By Helen

Happy Easter…

Happy Easter to you all!  I really hope that you have a lovely long weekend, enjoy the sunshine and see the opportunities for new beginnings.  Do you remember a few weeks ago, when I was preparing my Easter crochet project, and I didn’t quite know what to do?  Well, inspiration hit: and I ended up combining two of my favourite crafts – crochet and embroidery.  I am very new to embroidery; I have dabbled in it a little and been to a couple of classes, but as yet I haven’t really found my way of doing it.  I think that this may be about to change.  I know myself and know there is little point in aiming for fine embroidery, maybe one day…but not yet.  For me it needs to be slightly more instant, that’s way I love crochet – that instant hit.  Somehow combining crochet and embroidery, seemed less daunting and more natural, and I can’t tell you how happy I am with the result.  I hope you know that very special feeling that you get (occasionally) when you are soooo pleased with what you have made – it actually makes you glow?  Glow: without being smug, because you know the amount of projects you are less pleased with greatly out-numbers the ones you love. That is how I feel about my Easter crochet.  Are you ready?  Ta-dah…

They were inspired by the AMAZING chocolate eggs, which Bettys (the famous Bett’s tea-room in York) has in their window each Easter…

I was also inspired by these which I came across on Ravelry.  On each of my crochet egg, I embroidered a different stitch.  I wonder if that makes them contemporary embroidery samplers? 

There is whipped wheel stitch (sometimes known as spider’s wheel stitch)…

Detached chain stitch (also known as lazy daisy stitch)…

French knots…

Running stitch…

And pistil stitch…

I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter…

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Ps – if you feel like crocheting the daffodil (in the foreground of the pictures) the pattern can be found HERE andHERE.

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up-cycling crochet style…

I love crochet.  I know that I have told you that over and over and over again.  But I really do, love, love, l-o-v-e, it.  I love the simplicity of the stitches, the soothing rhythm of treble crochet blanket, the speed at which a crochet flower appears, the endless possibility and versatility that crochet can give you.  I love the sharing, recycling and passing-on of the love of crochet.  Recently I came across the most amazing crocheted covered chair…

 

Isn’t it  brilliant?  I love the idea of taking something un-loved and ugly and up-cycling it into something fabulous.  Right there and then I wanted it: I wanted to crochet me one. I just had to convince Si, that we needed to give a crochet chair house-space.  Si, was less convinced.  I think, he thinks that our home is already been overtaken by crochet and a crochet chair might be a step too far.  But something smaller, something I could sneak in, something that would get passed his crochet-radar! Then few weeks ago, I had a lovely day out with my friend C and her gorgeous daughter I (who could forget I and those crochet hats), we spent a happy few hours mooching around charity shops near where we live. In one of the shops I found this…

Isn’t it awful?  I wish I had taken a photo of Si’s face when he saw what I had brought home!  I had an idea in mind.  If a whole crochet chair was too much: then why not start small - with a foot-stool?  I could up-cycle the stool.  Pass on something unloved and unwanted and make it lovely.  I got to work, removing the (very synthetic) velvet and fringe…

Painted the legs and re-covered the foam with a plain white cotton…

Then the real fun began: crocheting granny-squares!  I love a granny-square and really need to crochet more of them.  A granny square really does sum-up crochet brilliantly, in one (well) square.  One little (or large) square: so many possibilities.  Slippers, cushions, blankets, the list could go on…Back to the stool.  Using some lovely style-craft yarn, which you can get from Deramores, in my favourite colours of purple, teal, burnt orange and a neutral called oat-meal, I got to work.  Very soon I had my granny squares, ready to be double crocheted together…

All that was left was to sure the granny-squares to the stool...

And ta-dah…

My very own up-cycled crochet foot-stool.  Not quite to OTT (Si’s words not mine) as the chair: but definitely in the style of!  I’ve started small, but you know what they say out of small acorns n’all-that…one day I might have the chair.

So, go on have ago at up-cycling, start small: re-love and make pretty something un-loved and ugly.  Pass on the love of crochet…

 

Happy hooking!

xxx

This blog entry is my submission to the Deramores Blog Awards 2014. Deramores is the UK’s number one online retailer of knitting and crochet supplies.

For more information, please visit Deramores' website

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But I’m not too sure what to crochet creation to turn this into.  Any ideas…?

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simple Spring flower…

I don’t know about you, but for me March has been really, really, really, busy.  My feet haven’t touched the ground, and I’m not sure how come we find ourselves heading into April next week. April next week?!?  When things get busy: I find that crochet gets more and more necessary.  There is something relaxing about row after row of trebles, which go into the making of a blanket.  There is something about the quickness of crocheting lazy flowers.  Lovely simple crochet flowers.  I thought that share with you the flower which I used for my Valentine's Day wreath...

You will need some ends of yarn, I used DK – but whatever you have to hand is fine, a hook suitable for your yarn, a darning needle and some buttons (if you are feeling especially lazy)!

To start, crochet 3ch, ss to join,  5dc into the ring, ss to join (6 stitches)…

Finish off and weave in ends, to stop them getting in the way.  Change yarn, joining into any dc, secure with a ch (this stitch doesn’t count)…

*dc, htr, tr, htr, dc* into dc…

Repeat *-* into each dc, ss to join the last petal to the first, finish off and weave in ends…

If you are feeling really lazy, then don’t bother changing the colour of your yarn: but use a cute little button for the centre of your flower…

Happy crocheting!

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Happy Valentine's Day…

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I thought I’d share the love with you all, crochet style…

I am so pleased with how my little Valentine's Day wreath turned out, I can’t tell you.  The wreath was meant to have fourteen little flowers on it.  I couldn’t quite squeeze the last one in: so here it is with a true bakers-dozen.  I like the fact that there’re thirteen flowers, it makes the heart a little wonky: just like love is – a little wonky at times!

We don’t celebrate Valentine's Day in my house (not since Si offered to buy me a sack of potatoes – don’t ask): but that is no excuse for not spreading the joy of love, especially when so many people are facing difficulties at the moment. 

So, whatever you do this Valentine's Day, do it with love!

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ps – I’ll write up the little flower pattern, for you very soon, it’s been a very busy month so far! 

colourful crochet…

Do you remember the blanket I started to crochet last year? It’s a Lucy blanket, full of her typical colourful cheer.  Each evening I’ve come home and settled into the meditative rhythm of treble crochets.  The blanket, itself is very straight forward: row after row after row of crochet.  What I hadn’t anticipated was how I would find the use of colour.  Colour is fascinating; it is all around us, but how often do we actually stop and look at all the different tones and shades that are on offer?  Working with Lucy colours, has meant working outside my normal colour palate.  I am an Autumnal colour girl: drawn to earthy, berry tones.  So when it came to putting Lucy’s colours together I found it really difficult.  I wanted the blanket to look natural and random (though I am beginning to question the whole randomness of random) as if it had been thrown together and looked, well like Lucy’s.  I think the difficulty is because I am so far away from colours that I am naturally drawn to: but sometimes it is good to work outside your element.  It has really made me think about colour, how I use them and how they should be used together.  I am loving crocheting my blanket and so far I have used all of the seven-teen colours once…

…the challenge now is how to use the colours for a second, third, fourth, time and keep the look random (that word again)!  I’ll let you know how I get along...xxx

crochet snowdrop…

Yesterday, on my way home from work, I saw something which made my heart sing.  I saw my first snowdrops of the New Year.  Not just one snowdrop: but a whole carpet of them, little white jewels,  little clumps of loveliness…

I was sooooo pleased to see them: they are a reminder that, no matter how cold and wet the UK is at the moment, Spring is on its way.  I was also pleased to see them as, for the last few days; I have crocheting a snowdrop, to share with you all.  I first crocheted a snowdrop a while ago: but somehow, I was never truly happy with it.  The one I have been working on is, I think, better: not perfect, but definitely better.  So, here it is. 

You’ll need green and white yarn, a hook the appropriate size for the yarn (I used a DK with my trustee 4mm hook, needle and scissors.

First crochet the stem, crochet 23ch…

ss into each ch, but stop before the last ch…

6dc into the last ch…

Bring the working yarn between the stem and the hook, ss to join the round…

*1ch, dc into each dc, ss to join* (6 stitches).  Repeat *-*. Finish off and weave in the ends…

Join the white yarn in any dc..

Into dc *[dc, htr, tr, dtr, tr, htr, dc, ss]…

Ss into next dc, into dc [dc, htr, tr, htr, dc, ss] ss into next dc*…

Repeat *-* until you have crocheted six petals (three small ones and three large ones), ss into first dc to join, fasten off…

Using your finger, shape the petals…

Thread wire through the stem, been careful not to snag the yarn or leave bits of wire on show…

Ta-dah…

Hope that wasn’t too fiddly?  Let me know!

Happy crocheting! 

xxx

crochet garden: book review…

It has been a long time since I have treated myself to a new book about crochet.  This isn’t because I haven’t wanted one: oh, no – quite the opposite.  There are soooo many excellent crochet books out there; it is difficult to choose just one. One of my very lovely friends gave me a book voucher for Christmas, so I decided to indulge and purchase a shiny new crochet book.  I love buying new books.  I love the whole process, the browsing, the flicking through pages, the never knowing what delights are to be found between the pages.  Decisions, decisions…I’ve looked at Crochet Garden by Suzann Thompson a few times, but always put the book back on the self, thinking do I need another crochet flower book?  Well, yes I do!  Don’t we all?

The book is full of hints and tips, even for experienced crochets.  Who knew about needle-joining, for the perfect finishing off?  Genius!  The book is brim full of truly beautiful illustrations…

The patterns are clear and easy to follow.  Though there are no charts.  What I really love is that the book, really does offer something a little-bit different, from other crochet books.  The variety of flowers to be crocheted and the use of suggested colours and yarns are just brilliant.   I can’t wait to get crocheting…

Thank you Suzann, a really amazing book! 

Xxx

Ps – I don’t think it makes any difference (but just so you know) the patterns are written using American crochet terms, so you will need to do a little bit of translation! 

quick crochet coaster…

After using the same breakfast bowls for the last umpty years, I decided it was time of some new ones.   After spending time browsing the home-wear shops of York, walking away from some very beautiful (very expensive Polish pottery) I cam home with some very plain white bowls.  There is something I like about eating of plain white crockery, it somehow feels right.  I was pleased with my new bowls.  The pleasure lasted right up until I used them.  I should explain.  I like to start my day with a hot-steaming bowl of porridge.  Now, I know the porridge-purest of you will be shocked at my next sentence, sorry.  I cook my porridge in the microwave.  I have attempted to cook it on the hob, slowly and lovingly, but it somehow just doesn’t work for me.  Then there was the occasion when I was left, at a re-enactment, to cook breakfast on an open fire.  I am still apologising to a certain someone (you know who you are) for the pan then he manfully spent the next three hours cleaning with chainmail! Yes, it was THAT bad. For porridge, for me, the microwave really comes in to its own.  But my new lovely plain white bowls are rather rubbish in the microwave: they get soooooooooo hot you can’t actually hold them to sit and enjoy your porridge.  What is a girl to do?  Crochet of course!  After a happy few hours I had four crochet granny-square coasters…

They were crocheted from some very chunky Rico Creative Filz: which given that it is 100% wool, will over time felt with the heat from the bowls, but that’s ok.  I love the denseness of the stitches that the wool gives…

Once again crochet to the rescue: and breakfasts no-longer involves burring hands…

Perfect!

crafty Christmas…

Well hello: and welcome to 2014 – it’s lovely to see you again!  Did you have a good Christmas?  I really hope so.  I have to say that Christmas here is York was lovely, though if I am very truthful it already seems like a long time ago.  And if I am even more the truthful: by the end of the holiday period it was lovely to regain control of my home!  I won’t go as far as saying it was lovely to go back to work: as inevitably that can with it’s own challenges!

Over the holidays I did manage to fit in lots of time, for little crafty projects. Want to see?

Repairing my much loved Christmas singers, which my Grandma and I made when I was little…

Check out, my earlier handwriting…

Upcycling curtains, so that Christmas guests had a little more warmth and privacy…

Crocheting a pot-cover for our teeny-tiny Christmas tree…

Starting crocheting a new phone-sock…

Contemplating starting crocheting a jumper…

I am very much looking forward to 2014.  This year I’ve even made some New Year resolutions.  I don’t usually make New Year resolutions, seeing then as unachievable.  The start of this year feels different, somehow – perhaps it is because I enjoyed 2013 soooooo much, that I wanted it to continue in 2014.  2014 really has a lot to live up to!  With my New Year resolutions, I decided to focus on doing more, rather than giving up things or doing less.

Top of my list for 2014 is more fun, whatever form fun takes, I intend to embraces it whole-heartily! 

I’d also like a new job, or new place to work.  Towards the end of 2013, lift got a little crazy: with me working four jobs (one regularly part-time and three casual, but all seemed to coincide over the last few months of the year).  Maybe I should be aiming for one job, in one place?  Nah – I’d be bored!  One thing is for sure: there will be more craft classes – my next one is in March, where we’ll be making Spring flowers.  Maybe I’ll see some of you there?

Lastly, I’m also going to be truer to myself.  This, again, started towards the end of 2013.  In 2014 I fully intend to follow the words of Dr Susses…

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Hope that you are ready for the journey, fun of crochet, craft, life, laughter and fun…