Going round in circles!

For quite a while I have been fascinated by Dorset Buttons  - my mum made me a tiny intricate decoration several years ago,
Jacqui makes some beautiful ones to co-ordinate with her knits,
I have bought a colourful kit for a friend from Beaker Buttons,
and there's a fab tutorial by Lynn for a crochet button on String Theory Crochet.

This tutorial got me thinking.....and not one for counting,

 I decided to go round in circles then freestyle the centres!

Some of the beads and colours remind me of sweets!

I have been scouring shops for different sized circular items!
The largest is usually a bangle, from the local charity shops (sometimes some of the sparkle shines through!
Smaller ones might be child's bangles, curtain rings or assorted washers (I am a regular at the DIY shop!)
Just in time for Easter makes I popped into Stitch Solihull where I found these perfect woolly goodies!

The yellow, named Shirley Sock  is a fabulous hand dyed shade of BFL.....living up to its name of Sunshine Smile, just right for primroses and spring flowers!

I love the WYS rainbow, I'd seen their selection on-line, but the colours up close are so much more vibrant, especially the bird themed shades.

So the circles continued....

I picked up an odd ball of reduced Rowan Panama, chosen for its leafy colour
it has such a beautiful texture from the linen content,
perfect.....combined with a spring shaded cotton thread...

The rainbow has a quick colour change - just what is needed for small items!

Its been a little quiet as I have been doing some creative writing.....
.....but more of that story another time!

Cheep Cheep!

The Easter holidays are flying by!

In February I found the most amazing chunky yellow acrylic in a charity shop and knew it was destined to be transformed into something tweet!

Hooked in a spiral on a 10cm hook with added accessories!

Many years ago RW Junior drew the most amazing chick that has cheeped in our bedroom ever since!

This is my interpretation, for his Grandad!

Both cheeky chicks were well received and are happy in their new free range homes!

Hope spring is springing where you are!

Brilliant Book!

My great friend Tracey has published a fabulous book!

Its packed full of hits and tips, colourful patterns by Tracey and guest designers, and very easy to follow instructions. 

The photos are clear and there are charts to accompany some of the techniques.

At the end of each chapter there are examples to inspire you further.

It is suitable for beginners and those who already have some knowledge of crochet too.

 

What I love most about the book is that the techniques explained act like stepping stones to enable you to create your own designs and projects.

I'm so proud of Tracey and all her creativity and hard work!

I've already used some of the ideas and I know this will be my one-stop reference for a long time to come!

One of the ideas I tried was a raised rib to begin a cuff for some mitts I promised Mr RW a couple of years ago! 

The wool (New Lanark Aran in Dark Graphite)  is warm and toasty, it hooked really well and the flecks of colour gave the mitts a bit of zing!

 

For extra texture I hooked in the back loops!

They have come in useful on some of our more chilly days!

 I'd like to have a go at Tunisian crochet which also features in the book - and there's a great tutorial video featuring Tracey here.

In the meantime I have been going round in circles.....but that's another story!

Breaking Bag!

There's a string bag in our house that gets a lot of use....

it has hung on several nails, in many places, and contained a myriad of things...

its current position is in the bathroom where it is in regular demand.

As it is so well employed it has become a bit more aerated than originally intended

  and has more holes than is functionally effective!

It was suggested we get a new one, but having seen some

  beautifully visibly mended projects I thought it lent itself to some colourful alterations!

A pouchy pocket with skills learned from Linda's string bag tutorial.

 The longer laceration required some freestyle suturing 

It adds a bit of colour and charm to the well loved item and given it a bit of a zingy lift!

It has also met with approval of the rest of the household!

A very relaxing way to spend an evening just randomeandering!

Woolly Warmers...

.....of the neck variety!

A lot of woolly goodies have come my way over the course of the last couple of years, many of them from a friend who works in a charity shop and others from someone who was down-sizing.

A background project that requires a little less concentration is always useful to have on the go and these neck warmers have been fun to hook, although it felt a bit strange crocheting such warm items in the summer!

 This is a variation on Lynn's creative  woven crochet scarf. 

I made one extra long chain and took it for a wander around the mesh, both ends of the scarf have a different pattern!

 I enjoy hooking holey items, they grow much faster and I find them more rhythmical. 

Threading the chain through gives the scarf  less spaces for the wind to blow through!

This zig zaggy granny cowl was hooked with two strands of  DK

and based on a granny chevron from Sarah Hazell's 200 crochet stitches

 as is the one below - bigger needles and opposite orientation

Two blue strands with some back loop working, and button placing inspired by Tracey's cool and versatile  variable cowl

 ...a chunkier version with added grey!

 This is a Sherlock stitched cowl in two reddy strands...another fun and holey one!

These cowls were a great way to experiment with stitches, patterns and yarns. 

They are mostly acrylic, easily washable - and all donated to charity before Christmas.

Spreading a little warmth.

Whilst I can't really claim them as my stashbusters, the yarns were an addition to my stash, Linda continues to have lots of fab stashbusting ideas....every fortnight...for inspiration!