search of Spring. And we found Spring in abundance. I took my camera along, so that you could see for yourself…

Spring is on its way, so this weekend, wherever you are, go for a walk and say good morning to the World as it wakes for another year…

Oh and if you are inside, this weekend, don’t forget that you can find me on Facebook HERE

xxx

5 Mar 2015 10:44:30 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, garden, inspiration, Seasons

crochet blanket: finished…

I’VE FINISHED MY CROCHET BLANKET! Yes, I am shouting. Yes, I am jumping around the house feeling, somewhat pleased with myself. It seems like ages and ages since I started crocheting my blanket: oh I was ages ago (back in 2013), when I first crocheted that l-o-n-g foundation chain!

My crochet blanket is most definitely a Lucy blanket, using her colour pallet. Crocheting using someone else’s colour pallet has been a rally interesting experience. Lucy’s colours, and not really my colours: Lucy’s colours tend to be from Spring and Summer, whereas mine are very much Autumnal.

So why crochet with Lucy’s colours? Good question. I think that it is good to move outside of your element occasional and try something new. Lucy is a real inspiration, and the way she uses and blends colour is just fabulous, so why not. Crocheting using different colours, I have learnt A LOT: about how colours complement and contrast with each other and about how colours blend together and shout against each other. Most of all I’ve really enjoyed crocheting it! Want to see it? Ok here you are…