Crochet converted bag

Talk about brainless sewing. Because I don't have enough to do...

Sometimes I am struck with ideas and simply have to carry them out on the spot. This is such a project.

This tote bag came with the weekend newspaper a few months ago and I was impressed with the impenetrable fibre it is made from - a suprisingly good quality plastic woven fabric. Just what I was after.

Why?? I hear you ask.

Yes, it's true I have a few hundred beautiful fabric bags but I needed a quick bag I could use for my crochet tube. Something that wouldn't be affected by rain or smells (the plastic is perfect for this) and a bag I could throw about (not that I abuse my bags generally) or be too precious about. A practical bag that I could sling over my shoulder and carry in the car and just generally out and about so I can manage to fit in a few lines of knitting without carrying a whole cache around.

I am often struck with the thought of carrying out a few lines of knitting when stuck in bank queues, supermarket queues, etc. But I needed a slimline tote.

Obviously I don't want to advertise David Jones as I go about my business so a fabric print was necessary.

The only thing this tote was missing was a good sturdy zip which I added. I selected a charming bird print. Unpicked the lot. Attached the print. Stitched it back togeher...and voila....!

Now, I know there are better things I could have done with that hour...but I have got a bag to show for it, so it wasn't completely bad.

And I managed to stash bust and give these sweet birds a use.

Ok... back to real work...

Roseville Album

Roseville by Kim Mclean arrived a month ago. I'm only just getting around to it now (the usual story).

It looks good. I can't wait to start. I have already pulled some stash fabric out to see if it will do. I think I might have to buy some new Fassett fabrics. It shares some design elements with The Civil War Bride Quilt (which is also on my UFO shelf) so I will have 2 similiar in style - but they are both beautiful in their own way. I think that if you see something you know you will love making and having, it has to find a home...somewhere in your studio...

Is anyone else making this quilt?

I will post updates as I go through making this quilt. I don't know when as I have a lot of my own to get through. But it can sit on my UFO shelf. I have hungry eyes!

This quilt can be purchased here: http://www.gloriouscolor.com/

a Sneaky Peak

Pull out your Christmas stash ( I know you must have one)

Buy a packet of little christmas bells in gold or silver (you'll be needing them)

Wait (im)patiently.... this BOM is COMING SOON

 

 Here's a sneaky peak of what my design wall looked like as I worked on the next BOM.

Above is my Christmas stash box, full with fabric waiting to be used.  Next to it are the greens I will be using. The lighting has made them 'greyish' - they have more green vibrancy in true light.

It's a Christmas theme and it will be released quickly to allow it to be finished well before Christmas (who needs December sewing??? Not me!)

Fear not - these pics were taken early in the process. The BOM is just about ready to launch...

A Quilt for Sue

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

If you have the time, please make the time to put together a block in any size and any colour -ASAP

Please visit Lizzie's blog for more info: http://nanalizzie.blogspot.com/

Have a block? email Lizzie for the postal address to send it to: elizabethmcmahon1950@gmail.com

In The Pink Part 6 is launched

Doesn't time fly by when you're having fun?

In the Pink finishes up this month. This last installment is short and sweet consisting of only finishing up instructions... although many of you went ahead and finished it with your own steam and they all look different and wonderful. Time to say goodbye to afternoons appliquing tulips....

I was really pleased to hear from Chris of http://cocoandpip.blogspot.com/ who is crocheting the same afghan as I am. She is working it in lilacs and I can't wait to see how hers turns out. It's always interesting to compare. Especially as I was in two minds over my final colour choice. I would love to see it worked up in different colours. 

I've had a busy month but still managed to stay on track with this afghan and am 18 blocks down. *Only* 90 need to be made so I am still some way off yet. Actually I would love to hear from anyone making this blanket as I am just a bit *tired* of the repetition already which is not a great sign. I will not allow it to become a crochet UFO (there simply isn't room) so I will persevere. But the more the merrier I say...

I  found a daphne bush which was a nice suprise and cut the rain drenched buds into bowls and my chaotic house smells like rain falling across rose gardens....lovely and calming...just what I need as I get myself organised for the Boms ahead and a few other ongoing projects.

 

Here I am toiling away at the kitchen table (well, my studio is full!) and my DD snapped a pic of me having a bad hair and paperwork day. Dream Fountain is on the table as I was writing up a piece about it.

Yes, In The Pink is finished, however it is not the last BOM on offer this year. Stay tuned...

September

Things are super busy at my house but I somehow found the time to get out and buy some new wool. There's been some good rain and wintery weather so I've been working on my scrappy rainbow ripple blanket as well as my Afghan Hex in the evenings.

I've been looking for a good wool supplier for a while now. At this years Showcase I came across Yarn Barn. They are located in Melbourne and have wonderful quality wool at very reasonable prices. Importantly, their wool is a real pleasure to work up. It glides beautifully. I bought some new colours to top up my ripple blanket (below) and went with Fuschia coloured flowers and green leaves for my motif hex blanket.

I am glad to report that I have been keeping up the nightly motif habit and can't wait to have a flowering afghan.  The great thing about the Yarn Barn is that they
offer 8ply 500gm 'cones' which is so much better than

having to work 10 balls. I have been shocked by some of the ugly knots and joins that sometimes happen in commercial skeins and the cone means that there is no needless breaks in the work.

As it's the end of season, only the fuschia was available on the cone and it has been such a delight to work with. No tangles, no knotting. I love it. I am already planning next years knitting so that I can buy ahead and get all my colours coned for next year.

It's so much neater too. Easy to pack up and store.

I have had emails asking for the hex block pattern. I would gladly share my own work as I feel that the best crochet patterns don't appear in books and crochet is all about sharing.However, as it is not my own pattern, I cannot share it. It is from a book: a Crocheters Garden of Afghans. It's available via the http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk/ which delivers free of charge worldwide. I am currently making the afghan project on the front cover. Of course, like all my work I have made some changes (I can't help it) so my afghan will not be the same as the one from the book, but it is very close. The book is full of great blankets to work up, so if you only buy one crochet book this year - and if you love crochet blankets- this might be the book for you.

I say might because the only thing missing from this book is...diagrams! I like to work from diagrams as I dont really follow  USA crochet terms and this book has none at all. The pattern is written out in type which I found confusing.

Actually I had to put the 'instructions away' and work from the photographs and only then did the instructions make sense for me. This may or may not be an issue for you, depending how you work.

Thank you to everyone who emailed me to let me know that my website was down for 3 days. My host server Yola.com was attacked and they shut down the servers. I had no idea as I don't follow my host server's blog (which I probably should) and in the end everything was fine. They simply blocked all sites to protect them. For this reason, I will be keeping up block 5 for an extra few days to give everyone a chance to download the block if they missed it as the final block is launched this month.

In The Pink finishes this month with block 6 launched on the 15th.

But the BOM year is not yet over. The last BOM for the year, a short Christmas BOM will be launched this month. So stay tuned...

Phew, September is going to be busy!

Questing for Colour

There's been some much needed rain this last week, so I went outdoors to see if my plants had been re-invigorated. They have. After so much singed yellow, I never complain when it's raining now.  I especially love this image of a white camellia nestled in amongst the wet branches.

I think it would work so well as a wall quilt.

Even the pavement looks alive

I love the contrast of stone and green

This is also a favourite and has made it into my 'colour files'       The blending is perfect! 

I like the texture here

Even the yellow bruising is in tone harmony

So often when I'm stuck for colour pairings, I like to see what nature has done. It always inspires me and gets me thinking of new combinations. This is usually enough to get me over any colour dilemna. Readers of my blog will know that colour is something I am always exploring : working with it, harmonising it and especially selecting the right 'tones'

What do you do?

Hip to be Hexagon

As a woman with more UFOs than I like to admit, I probably don't need any more hobbies. This time of year brings out the chetter in me, it's the season for a warm wool blanket. And a crochet blanket is something you just can't buy (well, not easily at least.) My rules are that it has to be useful, beautiful and (most of all) something I can pick up and put down whenever I want. Something than can be bundled into a bag without too much fuss. Here is my Crochet WIP...

Before starting a new crochet blanket, I like to work out a sample block first to see if I like it. I do. I think it's really sweet and a nice variation on the granny square (which is also on my list). Here I've worked it in a left over green wool. It will be in 3 colours: the centre flower, the flower petals and surrounding leaves.

This is my colour inspiration at the moment. This project takes 40 balls of wool and I havent commited yet, but I'm considering this cherry pinkish hue with glossy darkish leaves... I am currently on the lookout to see if I can find some wool to match.

 These colours just speak to me. Such vibrancy. I can imagine throwing out this blanket on a cold evening and being delighted with it again and again... This pic is from my 'colour files.' When I stumble across beautiful images, I picture them for later reference. When I saw these camillia's in bloom I just knew I'd want to remember these colours at a later time.

The best thing about this block? It takes 15 minutes to work up. Yes, 15 minutes. At that rate, I can chet one each evening for just 2 months and have a beautiful work to show for it at the end. Mini projects that add up. I like them!

Do you have a favourite knitted / chetted piece? or a WIP?