My Jetset Celebrity Lifestyle

Feeling chipper at having a nice splash across the September edition of Inside Crochet which has published my Tunisian Autumn Throw design, and very kindly sent me some additional publicity shots.

They have devoted one whole page to a beautiful moody photo of it draped around a model, as well as a product shot next to the pattern instructions. AND, me and my rug get another little plug within the 'How to Do Tunisian' section! Thanks Inside Crochet.

My son, Gabriel,
having just caught
a brace of mackeral
off Lyme Regis

We've just been for a week in Lyme Regis, checking out all the fossils and dinosaurs - we fitted in perfectly - (HA! Had to get that one in before anyone else did). My holiday project was to continue preparation for popping over to Ipswich next weekend, to make a 'How to Crochet' video for a new website called 'I Made It!'.

Refining a design for the perfect first project - a stitch sampler bag. I've made one big (shopper) one and one small as I think I will need a part-finished one so I can say "and here's one I made earlier - now let me show you how to do the next bit".  Look out for it on the site when it's done!

Tunisian Simple Stitch throw I designed,
image courtesy of Inside Crochet magazine

In September I'm off to Denman again to teach Beginners Tunisian, so I worked on a series of small stitch samplers while we were away too. It's going to be a bit of a learning curve for me to see the speed at which the students get the hang of it and will all be grist to the mill for my week's course in Spain next May (fingers crossed, hope someone books). I've just got to label these up, maybe do a couple more and then I can get on with prep for the next commitment...

In October I'm running a Tunisian project workshop series from the sweet little shop, Stag and Bow, in nearby Forest Hill,  and I need to settle on the project and try it out. Time's a little short for this but it's gotta be done.

A sample of Broomstick lace
 interspersed with rows of
traditional crochet

And before the month is out I'm booked for a return visit to Denman, just for the day, to impart my knowledge of the gorgeous broomstick lace. I noticed this course is on the discount list so I assume they're having trouble getting bookings and could even get cancelled. Nevertheless, I need to make sure my witching skills are fully up to scratch. I plan to make a reticule (it's a little hanky bag) so I need to design and make one of these, prepare a pattern and work out if it can be taught and made all in the space of 4.5 hours. It's not much time. (I don't know why they don't go on till 6pm, these 'day' courses. Finishing at 4 is a bit early for the money. Just my opinion.)

That's it for the year then and I've got November and December to make loads of Christmas presents and decorations. That'll be nice.

Pots of flowers I made for display on my Crochet Bouquet
course at Denman in July. Already gone as prezzies - very popular!

MEGA Tunisian

Another relaxing week at Brick Yard Farm in Banham, Norfolk has spawned THREE throws! How did I manage to work so fast? The biggest crochet hook in the Kingdom, that's how!

Yes, it IS a crochet hook - not a broom handle!

Bethan and I went to a craft fair at Excel at the beginning of April (using free tickets from my mum's WI) and we encountered this outsize knitting stand that got me all excited and unnecessary. I just HAD to have theeee biggest hook - even if only for a laugh, but actually, I have really REALLY enjoyed using it.

A call for submissions from Inside Crochet Magazine provided the inspiration and impetus, along with a colour palette and a special request for Tunisian and/or Broomstick patterns and off I toodled with two suitcases - the larger one containing the yarns of course.

I started with the '1 Tunisian Simple Stitch, 1 Tunisian Pearl Stitch' combo I recently discovered and it was very successful indeed (see above) - more so, in fact than my second go, in my opinion, in which I created stripes in a plain Tunisian Simple Stitch (see piccy with Gabriel modelling).

For the third one I decided to stick exclusively with Tunisian Knit stitch and try to curb my tendency to over complicate things. When I see those throws in the shops I always prefer the simplest, uncluttered designs, so I don't know why I have to keep elaborating when I'm making something myself. This recently acquired self-awareness has stood me in good stead as I recently completed another cushion cover in a straightforward chevron stitch which looks great.

The pink one is the Tunisian Knit Stitch in Big Softie

Anyway, the TKS one, not quite finished actually, really is coming up trumps because the hook size produced a perfect tension in Sirdar's Super Chunky weight 'Big Softie' yarn with this stitch (the TSS one came out a bit too open for my taste).

I also started a Tunisian Triangle Tote which I can continue on my tube journeys as it is a more manageable size project, with a 6mm hook and DK yarns. I bought the lining fabric at the craft fair as well. And I bought the polkadot leather handles in Jarrolds in Norwich (love it!). More on this another time....

If Inside Crochet are interested you could find the patterns coming your way. If not, I'll put them on ETSY anyway!

I'm missing my Tuesday night ladies at the moment because I agreed to teach at Stag and Bow in Forest Hill for a two night course, immediately after we'd been away at Easter. Still, the Stag and Bow crowd are very nice too. We did bobbles, puffs and popcorns with a bit of Up and Down stitch last night, and next week we plan to cover fans/shells and the almond stitch. They're all quite fast workers so we should be able to fit it all in. And for the first time ever, I gave them some homework! The chevron stitch. I hope it doesn't drive them crazy!!!

Last time I taught it was at the Knitting and Crochet Guild last month but I did have TWENTY students in a small room, and NO visualizer. Tricky, but we did OK. :)

Observation

Lately back from Denman College again this week, after two nights teaching a small group of beginners. Lovely to be there in the spring as the gardens are so delightful and the countryside such a break from London.  The low numbers made a change, and I could really pay my students some extra special attention - which was really nice.

Rosemary and Jan finishing
their neck snugglers on the
Beginners course at Denman
in March

And, actually, rather well timed, because Denman's principal,  Jane Dixon, had arranged for me to be formally observed by a visitor from a local Further Ed. College. It was the first time this had happened since I started running courses there. I tried not read too much into it and my fellow tutors all reassured me it was par for the course and I should certainly not be inferring some kind of precursor to being ejected!

As it happened, in the event the observer was really in to crochet and fascinated by what we were doing, and told me in no uncertain terms that I had nothing to worry about. Sigh of relief. Carry on…..!

May Martin
from website:
http://theperfectnose.wordpress.com
/2013/04/06/sewing-in-the-media-the-
great-british-sewing-bee-s1e1reviewed/

The texture of the time in Marcham was different again due to the presence of TV celebrity, May Martin,  of Great British Sewing Bee fame, who was in the textiles workshop next to mine, grappling with eight overlockers. Unfortunately I hadn't seen any episodes of the aforementioned programme and so, for the bulk of the time, was unaware of her celebrity status. What she did talk about, however, was the book she has been writing. A point that interested me, of course, with my not so secret ambition to write one of my own. But of course, where I am going to have to actively convince (beg) any publisher to make the leap of faith, May on the other hand is fighting off the contracts and turning away enormously lucrative offers. Not jealous, not jealous, OK, may a bit. Anyway, I've caught up with the sewing bee on IPlayer now and May's great - a kindly and knowledgeable judge. Good choice BBC. Well done May! Can't wait to find out who wins.....

Hazel Jones
from website: http://kleurrijkjaneausten.blogspot.co.uk/

Quite a few of the tutors are also authors and Hazel Jones, expert on Jane Austen and writer of a book on marriage at the time of her favourite literary figure, was also present among us. She has written two more since I first met her. We rebonded over our shared delight in the act of writing as May expounded on the terrible pressures of getting her thoughts into prose and how she'd sooner be sewing. 
I really do love the time I spend with the tutors at Denman.

I've hardly a minute to breathe before I pop to a meeting of the Knitting and Crochet Guild to demo and instruct on a couple of Improver-level stitches: the chevron and the almond stitch, as well as a start in Tunisian. I'm looking forward to it and have made a couple of really pretty samplers in preparation.

Continually growing sample
of the chevron or wave stitch
that we worked on at the
Central London meeting of the
Knitting and Crochet Guild
in March

While I was at Denman
I made a lovely
owl towel basket, adapted from
a photo on Craftsy.

And soon I plan to get back on track with the book….. When? When? WHEN?

Quite Busy

I can't say I'm not absolutely delighted with the way my crocheting activity has hotted up this year and it sure is keeping me on very happy toes!

I'm teaching beginners Tunisian to the U3A this coming Saturday, so in preparation for that I have created a Tunisian Sampler makeup bag. I bought the lining material first, it caught my eye in Little Woolie last Saturday afternoon, and I then bought the lovely cotton dk and 4ply colours to match. The sampler covers Tunisian Simple Stitch of course, and knit and purl stitches. After that it's mostly combinations of the above, with a little diversion into popcorns and 'claws'. The exercise piece also requires plenty of colour changing and finally a little bit of decreasing. I can see there could be interest in a follow up for more Tunisian techniques... I'll have to watch my Dora Ohrenstein CD again.

My head has also been diverted into preparation for the two night colour course as Denman College needed the programme for it to send to students currently booking. Once again the challenge was keeping the number of exercises DOWN to a realistic degree to fit it all in. I may have to fill in some gaps in my samples collection before the day. I'll enjoy that!

In July I'm teaching an entire couple of days on flowers and this weekend I asked my mum to show me how to wire them up to present in a vase as though they were real. I'm extra excited about this as it's a bit different and I've now set myself the task of creating at least three full flower arrangements. Yes, well, we'll see.....It's not till July but I'm also trying to get my act together for a book and that is a LOT of crocheting, designing, pattern writing and testing, blurb writing, photography and heaven knows what else and I've still got nowhere near an actual publishing contract. It's all been slotted in between my full time day job, my crochet teaching and my family life.

I don't help myself either, by going off at tangents on tangents after being inspired by other, non crochet related courses at Denman, such as the doll making which resulted in my attempting to build an amigurami doll of my own. Not looking particularly stylish at present. Watch this space.

Most exciting of all this month has been the publication in Inside Crochet magazine of my Tunisian Cabled Sweater. This affirmation of my identity as a crochet professional serves to spur me on to greater heights and increased professionalism. I am so loving it.

Adding Some Texture to My Life

My own cotton
mobile cover in
basketweave stitch

I've been concentrating on containers lately - starting with mobile device holders ie phones, tablets, that sort of thing. They have become vehicles for my practice runs in preparation for Improver Level courses coming up this year.

Indeed, I've just come back - tired but happy - from teaching a 2-nighter in Textures which, due to the enthusiasm and competence of my six lovely learners, far outran its scope!

Yes we covered a load of textures such as bobbles, puffs and popcorns, ribs round the post and working into the back loop. We also looked at what happens when you use a big hook on a fine yarn.

Yet my voracious students clearly were keen to get the best out of their Denman experience and ploughed into my extension activities (more round the post stitches - waffles, basketweave, cabling) and 3D flowers such as the trumpeted narcissus and the wrap-around rose. 

Two students' handiwork

Student handiwork

Six WI members at Denman College
on the Textures Course Feb 14

They even had their first foray into Tunisian simple stitch, and tried out a touch of surface crochet.

But finally, and most satisfyingly, there was time for each of them to pick a pattern and embed their newly found pattern and schematic reading skills.

So by Sunday morning we had stars and roses and leaves appearing, a lace block, and two lacy edgings, as well as some colourful fans.

Also showing that weekend, was a workshop on doll-making which I really fancied doing myself (I used to make them years ago but have allowed my skills to fall into disuse). It inspired me to think again about crocheting one, and I duly got started as soon as I was home again in front of recorded episodes of Salamander (nothing Swedish on at the mo so Belgian will have to do!) Thus, little Schmink (that's her name, I've decided) is fairly rapidly taking shaped under my hook as I write.

Currently she has a face on the front of her head and the back (I didn't like my first attempt!) The tarty, mean-looking one will disappear under a mane of pink, to leave a sweeter, wider-eyed character dominant.

And once I've cleared my compulsion to create Schmink, I'll return to containers and finish off the rather fabulous (though I do say so myself!) big brown hat box I'm halfway through - covered, as it is, in flowers and birds. I'll need to write a pattern for that bird soon and then make another one to test the pattern. It's hard to make myself do it though because all I want to do is CROCHET!

QUICK POST SCRIPT HERE

I've sold a sweater design to INSIDE CROCHET since I last blogged!!! It's BILLED to appear in the March edition (out at the end of February 14) Made from Tunisian Cable and Rib. Goodness it was a challenge to write the pattern.

Selfy in the sweater

A Nother Night in Tunisia

Tunisian Crochet. We, here in the UK say TYOONIZZYAN. That's sounds right to us. That's the correct way of saying it OF COURSE :) 

But I've been watching the Dora Ohrenstein video put out by Interweave. Yes, I finally succumbed to the advertising and I'm jolly glad I did. The genuinely delightful Dora comes from that OTHER place (voice now dropping to a whisper -you know - lower than a whisper- 'across the pond' - sharp intake of breath!) (return to normal pitch) anyway, WHATEVER: the upshot is I've made the radical decision to take advice from someone who calls it 'Tooneezhun'. 

Tunisian Simple Stitch

Actually it hadn't occurred to me to say it any other way and was a bit of a shock. Used to it now. But you know I should have realised because of Ella Fitzgerald singing 'a night in tooneezhia'. I'm not sure I'd even put tyoo and tyoo together there either! I never stopped to wonder which mystical, romantic, ACTUAL geographic location hosted the wonderful-sounding 'Tooneezha'.
Well there we have it - yet another crochet difference between us and our talented cousins in the colony.

I've dabbled before, but until now have always been 'called away' by some new-to-me conventional crochet technique or stitch pattern that I absolutely had to try, NOW, so although I do have a few samples of this, that and the other in my overflowing swatch box, the Tunisian Technique hadn't QUITE grabbed me by the throat and strangled me.... YET. But (also in Ella's words) I'm beginning to see the light! Dora has shown me The Way. One of my issues was the infamous Tunisian curl - off-putting but fixable through wet blocking - but my main problem was the compactness of the work. No drape. Too limited. But, now Dora has demonstrated that both these things occurred because I was using the same hook - yarnweight ratio as in conventional crochet and I didn't ought to have been. In Tunisian Crochet you use a hook at least two sizes bigger than you would normally. Simple piece of advice, but crucial.

 And now.... well, (understated chuckle) I'm flying! She's solved my bout of purl stitch cackhanditis, properly explained the knit stitch that I was only getting right on a random  basis, and instilled a fever of excitement that's turned me into a high performance swatch machine. 

The justification for all this 'study'? (Ha ha yes, 'study', I like that!) I've only gone and offered the WI college a course in Beginners Tunisian. I don't know yet if they'll book me but I do know I'd better be ready!
And I'm going to offer my own independent one anyway, as soon as I feel I've made enough booboos and solved them to feel ready enough to help others when they go wrong too.

I'm making my BIGGEST blanket so far and I've incorporated some Tunisian Simple Stitch in it (got to have sample products to show!).

Combining with conventional to create a
new take on the crochet square

In the meantime, and on the more conventional front, I've made some socks and a bottle cover (and a lovely mandala) as part of my work with my Tuesday ladies. I'm also trying to write a third article. It's ground somewhat a halt though. Need to jump back in there, and soon.... tomorrow. Yes, definitely tomorrow...

Happiness in a Hook

A busy diary



l to r: Diana, Marta, Bethan and Jo - the Tuesday Night Ladies

My Tuesday Night Ladies have settled in to a regular routine now - which is MARVELLOUS! They come to my house - which, of course, I don't have to pay a hire fee for - and every meeting is like a house warming party. What IS it about this lovely activity that spreads so much hilarity and general good feeling? It's really quite amazing. We fell upon a pattern for something called a mandala in the latest, newest crochet magazine 'Simply Crochet', and all followed it together. We got through about half of it, what with all the story sharing and general merriment as well, and we will do the rest in our next session.

The Simply Crochet Mandala -
to be completed soon

In the meantime, I did my first Improvers, 2-night course at Denman College at the weekend. It was as spiritually edifying and delightful as ever with yet another marvellous bunch of students and fascinating, friendly  fellow tutors. My teaching room was in the main house this time, due to a flood in the designated workshop in the teaching centre. It was a piece of good luck for us really as there can be few crochet workshops as elegant and magnificent as ours was this weekend. I mean it had a full-blown chandelier for goodness' sake!

One of my students brought up something which is becoming increasingly of interest to me and that is: The Invisibility of the Older Woman. It's something I've heard discussed before. I first heard it mentioned when, at 36, I went to Spain on a Flamenco holiday. My fellow student/tourists were almost all quite a bit older than I was. It was brought to my attention a little earlier than might have been, that society isn't very good at giving air space to older women - waiters and bar staff overlook us, that sort of thing. But going to Denman is like changing the filter on a lens and suddenly having access to a quite breathtaking,  rich source of inspiration; of rapier wit, of heart-stopping life stories, of megalithic talents and skills, of productiveness, of strength and resilience in the face of adversity and of positive, nurturing, go-getting, joie-de-vivre. Younger women ARE joining Wi groups up and down the country, of course they are, yet still, it cannot be denied that the AVERAGE age of your AVERAGE Denman student on any given course, IS, come one you can't argue, somewhat, well, a highish number anyway. But, my goodness, if you come away NOT wanting to be a part of that lot, you must be utterly devoid of aspiration.



My second published article

Speaking of amazing ladies, by the way, true to my word I have managed to publish my second article, about Flora Klickmann - now long gone editor of the Girls Own Paper. As part of the article I made up a product from one of her crochet patterns, which I adapted into 'Inside Crochet' house style and included, along with a photo, of course, of the little baby jacket. The garment itself is now to go on display in the Teaching Centre at Denman. Look out too, in the July edition (out at the end of June) for my Beginners Baby Blanket pattern - my first DESIGN to be published.

Fruition of plans is always SO gratifying, don't you think? (Mwah ha ha ha ha ha).