Crochet a day :: Hexie Blanket

I'm starting as I mean go on, this year.

Apologies for not being here for the past... months? So much to fill you in on, instead I'm just going forward. {You can find me most every day on Instagram - if you don't follow me there, you can watch along online here.}

On New Year's Eve I stayed home alone and started a crochet blanket. I aim to stitch hexies every week (I'm not committing myself to one everyday, but if I got 7 made in a week that would be good). This way I'll have a blanket or maybe even two ready hopefully for Winter cool. So far I have 33 hexies made. So I'm far ahead for day 10 of the new year. 

Compared to my crochet stones, with teeny tiny hook and thread, the larger hook and thicker yarn stitch up so quickly. I'm enjoying working on them bit by bit. Last night I stayed up late stitching away and piling up the stack of hexies. So far today I haven't touched the hook or yarn - except to move it from one shelf to another. 

The pattern is from the lovely Michelle of Poppy and Bliss. Check out her delightfully fun crochet projects and bright colours.

I'm aiming to make at least 80 - 100 hexies. They're all different sizes and the yarns are a combination of op-shopped and handspun wools that I've gathered from the local yarn shop and the environment centre. We'll see how I go with joining them together.... I think it'll be an "organic" finish, but that's ok. 

For me - this year. I'm working on the idea of do it rather than the perfection of waiting to be perfect at it. There's so many things I don't get started, let alone finished, as I feel I won't be good enough. This year - good enough is good enough (not in everything, but in my personal creative making).

crochet bowls :: the glint of the golden

I have been making these lately. My nature is to become wrapped up in the making of one thing, with endless variations, until I no longer want to make that. I think crochet stones are still a love, but I haven't felt the urge to make one for a while, of course I would if someone asked me nicely!

But here - this is a similar process, with different evolutions. Crochet vessels. Some are more bowl shape. Some are part of my "embrace my wonk" shape. I love the little ripples and curves that happen along the way. 

I'm loving loving the golden threads I'm weaving through most of them. It's feeling so satisfying to have this sparkly jump out. Especially when they sit in the sunshine and glimmer and glint.

My mums hair used to do that. She had strands of coppery hair in amongst her darker (and they greying) hair. I loved the way that at certain lights, the sunshine would catch these copper hairs and her whole head would glint and glisten and glow. Lately my kids have been noticing the same in my hair. And oh boy, doesn't that make one happy. My girl has the same too - I can see it in her. 

So, here. I've come around again to talk of my mama. I think the more I envelop myself in my craft/art making the more I feel her deeply happily in me. I also feel the appreciation and support from my online friends (here and on instagram) to be so much what my own mother wanted for herself, and often wasn't able to find. Oh. I think that's another topic altogether. 

This is about how I love these crochet vessels. Them forming in my hands. And being a practical thing for our home. To gather and catch our keys, spare change, trinkets, though mostly my more crochet supplies and other crafty bits! I've put a couple in my online shop, if you'd like some to be looking pretty in your home, to be useful and pretty. Now that's pretty sparkly and golden itself isn't it!!

always with the crochet :: beautiful v useful

Last week I sent these small crochet doilies off to their 'owner'. I wrote about it here. And with that project gone, I can move onto new and different crochet works. But the strange thing is, this pattern is now (finally) stuck in my head and I want to stitch this again and again. Ah ha - the mind is a funny thing. 

Anyway, I have some important pieces I need to get made and posted, for an Instagram Swap I organised. Life took over, and I haven't been able to make the pieces I want. I'm guessing my swap partners will receive some doilies and such. 

While I love making doilies and crochet covered stones, I keep asking myself the "importance" of them. Usually I have a thought/feeling/inclination to produce.make.create practical things. I question myself on why I'm adding more and more to this world of things that aren't practical and useful. I remind myself often of this quote; which I believe rings true for myself (and probably for many of you also):

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" William Morris

So, while my crochet stones may not be useful (except as little paper weights), they are indeed beautiful. Thank you William for your words.

Having said that - I am enjoying working on crochet bowls and vessels and having them become useful (and beautiful) things to hold the useless yet beautiful items.

* I gather a collection of crochet inspiration on my Pinterest board, if you're in need of some hookery. 

1000 crochet doilies & connections stitched

This week I am finally sending off the 30 doilies I have crocheted for Lisa Solomon's 1000 Doilies project. I have loved working on these for so many reasons, the main being the connection to all the other people who were making them as well. 

How wonderful for someone to put the word out, and ask for people to follow a pattern and crochet some pieces to add to an installation of her work. 

You can read a little about Lisa's art piece here. I love the thread colours and the 10 doilies x 100 colours = 1000.

I first "met" Lisa through Instragram, I think.. I can barely remember anymore. Does it actually matter? Nope, not really. I was immediately drawn to her use of colour in a methodical and thoughtful way (I mean, look at those colours up there - this project is about tonal gradation and hues), and to her dangly tangly threads that I saw in her work. The finished yet unfinished aspect of it really captured what I myself felt I was working on - or maybe a bit of how I work. I urge you to go and have a look through her website and find some lovely.

Lisa is also super-cool. And I love that. Cool in a real way. She is an art teacher and a practicing artist, and a mama. I love her instagram feed with the view points of shape and colour and line. I love her book. I also love the way Lisa seems to be collaborative - she has connections with other artists, and gathers people in. She shares skills and advice. 

Mostly I love that Lisa trusted me enough to be part of this amazing project with her. With everyone else who is making. All these lives that we've stitched into our doilies will be gathered together into Lisa's hands and displayed. And most people who look at the art work (in real - I'll only see it in pictures) will probably see the beauty that is there. The colours and lines and shapes. They won't know the stories of the people who made these pieces. The way that I carried a little fabric pouch with my thread and hook and pattern, the way I never fully remembered the pattern, so had to carry it with me. The way I sat at cafes with threads in front of me, and other customers asked about the teeny little work I was making - and were surprised that I was making it to send to an artwork on the other side of the world. The way my family knew it was an important thing I was working on, for an important project, and helped me along the way - let me count that one row of stitches where I couldn't talk or I'd have to start again. 

And you know what. I love the fact that two of my very special instagram friends also made doilies. Kate (blog) / foxslane (IG) and Cyndi (blog) / elf_girl (IG). We encouraged each other and enjoyed sharing where we were up to. The way I thought maybe Kate and I could sit and crochet together one day, and somehow here we are are working on one big thing together. 

You can see the doilies here on the instagram hashtag #1000doilies. I'm following along to see the final work with all our stitches and those colourful doilies talking together in one room. Thanks Lisa for letting me crochet with my far-away friends. xxxx

*bottom image of threads stacked is from Lisa Solomon's blog.

hot pink + inky blue // the greater the artist

I made this crochet bowl / vessel last week. It just started and happened, I added pieces and cut scraps to size and crochet-worked them in as I went. I love this. I'm going to say it again. I LOVE THIS! 

I am so loving the inky blue at the moment. It's scraps from my screen printed fabrics, that were sewn into purses and cushions - the edges of stitched and snipped corners, the left over snipplets / scraplets. I am always collecting scraplets from my sewing floor. I love the raggedy frayed edges and the half unraveled stitching.

I make a lot of little bits of things in my making time. Some bits sit unfinished, half finished, not complete. Ideas formed and run off before they fully evolved. I know that's an okay thing. Totally ok. It helps other ideas to progress. Sometimes ideas don't form and work through to the end for a while. But when they do. When it happens as my mind's eye imagined. 

Isn't that just like the biggest thing ever. It's ego-boosting. And I mean ego in a good way. I am not afraid of my ego, when it's being good. I think and artist ego has a sharp edge to slip either side to full-on ego "I'm better than you", or real-ego "I'm the best me". I aim for that one. The other-ego of me, the best of me. It's sometimes a hard line to walk. Between loving what you do, and showing off and then gloating. 

And then. The other option is the doubt. I love this quote about an artist having doubt. It's taken me a long long LONG time to slowly, quietly, sometimes, call myself an artist. I wonder if I am an artist, or a maker, or just a wanna-be. I wonder what's the difference. Anyway. This quote makes me feel like I must be an artist, Robert Hughes is a man who knows his artists. 

Is anyone interested in a tutorial for this crochet scrap vessel? I made it with builder's twine and fabric scraps and other little pieces. Maybe next week I could fathom one up, if anyone's interested... Come back tomorrow, when I hope to have a yarny stick/twig/branch tutorial to share with you.

*isn't the background here just simply beautiful? It's at my sister Leah's house - the walls are rendered concrete, which is possibly maybe what we'll end up doing on our home, or something similar. I love the worn patina of the faded ochre and the wooden bench.

stones, pebbles, rocks

I have been working, slowly around everyday life, on a small collection of one-off stones/pebbles/rocks. It makes me so joyfully happy to use some thread and a hook, and make these sweet little covers for rocks collected at our nearby beaches. 

I am working (ever so slowly) on a new website. And hope to have these pieces available for sale within the week. {Eeek - it's already Thursday. Shall we aim for the end of the week perhaps....?!}. 

Do these speak to you? 

Do you have any stones/pebbles/rocks that need covering?

Or perhaps an empty window ledge that needs one of these little ones?

Happy Thursday my friends. Today is a good day for I am spending it with people who make me feel excited and inspired and loved and appreciated; friends and dear family. 

Enjoy your day, 

E xxx

I made this! {linen & metallic}

I made this little soft sculptural crochet bowl. It's the most beautiful waxy linen thread, and I stitched metallic yarn thread through it as I was working, as well as some other scraps of yarns and off-cuts of threads. 

It feels just perfect in my hands. And is holding my crochet stones and bits and pieces. 

Now I want crochet baskets / bowls everywhere, for everything. {well, except maybe not for my breakfast eating}. 

I need to work out how to make them firmer, sit straighter and not so floppy and soft. Of course, that's all to do with the materials I make it with. So - explorations into what I crochet with coming over the next few weeks. 

I am on a search for copper yarn that I can stitch with. Something that's not too thick and heavy, but also not too fine. A jeweller's wire perhaps? This thread (above) is good to work with something else, but isn't copper wire or anything. But it does give the most satisfying shimmer and sparkle to the natural linen texture. 

What are you working on lately? 

What's making you happy this week?

Would you be interested in a tutorial for this little crochet bowl? 

Enjoy your week my friends, 

E xxx

it's been a while {this post is dedicated to the letter 'c'}

concrete
crochet
overflowing creeks.

 

that is my life at the moment.
rain rain and more rain.
the creeks have been swollen for what seems like years and years.

We have been flooded numerous times, school was closed one day and other days we simply didn't go at all.

Between the rainy moments we have been mixing and pouring concrete. Making walls for our living room. They are taking much longer than necessary - I cannot know the reason why; there surely are lessons there somewhere...... We are plodding on and on to get the walls made and finished. For once we have walls we can lay the floor and put in doors and windows, and then ceiling lining. And then. Oh and then.

a room. a space.

Will be ready for us to move into. Something new and fresh. And made by our hands, and the hands of our family (my dad and my brother-in-law and us). 

And then we will make our kitchen. And who knows we may even be moved in before my good good best best friend visits from New Zealand in 6 weeks. 

(a girl can always dream, can't she....). 

In between the concreting I have been crocheting. What else is one to do when the rain continues to pour and fall and fill up the yard. Tea drinking and crochet seem to have become big past times at the moment; And I am not complaining!

Thank you for those of you who keep visiting here. I always hope to come back more often, and life may have some changes over the next months so I may have more of a routine and therefore be able to visit here more. Here's hoping it all happens as planned. Here's hoping you can visit again soon, and I can be here and we can share tea and crochet and stories and laughs. How are you? I do miss you all when I can't be here; let me know how you are, won't you xxx

*as usual, you can find me on Instagram, search @petalplum

the sacrificial lamb :: but not wool

So there are only a handful of days left until the end of month one of 2013. hmmmm. well. um..

The other day my neighbour said that January is like the sacrificial lamb.

And maybe she's right. It's been all about the holidays and just being with the kids and dealing with their needs (and their moans and their wants and and and......). But I'm just being with it. Have learnt that fighting it is no use; I neither get anything done nor feel good. So this way at least I'm feeling at peace with just being, and having lots of wonderful laughs with my family.

Which means that my 5 things list really isn't gonna happen. Nup. Giving that up. February it is for all the work stuff and making and me time.

So, what have I been doing. Well some of this. And it's been fun and my whole family is loving it and getting excited about it. Even the cat. Yep - the cat is excited about my crochet tshirt yarn rug.

I've had the start of this sitting in the cupboard for well over a year waiting patiently. The other day for no reason at all I pulled it out of the basket and started cutting up more tshirts and starting hooking. And kept on going. 

I've been told, by the tallest person in our family, that it needs to be big enough to lay on. I'll be needing some more tshirts from said person's cast-offs then, I do think.

This rug is a good use of old tshirts and a wonderful new addition to your floor. So quick and easy to stitch up as well - though do be prepared for lots of furry tshirt bits all over you and the floor (maybe don't be wearing black). I can write a tutorial if you want, but I do think that there's probably lots out there if you do a search. Also, mostly I'm just making it up and adding extra stitches as I see fit (and sometimes unpicking a little if need be). It's simple single and double crochet, using a size 10 crochet hook and hand-cut tshirt yarn. If you don't know how to cut your own tshirt yarn; well there's lots of videos and instructions for that as well. Oh this internet thing sure is good isn't it!!!

I haven't even managed to barely get onto my computer these past days, but perhaps I'll be back soon with some other little home-makings I've been doing.

Maybe it's not so much a sacrificial lamb as the making of yarns and tales {tails} with my own little lamblets. What do you think? 

*and before you ask - my kids are every bit as internet aware as you or I (probably more so really). They know that photos of one's feet is very bloggish/IGer-ish, so of course they wanted to do that. And of course, I obliged.

5 things

I can't really believe it's already the middle of January, almost anyway. How did that happen??!! A whole lot of sweltering hot days, and kids-in-holiday-mode whinging surely didn't help with my creative productivity. I think I keep waiting for back to school when I have my head to myself again. Whereas at the moment every seven seconds someone needs me, or something from me. If I go outside or sit in a quiet corner (trying to hide) there's the call of "mama, mum, where are you?". You know that call don't you!

So. As a way to get those plans and goals that are floating in my head out into to reality, I thought that if I blogged about them, then I'd be more likely to get things done. School holidays and whinging kids or not. Maybe? Let's see!

Here's 5 things I'd like to achieve before January is over:

1. Have my new website ready for launching. So share with you what I'm working on. 

2. Have new stock made for said website launch. There will be crochet rocks, for sure. There will be. There will be.

3. Start proper planning on the new workshops and lessons I'd like to present this year. Screen printing workshops, perhaps sewing classes, and also maybe (just maybe) continue on with the creative talks we had happening last year at the Hey Maker! shop.

4. Start, oh, please at least start, the makings (or perhaps solid plannings) of a new outfit for myself. I'd like to make at least one new outfit a month, this year. What shall I start on? Tell me your favourite clothing patterns, please - I do so need a new dress.

5. Write and re-test at least one crochet rock tutorial.

Ok. Sounds simple enough. Though really there's a lot there. I know it's high hopes getting all that done. But to get a start would be great. Less time on instagram might help a teeny bit as well.......

Have you got things you're itching to get done?

What's stopping you? Are you blaming the kids, or the weather (too hot / too cold / too windy), or the lack of space to do your making? 

Tell me, please please do, how do you overcome those hurdles to get your making made?

*I finished this crochet piece today. If the light is good tomorrow, there may even be a tutorial for it and what I did with the finished piece, this week.

chocolate icecream and ......

I am eating chocolate icecream, while my family is all tucked up in bed (including the cat who has been sleeping on a piece of my fabric on a box for the last three days; he's only been up for food as far as we can tell). 

I should be writing my speech for tomorrow's school presentation. I am expected to speak in front of the whole assembly, important p&c president type things - not sure it's something I can wing, so I should write some words down on paper.

This week on instagram I followed a little theme that was happening, choosing 4 of my favourite photos from 2012. While I can never choose 4 favourites, what I found while looking through my massive archive was that the images that spoke to me most were of these crochet stones and also of my natural plant dyeing and stitch work. These images jumped out at me, sang to me. Make me realise that these are the things that have made me most creatively fulfilled this year past. And that I want to focus and dedicate and commit to doing more of next year. 

I am waiting until after Christmas to start any new year's resolutions, as I'm busy up till that point. But I have made a "my crochet stones" pinterest board, and intend to add many many images to that over the coming months. More crochet stones in life I do believe will be a good thing. And if they are crocheted using my own naturally plant dyed yarns, then that is even better. The best thing I think will be if those stones scatter off to live in other homes and find their way into the hearts of other people. 

What do you think about that? 

What made you happy, content, creatively fulfilled this year? 

Was it something as simple as a little creek or beach pebble. Oh golly - I really am simple of heart, aren't I? and that I feel is a good good thing. 

*second image is from Lisa Mitchell's blog. I do like that little saying - makes me think that big things are inside me, ready to grow.

just this

I pulled these from the dye pots this afternoon. These are the ones I put in only a few days ago - yet already such great colour.

Photo is dark and grainy, as it's dark and rainy here! (hehe - that was a funny little play on words, hey...).

The blue is from red cabbage with salt. What an excellent colour. The last red cabbage jar I dyed was purple. Did you know red cabbage is a ph indicator. I think the salt may have changed the colour a bit. My dad said it looks like denim, then he told me why denim is called denim. Do you know why? Well - it comes from a man in France who was the first to make the fabric, he named it after the city de Nimes, hence it became de-nim. You can read about it on wikipedia if you don't believe my dad, but I know that my dad really does know a thing or two!

And the little rock up top was from the blue dye pot as well - it's gone a dark and mysterious hue. 

The grey is from the rusty nail and eucalyptus brew. Some pieces are linen, some are hemp - creates different depths of colour on different fabrics.

The orange/brown is from coffee - what a good colour. I really do like it a lot! Every time there's coffee left over in our morning coffee pot, Sam saves it in a jar for me. I do think it would be much deeper and stronger if the fabric was in there for longer. And it's had no mordanting - so I don't know how colour/sun fast these pieces will be.

Anyway. The kids are having a sleep over, and I'm still doing final prep for tomorrow's market. It's dark and cold and rainy, and I want to sit in front of my fire and crochet....

What are you up to this weekend? Do have fun fun won't you! xxx

something practical this time

I got this lovely lovely yarn on Friday, at a local op-shop (thrift store). It really was a lucky find - I'd gone to get cash from the machine, and when I came back to pay, the lady was putting it out for sale.  I said how much, she said '.....oh, $4?'. Yes yes!

A whole bag of yarn balls. 7 full + 2 with only a little bit already gone. 60% wool with 40% nylon - though it feels really soft and woolly. It's in the most delicious dove grey colour. Someone bought it a long time ago from Coles for about 0.75c, they still have the labels and price stickers.

I've been thinking I needed to start on a lovely blanket - so that's what I did. But then, lying beside the fire last night, Sam mentioned that we really do need some big floor cushions. So - this became a crochet floor cushion (still in the works). I'm planning it big, as big as I can go with the yarn I have. Perhaps I'll get two?

There's no pattern. I just started out as I know how - crochet in the round. And then I added five little corner tab bits (with double stitches and chain rows), to form a pentagon shape. It's just evolving as I work each new row. Changing stitches as I feel like it. I did say at some point today that I was already a little bored with it (after all this tiny rock crochet, this really is a big project for me) - but changing stitches helps to keep me going. And it really is quite yummy yarn. Soft and so easy to work. It's crocheting up quite quickly. And the whole family is taking interest in it, which really does help.

I was using orange embroidery thread as corner markers (oh, I do need to get me some stitch markers, don't I!). The orange was a perfect pop against the grey (especially on this overcast, rainy day). And then, a quick look in my tiny stash bag to discover some orange yarn for the occasional row or two.

It's sure to be ready in time for next Winter - I know myself too well. I get a great start on things, and then go now-where with it. Here's to a finished cushion before the 'lying in front of our fire season' is over!

 and this last one, taken by candle light, and the extra light of a torch. It's hard holding a heavy torch in one hand, and taking a photo with the other hand. I've realised (or thought about it) this week, that we have been living here for 15months now - with no electricity....... 

Crochet by candlelight seems to have become my life!