skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Since last Winter I have been buying scarves from charity shops (no more than £1.99 each), with the idea of crocheting them together to make a blanket. It was a little tricky to collect these accessories over the Summer, but now that Autumn has blustered in again, so have the stockpiled scarves.
I've looked out for colours that I love (deep pinks, purples, green and teal), variable textures and avoided those that are really overstretched. Here is the result of my double crochet seaming together 10 scarves so far. I am really surprised how heavy it is:
You can only really see the first 6 in this photo. When I complete this, I'll try and get a better photo up.
The piece, so far, is stretched over a king size bed. I reckon another 5 scarves would give it the perfect drape for a single bed, or for a sofa snuggle blanket - it's really cosy. This is great for upcycling any old, overstretched or no longer worn scarves you may have stashed away. What a lovely way to keep an array of much loved family scarves in use as an heirloom maybe?- You can never have too many blankets!
August 27th was Bank Holiday Monday. The day was more so reminiscent of a blustery, cold, wet, dim Autumn than tail end of the Summer. Depressing... It is a little known fact that people living in the north east of England are advised to take extra vitamin D supplements due to the lack of sunlight. Also, a taxi driver told me, last Winter, that he had a Norwegian passenger who said it was colder during the Winter in the north east than it was in Norway! He said she was grumbling that she couldn't cope with the 'damp', that the coldness of the season in Norway was a dry cold rather than a wet coldness. I've lived here (by choice) for the past eight years, and I've only this last year gotten out of the habitual need to sneak a hot water bottle on the morning bus journey into work during the Winter....
Anyway. I spent Bank Holiday Monday with my parentals. We kept company in the morning at home. Dad crosswording, Mum doing her lovely tapestry and some geneology research, and me (going nearly cross-eyed in the dim daylight) getting into one of four crochet projects on the go at the moment. This is my version of the 'Flowers in the Snow' blanket by Solveig Grimstad (from Ravelry, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flowers-in-the-snow). If you are unfortunate enough to have not signed up to Ravelry, or choose not to indulge in such delicious yarn adoring procrastination, then she (Solveig Grimstad), has provided an excellent translation of her pattern (using US crochet terms) with photos, on her blog, which you can access here: http://solgrim.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/sirkel-i-kvadrat.html .
Note to self: This beautiful design is called 'Flowers in the Snow' for the reason that each motif/square is meant to be bordered in white. I, in the throes of 'Intent to Destash', chose navy blue around apple green, teal and purple flowers. Dim days + dark borders = strained, peeping peepers! However, these are a combination of my favourite colours and they look fabulous together nonetheless. Here is what I have completed so far:
The other project I am working on is 'Nancy's Waves Scarf' by Cori Dodds on Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nancys-waves-scarf ), which is a free pdf download. I am using a Regia sock yarn ( 4 ply, wool and nylon blend). The yarn colours crochet out beautifully with the pattern, however, I am suprised how 'scratchy' and rough it feels and wonder if even using a little conditioner when I block it is going to make it any softer? The link on Ravelry offers 'yarn ideas' for the project, and I'm thinking that when I do this again (lovely Christmas gift scarves), I might choose something more luxurious like Mini Mochi, Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball, Noro Silk Garden, or Araucania Ranco Multy.... However, those choices will mean new purchases and conscious avoidance of Intent to Destash!...Oh woe.
The Artful Adorner has taken a blog break to write out a hundred times 'I WILL destash!'.....
This is my Nancy's Waves Scarf thus far:
After lunch, we got on the bus into the city and spent a pleasant hour or so wandering around the Laing Gallery. The two exhibitions at the moment are 'The Family' and 'Quentin Blake' illustrations. My favourite 'Isabella and the pot of Basil' by Rossetti is out on loan alas, but I was delighted to see another favourite, 'Cat in a Cottage Window' by Ralph Hedley, remained for viewing pleasure. We convened for coffee and tea and cake in the Laing cafe before heading back to the bus stop home (their Rocky Road is delicious!).
I have not abandoned my art journal exploits, I managed to complete two A5 size pages for the day on some scrap paper (that I will paste into one of my books). Before I sign off, I 'd just like to mention that my parents saw a fantastic Rolf Harris exhibition in John Lewis (Newcastle upon Tyne), which is on at the moment.
Oooooooh, tomorrow is Woollee Wednesday!
...loads of yarn craft a-doing! Well, the knitting is on and off, worked mostly in between lots of projects on various hooks. I'm finding the sticks a little hard going. This is mostly due to the fact that I can crochet so much faster than I can knit & so my attention span is so much shorter with the sticks. However, practice, they say, makes perfect, so I've started working on knitted scarves for everyone ready for Christmas.
I'm pretty tired right now, having spent the best part of my afternoon off work with 3 strangers attempting to catch a lost and very scared collie dog running amok around my locality. The one chap in our group of Dog-A-Teers managed to get hold of the poor thing's collar (after 1 hour of coaxing) and take him home with him (nearby) to keep him safe until he could get help.
I was so angry... I had called the RSPCA from my mobile phone: NUMEROUS pick an option options on the phoneline, 10 minutes on hold and fleeced £8 off my payg later, the RSPCA officer told me he couldn't help us and I should call the local council's dog warden. Did he have a number for me? No, he did not. Could the dog warden help us? No, because it was a flippin answering machine as the department was (by then 4.30pm) closed.
ANYWAY... the chap who took him planned to ring a local vet for advice and maybe find out if the collie is chipped. Fingers crossed for the poor dog.
Had a fantastic weekend just gone. Mum came up to stay and we had a lovely girls weekend: On Friday evening we shared a delicious meal at Lochfyne; Shopped & dropped on the Saturday around Newcastle; Gave Mum the 'Yo, Sushi!' experience which was fun (except for the powdered Japanese chilli that made the right side of my face go numb); Chick flicks and after dinner walks; A lovely pootling browse around the Quayside market on Sunday morning; then I treated Mum and my friend Irene to the 'Afternoon Confectioners Tea' at Jesmond Dene House Hotel on Sunday afternoon which we all thoroughly enjoyed - scrumpdiddlyumptious! Mum bought me these beautiful flowers:
I introduced Mum to the joys and wonder of Ravelry, for which she is awaiting an invitation. I've apparently spiked her creative verve and she is itching to learn Entrelac. I posted off two patterns for her today, one of which is the hugely popular 'Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole' design by Kathleen Power Johnson from the wonderful book 'Scarf Style' by Pam Allen which I have on loan from a friend. I'm currently in the throes of pattern lust for this book. I will be so jealous when Mum masters it. I just got really confused when I had a go and my yarn got really tight on my needles which made it very hard before I gave up and frogged it. Maybe not such a good idea for a newbie knitter eh? I am hoping though, that Mum will teach me Entralac when I go home for my Summer holiday in July. Mum has oodles of enviable knitting skill.
Hmmm. What else? Oh yes, I just HAVE to tell you about the most gorgeous yarn I bought from Ring-A-Rosie a few weeks back. It is Noro Shikisai (35% cotton, 22% acrylic, 15% silk, 15% kid mohair & 13% wool). It is in variegated colourways of brown, turquoise-greens & hints of purple. Probably sounds gross, but it is really lovely (colour shade 10) and feels so light and soft. I started the Midori scarf I have queued on Ravelry, which I then frogged (got bored with the slow growth) to turn into a crocheted late Summer keep-the-evening-chill-off scarfy wrap type accessory which I have designed myself. Will post pics soon. For some reason the yarn seems to crochet up softer than when knit. I love it though and can't wait to finish and show you.
Also, on the jewellery front line (yes, the passion remains at full throttle), I'm currently working on a funky and frankly girly-gorgeous collection of handbag jewellery and brooches. Again, pics will be posted soon. I've just joined pinkdoodle.com with a view to (if I can get myself into gear) eventually selling my wearble art pieces in their market place. Fingers crossed.
Finally. I am in the process of hopefully commencing a Bsc (Hons) in Continuing Professional Studies affiliated with my full time job. So, there is a lot on my plate, but I'm really looking forward to the many creative challenges in the upcoming months.
Bye for now.
