Freeform and Tunisian Crochet

It's been quite a week for me, so sorry blogging has not happened for a few days. I've had to interview for the jobs I currently do, apparently this is the current trend in the UK when work hours have to be reduced- it's a horrible process causing enormous stress and I can honestly say this has been the most stressful week I've had in this job. Additionally we've had a Fair Trade week at school cumulating in a Fair Trade type sale of products made by the kids on Thursday; plus one friend left work  after 19 years there and another had a baby on Friday- that made it quite a week!!!


This week I did do a little internet shopping and bought a book on Freeform Crochet, basically it seems that anything goes when it comes to making things this way. There is no pattern, you just make small motifs or patches and crochet or sew them together to make a pleasing result. It gives unique results and can be used to make one of a kind items of clothing or bags for example. For me it appeals as I sometimes just want to play around and not worry about making something specific. Sometimes I really do not feel like following patterns!!!


This is my starting point. It's just a simple spiral but I'm going to add to it... More will follow in the coming weeks.


I think it will help me learn new techniques, and as I can also incorporate knitted pieces, I could also practise new stitches. It will also allow me to play with colour and texture as both are important to add interest in freeform crochet.


My first freeform is going to be mostly white, though I may add some light pastel elements. I'm thinking of also embroidering the crochet too. Maybe using funky fibres/threads with texture for interest.

Today we've been out shopping in Truro and I visited my favourite wool shop. As well as some lovely wool I bought some large diameter crochet hooks (my plans for them will be revealed another time) and a Tunisian crochet hook. This is really a hook with a long handle the size of a knitting needle. It's basically worked so one row is worked onto the needle whilst the next works off the stitches off the needle.






I've never done it before so this is my first little swatch. I like the result and think it is going to actually fit in with the Freeform crochet.


I'm going to enjoy the relaxation of not worrying about gauge/tension, it is like playing with wool to make little swatches and patterns. It's also very portable which makes it quite handy to carry a crochet hook and small ball of wool in my handbag for when I have a quiet moment when I'm out...


I'll post more photos as my freeform grows...


Until next time
Gillian

Starting something new

My favourite book of the moment

Time for a new project. I'm going to make a Sea Fairy doll based on the Daisy Livingstone Doll in Annette Hefford's book Knitted Pirates, Princesses, Witches, Wizards and Fairies. 

The legs so far...

I'm adapting the pattern so that the dolls body has a colour change so that she looks as if she is already wearing leggings and I'm thinking of also doing the same to make an integral strapless cami type undertop.


I've started the dress before finishing the body so I have two different elements going at the same time, one (the body) I can do while watching TV or talking, the other (the dress) requires lots of careful counting so I have to do it when I have no distractions... it might take a while therefore!

The first two petal panels of the dress.

The fairy will be dressed in pale sea greens and blues and will have a floaty petal panelled dress and jacket. There will be twelve panels altogether in the dress in varying tonal shades from sage to turqoise to pale green to a light lilac blue which sounds a bit weird but really matches well. The pattern is not overwhelmingly difficult, but is complicated simply because it is tricky to keep your place with several repeats that are different according to the panel you are on- a friend helped with this last week by just telling me to keep a record of exactly where I was in a pattern by writing it in a notebook- the simplest of advice, but I hadn't thought of it!!!!

It's going to be fun doing this one...

So until next time

Gillian

Knitting!

I can't knit. I can crochet- and I find that easy- but I've never got the hang of knitting. I've learnt the basic stitches a few times but have never managed to put it all together to make anything. It just doesn't feel natural to me.

The other day I was in Waterstones looking at the craft books when I saw this amazing book 'Knitted Pirates, Princesses,  Witches, Wizards and Fairies' by Annette Hefford, publisher Search Press. I loved the fantasy doll designs, they are a step up from anything I've ever seen before. I showed my husband the book and he kindly bought it for me. So I considered trying to convert the designs into crochet- OK that's not realistic!!!  So now I've decided the time has come for me to conquer knitting...

No more "I can't knit", now I will learn. I may have to keep looking up each new technique on the internet but I will learn. (Notice the 'I will learn' - I'm going to keep repeating that to myself so that I convince myself!).

My first 4 rows are shown in the photo. 54 stitches completed successfully in stockin stitch. This may take some time but I will learn!

This morning I saw the most beautiful moon at dawn... stunning!

Until next time
Gillian

Working together to develop

A week or two ago my husband went to a gathering of teachers sharing their ideas about using technologies. He came back with many new ideas some of which I know he is using. I think it is amazing how much both he and I use ideas shown to us by other people. After I posted about Wordle yesterday we chatted about how we used thoughts and ideas from other people to get a solution to a problem. Someone showed him Wordle, he showed someone else, they worked out how to screen save, showed him and he showed me, I worked out how to save the new picture. I can only describe this as a chain of shared ideas- each in isolation did not produce an outcome anywhere close to what we produced together.


Some genius's may work alone but I think that for most of us we need other people to help us learn. I am learning all the time, watching other people, listening and copying other peoples good ideas. This is not some kind of plagerism, its a way of developing as a person, as any idea borrowed must be adapted to fit our lives.


At the teachers gathering, one thing someone spoke about was Geocaching, which was explained to me as being a bit like playing hide and seek with GPS cordinates telling you where to go to find "caches" of hidden goodies. It  sounds like fun and a way of giving a purpose to going for a walk in places which are so familiar we have tended not to want to bother visiting recently. So I googled Geocaching and found Geocaching.com (http://www.geocaching.com/). Its got a massive list of hide and seek hunts to go on, and so we plan to try one this weekend.

 Another Wordle with some of those keywords for learning and exploring new ideas.

Here are two more Wordles from my favourite poems " I expect to pass through this world but once..." and "...Children grow up when your not looking..."

Until next time

Gillian