Birmingham and District Guild of Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing 'March 2012' 'Lord Of The Rings'

The Workshop for March involved preparing for 'The National Exhibition' This year it will be held 16 - 27th of July at the Weald and Downland Museum, in West Sussex.  Each Guild member has been invited to create an exhibit piece.

"Unselected work 
Guild members will be able to submit work that fits within a six-inch ring. Everything submitted will be hung together, in a special area for everyone’s enjoyment. It can be spun, woven, dyed, knitted, crochet, felted or any combination of these and perhaps in conjunction with other texhniques. The ring must be part of the exhibit."


How happily can a group of 'crafters' sit for five hours, creating a masterpiece within a six inch ring?  Very happily indeed is the answer.  The collage is a sample selection of the work that went on.  I am kicking myself for missing some real beauties, but I was very busy working on my own piece and photography was an afterthought.  Most, if not all members have taken their 'ring' away for completion.  So I am hopeful that I will get the opportunity to photograph them again in April.
              If you think a six inch ring can be uninspiring, think again.  There was a vast array of textile work being undertaken and imaginations and creativity were set free.  No two rings were alike and I am sure that when hundreds are hung together at 'The national Exhibition' they will make a stunning display.

This is my own 'Ring'.  It also happens to be the fuzziest photograph!  Sorry.  It is using my own hand spun yarns.  Unfortunately it looked much better in my head than in reality!  I chose a simple weaving idea from a children's textile book.  My first mistake was to assume it would be simple.  I crocheted the edge for my ring and I am using the Cute 'Daisy' pattern from Chalky's World to adorn my ring.  The Daisies are very quick and easy to crochet.  I am thinking of crocheting miniature daisies from embroidery thread to hide the edge of my 'Weaving Frame'.  Just what I always wanted. . . . . another Work in Progress.

I am very proud of my Mom's piece of work.  I really would like to pass it off as my own.  She embroidered this little design out of her very own head.  I am calling it 'Sheep May safely Graze' after one of my favourite pieces of music.  They look like happy little sheep munching spring flowers in the sunshine, growing lovely woolly fleece for us to knit with. 

This is an interesting ring using fibre and natural materials.  I have been assured the finished design will contain a miniature aeroplane.  Wow!

People explored designs using the 'stash' that they had and I really could have lost and hour or two mooching through sewing boxes, tins and bags if they would have let me.  I like the colours and sheen of these threads combined together and I think this is going to be a stunner when it is finished.

I really love the colours here and it is interesting to see the effect of weaving with fabric strips, rather than yarn or thread.  Check out the yummy stash too.

The lady who created this one lives on a boat.  I think she is capturing the water beautifully with the fibre, colours, movement and the tiny little beads.  I could dive in!

You can never have too much pink, shiny yarn.  I am very interested to see this one finished.  Look how neat the edging on the ring is!

I love the colours of this edging, again it is very neat.  I also love sparkly stars.  This is going to be a stunner.

I think tapestry weaving is very clever.  This cute design is going to turn out great.

I just want to give this one a rub.  I have never tried rug making, it is on my never ending list of things to try.

This is a nice solid design.  With the technique and the use of colour this piece really stands out from the crowd.

This is a beautiful Work in Progress using some very fine threads and what looks to be some intricate technique.  I am not sure how this is being made but it looks fantastic.  

Edit:  I don't know how I missed including this first time round!  This is going to be a tiny little sweater to go inside a ring.  Isn't it cute?  It would make Barbie incredibly happy I am sure :) 
            I am really kicking myself for the pieces I missed photographing, one was a bold 'Fire' theme design, another was some beautiful closely woven fabric and there was a beautiful piece of 'Tatting' being worked in hand dyed thread.
             I know my Buddy Claire has also been working on these at Stratford Upon Avon Guild where she is a member.  You can check out Claire's work in progress here at 'Simply. . . . Life':  She is working on a 2D 'Seascape' and a 3D needle felted Robins Nest, complete with tiny eggs.  Birmingham Guild are hoping, in July, to travel with Stratford Guild by coach to the National Exhibition.  I think we catch the coach at some ungodly hour.  Then I need to manage two or three hours on a coach.  I get extreme motion sickness.  I feel ill on planes, trains and automobiles.  I also could get sea sick on a mill pond!  Coaches and buses have to be my worse mode of transport second only to 'Cross Channel Ferries' where I literally turn a subtle shade of green.  Hence I tend not to stray very far from my own front door.
             I could not recommend enough that you grab yourself a 'six inch ring' and let your imagination run riot!  It is great fun to explore something new and you can make yourself (or somebody else) a crafty, textile wall hanging or mobile.  If you do have a go please don't forget to show me, I am nosey like that! 
             I hope you are having a good weekend, full of the stuff that makes you happy.  xxx

Granny Chic 'Granny Stripe' Wrist Warmers Pattern

Delusions of Grandeur have passed.  I am very grateful to the Oompa Loompas who helped me with testing this pattern.  I think it is safe to say they were happy with their end results and the feedback I received for the pattern was very useful.  Aren't people kind?  Thanks again to those of you who helped and those of you who volunteered your time and services.  I don't deserve ya!
          I have enjoyed wearing these 'Wrist Warmers' but then I am a sucker for 'Granny Stripe'.  They look better on than off, but my photography skills are not great and my teenager lost patience with me doing an 'on location artistic photo shoot'.  I don't mind being a 'hand model' he hated being a photographer, he was wearing my shoes in the back garden, cursing me to hurry up and stop fussing about.  So the shoot was over and done with before it started.  Euan on the other hand took about twenty photographs of me wearing the Chicken Tea Cosy as a hat, I had to snatch the camera from him.  Hmmm my boys 'Chalk and Cheese'.

These Granny Chic 'Granny Stripe' Wrist Warmers are a very quick and easy make.  I would love to hear from you if you decide to give them a go.  XXX
        
Well on with the pattern:

Materials: Scraps of Double knit Yarn.  1 main colour and 7 contrast colours. 

Hook Size:  4.5mm

Abbreviations: UK Terminology

Chain - ch

Double Crochet – dc

Treble Crochet – tr

Instructions:

For the Granny Stripe section of the Wrist Warmers:  Working in the main colour.

Make 31 chain.  Turn.

Row 1:   Miss the first stitch work a double crochet into each the chain.

Row 2:    Ch 3 and turn.   Work 2 tr into the 1st dc.  (Miss the next two dc, 3tr into the next dc) Repeat 8 times.  Miss 2dc and work 1 tr into the last stitch.   

Row 3:  Join contrast colour.  Ch 3,  make 3 tr into the next and each tr cluster space along the row.  Work 1 tr into the last tr of the previous row to end the row. 

Row 4:  Re-join Main colour.  (Repeat Row 2 and 3, 6 times). 

Row 16:  Using the main colour repeat row two.

Row 17:  1 ch, work 1 dc in each of the previous row’s tr, fasten off.

To Make The Cuffs:

Using the main colour, ch 18.

Row 1: 1 dc into each ch.

Row 2:  1 ch, 1 dc through the back of dc, to the end of the row.  Repeat this row 25 times to form crochet rib.  Fasten off.

Make Two.

To Make up: Both Wrist Warmers the Same.

Sew in all ends.   With the wrong side facing:  Sew the cuff onto the wrist warmer.

Sew securely but loosely.  Slightly stretch the rib of the cuff to attach it evenly.

Sew up the side seam to the top edge of the second contrast colour stripe.  Fasten off.

Rejoin at the top of the 5^th contrast colour stripe, this creates the thumb space.  Continue

to sew up the side seam and fasten off.

To make the thumbs:

Using the Main colour pick up and work evenly 18 dc around the thumb space (9dc each side).  Working in a round work 2 rows of dc and fasten off.  Sew in the end.

NB:  These make a slim fitting ladies wrist warmer.  The size can be easily altered to make larger or smaller wrist warmers.  Measure the width and length to the required size and alter stitches and rows accordingly.   

For the Granny Stripe, ch multiples of 3 for the required size. 

For the cuff chain the required length and work the number of rows required to achieve a snug fit.

This Picture is the best of a bad deal!

Blog Friends

I have said before I love my Blog Buddies.  You don't use my tea bags, you take up no room on the sofa and I am always pleased to see you and know that you have popped round.  (seriously, I just made a typo   -  pooped rather than popped, I definitely would not like it if any of you started to poop round!  Just for the record)!  I like the way with Blog Buddies 'like attracts like', we follow people who have the same interests as ourselves, or whose lives interest or inspire us.  We follow people who make us smile and laugh and offer words of support, wisdom, encouragement or timely humour.  I started to Follow Simply ...Life, a great blog written by Claire.  Claire and I have a lot in common, we are both busy Moms, we both hand spin and do strange things with raw fleece and fibre, we both crochet and knit, we both love chickens (but sadly Claire lost Betty not too long ago), we like to grow and cook our own fruit and vegetables, we bake our own bread, enjoy reading, try to simplify our lives as much as is humanly possible, we both have sons with long hair, we both enjoy being members of Weaving Spinning and Dyeing Guilds and then....get this...after following each others blogs for a few months we realised we live in the same town!  We live about a ten minute drive from each other.
          I am not sure if I would describe myself as shy or antisocial, I don't feel shy and I don't really feel antisocial (depending on the company).  I have never been one for lots of friends but the friends I have, I have been friends with for years and years and they are very dear to me.  It has been a long time since I have made a new friend.  Today I met Claire for the first time and her cute three year old daughter.  I was a bit apprehensive/anxious but I really needn't have been.  We had a nice afternoon chatting about craft, kids, gardening and stuff and I am very pleased to say my 'new' friend makes a delicious cup of tea.
           Isn't Blogland great?  I used to think Blogland was Blogland, somewhere out in cyberspace, separate from the 'real' world.  Now I realise Blogland and the 'real' world overlap.  It is very strange to meet a Blog Buddy, someone that you know quite a bit about but have only 'met' in Cyberspace.  I hope to see Claire again soon as I have not been introduced to her spinning wheel yet.  I would also like to go to her allotment , armed with welligogs, spades and a flask of hot tea!
            Maybe we should have a mass Blogland gathering sometime, anyone fancy the South of France or the Greek islands?  xxx

Shawl Collared Cowl

'Shawl Collared Cowl' by Alana Dakos

This has been my first bit of knitting for quite some time.   I love knitting but it is my 'Nemesis' as I really think I should be a lot better at it than I actually am.  I get disappointed when I can't make patterns that are described as 'easy'.  I had to learn how to knit 'short rows' for this pattern.  Short rows were new to me but I worked them out.  This pattern is described as 'easy'.  It is, but. . . . there is a big but for me. . . . . not butt, but but!  I find the finished garment like a Chinese Puzzle.  Fathoming the right side and the wrong side, the top and the bottom.  To be quite honest my Dad fathomed out how to wear it properly before I did.  Thank you Dad.  I chose three 'vintage' buttons from my collection rather than buy new buttons.  Which I thought was very thrifty and resourceful of me.

Button One

Button Two

Button Three

            I was happy to complete the cowl, I selected the buttons and got sewing.  I sewed all three in place and then put on the cowl.  Something was not right.  Doh I had sewn the buttons on in the wrong place!  I snipped and tried again.  Sewing all three in place for a second time.  Nope.  Doh!  Still in the wrong place.  Third time lucky.  Buttons in the right place, but one stubborn button is upside down.  Bah!  It can stay like that for a while.

This yarn was a pleasure to knit, I like the textural effect from the thick and thin in one yarn.  The finished cowl is very warm.  I wonder how long I can live with the upside down button for?

Thank you for the Birthday Wishes

Euan Sporting a beautiful 'Hat'

Well despite the Monday part, I had a very Happy Birthday.  I loved all the kind comments I had in Blogland, thank you they made it even happier.  X
           My sons were both gentlemen for the day and made sure I was pampered at home, their behaviour was exemplary, well by our family standards anyway!  I had some lovely gifts and cards.  I might showcase the cards later in the week as they are great, you can get some beautiful cards these days can't you?  At school when I was little you could take your cards and show them one by one to the rest of the class, I used to love doing this.  The cookies and cakes were very well received at work, the children were very appreciative of their chocolate muffins.  I had an eight year old ask me how old I was.  I replied 'You don't ask posh people their age' as quick as a wink he replied 'but Miss you ent posh!'  He then went on to estimate I was 57!  Great!  I celebrated my 40th last year.
          As I left for work in the morning and was saying goodbye to Euan, he whispered me over to him, my heart skipped a beat with cuteness and I expected a birthday wish and a kiss on the cheek, instead he   whispered 'You know on the telly, 'Dick and Dom Go wild'?  Well Dick just had to put his hand up a cows a*se to see if she was pregadent!'  I am afraid I over looked the language because of the funny factor! (Edit to say 'Dick and Dom Go wild' is a BBC Children's program that is on at breakfast time, Jeesh  and we wonder what is wrong with kids today! ) Talk about burst my birthday bubble!  He was good enough to model my fantastic new Chicken Tea Cosy in the evening though.  My brother and his wife bought it for me, we think it makes a brilliant hat.  I also had a Chicken Oven Mitt.

My work friend really spoiled me with a wicker basket containing beautiful handmade soaps, a wobbly Chicken, chocolates and a delicious smelling Raspberry Tea Candle in a cup and saucer.  (There is a story about the wobbly chicken, ahem. . . . . I will save that for another day).

Homemade 'Vintage Cup and Saucer' candles would make great gifts wouldn't they?

My boys unwrapped the soaps and spent a while inhaling the smell and nagging, asking me if they could take a bath with my 'Ladies' soap!

These soaps have made me want to have a go at making my own.  Maybe one day I will.   If any of you have tried making soap, I would love to know how you got on.

Henry really wanted a bath with this Cup Cake Bath Bomb.  I know what my boys are getting in their Christmas stocking this year.  'Lady Soaps'!!!  I had some Lavender toiletries from my Aunt and Uncle too in another pretty wicker basket, Lavender is my favourite.

My parents got me a pretty striped top, sorry about the picture but I am wearing the top.  The pink stripes match my favourite Bubblegum Pink boots that I wear for work.

These are the third pair of pink boots I have owned and they do make me happy.

Nothing to do with birthdays, but I had to show you my PJs, sorry about the photo but I am also wearing these.   They make me happy too.  It is no wonder I long for PJ days, these are so comfy and snug, I like to put them on at the earliest opportunity and I am most reluctant to change out of them!

I will share one card today, from my Other Half.  It is not everyone's cup of tea but I love it.  I think I might have to find a frame for it.  The black is actually fuzzy.  Flowers, pink and sparkly, what more could I ask for?  It looks lovely with my Hippy Witch toadstools and the little photograph of my special old sausage.
             We ended the day with a delicious Indian take away, that was spicier than expected, washed down with red wine, followed by chocolate Birthday Cake.  Not bad for a Monday Birthday.  I felt a bit peculiar the morning after though.
            I have managed to finish the 'Shawl Collared Cowl' and I have worn it too!  I will share that tomorrow, because I fear you will have had enough of my ramblings by now.
            By the way, one last thing, the cow was not pregadent after all.

Raise Your Glass

Me enjoying a large Beer!  I was probably about five in this picture.   

I have had a lazy weekend.  The dog woke me up this morning at 4am barking!  The joys of dog ownership.  When I looked out of my bedroom window I spotted a fox!  The fox spotted me and ran past the house.  I hope he was not planning a Chicken Take Away!  I am paying for my laziness today, laundry, cooking, tidying and refereeing!  I am quite good at refereeing, I was born bossy and my initials spell out LAW.  I literally am the law when it comes to sorting out squabbling brothers.  My two boys tried to play together on the games console, somebody fell in lava and then when the other went to rescue them from the lava they fell in too, there was a lot of shouting and a right hoo haa as they were both stuck in lava, each blaming the other for their 'virtual' predicament.  It ended with me separating them, laying down the law and the console is off.  The dog is as bewildered as I am.  Now the big one is reading about Buddha, let's hope he learns a thing or two.  The younger one is playing with Lego.  He is a long way off learning a thing or two.  His usual defence goes something like this. . . . "It all started when he hit me back!"
          Tomorrow I have a Monday Birthday.  Boooo!  I like Saturday birthdays.  I have some delicious cookies to take to work to share with my work mates and some chocolate muffins to share with the children.  In the afternoon we have a 'Food Technology' lesson and we are going to make Pizzas.  It could be a worse day I suppose.  What I would really like is a Birthday Knitting, spinning, crochet type of day, to make it perfect I would stay in my PJ's.  Birthdays are a bit weird don't you think?  I will be glad when mine has gone again, perhaps I should just take the Saturday ones in future and celebrate those.
            I should finish my Knitted 'Shawl Collared Cowl' today with a bit of luck, now there is calm after the storm.  The weather has gone cold again and some parts of the UK have had snow.  I am quite pleased about  this, as last week it was too warm for a 'Shawl Collared Cowl'.
            I do have one other thing to share.  In Yo Face!

Four blooms off one stalk.  Certainly not a 'wallflower'.  This Amaryllis nearly fills my living room.  What a beauty and well worth the wait.  I like to grow one of these each year.  They are fascinating to watch.  This year I am hoping to keep the bulb and try and grow it again for next year.  That is my cunning plan.
              Hope you are having a good weekend in your neck of the woods, thanks as always for stopping by. XXX