'my first gumboots'

This is my first ever crochet pattern that I have purchased online (from ravelry), and it has been a joy to crochet. The pattern is written well and it turned out just like her pictures! A gorgeous pattern for little juniors or just a simple display on a babies shelf... I have one gumboot of the girl version made, and promise to share that one too when it is complete.

The colouring is a bit deceiving, and looks better in real life. It is bright blue and bright green, not yellow as appears in the above photo. I'll take another shot with the finished girls gumboots.

L.

natural bridge

This past week has been a sad week in regards to picking up the crochet hook. Being busy with an upcoming school activity has taken up much of my spare (and housework) time, and so the hook gets dropped first of all.

But don't worry, I have something to share today for all my readers.

A fellow crocheter in Albany has just completed a project which she has adapted from a counted cross-stitch pattern to make this beautiful Natural Bridge, which she has let me share with you. Those of us that have lived or holidayed in Albany are bound to have visit this Natural Bridge on the South-West Coast corner.

I have a couple of projects that I am itching to share with you, but that will happen hopefully next week. Wishing you all a relaxing weekend.

L.

extra special craft post: bobbin lace

Back in January I promised that I would be posting a special craft post. This isn't work that I have been doing, but my Mum, Bobbin Lace which she started over 10 years ago. I have really wanted to share this long lost craft with my fellow crafters, even though it isn't something that you will just pick up and start doing tonight.

I guess it has a special spot in my heart, as Mum has handmade all the lace work for the baptism dress for each of her children and their husband/wives when they were expecting their first baby. All lacework pattern was different for each couples dress.

I'll quote a bit from a book to introduce Bobbin Lace:

'Bobbin lace and pillow lace are the generic terms for a large group of laces made by tisting and crossing threads. The work is supported on an overgrown pincushion called a pillow; the thread used to produce the lace is wound on bobbins, and the bobbins are manipulated so that the threads are woven in a variety of ways; the pattern is made by positiong of pins, around which the threads pass.'

'Bobbin Lace first appeared in Europe early in the sixteenth century and probably reached its peak of excellence in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. For almost three hundred years it was a thriving industry of considerable importance to the economies of many European countries. '

Here are some photos of Mum's work taken in January 2012 at our campsite.

Before you can even start work on the pillow (polystyrene cut to shape), you need to pick your pattern, wind up the wooden Bobbins with thread, and pin prick the pattern.

The project: bobbins on material to help keep bobbins clean. They all get covered with material at the end of each working session to keep dust and dirt off.

Then the pattern and pins on a rolling piece of foam which then gets wound onto the wooden roller at the end.

Mums hands working the lace. The lace is made up of two movements; right over left, and left over right. They are not knots.

Close up of pins and the roller when the lace comes off the pillow.

Spangles: the end beadwork of each Bobbin. These are made from glass beads for extra weight and to stop the bobbins from rolling. They are made in pairs and for tension extra heavy spangles are used for heavier thread, lighter spangles for thinner thread.

WIP: Close up of lace being worked. See the pattern on paper underneath with the pins holding the work in place. These pins need to stay in for 24 hours before being removed.

Mum has been with a lace group in Albany for many years now. They have an annual lace day and have a pair of bobbins hand painted for each year. Mum has also had her own painted with each grandchilds name and date of birth painted on it.

Beautiful finished work coming off the pillow. It took mum approx an hour and 15mins to do one pattern repeat from the above lacework. 60 pattern repeats made 150cms of lacework.  Each repeat is about 2.5cm. You figure the hours it took to make this length of lace! This is the lacework that is ready for the baptism dress for Bruce and Kylie and their little blessing.

Then she sews a baptism dress out of voile, carefully selecting the right white to go with the white thread. 

She also makes a much thinner lacework (not as wide) to go around the wrists of the sleeve.

Below is the baptism dress she made for us when Kimberley was born. All four children have worn it, and it has plans of staying in our family.

Here is Nadia on her Bapistim day, when she received the sign and seal of the Covenant.

The dress is made with removeable ribbon so we can give each child their own colour and Jordan didn't have to wear pink ribbon!

Hope you enjoyed this craft post as it is a craft: made for you.

Till next time:

L.

special request

I had a special request to make a slip cover for an iphone for a male, bloke, guy, a dear friends husband. Having never made one yet, and not sure of the colours in my stash that I have and how to make it look bloke-ish and not too feminine, this is what it turned out like:

This one has been passed on for sizing and for his colour/pattern request.

I have made it to fit my iphone3, and it is a beautiful snug fit. So much so that colours and pattern for mine have been chosen. Oh and then I might just have to make one for my Tablet. 

When I make the next cover, I will write down my pattern and share. Very simple and easy thats for sure!

My afghan is also coming along nicely. A row here and there between projects and it is growing. A current photo of it:

Wishing you an enjoyable day.

L.

hint for CAL afghan

Before I started the Afghan I tried to picture it in my mind. But since starting it, I realised that my colour that I wanted where it was grey on the pattern, wasn't what I wanted. For those that haven't quite started yet, and so you don't fall into the same trap as me here is a pointer:

The 'grey holey' row as in the patterns picture, are rows 3-5 on your pattern sheet. ('3 rows A' in the colour sequence instructions.)

 Make sure you use the colour sequence instructions and work backwards from these rows, to determine your starting colour. (I wrote on the pattern next to the rows for the colours.)

Where I have two white rows followed by the dark blue one, these should all be white, but otherwise I am going to end up with a rather white blanket, hence my change in colour. The 'white rows' above are rows 6-8.

Hoping this helps and you can understand it. If not, email me...

I know, I probably should have pulled it all out and started again... but no, I decided to throw in an extra blue row. Me and blue. Always go back to it...

L.

george is happy

As promised to a few readers, here is george with his scarf.

L.

george

Here he is! Meet george. A little guy that every family member wants to claim as their own. It didn't take long for the kids to spot him this morning on the bookshelf after his finishing touches last night.

I found him (or rather his pattern) from the ravelry.com website. It was Januarys CAL for the Amigurimi group. Their February pattern is just as cute. I hope to still get that one done, well at least started, before February is finished... :) and to keep moving along with the afghan CAL that we started on this blog.

Meanwhile, George is waiting patiently for a multi-coloured scarf, and trying to stay out of reach from little hands.

citrus splash

This is to be one of my favourite made to date. Based on the granny square and made from bamboo cotton, it is beautiful and soft but still holds it shape well. I made a very similar one a while ago for Emma for Sundays, which she loves.

Original idea is from here. I have altered the pattern a little bit. I did more dc rows (or sc depending what terms you use) around the bottom. I found if there were too many holes near the bottom, pencils would fall out. I also made it bigger too. From memory I think I started with approx 80 chain. For sizing, it fits My First Bible beautifully.

With a super quick trip to Albany during the weekend, I picked up some girly black leather handles from 'the patchwork place' in Lockyer Ave to finish it off.

With three little ladies in this household eyeing it off (with various bags on their hooks), I am not sure who the special recipient will be.

Next post: Cheeky Monkey

L.

sad monkey

Here he is. A little broken hearted, but ready to be stitched up. This is one project that has kept the whole family interested! Hoping to complete him early next week, with a nice portrait photo of him and the pattern link.

Wishing you all a relaxing weekend.

Till next week.

L.

distracted

I know I should be busy on my afghan. I have started it, but have also been a little sidestracted. A set of three mini hairties were my latest.

then there is a few enjoyable, simple and quick headbands I have also been busy with:

...oh and the amigurimi monkey. He is too cute to share just yet.

Till next time.

L.





afghan CAL

Okay, here is a relatively easy pattern to include the beginner crocheters that wish to join in. Put your name and country in the comments section, pick your colours, and make a start. I picked mine at spotlight this morning using the Sherwin Williams Colour Snap  app for my phone.

Click here for the pattern!

Message if you have any issues, and I'm sure we can help each other. Remembering it is in US terms, so we may need to convert to UK terms (which I use). Idea is to share a photo of completed work. Have fun, and happy stitching!

L.

to my blog readers

Asking the crocheters who read this blog, is anyone interested in doing a CAL together? If you would like to do a project together, please message me your thoughts.

Lee.
p.s. CAL = Crochet A-Long

in and out

Schools back in, and so my crochet hook is back out! After enjoying the holidays it is nice to get back into routine. The holidays really didn't see me crocheting like I would have but thats okay, family first.

So after a bit of older-siblings-are-gone withdrawal symptoms, the two youngest got stuck into play and with a quiet house, I just couldn't resist to pick up the hook, just for half an hour...

to make some little mary-jane booties. A little project to get me back into it, but duty soon called. Now looking forward to making some or the patterns I have next to my chair. With a busy term ahead, hopefully I can get some goals completed.

Lee.

crocheting and holidays...?

December had me working very busy on the babette. I had a goal to have it all completed (crocheted) before we hit the holidays. And I did get it done! Now I just have all the ends on the reverse side to finish off.

Well, I must say, I did plan to do some crocheting while down south, and I did, but only one sad little hair tie, after a special request, in a hurry to make the airport in time... to make a trip to the otherside of the world.

We were just too busy occupied with:

beach walks

playing games

conquering Yallingup maze

household duties take on a whole different meaning.

trying to catch the last little fish in the bay that keeps getting away

making big kites with Grandad

making smaller kites with cousins

finding out that recycling and dish water are more fun then the toy box

eating treats from the corner deli

viewing the devastation at Prevelly, Margaret River after the recent fires. This was all green shrubbery, reduced to sanddunes. Quite a different outlook.

mastering the ripstick

learning a new game!

And since being home, not much more crocheting has been completed, as holidays are spent doing extra jobs with extra hands, swimming lessons and special outings and entertaining 4 children, so my craft comes last.

Hoping you all had a relaxing holiday season.

Till next time with more crocheting...

L.

2012: a new year

Wishing all our family, friends and readers a happy new year and God's blessings upon your daily walk of life, in whatever He has planned for us.

Sorry the blog has been a little quiet the last few weeks. End of 2011 was rather busy with various things, and we also could remember how we have been blessed with 10 years of marriage. We also have packed up and been camping for two weeks, enjoyed remembering Christ's birth at Christmas, and come home and unpacked again!

I'll get a post together shortly of what crocheting I managed this past month.

Looking forward to a productive year in craft again this year. A special (craft) post is planned, so please stay tuned.

"let your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in you."

Ps 33:22

this and this and this

This past weekend the babette has made rapid progress!

With special thanks to our friends for making a weekend getaway possible

we could enjoy unlimited beach walks:

(freezing) evening jetty walks:

and most of all, time to sit down, relax and have uninterupted conversations and in-between

this babette was able to take shape.

Now to finish off all those ends and stitch it together.

L.