Crochet with friends

This shopping bag means a lot to me. Two friends and I choose to make one each: it was an attempt to stop the time, be together in a bubble, outside the far to harsh reality of illness. It gave hope, just for a moment, where there was no hope. Two friends finished their bags, one didn't, she passed away 4 months ago. We couldn't give you anything but this small tiny bubble that wasn't real, Kathleen, but we will never ever forget the joy of that day.

The pattern and Yarn (Sandnes Garn) we bought at Pand 16.

How you could use this blog...

Hi everyone,
I would like to thank every one of you for following my blog. It is so heartwarming to feel people are interested and encouraging.
This week I would like to point out some small technical things. People have asked me how they can comment on a blogpost. Well, If you click on the title of a post, that post will open again, with underneath it a space in which you can write your comment. You can also contact me via the message space on the right side of the blog. I love comments and I always respond.
Also on the right-hand side of the blog is a list of labels. You can click on these labels and then you get all the posts I made on a specific subject. Might be nice if you are, for example, more into crochet than sewing.
And then there is the "older posts" button at the bottom of the page. By clicking on this one, you can scroll back to the previous posts, right back to October 2017, when this all started.
I hope this little blog gives you a bit of joy, perhaps some inspiration and a smile once in while. Because that is my intention. Crafting makes me a happier person, and I hope to spread the joy! Have a very nice week!!!

Some of the older posts : (if you click on the title, you will be directed to that blogpost.)

Japie Apie

felted painting

useful handkerchief sweetness

eco cotton slipper socks

Jane Austen

make do and mend

Cross stitching a Snowman

Some cross stich designs I really like. But of all the crafts I tried, cross stitching isn't my favourite : it tends to make me rather impatient and jumpy. I don't know why, it simply doesn't suit me very well. This is a small piece I once made and it seemed to take forever. I like it though, after all it is Raymond Briggs' Snowman but was I glad when it was finished!

Hamish the reversible penguin - egg

I think this is a lovely and original way to use up yarn scraps : a small egg knitted in the round which transforms into a penguin! I found the pattern in Let's Knit Christmas special 2013. And of course it's a Susan B. Anderson pattern! She designs the cutest and loveliest soft toys and clothing. Hamish is a hit here!

You can only create a planet B in your head

This year's challenge for the textile workshop I'm part of was for each of us to create a unique piece inside a wooden wine box. We would only use waste materials and the project is part of a broader awareness campaign around climate change, plastic pollution and nature conservation.
My piece evokes a fictional world with  natural elements and dwelling units in a landscape.
I used plastic containers, waste textiles and cord, small cardboard rolls, metal spirals from notebooks that I crumpled, broken clothespins, some wool, a broken stand of a frame, broken glasses, seaglass, packaging materials, a broken fake jewel and some clay.  I used some old leftover paint to lend some aesthetic unity to the whole.
the colours and the smooth surfaces give this Planet B a surreal and uncanny optimism.
I just wanted to suggest that, even IF it would be possible, why would we want another planet to live on? This one is fantastically wonderfully beautiful! Let’s take care of it - we know what we have to do.

Josephine's Twin leaf loop

This infinity scarf is a design by Alana Dakos, from Never Not Knitting. You can find the pattern in her book "Botanical Knits". Earlier I made the Life cycle scarf from her book "Botanical knits II". The yarn I used is Blue sky fibers Suri merino, very soft and fluffy.
The lace pattern wasn't that hard. I had to focus though. I don't have a clue how to correct mistakes in lace. Luckily I managed. This scarf really needs blocking before wearing, to present the pattern at its best.

                                                          It needs blocking before wearing

Warm, I'll keep your tea

From now on, Yoda keeps my tea warm. And perhaps even more important : he brings me a biscuit!
It is my own design, just made it up as I went along, so I took no notes. He is, as you can see, a bit oversized in width, but that is on purpose. The "rimples" create a kind of air-pockets that strengthen the effect of the mug cozy. The hood of Yoda's cape can (and does!) hold a lovely biscuit.
Yhe yarn I used is Jamieson & Smith 100 % Shetland wool. Their website (blog) is https://jamiesonandsmith.wordpress.com/ . I truly enjoy the rustic genuine feel of the wool and love working with it!

Happy Easter from Boo and me!

Here is my Boo rabbit, made from the "Belle and Boo book of craft" I borrowed from the library.
In the book, a firm felt is suggested as fabric. I chose to use some old fleece jogging pants, a T-shirt  and a small piece of quilting fabric from my stash. It's my goal to recycle as many of our discarded  clothes as possible and I really try not to buy new materials (not always easy, I admit…).
It was sometimes a bit of a struggle to get this hand-sewn project right, because my fabric was not as firm as the suggested fabric and the T-shirt fabric tends to fray a bit.
I also wanted to find an alternative to teddy bear joints for the legs, because I don't have any and would have had to buy. So I used two tiny plastic containers (waste) and some pipe cleaners. It works, but I would definitely suggest using real teddy bear joints if you want to make an actual toy for a child. My Boo is meant to be for decoration, so it's OK to experiment a bit.
Inside the ears I also put some pipe cleaners, which makes them look funny and floppy. For stuffing I used tiny scraps of fabric and yarn.
Boo has now been appointed to the very important task of guarding and distributing the Easter eggs!

floppy ears!

The home made joints... 

Happy little Jane

Here's Jane again!
Some years ago I visited Jane Austen's House Museum, what a treat! In the wonderful museumshop I bought a kit which I just couldn't resist, to make a Jane Austen out of a clothespin. So one evening I started tinkering with all the small pieces and added some of my own bits and pieces. This Jane turned out to be a happy energetic Jane, full of inspiration!

the kit:

happy Jane:

Felicity hat

This is another free pattern on Ravelry : the Felicity hat, by Wanett Clyde.
My felicity hat turned out smaller and therefore not as slouchy as I would have liked.
The yarn is Suri merino (Blue Sky Fiber), a soft and warm alpaca-merino blend. Very nice to knit up. It's from Julija's shop in Antwerp. The shop stocks georgeous yarns (Brooklyn Tweed, Manos del Uruguay, Madelinetosh, Quince and co, West Yorkshire spinners,...). However, I would love this shop even more if the atmosphere was a bit more inviting, a bit friendlier..