Wednesday 30 October 2013

Our new thrifty workspace...

This week has been busy making room for my new-to-me workspace for the craft/hobby room. The old table was very wobbly and not at all conducive to beading or holding a sewing machine...in the spirit of thrift we always try our local charity shops and BAZINGA...we found an ideal desk.


Now comes the job or rearranging storage to accommodate crafty items.It's good to sort out all of those bits and pieces in drawers every now and again, and I often find a new use for things!


Monday 28 October 2013

Macrame Owls

 
Here are some Macramé owls that I have made- one with embroidery thread and one with string. I will try and post a photo tutorial later.
 


Sunday 27 October 2013

Learning Chenille stitch with seed beads.


 
A couple of weekends ago my  beady friend Becs taught me Chenille stitch....these are my practise pieces. The blue one has a slightly looser tension and weave - I think the beads are slightly bigger too. I really like the pink as it has an elastic feel. Getting to grips with the tensioning and tininess of the beads.......must be as I bought quite a lot of them at Stitch'n' craft. Well, if the beads are smaller, it means you can buy more.....doesn't it?
 
 
 
This link from Beading Daily has helped enormously too!
Watch this space for more seed bead creations!

Saturday 26 October 2013

My new knitting project!

 
I have decided to pick up my knitting needles and, instead of experimenting and free-styling, to actually follow a pattern and make my first ever jumper - a hoodie to be exact, for those Winter evenings........
 
So after an explore of the yarn shops in Salisbury and the internet.....worked out cheaper at Hobby craft, so off we went (we,  being myself and my lovely husband Matthew).
So ..this evening has been relaxing with a film and knitting......
Firstly I had to knit a tension square....and it was spot on! I really like this stitch - very neat and flat. 
 
Casting on 80 stitches for the back...oops!...started with wrong colour.........start again! Kept losing count too!

 
Ahhh, right colour ...right number of stitches.....now to change to a different colour yarn.

 Changed colour easily, now to learn Basketweave stitch- I just need to make sure I can count to 4 and make sure that I remember whether I'm knitting or purling! :)



I think that's it for tonight (Matthew has brought pudding and wine!).....next basket weave square tomorrow and then the rest of the back. Keep checking back to make sure it doesn't get left in my knitting basket!