Embellished Crochet

I still haven't decided how to embellish my felted bag...

In fact it's looking Very Boring!

Really...

I could do almost anything here.

I have a perfectly blank canvas to play with...

And yet I feel overwhelmed with choice.

I just don't know where to start - so I'm not starting at all!

Kind of like the housework, I guess.

Anyway, yesterday my dear friend Dawnie-Pants brought over a book called Embellished Crochet.

I think she must have known that I needed help.

So my plan for the rest of the day is to flip through the pages, seeking inspiration...

And see where that takes me!

I Love Books

I Love Books!

Real Books...

Reach out and touch the pages, Books...

I love the way they smell,

And the way they feel.




This week I'm reading the Ultimate Crochet Bible.

I wish I'd discovered this one YEARS ago... but it wasn't even published until 2010!

I don't know that I discovered anything NEW while reading it - but it took me five years of trial and error to discover all the neat information which is tucked very comprehensively into these pages.

This one's a loaner from the Hume Library, so if you're a local - you should definitely check it out!



And even though I was claiming not to have learned anything new while reading it... I did come across this:



"Designs can be completely random, like abstract art, or create more pictorial images"

Not Rocket Science, but it's EXACTLY what I needed to hear right now...

You see, I've been working on a Freeform Piece for an exhibition, with the International Freeform Fiber Arts Guild... and it's been frustrating the Bejiminees out of me.

I always think of freeform as being really abstract... and looking at my piece, it looks exactly like what it is... there's no imagination or insight required by the viewer at all...

In fact, it almost feels like a Pre-Schooler could have sketched the layout for me.

Anyway, it was just feeling really not 'Freeformy' enough for my liking - but reading those words this week, made me a million times more confident in my work.

Work which I REALLY wish I could share with you, but I have to keep it 'under wraps' for the moment.

This will be my first year entering, but you can take a peek at exhibits from previous years here

Do Great Minds Really Think Alike?

Or is it that Fools Never Differ?

I was reading through my 'New Book' last night, when I came across a pattern for The Frog Prince...


Fancy That!

A Frog which turns into a Prince...

And this book was published 20 years ago.

Yet two months ago, when I came up with the idea of making a Prince Charming Toy which changed from a Frog into a Prince - I thought it was a totally new idea!

I really did think that I was the Cleverest Bunny in the Woods.

But since then, I have seen several versions of my idea... ALREADY designed...

Oh well, as they say... There's nothing new under the sun.



I especially love the use of ric-rac on the pond.

Ric-Rac. Lurve me some Ric-Rac...

And you'd never guess to look at it - but there is RECYCLING at play here!

The body of the Frog and Prince is a recycled Lemonade Can... How awesome is that?

But wait, there's more...

This Doorstop Cat has a container inside, filled with sand or pebbles to really give it some weight:



The wings on these Christmas Fairies use transparent film from a gift box lid:



This Victorian Lady has a plastic bottle inside her, again filled with sand... to keep her balance on the Dressing Table:



The Victorian Lady above, and the Flying Witch below, both use scraps from pantyhose for their faces:



And these last two characters are made from socks:





Loads of ideas to try out now...

Easy To Make Dolls...

I had to take Little Miss Charlotte for her 6 month immunisations today...

Needles are never fun for Little Ones... or Big Ones for that matter!

But since I work in a Medical Clinic, it was a good chance to pop in and see everyone. I'm loving my Maternity Leave... but I do miss socialising with the gang at work - they're all such good value!

And as an added bonus, there is an Op Shop right across the road from work. It's a small country town, and the store is only open limited hours... but our timing was perfect today, and we managed to squeeze in a visit there too.

Now I know that a Proper Mother would take the Little Dot straight home for some serious cuddling after her immunisations... but it was much more fun to do a spot of shopping - and Charlotte didn't mind at all.

Anyway, I stumbled across this book... and decided to bring it home with me.

As I was flipping through it at home, I realised that I have bought an awful lot of books about making softies... AND NEVER STITCHED ONE!!!

I've knitted and crocheted millions of toys - but the machine stitched fabric softy has NOT been attempted.

Which is really ridiculous!

Somewhere deep down inside, I've convinced myself that I CAN'T make them... Don't know why, but when I really sit down and think about it - how hard can it be? You cut your fabric out... stitch the pieces together and stuff them...

NOT ROCKET SCIENCE WOMAN

(and the book IS called EASY to make dolls)

So I'm inspired to make some, but I'm trying to hold back until all my Christmas gifts are done.

Waiting is not easy for me...

Look What Came in the Mail.

I'm a complete idiot at times... so obviously this guide was written especially for me...

I don't very often buy new craft books... most of those in my library have come from the Op Shop.

But when I saw this one - I HAD to buy it!



It's written by June Gilbank, or you might know her as Planet June.

I've seen her work on the net and around Ravelry, but haven't actually used any of her patterns.


When it comes to toys, I very rarely work from anyone else's pattern...

Which means that my amigurumi skills are all self taught through experience. I like what I do, but would love to learn more. I'm really looking forward to reading about other techniques which I haven't yet discovered... and of course I'll share photos of what I create!

what I'm reading this week

Free Range Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

I've been wanting to take a look at one of Stephanie's books for a while now... and I've finally managed to sit down and have a bit of a read.

It took me a while to get into it, but I think that might be more of a reflection on my reading skills than her writing skills. Over the years I've become quite a lazy reader. I favour books with lots of illustrations, and simple point format. So sitting down to a novel was a bit of a challenge.

There's so much to relate to in this book. For example, one of the early chapters is a letter of apology, addressed to a designer. Any designer, really. Just a generic apology for the author's compulsion to modify patterns. No matter how well written the pattern is, she feels a need to personalise it, and not necessarily for the better!!! Stephanie explains this compulsion as being like a disease for which she cannot be held accountable, and begs forgiveness from the designer... I can totally relate to that! As you would know, I very rarely manage to follow a pattern precisely. I am compelled to give everything the Goldfish Touch!

Anyway, loving the book... but I still have a fair way to go with it.

You might be interested in checking out the popular blog which Stephanie Pearl-McPhee writes... she is the Yarn Harlot

what I'm reading this week

Look what arrived in the mail for me this week...

Two new booklets from my friend, designer Lisa Gentry!

Both are titled Celebrity Slouchy Beanies, and feature a variety of popular beanie patterns for the whole family.

One booklet contains knit beanies, and the other one is crochet.

I've been flipping through both of them, and trying to decide where to start...

I think I might crochet the Granny Square one, or maybe knit the Cabled Classic instead. Decisions, decisions...



Either way, I know that Lisa is a fabulous designer, and I'm sure to wind up making more than one of each anyway!

There's more information about the boklets here, they're incredibly cheap and if you live in the US there is free shipping until 30/6/2010

Now to choose my yarns...

what I'm reading this week

Of course I'm still here.

You didn't think that a pesky permanent job was going to keep me from blogging, did you? Or crafting for that matter?

There's no way I could stay sane without my craft... so NO plans on giving that away... EVER!

This week I've been reading through a fascinating book on altered shoes. Now, I'm not sure that it is really my 'thing' but the recycling aspect of taking an old pair of shoes and turning them into a new and inspired piece of art really appealed to me.

But I don't know if I would ever wear them.

Mind you, it looks like a fun experiment anyway.

Basically, it just seems to be 'cut and paste' for shoes. Using fabric, paper, paint, ribbon... whatever.

Altered Shoes by Marty Stevens-Heebner
click here for the website



Some shoes in the book have been decorated with photos. The idea was to commemorate a trip to Africa, so photos and other memoribilia were used in the process.



Unusual, but quirky - and very personal...

There's loads of clear step-by-step photographs to guide you along the way... and I love the 'tips, tricks and crazy things to try' sections which the author has scattered throughout the book.



An interesting book to flick through - but I don't know if I'll be altering shoes any time soon. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if the quote on the front of the book was what really drew me to it. See on the toe of the main shoe pictured?

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life - Picaso

What do you think? Does it?

have you any wool?

I picked this book up from the local library this week...

and from what I have seen so far, I LOVE IT!!!



Mostly, I am happy to just flip through a book and look at the pictures. I mean, I know it's really lazy... but that's all I can be bothered doing. I just look at the pictures for inspiration, and that's it.

But this book makes me WANT to read it!

Every page I turn has another fascinating photo on it. They're not just "oooh... nice!" kind of photos, which you look at for a second and then flip on to the next one.

They're more along the lines of "oh my goodness!!! I love it... why didn't I ever think to do that... this is fabulous... I can't believe I've never seen anything like this before" kind of photos.

And they make me want to devour every written word in the book... to really be able to get into the author's mind, and see the world through her eyes for a while. To discover exactly what she did, what motivated her and how she approached it. I am intrigued...

Off to do some quiet reading, and I'll share some more about it soon...

here's the details for anyone who might be interested:

• title - Have You Any Wool?


• author - Jan Messent


• publisher - Search Press

kudos to my dad

There's been a lot of acknowledgment on my blog lately for the role which my mum played in developing my crafting talents. Which is understandable, given her recent passing.

But I want to take a moment to pass some kudos my dad's way... because... wait for it... HE was the one who taught me how to knit. I was eight years old at the time, and mum had her hands full with a newborn and a toddler. So dad was the one who taught me the basics. He grew up in a time and a place when EVERYONE learned how to knit.

I still remember the little rhyme I learned...

in the wee rabbit hole
... as the point of the right needle went into the first loop on the left needle

round the big tree
... as you looped your yarn around the needle point

out the wee rabbit hole
... as you pulled the loop of yarn through

and off goes she
... as you slipped the 'old' stitch off the needle

And I used that same rhyme to teach Master Eight to knit earlier this year.



I also had a wonderful book... a Ladybird Book of course, remember them??? There were Ladybird Books on every subject under the sun.

This one was 'a Ladybird Book about Knitting'. I'm not sure what became of my original copy, but Mr Goldfish recently found a replacement copy on ebay for me. It contains all the basics in easy to follow instructions for children... including such gems as the importance of washing your hands before you start your work. I love the illustrations. They take me right back to my childhood. I must have spent hours and hours absorbing every detail printed in this book. In fact, my original copy probably disintegrated from overuse!



My first 'real' project was from a pattern in this book. I remember the excitement of purchasing wool... specifically for a project... and not just using remnants. I thought I was in heaven!

I still have that project, too...

Pop back tomorrow and I will show it to you...