the three C's... day four

crafting and crocheting: (notes)

note one: on saturday a whole new world of crocheting opened up to me, after looking through my little loved pile of Japanese craft books i stumbled across a lovely scarf pattern. it reminded me how every year i see lovely crocheted scarves in the stores (namely anthropologie) and wish i could make one for myself. this appeared out of my reach until i sat in my PJ's, yarn and Mr Hook in hand, and discovered i may not beable to follow the written crochet word, but i can read patterns using symbols. the best thing of all, these symbols are universal, therefore does not matter what language the book is printed in, i can attempt the pattern if it is written in symbols...

oh happy joyous crocheting moment

note two: in november i am teaching a two part sunday workshop at the fine and dandy Assemble Gallery and  

Studio, i am tres thrilled to be doing so and my hope is you may wish to join me. all nitty gritty can be found here

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**EXCLUSIVE WORKSHOP** Vintage Lappity-Lap Blanket with dottie angel

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Piece, sew and embroider a small blanket with the one and only Tif Fussell (aka dottie angel) in this two session workshop exclusive! A bit by the artist: “Using the age old idea of taking loved and used fabrics to make something new again, we will be ‘piecing and layering’ fabrics to create a ‘lappity lap’ blanket adding finishing touches of hand-knotting, appliquéd patches or doilies and embroidery. The finished result being a lovely reminder of traditions gone by and a rather spiffy bit of handcrafted goodness for your home, or to gift to another.”

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Students must have previous sewing machine experience and the ability to do a running stitch by hand. A materials list will be provided upon registration. Seats are very limited, so don’t miss the fun!

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Date: Sunday, November 13th AND Sunday, November 20th

Time: 1pm – 4pm

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note three: i marvel at the mysterious ways the handcrafted Gods move. there i was on monday in my shed, rambling on about 'dumpties' and there was lovely Sophie in hers on tuesday, trying to locate a lost crafty mojo. off out the house she pops hoping to find it and she does! in the recycling centre no less. gosh what are the chances of two spiffy dumpties being found on the brink of no return. Sophie has done a peachy job of 'dumptie number one' and she tells me 'dumptie number two' is asking for a crocheted hat. never have i seen such marvelous finds, and how fitting to find 'dumpties' at the dump

note four: the three C's and the thrillingness that it is, will continue next week due to there not being enough days this week to fit in all the thrilling thoughts...

she notes it is friday, she notes the 'hurrah horray its friday' feeling coming on, and she wishes you a peachy one ~ Tif

the three C's... day three

crocheting: (a blankie)

this whole post has been written with a song playing in my head, you know that little voice in your head that sings like a true singer, where to you, you sound like the bees knees. my little voice is singing "reunited and it feels so good, reunited cause you understood" it then goes on to make up a few words and then just go on repeating itself over and over.

this little singing voice of mine appeared last week, in the yarn aisle. choosing to spend my time wisely admiring balls of yarn rather than stand on the soccer sidelines in the cold, it just popped up from nowhere. it was inevitable i would find myself in this aisle as earlier in the day i had been hit by the nesting bug which always hits around this time of year, despite my protests. and with thoughts of nesting, comes thoughts of yarny blankets.

so i stood there channeling my inner Ingrid, i hoped some of her peachy talent for combining colours would rub off on me if i thought really really hard, but it was a tres sorry sight for yarny colours which stood before me in the 'chunky' section. oh woe is me i thought... i pottled around the corner, down another aisle, back again due to another yarny buyer not budging, quite obviously intent on her own project. down the next aisle and back around until i have frequented 3 aisles of double sided shelves of yarny goodness. my inner Ingrid found many peachy colours but alas and alack they were all in different weights. as i stood with despair in my crafty soul and my little singing voice going on and on, another little voice popped up. actually two. one from the other yarny buyer wishing to get past, and the other from another part of my little head...

first voice "excuse me please" to which i stepped aside.

second voice "surely Tif, if you combined several strands of the same yarn, you can make one chunky strand" to which i did a little jump (not a big one cause i had my clog boots on and i did not wish to land on the toes of the yarny buyer who was passing on by) and then i said a little 'eureka' to myself. i said this because i have always wished to find a moment worthy of such a word. i was never able to say this in science at school due to spending most of my science lessons sat outside the classroom in the corridor to stop the teacher weeping at my pants science skills in the labs.

yarn being admired upon arrival home at mossy shed

so i went on my merry way, picking up sport weight (requiring three skeins to make a chunky strand), worsted weight (requiring two skeins to make a chunky strand) and just good old chunky (requiring one skein to make a chunky strand). then it dawned on me, not sure if this was another little voice or not, but the dawning made me note, yes this was a fine and dandy way to go about making chunky yarn for a blankie but it was also a very costly way. as i pondered, it appeared

buy yarn and save your sanity

do not buy yarn and go insane

i was left with little choice quite obviously i would be a fool to ignore the handcrafted gods and their words of wisdom...

yarn waiting to be admired by lads of two, with very little hope

on arrival home at the shed, i put my yarn in a little bundle so i may admire it, after which i fretted if my inner Ingrid had let me down, if the colour combination was tres terrible. i decided to not listen to my fretting ways and start my blankie. after a while, i put my yarn in a basket so my lads of two may admire it when passing by... noting not much admiring was going on, i gave up with the nicely positioned pretty yarn basket (fearing Little Olive would be most admiring) and proceeded with my blankie.

proceeding with blankie despite fretting about colour choices

with the help of Dorothy (again where would i be without Dorothy) i am now busy beavering away on a ripply striped blankie. 

perfectly sized for one who is wishing to nest alone, but could fit a little critter or small being in next to them quite snuggly if need be... and all the time as i beaver away spending quality time with Dr Hook and yarn, my little inner singing voice is keeping me company along with my sanity

another attempt at being admired by lads of two, attempt failed just like before

she is noting already friday is hovering close by ~ Tif