Crochet works finished

Posted on November 6, 2011 by mags

Poppies

I made a poppy for myself to wear, as I continually keep losing the ones I buy.  So I decided to make a poppy for myself – I had not realised these would be so popular and be liked by so many people.  They really are easy to make, all you need is some red wool, some green wool, a button and a brooch back.

Poppies

Crochet Poppies

Pattern (roughly):

Crochet hook 4mm

Create a magic circle (the neatest way of creating a circle) – leave a longish end (to sew in the button and brooch back)
Chain 3, then 8x dc (double crochet) – join with a slip stitch

Petal 1
Chain 3, 1x dc in same stitch, then 2x dc in each of next 3 stitches (8 total), then 1x chain.  Turn.
2x single crochet in each stitch (16 sc) – Fasten off

Petal 2 (and 3)
2x dc in the last place where you made 2x dc (that stitch would have 4x dc in total now)
then 2x dc in each of next 3 stitches (8 total), then 1x chain.  Turn.
2x single crochet in each stitch (16 sc) – Fasten off

Each petal:  Take the wool at the end of each petal and use it pull the leaf into a slight curve and fasten it to the top of the first round of dc stitches (you should see all 3 petals curving now).

Make a leaf using green wool, just start with say 10 ch, and go around those stitches using
sc – hdc – dc – dc +1ch = tr = dc + 1ch – dc – hdc – sc (in an amounts you like, none of my leaves are exactly the same as each other).  Then sew this leaf at the back of your petals using one of the ends that remain.

Tidy up the remaining loose ends, except for the one in the centre (your starting point) then use that to sew in your centre button and brooch.

Voila – you have created your own poppy!

Enjoy.

 

Cute Animals

These little things are so colourful.  The penguin, who is really cute in real life, is spoken for and will be a Christmas present – I’m not sure who is going to receive the little lion-like creature yet.

Amigurumi animals

Cute amigurumi animals

 

Halloween 2011

Well, Halloween has been and gone and hopefully a good time was had by all.

I made some amigurumi for Halloween, they are not particularly scary, but were fun to make Two types of pumpkin, a (not very) scary ghost and a one eyed monster (in typical Halloween colours).  

Halloween amigurumi

Crocheted amigurumi for Halloween

Posted in Art, Hobbies & Crafts, Crochet, General | Leave a comment

Lowestoft – Ness Point Revisited

Posted on October 30, 2011 by mags

Yay …  this is my first yarn bombing expedition AND … it has a claim to fame, its the most easterly place in Britain to receive such decoration.  You cannot get any further east than Ness Point at Lowestoft in the UK. 

Because of the date (30th October), I thought my first expedition into placing yarn art should be Halloween related and created a spider web in the brightest orange you can imagine.  I love it!  Then, I decided to make a spider and give it a home.

Happy Halloween ….

First yarn bomb

My first yarn bomb

 (click on images for a larger picture)

Spider

Britain's most easterly spider?

 

Britains most eastery point!

Halloween arrives in Lowestoft First!

Posted in Art, Hobbies & Crafts, Crochet, Local Interest, Yarn Bombing | Leave a comment

Lowestoft – Ness Point

Posted on October 30, 2011 by mags

Good evening.

Some of you might have watched a programme that is now being shown on TV as I type – Top Gear.  In which case you might remember that Jeremy Clarkson drove to the most easterly point in the UK, Ness Point in Lowestoft which he reached just as the sun was rising.

Jeremy’s car somehow was able to drive onto the circle shown in these pics – in reality, THAT is not possible ….

You might recognise the pictures shown in this entry as being taken from Lowestoft’s (and Britain’s most easterly point) – click on the pictures to see a bigger photo!

Ness Point Circle

Lowestoft's Claim to Fame

….. then you can play spot the difference in the next post I make!

These pictures were taken minutes before it became dark …..

Ness Point Centre

Britain's most easterly point - Lowestoft

 

Posted in Local Interest | Leave a comment

Live in Lowestoft? Up for a yarn group?

Posted on September 3, 2011 by mags

Dear knitter, crocheter, yarn spinner, crafter, etc.

I recently re-discovered that I can crochet – something I had forgotten about for 30 yrs!

Are there any knitting / crochet groups in Lowestoft?  If not, would you be interested in joining one …. perhaps meeting up every couple of weeks or so.

If one does not exist could we start one?   We could even create our own blog about it …  Would you also be up for yarn bombing?  Don’t know what that is or want to find out more?

Please contact me and let me your thoughts and views :)

mags

 

 

Posted in Art, Hobbies & Crafts, Local Interest | Leave a comment

Sound Familiar?

Posted on August 27, 2011 by mags

Thanks to http://xkcd.com/ for this pic (I just had to share).

Are you

Coming?

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Rainy Day Saturday

Posted on August 27, 2011 by mags

.. and this morning I shall finish off some amigurumi projects whilst watching an episode or two of Big Love and this afternoon will swim into town (well, I might have to if it doesn’t stop raining) in order to buy even more wool :D

I know some people would say that I would appear to have enough wool stashed away in various places, but you can never have enough yarn, can you?

 

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Busy doing nothing

Posted on August 23, 2011 by mags

 

Good evening
I have no idea what I have been doing recently, but it feels as though I have been busy doing nothing, but fortunately, I am managing to finish some crochet works too.

Websites
I decided to combine this website with my UK Arts n Crafts one – all URLs now point to this website until I can decide exactly what I want to do with the UK Arts n Crafts site.  I would like to use it to provide information and help to other artists and crafters but am unsure what I will do exactly. Links and info to local craft fairs?  Links to local art and craft websites or shops?  Where to source materials? 

Meanwhile, if you have any ideas or thoughts you might like to share, let me know – I am open to ideas.

Google+
I have started using Google+ and I love it.  There are so many interesting people who post on a whole variety of topics.  I have quite a few people in an Art n Craft circle I created.  Not all posts are about crafts, they range from  writing blogs to sharing cookery recipes, posting pics of pets and sharing interesting thoughts and views.  Seems to be a place which generates ideas.  Always good.

Autumn Handbag

Handbag in autumn colours

Crochet
As the title of this post title suggests, it appears I have not done much, but here are pictures of some things I did finish.  A handbag in granny squares, in lush autumn colours and lined with a gorgeous heavy green silken material (complete with zip and inner pockets). 

I also made headrests for my car using the same autumn colours – what I didn’t take a photo of is the matching ladybird that sits on the dashboard!

Car headrests

Brightening up my car headrests

 

 

 


 


Meanwhile, WIP now includes a penguin (intended to be a Christmas present) – no point in leaving it til the last minute!

I also want to look into getting some tags that I can sew into or onto finished items – that would finish off a lot of projects nicely.

 

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Pakefield Church – in the stocks!

Posted on August 23, 2011 by mags

All Saints and St. Margaret’s Church in Pakefield makes my website again … a really interesting addition was seen as I was walking back home from an evening walk along the beach.

Just look at the pictures – the church now has genuine stocks and a whipping post. I cannot really remember seeing any other stocks or whipping posts locally so I think its it a huge achievement.

If you click on the second picture, this explains what the stocks are and where they came from, but if you are in the area, why not pop along and have a look at these interesting stocks yourself.

 

Pakefield Stocks

Stocks and Whipping Post (click for larger picture)

 

Pakefield Stocks Origin

Explanation of where the stocks came from

 

Posted in Local Interest | Leave a comment

On the hook

Posted on July 23, 2011 by mags

Its Saturday morning and somewhat overcast.  Perfect weather to be watching TV and doing some crochet.  But what should I do first? 

On the hook I have

  • a doll (of some sort – no real pattern) and I want to make it “child safe” – so that it would a good for a child of any age
  • a handbag created by making granny squares in lush autumn colours (I have to sew the lining on that and have had to borrow a sewing machine from a generous sister)
  • another blanket/throw (I should really start joining that up now)
  • 2 amigurumi type pumpkins in a yummy BRIGHT orange colour.  I have to put faces on them (nothing like being prepared for Halloween)

So many things on the go and still so many new patterns I would love to try out. 

+++

The other day at work I mentioned “yarn bombing” to a few of my colleagues – they liked the idea of that.  Perhaps next year for yarn bombing day ……

 

Posted in Crochet | Leave a comment

Its Christmas ….

Posted on July 17, 2011 by mags

Well, its not really Christmas (although Santa did tweet that there are 160 nights to Christmas eve).

It just feels like Christmas because my sister came round this morning and gave me 4 full bags of wool that her mother in law had left over – she says it was just taking up room!  I love it!  I now have so many types and colours of wool, it will really let me experiment using different techniques and colour mixes.  I really do feel as though Christmas came early.  Whooooooooooooo

Lavender - amigurumi doll

Lavender

I was busy doing a couple of things, I am so bad I should really take photos of these as I go along, but I forget to. 

I am making a handbag for the autumn using lovely orange, red and green colours (really bright and yummy), but have come to a stop on that until Tuesday when I will be buying some really lush lining for the bag (don’t want everything falling out) and so this afternoon I finished Lavender. 

Lavender is a crochet doll, handmade using the amigurumi style of crochet and is just over 9″ tall.  I really enjoyed making doll this and will certainly be making a few more dolls and variations of dolls like her in the future.

 

Posted in Crochet | Leave a comment