By Helen

little treats…

Wow!  It has been a busy few months.  Regular readers will know that I have been trying really hard, over the last few months, to slow down and reconnect with my making. It is beginning to work!  I’m still working (in the real world) full-time but this may change soon, as my work contract comes to an end.  In the creative world, I have been just as busy, with my makes going to a certain three day fair in September (more about that very soon), a crochet workshop in September and lots of Christmas fairs to start getting ready for.  Yes, it has been busy! Last week I took some time out and treated myself at The British Wool Show.  I was the first time that I had visited The British Wool Show, despite it been just four miles from my home.   It was brilliant.  Even the free shuttle bus from York had been yarnbombed…

There wasn’t the same amount of stalls that you would expect at Yarndale or the The Knitting and Stitching Show, but the quality of what was there sure made up for the quantity…

Very soon, I had spent all of my money: I take cash to places like this so that I don’t have to explain myself too much!

I bought the most beautiful yarn from; Midwinter Yarns, Truly Hooked andYarn Garden and two stunning brooches from Flet by Bridget. I have ideas whirling around my mind as to what to do with the yarn, I’ll share these with you very soon…

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Last week I showed you the work for the incredibly talented Sophie Digard, today I want to show you the work of another equally talented artist Michala Gyetvia…

Michala works by stitching threads onto felt; to produce the most amazing landscapes…

I treated myself to a copy of Michala’s exhibition catalogue, so that I can look back, again and again, for inspiration. Inside the catalogue you are treated to images from Michala’s sketch book…

This has really made me think. Should I be keeping a sketch book, to record my ideas? I am a massive fan of Pintrest: perhaps I should start keeping a sketch book to record my ideas r? Perhaps we are seeing the start of my New Year’s resolution….

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?!?

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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! 

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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…

Enjoy!

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I try really, really, really hard not to buy craft books.  I already have a lot of craft books and sometimes, especially when they are very themed, I find that they stifling creativity: encouraging you down one particular route rather than letting you walk your own path.  Every now and then, though, one comes which you know you have to have on your bookshelf.  That is what happened the other day, I found a book which I fell instantly in love with and had to have there and then.  The book is all about making paper (yes paper, not fabric) flowers: in fact the book is called Paper Flowers and is by the incredibly talented Denise Brown…

The book has thirty-five step by step projects to make your own fabulous flowers.  Here are just a few of my favourite (it was VERY hard to choose)…

Aren’t they just lovely?  I can’t wait to get making.  I have to warn you: I am very tempted to try and adapt some of these paper flowers into fabric flowers!

Have a lovely weekend!

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a year gone by…

Are you having a lovely holiday?  I really hope that you all are.  This morning I have, indulgently, been browsing my own blog: I do this occasionally, so I don’t repeat myself (sorry if you feel I do) but as a way of celebrating all the makes and shares that I have posted.  I love to craft (especially crochet) but I love sharing with you all even more.  I think that it is really important to look back, celebrate and learn before going forward.  I would highly recommend that you do this.  I think that lots of people tend to do this naturally at this time of year, as one year ends and we start the New Year full of promises and resolution.  I’m not big on New Year resolutions, unusually for me I made three last year: I am very happy to report that I kept two out of the three.  The third wasn’t kept, but not from my lack of trying – it just wasn’t meant to be: I certainly won’t be beating myself over this!  So here’s my look back over some of my 2014 highlights.  Here’s to 2015.  See you next year!

Teaching some lovely ladies how to make fabric flowers: seeing how their creations bloomed…

Celebrating my third blog birthday and learning to combine crochet and embroidery…

Treating myself to a truly beautiful art work…

Discovering my love of crochet roses…

Enjoying lazy summer days…

Celebrating September (I do this every year)…

Lovely, lovely, lovely, Autumn…

Curling-up in snuggly crochet slippers…

Cute Christmas crochet…

I feel truly blessed and am sending all my blessing to you all.  Have a wonderful end of 2014 and can’t wait to see you next year…

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Usually my inspiration comes from nature (cliché I know), but I’m guessing you might have worked that one out my now.  But it also comes from visiting museums and galleries; York has a really great selection of these. Inspiration also comes from visiting some of England’s great houses.  I have to confess I have a real thing for wall-paper.  The proper, old, good stuff: I’m not talking Anaglyptic here!  Occasionally I find inspiration in books.  I love to rummage through boxes of books in charity shops, I love the promise of what you might find.  The other day: during one of my rummages I came across this…

I love Orla Kiely's use of colour and how she uses shape.  I find her style so inspirational.  Not in a way I want to copy, but flicking through her book really made my mind think of all the crochet possibilities.  Using shape as a starting point…

…and letting my hook lead the way.  Over the next few months there are going to be quite a few crochet projects that have been inspired by this book.  I can’t wait to share them with you…

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! 

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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! 

crochet shawl: finished…

It has turned really, really, chilly here in the UK.  Autumn is most definitely here; and on a morning there is the first hint of Winter in the air.  This weather makes it the perfect time of year for getting on with some serious crochet.  I decided that I needed to spend some time finishing off (some of) my unfinished projects.  The Knitting and Stitching show, which is only a few weeks away, has also spurred me on: if I have finished my projects I have the perfect excuse for shopping!  Right?  I thought that the first project I’d finish was my shawl.  I started this a while ago: now it is finished, just in time to keep me warm.  I am pleased with how it turned out…

The pattern, written by the immensely talented Debbie Bliss, was brilliant to follow. It featured in Simply crochet issue 4 . The only tricky bit was knowing when to stop crocheting the length, so you had enough yarn left to crochet the edges.   I love the results: a light shawl to keep the chilly evenings away while I snuggle down with my other crochet projects.