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.
Head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

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.

WIPing up Triangles

Remember those triangles I was crocheting here and here and here? Well I have finally finished them and have used them to make some things. Here they are sewn up into a couple of cushions for Khye’s bed.

I’d finished the crocheting and sewn up a couple of cushions ages ago, but I’ve been really procrastinating on hand sewing up the stuffing holes and stitching the crochet to the cushion. Khye’s been bugging me for his round cushions and now they’re done he doesn’t really care…sigh…

And with the other half of the triangles, I added picots around the edges and chained them all together to make some flags for his room. I don’t think he has noticed them yet and for some reason I haven’t pointed them out to him. Here’s hoping he’ll be a little more excited about the flags than he was about the cushions.

Hmm these photos of the flags are a bit crappy and I’m not sure why but they’re twisting out of shape now that they’re hanging up. I have ironed them, but maybe it’s something to do with the way I’ve joined them together with the chaining???

Anyway, I’m counting this as two more WIPs down in my WIP challenge. Only another two to go. Geez this challenge can’t go fast enough for me. I’ve got so many ideas for new projects but I just have to patient and finish off my five first. And to think I was originally thinking ten WIPs. I would have gone crazy!

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!

For some inspiring Creative Spaces head over to Kootoyoo.

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.

More creative spaces at Kootoyoo.

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.

My Creative Space

How on earth do you make an 11 month old sit still for photos? Every time Maya sees the camera she lunges for it. It makes taking photos of her very difficult. Actually it makes taking photos of anything with her nearby very difficult!

Just get a look at those tiny but terrifying teeth!

Anyway back to the creative stuff, I crocheted this sleeveless jacket for her on the weekend.

It was inspired by a top I saw someone wearing on tv and inspired by Leonie’s wrap.
It’s another ... one made without a pattern. I simply crocheted a circle and “added” a couple of slits for armholes.
I made a prototype with calico first to get the right size for Maya, then started hooking from the centre, ending with a scalloped edge and finished off with a wooden toggle button (raided from Khye’s threading beads - he’s most upset and wants me to take it off - I’m hoping he forgets about it).
I love it and now I want to make one for myself!

I’ve also been joining my triangles this week.

What’s happening in your creative spaces this week?

My Creative Space

It’s Maya’s first birthday in a few weeks and I’ve been preparing her present. We are giving her a dolly who is in desperate need of some cute, warm clothes and I plan to make them. And ‘cos I couldn’t leave my crochet hooks alone for too long, I started dressing her with this little cardi. Using the purple wool left over from Maya’s top and armed with the “Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlecraft (1980) and a cardi Mum crocheted for me when I was a baby, I began crocheting without a pattern. I had intended to crochet it in one piece, but I started at the bottom edge and then it all got too hard when I reached the arms. So I started another piece from the neck edge and stitched the 2 pieces together. It was certainly a work of trial and error with lots of unraveling and lots of recrocheting!As you can see I still have to tie in the loose ends and sew on the buttons, but I think it has turned out well. Just in time to keep poor dolly warm in this miserable Melbourne weather.

Now I have to work out how to sew a dress to go under the cardi…

More creative spaces here.

My Creative Space

I could hardly wait to finish crocheting Maya’s new little top I started last week.

I could hardly wait to get it on her.
Actually I didn’t wait. It’s nearly done. I still need to finish weaving in the ends. I tried it on her anyway. She ended up wearing it the whole day and I kept poking unfinished ends back inside.I’m really happy with the way it turned out, even though it is a bit tighter around her body than I had hoped for.
I also had to modify the pattern and add some more rows across the shoulders so her arms could fit through. Tension swatches are so borrring!

Now it’s dirty after a hard day of commando crawling and now I miss it. The crocheting that is. I wish I hadn’t finished it so quickly. Sure I have other crochet projects but I really enjoyed doing this one.

More Creative Spaces over here at Kootoyoo.

PS. Do you know how hard it is to make a very active 10 month old sit and pose for a photo?