Crochet and Crowds

I wouldn't really describe myself as an extrovert but I have been learning this week that I am  bit of a show off at heart.

We are now half way through Perthshire Open Studios and I'm having  a ball. It's so nice to have so many visitors to the shop who are genuinely interested in what I make, how I make it and where I get my ideas from.

I've been trying to have little projects on the go all week so that I can have something to demonstrate for my visitors. Crocheting bracelets has proved to be a crowd pleaser. Of course you can't keep doing the same thing over and over without getting just a little bit bored so I looked out a crochet book with a section on edging patterns and came across this one. It looks rather nice in gold and silver coloured wires with little glass pearls. I may be biased.... but I do rather like this one.

There are loads of creative people showing off all over Perthshire. Just look HERE and see.

And for the rest of the world just look HERE and visit Our Creative Spaces

My Creative Space

We all know by now that my official status as a jewellery maker has taken a bit of a hit recently as I have become more and more obsessive about my new love of crochet. Of course I decided to learn to crochet so that I could use the techniques I learned to create new and exciting jewellery. I just never planned on getting so carried away with myself.

So.. to the point of todays post.

It's Thursday again which means that it's time to share what I have been working on in My Creative Space. Feel free to click HERE and visit Kirsty at Kootoyoo.

I came across an interesting looking pattern and decided to challenge my crochet and jewellers skills at the same time.

I had hoped to be able to work this pattern in fine wire but that proved a bit tricky so I used a shiny, textured crochet thread instead. Now that I have done the pattern once though I think I will probably try again with wire as I have a feeling that it could result in something fabulous. How's that for confidence then ???

What I should have said, is that I would love to be good enough to crochet  a fabulous, unique and totally gorgeous necklace using fine enamelled wire and although I'm not entirely sure that I'm up to the task, I'm prepared to give it a go. I'll let you know how I get on.

 Whilst I can see ways of improving this one, or maybe just adapting it a little bit, I must admit that I am pretty pleased with myself.

My Creative Space

I finished knitting a scarf for myself. Maybe not a major achievement for most people...

However, these days everything that I make is destined for the shop so it's a bit of a novelty to make something and keep it.

I used Can Can yarn from Rico Designs, which has to be the strangest yarn I have ever used, and a little bit quirky to work with, but the results are amazing.

The colour doesn't look as gorgeous in this photo as it really is which is a shame but never mind. The ruffles look really complicated but it's actually really easy to knit. Just 7 stitches and knit for150cm.

You have to knit into the yarn rather than wrap it round the needle, and as if by magic, a super ruffled scarf appears.

 

I thought you might also like to see this mini granny square, crocheted with 0.2mm wire.

This is for a customer of mine who wants to disguise an unsightly button on an evening bag.

The purple is the same colour as her dress so it will coordinate nicely with her outfit.

I'm off to visit some more creative spaces at kootoyoo and see what everyone else has been doing today.

Fiona x

Busy Monday

Today I decided to do something that I haven't done for a very long time.

A bit of card making

I have a craft fair on Saturday at the Museum of Abernethy, which is a really nice setting for a spot of Christmas shopping or for just treating yourself to some handmade goodies.

I haven't done many shows this year and fancied trying something a bit different for my first outing of the season. It's nice to feel that you have something new to show and that customers won't be looking at your stall thinking it's just the same as last year.

Soo.. a bit of something different.

I have a natty little template for a hand-shaped card which is perfect displaying bracelets. There are times when you want to give a wee present to someone who is going to say "aww you shouldn't have!"

Jewellery cards are the perfect solution.

Managed to finish off a dozen of these cards today. Lots of different colours and with simple crocheted wire and bead bracelets.

Along with some necklace cards and ear ring cards these will be on my table top card stand on Saturday.

I'm going to have to think out just how this will fit in with the rest of my display but it will certainly be a new look from last year.

Fiona x



My Creative Space

It's Thursday again, and time to share at kootoyoo .

On Saturday 22nd May I will be taking part in a craft fair in Blairgowrie Town Hall, Perthshire. Of course, everyone is invited, but first I need to restock on a few essentials. Sooo.. today I put away my 4mm crochet hook and  wool and brought out this instead.

Crochet bracelets were at the top of todays To Do list.

Red and silver wire with seed beads in a little shell pattern.

Same wire and beads here but just a simple double crochet.

Soon these little fasteners will be stitched in to place and the bracelet will close with a little magnetic catch.

In true 'Blue Peter' style.... Here's one I made earlier.

And finally... I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this yet. Could I do several wire and bead granny squares and turn them into a bracelet..? There's no weight to this at all so it's no use as a pendant...

Ah ha. Maybe a brooch....?

I'll let you know if anything worthy develops from this one.

Saturday's Fair

I've been busy today organising stock to take with me to The Dundee and District Woodturners craft fair tomorrow. This is my first fair this year and I think I might be out of practice. What a pickle trying to decide what to take and what to leave in the shop !! And of course both places need to be fully stocked so it's been a busy couple of weeks getting it all ready.

Completely new this time round is my new range of crocheted bracelets. All that crochet practice seems to have paid off and I am really pleased with the results.Here's a sneak preview.

Spot the difference !!! Can you tell which is the hand of a hard working 46 year old mother of three and which is the hand of her daughter.

Here you can see the fastening which is a small magnetic catch. These are a big favourite of mine as it makes it soo easy to put your own bracelet on by yourself. Sound silly but I do hate fiddling about with normal clasps on bracelets.

Hopefully I will remember to take some photos of my stall tomorrow and will show you what it looks like. I have a bad habit of forgetting until I am on my way home.

Some more of my work.

This is a very simple little pendant, made by wrapping a small agate with gold coloured enamelled wire. The husband of one of my customers has been collecting and polishing stones as a hobby for a while and very kindly passed some of them on to me. The other one here started as a very pretty heart shaped mother of pearl. I do like to personalise things though and this one has been wrapped with a piece of jade enamelled wire.

I have mentioned before that I knit bracelets and that I am now learning to crochet. Well here is wee look at what I am doing. The bracelet is an example of one of the many I have made in the last year. They have a magnetic fastener which means you can dress yourself and not be fiddling about with little catches all the time. On the left is a very simple little crocheted wire and bead necklace with matching ear rings. I am now working on a crocheted bracelet to match.  It is similar to the knitted bracelet but has a closer mesh.

Happy New Year

I have been back to work for two days now and am just about back in to a routine again. Sadly my lovely Christmas window display has been packed away and I quietly planning next years'. We are currently enjoying!!!!! the lowest temperatures in about 30 years so I am knitting hats and scarfs as fast as my needles will go.
Poor Mary, my flower lady is enjoying even worse weather up in Aberdeen so we still have some of her lovely Christmas decorations in stock. If you fancy stocking up for next year now would be a good time.
I realised the other day that despite being a jewellery maker I have posted very few pictures of my own work so that is on my ToDo list.
New Year resolutions. Now, I don't normally make any but have made the effort this year. My target is to learn as many new things this year. I wonder how I will get on.
First on my list is learning to crochet. I do quite a lot of knitting, currently woolly scarfs but I also knit with wire and I hope to be able to produce some interesting crocheted jewellery before too long.
Second on the list is a bit scarey and I am already getting a bit nervous about it. I am booked on to a course at the end of January to learn about making a web site. I'm convinced that everyone else on the course will be computer whizz kids, but hopefully it will all be people like myself.
I will keep you posted on my progress.
Happy New Year to everyone out there.
Fiona x