The dying of the sun

It's here! The exhibition The Dying of the Sun for the International Day of Felt is open...there have been lots of sneak previews on the website and elsewhere and it looks like it will be a vibrant feast of firey felt! 

As it is a little too far to travel I have been enjoying the photos and hope to see a few more as the exhibition continues.

Three rectangles of Random Wooliness felt have travelled Northwards to be part of a collaborative piece:

Fire: 

Shetland and Merino wetfelted with yarn, silk, sari silk, and crochet. Needlefelted Shetland, silk fibres, Teeswater and Wensleydale curls added.

Previous experience with felt pieces has taught me they can be viewed in more than one way!

Embers:

Wet felted Shetland and sari silk with Wensleydale and uncarded black curls. Teeswater and Wensleydale needlfelted curls.

Smoke:

Wetfelted Shetland with Masham curls, Mohair yarn, angelina fibres, and washed uncarded  Greyfaced Dartmoor

This started with a bright background to which darker tones were added to try and capture the glowing firey light against a dark sky...

 The washed and uncarded Greyfaced Dartmoor is really sticky and made great natural smokey whisps

Line of fire.....

I've been waiting ages to use that pun!!

or
fire and water...

Huge thank you to Tracy and Angela for all their hard work, the inspiration and opportunity to join with fellow felters to celebrate International Day of Felt.

Hope The Dying of the Sun is a great success!

As its Sunday...

here are some summer holiday shadow shots....

...and one of my faves from last summer...

Owl Pattern

Huge 'Thank You's to everyone leaving such encouraging comments on my relatively new crochet  skills - I can't believe its only 8 months since I started hooking - once I got a rhythm I have had such fun! Please keep giving it a go if you would like to try..one day it might click!

A while ago I introduced these little feathery friends...

and was quite amazed when someone requested the pattern! So Becky  - here it is especially for you! Its the first time I have written my scrawly notes into something coherent for someone else to follow  - so please let me know how it works!!

Random-Wooliness Owl pattern: UK terms

Start with a magic ring and chain 3. Now hook 14 Trebles into the ring and join with a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the 3 chain. Pull on the short end to gently close the hole.

Chain 3 and join to the body with a slip stitch into the same stitch.

Slip stitch into the next 4 stitches. Chain 3 and join to the body with a slip stitch into the same stitch (ie 4th slip stitched stitch).

Finish off - I tend to use the wrong side as it has different texture, by giving the finished stitch a good pull as you wrap it round the back (in my case the right side!) you can create a notch similar to the one you have on the other side.

I have embellished mine with needlefelted features although felt or buttons may be used.

You may have noticed I like to add a splash of colour - this one is worked with 2 yarns on a bigger hook! Although the way the contrasting colours have worked makes his 'ears' a little quirky

I did experiment a bit with the ear - like bits - you could try just 3 slip stitches across the top to adjust the angle. I also tried a picot style but that owl would need to be a long eared one!!

......seen from a different angle they seem to shrink!

I am hugely aware of issues of copyright around blog-land and I'm sure whilst swooping around your brain picks up lots of images as you are browsing. As far as I know I have not seen an owl with the pattern above, however as it is so simple there may be others out there...hoot if you see one!

I have been doing loads of  fiddling, with stitches, yarns, scribblings and patterns, learning a lot as I fumble about. I have always been a bit of a rebel when following instructions or counting (particularly in music) so its quite fun to make it up as I go along!!
 I realise lots of talented people are working hard creating patterns to make an income - but for me, with my fledgling crochet skills its an amazing form of procrastination!

Scraps

I have always collected scraps...of paper, ribbon, card, string...or yarn and fluff (though I do draw the line at the sock variety!). 

Short ends of yarn have been really useful for mouths

swirly needlefelted middles

pumpkin stems

 

 

wrapping..

 

 

 and many more exciting adventures!

When Linda introduced me to TUSAL I had an idea for using some really special ends of Rowan Colourscape Chunky from my flower loomed blooms

I love the way the yarn changes colour and has speckles of rainbows all the way through. Last week I  had the chance to make three pieces of felt and a couple of them re-used those special short ends..

This is for a special present project... is double sided

and quite thick..

 

I love the fluffy first stage!

There's some longer pieces on this one!

 ..again it has an interesting back...

So.... some of my Totally Useless Stitch A Long items become Totally Useful SALs!

September, season of....

stunning sunsets, indescribable vibrant colours splashed across the sky, 

or subtle pinky orange washes against various blue hues...

many hours gazing through the window as the colours fade....

Wetfelted piece inspired by sunsets..

.

...that is after the curtains are re-opened following the dazzling brightness of the low bright sun, piercing through the gaps in the shadowy buildings, directly at eye height and preventing tv or book focusing!

September, season of chilly breezy though sunny days a stray fallen leaf blown towards the back door...wondering whether this will be the penultimate outdoor drying day......a large camouflaged moth hiding from an ever increasing army of spiders and their webs. 

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September, season of Saturday afternoons glued to overexcited commentators discussing matches full of hope for the early top positions and announcing goals galore.

September, season of increased carpet debris - the annual festooning of new school grey and black sock fluff, and short ends of grey thread used to turn up ever expanding trouser legs!

September, season of planning creations for family and friends...beginning lists for autumn and winter birthdays and Christmas....(no picture -  they're secrets!)

September, season to relaxingly reminisce over the sunny summer holidays... some hours snatched by the sea...

What are your September seasons I wonder?