Crochet Christmas Stars

I found some crochet star motifs in my needlecrafts book and after a bit of an impulsive purchase of Anchor metallic yarn I thought I'd try one of them out.

It looks great!  The metallic yarn works beautifully.  I think it will make a lovely Christmas decoration.  I added a loop at the top, then after blocking it, I painted it with silver glitter paint and PVA to stiffen it.  I can't wait to hang them up around the house.

TAST Week 46 - Magic or Checkered Chain Stitch

This week's stitch from Sharon at Pin Tangle is a wonderfully fun one.  I have seen this stitch a few times and thought it would be fiendishly fiddly to do, but I was delighted to find that it was quite straightforward.

I opened a shop on Folksy a little while ago, and although I'm still in the process of setting it up (read trying to find the time to stock it!) I do need a banner/logo.  I had the idea of two B's (for Berry Bakewell) which were mirror images of each other, embroidered, with a shape that was reminiscent of a butterfly.  The magic chain, as it's a bit more interesting than the 'standard' chain, seemed like a good choice for the embroidery.  I tried a couple of different colour schemes and also a different shape and thickness for the B.  I also thought about filling one in completely, and also trying the third idea with the chain colours alternating rather than matched but haven't got around to it yet.  I think my favourite is the second one. I'm loving the combination of green against bright colours, particularly deep pinks, at the moment.  Which do you like best?

TAST Week 45 - Open Base Needlewoven Picot

Last week I inadvertently did open base needlewoven picots using a different method, but this week I learned to do it properly (and it was much easier!).  For some reason I felt compelled to do a dinosaur. I call him Embroiderosaurus!

 

Teeny Tiny Crochet

I am going through a bit of an elephant phase at the moment.  There are so many creative depictions of them, from the adorable to the beautiful.  I came across this on Etsy via Twitter:

Photo courtesy of Suami (Etsy)

It's a teeny tiny crocheted elephant that's only 1.5cm (0.6in) tall.  How incredible is that?!  I can only imagine the dexterity and patience needed to make something like that.  But then, while checking out the elephant, I discovered that the shop is filled with hundreds of other miniature crocheted animals and objects.  

All images courtesy of Suami (Etsy)

They are collectors items so don't come cheap, but even if you're not in a buying mood it's well worth a visit to admire the craftsmanship and make you smile.

TAST Week 44 - Closed Base Needlewoven Picot

I wanted to use this week's stitch in a different way, rather than for flowers and leaves, but alas inspiration did not strike.  In the end I decided to try a dahlia, inspired by this picture:

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

I had grand plans for several rounds of petals in gradually darkening shades of pink, varying the thickness of the threads and the arrangement of the pins to get different petal shapes and sizes, but although I did enjoy the stitch, by the end of the second round I'd lost patience with it :-D! What I ended up with looks more like a pink daffodil, but is quite pleasing nonetheless.

I used pearl cotton no. 8 and DFN threads. For the third round of petals I used two pins arranged like a teepee to get a broader petal.

One thing I didn't really understand was how to finish the stitch off properly so I sort of made it up, which is probably why some of the petals are a little bit twisted. I finished off the centre with French Knots, which I am happy to report that I've now got the hang of.

My flower looks a little bit lonely all by itself in the middle of the hoop. I feel like I should embroider something around it, but not really sure what. Any suggestions?

TAST 2012 Weeks 42 and 43 - Italian Border Stitch / Buttonhole Wheel Cups

I missed last weeks stitch - too much going on (and I'm a bit late with this too) - so this week's offering has both the Italian Border Stitch and Buttonhole Wheel Cups.

It's a small sampler but I really like how colourful it is.  It also includes my first attempt at a Shisha.  I've used DFN and perle cotton threads.

It's always worth taking a look at the highlights. There are always some excellent and inspiring examples. Take a look at week 42, and this one from week 43 which was so sweet.

Look What I Made - Kid's Backpack

This is older boy's new backpack.  I made it.  It's been upcycled from a waterproof chair cover that hasn't seen the light of day for about 10 years! I'm doubly proud of it because I made it from scratch.  From deciding how I wanted it to look, to drafting the pattern and working out all the measurements to get it to fit together, to actually putting it together.  It wasn't all straightforward, but when I cut the last of the loose threads and turned the bag the right way out, I felt elated.  When older boy said he loved it I was thrilled. I suppose that must be what he feels like when he presents one of his much-loved creations to us for approval.  I like it so much I'm going to make a smaller version for baby boy to take to nursery.

TAST Week 41 - Knotted Loop Stitch

After a failed attempt at using the Knotted Loop Stitch for windmill sails, I thought that the stitch would be perfect for the leafy fronds of a palm tree.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out, especially the trunk.  I used Jannlyn DFN threads. They are quite chunky, which has given the piece a lovely textural quality.

Granny A Day - Week 40

My red, white and blue blanket is starting to take form. Thankfully I decided to have a go at joining a couple of squares, because I found out that I'll need to join the squares in as I go during the white round as well as the outer blue rounds to avoid some REALLY fiddly sewing up afterwards.  Just a sneaky peek so that I can do a big reveal later ;)

I also managed to add a couple of rows to the baby blanket enlargement project.  I need to pick up the pace a bit as the weather's turned cold recently.

TAST 40 - Beaded Hedebo Edge Stitch

This week's stitch is the Beaded Hedebo Edge stitch.  Go over to Pin Tangle for a description of how it's done.
In a flash of inspiration I thought that the stitch would look great worked in metallic thread as tinsel on a Christmas tree, so that is my offering.
The end result isn't as good as I envisaged.  As I didn't have beads I thought that buttons could work, but I think the ones I used are slightly too big for the tree; and I haven't got the hang of French Knots, which were also supposed to take the place of some of the beads.  The metallic thread was a little tricky to work with as it was difficult to keep all the strands together.  But having said that I think it's a fair effort and I might have another go at it. I think it would be cute on the front of a Christmas card.