Christmas is coming once again!

Where does the time go? Well last year I played it fairly cautious and made lots of scarves and the odd simple hat. So now my family are kitted out on that front, so what next? Well, I spent the greater part of the year studying an OU module called 'Technology Enhanced Learning', so I've turned to technology for my inspiration, of course! Everybody's getting mobile phone cases. Each one different, tailored for their personalities, personalised. They're a great vehicle for practicing new, fancy stitches. I even finally turned my hand to Tunisian Crochet - more of this later I think!

The prezzies almost all made, my Polish colleague Marta sent me a link to some fantastic crocheted Polish Christmas decorations which inspired me to make the tree decoration in the picture. The pattern is the first four rows of Melody Griffiths' snowflake in her book 201 crochet motifs.....

Have a very merry christmas, and a happy new year!

Mum's mobile phone cover. Made using Tunisian or
Afghan crochet, embroidered with silk embroidery
thread in little chain daisies and then beaded. Edged with
a standard double crochet stitch and finished on the flap
(as shown) with a row of surface crochet. The flap is
also lined with red Tunisian crochet and it fastens with a
simple press stud fastener.

Lindy x

Spring is here!

One of my students asked me about flowers, which prompted me to investigate them in a bit more depth. There are so many flower patterns to choose from - some of them so easy. I’d planned to start the group crocheting in the round the next week anyway, so I found a nice, simple one in Emma Seddon’s Rowan ‘Crochet Workshop’ and had a go myself. Then I had another go, and another, trying out all the different methods I knew for changing colours, finishing off and securing the ends as I went. By the time of the lesson I’d completed a veritable bouquet of demo primulas and decided to use them in an emulation of one of Nicki Trench’s patterns in her book ‘Cute and Easy Crochet’ for curtain tie backs. The joining chain is still on my hook! Piccies to come soon.

In search of the perfect roundel

When I started crocheting I told myself it would be an AGE before I actually MADE anything. It was a psychological trick that, for me, paid off. It took the pressure off, you see, and I just doodled around with the hook and the yarns, producing a basket full of messy little shapes and patterns, ends sticking out everywhere.

My first successful project was the popcorn square cushion cover I gave my mum. I followed the pattern to the letter - which was an excellent exercise in itself, and I only made a 'front'. It was a huge effort to make 9 whole squares the same and a real challenge to join them. I stitched the finished 9 to an existing plain cushion cover. I was pleased and my mum was delighted. But thereal effort had been in the COMPLETION of something of sufficient quality to be able to give it away.

HOWEVER, It was suggested to me as a prospective teacher of crochet that a lot of people, unlike me would prefer to be able to produce a finished object at the earliest stage of their learning. So with that in mind I have been thinking about things you can make with the most basic of crochet skills, and there are zillions of course! This comes with a warning though! If you don't know many stitches you are obliged to repeat and repeat the ones you do, which some might find rather tedious until they are faster at it. I know I would have. Impatient and petulant by nature, the thing I enjoy most of all is trying out NEW stitches, NOT going over the same ones! So if you are grown up you are probably more than happy to continue to work at perfecting your existing repertoire before moving onto the more complex stitches and will be more than happy to plug away until you have produced a half decent OBJECT.

ANYWAY, lately I've returned to the most basic of crochet stitches - the double crochet (or single crochet if you're in the US) and have been trying to make FINISHED, USEFUL, DESIRABLE objects using only that stitch and the chain, with no sewing and very little weaving in of ends. This has lead to an excellent exercise in focussing on the finer details. I've finally taken the time to MASTER the crocheting of a flat disk with no frilling or curling (ok, minimal then - and nothing a bit of blocking can't iron out at the end!) mostly by re-reading instructions and advice already at my disposal. I've also solved the problem of joining each row neatly and producing a straight and (almost) invisible line of joins as the disk grows.

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Finally, I've developed my own technique for stiffening the bowls and pots I've created after getting the hang of these niceties of crocheting in the round.

1st February 2011

Well, I finally got my magazine back and can now get back to the gentle pace and relaxation of watching my cardigan grow! In the meantime I've been quite busy. I've made two little boxes. One's cube shaped, the other is round. I wanted to design something that can be made by an absolute beginner who only knows the basic double crochet stitch (or single if you're from the US).

I shall be publishing the patterns on my site in due course.

January Hitches

Well the Christmas frenzy is now over and I have discovered a new magazine for crocheters. It's called Inside Crochet and I picked it up in Sainsbury's! I'm making the cardigan that's on the front. Well, I say AM making.... I WAS making it until I went and left it in the waiting room at my son's music therapy session. Well that would be OK except the therapist has gone on a two week course so I'm having to wait THREE weeks to continue it. It was going great guns as well! I have to say DESPITE the pattern which left a few accuracy issues to be desired. I guess with magazines their checking time isn't as generous as with books. So my hot tip is BEWARE patterns in magazines for several reasons!