I’ve mentioned before how much love buttons. Well who doesn’t? So, you can imagine my delight my I got a button making manual from one of my loveliest friends. The manual by Gina B, who I mentioned in my last post, on ganutell: yes, I am aware that I sound like a groupie. It’s just that Gina B is soooooo talented. The technique for ganutell and button making are very similar: both involve wrapping thread, only when making buttons you have to wrap really, really, really tightly and with ganutell you wrap really, really, really gently. The manual is fully of delicious buttons to make, using a verity of techniques, including crochet! I (for once) started off with what looked like the more simply designs. Would you like to see how I got on?
Wraps to make a star (my most favourite shape)…
Another star (because you can never have too many), but with a different shape base…
Death’s Head (not my name) wrap, which is the base for the more complicated buttons…
Getting more confident, I attempted weaving my threads…
Getting more ambitious (a little too ambitious, don’t look too closely at the stitches) with embroidery…
First attempt at the Union Jack, ended in Iceland…
Second attempt…
I am going to put brooch backs on to the back of my buttons and wear them, while I think of more uses and make more buttons!
Every now and again I love to try something new. I did make a promise to Si, that I would find my craft and stick to it, but sometime the lure of something new is just too strong. I justify my breaking this promise, with the fact that I am making flowers. I love to crochet flowers, make fabric flowers, so making flowers in a new way is just an extension of what I am already doing, not really something new! Right? I am a massive fan of the incredibly talented Gina B (it is thanks to Gina B that I make finger braid) so when I heard the she had ganutell flowers kits, I knew that I had to give them a try. I think the main reason I am such a fan of Gina B, is that she love heritage craft with a modern twist. I also love, loVE, LOVE history: so what could be better than ganutell – history, making and flowers – what’s not to love? What is ganutell? I hear you ask. Ganutell is a flowers made from coiled wire shaped into flower petals with thread wrapped over the wire. I’ll show you…
I am sooooo happy with how these turned out: I can see a new addiction coming on…
Hello Lovelies ! It’s been a crazy week here in blogland, as I have had lots and lots of new people dropping by. You are all very welcome. I really hope that some of you will stay awhile: I love sharing my crafty adventure with you all. The big increase is completely down to the lovlye Lucy, from Attic24, sharing a photo of my winter wreath. Thank you Lucy!
You can choose to follow my blog, or join me on Facebook HERE and I put my crochet patterns HERE on Ravelry: just in case you were wondering!
I thought that I’d ease us into 2015 crochet with something simple: crocheting granny squares. I do like granny squares, I don’t think I love them in the same way some crocheters do, but I definitely like them A LOT! Actually I have more granny squares, in my home, than I realised! I have them on cushions,, cushions,cushions,I use them every day as coasters, there on my needle case and I used them on my foot-stool…
I thought that I share with you how to crochet yourself a simple, basic, granny square: a request that also came from a conservation in a pub over Christmas.
I am using dk yarn and my trust 4mm hook, but you can crochet your granny square out of anything (copy and paste pattern at the end of this post).
Start by crochet 3ch and joining with a ss, to make a circle, 3ch, 2tr into the circle, 2ch,…
3tr into the circle, 2ch…
3tr into the circle, 2ch, 3tr into the circle, 2ch, ss to join…
Turn, either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch…
2tr into the chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the chsp, 2ch…
3tr into the next chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the same chsp, 2ch…
Repeat this into each chsp, then ss to join…
Turn, either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch, 2tr into the chsp…
Into the corner chsp, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 2ch (the 2ch moves you to the next chsp), 3tr into the side chsp…
Keep going, all the way around …
Keep crocheting in the same way until your granny square is the size you want: small or big…
HINT – if you find that your granny square is curing up at the edges you might you to try putting in an extra chain or two, so that you have a bigger chsp to work into. If you find that your granny square is on the baggy side, only put one, or even no, chain, on the side of your squares and work into the small gap rather than actual chsp.
The world seems to have had a difficult start to 2015: with the awful things that are happening. I hope that your 2015 has got off to a more peaceful start? I am truly blessed that mine has. Even when things get stressful (and really they aren’t in comparison) I find that it is incredibly important to remember just how lucky I am. When I feel myself wavering, and things start to build-up (as they often do for many over the Christmas holidays) I try really hard to keep life as simple as possible, and reconnect with the little, but oh-so important things. One thing I love to do is go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, I often like to go for a walk along the river, which is close (sometimes too close when it floods) to my home. I am very lucky that I can head to the end of my street turn left and be in the middle of York and turn right and wander along the river bank of the Ouse. This is what I did one cold and frosty morning; I took my camera along – so that you too can come along…
Not a person in sight, it’s just us…
Still just us as we near the Millennium Bridge…
Turned into Rowntree’s Park (yes, we have visited here many, many, many times before) where the grass was dusted with icing…
And the water frozen…
And the park benches had a frosty, fuzzy, coating…
And the leaves looked like they had been dipped in icing sugar…
But still there were reminders that Spring isn’t far away…
My hope for us all in 2015 it that we can have peace. That we acknowledge that we are all different, celebrate that we are all different and not be afraid to talk about out differences. Can you imagine if we were all the same? So, please where ever you are, pray for peace, look for the blessings in your life and remember that beauty is all around.
Ps – I forgot to tell you. Over Christmas I embraced the twenty-first century and set up a Facebook page for byhelen. So, if you’d like to pop over and like the page, please do, this means that you’ll get notifications when I post and lots of other things that I want to share with you. At the moment my Facebook page hasn’t lots of content, but it will come: we all have to start somewhere!
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