A Project Abandoned

It seemed like a good idea, and it was.
But it's out of my mind now, off the list, scrapped.

Not going to be done any more.

Remember these old wire garden sets? It got quite popular again the last couple of years, but you had to hunt them down, and if you could find it hope for a good price.

Dit was 'n goeie idee, maar dis nou uit my kop, van my lysie af, ek gaan dit nie meer doen nie.

Onthou hierdie ou tuinstelle?
Dis weer gewild die laaste paar jaar, maar jy moes soek om dit in die hande te kry, wat nog van 'n goeie prys.

Out in my backyard

I watched my local favourite secondhand shop, Bellbottoms, like a hawk.  Missed the first two sets - they were claimed within hours of being carried to the sidewalk.  So when I saw the third, I literally cut through traffic, drove right over the sidewalk and proclaimed it MINE as owner Didi just laughed.

We had it for a couple of years now, and it went through some colourful phases - my boys love spray paint and I let then "re-decorate" it now and then.  Last year, we went back to simple white.

The Grand Plan then was to crochet 4 retro-style cushions with a red gingham backing to use outside.  My sis sent me a whole pack of Stylecraft Special DK to use, and off I went, starting out with a giant square.

And then I didn't do anything more.

For months I had only this one cushion. 

Ek het Bellbottoms met 'n valk-oog dopgehou in die verbyry, maar jy moet vinnig wees.  Het twee stelle gemis, maar toe hul die derde uitdra, is ek deur die verkeer, oor die sypaadjie om my kleim af te steek.

Die stel is nou al 'n jaar of drie hier by ons, en was al verskeie kleure van die reënboog. Nou met die wit, was my Slim Plan om 4 kussings te hekel, so bont as kan kom, met rooi gingham, aan die agterkant. My sisi stuur 'n pak Stylecraft uit Ierland, en ek val weg, haak gou vinnig 'n groot granny square.

En toe doen ek niks verder nie.

Leef vir maande met die een granny.

A lonesome Giant Granny

I just couldn't get on with nr 2.

I started with a mixture off small squares of 3 rounds.

Then I started again, with larger squares of 4  rounds.

Then I started again, with Summer Garden Squares.

Then I replaced the too-light mint green with a darker green.

And this morning I decided I could just as well use my pile of scatter cushions outside, and calm down the family room.

Ek kon net nie aan die gang kom met nr 2 nie. Eers klein blokkies van drie rondtes probeer.  Toe groter blokkies van vier rondtes. Toe Summer Garden Squares.  Toe trek ek die ligte mintgroen uit en vervang met 'n mooier groen.

En vanoggend besluit ek om die hope kussings wat die wereld vol le in die familiekamer sommer buite ook te gebruik. 

Viva Mzansi

Yeay for Mr Price Home!

Yes, it works

Going to use the Stylecraft for something else on my Long Long List.

Sal die Stylecraft eerder vir iets anders op my Lang Lang Lys gebruik.

(Have you ever abandoned a project that you really wanted to do?)

(It feels like I should feel very guilty but I Will Not).

3KCBWDAY6- Improving My Skillset

One year ago, I took up my mom's old 4.5 mm crochet hook, some DK I had in the house, and proceeded to learn how to crochet.

Three days later , I gained muscle control over my fingers and the crochet hook.

At one stage I sat with The Happy Hooker on my lap, You Tube open in front of me, and my sister on the line from Ireland, to try and figure out how to make a DC.

Since then, I proceeded to successfully make one square.

Hot on its heels followed various simple cowls, a baby blanket, a vintage stripe blanket -gone-wrong-gone-wrap, two mug warmers, some coasters (actually testers),  two cushions for our beach house, a giant granny for my boy, flowers to mark my new suitcase, part of my aunty's to-be African Flower blanket, a Rainbow Ripple, another baby ripple still to be revealed here, some simple Christmas decorations, two winter scarves for my sisi, a flower scarf for me, some potholders, two amigurumi, a vintage brooch, a cushion for my cousin, a cushion and hearty garland for a Curly Girl, and a monster pouch for my iPhone. And a beanie. And a superlovely MyPicot scarve for me.

On holiday in Swakopmund, Namibia, April 2011, trying to figure out this DC thing

I learnt about British and American crochet language. Now, just for fun, throw Afrikaans into the mix - the terms are totally unrelated to the English counterparts. And for more fun, try Dutch, 'cause that where Afrikaans comes from, and no one can blame you if you want to throw your hands into the air and run away.

I learnt that crochet has a back and front :-D

I started blogging about my adventure, and in the process learnt so much from great ladies around the world, who are generous with their patterns and advice, not to mention inspiration.

And with online friend and fellow South African-based-in-London, Natasja King,  I started a crochet group on Facebook, that is now 1120 members strong.  What a joy that is!  At "Ons Hekel" I have seen the most beautiful ideas, met up fellow hookers and learn more every day.

So, in the next year, I Will:

1. learn to hook from a diagram
2. complete a Japanese flower scarve adapting from an existing doilie type pattern
3. learn to hook from a diagram
4. go beyond simple amigurumi
5. learn to hook from a diagram.
6. continue meeting new hookers at Ons Hekel and meet up with them where possible.

Did I mention I want to learn to hook from a diagram?

Then I'll order One Japanese Book for myself, as reward :-)

Klaar! Leandra se kussing.

Leandra's cushion is DONE! (A while ago). But her birthday was only last weekend, so now I can show it off (cause I'm quite chuffed with it :-)

O wee!  Hierdie kussing is al lankal klaar.  Maar kry ek tyd om 'n mooi te neem en dit net klaar te beskryf? 

Nee.

En sy het eers die afgelope naweek verjaar, so nou kan ek maar wys.

Hiersy nou:

The front:

The back (I didn't pattern-match the fold-overs, bit lazy, but few's gonna look there).


Om te sê ek's in my noppies, is 'n ... onderbeklemtoning.  Very happy!

Die lap het ek mos hier gehad; 'n hele paar jaar gelede by Wetherleys gekry, by 'n hopie materiaalmonsters wat hul wou uitgooi.  Perfekte pas.

I got the fabric for free a couple of years ago, lying on a pile of sample that was going to be thrown out.

Die rande: Een ry SC, gevolg deur 'n eenvoudige skulprand van 1 SC 1 HD 2 DC 1 HD 1 SC.

The edge: one row SC, followed by a simple scallop of 1 SC 1 HD 2 DC 1 HD 1 SC.

Die wol:  Vinnis Cotton (hoekom sê ons in Afrikaans 'wol' vir enigiets wat om 'n hekelpen of breipen kan gaan?), en die kleure:

The yarn - Vinnis Cotton in

Tamatierooi (Tomato 575)
Donkerblou (Navy 589)
Ougoud (Old Gold 596)
Turkoois (Sage 547)
En dan groen en bruinerig, weet nie watter ene is watter... (Wine 580) en (Chestnut 503).

Dit was 'n heerlike kussing om te maak. Die wol, die kleure, die lap, als het reg uitgewerk!

Hoop sy hou ook daarvan.

(En kyk, dit werk ook op my bed...by my winter kussings...).

It was a lovely cushion to work on. The yarn, the fabric, the colours, everything worked out right.

Hope she likes it too.

(And see...it even goes with my winter continentals...)

One-A-Day...Leandra's cushion (cont.)

25 squares have been finished!  

Plus four rows of edging...

AND I decided what to do with the back of the cushion.

Not a stripey crochet back.

Not a grand granny back.

Not a plain fabric back.

But...

After rummaging around a bit in the scraps that I know I have that's doing nothing in my trunk, I came up with...

THIS:

How's that for a perfect match?

Lovely piece I found somewhere as a sample of a discontinued line and wanted to do something with for how many years now...

So work will start tomorrow and I'll need to come up with a new One-a-Day project :-)

But first, I met up with two great hooky friends today:

That's me, left, after just finishing the edging on LC.

Adele, with her lovely hexagon blanket (I love the greenish-grey background! It's called Pepper, from elle Pure Gold, and I see it in my future).

And Loma, whom I wrote about in my previous post, starting out on a Roses and Daisies blanket. 

And the hard work washed down with an 18th ave cappo.

Thank you, as always, to Carole for hosting the One-a-Day group!  Let's a have a look at the other projects.

One-A-Day...Continuing Leandra's Cushion

Aah...one week later...

The front of the cushion is almost done, 16 squares:

(Photos taken at night, with my mobile...aaargh)

Edging these in navy now. Three done, eight to go, joining as I go:

I'm loving the Vinni's Cotton! But still have to decided what is going to happen with the back of the cushion...will I crochet it?  Or cover it with some fabric?

Carole is hosting One-A-Day over at Gingerbread Girl.  Have a look at the Tuesday's Tallies for heaps of lovely ideas and inspiring projects!

One-A-Day...Leandra's Cushion

Disclaimer...I don't know WHAT's going on with Blogger.  It insists on rotating my photo's on the side.  Can't do anything about it. Sorrrrry.
Can't find my Dashboard.
 If anybody can advise, I'd be grateful for ever. Even on how to get back to the old Blogger.

I was meant to sew in the last few ends on my Rainbow Ripple.

I was meant to start with The Great Romany Blanket.

I was meant to continue hooking African Flowers for my aunty...

Instead I could leave the Vinni's Cotton alone and started with a cushion for newly wed cousin-in-law Leandra!

Vinni's is a locally produced, proudly South African 100% of the softest cotton yarn.

The colours are beautiful.

R27 a ball...

But oh, the quality!  And the colours!

And its part of some community project that I'll have to get the background of.

I might be saying goodbye to acrylic for smaller items :-)

So I've got 1 square, 4 almost-squares and 4 centres (working production-line here) and have decided to go for a 5x5 square cushion, joining-as-I-go and starting like this:

And these are the colours I'll be using:

And the pattern is Attic 24's Summer Garden Squares.

This is my first One-A-Day post of the year.  For more, have a look at Gingerbread Girl who is hosting One-A-Day, and where you will find heaps of lovely projects!

PS.  Found it. Vinni's Colours is the brainchild of Vinni Nielsen.  It can be ordered at http://www.purlescence.co.uk/

But have a look at www.besweetproducts.com to see what she's exporting to the US market.

Locally produced. Not available here, though.

Sigh.

PPS - What I learnt now about the photos: even though photos are upright in the Windows folder, it is posted the way I took it with my iPhone. New gadget, need to learn a few things ;-)

Klaar!! Kussings Kussings Kussings Kussings

Drie kussingprojekte klaar!

Twee oortreksels vir Hartenboshuisie, alreeds in JUNIE klaargehaak, maar nou eers aanmekaargewerk.  Ek het 'n ou ligblou gingam-tafeldoek gebruik vir die agterkante, en met ligblou borduurgaring vasgewerk (wat noem mens dié, glipsteek?).  Patroon: Lucy se Summer Garden Squares. Kan nie wag om hierdie twee op hul rottangstoele in Hartenbos te gaan neersit nie. 

Three cushion projects done!

I finished two covers for the Little Beach House (crocheted in June, but only completed now). Forthe back I used an old, light-blue gingham table cloth, which I stitched with ligh-blue emrboidery thread. Pattern: Lucy's Sumer Garden Squares.
Can't wait to put it on the rattan chairs in Hartenbos.



Ek het Anner Stel sover gekry om hier te kom sit om die oortreksel vir Krulliekop se kussing klaar te stik, terwyl ek bg. twee doen.  Ons is albei baaaaaie deeltydse naaldwerkers, so dit was nogal 'n interessante oefening, aangehelp met baie koffie en rooibos.
Patroon: Cornel se teemus-motief (aangepas van Ingrid van woodwoolstool)

I got Other Stel to join me and finish the cover for her Curly Girl's cushion.  Both of us sew very occasionally, so it was an interesting exercise, with lots of coffee and rooibos tea to help us.
Pattern: Cornel's tea cosy motif, adapted from Ingrid of woodwoolstool)

 

Die ronde kussinkie het ek ook al maande gelede klaargemaak, vaagweg gebaseer op 'n kombinasie van Lucy se Summer Garden Squares en Alice se Granny Mandala  en nog elders  'n vatlappie waarvan ek nie eens die patroon meer onthou nie.  Die kussing is spesifiek gemaak vir 'n ou gietysterstoel wat altyd in my ouers se spaarkamer gestaan het, toe nog in wit gedaante.  Hier by my was die stoel al room, gunmetal, weer wit en tans rooi.  Hy migreer so van die kombuis na die agterstoep en weer terug. Die agterkant is gemaak van 'n ou denimkussingsloop. Die knopies is net dekoratief, en ek het dit weer vasgewerk met 'n sagte geel borduurgare (het toe nie die oranje wat ek eintlik wou gebruik nie).  Ek moet dalk net 'n beter kussing maak, hierdie was sommer 'n kortpad-vat-'n-platterige-vierkantige-kussing-en stik-dit-rond...

The little round cushion was finished months ago and is vaguely based on a combination of Lucy's Summer Garden Squares, Alice's Granny Mandala and another pattern that I can't even remember. It was specifically made for and old wrought-iron chair that used to live in my parents' spare bedroom, then white. I have painted it ivory, gunmetal grey, white again and it is red for now.  It migrates between the kitchen to the back stoep and back into the house.  

The back of the cover was made of an old denim pillow cover. The buttons are just decorative. I sewed it with a buttercup yellow embroidery thread - wanted to use bright orange but only then realised I didn't have any! At some stage I'll have to replace the inner with a proper round one, as I literally cut corners of an unused, unloved little square pillow...

Klaar! Vier kussings!

Done!  Four cushions!