Fusion Blanket Crochet Along

I have a new little button in the left sidebar…. Yeah I know yet another project. However there is a good reason I’m joining in with this one!

Little Miss Shabby is hosting (along with others TBA- it’s not properly launched as a group effort yet) the Fusion Blanket Crochet Along. This is based on the Sewing Daisies amazing crochet blanket from a while ago (picture below NOT MINE! It’s Heidi’s) that has been all over Pinterest. It’s charm squares which are then crocheted around into a half quilt, half crochet blanket.

Now the good reason for doing this? Well a while ago I decided I needed to have a go at this but went head first and hadn’t seen the “1cm apart” on the stitches and made up the crochet as I went along. Baring in mind my crochet knowledge is the bare minimum this wasn’t a great idea and soon I got wavey bits and tried to reduce the stitches down and basically got into a mess. then it got shoved into my WIP drawer- right at the bottom.

Since then, actual instructions have been made available, so I just need to frog my existing four squares and start over again. I’m using miscellaneous Amy Butler squares in the middle and whatever DK yarn I have already for the outsides so it will be multicoloured too. I will probably end up mixing something weird in with the Amy Butler to make it bigger as I only have enough for 20 square of that. No big deal though, I have tons of charm squares lying around.

I just can’t make any promises to finish it quickly, though I do like a portable project that I don’t have to be sat at my sewing machine to do for when I go away at the weekend sometimes.

Feel free to join up if you want to play too!

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Another long term project

After being inspired by this on Pinterest, I decided it was time to pick up a crochet hook again.

I’m making 20 of these squares by sewing two Amy Butler charm squares back to back, blanket stitching and then crocheting around, so it won’t be massive. It should be do-able. I was going to use my sharp crochet hook and do away with the blanket stitch but it was struggling to go through 2 layers of quality cotton, so I left that for another time.

So far I’m on my third square. The first one worked brilliantly…

The last two I’ve had to reduce around because it’s been curling up and I can’t seem to get the stitch numbers right. I’m not even sure if this thing is actually going to be able to neatly match up with the other squares :S Oh well.

Button swap – and other stuff

It’s been confirmed that Amiee has received my package so I can now blog what I sent in the Crafteroo button swap!

I made my very first book. It was fine up until the point where the cover wouldn’t take the impression of the buttons underneath particularly well so I added a load more glue. And then the glue got all the other pages a bit damp and I had to iron them with kitchen roll between each leaf. Twice. Anyway I’m pretty happy with my first attempt at bookbinding 🙂

I also sent her some (pretty badly) covered buttons, some wooden buttons I love that I stitched onto scrapbooking paper and stamped with whatever stamps were in my desk at the time, and also a box of trufflepiglet chocs- most of which were champagne truffles with little buttons on top! I originally made red buttons with popping candy inside, but the damn things did not like being demoulded!

In other news, I have started on a farmyard quilt for OH’s baby half-brother’s first birthday next month. Here’s the first block of eight. This means I have two patchwork projects on the go at once which can only end badly :S

Also I had a fight with a bowed Billy bookcase and put the back on sideways, sawed off the excess (taking the end of my thumb off in the process) and getting OH to drive in some screws to stop the damn thing collapsing again. Oh and before then I glued on some Ikea goat-based fabric I liked but was too big for my usual uses with bookbinding glue. That worked a treat! Anyway this bookcase can actually hold the weight of books now. Who’d have thought it?! Try and collapse your way out of that, Billy boy!

Also my last day working on the magazine is tomorrow! I decided to go back to a 9-5 job so that when I’m at home the time is MINE, and also so I can do crafty things again without feeling like I don’t really want to. It’s really nice making your hobby into a job, but when you have to deliver projects all the time and so many of them, you really lose the drive to do anything for yourself! This was the problem with PennyDog, which is why I’m streamlining (again!) and changing the way it works later this year. So I am crocheting and quilting and bookbinding, all the stuff I wanted to do but never had the time to. It’s nice 🙂

Trying more new stuff

After the patchwork attempt I decided to see if I could still remember how to crochet! I made these little birdies for a magazine project today and I did screw up a tad, so I’m hoping readers won’t notice that my Sc2Tog has been done wrong and that I didn’t quite repeat sc1, sc2 in next st very accurately- I hope you can’t tell!

Spolight on… Magdalinen

I loved this delicate crochet jewellery, made in Latvia by Magdalinen (http://magdalinen.etsy.com). It is made from organic linen yarn, here’s some of my favourites:

I think it’s getting quite obvious from my picks recently that I have a thing for necklaces!

Interview with… Ali Bali Jewellery

 

Alison makes pretty jewellery with beads and silver. Her designs are classic, with a wide appeal, here’s a little bit more about Ali Bali Jewellery…

 

Who are you and where do you come from?
I’m Alison, I live in Edinburgh.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love playing tennis, badminton and when I have the time, sailing!

Please tell us a little bit about what you make.
I make hand crafted jewellery from a variety of materials including sterling silver, semi precious stones, freshwater pearls and quality glass beads. I also use art clay silver in many of my pieces. Art Clay silver is made by a Japanese recycling company and consists if fine recycled particles of silver suspended in clay. Once the clay is fired the silver binds together to form 0.999 fine silver.

What do you enjoy making most?
I’m obsessed with bracelets, definitely my favourite item to make, probably because they’re the piece of jewellery that I most enjoy wearing.

What part of jewellery making do you dislike the most?
I don’t think there is anything I don’t like. Probably waiting for art clay silver to dry…. I get impatient to get on with the next stage in the process.

What are your main inspirations for making a piece?
Inspiration comes from loads of sources, initial inspiration is often buying a new item of cloting and wanting to make a piece to compliment it!!

Do you plan out your designs or do you get stuck in straight away when inspiration strikes?
Occasionally designs are planned, but most just evolve!!!

What are you currently making?
My current obsession is crocheted silver and so I’m making lots of items with that (especially bracelets!). I’ve also just started doing silver fingerprint jewellery and have a number of orders part made after a craft fair on Sunday.

Do you make custom orders?
Yes, I love the challenge of custom orders. I’m currently making a ‘bali’ inspired necklace for a friend to wear at her wedding.

Where can we buy your work?
I have three online shops:
http://www.alibalijewellery.folksy.com
www.alibalijewellery.etsy.com
http://www.alibalijewellery.dawanda.com
I also sell at a number of craft fairs in the Edinburgh and Scottish Borders areas, details are on each of my websites!

Don’t forget to enter the November giveaway here: https://pennydog.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/november-giveaway/

I am taking part in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month), so I will be blogging every day in November. Today is post 13! http://www.nablopomo.com/

Interview with… Plaidfuzz

 

Plaidfuzz is a crafter who is now focusing her attentions on her blog and helping others promote themselves. She does occasionally still get the urge though! Her blog can be read at http://plaidfuzz.blogspot.com

 

Who are you?
My name is Melissa, I am going to be 28 on Saturday, I have been a hairstylist for 10 years, and I am a single mom to a 7 year old daughter.

What do you do in your spare time other than craft?
 I spend a lot of time with my nephews who are 9 and 13. I also play a little guitar, and like to go out with friends.

Please tell us a little bit about what you make.
I crochet and make cards. I seem to have a rubber stamp addiction.

What do you enjoy making most?
I like easy crochet projects because they are pretty mindless and relaxing, lol.

What are your main inspirations for making a piece?
For cardmaking, I usually set out with a specific idea in mind. With crocheting I find yarn that I love and go from there.

What are you currently making?
Scarves! Made on for my daughter and now I am making one for my twin sister for her birthday.

Can you make custom orders?
I do still make the occasional custom order.

Where can we buy your work?
Nowhere! I closed my Etsy shop a few months ago and now I am just concentrating on my blog.

Now some silly questions just for fun!
What’s the plural of mongoose?
Mongeese?

Where would you like to go if you could go anywhere in the world?
I always thought it would be cool to go to Ireland.

Do you have any pets?
Nope

What’s your favourite flavour ice-cream?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
I would buy a house, then I would give the rest away. I don’t like what money does to people.

Interview with… Cute Designs

I’m always amazed at the cute plushies and amigurumi animals that come out on a regular basis from Cute Designs. They are all designed, stitched, embellished and given names and stories by Donna, and she sells them through several venues. Designed to be collectables, there will be someone to appeal to everyone…

Who are you and where do you come from?
I’m Donna and I’m in Herts, UK.

What do you do in your spare time other than craft?
I love watching films and playing video games.  I love playing on my Nintendo DS and Wii.  I also like spending time with my cats and reading sci-fi and fantasy books. 🙂

What is your favourite game at the moment?
At the moment on my Wii I am enjoying Star Wars the Force Unleashed and on my DS I am loving Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise.

Please tell us a little bit about what you make… What do you enjoy making most, crochet or plush?
I like to design amd make little plushies out of felt and also crocheted amigurumis.  I mainly love making animals because I have always loved them and it can be fun turning them into little characters to appeal to other people.

It’s a tough one being asked if I prefer crochet or plush.  I really love both.  Sometimes felt can be better as you can really get it to look very much like your design on paper and is also a quicker process to produce.  Crochet takes me longer but I like having cute 3D critters and find crochet really relaxing. 🙂

What are your most popular pieces?
For my plushies people seem to like little Felix “Scout” McFrosty, and for my crochet, Marvin the Monkey seems to be loved by many.

What are your main inspirations and ideas behind making your creatures?
Animals.  I love making animals and anything cute as I also love kawaii and quirky stuff.  I love Japanese style designs.

What are you currently making?
At the moment I am making a crochet kawaii purple bunny requested by a friend. 🙂

Can you make custom orders?
Yes, I have taken custom orders in the past.  If I think I can make it I will do it.

Where can we buy your work?
http://www.cutedesigns.co.uk
http://cutedesigns.etsy.com
http://www.folksy.com/shops/cutedesigns