Why Yarndale was the best day ever.

Oh Yarndale, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. Crocheting all the way from Kent to Manchester.
2. First time going away on my own since my first little one came along (almost 8 years ago).
3. Staying with my sister and the family.
4. Having a steady stream of cups of tea- it always tastes better from a sister.

 

5. Making crochet bunting months ahead to send over to the lovely Lucy.

6. Reading all the Attic24 blog posts in anticipation.

7. Not taking any work away with me....okay now I'm just boring myself. 

 Let me just say that I am not a strange, middle aged lady who gets excited about wool.  I am one of many!  I was far too excited, bounced up and down all the way there and caused much annoyance as I screamed at first sight of the bunting.  I just didn't care.  I embarrassed myself as often as possible and indulged every woolly whim.  I did not rush around stalls, I did touch everything, go back to first stalls, chat to everyone and yes, even insisted on a photo with Lucy (poor woman).  I didn't even notice the lovely Heather from tiny tin bird until later as her blog page has only a partial face shot! 

We sat from the opening hours until well after lunch engrossed in learning how to knit tarantula style with six pointy needles.  I loved it so much that I wouldn't leave the table until absolutely desperate for the ladies and when my back started to seize. 

We loved it so much that on returning late that evening, Sis and I continued to knit with a large glass of wine until after 11pm.  I came home feeling at one with woolly urges and realised that I had only bought a Yarndale tote bag for myself.  This was shocking as I had come away ready to spend, spend, spend.  I think that, when every yearning was met, there was no need to even try and buy.  It was the best rest and reconnect with my lovely sister.  So, I don't care that this is 9 months ago.  Look at this and be inspired to come along to Yarndale 2014!  I can't wait and look forward to sharing all the Mandala Madness that's being going on ready for my new Yarndale contribution.

"I wish I had time to do crafty stuff."

I am sitting here sifting through the camera again and have finally found some missing pictures!  I wanted to share these because, honestly, I just want to show off and take a moment to remember that work doesn't take over every spare minute.  I am always surprised by how many times I hear the phrase, "Where do you find the time?" or "I wish I had time to do crafty stuff." It does sometimes sound a little critical as if I should feel lucky to have sooo much spare time that I can just pootle around indulging a hobby.  The truth is, as all crafters know,  we all get the same time in a day and I choose being active over sitting for hours watching tv every evening.  I think most crafters are noctural as we seem to come alive during those twilight hours!  A friend of mine who whips up the most amazing dresses, always seems to want to start a  new project around about 9pm!  So this post is to remind me that those stolen hours before bed (and even before the family awakes) mounts up those little projects pretty quickly.
So, did  I tell you about the Christmas Bazaar?  This year, instead of making a ton of Christmas presents, I decided to make a bundle of goodies for the Church Bazaar.  I started whilst on the long train journey to my sister's for our Yarndale experience.  I crocheted mini stockings, felty garlands and stockings, pot holders, felty baubles, sweetie cones and loads of hair clips.  I loved it!  I was given a little parcel of cheap fabric and did a bit of a "Mocholate" with it.  If you know your "Friends" you will know that a  small amount of mocholate (chocolate substitute) was mixed with much nicer ingredients.  So I happily took small amounts of the bundle to mix with my own stash of felts, ribbons and trims (ahem).  As is always the case, the small, quick projects sold out and the pot holders- which took forever- didn't move.  Never mind eh!  The only real downer was I wasn't able to man the stall as at the last moments, the face painting lady didn't show up.  So I sat and painted tigers, butterflies (and even one dad as batman) for the entire day.

    

Never mind,, as I got  stuck by these two fabby friends who made me laugh the whole time!
I will  post soon on how I made the bow clips as I have now made so many (with two girls- how could I escape it) 

Clip-a-dee-doo-dah Clips!

Last month I did a little post about Attic24's beautiful blog and how I have been inspired by her colour and creativity.  Well, the other day, I managed to send off a few Granny triangles for her Yarndale bunting project
(see http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/07/yarndale-update.html). 
I forgot to take a pic but remembered to pop on pictures of my completed clips as they came from tiny bright circles I saw on her blog the other month.  These were a gift to my school fete and it was so lovely to see some of my girls wandering around wearing these!  I knocked up a few flowers as well and used just a bit of craft paper to hold them but I think they came out pretty good.  So, thank you Lucy for your inspirational blog and I will try to knock out a few more triangles before August! x

How to make the clips

You will need:

Any scraps of wool work great but DK cotton looked the best.

3.5 hook

clips

Circles

1. Ch 4 and ss into a ring.
2. Ch 2 and do 8dc around the ring.  SS and fasten off.
3. Attatch contrast colour, Ch 2 and do 2dc into each stitch- 16 stitches.  Fasten off.

Flowers

1. Ch 4 and ss into a ring.
2. Ch 2 and do 9dc around the ring and ss into first stitch.
3. Ch 5, skip one dc and ss into next dc.
4. Repeat step 3 around the flower to make 5 petals and ss into the base for final one.

Before I go, I thought I better add on a few other clip related pictures!  Yes, I have a lot of catch- up posts to do. (I'm even writing posts and holding off posting- July is going to look good on the post count!)

I'm sorry these are a bit fuzzy, they were a quick snap that I forgot to check.  Iphones are great but tricky to get the light right and mine is such an old phone now.  I saw a few die cast roses that twisted up easily and thought I would have a go myself.  The rose worked very well, I thought.  I added an extra felt circle on the back of the clip to disguise the use of a glue gun which also helped the clip stay fast in baby hair as it was for my little niece.  I tried a quick "Hello Kitty" bow on request by my baby but it turned out a bit pants- that's what you get when you rush...

1- Cut a flower shape with decreasing size petals swirling into the centre.

2- Roll around tightly.

3- Pop a few stitches through the base and up through the centre to hold. 

4- Cut a matching small circle for the back of the clip.

5- Attach using a glue gun.

By the way, the gorgeous blue flower came from a free brooch idea from "Mollie Makes".  These are folded flowers stitched onto a circle base.  It's so pretty that I've used it for several brooches as well. 

Finally, I come to another little thrifty project- It really is getting a bit silly now.  Take one unravelled school hairband.  Wind on a favourite ribbon tightly and fix with a glue spot or superglue.  Stitch a quick embelishment from the odds and ends jar and have it ready just in time for a birthday party!  Big Madam was so pleased.  You do have to alternate between crafts for others and crafts for kids or else they get a bit grumpy for all the nice things leaving the house!

  



Granny Bunting at Attic24!

I LOVE attic24 blog page!  I have few blogs that I discovered without pilfering from my sister's finds and this one is completely up my street!  This lovely lady has my taste in colour and design and she is a generous sharer of designs and ideas which she in turn has borrowed from others!  I wanted to share her page with my sisters as a find of my own- this didn't work, of course sister J has her already!!  Sister L will love her too as she the Granny Square queen, I'll explain....
Lucy from Attic24 has designed a fab Granny- Triangle to use for bunting.  Aren't they beautiful? 

She has posted a free pattern and photo tutorial and has asked if anyone wants to make triangles for Yarndale which is a craft festival being held on the Yorkshire Dales on the 28th-29th September (I wish it were nearer).  She is making these into a huge bunting with a deadline of end of July (ish).  I am definately going to make some as a thankyou for some of the inspiration she has given me already- Who fancies chipping in? 
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/05/granny-bunting-love.html
 By the way here are some of her ideas that got me crocheting again after a mini draught!

Her beautiful Granny's flower cushion was just what I was looking for as a cushion project!  I've worked up all the squares now- and used a cushion to check  rough sizing.  She has a stunning tutorial for a flower petal cushion too that I want to make.

Her cute little dk cotton circles were perfect for the hair clips I was making for my school fete!

  These are going to be in "The Lucky Clip Dip". Children can plunge a hand in to pull out two random clips!

Batch One is in dk cotton and batch Two is currently being made from my wool scrap bag.  I hate to use a cliche- but it's a serious great stash busting scrap buster!  Hannah, of course, chose pink girly ones...

Thank you Lucy- You are a rainbow of colour on this dreary day!

Glow event at Bluewater

I went to my first craft event on Friday and had such a blast! These things are always far away day events that wouldn't be up my husband's and little girl's street. I had heard about the Glow event at Bluewater earlier this year as I was invited to teach there but, as it's on my day with my little tot, I decided not to go. Friday came and I thought I would pop in as I had jobs at Bluewater and I grinned the whole time!

I stocked up on healthy nibbles for my baby, milk and planned rest stops but she spent most of the time holding my hand and toddling around as I one-handed pushed the buggy. The Mermaid's Grotto was our favourite- I don't think we could make one pass without popping in and waving to all the fish and stroking the seaweed strands. The life-sized Mermaid and Fisherman are amazing don't you think? I love her hair and false eyelashes!

I met the wonderful Erika Knight who's books I learnt to crochet by and did finger knitting with Hannah on my knee. She is bringing out her own range of stunning wools and individual patterns for downloading which is a great idea. She also said that she's bringing out a new crochet book for Baby patterns which I must get.

I saw the exhibit of costumes from Downton abbey and managed to even quickly stitch my name into the world's longest embroidery- this was tricky as Hannah was again on my knee, babbling away and pretending to sew with the other ladies.

I did buy myself one treat. There was a stall demonstrating how to turn florist ribbon and tape into amazing flowers. The chap who demonstrated had all the right patter and made it look so effortless that you knew it would actually be really hard. He whipped up two flowers so quickly for my girls and spritzed them with perfume ( which is so 1970s). But it looked like something new and a craft I have never done before so I bought into it happily, knowing that I may flop but I would enjoy the process! I bought the starter kit which came with loads of different colour ribbon, tape, dvd of techniques and the special cutting tool. Then I spent a happy couple of hours getting to grips with it all. Guess what? It worked! I love the ones so far and will pop some pictures up when I have made a few bunches. With Mother's day coming up, I know what I'll be making...