What an exciting week it has been for me! First the MCAL on my Ravelry forum is going better than I had expected. I confess I was really worried about this MCAL, I wanted to make it easy enough for anyone to try but interesting enough for the mystery element. So I planned it in small chunks, and actually those small chunks really help to keep the mystery going. None of them are complicated themselves, but as you add them together it becomes more interesting. Best of all for me, everyone seems to like it and they are sharing progress on the Ravelry forum, even speeding away each time I publish a new clue! I do hope they like the final design… but in case they don’t I do have several options available …… ooooo, mustn’t give the game away!
The last clue of the MCAL is out later this week. Meanwhile, here’s some progress photos by kind permission of some of the MCALers – Sigrun, Elaine and Kerry:
I am so pleased that everyone has chosen lots of colour, the colours vary from bright to subtle, but are all very beautiful and I think will look excellent in the final design.
And here’s another photo I have to share from (another) Kerry, she hates sewing ends (I guess we all do) but by issuing this in chunks she has the opportunity to do sewing in between clue. Here is her Sunday morning production line:
Also I have been busy on another major collaboration with Amanda Perkins of The Natural Dye Studio. Those who know Amanda know that she does the most beautiful crochet designs and recently has concentrated on some very special, unique blanket designs. This year she designed the Kaleidoscope mystery crochet blanket club, which you will have seen on this blog. Here is my August instalment, with apologies for the photo quality (it is very dull here today, difficult to get good light for photos): August Kaleidoscope
Although Amanda designs crochet she is very aware that many of her customers knit. And she decided she would like to give them the opportunity to join the Zodiac club. Yes, this means she wanted to have a knit design as well, so she asked me if I could help. Of course, I jumped at the chance and several weeks later (and many swatches ranging from very easy to extremely complex!) we have found a knit design that fits well, or rather a component of the design because the overall design is the same whether knit or crochet but the components are different (naturally). I can’t give too much away but I am extremely excited about this! Very soon you will be able to find more details on The Natural Dye Studio’s website. I will post a link when it is available.
I did a lot of swatching to get this design right, and I really didn’t think I would enjoy knitting motifs as much as I do crochet (I think I am addicted to crochet motifs!), but I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this. So much that when I hit on the final design I wanted to make more ……….. and more. I sense a new addiction taking hold.
Naturally one collaboration leads to another, and there is something else we are working on which is very exciting. I can’t reveal more at the moment, but it will be just as exciting!
So I have had a very exciting week, I hope yours has been equally exciting and enjoyable.
I planned a quiet weekend, with time to work on a design that is proving tricky. But things don’t always go to plan, and I find that leaving a tricky problem at the back of my mind and getting on with other things is the best way to solve it. Somehow the little grey cells keep on working on it in the background.
So instead of devoting a weekend to this tricky problem, I devoted a few hours then set about finishing the Janie Crowfoot Mystery Blanket – at last it is done. I did tweak it a little, mainly because I didn’t like the large triangular holes in the middle, and to use up more of the yarn on the border. Here it is: Janie Crowfoot Blanket
I still need to give it a final blocking, and then I need to decide where to display it.
I have yarn leftover from this project, in small quantities, and some beads. So today I spent an hour doing a few little crochet ‘doodles’. The end result – first the Leilani flower, which was a tester for the blanket and I decided not to make it until the blanket was finished. Leilani Flower
Then a small trinket pot. Beaded pot
And finally I am working on a small textured and beaded bag/pouch, seen here with the pot. Leftovers pouch
I hope you have had a productive weekend.
Happy crocheting xx
I’ve been blogging for almost a year now, I know because I’ve just paid a renewal fee on my domain name! I can’t believe how quickly this last year has gone. I guess I must be enjoying life because I haven’t stopped to review or consider the year, I’ve just ploughed on and enjoyed!
Today I took another big step – I started a facebook page. Just search for Agrarian Artisan on Facebook and you should find me!
In the next few days I will publish the next hexagon in The Hexagon Project 2014 and self publish the Molly Shawlette. And that will bring me to 101 designs (at least that is what Ravelry tells me!). Wow! I need a drink!
Here’s the prototype of Molly: Molly Prototype
And a glimpse of motif no 4 of The Hexagon Project 2014: Hexagon Project 2014 no 4
If last weekend was rare, then this was unprecedented! Yes my readers, he was away again! It was a last minute decision and he was only away for one night, and I had planned some chores this weekend so I didn’t quite have as much time to do things just for me.
I did wake up on Saturday with ideas of doing some shopping. Unfortunately it rained, and rained, and rained some more. It was so bad I much preferred to stay inside, despite being in desperate need of a new camera, with a few more bells and whistles than my current one – and a replacement battery for said ancient beast. But even this desperation did not encourage me to go shopping! So I had half a day and one evening to fill, but no operational camera to share progress.
However, fortune shone on me and my brother arrived carrying his camera just as I was contemplating braving the camera on my phone. So today’s photographs are courtesy of him. I should add that this wasn’t some form of sibling telepathy. Photography is one of his hobbies, so he carries his camera with him most weekends.
My crafting comprised 2 items. First I finished this month’s Janie Crowfoot mystery blanket instalment:
Janie Crow May
It includes the piece which I think is destined for the centre of the blanket and is my favourite so far.
Earlier in the week I received a package from The Old Piggery. I had visited their stand at Wonderwool in search of some scissor keeper kits but they had none. However, they took my email and promised to send me details. Now I really wasn’t expecting an email from them, because my previous experience of leaving my email at a show never yielded any results. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email soon after Wonderwool offering me a choice of kits and providing photographs so I could choose the colours I wanted. This is the sort of customer service I like and I purchased several kits. So I spent an hour or so making one up yesterday:
Scissor keeper
Whilst visiting them at Wonderwool I was very taken with a skein of yarn that I spotted – the colourway is Moss and I managed to find two 25g skeins of it in laceweight. So last night, I wound the first skein and started my ‘June’ crochet scarf. I have only done a little but already the colour pools have stunned me. I hope it looks as good on film, but that will be a photo for another day – you will have to be patient.
This weekend is one of those long weekends in the UK which result from having a Bank Holiday – yay! I have had a lovely quiet weekend because my husband has been away partaking of his hobby on a racetrack at Castle Donington. So what do I do when he is away – well this weekend I planned absolutely nothing!
It is glorious to be able to wake up and do just what you like with no-one getting under your feet. Apart from the cat, that is. So we (the cat and I) have done just as we like. Naturally this involves a little crafting (crochet) but it also includes a little gardening (pruning), rather a lot of tidying (I have moved my craft room around for the 3rd time in a year – I think I need a bigger room), an unusual amount of cleaning (I cleaned all my kitchen cupboards and threw out lots of items that were chipped, cracked or just plain useless) and plenty of RnR.
Ok, I confess the crochet wasn’t exactly ‘little’. The May instalment of the Kaleidoscope mystery blanket came out this weekend, so I spent Saturday evening in front of the television watching all 6 episodes of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice back to back, with crochet hook in hand and cat cuddling next to me (except on several occasions when said cat decided the yarn was the best play thing in the world, even the decoy ball of acrylic I always have handy wasn’t good enough for her!). Sunday night wasn’t quite so intense but did involve crochet, as did Monday (a bit in the morning and another bit in the afternoon) – so I have finished May.
May Kaleidoscope – just getting a little big to photograph on the table
Part of this drive to finish May was because I was expecting the Janie Crow mystery blanket instalment on 5th May (why oh why did I challenge myself to do 2 mystery blankets?) and had to finish Kaleidoscope before it came out. Except I made a mistake – the next Janie Crow instalment comes out on 8th May – so I have 3 days yet. Ah well, maybe I should do some knitting………!
Early yesterday, along with 48 like-minded yarn addicts, I set off on a coach for Wonderwool Wales. This is a fabulous annual festival of wool and natural fibres. And for me it is becoming an annual opportunity to organise a coach trip!
I think I can safely say that all the ladies on the coach thoroughly enjoyed themselves and, judging by the overflowing bags they loaded onto the coach for the return journey, I think they were in yarn retail heaven and sampled all the wares on offer!
I have been to 4 different festivals of this type and, even though my experience is limited, I think it safe to say that Wonderwool is my favourite. It is held at the Royal Welsh Showground in very large agricultural sheds with plenty of room to move about. Of course, this means it can get chilly but you just need to be prepared for this.
This year there were 200 exhibitors demonstrating and selling everything you could want in the way of yarn related goodness and fun.
Stupidly, I forgot to take my camera so I attempted a few photos on my phone (which is quite new), so apologies for the quality, to give you a flavour of the day:
Gorgeous yarn at The Natural Dye StudioSupernova – one of Amanda Perkins’ splendid crochet blanket designsEverything a spinner could want
I had a fantastic time and purchased lots of lovely goodies:
Wonderwool goodies
Amongst the yarn skeins there are a couple of lovely skeins from Willow Knits http://www.willowknits.com/, Ann dyes the most gorgeous colours on this pure silk yarn, which is very good value as well as being extremely beautiful. When not at the shows, you can find her yarns in her Etsy shop. I also bought yarn from some other lovely independent dyers – Triskelion Yarns, Five Moons and The Old Piggery. You will also spot some fibre (I really must do more spinning) and some lovely buttons.
Of course, whilst retail therapy is good for my soul, it is even better to meet up with friends. I spent some time with Amanda and Phil Perkins of The Natural Dye Studio, met up with people I have worked with and, as is often the case at events like this, bumped into some friends unexpectedly! All in all a very good day.
….. to show you progress on the Jane Crowfoot Mystery Blanket CAL for April.
Here it is:
April – Janie Crow
There didn’t seem to be quite as much work in the April instalment compared to the last 2, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Ringo’ piece, which had beaded trebles. Next month we start to join the pieces and I can’t wait to see how that develops!
Tomorrow I am off to Wonderwool Wales, one of the largest and best yarn festivals in the UK. I am looking forward to meeting up with lots of yarny friends from around the UK and to purchase lots of yarn and fibre related things for my stash (hmmm, as if I need more yarn stash!). I must remember to take some photos to share with you.
I’ve been waiting for sunshine. All we have had in the UK this last week is haze and pollution. But I wanted sunshine because I wanted to share a photo with you – a photo of my Summer Garden Throw.
The forecast is for rain tomorrow, and Sunday and maybe Monday. And I can’t wait anymore………
So here it is:
Summer Garden Throw
For me this is a throw not a blanket, because it is airy and not warm enough for real winter snuggling. It is for summer in the garden.
Actually, I am pretty pleased with this photo. I thought I needed full sun but these rainy clouds didn’t hinder the beauty of the throw. I think the summer flowers have their own inner sunshine.
Throw again!
Ooops, couldn’t resist another photo! The yarn is by The Natural Dye Studio – their glorious Dazzle HT. You can see their yarns here: http://www.thenaturaldyestudio.com/
The Summer Garden Throw is my first magazine published throw/blanket. As you know, I don’t often submit to magazines, so this was quite an event for me. And I have to say Inside Crochet did me proud – I am a cover girl! Well, at least my throw is! And they have produced a beautiful spread in the magazine. If you can, please buy one – if you can’t then have a look here : http://www.insidecrochet.co.uk/blog/revealed-issue-52-s-cover
I was also very pleasantly surprised to see that Lucy at Attic24 is starting a new blanket here: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/04/jollying-to-the-sea.html, with lovely sea inspired colours. This is quite a change for her – she usually does very bright colourful blankets. But as I mentioned before, I am starting to see a subtle change in the crochet world – less bright and (in my eyes) more beautiful
I have just completed a very colourful scarf, quite traditionally crocheted using square motifs. It is one of a series of scarves that I am designing this year – one for each month. I am a little behind, almost the end of March and this is the February scarf!
February Scarf
It is unusual for me to design something using a square motif (you know how I love hexagons) and also very colourful when I tend to be a lot more subtle. But it is nice to have a little colour occasionally, isn’t it? I just hope it isn’t going to be a trend for me – lots of colour and lots of squares – feels a bit too traditionally ‘granny’ to me!
I was reminded about traditional crochet very recently. It is a long story that I will not bore you with, but a good friend told me she first thought of crochet being something used for those kitsch toilet roll covers – you must remember them, dolls with huge crochet skirts, frequently in pink. Oh, my how horrendous they were, I can laugh about it now but there was a huge trend for them when I was young!
My thoughts turned to how I use crochet in the home. I love throws and blankets, absolutely love them. Crochet lends itself extremely well to throws and blankets. I have them for the bed, the sofa, the cat bed (yes, a very cosy spoilt cat!), chairs, the garden – they are very useful and versatile.
Throws galore
I have made cushion covers also and I am making some now to match the colour accent in my lounge. Bunting also features – mainly at Christmas but I do have some in my shed, and sometimes drape some in my craft room. Some customised jar covers, which hold a host of hooks needles, pens etc. And finally a small curtain over the tiny window on our front door. And that’s about it – the total of my home use of crochet. For me that’s just enough but I expect some people may say it is too much.
Still thinking about this I picked up a couple of crochet magazines and looked at home crochet ideas (not that I plan to expand my home use!). I was surprised to see there is a huge amount. It didn’t used to be that way. Looking at older magazines I’d say roughly 90% of the patterns were garments and accessories and 10% home. Very recent magazines seem to be the reverse (mmmmmm………… maybe a tiny exaggeration!). Now if the home patterns were mainly throws and blankets I wouldn’t be too concerned, but it isn’t and I am fearful those toilet dolls will be making a comeback soon.
This worries me. Is this a dumbing down of the crochet world? I do hope it is a short lived trend, because there is so much more to crochet than little things for the home. It is a glorious craft and should not be confined to four walls – wear it and be proud!
So tell me – do you do much crochet for the home? And what do you think of magazine trends? I would love to know your views.
A crochet blog where you will find free crochet patterns along with oodles of crochet inspiration. Featured in top 100 crochet blogs and also in Crochet Now Magazine
Agrarian Artisan 