28 August 2013

Crochet Galore

Yet another week has rushed by and I don't think I've achieved much at all.
My sewing machine has been packed away for about a month, and I'm starting to think that maybe I should get it out again.
I have an abundance of ideas for things that I want to make on the machine..... I'm in a quandary... do I get the machine out and start more projects, or do I do more work on the ufo's?

During the week I have been crocheting. I seem to 'flit' between projects like a little bird (maybe its that little bird that I drew last week).

This belt is finished and will be going in my Etsy shop later today. 
I love the filigree buckle.



And another crochet project that is a WIP, here is the start of a very free-form Shoulder Wrap or scarf. Mostly in shades of white and cream, with a hint of gold/yellows.


Just for inspiration, the following pic is something my mother made in 2001. 
She signed and dated the back (good job mum).
It is all wool, and stitched in a straight stitch.
The RUG measures 0.62m x 1m (24" x 40")


Does anyone like digital art?
I do.
Later in the week I shall share a couple that I have created recently.

That's all for now.

Happy Stitching



21 August 2013

Free Form Crochet Bolero etc.

 Needle-Felting 

This week I have been working some more on my needle-felted Woodland character. I have had to change his name though, as everyone who saw him thought it was Oscar the Grouch as he is green too. I don't want my character to be 'similar' to anything already created, so I think I'll call him Brock. Hopefully that won't bring to mind any character already in existence.
I have given Brock a cheeky Mohawk hairstyle and will post pictures next week as he is feeling a bit 'exposed' at the moment.  

 Free Form Crochet Bolero 

I have been 'playing' with arrangements for the motifs on the bolero.
I'm piecing the back together first as it is the largest area to cover. 
Here are a few motifs on my 'dummy'. The final placement may not be the same as this, and there are smaller 'filler' motifs to add to it too. I'll be making those specifically to fill a space as I need it.


I have started stitching some together in mesh style. This is probably going to be a long job, but it is quite enjoyable to do, rather like 'meander quilting', therapeutic. 



Crochet Along Space Saver and Stash-Buster

Even though I have finished my crochet-along squares baby blanket, I am still doing more crochet things.
This is a plastic bag storage dispenser. It has elastic 'holes' at the top and the bottom. You scrunch and fold each plastic grocery bag up and push it into the hole at the top. When you need a plastic bag you pull one out from the bottom. Simple. 
A hanging cord at the top keeps it off the workbench and out of the way, and within easy reach.
I know this idea has been around for a while but I've only just got around to making one for myself.
It was a good way to use up a couple of small balls of yarns.

All of these plastic bags...........

.....fits into this dispenser......


Arty Stuff

An English blue-tit bird sketch with coloured pencils. 
I wish I had time to perfect my arty muse.



Have a great week.
 Cy 


14 August 2013

Crochet Along Afghan & the NEW Project

Well there goes another week.
The "Invasion of the Packing Boxes" has started. At the moment most of the boxes are still in their flat-pack form, but a couple have been packed and stacked. It will probably be about a year before I see the contents of those boxes again.

Crochet Along Progress


The Pastel Squares Afghan is finished now. 
Quite pleased that it is finished but not too happy with the random squares as they all turned out a slightly different measurement which made the joining of them a little bit awkward. I think I managed to get the middle lines to behave as I joined the squares together, but that outside edge, well, I will have to talk a bit more sternly to that part. It needs blocking to try to get those edges straight. 
I probably will not be doing another 'random squares' afghan. Uniform squares would have a more professional finish.

And..... because my mind was thinking about the baby afghan colours.....
here is something else that just slipped off my crochet hook.



Felting

And now to reveal what I teased you with last week.
WIP

Meet Oscar...... he lives in Hampden Forest with his family and other villagers.
(He's not finished yet though. Needs more work on mouth, arms, hands, boots etc.)


This Oscar character is the start of my NEW project.
When he is finished he will sit on a log in the bush for a photo shoot, and then await the creation of his fellow Hampden Forest inhabitants.
I can see many wonderful hours spent creating this fantasy village, and finding family connections for them all.
Do I have fun, or what!!!

Have a great week.
 Cy 




07 August 2013

Crochet - Felting - House Update

Creatively speaking I have had another fun week.
Not too many photos to show you though, sorry about that.

 Crochet Along Squares 

I have 12 squares made now. And that is it. I really don't have the enthusiasm to make any more, so I have started stitching the squares together with a rather textured stitch (or stitches actually). This will hopefully have the effect of blocking the squares and help to keep them 'square' when the baby afghan gets washed.
I had to disregard one of the squares I had made as it was too 'chunky' to match the rest, so I made one more square during the week.

Here are some pics of the sewing together parts, as yet unfinished.

Two rows of coral stitch, two rows of fake knitting (I still haven't learnt how to knit, but I have bought some knitting needles to correct that fact) and four rows of trebles.






I will hopefully have a photo of the finished project next week.
________________________________


 Felting 

A sneak peak at what is on my felting work-table this week.


Sorry for the tease, haha.
There is a reason I do not want to show the whole thing just yet.... 
I'm not sure if it going to be as good as I intended it to be, and I may have to do some rapid alterations to get it right.
This is another project that will hopefully be finished by next weeks blog update.


 House Update 

Phew.... all ok on this now, and we finally OWN the land in Hawkes Bay and can really start planning our dream home build. Celebrations started last night (mwuahahahahaha).

This is one of our fields and is where the house will be built. If we remove a couple of those smaller trees in the middle of the field we will have a great view of the Ruahine Ranges.


This is the next field, and probably where we have the workshop/barn/studio built.


And there are three more fields in addition to these two.
Work is progressing slowly on the caravan restoration that is to be our bedroom there while the build goes ahead, and we are on the lookout for another caravan to be our living and cooking rooms for a couple of months (or maybe more) during the build, and then we can use that caravan for touring when it is all finished.
Exciting times. I shall love even living in a caravan on these blocks. My 'for-ever' holiday home.