My Creative Space is preparing for winter…

…with these little slippers. I crocheted them for Maya but after lightly felting them, her feet barely fit into them. So I have given them to my friend’s little 3 month old daughter whose feet are waaay too small yet.

Speaking of the gorgeous little girl, I forgot to show you what I made for her when she was born. This is my first crocheted blanket, made before I worked out that you can actually join the motifs as you crochet them.

So many hours were spent (unnecessarily) stitching all these hexagons together.

Hopefully it is keeping her nice and cosy with the cooler weather we have been having this season.

And hopefully she is having fun playing “where is the white sheep” with this softie I made from an opped cotton and silk knitted jumper.

More creativity over here at Kootoyoo.

Happy Holiday Hooking

It’s taken Maya quite some time to warm up to this hat. But thankfully all that crocheting, unraveling, crocheting, unraveling ... etc hasn’t gone to waste and she finally approves of her new sun hat. Once again there was no pattern, it was very experimental. I used a shell pattern in rounds and it was a bit of a challenge working out where to increase and how to increase, hence the unraveling. I think it has worked out okay except the brim is a bit floppier than I had hope for. But in an attempt to broaden it and reduce the floppiness, I double crocheted over a plastic cord around the edge.
It’s still a bit floppy but at least it keeps the sun off and it does look quite cute with her colour coordinated drink bottle!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

The planet is round…

…and I haven’t fallen off the face of it.

The busy but fun summer has distracted me from blogging and I’ve loved the break. Of course there’s been no break from the creating though.

I crocheted a couple of cushion covers dottie angel style. And now I’m trying to find the motivation to do the boring bits – sewing up the cushions.
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My Creative Space

Busy, busy, busy preparing for the Sugar & Spice Children’s Market. Only finding time to take photos in the fading light - again. At least my parliament of owls is growing and these guys are ready to fly off soon!

This little brown owl is my favourite.
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My very, very late Creative Space

So late I’ve missed getting my link in over at Kootoyoo! I have been busy working at my mummy job, working at my housekeeping job, working at my paid job and dealing with the result of a run in with a Holden Rodeo on the freeway (we lost but everyone is okay). I have though managed to make some stuff!

Do you know how hard it is to photograph 8 hanging birds in the fading light with a slight breeze? Just as hard as it is to photograph a 12 month old! These are the only photos I got of these Christmassy birds before they flew off to their new home at the Ecotoys store in Burwood. This is a much better photo of the birds settled in their new home and you can check it out over here at the Ecotoys store facebook page.

Hopefully I’ll be on time for My Creative Space next week!

My Creative Space

Happy hangers have been the focus of my creative attention this week thanks to dottie angel.
Pity they’re going to be hidden away in the wardrobe. Or maybe I just need a pretty wall and some special hooks to display them just like Tif.

Where’s your creative attention been this week?

My Creative Space

Is it really My Creative Space time again already? Only another 1000+ posts in my blog reader this week. Blogtoberfest is making my head spin! Another day at playgroup and another mouthful of sand. Another crocheted something for Maya. (And here)
Another squared vest.
I love this simple but gorgeous pattern. I worked out how I stuffed up the sleeves last time. This time I “stuffed it up” deliberately so could do the gathered sleeves again. This is how I did it:
1. Follow Amanda’s squared vest pattern.
2. When Amanda says “Remember ch2 counts as dc” (Note I’m using US terminology here), ignore that and add an extra dc to the start and end of every round.
3. Stitch up the seams as per Amanda’s pattern.
4. Cut 2 pieces of hat elastic to fit comfortable around your arm.
5. Thread the elastic around the sleeve edge and tie in place.
6. Then do two rows of double crochet (Australian) around the edge to cover the hat elastic and voila!

My Creative Space

Finally... One ripple dress complete.

Fifth and final WIP done.

And one new WIP started.

More creative stuff here.

The beanbag that’s not a beanbag creative space

Finally it’s finished – the beanbag that’s not a beanbag. It took a lot longer to make than I had expected. That seems to be a very familiar story with me. I start things expecting to whip ‘em up in a couple of hours and when I don’t finish them they get put away for another day hence the millions of half started projects everywhere and hence the WIP challenge. Speaking of which, this is another WIP down – only one more to go!

So anyway back to the beanbag that’s not a beanbag. I love how it has turned out. I love that the kids love it. Although I really have to keep an eye on Maya when she’s in it!
I love that the kid’s friends and cousins love it. I love that I have inspired a friend to try making one herself.

All I did was sew up a beanbag using denim and upholstery fabric with some extra strong upholstery thread, hammer in some eyelets at the top (that bit was fun!), cut a door in the side, place a hoop inside the bottom of the beanbag to help keep its shape, put some cushions and blankets inside, hang it from the eyelets on a hook and voila, a fun swinging hideaway for the kids!
It looks so fun and comfy that I want to get in there myself, but I think I’ll leave the fun to the kids. I don’t want to break it! My Creative Space is a little bit later than usual this week. I’ve seen a bit too much of the bathroom in the last 12-24 hours, after eating a bad batch of food at the food court at work yesterday. Lets just say I won’t be eating any of that impossibly red sweet and sour pork again anytime soon!

My Creative Space (and first WIP done!)

I am so happy with my new little cardi. I just love it. I used Amamda’s squared vest crochet pattern. And despite Amanda telling me it would be quick and easy to make, it actually took me ages.
I ran out of yarn (again) and then somehow I stuffed up the sleeve edges. But I managed to fix both, as you can see, by adding in some rounds of matching scrap yarns and by threading some hat elastic around the sleeve edges.
When I started I thought I would use a big 7mm hook in an attempt to make the yarn go further (does that actually work?), but by the end I thought it was a little loose. Luckily it was a tad too big and the yarn I used is wool, so I lightly felted it and now it is perfect!

I love, love, love it and I can’t wait for some slightly warmer weather to wear it. Also perfect is that it is my first WIP to be completed in my WIP Challenge. Only 4 more things to finish!
And join Kirsty on her Creative Space Thursday.

My Creative Space...

... involves opped denim and upholstery fabric, extra strength upholstery thread, some "inspiration" from a well known Swedish homewares store catalogue, a child's plastic hoop and a beanbag pattern ... but I'm not making a beanbag. My brain is getting a work out (good preparation for my return to work in two weeks) and my newly serviced green machine is also getting a good work out with this project.I love this bedspread crocheted by my grandmother, but it has absolutely nothing to do with my beanbag that is not a beanbag. I just didn't want a photoless creative space. More on the "beanbag" when it's finished. Hopefully it is strong enough and works out okay!

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My Mum's Creative Space

My space is a little boring at the moment. I’m still working on the ripple dress, planning another crochet top, and doing lots of softie cutting out in preparation for future markets. But my Mum has been very busy lately. And Maya is a lucky girl ‘cos she received this fabulous quilt for her first birthday last week. Mum originally patched the quilt back in 1976 when she was pregnant with me. She has recently repaired the quilt, rebacked it, and machine quilted it. The backing fabric is from the curtains my Mum had in her room when she was a baby. I love that this quilt has so much family history in it. Maybe one day I could add to it a little for Maya’s daughter…
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My Creative Space

Crocheting more of this:It’s very slow going and getting a bit monotonous now. I think I prefer crocheting with big hooks and big wool. Looking forward to the end of it now.

Crocheted another one of these:Yes it’s exactly the same as the first one. It’s an order for a woman (a complete stranger we met at the shops) who saw Maya wearing hers and wants one the same size and colour for her granddaughter. Still got some loose ends to weave in and a toggle button to add.

And finished making these:Some bedding for a little wicker doll’s pram we are giving Maya for her first birthday tomorrow.

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My Creative Space

I had envisaged that this creative space would be all about my gorgeous new crocheted sleeveless jacket like the one I made Maya last week, but it hasn’t happened. It all began with a bit of excitement and a lot of gusto (and maybe a touch of obsession), but has ended with disappointment.

First, I used the wrong yarn, a heavy textured yarn and for some reason I chose a colour I don’t love. Second, the jacket ate the yarn very quickly and I don’t have any more to finish the job. Thirdly, the yarn texture is hiding the pretty pattern I crocheted.

So anyway I’ve hidden it at the back of the cupboard so it’s out of my sight and out of my mind. I’m still really keen to make myself a jacket like Maya’s but I’m thinking that maybe I’ll use some wool fabric and sew it rather than crochet it. I haven’t been totally put off crocheting things for myself, but for the moment I think I’ll stick to the small Maya sized garments.
More Creative Spaces over here.