The 8th Gem: January 2012

29 January 2012

21 January 2012

HELLO...remember me?

Sorry for neglecting you all for the last couple of weeks, especially after l started a new blog with the promise of lots of lovely new ideas

But I am back in blogland and with lots of tit bits to share again

The reason l went quite for a while is that l was approached by a publisher to write a crochet book...I was just so excited but terrified at the same time

We all had a meeting yesterday just outside Brighton, I met the team I will be working with and it all went really well. We drove down yesterday had the meeting and stayed in one of their flats over night drove back today after having a peek at Brighton

The flat was wonderful and the team were really lovely and made me feel very welcome and at ease,

so it looks like I have a new crochet book to write....

Now l know the brief I can share some of what I have been working on through January

Hope you will all be as pleased as l am, it is a dream come true for me, something l have always said l would do one day...seems like that day has arrived

Wish me luck, I'll need it....a huge challenge for me

For now how about a few stripes..2 rows of sc in a variety of colours

rainbow of wavy stripes

lots of blue stripes

pastels

greens and reds

and some tweedy ones too..

Don't you just love stripes?

plus a few triangles

and the mesh stitch scarf it coming along great too and a hat appeared

to go with the collar both patterns on their way soon

Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.

Foka Gomez

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND XX

10 January 2012

Not around much last few days

After starting this new blog and with lots of new ideas to share a fabulous opportunity has dropped in my lap, can't say too much just yet, don't want to mess it all up until it is all in the bag, but promise to be back with an update asap

sorry to be so mysterious

Hugs to all and hope your New Year has got off to as wonderful a start as mine has

What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.

Mark Victor Hansen

04 January 2012

RE-MODELLED BEANIE... WITH CROCHET SWIRL DECORATION

TIP: Take a measurement and do a sample before you start the project

It didn't fit James, so l got myself a new hat

complete with swirl decoration and a rolled bottom

NEW OPEN MESH SCARF

A variation on yesterdays mesh......Chain multiples of 4 sts plus 2sts extra

This scarf was 40 chain,

A 5.5mm hook and made with a mix of 3ply random dyed sock yarn and pale shades of a number of DK ends of balls crocheted in stripes

DOUBLE OPEN MESH SCARF PATTERN
DK 4MM HOOK

Chain 40

ROW 1: SC in every stitch

ROW2: turn then 2 Trebles 2 chain 2 trebles 2 chain until the row is complete

ROW3: turn then SC in every stitch

repeat ROWS 2 and 3 until your scarf is as long as you want it

finish with a SC row

TREBLE OPEN MESH SCARF

Whizz Aran 5mm hook

ch39
Row 1: sc in every st turn
Row 2: ch1, sc in every st, turn
Row 3: ch 3 counts as first tr, tr in next 2 sts, ch3 miss 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, ch3 miss 3 sts, repeat to end, finish with a tr in last 3 sts, turn
Round 4: sc in first 3 sts, 3 sc over ch sp, sc in next 3 sts, 3sc over ch sp, repeat to end, turn
Round 5: repeat round 3.
Round 6: repeat round 4
continue to repeat rounds 3 and 4 until scarf is the length you require

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Walt Disney

Have Fun

03 January 2012

CROCHET BEENIE...for James

My lovely son came for dinner again yesterday and saw my new tweed mixes...and placed his order...

SIMPLE BEENIE

Mixing a plain DK with a 3ply sock yarn, all in SC work back and forth using 4mm hook

Chain 70 join into a circle (Be careful not to twist the chain)

ROW 1: SC in every st

repeat row one working it back and forth not just on one side, until it is long enough for the head it's made for, for this one i worked 19 ROWS

Divided it into 4 equal sections and decreased 4 stitches every round until only 4 stitches remaining

sew hole together

Add pompom....leaving the choice to James
If it needs to be bigger you can just go up a hook size or two or just add stitches either will work

Having made this one l would try working the next from the top down

PROMISE 1: Progress

only half done because l made James' hat last night

Adding a 2" band of stripes 2 rows of SC for each stripe in pairs of colours

Decided to make this blanket in bands of pattern so l don't get bored with it and can do something new for each band, just keeping the same colour palete

A SHARING MOMENT

My wonderful OH bought me a very unexpected present for Christmas...so pleased with it l cried a little

I couldn't wait to add a book or two and the first one l bought was an

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CROCHET STITCHES

Still working out what l can and can't do with it. Aren't l a lucky girl?

Love, love ,love it..Thank you Phil you're a darling xx

Any one got one? Any tips?..please let me know

Vision without action is merely a dream.

Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world!

Joel Arthur Baker

Have Fun

02 January 2012

MIXING YOUR OWN TWEED YARNS....

Do you, like me, love all the tweedy and blended yarns?

But find the cost puts you off?

Most of us have an odd ball of random dyed sock yarn in the stash some where and l'm sure we all have just a few ball ends of plain acrylic or wool colours?

For this collar l mixed a fine sock yarn together with random stripes of Stylecraft acrylic in several colours and a 4.5mm hook

I started with 70 chain as a base and decreased when l thought it needed it to make a collar shape

then added a shell stitch to the curved edge and added a couple of DC rows to give the wavy edge

added a soft crochet button and a loop

But decided it looked better as a tight collar so l will add a button to fasten it when l find the right one

and think it give a very good but low cost version of the more expensive tweedy yarns available
update on Pattern notes: 4.5 mm hook, chain 70 to start

All made in SC and l use US terminology makes more sense to me than UK terms lol

Decrease one stitch at the beginning of every row until you have about 45 stitches left, changing your plain coloured yarns in a random combination

I did 4 orange red, 2 orange, 4 pink red, 2 red pink, 2 plum, 2 red pink, 2 plum, 2 pink red, 2 orange,3 pink red...25 rows

My new Freeform circle cowl

Using the same tweedy blend of sock yarn and a deep pinky red l made several different shaped circles in a variety of combinations
Joining them together as l made a few but trying it on all the time
Adding the right size circle into the right space as l went,
Edging it with a blend of plum and sock yarn and a single row of SC

It is quite shaped and sits perfectly on my shoulders with a slight dip at the front all joined together with SC all made with a 4mm hook

Red is really hard to photograph l find so i hope you can see the detail ok?

SIMPLE CHUNKY MESS STITCH

Again using a beige random dyed sock yarn and plain Stylecraft Acrylic in cream, beige, tan and brown

ROW 1 chainless foundation

ROW 2: 2DC 2 Chain 2DC 2 chain turn

ROW 3: SC in every stitch turn

ROW 4: repeat row 2 making sure the 2DC is exactly above making a square pattern

Tomorrow l hope to show you the next stage in THE PROMISE No.1

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.
Steve Jobs

Have Fun