IT'S FEELING A LOT LIKE SPRING...

(OK so yeah I know it's been a while! So after a good long rest following the knit & stitch shows I have been busy on the commissions which I gained from those shows...then everything changed! I finally managed to get the job I worked so hard for as a in-house hand knit designer for Sirdar Spinning, so me & mine upped sticks and moved up to Yorkshire).

New beginnings..New year...New house equals new knitted soft furnishings

A knitted lamp in Bonus dk using fan & feather stitch

A textured crochet cushion using Sirdar Soft Cotton & Click

Those fabulous Bonus dk colours strike again

livening up my very green sofa with a spot of

lilac, mauve and purple.

A sculptural knitted cushion

A SHOE FOR KIRSTEN...

For 3 weeks at the end of November, following the Knitting and Stitching show at Harrogate (I'll be in the Textile Gallery) I will be exhibiting some of my work at 'The Barn Acre' gallery in Henley-on Thames. Kirsten Jones runs this gallery and has fabulous works, including printing. She likes my work so much that to wear at the opening evening party she has commissioned a ruffle long sleeved cardigan, roughly based on the 'After Dolly' vintage competition dress previously blogged (Pattern will be available in 'Knitting magazine' approx. May 2010)

She also loved my 'Poppy Rose' dress which consisted of neon pink and acid green combined with crochet flowers, and my idea of shoe revamping......So to wear with her cardigan on opening night, she commissioned these shoes. The original shoe was black patent, slight platform with a slingback. The other revamped shoes so far (See Christmas exhibition at The National Needlework Archive, starting on Tuesday) have always been wedged and so this gave me a new challenge. Covering shoes is not as easy as it would first appear, sealing (Finishing), wearbility practicality and fixing the knit to the shoe are all very important considerations.

The base of the shoe was treated with a 'Astrakhan' Stitch and plain doubles, with circle discs to emphasize the heel.

Kirsten wanted the shoes to be OTT, a bit mad! So I embellished with several crochet flower patterns (Available in kit form, hopefully at both Harrogate and Barn Acre) Even the 'Last' (Instep) shape was covered to allow for that flash of underneath of the shoe, the viewer gets when the wearer is walking.

Loose crochet discs were finally attached to the strap which will give movement.

NATIONAL NEEDLEWORK ARCHIVE 'CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION'

This is my selection of items which are now at The National Needlework Archive, which has just moved from Southampton to Newbury. U.K. I was asked by The NNA at the knitting and stitching show if I would like to exhibit at the upcoming 'Christmas' exhibition. Entitled ‘Felicitations and Decorations’ it runs from 3rd November to the 12th December. The directions to the exhibition can be found at the following website address...(http://www.nationalneedleworkarchive.org.uk/html/whats_on.html)

These images were quickly taken at home, more will be taken at the exhibition, as the shoes will be placed on a plinth. Hopefully I will have the time! to make more of my flower kits which will be available to buy from the Needlework Archive shop. The following explains a little about the idea behind my work and as well as future workshops the shoes are able to be commissioned.

“A play on a Christmas Flower...”
As a Christmas theme, the humble well known Poinsettia was a fabulous inspiration point for hand knitted brooches, with crochet detailing. However this is not a stagmentation.....the basic flowers have a plethora of combinations, making each individual make a one-off. The flower patterns can be used in a multitude of ways...from the decoration of the said shoes, to humble brooches and bag or clothing decorations.....Other unusual idea and inspirations are given via workshops including alternative fibre uses of Ecological ideal themes.

Back view of the shoe featuring a knitted Holly.

Comparison between the old and the new!

“Story of the unloved...”
“Women all over the world love us; we create joy and fulfil a basic female need. But I was once one of the few; the unloved shoe, bought, never worn and left under a bed with my soles kept clean. Then like the ugly Duckling to the Swan I was rescued and given an on-trend Christmas vibe, ‘make over’ and so here I am to show myself off with feathers preened in pride.”
Over loved and worn out or unloved, shoes/boots/sandals, you name it; can be given a fun revamp using basic knit and crochet techniques. This can be basic & simple or OTT, the choice is yours....workshops involve techniques and advice on how to produce ‘Quirky party shoes’ from scruffy old shoes. Inspiration is given on the use of Eco-fibres and ‘Make do & mend’ ethos.

AT LAST! ABOUT THE KNIT & STITCHING SHOW...

Firstly let me thank all those I met at the Twisted Thread show...it was lovely to meet you and very nice to hear such positive comments....It felt good to be told you had seen me either on here or on my website before hand...at least I know my web footprint is working.
At last! Sorry for taking so long to blog...the intention was to blog daily after each show at Alexandra Palace but it was such a long haul home each night it was a matter of food, wash , sleep and back to the exhibition. Setting up was fun! on my own......it's a good job I am a lot stronger than I look.
The stand looked as I envisaged albeit very bijou! Each night I covered my work just for in case of flood, earthquake or other impending disaster!....The show turned into a fabulous way to make contacts and I have many opportunities lined up. My favourite part of the stand was my look-book with visitors comments section....a lovely reminder.

As I was in the resource centre I worked on 2 dresses during the show, one of which is this Thai silk wedding dress, at the end I managed to complete the corset top and lots of the picot skirt edging. The highlight for me was having Nicky Epstein introduce herself to me and tell me my work was so cute! I also made fabulous contacts to hold many a workshop and work with some yarn companies amongst the many networking opportunities were also talks about having some patterns included in books (My dream!) so all in all well worth all the effort.

There will I think be some changes to the stand for the Harrogate show and some more garment and idea additions. I so need to make more brooch kits since they sold out.

The other garment I completed was this little Eco dress made from project left overs, it was fastened with some of my brooches and was very warm. Lol sorry about the hair! (It was tied up during morning set up before the show opened)

My most immediate project from my networking is a exhibition for the national needlework archive which is a Christmas related exhibition to be held in Newbury. Since the revamped crochet shoes were so popular this is to be my starting point for another pair but with a Christmas twist. The aim of the exhibition will be to display works by artists who will then go on to teach workshops. The exhibition will last approx. from the end of October until Christmas. I will blog as I progress with my pieces. Funny how small the world is but the crochet lawn I made from 2006 for 'the worlds first life-sized knitted garden' project will also, when it eventually finishes touring will end up at the national needlework archive.

IT'S GETTING TO BE THAT TIME OF YEAR....

Proto-type Santa Amigurumi! 'The Makery' Bath, U.K. runs workshops as bite-size learn how to make ethos. This is one of my beginning of an idea for the upcoming season. Kate from the Makery asked me to start to develop some Christmas items for both the workshops and the shop products (Being for display and in kit form) I have managed to get this little crochet snowman made in time to get some kind of feedback at the Knitting and stitching show next week.

He comes complete with matching hat and scarf and beaded eyes and 'coal' mouth. Other ideas are for Christmas puddings and Angels as baubles, key rings and mobile phone jewellery.

This is another finished Eco-bracelet (see previous blogs) It is in oatmeal linen yarn and I liked the photography of using it as a view finder. This bracelet was created making a cut along a recycled cardboard tube to allow the knit to stretch over the hand (Hence the little bump that can be seen)

New ideas...mobile phone covers..this one is from my endless stock of multi-yarn which used to be a cardigan!....The tiny spheres have inspired other phone cover ideas (To follow) ..I am thinking emoticons!

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.

A VASE FULL OF FLOWERS crochet of course!

My ingredients in their mixing bowl! Now that I have a number of garments for my upcoming show (Knitting & Stitching show, Alexandra, Palace, London/8th-11th October)...I am busy making smaller, available to buy, there and then items, as the garments are intended to catch the viewers attention and maybe gain some commission work. So following on from my workshops and kits to be available at 'The Makery' (Bath, U.K.), I have a number of corsage type brooches on the go.

My problem was, 'How to display them?' so when I found this 'Shabby Chic' style vase (which will look fabulous on my kitchen window sill) it inspired me to treat them as 'real' flowers.

(Close up of 'Shabby Chic' style vase)

...To do this I wrapped spare yarn ends around the ends of bamboo knitting needles, this provided an anchor to pin the brooch fastenings to. The needles are then placed in the vase, being held in place by hidden balls of yarn (No oasis for me!)

...To advertise their Eco nature and price I used my logo and one of my garment price labels. (However for photographic purposes only, I have tied the 'Eco bracelets' price tag on here, as I have yet to do the costings for the brooches-no doubt a job for Friday!)

'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 :)

'AFTER BETTY(boo)...' DRESS

(A work in progress)

...After some thinking I decided to call my latest piece, 'After Betty (boo)...' (Obviously due to the fabric but also the cute flippy crochet hem which moves when the wearer walks), although the original design was not intended to be part of this collection, which is now drawing to an end, I decided that at some point I would like to approach several galleries I am known at, to display my work. This would be under the title, 'After Who?' Therefore since this title allows me the scope to show a variety of my works (Garments, accessories, furniture & art) I need to name pieces with according titles. (hopefully next year after this round of exhibitions are over, I can update my blog on my new exhibitions)

...this is a close up back view of the dress, showing the print and the crochet edging of the scooped back. ( I really like this photograph as it has reflections including my cat!)

...The lower edge black Rowan cotton glaze crochet edge.

The dress has less knitwear on as my usual style when I combine knit and wovens, but sometimes this does work for the better not to overload.

The front sports a mustard bib with Tulip crochet stitch and black edged ruffles. The mustard is picked out of the print colours.

As with many of my dresses which incorporate woven fabric, it has unusual darting, with 3 curved darts working from front to back to emphasize the hip area.

The Tulip crochet stitch close up.

...side view showing how pretty the back scooped edging can look.