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!
More wonderful, amazing, colour and quilts from the Ancestral Gifts exhibition at York’s Quilt Museum. The exhibition is curated by Kaffe Fassett and conjunction with The Quilters’ Guild Collection. Kaffe Fassett has taken quilts from the historic collection and used them as inspiration for designing his own quilts, using his own genius use of colour. I really hope some of you have been able to visit the exhibition: but just in case you haven’t…
I’ve had the morning off work, so I decided to visit The Quilt Museum in York. The Quilt Museum is one of my favourite museums in York. At the end of October the Museum will closes it’s doors for the last time, but before it does please make sure you pay it a visit. The exhibition that is one at the moment (running until 5th September) is a real show stopper. The exhibitionAncestral Gifts is curated by Kaffe Fassett and conjunction with The Quilters’ Guild Collection. Kaffe Fassett has taken quilts from the historic collection and used them as inspiration for designing his own quilts, using his own genius use of colour. The quilts hang in pairs, so that you can see how they work together. The museum is a a wash with colour, a feast for the eyes and your allowed to take photographs!
My photographs are substitute for visiting but if you can’t make it to York in the next few weeks they will (hopefully) give you an idea of the quality of the exhibition. So, here are a few of the picis that I took and I’ll share some more with you next week…
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 2nd 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.
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 2nd 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.
Last Saturday was a really sunny Saturday, so me and Si decided to head to Burnby Hall. Burnby Hall, is a stunning garden, about half an hour drive from York, which is full of beautiful plants and ponds full water lillies and some of the biggest fish you’ll ever see. It is well worth a visit. As we wandered around, inspiration started to creep in: I could crochet a water lilly! Naturally, I took lots of photos…
Now all I have to do(!) is use the inspiration that I found and spend some hooky time, playing with yarn and experimenting. I’ll let you know how I get along and hopefully very soon I’ll have a pattern to share with you. I’m already thinking a crochet water lilly cushion, or even blanket!
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!
Last week(ish) I had the pleasure of running a fabulous fabric flowers workshop at The Silver Thimble. You might remember The Silver Thimble I have run workshops there before. They are always a great deal of fun, with some of the loveliest ladies, and I end up learning as much as they do! Very soon into the workshop, we had fabulous fabric flowers blooming all over, here’s a selection…
My next workshop, at The Silver Thimble, is on the 23rd October and we will be making braids and buttons. Hope to see some of you there!
If you want to come along, you can find The Silver Thimble on Facebook HERE and I’m also on Facebook HERE!
Last year the Tower of London commemorate the First World War with an art installation of poppies flooding it’s moat; that installation is nothing compared to the installation that the incredible talented Sally – Hippystitch and textile artist Deborah New– have created. For the last few years Hippystitch has organised community yarnbombs; remember the one for the Tour de Yorkshire and the one that, quite literally, took over Rowntree Park? For the last few weeks Hippystitch has run workshops, where even-more talented people have knitting and crocheted poppies. Sadly I haven’t been organised enough to get along to any of the workshops, given how fuzzy the last few weeks have been, so I haven’t added to the yarnbomb. Still, I can share it with you…
If you want to see the installation for yourself, then pop down to Rowntree Park where it will be until the 12th July.
For more information about the yarnbomb have a look at Sally’s Blog or find her on Facebook HERE.
Thank you Sally and Deborah New for organising this; can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for next year!
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
Remember last week when I told you my head was feeling all fuzzy? Well the truth is, things are taking longer than expected to clear and become our new normal; my head is still a little fuzzy. I have decided that I need to spend some time reconnecting with the important things in life: friends, family, soothing treble crochet and (of course) flowers. There are so many amazing flowers, so full of colour and cheer. Pure inspiration for crochet. I can’t wait to share my new crochet projects with you, for how here’s the inspiration behind the crochet….
More things that inspire me can be found on Pinterest boards HERE. I’m also on Facebook HERE pop-over, say hello and (if you’re feeling generous) give me a like!
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