Reworking An Old Pattern

This little wheel is in an old Irish crochet patten book by Therese De Dillmont.  It uses old term, so I wrote out the pattern in modern crochet terms and made one.  Mine is a bit messy, which will neaten up the more I do.  But I am feeling a bit pleased with myself and will try another pattern.
My life and this blog will be changing.  A change in my husband's work means a bit of travelling.  Blogger makes it difficult to post images from my camera or iPad, haven't been able to work out how to do it.  So I will keep posting daily, as I like the rhythm of it, on my Facebook and Instagram accounts, I will only be able to post here when I am home on my computer.

Recipe Folders

Took a break from crocheting yesterday and got busy with other things.  One task was that one of my recipe folders needed replacing, nobby bits means things were caught on it when you tried to push something in beside it.  I took the opportunity to  sort/cull recipes.  The internet is great for getting recipes, but it means I have a lot of bits of paper and some of them I will never make again.  It all needed a good sort.

Little Five Petal Flower

There were a lot of stop/starts yesterday as instructions got confusing.  But I did manage to finish this little flower.

Starting the Middle Bit

  

Flowers and a scroll.  You can't really tell scale in the photograph, so I put the little flower on my finger.

Irish Crochet Edge

The other edge is finished and tacked down.  I was going to make the edge have curves, but it didn't sit nicely at all, so straight it is, with a curve at the corners.  This is all new to me and learning, so changing and adapting is a good thing.  Now, to fill in the middle bit.

First Amigurumi

  



Still working on the Irish Crochet edge.  It's making me think about learning to crochet.  I am self taught and struggled for years, sort of making things, but not really getting it.  Then in 2014 I tried with this book:  Amigurumi World by Ana Paula Rimoli.  This little dog was the first thing I made from the book.  He is green because he was always going to be part of the big green wreath.  Something about how you make the shapes made sense to me and I haven't looked back since.

Irish Crochet Edge

That's better.  The change is a small one:  one picot (nobby bit) on the shell instead of three picots.  Makes it a bit clearer.

Irish Crochet Edge

Trying to work out what to do with the edge.  I have only worked three shells, but it doesn't seem right.  Will pull it out and try something else.

Irish Crochet Lace

  

Working on the outer edge.  These are clearer photos of the tiny work because I put the macro lens on the SLR camera.

This Time Last Year

  

I was making all the components to the Power Station on a wrapped ball.  This was a commission, a power station in Santiago, Chile which had to include the chimneys and people.  There is  fairly  large wrapped ball at the base and a flat ring attached, somewhere for the people to stand.

Biscuit Update

Piers is leaving his job on Friday to do a 2-3 year Navy Reserve gig.  So I made morning tea and took it in this morning.  On the left are chocolate biscuits (Jamie Oliver Comfort Food Book) and little shortbread biscuits with lemon butter or strawberry jam (old recipe I have from the Woman's Day).

Homemade Lemon Butter

Haven't made lemon butter for years.  A batch for some biscuits I'm gong to make today.

Irish Rose

  

  



Eight petal, three tier rose in it's various stages.  The last photo with the two rings is the starting point.  The ring on the left is the first one and was too large, the ring wrapped on the end of a crochet hook, so got something finer and started again, the second ring.  The little rose measures 2.5cm across.

Irish Crochet Edge

  

Finished the inner edge of my project and it is tacked down to the backing pad ready for the next step.

Onto Something Else

The bobbin lace has been put aside, clearly not for me at the moment, was struggling with the instructions.  Onto Irish Crochet Lace.  I bought this book when I was learning to crochet in the hope I could do it, that was in 2014.  It seems to be going well.  I had to restart because of thread size issues.  Working on an edging first and not a motif.  Thought I would get used to the tiny hook and fine thread first.

In The Craft Room

I feel the Peach Faced Parrot is a little judgey.

Bobbin Lace Sampler

  



The thread I had on the bobbins in yesterday's post was too thick for this card/pricking, so I undid them all and started again. I also got different instructions as the ones from the course were lacking.   Found some finer thread.  There are two colours of thread there, white and a natural linen.  I remembered more than I thought and it all made it easier than I was expecting.  My tension needs a bit of practice.  I got a bit bored with the sampler, so I took it off.  The next bobbins are wrapped and ready to go.

Bobbin Lacemaking

  

The bobbins are all spangled and I am set up to start making lace.  I thought I would work through the little samplers from the course I did a few years ago to familiarise myself with what to do.

Beading Bobbins

Thought I might do some bobbin lacemaking.  Did a course a few years ago and haven't done any since.  I have been collecting bobbins in the meantime and they need spangles, a bead ring on the bottom for weight and stability.

Little Quail

  



A little California Quail turned up on my Pintrest news feed and thought I should make one of those.  Looking at the photos now, I think I made it's top feather a little bit too big.

Bear Toy Box

We made this bear toy box on wheels for Mitchell's first Christmas.  Piers did the woodwork, I did the painting, Mitchell did the stickers later on.  When he outgrew the toy box, it was something I didn't want to part with, so he ended up here in the garage.  He minds bits of wood, tubing, a walking stick, other bits and bobs.  Thee was a tidy up in the garage yesterday so we could see his lovely face again.

A Flock? A Bunch?

  

Finished the batch of budgies I was working on.  Twelve for a project of mine and two for a commission.

Green Tea Monster

  



I made this little monster for my son to keep his tea bags in, green tea.  It is a larger Moccona coffee jar, so there is a bit of room in the lid.  The little monster is crochet, wrapped wire and embroidered mouth and eyes.

Arne & Carlos Birds

In the middle of budgie making and remembering these birds from two years ago.  Birds 2, 3, 4 and 5 are directly from Arne & Carlos' book Field Guide to Knitted Birds.  Numbers 1, 6 and 7 are my interpretation.  They were in the window of Can Do Books for a little while showcasing the book.  Now they are on one of the bookshelves here, and this photo is the wallpaper on my computer.

New Book: Botanica

  

  

I bought two of these books a little while ago, one for me, one for a friend.  Now that the second has been gifted, I can share this beautiful book.  Put out by Inspiriations magazine, the work of Julie Kniedl.  Wonderful embroidery in 3D.  That is the best embroidered banksia that I have ever seen.

Julie Arkell Workshop

Piers and I are gong on holiday to the UK in October.  I have been lucky enough to get myself into a three day workshop with Julie Arkell.  Julie makes wonderful, whimsical people and animals out of paper mâché and attaches knitting, stitching and other things.  In 2012 we saw an exhibition in Liverpool and  I bought this Long Lost Creature and a tree.  Love the little cow, she is a little wonky and very sweet.  There was something about the exhibition that got to me and inspired me.  When I got home from the holiday I started making my own things, all that stuff I was thinking about and never did, I started doing.  At first it was doorstops and pincushions in the shape of houses, and it all went on from there.  The whimsical, fun exhibition told me It was alright to make whatever I thought of.  So as you would expect, I am very excited to be going to a workshop with Julie at the Ruthin Craft Centre.  Roll on October.

Four Budgies

There are four budgies at the half way point on the desk now.  The last one, on the right is probably a bit dark for a budgie.  I like the colour, a mix of blue and green, and I like the contrast with the white cotton head. Not sure why the head looks smaller than the others, same pattern and number of rows and when it ist looked at from the front it is the same as the others.

More Budgies

  

Back to knitting budgies.  I have three at this stage, body finished and wings knitted.   There is another on the needles.  I will keep making them to this point then finish off all together.