BOXY LITTLE BAG

Earlier this year I saw a Lets Knit magazine in my local supermarket - it had free bag handles in it and I stood transfixed thinking about whether I could justify spending the money. My hubby saw me holding this magazine and gazing at it wistfully - so he came over gently removed it from my hands - and placed it in the basket - saying 'I'll get it for you'

Well having the handles inspired me to come up with an idea for a little bag. I decided that I wanted to use felted crochet so I popped along to Hobbycraft and browsed the woolly section for a happy half hour or so. I finally chose two shades of Twilleys Freedom Spirit - a red and a purple.

I made a little swatch using a 3.5mm crochet hook - 10 stitches wide by 12 rows - and then I shoved it in the washing machine on 40 degrees and waited impatiently.

I used my swatch to work out the number of blocks required for the bag. It turned out that two blocks fitted perfectly into my handles and I added a block either side. I decided that the bag would be three blocks high and a block deep, so 4 blocks by 7 plus 2 blocks added on later at the top on either side. Finally I crocheted two plain side pieces a block wide by three high and felted the lot in the machine (that bit was scary - even though I'd already swatched it)!

I have been looking at the fabulous bags made by Lisa at U-handblog and had wanted to make something a bit more finished, so I bought some grid bag bottom, some bag feet, an invisible snap and two types of iron on interfacing, which came really quickly.

I then thought I'd make a start on piecing it together - well once I'd started I just kept doing the next bit, and the next bit - and then it was done - all hand pieced (I'm not terribly comfortable with things that go whirrrr and have pointy things attached - my minds eye sees horrible things)

Then I took it to the guild to show off and was promptly requested to do a workshop on it - hopefully one day I can add some pics of the other guild members' finished bags - watch this space!

My First Knitted Lace Shawl

Well this is going back a bit now - but I am still very proud of it so I shall tell you all about it.

Last year (February to be exact) I dyed a wodge of blue faced leicester fiber with some Kool-Aid - four colours, a yellow, a green and two blues.

Once it was dyed I admired the pretty colours for a week or two and then I started to spin. I set myself to spin a lace weight yarn, and I was hoping for enough to create one of the shawls that I'd favourited on Ravelry.

When I finally finished spinning - a couple of months later - I had about 980 or so metres - this narrowed the field for choosing shawls, as a couple took 1000m or more.

I settled on the North Roe Shawl by Dodile as it was soo pretty and didn't look too difficult.

I started knitting in May and really enjoyed the pattern - it's essentially a diamond, so when you reach the middle the other half is the same, therefore after 6 rows of the main pattern I pretty much knew what I was doing. It was so satisfying watching it grow - and I loved the way it formed bumps, as each motif was formed, that looked like mermaid scales. The only slight fly in the ointment was that the instructions were translated from French and were incomlete - however it was easy enough to work out what needed to be done - basically follow chart one, then chart two, then chart three. I did an extra repeat or two here and there - I can't remember now exactly what I did .

I knitted on a pair of quite long bamboo needles, which were ideal as the yarn was quite fine and light - by the time I got to the outer rows it was taking an hour or so per row! Anyway - finished in July. This was the first project I ever blocked -I'm not entirely satisfied with the blocking but am proud as punch with the finished shawl.

I've finally worn the shawl - it spent 11 months wrapped in tissue in my bottom drawer until I suddenly realised that it's really daft to put all that effort into something and not use it - so this summer it's had a few outings at last.

ONE YEAR (AND A BIT) ON

Well - is that a record?

It's a year and a quarter since the last post - I was almost scared I wouldn't be allowed in any more!

I've done quite a lot over the year - it's funny how I always think that I've not done much - but once I start to add it all up I realise I'm just being hard on myself and actually in a list it looks more impressive than it does in my brain.

A short summary:

KOOL AID SHAWL (FROM FUZZ TO FINISHED IN 5 MONTHS)

FIRST SOCKS FINALLY FINISHED (IT ONLY TOOK 2 YEARS)

ACQUIRED A KNITTING LOOM SET

MULTIPLE LOOM KNIT SOCKS (THEY TAKE LESS THAN 2 YEARS)

BOXY LITTLE BAG & THE WORKSHOP WHICH FOLLOWED

QUICKIE SHAWL IN NORO

2 PONCHOS

A SELECTION OF SCARVES

MANY MITTS - SOME IN PAIRS

FELTED MOBILE PHONE SNUG

THE KNIT GROUP - 'STITCH IN BISHOP'S STORTFORD'

THE KNIT GROUP WORKSHOP - HAND DYED SOCK YARN

I solemnly pledge to blog weekly - it's not as if I haven't got things to witter on about, as evidenced by the above list.

Besides the above, it was my birthday this month and I received lots of lovely, exciting fibrey gifts.

HEY I'VE GOT AN ETSY SHOP!

This is one of the reasons for my lack of blogging - I've been working on getting an Etsy shop off the ground - - well it's open and it has 9 items for sale. 

My shop is called The Crafty Heffalump so please go and have a look - I'd be grateful for feedback too :-)

RUSH WEAVING WORKSHOP

A couple of weeks ago our guild held a Rush Weaving workshop - taught by Olivia Elton Barrett at Widford Village Hall.

It was a great day - fun, interesting and well taught. We had the opportunity to make a variety of things - three of us made hats (myself included, as I've wanted to make a rush hat for quite a few years), one person made a rather fabulous herringbone pattern mat and the rest made baskets of various shapes.

When we arrived Olivia was setting out her tools and finished objects on different tables, and I had a moment of weakness at this point, as she had so many lovely things displayed - I wavered because of the cutest little bag - essentially an oblong, tall 

basket with fabric handles woven through it - I really wanted one - still do in fact, and it turns out that Olivia holds open house meetings where it is possible to develop rush weaving skills further......

I did manage to stick to my guns though - I reminded myself of how long I'd wanted a rush hat and that I'd spent the previous afternoon making my hat mould!

My first rush weaving:

I was so inspired that when I got home I immediately made my own version of the bag with the only useful material I had to hand - felt. It's a bit floppy, and when I tried to wet felt it the floppiness was exacerbated slightly, but I still have hope for it, I just need some bag stiffening and some lining fabric!

KALEIDOSCOPES AT KRAZY DAD

This is a really cool toy that, whilst being creative doesn't have a lot to do with fibre.

There's a great website that allows you to do this:

KOOL AID DYEING

In December of last year I joined the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry. I posted my wish list and sent out various bits and pieces to other people - all arrived safely to their various destinations over a period of time (well it was approaching Christmas). I was amazed at the response to my wish list - I received one of my requests within a matter of hours by email - I then started to receive little packages through the post - of Kool Aid Woohoo - I also was given some by a friend in our newly started knitting group - so I ended up with a large and fabulous selection of different colours to play with.

My first play day resulted in this selection

When I went over to Hilary's I took some blue, green and yellow and did this

Here it all is ready to go to the next phase - which is the admire and fondle phase

The first spinning I did was with some Blue Faced Leicester that I'd dyed with left over liquid - one batch grape and one batch mixed reds and pinks - I spun them separately and then plied them together - and was then terribly disappointed as I didn't feel they worked particularly well together. I then spent some time humming and hahing and came up with a plan to make a scarf in broomstick crochet - and, actually, it really works with the yarn, bringing out the best of it.

I have also spun some of the red/yellow/pink mix and that is on it's way to being (hopefully) a hat, scarf and gloves set.

I'm daydreaming at present about spinning the turquoisey mix into a lace weight yarn and knitting a nice shawl - but by the time I get to it my plans may change!

Having added my mosaic picture to one of the Ravelry forums I received a good offer for some more Kool Aid - 18 packs hee hee - off to play now :-)