Crochet delights

I have a lot of yarn. Two big boxes of it. Most of it just one ball of a particular colour so not a lot you can do with it. So I decided to get my crochet hook out. 

I chose some bright colours I though coordinated and took them with me on a recent visit to Florida. An 8 hour flight saw a lot of stitches stitched! What do you think?  

I used a pattern from this amazing blog

http://babylovebrand.net/2013/02/04/free-pattern-textured-circles/

If you like to crochet but hate the sewing that is involved when you have 100 squares staring out at you check this blog out. There's lots of ways to join squares using crochet stitching! 

Travel Crafting

I currently live and work in Glasgow but my boyfriend, CP, still lives and works in Leeds, where we met. This is only a temporary arrangement - if you can call three years temporary. I am very grateful that CP seems to do most of the traveling. Five hours sitting on a train isn't the nicest way to spend Friday and Sunday evenings but when it is my turn to travel I find this the ideal time to do some crafting. 

It's not easy finding portable crafting, I find it tends to be knitting, sewing or a sketch book, not that I can draw! Today I have my sewing with me, getting some more work done on my Christmas decorations. I admit they are not the most traditional of colours for the festive period but I will see if someone else does if they are sold! What do you think? Maybe leave me a little comment below :-)

 

It only took me between Glasgow and Carlisle to do one side so hopefully I can get the other one done further down the line. 

I seem to have sat at the artistic table as the girl opposite me is applying henna to her hands. Hats off to her I couldn't do something that needs a steady hand on the tilting trains. 

Nearly at Preston now where I change to the Manchester train.

Happy crafting

Kate x

ATCs

I attend a craft meetup (Glasgow Craftaholics) every month  and since February we have been doing an ATC swap.I hadn't heard of ATC (Artist Trading Card) before the first swap and since then I have been hooked.

If you have no idea what I am talking about an ATC is a 2.5" x 3.5" piece of card on which you decorate, a bit like a card topper. These cards are then swapped for other crafter's ATCs. Swaps can have a theme whether its the technique you are using, colour or subject. There are lots of websites that can give you more details but I find the Go Make Something has the best description and of course Pinterest always has lot of inspiration.

I sometimes find it a bit daunting if when I sit down to craft and I have a 6" x 6" piece of card in front of me. It's a big area to fill especially if you are trying a new technique. However, with an ATC the area is just big enough to try someting out without being huge. They are  also a lot easier to transport if you want to take some crafty bits to do while you are not at home.

If I have won you over to giving them a go and do not have a crafty community to swap you cards with there are lots of blogs and forums that run swaps. I have taken part in the ones on the Trimcraft and the Docrafts formus. Everyone is really friendly so join up and have a go!

Knitted Jewellery

I have been a knitter now for about 5 years. I remember my Nan teaching me to crochet and my mum teaching me to knit when I was younger but it wasn't until I started my PhD that I decided I needed something calming to do in the evens.

I have knitted with yarn, as you would expect but when I attended the Christmas Crafts exhibition at the NEC a few years a go did I ever think ti knit with other string like materials. I bought a kit to knit a green wired bracelet and immediately loved knitting with wire.

It can be a bit sore on you fingers when you start but after a while you get used to the tension and it's not quite so rough. Knitting jewellery is great fun, not only can you get some fantastic variety of wire and cord, no bracelet looks the same once you add beads.

I've used straight needles to knit bracelets and more recently I have used a knitting doll. Yes one of those tubes with four nails in the top!

 They produce a great effect!

This bracelet was made using copper coloured wire and green glass beads ->

The photo below shows a pink wire bracelet with pink glass beads.

This bracelet was made with cotton cord with white, clear and plastic beads.








All of these bracelets are available to buy in my Etsy Shop. If you would like a particular colour I can also make to order.