Sunday, July 26, 2015

Mom & daughter festival purses

Or perhaps I should call them "Mum and Daughter festival bags" in British English? I subscribe the hard copy of Simply Crochet a UK publication and although there is a little delay in reaching me here in Texas I just adore it! My last crochet bag was getting a little tatty so a bright summer bag was required! I found a fringed bag pattern in the back issue #19 and found stash yarn to suit. Then I had to embellish it further. And of course my daughter wanted one so I sized down the pattern to make a diddy version for her. Bright colors make me smile :)





Sunday, July 19, 2015

Holiday projects - part 3

Socks are a small portable project which nonetheless take some time to complete. I did try crocheting socks last year but they were too chunky for my liking. And since the yarn store weekly workshop I run is mainly knitters with the odd crocheter turning up, I have regained some of my former enthusiasm for knitting. I have lost a former sock project which I took girl scout camping but fortunately had extra double point needles and more tweed KnitPicks sock yarn so began again. I've only ever made one pair of knitted socks before thinking socks with a cable would be a good idea and they aren't wonderful and I don't like the color of the yarn much but I do still wear them. There really is nothing like a pair of hand-knitted socks. They are a joy and an indulgence. Scotland was unseasonably cold and damp this summer so this spurred me on. I chose the more simple sock pattern sans cable from the one of my all time favorite books "The Gentle Art of Knitting" by Jane Brocket.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Holiday projects - part 2

I have a favorite great aunt in her 80s and the dates of our trips to Scotland are planned purposely to cooincide with her birthday. She is the younger sister of my paternal grandmother. Those were the days of big families -  they were 15 sisters and 1 brother. She loves cats so of course I had to make her an amigurumi cat and settled on grumpy cat. I have since learnt that grumpy cat is actually a well-know celebrity Tardar Sauce with it's own Facebook page and many fans. Hilarious! My great aunt is such fun, will chase the children around the house and we really enjoy singing old Scottish songs together (obviously with a wee drink or two).





Pattern sourced from Ravelry by Van Vuong http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grumpy-cat-3

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Roadtrip Crochet Blarf Stashbuster

Our Roadtrip to Arkansas Ozarks is perfect for continuing with my crochet blarf (pattern by Esther Sandrof on Ravelry). Continued on the porch of our cabin and completed with my favorite popcorn stitch edge. Will bring it out when it gets chilly in Houston.  It's hard to believe we get weather cold enough for scarfs but we do!





Sunday, July 5, 2015

Holiday projects - part 1

Every summer we travel back to the UK to visit family and friends and the quandary of what yarn and projects to take begins. I pack my clothes in less than an hour but the craft packing takes many days. I settled on a small project bag with the essentials and more trunk show gorgeous Anzula For Better or Worsted yarn: thicker, in blue and lilac blends and two patterns for crochet tops. My extremely pointy scissors went in my checked baggage in my large Cath Kidston project bag with two more projects and a pair of my children's green-handled craft scissors in the smaller project bag.



Realized that I didn't have enough yarn to make a top (note to self: buy matching skeins not small quantities of different skiens!) Eventually I settle on making a cute French style beret for my mum finding the pattern on Ravelry searching by yarn weight and type: Bloom Beret and Cap by Brittney Waterhouse.