Tuesday 30 December 2014

Hat and Cowl

I made this hat while on the train going to Epsom Surrey to see my two daughters over Christmas, with this matching cowl, my own design, made whilst there. We had a fabulous relaxing time. The Christmas dinner and all the trimmings prepared and cooked by our daughters. We are going up again in January to an awards ceremony Michelle will receive her MRCP award. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos  photo 98928e773918a765909582295f5a23fa_zpsf022fbf5.jpg  photo 0008ec1a32ce02c73a8b3bfcd5b1bbc8_zps757bc5a1.jpg

Sunday 14 December 2014

Felt and A Craft Fair

I did a craft fair yesterday at Helston it was very busy the first 20 people through the door were given a goody bag. I sold the crochet hat I just recently made a little girl loved it and wanted to wear it. And another little girl showed her mum a mug with one of my mug cosies that she really liked. I made last week a cream and blue crochet mobile phone case which you can pick out in the photos I also made a pair of fingerless gloves as one of a few presents which I sent to my sister in law but forgot to photograph them. I had a second table as my sister had a cold and could not go so I put my cushions on her table and sold one a patchwork one. There was singing by a very talented lady with a strong voice and only 13 years old I later found out on Hellys Craft Fair Facebook page. I painted a few fruit boxes as displays instead of just eveything spread on the table. I think that they were okay, though I saw some people had wooden folding shelves which I was told you could buy on Ebay. So all in all it turned out to be a very sucessfull craft fair for everyone. Tea coffee and biscuits were provided free with a small donation. Next Friday myself and OH are going to Surrey to stay for the Christmas with my two daughters. I don't know if I will be getting much knitting or crocheting done, though I may do a little.  photo afd3e7735e33563194594045a0b21c69_zps71143b74.jpg  photo 58c496ac7760ff97a6c66a33b9cdf71e_zps144f551e.jpg  photo ed837ce7994de32296a1607f17f16c64_zps6197664c.jpg  photo 53ac46c7a1f01f71d2a6fe07c6afd498_zps0cb11a9d.jpg  photo a7b6a19ba5db3619b341745f9e2c260f_zpsbf8ae525.jpg When I got home from the Craft Fair a lovely surprise was waiting for me, a lovely selection of felt, with a pretty card that I had won on Janine's Wool on Sundays a One Year prize Give Away Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

Sunday 7 December 2014

Snowstorm Hat

I liked this pattern Snowstorm from Hooked on Crochet for super warm hats. I chose the colours I already had with a chunky acrylic yarn. It was quick and easy to do and I'm learning new crochet stitches with each new item I make!  photo acf6519e24b4f6b7f947fe5c2e3062c0_zps9f022d1b.jpg  photo 1cc0358fab11f9af66f62caf86eb54b3_zps54b370d9.jpg  photo d81308beb4fe96a558c724a382fedd61_zps470d3eac.jpg  photo be9ab2c3a02a1ad09adedd0e65bb83e5_zps6f5c45ac.jpg

Sunday 23 November 2014

Three Pairs of Mittens

I have made these three pairs of mittens. The two pairs without a rib edge, one pink and a tan colour I added a small cuff to and the pair of mittens made with the original sweater ribbed edge was okay as it was. I lined them with a pink, and a tiger pattern fleece and decorated them with colourful circles using embroidery pure wool with a chain stitch in a spiral. I think that they all turned out pretty good. I still have good amount of the sweater left over to make small items maybe purses with.  photo 42e4e7f63e52247b271b9c72d6cb1fdd_zpsbb8a26a3.jpg  photo 652333dacc4cc56057e87c2e4a7d8ca5_zps0ebb40a0.jpg  photo 591b7857efbe523833a1e3ac80ee4048_zpse256aa1c.jpg  photo 7aa833450fd7307a53892b2864f5573f_zps96005992.jpg  photo 3df3e1635ac008f9922430147857d8f3_zpsa919ae2a.jpg  photo image11_zps414f60e1.jpg I chose these fleece linings a pink and a tiger pattern. The tiger pattern looks lovely and I will make mittens with this next adding a fawn colour lining.  photo bd829b727af094804c7b7fae3b27a9ca_zps4f1b7c76.jpg

Sunday 16 November 2014

A Tea Cosy and Dyed Woollens

This is the woollen I dyed from a shop dye an over all shade of colour. The other wool sleeves were dyed with turmeric I over dyed them I may try turmeric again for a yellow. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos  photo d90dfb3af3c37b82905a89bb50260c77_zps8406227a.jpg I have bought these mini carders and will card my fleece when I've finished making small various knitted items for the craft fair.  photo 
f6756197e260455e87ee26485a0c3fed_zps9e9e475b.jpg This is a little tea cosy I knitted with a pattern and wool from Knitting and Crochet magazine. I thought it would go well with all the mug cosies I've made, twelve so far.  photo 3e714deee196a28dea23b3a717d11def_zps110dcfff.jpg  photo 7cb92c0eed76782efdaed6ca4d39ec38_zps60cc8b7e.jpg  photo 57dd82938e2eba640a20821105441034_zpsa17ade94.jpg  photo image1-001_zpsa0a3eee3.jpg  photo imagejpg1_zps4bc0c6fd.jpg

Sunday 9 November 2014

Cowl Coasters and Cream Jumper

I have almost finished a second cream chunky jumper! I am really pleased with it and It took no time at all to make with sizes 8 and 12 knitting needles.  photo e8f9ce82e10749e357cf1c6b4cfc067e_zps82867a64.jpg This knitted cowl was easy to make and has four wooden buttons stitched on one side and the pattern came from my Knitting Magazine. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos These are four crochet coasters that I just made and will be brought with me to sell at the craft fair in December. I have quite a few small knitted and crocheted items to take to the fair now.  photo c2a7b524d414cac8be9eab40c1a8f5fd_zps190db2c9.jpg The Guernsey Sweater Update. I have dyed the sleeves first, using a turmeric spice dye, the other sweater pieces will be dyed a shop bought bright pink. And I bought two mini carders online costing £6.50 each plus vat postage.I am really pleased with them as they are easy to handle and just right to card the small amount of fleece that I have.

Monday 3 November 2014

Mug Cosies, Mitten and Fleece

I have completed a few mug cosies some have a bottom some without. I think the granny squares one is better with a button. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos I started this cowl I saw in my Knitting magazine with the chunky cream yarn I had left over from the cream jumper I knitted. My daughter Fiona loved the jumper by the way my other daughter Michelle wants one too! So I am making another one. One side of the cowl is longer than the other, that's the pattern I suppose!  photo 0b838641f87179162854aba0c563b25a_zpsf949b9f3.jpg The seams have been cut through of the Guernsey sweater. I used the hand template and cut around the red woollen, stitched this and a felt lining. I think it looks okay as a first attempt, now to attach the lining. I find there are two methods to make mittens, either use your hand shape for a template or with the thumb under mitten pattern method. I will probably use the hand template as it is easy and is effective.  photo 8a32946d5d30c9adf693482f588133ef_zps746c8f86.jpg A new shop has opened in an arcade in my nearby town selling lots of fleece of all colours and natural too. I chose a 100g of the coloured fleece so have more feece to make something with.  photo 1382b250e809f7cad2b74f199fba7c89_zps0751b097.jpg And I thought I'd show this colourful tree as I have not seen anything like it, lots of rainbow colours. Rainbow Eucalyptus- The unique multi-hued bark is the most distinctive feature of the tree. Patches of outer bark are shed annually at different times, showing a bright green inner bark. This then darkens and matures to give blue, purple, orange and then maroon tones.  photo 3b9abe73c59aa376cfdda4095c698e0f_zps6db33c4e.jpg

Monday 27 October 2014

Mug Cosies and Woollens

I have started making these mug cosies knitted and crocheted for a craft fair I am doing in December. I have used either two strands of double knit or a chunky.  photo 68c1705085553fb364e917e5e5251b80_zpsaf427bdc.jpg  photo c0c1dec70fbbb16bce593dd250c58d91_zps5543bc78.jpg I found this pure new wool Guernsey jumper at a car boot sale on Sunday and bought it. I may felt it or use it as it is. I also have this red woollen that is mine and has shrunk a little, so ideal, the jumper will be dyed. I will have a try at making mittens and have made a template of my hand to use. I may also make a bag too.  photo b957633c738acd5aa40eb2a02f7b875c_zps9414bfcf.jpg I bought this very handy Expert Guide to Knitting at an indoor market as well as 15 step by step tutorials and 16 inspiring patterns to try there are 20 stitch patterns too that I will use to make more mug cosies. I am glad I picked up this magazine as I am finding it very helpful!

Monday 20 October 2014

Cardigan and Jumper

Here are the finished knitted chunky cardigan and jumper. The cream off the shoulder is very soft and warm and the blue one too. I added one button as I think it suite this style of cardigan with the thick wool better than all buttoned up. I think that both of them look quite good. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos  photo 070a241590c1fbacc41d2cd47582fcf6_zpsd64711f4.jpg

Monday 13 October 2014

Knitting a Cardigan and Jumper

Jumper and Cardigan

After making two cardigans and a sweater from scrap yarns I asked my two daughters if they would they like me to knit them a woollen.  Fiona said yes please either an off the shoulder cream chunky or a black Chenille and Michelle said yes too and chose blue colour.  It was an easy choice as I found this pattern ideal! a cream chunky off the shoulder, quick to knit on 12mm needles. Then I found a stripy cardigan pattern using blue throughout with a moss stitch ribbing.

I have made the back and fronts of the cardigan, still have the rib around neck and fronts which I hope will knit up nice and neat, and the sleeves. And the back and front, both alike, of the jumper and sleeve.


Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos I knitted this cream jumper with two strands of chunky knit and thought that would be thick enough but I think it could do with a thicker yarn and may have to start again. I dont really mind as it is very quick to knit.  photo dc1a81a46bf0e76dc27e68af766e0cd8_zpsc815a6ca.jpg

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Around The World Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog Crafty Bags and my scheduled stop on the Around The World Blog Hop.

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Sunflower Tote
 I would like to thank Janine from Rainbow Hare for inviting me to join the Around the World Blog Hop! I have always admired Janine's work, her dolls Plain and Purl with a story! quilting, textile wall art the beautiful crochet flowers throw and gorgeous knitting. And I love her Wool on Sundays. Please go and take a look and see.

Janine has asked me to answer four questions so here goes!
 
What am I working on?


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Curtain Material
While out with Mr CB on a trip to Bodmin town to have a look around and to make the most of the late summer sunshine I spied this colourful material in a charity shop window it's two curtains, I think it looks like it could be retro material. I will make two cushions from it, the blue trim I bought the next day in a fabric store, a good match I think. I have made Mandala crochet cushions too which I recently discovered how to do. 


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Jacob Fleece Merino Tops Felt Bag

This is the carded Jacob Fleece and Merino Wool Tops leftover from a Sheep to Hat course I did. I made this bag. It will be either a felt bag next or small shawl or scarf using both the Jacob and Merino together or on their own, wet felted needle felted or both.


How does my work differ from others in its genre ?

I started by making bags, all kinds, shapes and sizes and various fabrics and after a while I restarted knitting and crochet and became interested in trying other crafts, quilting, felting, cross stitch embroidery (I like to do more embroidery) and applique so I don't think I have a particular genre.
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Two Crochet Throws
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Two Knitted Rugs
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Crochet Cardigans and Sweater
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Quilted Knitting Bag and My First Quilt

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
Cross Stitch Lavender Sachet

Why do I write/create what I do? 

I just love to create things I just recently really enjoyed using my colourful, fancy scrap yarns to crochet two cardigans in stripes of colour that was easy to do and surprisingly quick, then knitting a sweater this time in blocks of colour. I love making items from something once used into something compleatly different, recycling. And as I make nice things I like to write about them
and share what I have made with others who love crafting and blogging too and I find it interesting to see what others are creating.

 How does my writing/creating processes work?

 I am lucky to live in the amazingly beautiful county of Cornwall in the UK with its magnificent varied scenery all around the many beaches and coves, living here gives me added inspiration to create nice things I think.

I don't use a pattern, I plan out a style of bag in my head and get straight on with it, sometimes I do sketch out an outline of the design to keep me focused. I use the fabrics to hand imagining what type of bag I could make, the lining, then the handles to match. I see colours, patterns I find striking in a fashion magazine and put them together as a bag. I did this with a denim and blue/ white pattern cotton bag.  A bag I made from a multi-coloured cardigan looked lovely and I added a thick cotton shoulder strap. I may see a bag I really like in a boutique and make one similar. I cut out the sheep shapes from a curtain with lots of patterns and stitched them together to make a knitting bag.

Sometimes it is trial and error and a learning process and I start again but find if I take the time to plan it out it is half the battle and usually comes out all right.

I am always on the look out for colourful material it could be curtain material, or off cut remnants as I only need a small amount for a project at a time, I find these aplenty in fabric stores, wool shops, markets, car boot sales and sometimes charity shops.
I love to go to look around a car boot sale near me which also has a market outdoors and indoors too so there is plenty to browse around.

I hope you have stayed with this to the end thank you and because I want to introduce to you the lovely Julia from Horse Fire Textiles who makes amazing rugs from recycled material, wall hangings and art and all really inspiring and colourful to look at too, I am sure you will agree and she will be answering questions on the next blog hop next Monday.