Purple Leaf Cushion (take two)

Hello........... Today's post is a long awaited Ta-Dah, that dates back to the early days of the blog, yes I have been intending on making a purple leaf cushion with this yarn since 'here' yes that's right since 2013 !! 

Back then of course I was foolishly attempting to knit a cushion, this was long before I discovered crochet and it's lucky I did because my knitting is shockingly bad.  I persevered and it was only last  October that I finally called time on this make after yet another disaster.

A knitter I will never be...........

So I was left with a huge 400g ball of Hayfield bonus Aran, Plus some leaves I had somehow managed to knit.  I decided I still really wanted a cushion however I was just going to have to crochet mine.  !!!!

I decided to make a round cushion as it's so much easier with crochet and found a wonderful tutorial for a flat circle over at Attic24 'here'

Using a 5mm hook the circles worked up really quite quickly

something even full of lurgy my foggy brain could manage

I just kept adding rounds until

the circles were large enough for this 14 inch cushion pad, which I bought from amazon at the bargain price of less than £2.

I then simply crocheted the two half's together

Then it was all about whether to add a border or not, decisions decisions.....

In the end I opted for a simple 5 treble shell edging

Which really helped to neaten up the join.

I'd been playing around with so many design ideas, with the original knitted leaves.

here are just a few

In the end I just loved the rose leaf combo, I borrowed nicked some of the roses and leaves from my Autumn wreath, opps I'm going to need to replace them later in the year !!

and finally settled on a more is more look for my cushion, with a trio of Roses set amongst the leaves.

I then just had to stitch them in place

one by one until...........

Ta-Dah

My purple leave cushion was finished, completely different from what I originally set out to make but I got there in the end and I'm very happy with how it's turned out.

It's ready just in time for the Craft Club exhibition.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

(who needs knitting anyway !!!)

Festive Garland

Hello........ How are you're Christmas preparations going?  I have a festive make to share with you today. The inspiration for this make, struck way back in the Summer.

When my Auntie B took part in the Women Weekly Christmas World Record attempt knitting decorations, while raising money for the 'Alzheimer 's Society. They broke the record and have certificates to prove it. My Auntie kindly made me these two little stocking (aren't they cute)

and two twinkly knitted stars.  She thought I might be able to used them on my wreaths, but sadly they were a little on the big side for the wreath so I hatched a cunning plan. To make a festive garland to string across our chimney breast.

In addition to my Auntie B's knitted decorations I also made two stars using the first three rounds from Zelna's lovely Granny Star pattern. Using red and silver twinkly yarns with Stylecraft special DK in cream.

I then made one of Lucy's cute crocheted snowflake,  for which I used some of the White Twinkle yarn from my Cosy Blanket. Do you remember 'here' when I used the same pattern to made a snowflake garland this time last year.

Once they were all hooked up it was time for a spot of blocking, pinning and hovering the steam iron over them before taking them out into the garden to spray with some ironing starch. Having ME/Lyme disease  also means that I suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, meaning I react badly to perfume, cleaning products, washing detergents and also spray starch, see how I suffer from my crafting.

After I sprayed them as it was a lovely day I left them, out in the garden to dry and for the chemical smell to disperse.

Then it was time for a little decoration, with wooden charms and candy cane string, which I simply threaded the decorations on to.

Aww don't they look cute all hanging in a row.

Ta-Dah

My festive garland

  so the first Christmas decoration is up here at the Summerhouse, how are you getting on with yours have you got the tree up yet.

I'd love to hear if you also took part in the Women Weekly Christmas Decoration world record  ?

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Sweet Dreams are made of this.....

Hello.......... Last week I had a phone call from a friend asking if I could crochet her little girl a dreamcatcher.  'Err yes !!'  was my reply while thinking, I have no idea how to make one but there must be a way.

You see this little girl 'C' who I'm Guide Mother to has been having some very bad dreams lately. So it was time to put my crafty thinking cap on and see if I could help chase those nightmares away.  Surely there must be a way to crochet a dreamcatcher. 

But where to start, my first line of thinking was they are kind of like a Mandala, right??

So disclaimer time, in no way is this going to be a traditional dreamcatcher, just a bit of yarny goodness with good intent.

So after a bit of looking about online trying to find a pattern, without any luck I decided I was just going to have to make it up as I went along.

As I said I was thinking Mandala's but it needed to be more lacy and web like. So after playing around one afternoon, last week I came up with this.

Next up, I needed some sort of ring, so I used what I had, the inner part of a six inch embroidery hoop,

Next I tried to figure out how to attach it to the hoop, first I tried to crochet it on but it was just too tricky so in the end I just threaded the yarn through the crocheted loops and around the ring trying to keep the tension steady so it was evenly spaced.

Yippee, from this working prototype I could see it would work as a concept, hopefully!!

So I took it apart again and set to work covering the hoop. I simply wound some turquoise yarn around the hoop holding it in place with some double sided tape at the beginning and end before tying in place but not cutting the yarn end.

Then using the same yarn,  I placed the crocheted web into position and wound  the yarn around threading through each of the loops on the last round of crochet. Tying it off at the end and leaving a loop to hang it by. (Sorry about the lighting in some of the shots, the grey days of November are truly upon us)

After a bit of online research I discovered that every Dreamcatcher needs some beads and feathers. 'C's' favourite colours are blues and turquoise's hence the colour scheme so I added some blue metallic beads to the centre of the dreamcatcher.

Next up were the feathers eek, how was I going to manage that in crochet.  I thought about adding some actual feathers but I one, I didn't have any and two, I'm not so keen on dyed feather I think they can look a little on the tacky side. 

So in the end I knitted two feathers using a leaf pattern I have and hopefully turned upside down they look a little like feathers

I then crocheted three chains and added a few more beads before stitching the feathers into place.

Now do you remember the flower from last weeks post 'here' well now you know what I was making.

After adding a cute little button I stitched it to one of the chains

 The feathers and flower were to attached to the bottom of the hoop, simply just tying them into place

Ta-Dah

My Dreamcatcher was complete. It's all ready now to go off in the post, hopefully keeping the nightmares at bay and only bringing the sweetest of dreams.

 I'm not sure if anyone else would like to make one, but if so, leave a comment and I write the pattern up and share it in a separate post.

'

I've almost finished 'Thirteen moons Octobers read and so far I'm enjoying it, plus I nearly finished it on time,  joining in with Ginny's 'Yarn Along'

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Autumn Wreath: Ta-Dah

Hello............ So it's Ta-DAh time for the Autumn wreath.

 I'm so pleased I decided to go for it and make the wreath this year.  As in the end it came together in just a few weeks, as I borrowed a lot of pieces from my existing wreaths.

So shall we go on a little tour....

This is the bottom left part of the wreath, with Leaves, Roses Anemones, and Berries, the cute little Daisies are buttons and I think they add the finishing touch.

Next up we have the top right, I'm really pleased with how the colours tone in so well together, when I started planning  the colour scheme for the wreath, I  wanted it to be in Heather and Berry tones with a little bit of silver and grey for Frosty Sparkle. 

Much more in keeping with the Summerhouse palette, than if I used oranges and reds.  Hopefully it conveys Autumn to you in it's own way? Plus all the yarn came from my stash.

Moving onto the top right, as always I added a little more decoration to the wreath by placing beads between some of the pins and the flowers

and finally the bottom left.

So we are nearly there, 

the top of the wreaths centre piece is Roses, leaves and little flowers, with knitted leaves and berries covering the inner part of the wreath.  The Berries came from a artificial sprig and I simply cut and wired them before pinning them into place.

The main centrepiece at the bottom of the wreath is a Rose surround by knitted leaves with the little hand beaded Blackberries pinned into place.

As for the ribbon after trying several different Purples I opted for this Tartan. Which has a bit of history, the ribbon was left over from my sister wedding and seeing as it was there wedding Anniversary on Saturday when I assembled the wreath it seemed fitting.

So are you ready........

Ta-Dah

My Autumn time Wreath.

I'd love to know what you make of it?

Me, I'm pleased with how it turned out, the colours are just my cup of tea.

At the moment I've just started reading 'Thirteen Moons' by Charles Frazier I really enjoyed reading Cold Mountain so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

joining in with 'Yarn Along' 
and 'The USS Crafty'

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Autumn wreath: Putting it all together

Hello...........So this is the pre Ta-Dah post for my  Autumn wreath, With this wreath I  have completed all the four seasons in yarny goodness.

Above are all the elements for the wreath laid out together which gives a idea of how much yarniness is needed to cover the wreath, doesn't it look cute all laid out together.

There are little flowers, made using Lucy at 'Attic 24' Teeny Tiny Flower pattern, some of the flowers are from my other wreaths, but the berry coloured and sparkly pink ones were made for this new wreath.

Borrowing flowers from the other seasons sure has sped up this make, I only had to make one additional Rose, which is the Lilac one in the centre of this picture.  The smaller Roses are Attic 24 May Roses and the larger ones are from Nikki Trent's 'Cute and Easy' Crochet books.

Now I know there are a lot of flowers going on to this Autumn wreath, but we have had such a mild September that, all the flowers featured are still blooming in the Summerhouse garden at the moment and it's not unheard of around here to have Roses in bloom in December.

Next up we have Anemones, one of my favourite flowers and I'm pleased to say they are flowering away happily in a pot on our patio at the moment. This is my own pattern which you can find 'here'

Onto what makes Autumn special, the leaves, I'm so pleased I opted for a alternative colour scheme for the Autumn wreath, I'm loving the silver, berry and purple tones.

These leaves were knitted in a selection of yarns from my Stash.

Then there are the felt leaves, which are a new element for my wreaths, but I hope you agree that they really add to the look of the wreath.

Next up we have frost and cobwebs, the crocheted cobwebs I made using Attic 24 's Little Lacy Stars and hopefully when stretched onto the wreath will look a little like cobwebs.

Last but not least, the cute little Blackberries, I also have some little button daisies and some sparkly flower to add the finishing touches.

All ready to be pinned to the polystyrene wreath with it's knitted cover.

 Not long now to the grand Ta-Dah moment, oh go on then, would you like a little peak now?

 So exciting.......

 

See you next time .......

Happy Crafting

Clare xx