Well, ok, mine are!
I have finally finished the Number Mobiles to go with the Alphabet ones and thet are all up on the site for sale.
Next job is to get on with the Crotatting patterns.
I have three "in progress". One is for scrapbooking, one is jewellery and the third is a simple pattern for beginners with step-by-step instructions.
However, first I have to work out how to take photos when I am using both hands!!!!!
Wish me luck!
Do you remember that very expensive Noro Taiyo yarn? Well I treated myself to another ball.
I REALLY need a hat in this very cold weather, going back and fore to work on the bike. I was going to buy one but Benjamin said "Why don't you buy another ball of that wool and make one to match your gloves?"
Of course, it didn't take much persuasion.
And yes, I am writing the pattern as I go and will post it in the free patterns when it is done.
And now Benjamin has seen the hat half made and has requested one of his own. I am certainly not spending that much on him, especially as he is prone to losing his stuff. So I will have to redesign and re-write the pattern for DK.
So watch this space!
I have been very remiss in updating my blog .......... but I have been busy.
First of all, I had some orders to fill. Those are all done now so I can get on with the fun stuff.
Which is more patterns.
First of all, another two free patterns. Both of these are design to compliment the Alphabet Mobiles.
The Christmas Tree is decorated with french knots for baubles and comes complete with a mini Star.
The Exclamation Mark is for you to make your very own "BOO!"
Both of these (and lots more) are available on my Free Patterns page.
I am now working on the Numbers pattern to match. I was hoping to have this finished by now but, partly due to overtime in work, it is going a lot slower than I had hoped.
It will be here soon though. Just not in time for Christmas.
Then I have decided to go back to thread. I have all of those Cro-tat scrapping motifs to finish next.
I have also been scanning. These two delightful Flora Klickmann books have been passed on to the lady who does the editing and will soon be available at The Antique Pattern Library.
This is the Alphabet Upper case set, which is finally finished and on my site.
All 26 letters in glowing colour!!!
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Here are some Christmas themed words I made with them.
This Heart and the Star are free patterns on my site, at least, they should be by the end of today!
I have also finished the Lower Case set but you will have to wait a few months for these as "Inside Crochet" are going to publish them.
But I am going to do a Number set which will be available on my site as soon as it is done.
After what felt like banging my head against a brick wall, I finally managed to book a driving lesson with BSM. That company just doesn't know how to return phone calls. If it wasn't for the fact I had the Tesco package, I would have given up and gone local. In fact, that is exactly what I intend to do when I have used up the four lessons included in the pack.
I have been working as fast as I can on these letters. Some are relatively easy, especially when certain parts are the same.
Some are not!
The "J" looks fine in this one but when I used it in "Jack" it was far too small.
After some alterations, I finally got it to the right size.
I also had to change the "A" for Alice.
I still have no idea when this lot are going to be ready. I was planning for the end of October but "things" happen.
Good things for me, bad things for you.
"Inside Crochet" are interested in some of my patterns. This is good for me because of the exposure and the extra cash.
But it is bad for you because you either have to get the magazine to get the patterns, or wait a further 6 months after it has been published for me to be able to sell the patterns on my site.
Another good things is that my driving licence has come. They sent me a letter to ask if I had ever lived at a certain street. And, if so, why was I applying for a 1st time provisional. Ooops! I answered yes and that I no longer had the old licence or a record of the number and thought it was out of date. Hence the new application.
My new licence turned up on Thursday, complete with the original number. Then, on Saturday, an cheque for £30 because they had issued a replacement not a new one!
I ordered a BSM New Learner Driver Pack from Tesco. Only £52 of Tesco vouchers and it has 4 lessons, 2 simulator lessons and all of the books and dvds you need. I have phoned BSM to use the Tesco package and now have to wait for them to ring back.
This is other stuff going on which I can't tell you about. Hopefully, if it works out, I will be able to tell you about it soon.
Dry this morning do here is a quick photo of the new version of the "Merry Christmas"
I had to use the fence to pin it on as I don't have any where else big enough!!!!
I have left it in two separate words so that it can be displayed in which ever way you prefer.
As promised, pictures from the Exhibition.
This is at Chatteris Library and is open during regular Library hours from October 4th to the 16th.
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If you are able, you should really go and have a look.
As you can see from the photos, there is a wide variation of crafts and lots of talent.
You can also pick up a program for next year to see what we are up to.
If not, I hope you enjoy the photos.
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Better still, if you are able to go along between 10.00am and 1.00pm on either of the Friday mornings, there are demonstrations to enjoy.
I worked hard yesterday! It was dry but dull, perfect for taking photos as you don't get shadows or areas of high contrast. I managed to take photos of all the individual letters I have made so far then sat watching recordings of Strictly (mmmm Matt Baker!) while I sewed them together into words.
I decorated the "Merry Christmas" with crocheted holly leaves and french knot berries, sewed a crocheted star and french knot baubles on the tree and am quite pleased with the whole effect. I have left the "Merry" and "Christmas" separate as I thought it would be easier to display.
I have also sewn "Peace" together and finished crocheting "Joy".
Of course, I now have to wait until it is dry again before I can take more pics but you can see my "Boo!"
I am going to put this on eBay at a starting price of 99p, so if you want it, go and see if you can get yourself a bargain. But be warned! This is the prototype, it isn't perfect and is made with different balls of bright orange which means that it is all different colours.But I don't suppose that will notice in the dark. Anyway, that is the reason I am selling it so cheap.
I have also had a couple of orders for names. Well, not exactly orders. I asked my neighbour if she would like some for the grandchildren.
I want some to display on the site and when I do the couple of craft fairs I have booked. Seems a waste just to make some names that are going to languish in the wardrobe forever after. By making them for her, at least they will get used.
Now I need to get showered and ready to go out. Our Craft and Lace groups two weeks exhibition at the Library starts today and I have offered to help put the display up. And I need to take my Clematis along.
I will take some photos for those who are not close enough to go and see it in person.
This is from my book signing on Saturday.
I may not have sold many books but at least I got in the local rag!
I had to use the one with Julie in it as she nagged me to send it to them.
The other people are a lovely couple who spent ages chatting to me and looking at the scrapbook, then kindly agreed to pose for the photo
I know I have been very bad lately and not been getting these calendars done on time - if at all - but I am hoping you will all forgive me.
This months is a Sunflower which the birds "planted". The seed was from the food I put out for them. It had rooted on top of the weed membrane between the slate.
I carefully pulled it up and planted it next to the fence where there is some soil. I even re-routed the watering system so it had plenty of water.
And this was what I got!
As always, two versions of the calendar, one in wide screen.
Enjoy!
I couldn't resist. That yarn was so gorgeous that I had to get another ball.
This one will match my winter coat.
I have also re-written the pattern so that it will better suit plain yarn or where the colour changes are more frequent.
The Noro yarn has large sections of colour and I wanted the colour on the thumb to be in line with the hand.
This pattern also means you can make all of the fingers and thum different colours.
If you want to make them prettier for a girl, just add a pattern for the cuff.
You may need to incease a couple of stitches in the last dc round, depending on what pattern you use.
The Free Patterns for both versions are on my site.
I didn't expect to, despite all of you telling me I should.
Yes, there was a lot of time, effort and work that went into it.
Yes, I am especially pleased with it and think it is the best thing I have ever produced.
But, the thing is, I know the standard of work that some of the other ladies produce.
That makes my win all the more special, knowing that I was up against some very steep opposition.
It really was fun to do. Sometimes it is nice to crochet "Just Because". Not because I had an order or because I was writing a pattern.
However, due to popular demand, there will be a pattern. I have even started writing it.
I did mention somewhere that I might consider a winter project. It was an off hand comment that was taken seriously. The problem is, I don't have time for one. I do, however, have a whole load of unfinished projects which got thrown in the wardrobe when I broke my wrist.
I really think they could do with finishing.
Do you remember these?
This is going to be the first project I need to finish. Lots of the letters are done, I just need the photos and finish off the others.
Both of these are in yarn with a 3.00mm hook. The upper case letters measure 19cm tall.
I have started working on "Nadolig Llawen" in thread and a 1.50mm hook. The upper case letters measure 11.5cm.
Also, I don't have the money for one. That Clematis was quite expensive to make with all the thread I used. And I have made the decision to learn to drive.
This will mean saving up as much as I can for the lessons - which, as anybody knows, are not cheap.
So, if anybody fancies a name or a "Merry Christmas", I am taking orders. And you can order them in the safe knowledge that you money is going to a wrth while cause!!!!!
And I am so pleased!
It has taken ages. When I started this "Summer Challenge" I honestly didn't expect it to take all summer.
But there we go.
I haven't even tried to work out how much thread and wire I have used.
I have written parts of the pattern as I went along, basically because I needed to. I had to make all six petals on each flower the same so I wrote the pattern on the first one and followed it for the other five.
It has been suggested that, even though not many people would want to make the whole thing, the pattern would sell for the individual parts to use on bags and clothing.
Sounds good to me!
First though, I need to make a scrapbook of it. A digi one of course, with lots of crochet bits added.
Then, maybe I can convert that to a pattern book.
