In a Vase on Monday: Pink, White and Grey

The colour combination that is floating my creative boat at the moment is pink, white and grey.

In the vases (two jam jars and an old Victorian ink pot) are Stacchys, a white perennial wallflower with a delicious scent, red campions and a pink geranium.

The crocheted doily is from a pattern by Zoya Matyushenko – oh I do love her patterns – but oh boy! you do have to concentrate very hard when making them. This one is Birgitta and has yet to be blocked. I am thinking of putting it on a wire hoop to hang on the wall.

I used a 3mm hook and Junaluna gradient yarn, which is a 3ply cotton and not the easiest to work with, but it looks fabulous and it so wonderfully soft, it would be gorgeous for a shawl.

I am joining Cathy as she gathers lilacs from her gardentoday, with lots of other locked down gardeners from all over the world – and what a wonderfully colourful lot we all are, to be sure.

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Calla

Another beautiful pattern by Zoya Matyushenko available on Ravelry

I wanted it to look a little more open so I made this small variation:

Part of Row

28:

FPDC in FPDC, BPDC in BPDC, – (ch3, skip one BPDC, BPDC in next BPDC) 4 times

29:

FPDC in FPDC, BPDC in BPDC, (ch1, sc in ch3space, ch1, BPDC) 4 times

30:

FPDC in FPDC, (3FPDC around the BPDC, sc in ch1 space, FPDC around sc, sc in Ch1 space) 4 times

~

This one is sewn onto a 50cm coated metal hoop from Glitterwitch.

First I attach the mandala to the hoop with stitch markers at each picot point, then I sew each point onto the ring going over the ring 3 times. I thread the yarn through the edge of the work along the back, to the next point.

Made with Scheepjes Sweet Treat 2ply cotton in Snow White and a 2.5mm hook

That is Crochet Mandala/Dreamcatcher number 10 made, 3 as presents for my grandchildren, 7 for me. The obsession continues!

 

Another Day Another Dreamcatcher

This is my second ‘Agnes’. (a free pattern) You can see my first one in Turquoise here.

I made it with Scheepjes Sweet Treat, Snow White and a 2.5mm hook.

It took 2 balls, with just one row to go, so I had to break into a third to do the last row and for sewing onto the 50cm hoop.

I first attach the completed doily onto the hoop with stitchmarkers and then sew each point onto the hoop, threading the yarn through the work to the next point….

like this one: Ruta

also in Scheepjes Sweet Treat, but this time in Tropic 

and a 2mm hook, attached to a 40cm hoop.

Onto the next one.

 

Crochet Mandala for Outside

Just a little bit obsessed with making mandalas at the moment and I am thinking about hanging this one outside on the wall of my garage to see how it is affected by the weather before making more.

I would really love to paint the outside of my house in bright zany colours, like Katwise, but my neighbours would ……. well you can imagine! So the next best thing might be to cover my house in crocheted mandalas

This one is in Stylecraft Special DK made with a 4.5mm hook and attached to a 70cm coated metal ring which I got from Dannells. I’m on the look out for larger hoops but so far have not found any in the UK. I might have to use some Hoola Hoops.

It is sewn onto the hoop with the same yarn

This pattern and yarn combination would stretch to a 1m hoop I think, if the edges did not cover the frame.

The pattern, Tuuli, is a free pattern by Zoya Matyushenko and I think it is my favourite of her designs. I have made it before in cotton thread, for Little Miss M, and one for myself.

I am sure to make it again – next time in white.

Please let me know if you know where I can get large hoops, maybe wooden, preferably white or a natural wood colour.

Yarn Along with Ginny

The Scrap Happy Throw is coming along. If you remember I started this as an easy project I could take with me whilst travelling to Egypt. Great to make on the plane and anytime I did not want to have to think about what I was doing.

It is a great project for using up all sorts of scraps of yarn of all different weights – all tied together with a Reef Knot. I will be leaving the ends on show.

I am making it as a throw to protect a kitchen armchair (not this one) in my daughter’s new house. Perfect for her farmer husband to sit in when he comes in for lunch covered in farm grime.

It needs about 10 more rows before adding a one coloured edge.

I have also just completed a little 6″x6″ cotton doily as a housewarming present for a friend.

Made with a 2mm hook in Scheepjes Sugar Rush crochet cotton, Capri Blue.

This is the second time I have made this pattern – it is not the easiest to follow, I probably won’t make it again.

#1 Favorire on Ravelry.

I’m joining in with Ginny and other Yarny Crafters in Ginny’s Yarn Along.

I’m not reading any books but I am listening to The Horn Section on Radio 4 Extra .

 

A Dreamcatcher for Miss E

A certain special person has an 11th birthday this week and I made her this dreamcatcher

Using one and a half balls of  Scheepjes Sweet Treat, Chrystaline and a 2mm hook.

I’m waiting to see if Miss E wants it hanging up on the wall or twirling free like a mobile before I add any dingle-dangles, and something to hang it up with.

It is a free pattern by Zoya Matyushenko from Estonia, if you join her Facebook Group.

It is not as complicated as it looks, and Zoya’s instructions are very clear and easy to follow, but I did find Round 25 a bit of a struggle which was also the round when the first ball of yarn ran out. Thank goodness for Facebook Groups where everyone is so helpful with handy hints and advice on how to get through the tricky bits.

 

There is only one photo for this pattern (her paid for patterns have a photo for each round), but I had the photo enlarged next to the pattern on screen and that worked well. ( I have obscurred some of the instructions)

 

Zoya’s patterns are a delight, each round creates beauty

Stopping here would make a sweet little coaster or mat.

(or in yellow a little Sun to applique onto a fabric collage)

I must discover how to join foundation rings in a neater way – any tips?

It was blocked to pull out all the picot points – I love my new blocking pins –

before attaching it to the 45cm wire ring with stitch markers

I try to use small independent suppliers when I can and found Glitterwitch, based in Kent, UK. A very efficient service and nice friendly communication with Jan the owner.

After attaching the mandala to the ring with the stitch markers I sewed each point on individually with the same thread, going over the ring 5 times, and sewing through the picot, working from the back.

Here it sits on a nail in my hall.

Of course it is also Teddy’s birthday and since she is part of the family, she got a couple of new dresses, with a bag to keep them in.

The little Tote Bag comes from my Society 6 Shop

It is one of my paintings photographed and printed on fabric.

Can you guess what Miss E’s favourite colour is. 😉

I’m in the process of writing a pattern for the dress, but in the current heatwave, my brain is not co-operating very well.

There seems to be a heatwave in most of the Northern Hemisphere this Summer – how are you all doing? I’m loving the early mornings and glorious evenings.

Happy Friday!