Inspired by Lichen and Bark

Progress has slowed with this blanket as the fine weather and the garden call me outside, but it is growing

At just under 3′ square this would make a good place to stop for a Baby Blanket or a Lap Blanket. It is just a few rows into Part 5 of Helen Shrimpton’s free pattern ‘Virtue’, which comes with full video tutorial.

I’m using a 4.5mm hook and Stylecraft Special Double Knit and Stylecraft Batik

I really like the texture Helen gets into her patterns, they look stunning in one colour too.

This is my 4th Virtue. I really like this pattern because, when changing the shape from a circle to a square, the corners are built up as you go rather than separately, so there are fewer ends to sew in.

Fascinating how the same pattern looks so different in different colourways. This one was inspired by Autumn

This one by a picture of flamingoes

If you were to choose a colour theme for a crochet blanket, what would it be?

 

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Inspired by Lichen

I have started a fourth version of the pattern Virtue by Helen Shrimpton

This comes as a free pattern with full video tutorial.

I love the texture Helen creates.

Her patterns are super reliable and this is becoming my favourite, because of how the corners are built up, without masses of ends to sew in.

I am making this for a friend who has asked for colours inspired by lichen and bark. Tricky to get right when one is restricted to the colour palette of the yarn.

In order to get some blending in the colour order, for the first time I am mixing 12 colours from Stylcraft Special DK:

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

with 2 colours from Stylecraft Batik

Mint and Silver

The Batik yarn has some wool content but the same washing instructions, so I hope it will be ok.  It is working up well so far.

Yesterday I met my daughter and niece for a coffee and a catch up at Fables and Food, a lovely friendly new Cafe in Dorchester, which delicious food.

It was the perfect spot to sit, in the sun, listening to the fountain and sewing in some ends while I waited for the others to arrive

Autumn Virtue

This is becoming my favourite Helen Shrimpton pattern (And it’s free!)

I like it because the corners are built up in the round, which means there are a lot fewer ends to sew in than on other patterns where the corners are built up separately.

I have made this Throw for the daughter of one of my closest friends.

Lucy is the same age as my first born and her Mum and I lived in the same village. We became friends when we had our babies together in 1976.

Lucy has a Podcast: Spinsterhood Reimagined, which celebrates the positives and discusses the challenges of a single, child-free life.

She had seen my blankets and throws on Instagram and remarked ‘I want one!’.

I had wanted to make another ‘Virtue’, so when she said she would choose Autumnal colours, I was thrilled and started immediately. I just love this colour combination.

So cosy!

Stylecraft Special DK, 10 colours:

Tomato, Spice, Gold, Dark Brown, Burgundy, Claret, Copper, Walnut, Khaki and Bottle.

The pattern comes with Video Tutorials and is lovely to make.

I stopped short by a few rows and edged the throw with Helen’s Knot Stitch, from another free pattern – Sacred Space, Part 9. Penultimate row.

🙂 Haggis (f) likes it. 🙂

Ombre Blues

You might remember that I started a Ripple Blanket for Miss E.F.

I have not found it easy to get the ombre, graded effect she seemed to like. There has been much unpicking or ‘frogging’ as they say in the crochet world.

This is my fourth attempt.

Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook

9 rows of Midnight, 1 row of French Navy, 2 rows Midnight, 2 rows French Navy,

1 row Midnight, 8 rows Franch Navy, 1 row Royal, 2 rows French Navy, 2 rows Royal, 1 row French Navy, 8 rows Royal

The next colour to be introduced next is Lapis.

I hope it works!

 

 

A Blanket for Haggis

What has happened to me? Making blankets for dogs – oh dear!

When Big Bro and Little Bro saw how much their Border Terrier, Haggis,  seemed to like this blanket they asked if I could make for a blanket for her.

I had made one for Pebble, who lives with my daughter and her children, so how could I refuse.

My son and his wife both love to wear tweed, and since Haggis looks a bit tweedy herself, I searched for a picture of Harris Tweed and used the App (yes sorry NanaCathy an APP!) ‘CrochetStudio’, which was introduced to me by one of the ‘Friends of Attic24:Dorset’ group.

And got the colours for Haggis Tweed. I tried a few options. You can add and subtract colours from your chosen range of yarns.

In the end I went with 9 colours:

Dark Brown, Walnut, Copper, Warm Grey, Charcoal, Graphite, Waterfall, Parchment and Sandstone.

I made the blanket in Extended Linen Stitch (also called Extended Moss Stitch), which gives the most wonderfully dense, warm, reversible fabric.

It looks a bit like weaving when the colours blend together. There are several You Tube videos describing how to do the stitch. I followed this video, but did not find it helped with the edges. If I ever work out how to do it so that the edge does not wrinkle, especially on the side where the colour change is made, I will make a photo tutorial. Have you made anything in this stitch?

I would really like to work it out as I think it is my favourite stitch for a warm and cosy snuggly lap blanket.

Using a 4.5mm hook, the finished blanket is 97cm  x  71cm

Chain 141sts to start.

Each row is 140sts and takes just over 3 grams.

 

Colour order

2 Foundation Rows in Dark Brown

2 rows Walnut, 2 rows Sandstone, 2 rows Parchment

2 rows Mocha, 2 rows Warm Grey, 1 row Waterfall

2 Walnut, 2 Parchment, 2 Dark Brown, 2 Sandstone, 2 Warm Grey,

2 Parchment, 2 Mocha, 2 Walnut, 1 Copper, 2 Charcoal,

2 Parchment, 2 Warm Grey, 2 Mocha, 2 Sandstone, 2 Walnut,

2 Dark Brown, 2 Graphite, 1 Charcoal, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Waterfall,

2 Parchment, 2 Mocha, 2 Walnut, 2 Sandtone, 2 Dark Brown,

1 Walnut, 2 Graphite, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Copper, 2 Mocha

2 Charcoal,  2 Dark Brown, 1 Sandstone, 2 Walnut, 2 Warm Grey,

2 Parchment, 2 Graphite, 1 Dark Brown, 2 Walnut, 2 Mocha,

1 Waterfall, 2 Warm Grey, 2 Mocha, 2 Sandstone, 1 Charcoal,

2 Graphite, 2 Walnut, 2 Dark Brown, 1 Sandstone, 2 Parchment,

1 Waterfall, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Copper, 2 Walnut, 2 Dark Brown.

Edging:

Dark Brown, Copper, Waterfall, Warm Grey,

Last Row of the Edging was in Crab Stitch in Walnut.

If I made something in the Haggis Tweed selection of colours again, I think I would use a higher proportion of dark browns and less of Parchment and Warm Grey, but I don’t think Haggis will mind the current selection.

Ice Creams Down by the Sea

This is the title of my latest finished crochet blanket.

I thoroughly enjoyed Eleonora Tully’s recent Crochet Along, ‘Down by the Sea’

Her design uses a few new techniques which have been fun to try and I was inspired to make a few alterations.

I tried Eleonora’s way of representing the balustrades found at seaside resorts,

but they didn’t go with the dreamy quality of the ‘atmosphere’ of the blanket. Can a blanket have an atmosphere?

I wondered if they would look better in pastel colours, but after a couple of days of looking at it, I realised it was the pointiness of the zig-zags that didn’t sit happily in my version and so I changed them for the waves. I also added a picot on top of each ice creamdid two more stripes in the ‘parasols’ and added an extra row of granny stitches to each side to give the blanket a little more width. Ta Dah!

Made with Stylecraft Special Double Knit and various sized hooks.

8 Colours: Cream, white, toy, clematis, powder pink, duck egg, storm blue, lincoln

Down by the Sea

Another Crochet Along started whilst I was making the Flamingo inspired Virtue blanket.

This one by Eleonora of Coastal Crochet

Resistance, as they say, was useless.

Eleonora’s colour ways are sunny and bright, but as soon as I saw the pattern, I saw it in ice cream colours and then just had to make it.

The pattern is so clever. There is Tunisian crochet made on an ordinary hook in the centre, and there are hook size changes to accommodate different techniques. I am very aware of how much trial, error, unpicking and time that must have gone into creating this pattern.

In order to create the verticle stripes there are chains across the back, and because I chose to make them in two colours my chains are longer and create a thick woven look on the back. If one wanted to create a blanket to keep out the cold, this would be an excellent stitch to choose. I might catch them down at the back once the blanket is finished if I feel that the long chains would be a nuisance in use.

As the green strands became longer to get round the corners, I did the rows on each side separately

I am posting progress photos on Instagram

Made with Stylecraft Special DK

Colours: Cream, White, Toy, Powder Pink, Clematis, Duck Egg, Storm Blue, Lincoln.

 

Crochet Along Complete

I did love making this blanket and it feels wonderful to have finished it.

Started on 30th September, this year. A Crochet Along really helps to get a project done.

Ta Dah!

16 Colours used of Stylecraft Special DK:

Spice, Tomato, Vintage Peach, Blush, Parchment, Lincoln, Storm, Duck Egg, Cream, White, Clematis, Soft Peach, Buttermilk, Stone, Petrol, Cypress.

The colours were inspired by Flamingos on a cushion.

The pattern is by Helen Shrimpton and comes with an excellent video tutorial.

This photo was taken at an earlier stage

I love the texture and using colours that I would never have thought to put together. I am so looking forward to giving to my niece when I see her later this month.

A Blanket for Miss E.F.

I have made a blanket for each of my children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces, plus a few for friends. I am now borrowing the grandchildren of friends to make blankets for. I just don’t feel right unless I have one on the go.

I made one for Miss P.  She used to sit next to me on the Park bench after school and always took an interest in the crochet and the blankets I was making. She particularly loved the colours in the blanket I made for Miss M.

She still likes bright colours and I gave her the Harbour Blanket I made last year. Miss P. has a sister Miss E.F. and a brother Master T.F. so it is only right that I should make a blanket for them as well.

I have a box of all the little left-over bits of Stylecraft Special DK and I took it round to them after school one day.

Miss E.F. is one of those hugely positive and energetic smiley children and her favourite colour is blue – she wanted them ALL! and set about sorting them into the order she wanted them to appear in the blanket.

She decided on the pattern of the Attic24 Neat Ripple  and I have made a start

Foundation Row: 154 + 3

4.5mm hook

Stylecraft Special DK

Colours so far: Midnight, French Navy, Royal

I am trying to use some of my little balls of yarn and weigh them to see if they will complete a row, which takes about 6gm.

This is a very relaxing pattern that I can do in front of the TV and pick up in odd moments, whilst I wait for Part 4 of the Virtue Blanket Crochet Along.

I will tell you which colours Master T.F. chose in another blog post.

A Crochet Along called ‘Virtue’

I do love to join in with a crochet along, and Helen Shrimpton patterns are always so trustworthy and easy to follow with brilliant video tutorials.

You get a new part to follow each week.

This is Part 3 completed

I am making it for my niece. I absolutely love choosing colours with the person whom the blanket is for. It means I use colour combinations I would never have chosen otherwise.

S sent me a photo of her sitting room and I noticed this cushion on the sofa. We decided to base our colour palette loosely on the flamingoes and foliage.

Using Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook the circle currently measures 27.5 inches or 70 cm diameter.

In Round 36 made each of the last popcorns independently in Spice (orange) so that the zigzag pattern in Spice and Tomato was more defined.

You can see a list of the colours in this post and I have now added Petrol and Cypress.

In a Vase on Monday: Snapdragons, Eucalyptus & Crochet

Hello!!

It’s been a while hasn’t it.

I have been wihout my computer since 22.August which has been pretty stressful! I have had a shocking time with Apple, which I won’t go into now, as it will raise my blood pressure.

So to celebrate being back, here is a two-for-the-price-of-one post.

I am joining Cathy and her merry band of gardeners with In a Vase on Monday today. Her post is gloriously autumnal. Mine looks more like summer, but my late sown antirrhinums have been such good value from late summer til now – and the colours go so beautifully with my latest crochet project.

I am following Helen Shrimpton’s 2022 Crochet Along (CAL). The pattern is called Virtue. I love her patterns as they are so well tested and totally reliable. They come with video tutorials and there is a supportive Facebook group as well.

The colours have been inspired by flamingoes, a favourite of my niece whom the blanket is for.

The snapdragons in the vase have been teamed with fronds of eucalyptus.I love this combination of shapes and colours.

In both projects.

I am using a 4.5mm hook and Stylecraft Special DK

Starting from the centre:

Spice, Tomato, Vintage Peach, Blush, Parchment, Lincoln, Storm, Duck Egg, Cream, White, Clematis, Soft Peach, Buttermilk, Stone.

Gosh – 14 colours!  I didn’t realise I had used so many.

I will be adding more in future rounds.

The photo shows Part 1 and Part2 of the CAL.

❤ It’s good to be back! ❤

 

Mandalas on Display

One of my daughter’s friends creates the window displays for this local Optician and I offered her my mandalas. She has created a wonderful display, don’t you think? She has given me permission to use her photo at the top of this post. The rest of the photos are mine.

A few little spiders have been added as if they have been working away at their intricate webs.

The window looks especially lovely lit up at night, although I haven’t managed to get a photo.

It is a thrill to see them so beautifully displayed.

The mission to create 50 white mandalas continues; 32 are finished and 7 more await the final touches.  The three below are all in Rico Essentials cotton thread, my favourite so far.

I am making Zoya Matyushenko’s Agnes in three different sizes by varying the hook size. They then need to be washed and attached to hoops.

The most common question I am asked, is “how long do they take?”

I really find this difficult to answer as time taken is the least important aspect to me. I did try to time myself but there are so many interruptions to the process, it was impossible. I make mandalas because I enjoy making mandalas. Crochet relaxes me and resettles my mind. I do it whilst doing other things, it fills pockets of time. It is part of maintaining my sense of ok-ness or well-being, it gets me through stressful times.

So I want to say – they don’t take time, they take attention, concentration, love and joy. They are a connection with my Mum and my Grandmother who taught me and all other crafting women now and through the ages.

But that answer would most likely be more than the person bargained for!

So my answer usually is:

Some take a couple of days, some take a week, depending on the thickness of the thread and the complexity of the pattern. Some sit waiting to be finished for months.

But that doesn’t tell you how many actual hours are spent making stitches. I often feel neither the questioner or I feel satisfied with the answer.

Any ideas?

If anyone in the UK would like to borrow the mandalas for an event, let’s have a chat. I would love to see them displayed in other settings.

Sacred Space for a Wedding Present

At last I can post photos of Sacred Space – a free pattern by Helen Shrimpton, which comes with a video tutorial.

I made it as a Wedding Present for my niece.

In 2017 I made Lucy’s Moorland Blanket for her.

Sacred Space is made with a 4.5mm hook in Stylecraft Special DK in Sage, Storm, Duck Egg, Cream, Petrol

Part One

Round 1,2: Sage

3, 4. Storm.        5,6, 7. Sage

8, 9, 10, 11 Duck Egg

12, 13 Cream

14, 15, 16 Sage

17, Storm

18 Sage ; 19 Storm ; 20 Sage ; 21 Storm

22 Sage ; 23 Storm ; 24 Sage ; 25 Storm

26 Sage

27, 28, 29, 30, Storm

Part Two

31, 32 Sage.           33, 34 Storm

35 Duck Egg.       36, 37, 38 Cream

39, 40, 41 Sage

42, 43, 44 Storm

45 Sage

Part 3

46, 47, 48 Petrol       49, 50 Sage

51 Duck Egg.            52, 53 Storm

54, 55 Sage

Part 4

56 – 63 Petrol

64 Storm ; 65 Sage ; 66 Storm

Part 5

67 Sage        68, 69 Storm

70 Duck Egg

71, 72, 73 Storm

74 Petrol

75, 76, 77 Cream

Part 6

78 – 82 Storm

83 Sage ; 84 Storm ; 85 Sage ; 86 Storm ; 87 Sage ; 88 Storm

89, 90 Duck Egg

Part 7

91, 92, 93 Sage

94, 95 Duck Egg

96 Sage        97, 98, 99 Storm

100 Sage

Part 8

101, 102 Storm

103, 104 Petrol

105 Duck Egg

106, 107 Storm

108 Sage

Part 9

109 Cream

110, 111, Sage

112 Petrol

113 Storm

114 Sage

It certainly was a joy to make.

You can rely on Helen Shrimpton’s patterns to work out well.

Attic24: Harbour Blanket

Each year in January, Lucy of Attic24, has a Crochet Along and I love to join in.

This year Lucy took the colours of a harbour as her inspiration. Although I liked Lucy’s colour choices, I was making this for Miss P, who absolutely LOVES bright colours, so I had to go BRIGHT.

Kingston Lacy Christmas lights

Well – maybe not quite that bright.

Starting row of Chain 150, I have made a Lap Blanket

In Stylecraft Special Double Knit (SSDK) and a 4.5mm hook

In Lucy’s Easy Eyelet Ripple

My colour order is:

Lapis, Bright Pink, Clementine, Empire, Fondant, Sunshine, Cornish Blue,

Spice, Turquoise, Matador, Bright Pink, Aqua, Lapis, Clementine,

Sunshine, Aster, Fondant, Spice, Empire, Matador, Aqua,

Turquoise, Lapis, Fondant, Aster, Bright Pink, Sunshine, Aqua,

Clementine, Empire, (a random blue yarn from my stash, but this could be Cornish Blue is sticking to SSDK), Spice, Matador, Fondant, Lapis,

Bright Pink, Turquoise, Clementine, Aqua, Empire, Matador, Fondant,

Aqua, Sunshine, Aster, Spice, Bright Pink, Turquoise, Lapis

49 colour stripes, each of two rows.

Border:

First row to fill in the ripples – Cornish Blue.

1 row of double crochet (US) – Empire – I love that colour!

One row of Single Crochet (US) – Bright Pink

Final row of Half-double crochet – Turquoise

The final measurements are 50″ x 40″ or 127cm x 103cm

In March I spent a glorious day with friends at Sculpture by the Lakes, we hired a private space there, The Pavilion, it was glorious.

and I took the blanket out and about for its own little photo shoot

I hope Miss P will like the blanket. I think her sister might want one as well, I wonder what colours she will choose.

Mosaic Crochet: Tom’s Blanket

Finished at last!

This Mosaic Blanket for my nephew Tom has been a long time in the making, but I finished it just in time for it to be a house warming present for him as he moves into his new flat this week. The pattern is Santa Cruz by Daisy Knots

I have made it once before for another nephew.

You might remember  I started making this one when I went on a 2 week retreat in December 2020, and this is how it looked after 2 weeks of pretty solid crocheting

I am often asked how long crochet takes and this is very hard to answer. Each pattern has its own timescale and I often crochet whilst doing other things. I also have several projects on the go at all times.

In this case it was a satisfying pattern to make, but required concentration and I made so many mistakes that I spent a long time unpicking and re-doing.

One way to attempt to answer the question of how long does it take is that I timed one row and it took

Another question I am often asked, is ‘do I sell my blankets’.

NO!

I love making them as gifts, but just as it feels very uncomfortable to me to time what I make, as so much more than time goes into them – it would be impossible for me to put a price on the blankets and throws.

I had to leave this project for long periods of time during the making of it, to give myself a break.

When I asked Tom what colours he wanted he didn’t know so I offered a choice of Black, Grey, White, Red which would tie in with the colours of his favourite football team or these in  Stylecraft Special Aran: Mustard Gold, Silver, Black, Copper and Cream

He went for this colour combo

There is a lot of Back Loop/Front Loop crochet to make the pattern.

Each row uses a new piece of yarn so each row has two ends that have to be dealt with somehow. This pattern creates a pocket on the edging to house the ends.

I didn’t feel happy with just pulling the yarn through a stitch and leaving it like that, so I tied reef knots in twos along the edge after I had crocheted the edge.

I also made a wider border than the pattern and only crocheted the piece at the back to cover the ends, to go about half way up the border – maybe this was a mistake.

If anyone else has any ideas about how to deal with the masses of ends in mosaic crochet, I’d love to hear them.

The ends inside the pocket did create a bump. In the pattern they are cut to just about an inch long, but I didn’t feel happy about that, so I left mine much longer.

The photos of the finished article were taken at West Dean College

Oh My! what a beautiful place it is. I have recently been on a couple of residential painting courses there and knew that it would be just the right backdrop for the blanket.This was my bedroom! What glorious luxury for a few nights.

And Tom is thrilled with his blanketwell it is very soft and snuggly!

 

Friends of Attic24: Dorset

It was a glorious sunny day here last Sunday, just the day for a visit to the seaside

I am a member of a group of crocheters, who live in Dorset and all like and follow Attic24.

Lucy, of Attic24, runs an annual Crochet Along (CAL) and this year the inspiration for her blanket design is harbours.

Lucy used to live near West Bay so our group often meets at West Bay. Just 3 of us on Sunday

We took our blankets down to the harbour for a photo, but it was so packed with people, it was hard to find a place to get a good shot. So we turned to the beach and found an upturned boat

The blanket on the left is following Lucy’s colours. I am going a bit brighter and making a stash-busting blanket for the granddaughter of a friend, Miss P, who loves bright colours.It is such a relaxing pattern to make, I can recommend it for a crochet beginner.

Attic 24 Harbour Blanket Crochet Along

The annual Attic24 Crochet Along is always such a lovely event to be part of. Thousands of people, all around the world join in.

There is something quite magical about being part of a group of people all making the same crocheted blanket at the same time.

I am making a lap blanket for the granddaughter of one of my closest friends. My friend and I used to collect our grandchildren from the local Primary School every Friday for about 4 years. If the weather was fine we would take them to the Park. The children played on the swings and climbing frames while we chatted and I crocheted.

A few of the children would come to watch the crochet and Miss P was always particularly drawn to the bright colours.

She was very interested in Little Miss M’s blanket, and watched it grow.

Lucy has taken her inspiration from the colours seen at a harbour in Summer. She has 9 different blues in her design. I will swap out a few blues for pinks and reds, keeping the summery feel but going with brightness for MissP, and most importantly, using yarn I already have instead of buying new..

My colour order for the first 15 rows:

Lobelia, Turquoise, Bright Pink, Spice, Aster,

Sunshine, Spearmint, Fondant, Matador, Empire,

Aqua, Clementine, Turquoise, Bright Pink, Lobelia

 

So Summery!

 

 

Skipton

When I realised that my route from Cumbria to Harrogate would go through Skipton, I just knew I had to leave enough time to stop off and visit Coopers Cafe.

This Cafe has become a bit of a Mecca for crochet addicts like me, as it is where Lucy of Attic24 used to have her studio and where she still runs crochet groups. The cafe took some finding, but luckily ‘Maps’ on my mobile phone got me there.

Skipton is much bigger than I imagined and as I was walking towards the cafe I saw lots of intriguing independent shops – just love the name of this one

Many towns in the south are looking sad and forlorn with lots of empty shops, but not Skipton, it seemed bustling and thriving.

Just before I got to the cafe, I saw the canal that often features in photos on Lucy’s blog.

And then there I was having a cup of coffee and soaking up the friendly atmosphere of the Cafe.

You know you are Up North when you see signs like this

going upstairs was a real treat

magazine cuttings were pasted all over the walls, which was very nostalgic for me. As  a teenager I covered part of a bedroom wall with magazine cuttings (my mother was furious!) when I married in 1972, we lived in a shabby farm cottage and I covered our bedroom wall with cuttings and loved the freedom of doing it in my own home.

Lucy’s studio

and there is also another room upstairs

in the loo, the collage continues

– I looked up Samantha Bryan and her delightful mixed media pieces.

Each year, in January, Lucy organises a Crochet Along, when thousands of happy hookers from all over the world make the same blanket at the same time, to her design. It creates the most wonderful feeling of communitiy and crochet camaraderie.

I have joined in since 2015 when I made the Cosy Blanket; 2017 I made the Moorland Blanket, but changed the colours to Dorset Hedgerow; 2018 I made the Woodland Blanket, oh I did have fun with this one and added squirrels; in 2019 I made the Sweet Pea blanket and started the ‘Friends of Attic24:Dorset’ group, in October 2019 we were thrilled when Lucy, on a visit to her home town, could join us at Slader’s Yard, West Bay and in 2020 I made a Sunset version of Lucy’s Dahlia Blanket.

I was not at Coopers on the right day to meet Lucy, but I left her a voucher for a coffee from her Dorset fans.

For other blankets I have made in both Lucy’s designs and those of other designers got to my THROWS Page.

Onwards to Harrogate!

Crochet Mandalas, another batch.

The pattern: Arwen by Zoya Matyushenko 

made with Juna Luna 2ply gradient yarn and a 3mm hook

This one is fixed to a 60cm hoop which I got from Dannell’s (UK)

I have a batch of mandalas waiting to be attached to hoops

The crocheting is the most enjoyable part, but then the ends need sewing in and I wash the doilies so that as much grease from my hands has been removed as possible. They are then first attached to the hoop with stitch markers and then sewn onto the hoop.

I have noticed that although I make the mandalas as taut as possible, over time they stretch and become floppy. From now on I will sew them on with a contrasting thread so that I can remove it if necessary at a later date. I will then be able to attach them to a sightly bigger hoop.

My collection is building. I have made 24 in all, and have given a few of them as presents. I have kept 17 and have five more to fix to hoops.

This obsession is still going strong!

Marquee Mandalas

 

Do you remember I had a wish to see my crocheted mandalas as decorations at a wedding? Many of you know that my daughter is a farmer and when she was married 15 years ago, the reception was held in a marquee on the farm. Such a joyous magical day.

This summer another couple who live and work on the farm were married and they chose to put their marquee in the same spot.

The bride kindly permitted me to hang some of my mandalas from the ceiling for the occasion. I wondered how to get them up so high, but this ‘cherry picker’ ladder 

and some willing helpers, were the answer. There were 16 to go up, ranging from 20cm to 70cm diameter.

And we were pleased to see how well they went with the coloured lanterns and bunting, made from sari waste ribbons by the bride and her mother.

It was fun to see them twirling from the roof of the marquee

I think the coloured ones look best against the white of the marquee. The white ones would look good in a church and I have offered them to a local church for their next flower festival.

I estimate it would take about 50 or 60  mandalas to make a good display in a marquee, unless they were hung in just one area – perhaps over where the wedding cake was displayed or over the top table.

I am making more.

The Groom’s vintage tractor, it had belonged to his Grandfather, took pride of place at the entrance of the marquee to welcome the guests.

The weather was glorious, the setting suitably romantic

and some guests camped overnight in the bell tents provided.

They all had a wonderful time.

Congratulations H and T and thank you so much for having the mandalas as part of your fabulous day.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this lovely field is a new Pop-up Camp Site, run by my daughter and her family. You can see more photos on Instagram @_mistymeadowscamp_

on the Pitch-up website and on their own Misty Meadows website which has been created by Miss E, who is now 14!

A truly magical place to stay.