Category: ideas & inpirations

Basic Crochet Basket Pattern.

This popular crochet project, ideal for gifts & fund raisers or something beautiful for yourself is a practical & adaptable, basic crochet basket that can be made deep or shallow, with or without handles to best suit your storage needs.

Requirements: 8 ply yarn in 3 different colours or work with 3 treads of same colour, darning needle to weave in tail ends, scissors, stitch markers

Hook size: 7.00mm

Keep in mind, even though I’ve given yarn & hook requirements, this is your project; work with your own preferred colours & appropriate hook & give your project its own unique result.

  • The pattern includes:
  • basic basket pattern
  • both UK & US terminology written pattern
  • clear stitch drawings & pattern diagrams (charts) where applicable
  • How to make the tassel
  • pattern & chart for both small flower & leaf

Purchase the pattern here

I hope you enjoy this practical pattern, please contact me if you have any question or comments – Renate

A Beginners’ Crochet Notebook…

A Beginners’ Crochet Notebook… click here for the tutorial

I receive many, many emails from folk needing help with their crochet; not only from frustrated beginners, but also from those who have been crocheting for a while asking, what for some are, fairly basic questions… But there is no such thing as a silly, stupid or ‘I should know this’ type of query, even after many years of crocheting there are always new things to learn.

 

And so, I’ve put together this Beginners’ Crochet Notebook to help those of you who want to start crocheting but don’t know where to begin. And, even though I’ve written this notebook mainly with the novice in mind, that doesn’t mean the more experience crocheter won’t find a few helpful tips as well.

~What hooks to use with which yarn. 

~Which yarns are: animal, plant or synthetic. 

~How to read patterns. 

~What those scary, abbreviations & symbols mean…&  lots more.

 

I’ve done my best to gathered together answers to the most frequent questions I receive, but of course, it’s impossible to have an answer for everything. There is so much more information I could have included in this Notebook; so much more the reader might find useful; but it’s such a fine line between cramming in too much & overwhelming you.

Nevertheless, I trust this tutorial is a comprehensive journey through the crochet basics for the beginner & others, & that it encourages you to venture forth with a little more confidence & understanding of this wonderful craft.

Tea Cosies to make you smile…

It’s been quite an exciting couple of months of competitions for me with the ‘Alice Springs Beanie Festival’, ‘Maleny Knitfest’ & the latest being the ‘Landsborough Inaugural Tea Cosy/Beanie Challenge’ that was held in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the naming of the Sunshine Coast, at the Landsborough School of Arts Memorial Hall & organised by Caroline Payne, a tireless volunteer of the Landsborough Hall & Market, (held every Saturday at the hall). This is the first year for this Tea Cosy/Beanie competition & from the encouraging response of entries it won’t be the last… hopefully, it can become a yearly event…

So… I thought it might be a bit of fun to post some pics of my own Tea Cosies (past & present) to inspire & make you smile… some will be familiar as they’ve been posted before, nevertheless, this is a little gallery for you to enjoy!

A Huge Honour to be Featured in Artistry in Fiber Vol 2 – Sculpture

In September 2015 I was contacted by E. Ashley Rooney & Anne Lee, who asked if I would be interested in being featured in their newest series of books for Schiffer Publishing, Exploring Fiber Art. The three volumes would cover Wearable Art, Wall Hangings; and In Three Dimensions, & anticipated including about 75 artists in each volume…

…Of course I replied with a positive, Yes….

E. Ashley Rooney has produced a long and successful line of books, which  can be reviewed at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Anne Lee, her coauthor, has worked with Ashely on several books and coauthored Encaustic Art in the Twenty-first Century (due late 2015).  Schiffer’s beautiful coffee-table books are aimed primarily at galleries, artists, art lovers, and collectors.

About the coauthors: ‘Living in Lexington, Massachusetts, E. Ashley Rooney and Anne Lee had been casually acquainted for many years. They first volunteered together in 2010, curating an art show at Cary Memorial Library. Other shared art events followed, and both their friendship and thier writing partnership evolved. Together, they have edited Encaustic Art in the Twenty-First Century (Schiffer) as well as this exciting series on fiberart. As coauthors, they balance each other and offer different experiences and perspectives: Ashley is the author of over fifty books, specialising in contemporary art and architecture; and Anne researched, curated, and wrote about exhibitions at Vose Galleries in Boston. Exploring fiber art’

…And so, in early June 2017, I was thrilled to received confirmation that  Artistry in Fiber Vol 2 – Sculpture was being released… A beautifully presented book, featuring 78 of today’s most noteworthy fibre Artists & 500 photos of their work… I’m not good at blowing my own trumpet but I can’t let this opportunity pass without saying…. What a great honour it is to be included in such an amazing array interesting & inspirational Fibre Artists & their diverse use of materials & techniques… ‘Artistry in Fiber Vol 2 – Sculpture‘ is a book that will fascinate & enthuse anyone remotely interested in the fibre arts…

Vintage Earrings inspire Freeform Crochet Bag….

Earlier this year (Feb 2017) I was contacted, through Etsy, by a lovely lady who asked me if I’d be willing to create a freeform handbag, incorporating her collection of vintage earrings. As a rule, I don’t usually take on many custom orders for freeform pieces, mainly because I rarely know which direction a project may go &, even if the customer points to a particular item as an example, no 2 pieces are ever the same. So it’s often difficult pleasing people who already have pre-conceived ideas… Basically, I don’t want to disappoint…

Nevertheless, I was intrigued when she sent me a photo of the earrings &, after discussing preferred colours & forms (her preference for florals & Autumn tones), handles style, basic bag shape & her assurances that I had free range to create whatever I thought best… I decided to give it a go…. & so it began….

The finished handbag turned out great. My customer was super happy with the result. I too, was very pleased & don’t know why, in the beginning, I was so hesitant.  Well, there you go, that’s the creative process.  Perhaps this little exercise will persuade you to have a search through your own collectables & see what inspirations you can find….

 

 

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