Learning to crochet

I can't remember learning to crochet.  Not surprising really, it was about 55 years ago!

I do know that my Dad taught me the basics as he had a lot more patience then Mam.  She took over later when we could do the basics.

I remember making "Tank-Tops" that looked like string vests.  And ponchos that were all the rage.  And waistcoats, long lacy ones.

The problem with Crochet is that people tend to think it belongs in the 70's.  Not at all true!  You should see some of the things I have seen crocheted!!!

For something different, visit Patricia Waller.  Do NOT go if you are easily offended. Her work is really wierd, gruesome and, most of it, not at all to my taste. However, the crocheter in me appreciates the the innovation and work that has gone into these pieces. I love the Rowing Monkey.

James Walters and the late Sylvia Cosh are part of our British crochet heritage.  They made a formidable team. Sadly, Sylvia died from cancer in 2000.  James built a website about their work but it is no longer available. I have a few of their books which are now out of print.  Sometimes you can get lucky and get them on eBay but they are so popular they go for rather a lot. They are far more interesting than some of the modern books you can get.

Most of the information around is US based. However, I have a Tutorial in UK terms on my site.

And once you have mastered the basics you could try out this Mini Flower Tutorial.

When you get more adventurous, there are a whole load of Free Patterns on there.

I have been working very hard!

In the summer I had a Crotat article and pattern published in Inside Crochet. I have re-written the article, taking into account feedback from readers and teaching workshops, so that it now includes more detailed instructions and more advanced techniques. But the best news - for all of you - is that all of this hard work on Rainbow Valley.

If you have a go, I would love to see the results. Pop along to my Facebook page and post there.

New Patterns.

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 on Rainbow Valley. 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 on Rainbow Valley. 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.

New Mittens

When I was in Ely a few weeks ago I popped into my favourite shop - Yarn on the Square.

It isn't your run of the mill yarn shop, it it full of pretty designer yarns which are also quite expensive! Now I am not saying the shop is expensive but when you are used to paying about £1.50 for the stuff you normally use, anything over £5 is expensive. And, trust me, this ball was well over £5!!!!!

The problem was, it called to me. I saw it on the shelf and just couldn't resist the colours.

I have been thinking for some time about designing a pair of fingerless mittens that are worked from the fingers down and that only leave you one end to sew in when you have finished. I hate sewing up seams!!!!!

I was also planning ahead for a magazine submission. I figured the colours would look good in print.

So this weekend, I made the mitts. I have to say, I am really pleased with them. And that yarn is so warm and soft. So even if they are the most expensive pair I have ever made, I am just going to love wearing them! Unfortunately, I have since had an email saying that the new magazine is no longer going ahead.

Apart from the fact that I am extremely disappointed, I think it is a great shame. The UK could do with something a bit different in crochet.

The pattern for these mitts is available free on Rainbow Valley.

Do you Ravelry?

I didn't but I do now!

I actually joined in August 2008 but got so confused with the place that I gave up. And, just afterwards, I started the new job which took up lots of my time.

However, I have recently been re-investgating and found it a wonderful place!

Ravelry is a site for Knitters and Crocheters. It has an ENORMOUS data base of patterns which is continually added to by its members.

There are groups and forums you can join and lots of help pages.

If you are a designer, it is even better. You can add your designs to the database all for free. You can get linked to your patterns as the designer which allows you to do all sorts of things with them. Quite what, I haven't found out yet because this takes a little while to do.

However, with 1000's of users all over the world, its a resource worth using.

So, as if you can't gues, the reason I haven't been about as much recently is that I have been busy adding all my patterns to Ravelery. I started with the Christmas ones and have been doing bits and pieces of the other - both free and for sale.

Before you get linked as a Designer, it is a bit long winded as you first have to add them as project, then add them as a pattern to be able to use the photos from the project.

However, it is worth it. I have sold 4 patterns in the last 3 days and all of them have been recently listed on Ravelry.

I would like to think this is no coincidence!

The other thing I have been doing is working on some new patterns. One, a free pattern for these Christmas trees is finished. Click here for the Christmas Tree Free Pattern.

The small one (about 11cm tall) is made with Dmc Petra size 5 and a 2.00mm hook. I added brads for the decorations when it was finished.

The large one (about 16cm tall) is made from DK and a 4.00mm hook. I threaded the beads on the yarn first and worked them in as I went along.

I am about to add the pattern to the Ravelery database and, if you do make them and are a member of Ravely, add them as a project. Of course, the other thing I have bee working on is those lanterns. I "borrowed" this lovely tree to take the photos. It looks so much better than my cupboard under the stairs!

Crochet & Scrapping

I know I haven't been on here much recently but I have been doing lots of scrapping.

I am in the process of putting together an 8" album to display some of my crocheted embellishments. Hopefully, if people see them used they will buy more! Some are new LOs, some are older digi ones that I have printed off without the crochet bits and added the "real" versions instead. This is a "real" one with crocheted daisiesfrom the scrapping pattern on Rainbow Valley. I have used brads in the centre of them.

And this is another using crocheted doodling which is a free pattern on my site. I am not entirely happy about the flower in the corner, I may change it for something else. The little bee stamp I got on eBay. And, of course, I did get the second set of letters from Tesco. And have made good use of them!

I have also been working on my A-Z photo journal. I know the idea was to get it all done last year but the time ran away with me!

I have started scrapping the letters. I am doing double layouts for each letter and three different versions - a digi 12", a digi A4 and a real 12".

The reason for the digi A4 is so that I can take them into work and get them printed off for the residents to look at. As many of them are local, it may help them remember things.

The digi 12" is partly for planning but also for printing off to give my family an 8" version of it.

And the "real" 12" is for me. I deserve it after all the hard work going into it.

Easter Freebies

Just a quickie!

I don't know how many of you out there crochet but I have a few free Easter patterns on my site - Rainbow Valley.

There are these cute little bunnies.

These just as cute little Chicks.

And these really easy to make Eggs. Have Fun!

Its (nearly) Easter

Yes, I know, I have been a bad blogger.

But sometimes real life takes over and knocks you off your feet.

Just as I was trying to get myself back on track after Christmas, I get an email from Lycos that they are closing all their sites on February 15th. Mine would have to be with them, wouldn't it?

This isn't the major problem it would have been this time last year. Of course, all my work is on my puter so I don't need to save anything from them. And, due to other reasons, I set up a domain name last summer along with some graphics in Photobucket for the buttons. All this meant was I would have to find a new host for my site then forward the the domain name to it. Quite simple really.

Or so you would think!

My site used to be with Pipex, our ISP. I moved it all because their server was constantly being hacked and I was constantly getting people telling me my site was full of viruses. Luckily, Pipex seem to have got their act together and, with the time constraints I had, it seemed the simplest option to go back to them. Especially as there are no ads there because we pay for the webspace as part of our package.

Mind you, I didn't think of all the other things, like the loads of links to individual pages scattered around the net. And the blog roll. I made a bit of a mess moving that over so, if yours doesn't work, please go and try again.

Then Mark quits his job!!!!!

It was for medical reasons. Working with all the cement and plaster all the time has made his eczema flare. And this isn't like any eczema I have see before. It is quite ferocious.

And, again, the question of "Can we really afford the internet?" comes up.

There have been good things going on! I sold a Valentine choker at the Florists. And I had an order for a whole load of bits from Nicola at Truly Scrumptious. And I have been selling quite a few patterns recently.

But this is what I have been working on more recently. These are quite old patterns but, as I am making a pile to (hopefully) sell for Easter, I thought I would give it a little overhaul. The way I write them now has evolved a lot since I wrote this one.

The heads, wings and feet are all made in one piece - apart from the eyes which you sew on afterwards - which gives it all a softer look. The Easter Baskets pattern is available for sale on Rainbow Valley. The Eggs are made from all the ends of the balls so I don't waste a single little bit.

And they are a free pattern on Rainbow Valley. I am going to list the baskets on Etsy tomorrow, so I may even sell a few through there. And the Florist wants some for her Easter window. This might call for a shopping trip!

Its me again!

This time my crocheted Tree Angels are the free project on the Advent Calender - so go and take a look! And if you haven't seen what else is on offer, why not????? There are loads of lovely free projects to choose from.

I am running very late again. Every year I promise myself I am going to get those cards done early. Every year I don't.

And this year is worse than usual. I haven't even made enough so need to get on with them!

But, I am going to cheat a little. I usually make far too many and have a very nice little stash of cards bulding up. Of course, I can't normally use them as I sent them to everybody last year.

However, this year both Mark and I have new jobs. This means I can use up some of the previous years cards.

Less for me to make and some space in the filing cabinet all in one go!

What a result.

Window No.8

Its me again! I hope you enjoy this Crocheted Bow. I made it for Scrapbooking. It didn't occur to me to use it for Christmas Parcels!

Window No. 2

Is me! I told you it would be. You can make these Lucky Pennies into Flowers or Stars.

I did originally intend to make a new one every Christmas for Benjamin but......... There is still time to catch up.

Free Crochet Pattern

Remember the Crocheted Doodling? Well, I have finally written the pattern and it is on Rainbow Valley! It is really simple to do so there is no excuse for not trying!

I have finally finished the upper case letters. I am now working on the lower case set. I am up to "u" so, with a bit of luck, I can get them finished today and blocked over night ready to photograph on the weekend. I am hoping to get all of these, along with the punctuation and numbers, on to my site for sale this weekends. I can sell the finished items before the pattern is ready as I can use my notes to make them.

Then I have to remake everything to check that I have written the pattern properly.

I do this in a different thread which I use for the photos for the pattern.

Unfortunately, the thread I started using is only available in the UK as it is manufactured by a UK company.

Also, they have changed a few of their lines and I can't get it as easily as I used to.

This means that I have to write the patterns using a different thread that is available in the US as well.

I am slowly building up a stash of this in different colours and, as soon as I have a decent colour range, I will swap everything on the site over to the same thread as the patterns. It will save taking twice as many photos!

Please note that the letters are not a free pattern, just the doodling.

When I am good....

....I am very, very good!

Here is the 10x15cm rectangle frame, complete with a bow.

And what is more, the bow is a free pattern on Rainbow Valley.

Patterns Finally Finished

Its been a long hard slog. Ok, maybe not that hard!!!! But certainly long. And, of course, changing my mind in the middle of things didn't help as it meant I needed more new designs.

However, the first of my "Scrapping the Rainbow Valley way" patterns is completed. Now I suppose you want to have a look?

And I promised some free patterns. The first of these is the Heart Frame. Its quite easy to make if you know how to crochet.

The second is step by step instructions on how to make the mini flowers. This is aimed at beginners.

Sian the Sheep

I just couldn't resist!

A farmer friend of Marks is always going on about the Welsh and sheep. Doesn't he realise that there are a lot more sheep in England than Wales?

So I made him this delightful little willy warmer. If anybody else wants to make one, the free pattern is on Rainbow Valley.

Rainbows

Monday again! Is it me or is time seeming to speed up? At least the sun is shining this morning.

Nothing exciting happened this weekend, apart from Lewis Hamilton managing to get on the podium yet again. Not that I am a big F1 fan but as my Dearest watches it I tend to as well. At least I understand a little more of what goes on now as he answers all my questions.

I spent most of the weekend crocheting Dreamcatchers for Scrapping. Unfortunately, they are not ready to be photographed yet as I still need to ad beads to the small ones and feathers to them all. However, the Rainbows are all done.