Easter Holidays

Lots of activity on the reserve this holiday! ( This scene of tranquillity is a “before” picture ).

The arty bits were held in the barn; which was NOT COLD and filled with the scent of blossom! Yippee.

There were workshops and the middle “ drop-in” event, which was another “spin into spring” day ( as last years was such a success ). Simple pompom creatures were made into bunnies and springy chicks.

There were demonstrations of knitting, crochet, and drop spindle spinning. Sadly I was so busy I didn’t get any pictures 😦 that day. If anyone did take pictures I’ll add some later. Between us we managed to teach the basics of spinning, knitting and crochet to quite a few people, including children; boys as well as girls.

We made all sorts of Easter bunny and chick things, in the workshop sessions.
There lots of bunny characters made from painted “dolly” pegs; some had chenille arms

and some had “crocheted chain” arms I made as we went along…

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment! But actually it was another way to demo some crochet to the uninitiated; and was an extra bit of fun. I think I will include this in my peg doll tutorial as it saves using pipe cleaners with little ones.

Just look at this funny, sweet couple!

We also created some Easter trees made with network wire and crepe paper – These are easy and very effective; if anyone wants a tutorial leave me a comment and I’ll send one. (The PDF is going to end up in the shop as well.)

Many of them had a sort of post psychedelic, magic roundaboutish, vibe!

Some had bunny visitors

and some had nests

and amazing illustrations of woodland dwellers added ( look at the base of this one carefully ! )

I loved this cheeky fox especially! He was peeping out from under a more natural tree. His creator was more of a wildlife purist than some of our younger craftspeople.

We also made felted eggs, from some wool of the Jacob sheep on site! The coloured wisps were extra bits- we didn’t dip dye the sheep!

These took longer than anticipated, and were very wet and messy, but everyone did have a go with a great deal of soapy relish.

Then there were baskets to take it all home in!

What sweet scenes on this one!

The owner managed to sort out these shapes out from a mixture of flowery ones left over from another event! Such a patience and a delicate touch.

Plus of course paper bunnies (morphed from the hares) and lots of marbled egg cards ! ( The marbling was also messy ! )

A lovely, sunny, good old fashioned day out.

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Some Crochet

I was given some soft grey yarn recently, really a bit too much to use for toys. It is ages since I made myself anything, so I thought I’d use it for a scarf and beret.
(Because of course I don’t have enough of either. Not!)

I just wanted to make something easy and portable. A pick up and put down project I can take out with me, or do in front of the TV – or, here’s a thought, in the outside air now the weather has finally become rather nice!

I found a pattern on Ravelry in chart form – first time I have used one for something other than an amigurumi toy. So far so good; it is only 2 rows and yet has an effective lace look. I should have just made something up but I’m a bit low on energy and time right now. Browsing Ravelry seemed so much easier (and is always fun), then working out one of my own “on the hook”, which I normally would like to do.

Of course I seem to be putting it down rather more often than picking it up, or at least putting it down after a few stitches, let alone rows! World’s slowest “quick project”, and now the weather is warm so I don’t need it anyway, LOL.
Plus of course I have decided a plain beret is a bit boring and I am wondering if I can put a lacy band in to match the scarf, sort of like this :-

Or maybe just make the beret lacy…
But then I have to finish it first, in case I run out of wool, because the scarf can be any length, well this is where I am at right now..

Onward and upwards….

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Butterfly Days

I’ve been working on lots of things – at the same time as usual. It’s a wonder I ever finish anything. I was reading on another blog about limiting the creative theme to focus the creativity; but when I have a theme my brain immediately zips about with lots of different variations or uses for it. I can’t help it; and it makes finishing things so hard. As fast as I start something and prove concept, I have another idea; and then it is tedious to work on one thing when I’m itching to see what I can do with something else. Especially as, like most of us, I usually have to put it down in mid flow, to “do life”. This is why I am so often in a paper, wool and fabric chaos zone- one I have a definite love- hate relationship with. Sometimes I long for a nice normal uncluttered home- but a soon as I approach this holy grail… in starts to creep another muddle as I try to “just finish off this”.

For example yesterday- an “at home day”; having excavated my table the day before.
Started in the morning- over breakfast.
Decided to get on with the nursery rhyme boxes which I’ve been dying to do since I sold the Baa Baa Black Sheep one.

Got out “Mary had a little lamb”.
Remembered where I had got to.

Remembered the look I wanted for Mary – got out old needlecraft book to refresh my memory of the crinoline look.

Cut out Mary, roughly.

Realize she is totally out of scale with the lamb.
Remember him? He had a little side trip when I did the lamb jars.

So; also realized the crinoline Mary was for a “Mary Mary Quite Contrary” box!

The other style matchbox doll (here in my shop) had been my original thought – but I think her vintage pantaloon undies short circuited my memory to ‘crinoline effect’ and mixed it all up.

Bother.
So redid lamb smaller anyway, as quite liking the crinoline Mary and getting on well – end in sight.
Took some photos as I am trying to get on top of this blogging-as-you-go thing. ( Sorry, they’re a bit dim; dull day. )
Decided to photo the crochet from night before while I was at it – pumpkin cosies.

See how this distraction thing happens…?
Peep Po!

Waylaid by Mr. WG’s arrival and second breakfast cuppa!

Then, necessary housework. 😦

During tidying decided to prep evening ‘easy to do TV project’ while I was as it and the light was good enough in the “wool mine” (AKA spare room).

So sorted out some tiny balls of weird and wonderful marl boucle etc. that are lovely but only big enough crocheting for tiny objects (i.e. cosy, finally something to use them for!).

Daughter arrived for Tinkerbelle outfit and party planning.

Green dye session to dye purchased leotard from white to Tinkerbelle green ( win some; loose some. No need to cut out fitted underbody / need to have dye bath in kitchen sink for couple of hours).

Meanwhile… made some Peter Pan silhouettes to hang from party ceiling!

Fitted Tinkerbelle overdress dress toile in old net curtain ( handy in the hall in a designated “really do not need; to leave the premises” pile ) but it did come in useful after all.

– Fits. Yeah! Relief.

*worked out pompom for shoes- persuaded her old satin shoes better than new ditto for partying in. Or messing up with pompoms.

Dinner.

TV and bit of mindless crochet ( preparation paid off – yeah ) – some more cosies from bag of nice wool.

Made two!

Fell into bed!

This morning … Oh dear!

Tink stuff still in hall by big mirror (fitting remember)!

Mary the lamb, 3 pumpkin cosies and the two marley ones, all sitting on my table reproachfully!
One pumpkin at a jaunty angle on Shelly doll’s head – courtesy: tinkerbell!

Hmm; she looks a bit like I felt by the end of yesterday…

So I’ve typed this over breakfast. Badly.

Wonder when I’ll post it… 🙂

Anyone else have this sort of day?

It is fun though! Wonder what I’ll do today…

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Wimbledon Update (no, not that Wimbledon!)

Oooh!

I’m so pleased !

My cosy has been mentioned on Etsy’s Positivity Team Blog in a Friday’s Fancies Treasury: – http://positivityteam.blogspot.com/2010/07/fridays-fancies-love-all.html !

Along with these other nice Wimbledon “diffusion lines”

Thank you Bluebelldesign and the Positivity team.

More on this later methinks.

Sounds like a team with a good vibe to join in on…

Meanwhile here are some crocheted thoughts that went with my DaisyCup pegbag, I thought they were nice and summary to share.

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Anyone for Tennis?

Well I guess summer is officially here.
Good weather ……………………………….. check 🙂
Light nights (not to mention mornings!) …. check 🙂
Abundant green plants everywhere ………. check 🙂
Green telly …………………………………… check 🙂
Wimbledon, football, cricket, golf…

I am all for a green lifestyle, but when it takes over the telly, hmm…

What’s a girl to do?

Let them be supportive – and get on with being productive!

“GOAL” ! .…….. knit two together,
“Love 15” ……. I remember it well,
“Love 40” ……. not a favourite, p.s.s.o.
“Deuce” ……… was that 30 or 31 dc in that round?
So – I am putting these in the shop…

…on the grounds that “if you can’t beat them join them” ;
or at least get inspired and make a little cash maybe :)…

Wimbledon and strawberries, apparently a perfect combo; personally I will just take the strawberries.

Although I can’t say it isn’t getting to me on a visual level LOL.

A ball of wool still holds far more interest than a tennis ball as far as I am concerned.

Unless you use them for fun things like this;

Which were on this site… LINK which I found when I was looking for images of tennis balls.

The one ancient tennis ball languishing in this house has sloped off to sulk, somewhere I can’t find it! Well, too bad; it’s lost its one chance of internet fame!

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Three Bags Full

Just catching up after the “Lamb Jars”, [ note to self; have to get on top of this blogging stuff].

Preparing artwork for the spinning event leaked over into the creative project I was working on at the time (and still am, mixed with new stuff 🙂 )

Nursery Rhyme Matchboxes.

Little accordions of nursery rhymes with extra bits!
Here is the baa-baa-black-sheep one.

I found a watercolour illustration in a vintage farmyard book. I loved the row of different breeds and just thought it would work so well as an image on the accordion book.

So I redrew a similar “usual suspects” line-up in ink, to go underneath the text, and just tinted it a bit with pencils.
The original thought was to pop in a mini plush lamb so I did still want to put some needle work into it. (I will still do one with the lambkin sometime, ‘cause he’s cute.)

I used some of the wool we had for spinning at the event to fill three bags and make a thread, and a ball of wool. The ball of wool has cocktail sticks and fimo “needles” in it. I accidentally slightly overcooked them – oops, but now I like it because they look more like bamboo ones.

It is probably a bit much to stuff in a matchbox; but it does fit, just, and opens out nicely- so I am pleased with it.
I made a group of matchboxes in scenic colours with my hand dyed scraps of cotton, so I’ve some more for variations when I get around to it.

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