Bow Tie

The little bow embellishment I crocheted yesterday...

Bow Belles

If your computer has ever had a virus, you will know it's a NIGHTMARE. As my PC is now completely unusable, I am having to resort to using my Blogger app today, thank heavens for mobile devices.

This week has been hugely busy but I did get the chance to rustle up a crochet bow this afternoon (sorry no photos until my PC is fixed). I thought I'd try making the little embellishment as it will look pretty sewn onto gloves or used as a brooch.

I'm itching to try some simple crochet squares but need to find some easy patterns to get started on.

More from me soon...

Following the paper trail

And now for something totally different! Last week I realised I don't have enough hanging Christmas decorations for the festive season so I thought, why not make some? When I was nine years-old I had a Japanese friend called Yuko who introduced me to the creative art of Origami. I remember being tantalised by the richly coloured patterned paper she used as she demonstrated how to transform a simple square of paper into a swan, a dog's face or a familiar object.

I haven't dabbled in the paper arts since, that is until yesterday when I made a paper ski boot! I plan to create a few more little folded clothes and then progress to constructing some larger scale hanging shapes to decorate the apartment at Christmas.

One more thing before I go, I've always admired the contemporary look of clothing with intricately folded material and came across this fabulous example. Wow! So modern and unique. I must admit I feel a tinge of craft envy that I didn't design it myself, but it's certainly something to aspire to
nonetheless.

Truly scrumptious

My PC is driving me mad today, I really need to take everything off it and get it serviced. Anyway, technical details aside, here is my finished baby hat and mittens set. The recipient still hasn't been born but I'm sure he will look totally scrumptious and toasty in said items. For those of you from exotic shores, it's getting really dark in the UK now which plays havoc with my blog photography as I can't take any decent pictures in natural light after about 15.30  (a real pain). 

After consulting the translated Pickles 'Small & Clever' patterns and feeling puzzled for quite some time, I decided to totally bastardise the original patterns (!) to make it easier and worked the mittens flat rather than using four needles and knitting them in the round. The end results are pretty similar and I may have a go at the super cute booties another day. I am once again extremely grateful to the Pickles and the sublime Ravelry social networking site for providing these eye-catching free patterns, oh and also to stitch sleuth Anna for tipping me off about them on her own blog.

Counting sheep

Greetings! I haven't had a chance to blog for days as I started a new contract this week. However, I wanted to tell you I finally received my little gift from Morocco: a huge amount of extra chunky weight wool hand spun by the local artisans. The yarn isn't quite as refined as something you'd purchase in a regular UK haberdashery but it gets a definite 'thumbs up' from me as I find its rustic charm rather appealing. In fact, I'm amazed by just how much there is, when I pile it all up together, there's almost enough to clothe a sheep! My only regret is that I wasn't able to scour the North African streets myself to investigate the variety of wools available. Toying with the idea of dying it a more practical colour, I'm planning to use the natural coloured fibre to make some furnishings before the New Year.

Also, earlier in the week, news of this quirky Paris art exhibition caught my eye, knitting certainly seems to increasingly be on people's radars.

Enjoy your weekend folks, more from me again soon.

Sundaysentials

I always feel a bit blue on Sunday nights, another weekend almost over, boo-hoo! Well, at least I've mastered some new knitting techniques today and completed a project (to be showcased later in the week).

I've always loved the fluffy stuff - mohair and angora - so as a Christmas week project, I'm thinking this Suzie Blackman Dream cardigan could be just the ticket!

I'm constantly amazed by the sheer volume of projects other knitting and crochet bloggers turn around in just a few days. There are so many more craft and style blogs that I plan to check out and in the spirit of 'sharing', I will add a more comprehensive Recommended Blogs list to my spot in due course.

Having a yarn

I've been browsing patterns trying to decide how to use this fantastic textured wool/synthetic mix yarn I picked up at the Knitting & Stitching Show last month. Its thickness falls in between the navy DK and jade green acrylic 4 ply I have so I think I'll use it as a trim on some funky fingerless gloves or perhaps make an eye-catching hat. We shall see!