Caron Cake Cardigan

I succumbed and bought some Caron Cakes yarn when they came into stock in Hobbycraft in Carlisle.

I bought the shades Rainbow Sherbet, Mixed Berry and Lilac Frosting.

I think it is always difficult to know what to do with a colour change yarn until you can actually see how the colours change.  I could see that this one was going to be quite 'blocky' so I thought I might do little colourful cardigan jackets for my Granddaughters.

I knew roughly what design I wanted so have a browse through Ravelry for a pattern.   I found this one..

You can find it here..
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sweet-baby-hoodie

I decided to use the Rainbow Sherbet one first and got to work.

I got all the pieces done, some colours lasted the full piece, while others changed within.  The photo looks awful in this one, the 'orange' is really mustard, and the 'mustard' colour is more of a pea-green.

I decided to join all the seams with a visual join, making it part of the design and adding a touch more colour. Just the buttons to add now, trying to decide between pink pawprint buttons or daisies  :)

I am going to make another, but this time I think I will re-write the pattern so I make the back and front in one piece, therefore spreading the colour a little more evenly.

Progression of The Shed

The Shed has been open now for just over 6 months and it already feels like we have been here for ever!

Looking through some photos from when we first opened, when everything looked clean, pristine ..... and a bit empty.

Now it is slowly getting filled with samples and lots of colour.   The shelves have had to be covered with a light curtain as the craft stuff, although sorted nicely, looked really scruffy and untidy.

Once the kitchen area went in for the Glass-work, we had to move the worktables to a different position, but people seem to quite like them this way.

The sewing machines are all set up on the back wall for optimum light and power sockets  :)

And Claudette, as quiet as she is, watches over all the going-ons.

So as you can see, quite a lot of colour has been injected into The Shed, it's bright, fun, full of inspiration and waiting for new crafters to come and join in on some of the classes.

You can find the latest classes here....

www.soozintheshed.co.uk/whats_on.htm

I am neglecting my blog...

An apology - I am sorry for neglecting you blog, but you know what?  Life is just a bit nuts right now.

I plan classes and workshops, leaving myself just enough time to grab a brew, walk the dog and have a pee in-between.  (usually in that order).

I keep meaning to schedule in "blog time" so I can jot down a few lines, just to let you know how things are going here in The Shed.  I do put most things on Facebook, but I know some of you don't use the dreaded Facebook and prefer to follow here.

Well, to keep you up to speed, we are now in our 6th month of crafting at The Shed, new faces are turning up all the time, which is fab, and I am constantly trying to come up with new fresh ideas to keep the old faces coming back.  I can somehow never find enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do!   I wish I could duplicate myself sometimes  (although not all the times as I think I would also find myself to be a pain in the butt!)

Have you visited yet?  If not, this is where we are.  The Atlas Works on Nelson Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle.  The big red door immediately though this archway.

Unfortunately I can't invite you to 'just pop in' as most of the time I am teaching... but if you do fancy popping by, drop me an email on soozintheshed@gmail.com, tell me a day and I will tell you my free hours.   (FREE hours??   hahaha, but I am sure I can take a break and grab a brew with you)

There are loads of classes and course on offer now, with more being added all the time.  If there is anything you would like to do that is not on offer, why not just ask?  Perhaps we can find a guest tutor to deliver a course that you might enjoy.

This is where you can find all our courses....

http://www.soozintheshed.co.uk/store/

Also, we are arranging coach trips.  It has been pointed out that it might be cheaper to get the train - and it very well might, but as it happens the price is worked out per seat and hiring a coach is not the cheapest thing to do.  On the plus side you get to spend the day with like-minded people and might make a few friends along the way.
Our first trio was to Woolfest and everyone on the mini-bus we went in really got on and chatted all the way, hence why we have arranged a couple more.
We shall be heading to Preston in August to shop at Abakhans and Hobbycraft, then to Yarndale in Skipton in September. Click on the link below for more details of those.

http://www.soozintheshed.co.uk

If you don't fancy travelling but do fancy making new friends and having a nice night out, then do try out Craft Social Evening.   These have been great fun and well liked - places are quite limited so need booked quite quickly.   You can bring a bottle of your fav tipple if you like, but we do have tea/coffee and squash on hand if you don't drink.
For the money  (£20.00) you get an evening of crafting - the crafts are kept secret until the night but they are good fun - good chatter, and delicious food too.  Where else could you get a good evening out for that?

Find out more below.

http://www.soozintheshed.co.uk/social

Anyway... must dash, got a class due in any minute.  Hope to be back in the not so distant future to give you more updates.

Happy Crafting....

Sooz

Owl Obsession Crochet Blanket

I don't think I ever showed you my second Owl Obsession blanket. I made it a wee while ago now when Granddaughter Hope was going into a big girl's bed and needed a bigger blanket.

I used the James C Brett Woodlander yarn in shade L8.

I edged them with a sparkly glittery pale pink yarn.

Lots of little owls appearing.

And more... they breed quickly!

I mentioned it was the second one of these I made, the first one I made for a colleague who was leaving work to have a baby.  I did that one in a Rainbow Glitz yarn edged with white.

This new one was a set of owls wider and a set of owls longer, perfect size for a toddler bed.

And the toddler seems to approve  :)

A randon Quilt Top from Charm Squares

Do you know one of those days when you have LOADS to do.  You go to your workroom to get started, not knowing which of the many "must get this finished today" projects to start first - you walk past a piece of fabric, or in this case a pack of charm squares, and think "I will play with these instead"?

Yeah, those days.

I bought this pack of charm squares ages ago, just to see what they were like.  I have never had the inclination to do anything with them, they didn't inspire me, they just sat on my desk, still wrapped, minding their own business.

Then, of course, when I an super busy, they want to be used!!

So, I got them out, tried not to sort them in anyway whatsoever, I really tried to use them randomly - failed a little bit by swapping some of them about.   But I simply sewed them into strips.

Then I sewed the strips together.  Then edged them in some fabric I found in my stash that matched quite well.

And that was that.  I haven't done anything else with it since. It has sat in the same place since then, on my cutting table - meaning I have had to cut on my ironing board  (as usual).  My inspiration has gone.... whittered away on the wind.  I have no use for a blue cartoon themed quilt top, but I guess I should finish it anyway........... at some point. In the future.

Crochet waistband Tutu

I made the cutest Tutu for Grandbaby no: 1

What is is about Tutu's that make them incredibly cute.  I wish I could wear one, but I would look a wee bit odd, at my time of life!  Think, Mavis.

Anyhoo, this one is pink, frilly and perfect for a little girl who is just starting dancing lessons.

So, I crochet the waistband in a pink DMC Natura Cotton with a 3mm hook, I crocheted it over a band of thick elastic for sturdyness.

Then added a picot fan edging to make it look pretty.

The Tulle is added to the loops created, I only added two layers of Tulle, but I did enough loops for a third layer, so if she ever wants the Tutu "puffier" I can add the third layer easily.

It fit beautifully, and will look super cute on the dancefloor, don't you think?

I lent it to Hobbycraft, Carlisle for their display, looks quite good like this!

If you would like a copy of the tutorial, please email me and I will send you one through FREE of charge  :)

A C2C (Corner to Corner) crochet Duck panel

Just one of those evenings when you need to fiddle with something, but inspiration has escaped and ran down the road.

I went to search through my laptop for my "things I must try" list and found nothing that inspired me there.  But then, accidentally, I clicked on the icon for my Cross-Stitch designer - I used to design and sell the odd Cross-Stitch pattern about 12 years ago.   

So I was browsing through them when I found a group of Farmyard Animals that I had done.  after a little editing, I printed out a pattern suitable for a C2C panel.  I went and dug some yarn out of my stash and got to work.

Can you tell what it is yet?  Oh yeah, a Duck - because I told you that already!

I put a photo on my Facebook page and got all sorts of random answers - a Mario Mushroom, Angry Birds, Pokemon, Christmas Tree (!!), Dragon.... I can see where most of them were coming from.

Oh, and an eye appears.

Ahhh, and then we have a Duck... but also a huge issue!  I ran out of yarn!!   And as it was from my stash, and unbanded, I have no idea what it was or where it was from.  It is a strange lillacy blue colour too so no hope of matching it.

So, now I am deciding whether to pull it all out, just put it in the bin, or add a totally different coloured corner.

Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Everest blanket for Derek Eland / Artist on Everest

It was a good while ago that I made "The Everest Blanket" for artist Derek Eland.

Each section of the blanket was taken from a photograph that Derek took whilst he was "Artist on Everest"

I crocheted four rows in each sitting, using the colours from one photo at a time.

The split photos before show the photo of Derek's that I worked from along side the crochet I created from those colours that jumped out at me.

And then it was done! A riot of glorious colour.  If I had have told you I was making a blanket based on colours from the photos taken on Mount Everest, would you have expected it to be so colourful?   No, me neither.  White, grey and blue I expected.

As I say, it has been a while since I made this and it has now gone to it's new home in Derek's house, but there is an exhibition of Derek's amazing work on Everest.  It is at Rheged and is on from SATURDAY 29 APRIL – SUNDAY 2 JULY 2017l

If you can, do take the time to go and see it, it is free entry and I am sure it will blow you away.

https://www.rheged.com/event/derek-eland-being-human-at-base-camp/