FROM UNFINISHED CARDIGAN TO TOTE IN LESS THAN 40 MINS...

It's amazing what you can do with left overs! Approx. 4 years ago I started a 'me' project which just never saw the light of day. I loved the idea of a long cardigan coat in very bright colours at the time, but now trends and tastes have changed. So I was left with a stash and some large pieces of crochet.

This is the cardigan after 40 Min's work, now manifesting as a Tote bag. It has a very long sturdy strap and a strap fastening at the front, with a crochet button.

The bag can be hung cross-over wise across the chest for maximum security, comfort and ease.

The bag is very wide and expands due to the additional side panels...

(The cardigan piece before it became a bag)

...The side panels were made from the same multi-coloured yarn with added bright pink mohair, which surprisingly added a lot of strength and strangely turned down the brightness of the multi yarn.

'WHERE FOR HEART THOU?' bag

Today's job done! This medium sized bag is made from some white acrylic (had bought 100g a long time ago for a panda!) and some left over black cotton which seems to have been on the go for at least 2 years! Originally bought to make some gloves. The main is simple treble crochet work with the top edge folding back on itself and self sealing to form a strong neat edge. To the reverse side is a mobile phone pocket made a little more interesting by the applique bobble stitch heart motif.

....the strap consists of crochet tubes linked together, this forms a very strong crochet chain which is also soft on the wearers shoulder.

It has a strap style fastening, which originates inside the back phone pocket, works its way over the opening and finishes at the centre front as a loop over a white pom-pom.

..The strap is of a good length to go around the shoulder leaving the bag at hands reach. I originally intended to have 2 short straps but it just seemed to work better in this option.

The front also has a bobble crochet stitch heart motif, which is a secret pocket.

Front heart in use as a pocket.

The sides are treated to tie crochet chains which terminate at two cute pom-poms. The chains are tied in a bow after threading through the sides to gather and create a side pleat. This and items like it can be found at Alexandra Palace London on 8th-11th October :)

DEADSTOCK YARN MINI BAG

After my meeting with Kate from 'The Makery' I have been developing items made from recycling and ones which can be translated into short workshops. Hence this little bag. It is made from left over deadstock yarn. I bought some Wendy yoyo yarn for a crochet dress and because it has lycra a bikini, in relation to design/pattern writing in time for next fashion season. I used to knit with this yarn years ago and have never been able to find a on-par alternative after Wendy discontinued it.

...The lot of yarn has gone so far! I have enough left to make more bags and jewellry! The fastenings were made from 'grandma's' button tin buttons and the sparkle from left over lurex yarns which seem to have a never ending end!

...The mini-bag is entirely crochet, using mainly doubles in a stepped technique and some shell work. The flap fastening wraps over the opening and seals with a crochet loop around the buttons. The same method applies to the strap fastening. allowing for shortening of the strap.

...The bag features embellishment, which is a feature to be used on my workshops at 'The Makery' (website links to follow)

Close-up of the left over yarn flowers and old buttons.

Close-up of the double crochet stepped stitch.

MARKETING! is the cost productive? that is the question

Hello! I am back from visiting Alison in Sweden (See knits and pearls blogspot) Had many a knitting/crochet session, natter on her porch and even attending her first own organised knit cafe. Well done you! hugs x. Have been working on several projects there and since which should be in completion in the next week, so blogs aplenty to follow.

....Today I have been working on my marketing for the launch of my designs at the Twisted thread knit and stitch events. Firstly 8th-11th October at Alex. Palace, London Resource centre Stand Rcc11, Just look for the Quirky little knits sign. I will be offering some voucher discounts.

..These images show some of my postcard and notecard ideas and I am in the process of designing these with decisions to be made on final outcomes.. Funds are limited and I need to work out cost versus sale value, versus marketing benefits.

...Also today I had a meeting for taking some tutoring/lesson plan workshops at a new upcoming business in Bath, U.K. This is called 'The Makery' which is a shop/workshop/online based venture, based on the new on trend (Lol what my family and I have naturally done all our lives!) of 'make do and mend'. Workshops will be based on recycling and eco-based, in a range of concepts from gardening, chicken rearing! clothing and fun hen parties, to name but a few. 'The Makery' launches in a few weeks time. More details and links to follow as things progress.

...The low down being that I will at this stage be taking workshops in possibly recycled knitted jewelry, changeling garments, accessories and mixed media art and life drawing lessons. Lol The hen party naked man life drawing sounds erm interesting! Can't wait! I have been training for this position all my life! x

IMPRESSIONISM CROCHET SWATCH

...This is my latest experimentation with the theme of impressionistic paintings from both past and contemporary. I used crochet flowers as often in traditional impressionism paintings the country side or garden is a subject matter. Flowers studied were poppies, daisies, bluebells and roses. Typical english garden.

I used a loop crochet stitch for the grass and a blending technique for the sunrise.

I used Sirdar Juicey bamboo yarn. I love this supersoft eco friendly yarn but think another addition of this theme will probably be better with a more substantial yarn to enable the texture to be more robust. I intend to use this type of sample on bags and cushion covers.

WHEN EXPERIMENTS GO WRONG!

Some years ago I made a large lighted sculpture from PVA glue and some string! The overall look worked so well, but unfortunately during the 4 day art exhibition, with the unusually extremely hot weather the shape started to sag. Ever since I have regretted not covering the mould with crochet and brushing the PVA onto that in order to create a hard skeleton....

...so recently I have been experimenting on this on a smaller scale.... This worked well and I was pleased with the outcome until...

I made the silly decision to experiment with yacht varnish. The thought behind this was that I had used this very high gloss, hard drying varnish on some bags previously and it worked well. I was looking to form a harder coating around the globe and wondering if I could bypass the PVA and create the form from crochet coated in the varnish. However, disaster! coating the now dried PVA with varnish caused the two to react against each other, and thus ended with an almost curdled effect which remained soft......

Next step will be to experiment with the crochet and varnish minus the PVA glue.

(The original light sculpture from PVA glue and string)

KNITTING FOR CHILDREN

Knitting and crochet for kids I believe should be fun, and does not need to be stereotypical. It can be both funky and classical. The illustration shows a machine and hand knit coat which is padded like any other winter coat with an interlining of 'recycled plastic bottle' padding and lined in breathable organic cotton. The outer knit I have designed for a Dubied machine which creates pockets for more of the white bottle fibre to give the fun resemblence of snowballs. However I am sure it could be recreated in handknit or crochet. It is complete with cotton velvet trims....which makes for a very posh classic little girls coat.

Mittens!...or at least one of them! mmmm I have had this silk multi-coloured yarn for some years now, and began to crochet a lovely coat from it for myself. However it is one of those yarns that somehow seem much nicer on the ball than when made up. (one of the reasons I never finished it and of course time....am so busy making for everything else that things for me get left....so for Alison! ( http://knits-and-pearls.blogspot.com/ ) haha who has been trying to get me to finish the cardigan, I decided to make fun things for my daughter out of it instead)

So.....I managed to make her new mittens, with a plan to make a hat and some leg warmers.....anything else would be far too much as she would insist on wearing them all at the same time!...but typical she wore them once and lost one...so guess when the bad weather comes round again I will be having a case of Deja Vu.

Trying to find a new P.e bag has been an issue. Whenever I buy one for my daughter they end up having draw strings which go wrong and are left trailing just ideal for falling over. So since I am working on a new collection which is younger than my normal client profiling, being based on Harajuko dolls, I practised and made her a crochet bag with Harajuko cats. (she loves hello kitty!) The main bag used side saddle stitch, which is ideal as it alternates direction and therefore helps eliminate over stretch.