Hooky Delights Discount

July tends to be when I start thinking about certain winter festivals, decorations and gifts. It's the nature of hand made, it takes a while to create beautiful crochet, so the "C" word order books all over the hand made community are beginning to creak open... Sorry.

To ease the pain I'm offering 10% discount on everything in my Etsy shop with the code July10. This is good for commissions too - and of course, what you order/buy does not have to be winter festivally.

I will also be begin crocheting gifts for friends and family. I feel Rye needs this doll... (By Erin Druschel)

And quite possibly this.

This fab design is by Vilma Ilona.

This fab design is by Vilma Ilona. Ok the Sherlock might maybe, be for me. I don't often crochet just for me anymore...

Hey, if you could have anything crocheted, what would it be?

 

 

 

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Sneaky peaks.

Oooh, spring is in the air! The past couple of days there's been a distinct warmth to the sunshine, birds excitedly chirping, and laundry drying on the line! (Major thing when the household consists of 10 adults and 8 kids!!!)

Spring is naturally a time of vigor, creativity, and stirrings of new life, and boy, have I've been busy!

New dread wraps /cute scarves, just need to fringe and add bead decoration, then I'll take photos.

New fitted wrist warmers, the first pair are child size - yes I booboob, and made a tad smaller than intended:

Aren't they cute! I love the touch of lace at the end, and these are longer length too, personally I prefer wrist warmers that are nice and long. This yarn, is the superb James C Brett chunky marble, a premium acrylic that washes beautifully, and if gently tumbled becomes even softer.

So, anyway, after these, I was on a wristwarmer curve, and designed these ones:

So another fitted warmer, this time with ribbing, leading to the lovely woven stitch, and again shaping at the wrist, finished off with granny clusters and picots. And guess what.... YES! I remembered to make notes! Especially excellent because my creative mind is all over the shop at the mo, and I've yet to make the partner to create the pair. Ooh, and again James C Brett Chunky Marble. I'm considering wrist cuffs,as above, without the ribbing and hooked in 4ply, so a lighter, more spring like cuff. Do you like that idea?

Anyway, creative mind jumping around, yup I moved onto the night light. I am ridiculously happy with this, felting the walls, as suggested by my house mate, was inspired! So much easier to embroider onto, sew beads and gem chips onto and looks super! It's not quite finished yet, so more sneaky peaks...

This particular Gnome House night light is already sold, never fear, another is in production. These gnome houses are just so much fun to make, plus I'm learning new skills, embroidery, and general sewing. And oh my gosh felted fabric, the windows in the felting process had shrunk too much. With fearful hands, and a held breath I cut them bigger.... And it was fine. Very handy because the cut out bits can be used to strengthen the walls.

My next thought is I have corks.... Hook wee hats and the corks could become wee gnomes. And while these are night lights, so very obviously multi use, season table, imaginative play, containers, so perhaps accompanying gnomes would be cute.

Anyhoos, that's the sneaky peak - once the makes are properly finished I'll take better photos.

Oooh by the way, I took photos for a wee photo tutorial on how I weave in tail ends for a crochet newbie, but I was thinking of writing it up and posting on here, maybe it becoming a regular thing? Let me know what you think.

 

K, tis late and my lovely warm bed is seductively calling me, so toodle pip.

 

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Hookiness.

Hey up me lovelies! I am so excited to show off recent makes; including a fabulous new range I'll be adding to the shop soon! Mind, the joy dimmed a wee bit when I looked at the CE certification paperwork. Oh my, there's BURNING people, BURNING! Sobs. On the plus side, it does mean my makes will be safe for the kiddywinks - which of course is all important!

But first, latest makes:  I can't remember if I showed you the fabulous leaf poncho I made for one of my housemates' mother.  So if I have, oops..but hey its worth another outing :-)

The photo really doesn't do this patter or yarn justice - it was utterly beautiful, and took a lot to give it to my housemate.  I so wanted to keep this beauty!

We had another birthday, and this time the birthday girl requested pink wrist warmers.  I also added an earwarmer head band.   Really chuffed with this, I must make some more for the shop!  The headwarmer looked stunning worn.

I've finally completed the Winter and Spring Garlands.  I lost the mojo a bit, and just didn't like the spring garland, so frogged everything and started again.  I am now insanely chuffed with it... and again the photos just don't do it justice; but unfortunately the light is rubbish so these are the best photos I could get.

Pre-strung; flowers blocked and all ready for putting together.  Incidentally, a tip for blocking structural crochet, I used spray starch; first I pinned out the daffs and then sprayed liberally with spray starch, before drying with a hot hairdryer.  The snowdrops I also sprayed and then teased into shape as they dried.

And strung... TADDAAAH, gawd I love this spring garland so much.  I'll be making a couple to add to the shop, including adding wire stems to create individual flowers that can be popped in a vase.  My own season table is demanding some pretty daffs and snowflakes!

 Isn't the wee bird utterly beautiful!  Soooo love this wee bird, designed by Lucy at Attic 24.  I have made it slightly differently, this is very small, so I used yellow felt for the beak, and then more felt for the wing, with beads glued on.  I really like the effect.

And finally hung up.  So pretty.  I just wish I could have got better photos to truly show these off!

And the winter garland is beyond cute!

 (sorry for the photo quality)

These were a lot of fun to make, just so sweet.  Rye has asked me to make him a pom pom snowman.

Would you like to see my work space?  I love my wee desk in front of my living room window.  I have shelving units to the side, holding yarns I tend to use most, including beads, felt, buttons, and I look out onto the side part of our garden.  Rose Howey is surrounded by trees, a wonderful treat, from the boring street and house brick view I had back at Firs Lane.  I can watch the squirrels' acrobatics, listening to the clucking of the hens and happily construct away.

Those hats, have I showed them, gosh, it's been so long I can't remember, so what the heck, just in case.  I am very proud of these hats too - or rather head huggers, great for dreads and long hair!

 This one is made with hand dyed merino, and is gorgeous.

And this, which is my favourite, is made with James C Brett's Monsoon.  So gorgeous.  I really wanted to keep this, but I forced myself to list it on Etsy.   I get to gaze a wee while longer at it, before the right person comes along and falls in love with it and buys.
Other makes were sweet wee booties for an online friend's twins, whose poor tootsies were cold:

 Lovely snuggly pure wool yarns, should keep those gorgeous little toes toastie!

And finally, my own new design TAADDDDAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH:

 Gnome House Night Light.  So cute.  I have lots of different designs in mind.  This one, the prototype, as it were, was included in the Green Parent Forum Season Swap, by all accounts well received :-)

I used some thick, home spun brown wool, I had hoped it would be thick and sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the roof; but not quite, so I did have to stuff inside of the house with wax proof paper and liberally apply stiffener to the walls.  I plan to experiment to with felting yarn, and using different types of support - but a few other ideas, which would entail re-using glass jars and clear plastic containers.

The light source is supplied by the LED tea light, these ones flicker like a candle, and really do produce a lovely ambiance

I'd love to know your thoughts on the gnome house

And just finally, a wee pic of the entire GP Season Swap that I made for my recipient: