A Potter I am not....

There is this thing on Facebook where it pops up memories of previous years.  I love it actually, I ponder over who or what that status was about, or smile at old photos I have shared.

But last week it helpfully reminded me that I was crap at pottery!

A good few years ago I booked a pottery course for my Mum, for her birthday, or Mother's Day... or something, and I decided to go along with her.

Straight away I realised the error of my ways as the clay made my hands dirty, and I don't care much for dirty hands.  I can just about cope with glue, but chalky, grey clay... ummm, no thank you.

But I had paid, so I gave myself a stern talking to and got to work, being creative.

Now, as I worked with beads back then, and as I mess about melting glass, I decided to experiment to see what would happen mixing the two mediums.  

I made a clay frame butterfly shape thing, with segments to fill with glass seed beads.

Ok, so far so good, nice and colourful, should make an interesting wall hanging when fired...

..... or not!

Not quite the effect I had in mind, but hey, that's what experimenting is all about.  It might have been a masterpiece, you just never know. 

Scrap that then, lets make something that looks like fabric instead.  How about a denim vase, complete with stitching and pockets.  (bear in mind that everyone else was making "normal" stuff, like plates and bowls).

Ok, so was happy with the form.

Still looking passable with the glaze on.

Hmmmmm, crap again.  Into the scrap pile.

It was then suggested that I make a pot, like other people were making pots.  A coil technique pot, where it is built up from coils of clay, smoothed into place.   I'm quite chuffed at this point, it's talking to me.  It's saying.....

...GIVE ME BOOBS!

Yeah, ok, I know. I am slightly odd.

I also made her  (as she is now obviously a 'her') and bung for her head. I decided she was going to be a money pot and needed a head.

I added some splodges of glaze.  Still unsure where I was going with this.

Voila!   Please, don't bother to comment, I have heard them all, trust me!

But the bung would come in handy if I ever needed a weapon, it was solid!

My son, Iain, trying not to smirk as I made him hold my "goddess" for a photo to show her size.

(She's now gone back to the ground)

My final ditch attempt, after the 10 weeks or so were up, was to knuckle down and make something that actually looked like something.

The conversation with the Tutor went something like this...

TUTOR:  What are you making now Sue?

ME:  A lidded pot, but it's crap, as usual.

TUTOR: I think it's really good, it really does look like a crap.

ME:  It's supposed to be a cupcake.

And to prove a point I put a cherry on the top.

See?  Cupcake!

Sigh.

The only things I could actually say that I was even the tiniest bit please with was my pendants and charms that I made on the first day.  Maybe I just need to work smaller, or maybe I should just leave the clay in a dark room out of my reach   ;)

The planning of a Peacock Feather blanket

I was asked a little while ago if I could make a Peacock Feather Blanket.  I am sure I can, I thought, as the requester then sent me a photo of someone elses.  I shut it down quickly as I don't like to be over inspired by other people's work, I would rather work things out myself and come to my own design.

Ok, so sometimes it is similar to other people's work. I guess with something like they eye of a peacock feather, it's going to have similarities somewhere, or they are not going to look like what they are supposed to look like, but hopefully different enough not to be a copy.

The first thing to do was find inspiration. Not a difficult task when you have Google, and a quick search gave me these...

When I started this design I was at my Parent's house, without any kind of yarn that would go anywhere near to being the correct colours, so I just grabbed what I could from my Mother's stash and got to work.

I worked out the eye, then the shape, all ok so far..

Now how to join them?  I added an edging to make it easier and worked out which parts of the edging needed to be joined together to make all the pieces fit.

But, I am not sure about this bit.  It makes it look a bit odd, I might pull it out again.

So I decide the best thing to do would be to get the correct colour yarns, make up a load of the motifs, and go from there....

Stylecraft Special DK in Bright Green, Cloud Blue, Bottle Green, Plum, Gold and Royal Blue.  (and a cat tail)

So, watch this space, as they say....

Crochet Lace Doilies

Way back in January I went on holiday to Portugal, and I wanted a project to do at the airport, on the plane, at the beach.... you know how it is?

I decided on Doilies, or is it Doilys?  Either way, those.

I bought some reels of Crochet Cotton and dug out my very fine hook, and popped them in a sandwich size lunch box to keep everything together.

I did get some questions about the tiny hook at the airport though, only on the way back as it happens, but they were very interested in it.  Try explaining crochet in Portuguese, even with their vast knowledge of English, this wasn't a word they knew.  As I stood there almost playing Charades as I acted out how to crochet (yeah, why do we do that?) while waving the hook in mid air, they must have decided I wasn't a huge risk and let me through.

So, I have downloaded some vintage patterns, to be used with my very bright colour choices of greens and purple, and started to play.

Now these patterns used a TR crochet, but I wasn't sure if that was an American TR or an English one.  There were no other clues to what terminology the pattern was written in, so I made up both.

Hmmm, both so far so good, don't you think?

I continued with the smaller one, but after a few rows my petal edges were starting to curl in, so I am guessing I went with the wrong option.

So I switched to the bigger one and after a few rows my petal edges are rippling.

I'm getting bored and frustrated with this now.  Working this small makes my fingers ache as I try to tension the cotton, and I am rather wishing I had brought a big sod off blanket to do instead!

First doily abandoned, let's try another pattern.

Let's just say from this point I had given up, and I did have a 3 x 100g balls of DK in my suitcase for a 'just in case' emergency crochet project issue.  

I am not ashamed to admit that I do use some of my precious luggage allowance for yarn  ;)  More on that project later, but for now the doilies have been abandoned to the "works-in-progress" pile.

Filet Crochet - monthly workshop at Hobbycraft, Carlisle

I have been designing Filet Crochet patterns of late for a new monthly workshop I am running in Hobbycraft, Carlisle.

Each workshop is a different pattern, you learn the format of Filet Crochet, then learn how to follow the chart to produce a panel of around 12" or so.

Colours are chosen by the students, but I find Filet works better with lighter colours.  Although that Hazelnut Brown seems to work very well.

Claire, one of the ladies that comes, sent me this photo this week.  She has been to 3 classes now and has finished the heart, butterfly and owl, and she is now in the process of reversing the heart pattern to make it a little different.  (Yep, that's easy to do too!)

If you fancy it, I hold these classes on the 2nd Tuesday evening of each month in Hobbycraft, Carlisle.  If you only come to one you can learn enough to make a cushion, a few more and you can make a throw or bedspread.  It's an addictive way of crocheting.

Alternatively, I have started putting my patterns up on Etsy, it includes the chart and an instruction sheet on how to follow it. You can find them here .... www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SoozinTheShed

Filet owl blanket for Ellie

Following on from my disastrous doily making while on holiday in Portugal, I ditched that project as you may remember as I had 3 balls of W.I. Acrylic in my suitcase for emergency crochet needs.

I also had a half designed filet pattern for an Owl, which I hurriedly finished.  I thought I could then make up the owl panel sample for one of my classes.

Sadly, it didn't take long and I was only the first day into my 7 day holiday!

So I reversed the pattern and made another.  

Which do you prefer?

Then another...

Might as well make a 4th then.

Now, you can see a blanket forming, a little square for a blanket though, so I thought something was needed for the middle to stretch it out a bit.

Using a scrap of paper and a biro I quickly worked out a chart for this name..... my new, then to be born, but now born, Granddaughter, Ellie.

Yep, that works better to make a decent sized baby blanket.

Time to crochet all the panels together.

And finally an edging, just a few rows of Half Trebles to finish it off, I thought a shell of fan edging would take away the focus on the main design, so I kept it plain.

It desperately needed blocked (steamed to bring out the wrinkles) but who irons when on holiday?  Not me, I am way too busy crocheting!!  But now it is done and looks a little better (I hope!!)

If you fancy my Owl chart so you can make this yourself, you can find it here....

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/276252374/filet-crochet-owl-panel-tutorial-pattern

Ruby's new collar

Ruby is a bullbreed - a Staffordshire / Boxer cross, or so they told us at the refuge.  She is definitely bullbreed as she can turn her head almost inside out when she yawns!  We think she is most beautiful.

However, sadly, not everyone shares our love.  She is very friendly and loving, but does have a strength - 29.9kg of solid muscle at last weigh in - and people can be afraid.

A couple of weeks ago I was doing our usual walk around the river - a great place for dogs to romp and play, when a young excited Springer came bounding up.  Ruby was like "hey, yeah, nice to meet you, let's play" when the owner started screaming at me to get my dog on a lead!

Of course, I asked why, she said Ruby was "out of control" as she wasn't on a lead.   I pointed out that her dog was also not on a lead and had indicated to Ruby that she wanted to play.  The snotty Springer owner then told me it was ok that her dog was not on a lead as it was a "nice dog"!

It took me all my time not to slap her with my steaming bag of dog poo.

Instead I simply clicked the catch on Ruby's lead, which was round my neck and also which indicates to Ruby that I want to put her lead on, and she stood stock still while I attached her lead and the Spaniel ran around her in circles, still wanting to play.

"Now, get your dog on a lead and leave please" I said.... there might have been an expletive in there somewhere  ;)

She finally managed to put a choker chain (I hate those things) around her dog's neck and it tugged her around the field almost yanking her arm out of the socket.  So THAT's the control bit I missed in puppy training classes.

Anyway.... that's just one story, we have had people actually picking up their dogs when Ruby approaches or turning to walk the other way, we are forever shouting "IT'S OK, SHE'S FRIENDLY".

We never had this trouble when we had a Springer  ;)

So, on a visit to the Vet's this weekend for a check-up, I saw these.  I have seen them before online, but I always like to check the sturdyness of collars in person.  These are great!  They come with big bold wording which leaves you in no doubt about the dog's personality.

We bought one for Ruby.  I wanted a red one really - red for Ruby, but Green it was  ;)  Hubster said he thought I should get the red one for myself.   Note to other dog walkers, the dog is fine, beware of the owner!

We took her for a walk, around the river, that very same day and what a HUGE difference it made. I could hardly believe it.  People relaxed as soon as they saw it, they even called her over to pet her.  Owners were happy to let their dogs play and it was a much nicer walk.

Happy Days.

We got ours from our Vets - Ashley Veterinary in Carlisle.

So, if you fancy one for yourself, I can tell you the quality is excellent (we just bought the large collar and the lead) you can find them here...  but check your local Vets too, they might stock them.

http://www.friendlydogcollars.com/

The Flame Off, Uttoxeter 2016

A couple of weekends ago we made our annual trip to the Flame Off.   Now, for those unsure, or for those that thought I was going to a massive BBQ  (I'm vegetarian!) or a Chilli eating competition (you know who you are) let me explain...... The Flame Off is a meet-up for glass melting people.  It is in the UK, but we get people from all over the world attending which makes it great fun.  It is hostyed by Tuffnell Glass and Totally Beads.

This years teachers and demoists were ....

Rashan O Jones from Albuquerque in New Mexico.  We watched him make the most magnificent wine glass and candy dish. 

Then there was Gay Massender from the UK, who made her famous "Ladies That Lunch" bead and a vase bead with flowers in!

Vera Roder from Germany was also teaching and demoing.  She made some beautiful beads with enamels.  I must try to recreate them from what I learnt.

As well as watching demonstrations, there is a torch area where you can play with the torches and glasses and make things.  Here is Hubster (iMarbles) making... marbles, funnily enough.

Deep in concentration.

He made some lovely marbles while sitting there.

And also learn from Theresa at Tuffnell Glass, how to make a jellyfish pendant.  Here is the work in progress.

And I had a go, I would show you the beads that I made but I have no idea where I put them!

It was great to meet up with everyone again, and looking forward to next year!