Ideas & Inspirations No5. ~ Portuguese man-of-war (Bluebottle):

 

Portuguese man-of-war (Bluebottle): a small marine creature that I remember from childhood.  I have lovely memories of strolling the beach, with stick in hand, bursting the little blue bubbles washed up along the shoreline – but, don’t be fooled, although not lethal, this iridescent beauty can deliver a mighty sting…

The moment I saw the vibrant, blue/purple of this gorgeous ‘Noro Silk Garden’ yarn I was reminded of those earlier days – the felted crochet crown is 100% pure wool with the band crochet directly onto it – the textured coronet is a continuous band of fairy wings which have been individually hand-beaded with tiny glass seed beads & then hand-sewn to the finished beanie. I’m rather please with the result…

Ideas & Inspiration No4. Scribbler

Scribbly Gum: gets its name from insect larvae “Scribblers” that live on the trunk & under the bark, leaving these interesting marks when the bark peals & falls off.

Nature’s graffiti artists I call these busy little critters –

My Freeform Handbag ‘Scribbler’ is the result (available for sale in my Etsy shop)

2 new crochet patterns to play with…

Hello & welcome to 2011….

I thought it might be appropriate to begin the year with 2 new crochet patterns & trust they will be useful additions to your crochet repertoire – The crochet bag purse pattern is for sale & a basic foundation for embellishments – let your imagination go wild by adding your own ideas to make this your very own creation… The button pattern is a free download & a handy little item when that special button is required but is often so difficult to find – enjoy!

(1) Easy Basic Crochet Bag/Purse Pattern

This basic crochet bag/purse pattern is worked on size not number of stitches & can be used as a foundation for embellishments by adding crochet/knit flowers/motifs ~ beading ~ lace overlays ~ freeform scrumples ~ or anything your imagination & heart desires ~ your choice of yarn & hook size will determine the look & feel of your purse/bag – experiment with yarns, hooks & width/depth of your bag/purse & have fun creating your own individual design

Pattern includes:

  • basic purse/bag pattern instructions
  • simple crochet button & button loop instructions
  • US & UK terminology
  • stitch diagrams (charts) & stitch drawings
  • clear colour photos

Requirements: to create the purse in the photo I used:

Yarn Bee (Down to Earth) 70% Bamboo, 30% Cotton – 150 grms ~ hook size 4.50 (US: G) ~ satin lining ~ shade cloth for bag base ~ simple crochet button

* Please note: flower embellishments are not included in this pattern

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(2) Simple Crochet Button pattern – free Download

This simple button pattern will come in handy when nothing else suits or is available – experiment with yarns, threads & hook sizes – work pattern in back loops of stitch only – play with multi colours by changing colour on every round or use variegated yarn/thread – thread beads onto your yarn/thread & bring them into your work as desired – stuff with wadding for a firm button or cover old buttons Pattern includes:

  • simple crochet button & button loop instructions
  • US & UK terminology
  • stitch diagrams (charts) & stitch drawings
  • clear colour photos

2011… Onward & forward…


…as the holidays come to an end & I enter my 60th year on the planet, I wonder where this year will lead me… do I set goals or do I just allow myself to drift along on the raft of life & see where it goes?

Hmmm… perhaps, a little of both….

On the drifting raft:

Creating with yarn, fibre, colour & texture is a passion & something I have little control over – whenever I see an unusual colour combination in a flower or a gorgeous sculptural textured tree trunk it stays in my mind & the need to interrupt the image through my work can become obsessive – I have no choice but to at least have a go – so I’m fairly certain that this process isn’t going to change any time soon

Things to focus on:

I do, however, have a say in how I spend my time on the Net. Promoting my Etsy &  Zibbet shops is a must if I want them to succeed, but the promotion road is still an enigma & an ongoing learning curve that I continue to grapple with but determined to master.

I’ve made some wonderful friends here in cyber world & becoming more involved with the online community is another goal I can set for myself…

I’m a proud member of DUST (the Down Under Street Team) – a vibrant group of Aussies who have shops on Etsy & sell a wonderful array of items from: jewellery, adult & children fashions, paper goods, soap to fine art… you name it – there is something special for everyone.

TAFA (The Textile And Fiber Art list) membership is another group I’m honoured to be a part of. TAFA is a collection of highly talented, international fibre Artists who have come together to support & promote each other & show the world the exquisite variety that fibre artists have to offer – take a moment to check out the TAFA site – the artist profiles & fabulous examples of their work – I’m sure you’ll be delighted & totally impressed with what you find… or visit the TAFA blog

Things to come:

I’m often asked where my ideas come from… what prompted me to use a particular colour/texture/yarn/fibre combination & I hope to have a small series of future posts that may enlighten those interested.

I have some new freeform pieces that I need to photograph, write descriptions & list so I can show them off to the world… so watch this space for those…

And then, of course, I must get back to all the UFO’s that litter every corner of my workspace – there’s a bunch of dyeing, beading, felting, among other things, that are clogging my mind & really do need to get done so I can stop thinking about them & get onto new stuff… definitely a goal worth persueing

My local crochet classes (held at my home) will continue & I’ll endeavour to come up with new patterns & ideas to keep it useful & practical &, above all, interesting – I’m really looking forward to all the ladies coming together again for more fun filled crochet …

So… I guess that’s about it for now – not too much on my plate for the moment & I should be able to get the year started & moving forward – I hope it’s a happy & successful 2011 for you all…

From the bizarre to Classic Style ~ A collection of scarves & wraps

Whenever my creative juices wane or go walkabout & seemingly disappear for a while, I simply return to the basics… the versatile scarf ~ wrap… I’m fortunate that my yarn stash is vast & varied so it’s not all that hard for me to choose a few favourites & play… let the hook & yarn lead the way…

As cliché as it may sound, it’s nevertheless true, at least for me… each yarn has it’s own colour-way & texture & therefore its own voice, so it’s just a matter of listening & going with the flow – this collection of scarves & wraps is the realization – it still surprises me too…