Tag: wrap

A Holiday Thank You…

It’s hard to believe that another year is coming to an end but 2012 is definitely just around the corner & galloping ahead at that…. As I look back on the year I can’t help thinking about all the wonderful people I’ve met, both in the flesh & on the net, who have supported me in my endeavours in so many ways: your questions, your compliments, your purchases, your trust & encouragement.

And so, in this spirit, I’d like to say a big THANK YOU by offering you, my readers, ‘Free Worldwide Shipping’ in both my Etsy & Zibbet Shops (patterns of course are not included as shipping doesn’t apply) – the offer is valid till the 30th Nov 2011.

So, if you’ve had your eye on one of my pieces, I hope you will take advantage of this once a year offer.

The Coupon Code for both shops is FRSHIP2011 – just put this code in the appropriate place on checkout & it should automatically apply the free shipping for you… (I haven’t used the shop coupons before so, if by chance they don’t work, please let me know & I’ll refund through PayPal)

You can visit Etsy or Zibbet from here or go to any of the Gallery pages, click on the piece you like & you will be taken to that item in one or the other shop.

Happy shopping & many thanks everyone!!!

Random Crochet creates Side Show Alley (2)…

take your hook (3.50 mm US E) & with the gorgeous Mini Mochi yarn  crochet some random shaped motifs… arrange them on a template, any shape will do but, in this case I’ve chosen a triangle, then… with the beautiful  Noro King yarn, chain the pieces into shape. Presto! A beautiful shawl/wrap to delight the senses…

Of course… you can use your own choice of hook & yarns – the results will surprise you

 

Archive Gallery revamp & update….

Whew!! Giving myself much applause… because I’ve finally completed the Gallery Archive Page revamp & update. It was such a mish mash of everything that I thought it would be easier to navigate if I made separate pages for each section

~ Bags, Purses, Pouches ~

~ Hats, Headwear ~

~ Garments, Scarves, Wraps ~

~ Other Great Stuff ~

The Archive Gallery is a showcase of works that have been sold, donated, given away or, in one way or another, no longer belong to me & are happily residing somewhere in the world where I trust they continue to give much pleasure & joy…

Enjoy your visit down memory lane… I hope it inspires & encourages you to try new ideas but most of all brings a smile to your dial…

Cheeky Freestyle Crochet Vest/Top….

The idea for this cheeky freestyle crochet vest/top has been mulling around in my head for months &  I’m overjoyed to have finally finished it but now that it’s in front of me, I’m not entirely sure if it’s a vest, a top or perhaps a half jumper (sweater).

In any case, I was so happy with the result that I made another one just to prove to myself that it wasn’t a fluke.

Here’s what I did for No 1….

Gathered together a collection of complementary yarns (10 in all) & chose a large crochet hook [12mm] then, on my dressmakers dummy, I measured from the centre front to under the arm across the hip, approx 32 cm [12 1/2″] & made a chain.

From here on I worked in rows of dc [US sc] & tr [US dc] (not necessarily in that order), alternating yarns at random & increasing on one side only until it measured approx 79 cm [31″] across the top (shoulders)

~ I made 2 of these sort of triangles ~

From there it’s just a matter of sewing or crocheting the 2 pieces together across the top leaving a space for the neck opening & doing the same along the straight seam from the bottom up & leaving a space for the arm hole… done… well almost…. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone & decided to add some interesting tassels on each end of the sleeves.

The Cheeky Vest/top No 1 is available for sale in my Etsy shop

For No 2… I worked in the same way but I used only one yarn, the beautiful Noro Silk Garden yarn & No 9 (M/N) hook, this one turned out a bit longer in length but that’s OK because I’m keeping it for myself…

So there you go… something new to try out for yourself… experiment with yarns, hook size & stitches… easy enough to do & lots of pleasure & creativity in the process.. have fun…

Freestyle Crochet made easy….

I had this gorgeous hand-dyed, 100% pure wool 3 ply fingering yarn in my stash… what to do with it? It was far too precious to just incorporate bits & pieces of it into my freeform work.. it would simply get lost in amongst the flurry & bustle that freeform can be…

but I wasn’t up to painstakingly following a pattern to create something worthy of this beautiful yarn either… so what to do?…

with a large hook (10 mm (N/P) I made a long length of chain (I didn’t even count how many) & just started… one row of dc (US sc) so I knew where I was at &, from then on, I used a different pattern for each row improvising with plain stitches at the ends where the pattern didn’t quite fit…. I worked in this way until the yarn ran out – What a joy… true, no stress crochet….