We will walk 500 miles: 239 miles completed

Thank you to my daughter for taking the photo of Miss M and me.

What a glorious day.

Under the Sea: Coral Cave

I tell myself – enough now!

There are other projects pending.

Do I listen – of course not!

And there is still plenty of my Mum’s stash to use up.

Plus, I woke with an idea for an underwater coral cave, using a small cardboard box as the base.This is where my obsessive mind is taking me this morning

Work in progress – wouldn’t it be cool to have some twinkly lights inside the cave – I know I have some somewhere ……….

Oh Mrs Snail! You have set me off on this very engrossing tangent ….. when will you be setting up the window? That might give  me a stop time. 🙂

Under the Sea: Crocheted Coral

As many of you know, I love creative collaboration.

So when Mrs Snail posted her Scrap Happy post about their proposed shop window display, I was immediately digging out suitable scraps of yarn to make some coral.

You might be interested in this Ted Talk about a couple of women who coinordinated an enormous crocheted Coral Reef and link the forms to mathematics

https://darlombfiberart.wordpress.com/category/freeform-crochet/

It is the most wonderfully relaxing, freeing and freeflowing way to crochet – anything goes. Mrs Snail emailed her pattern to me and then I just went for it, making spontaneous changes to size and numbers of stitches to form these delicious little sculptures.

They are so tactile and wonderfully squidgy and fascinating in the way they change as you move them around.

I wanted to make big pieces and thought I would share how I made mine with you, in case you want to have a go.

I have used a 5.5mm hook with DK yarn. But you can use any size of hook with any size of yarn.

The Crochet terms I use are US terms.

Ch4 to start (or make a magic ring if you prefer

Slip stitch into the beginning chain to form a circle.

Ch3 to make the first stitch, 7dcs into the circle.

Sl st into the 3rd beginning chain.

Ch3, 2dcs or 3 dcs into each st all the way round, Hdc into the 3rd starting ch and continue round in a spiral from now on.

Increase at random whenever you like.

If you want it to be big, increase less often to grow the central area, with more increases towards the edge.

I made the edge look extra frilly by single crochet, ch2, single crochet in the next stitch all the way round.

I was able to use up some of my Mum’s stash

Popcorn stitches add texture and interest.

I love the look and feel of them and will keep some for myself, but I’m not sure what to do with them!

I used cotton for this one, but found that it does not hold the shape as well as acrylic yarn

They devour yarn, so it is an excellent Scrap Happy project.

I’m joining Kate and her other Happy Scrappers.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
 Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

 

Visible Mending

by Samantha Moore

January Photo Challenge: Tree and Sky

I have been getting up and out to see the sunrise this month

It is part of a new sleep management programme I am taking part in to cure my chronic insomnia.

The photo above was taken on the hill about a mile and a half from my house.

The one below was taken whilst staying with a friend by the sea.

This one (below) was taken with my back the the setting sun. I felt so wonderfully at peace and full of gratitude in that moment.

I do take rather a lot of photos of the oak tree at the bottom of my garden.

To me it has a feminine quality.

Thank you to Nanacathy for hosting the Photo Challenge.

Sunrise light

Making mood feel bright

Good sleep tonight

Dancing into 2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I will be joining Grace, a friend of mine, every week day morning of January for about 10 – 15 mins. A warm up and then 5mins of joyful movement.

Will you join me?

A fabulous way to start the day – the year.

https://www.facebook.com/thejoyindance

she is also on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Grace Willow/ Joy In Dance (@thejoyindance)

Silly Saturday: Rudolf

I came across a few of these, tucked away in a cupboard – made by Miss E when she was about 8 – she is now 16.

She’s thinking of making another, to see how much Rudolf has grown.

Instagram Stories created the special effects

Sunrise

One morning last week I took Master R and Miss M to catch the school bus. They have to be there for 7.15am, when there is just a glimmer of light on the horizon at this time of year.

After waving them goodbye, I wanted to climb up high and watch the sunrise, so I drove to Maiden Castle, a hill fort and climbed the ramparts and was rewarded with this beauty

As I turned I spied my shadow – nice!

Week of Flowers: Day 7

It’s the last day!

Not strictly a flower, but I do love these bonkers berries and bracts on the Clerodendrum

I have loved going through my garden photos for this year and noting the triumphs.

A friend gave me a little seedling from her shrub about 7 years ago, and I kept it in a pot for a long time, but now it seems really happy in the border near the road. It has gloriously scented white flowers, before the fruits appear.

It turns out I haven’t taken as many photos of my garden this year as in previous years, but I already have plans for Cathy’s Week of Flowers for next year 🙂

Thank you Cathy, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Week of Flowers: Raspberry Blush

Raspberry Blush

Isn’t she pretty!

Appearing for Day6 of Cathy’s Week of Flowers.

Crochet Christmas Bauble: Free Pattern

As some of you know, I’m not a great fan of Christmas and only join in every other year. One year I spend it with my children and their families, and the next year I spend it blissfully alone, either at home or away.

Bauble experiments

This year will be with the family and, as usual, I will be making a small present for each of my 8 grandchildren.

There are plenty of patterns on Ravelry for baubles but many are made to cover a bought plastic bauble, and most of them are made in two halves that you sew together. I tried out a few free patterns and then experimented.

The following pattern is made as a whole and stuffed with whatever you might have that is suitable. I used a white polyester stuffing from an old torn cushion insert.

Crocheted Bauble

Make with any yarn and the appropriate hook.

I used Rico Essentials Crochet Cotton

2mm hook

Needle for sewing ends in

Beads (optional)         Stuffing

I use US terms and crochet Left-Handed

Abbreviations:

ch       chain                           dc       double crochet

hdc    half double                   St         stitch

Slst      slip stitch                     sk        skip

rpt      repeat                          tog       together

YO      yarn over

Special sts

Small popcorn: Make 4dcs into one st, remove hook from loop and insert from front to back of first dc and then into dropped loop and pull through. Ch 1 to close. This closing chain is not counted in the stitch count.

To make a Beginning Popcorn, start with a standing dc or ch 3 as the 1st dc.

Treble 2 together (tr2tog): YO twice, insert hook in first st, YO, pull up a loop, (YO, pull through 2 loops) twice (2 loops on hook), YO twice, insert hook in next st, YO, pull up a loop (YO, pull through 2 loops) twice (3 loops on hook), YO, pull through all 3 loops.

Starting at the bottom of the bauble, make a magic ring.

Round 1: Ch3 (counts as first dc throughout), 11dcs into the ring, pull thread to close the ring and slst into the 3^rd ch of the beginning ch3.                                                                     12sts

Round 2: Ch3 and dc into same st, 2dcs in each st around. Join with a slst              24sts

Round 3: slst into in the next space between the next two sts, Ch3, 2dcs in the same space. Sk2sts, (3dcs into next space between the sts) rpt to the end, slst into 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                                                                                                   36 sts. Round 4: ch3, dc into each st and slst into the third ch to close the round.               36sts

Round 5: ch3, (small popcorn in the next st, 2dcs) rpt until the last 2sts, small popcorn, dc, slst into the 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                   12popcorns, 24dcs

Round 6: ch2 (doesn’t count as a st), hdc in the same st, (hdc in the popcorn [skip the ch1 of the popcorn], hdc in each of the next 2 sts) until the last popcorn, hdc in the popcorn, hdc in last st, slst into 1^st hdc (not the ch2) to close the round.                                                    36sts

Now would be a good time to secure the thread at the beginning.

If you are attaching a bead to the bottom of the bauble, sew it through the central hole and leave until later.

Round 7: beginning small popcorn, 2dcs, (small popcorn, 2dcs) to the end, slst into the ch1 of the first popcorn to close the round.    12popcorns, 24dcs

Round 8: ch3, dc all the way round (only one st per popcorn), slst into the 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                                       36sts

Round 9: Ch3, dc2tog, (dc, dc2tog) rpt to the end, slst to join.                                 24sts

Round 10: ch2 (does not count as a st), hdc in the same st, hdc all the way round, slst to join in the first hdc.

Round 11: ch3, dc in the next st, (dc2tog, 2dcs) to the last 2 sts, 2dctog, slst into the 3^rd ch to join.                                                                                                                        18sts.

Stuff the bauble with stuffing of choice.

Round 12: ch3 as the start of tr2tog, tr2tog around and slst to join. 9sts

Add a little more stuffing if necessary.

Round 13: ch1. sc2tog all the way round until the last st, sc. Cut yarn, leaving 30 cm for finishing. Pull through the last st to fasten and sew through all sts and pull together. Secure the end and leave for attaching a bead.

I used a Milliners Needle to sew on the beads with white polyester thread, going through each bead 3 times

6.5cm tall.

Pdf available in my Ravelry Store

Hi

Hi, is the name of this wonderful iris.

It smells of Lily of the Valley

I planted it as a tiny little thing in August 2020

And this year it was a fabulous clump.

I really do feel quite impatient to smell it again – it was DELICIOUS!

Joining in with Cathy’s cheering Week of Flowers: Day 5

Mystery Make Along

Anyone who has been following for a while knows how much I love a Make Along, or Crochet Along – add a touch of mystery and I am hooked.

I am joining in with Lilla Bjorn’s Mystery Make Along. There is still time to join in with two patterns released and two more to come.

This is her overlay bauble, I have ordered some cotton yarn, but eager to get started, I made a few in Stylecraft Special DK. The pen is in the picture for scale. The bauble is just over 4 inches high and has a circumference of 12.5 inches.

I stuffed it with bits of old T-shirts that were cut up for dishcloths first and are now too threadbare for anything other than stuffing.

Such a clever pattern and very well explained with full photo tutorial and videos.

These are made with the colours from my daughter-in-law’s Clan Tartan: blue, green, white and red

Which, I think,  look pleasingly Christmassy.

I do hope the cotton arrives soon!

Week of Flowers: Day 4

Bringing two passions together: crochet and gardening.

The pattern for the crocheted mandala or doily is by Zoya Matyushenko

Joining in with other gardeners for Cathy’s Week of Flowers to brighten up the early December days.

Quiet Sunday

Sunrise on Friday

Same time on Saturday

Week of Flowers: Day 3

Pictures from June in my garden.

One of my favourite colours to wear is hot pink, and I like to see it in the garden as well.Joining Cathy for her Week of Flowers.

A Week of Flowers: Day 2

The narcissi are from my daughter’s garden, she lives in a field of them.

The hellebore from mine.

Years ago, the house where she lives was a market garden supplying local shops and hotels.This photo was taken in May 2018.

Joining in with Cathy’s Week of Flowers to brighten up the first week of December.

Little Surpise

I’m joining Cathy for her Week of Flowers

to bring some sunshine into our December days.

This is a Dwarf Iris called Little Surprise

It was flowering in April in my garden. I am fascinated by all the delicate shades in one bloom.

Ta Dah! Revelation Crochet Along. The End.

Part 8

Round 88 Duck Egg

89 Lincoln

90, 91  Duck Egg

92  Cream

At this point I wanted to finish quickly so that I could finish it in time for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. She loves it!

The next Round, in Pale Rose: hdcs, with 4 in each corner and missing the hidden stitch after the corner.

The last Round I made in Powder Pink. I worked a knot stitch followed by a slip stitch all the way round, with an added chain st after the two knot stitches in the corners.

I really like this edging, it has a look of needelwork/embroidery blanket stitch.

See the other parts here, here, here and here.

 

Colours of Lichen and Bark

I have finished the blanket made in colours inspired by lichen and bark:

Stylecraft Special DK:

Hint of Silver, Warm Grey, Mustard, Silver, Meadow, Pistachio, Sandstone, Lime, Lincoln, Khaki, Mocha and Walnut

and  2 colours from Stylecraft Batik

Mint and Silver

I would never have put these colours together myself.

This blanket was a request from a fellow student on the Landscape Art course I did at West Dean Collegee.

I’m often asked if I sell my blankets and I don’t, but I do love to make blankets for people I know.

T is an architect who lives in America and whilst on the course he worked with lichen and bark, so when considering the colours for his blanket, these were the obvious choice. He is paying me for the cost of the yarn and the cost to post it.

I love how it turned out. I hope T loves it as much as I do.

You can see previous posts about this blanket HERE and HERE.

The free pattern is Virtue by Helen Shrimpton.