Hello.
So I thought I'd let you dear reader know why I have been so quiet if late.
I'm starting a business. Yes a real crocheting business.
I'm making a website and everything.
I am very nervous. I keep getting waves of dread and excitement. Although it is nothing as extreme as quitting my day job it is an in the sidelines kind of business.
My current headache revolves around the name if the bloody business and this my dear reader is the pinnacle for absolutely everything. It is driving me wild.
The obvious name was Gosh, Yarn it! I though well it's a clever play on words and pretty darn obviously that it is wooly. As in wool oriented, not convoluted.
I spoke to my friend who is a marketing guru with her own fabulous award winning business GlamourFix and her advice was that Gosh, yarn it! Didn't roll of the tongue it was a bit of a mouthful. I suggested just yarn it, but this sounds too much like a Polish builder. Not a bespoke handmade crochet business! Not exactly what I'm looking for!
I have exhaustively researched nursery rhymes: itsy bitsy (sounds like a nursery) Betty blue (strip club) Bo Peeps (peep show). To name but a few.
Next port of call: food. Particularly old fashioned puddings. Rhubarb and crumble (ancient cartoon) crumble and custard (taken) treacle (creepy old 'uncle) hollygog (no comment necessary).
Nonsense words: hobbledehoy (gangly youth) whirligig (spinny thing) hotchpotch (stuff).
Then homemade stuff: Molly Makes (taken by a magazine) made for you (toddlers artwork).
Crochet wooly stuff: knit wit (taken) knit witch (taken) three bags full (evicted philanderer) crafty so and so (taken).
The quaint phrases: peachy keen (taken)... Lost the will to live.
Then names, based on the quality and luxury connotations of brand like fortun and mason & Belle and Boo. So, Teddy and Tallulah (my pets names) Benedict and Boo (eggs).
I could literally scream. I have to create a logo and website, order stationary, package an order for Monday for my first commissions from the Jones' and I don't have a bloody name.
Please help me. Or let inspiration take me!
I love crochet.
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Coven
Hello.
So we had the craft club coven meeting today, and I successfully taught someone how to create amigurumi from the magic circle. I'm a bit excited by this.
It's all in the stab, slide, grab, pull, grab, pull!
People were having real difficult moving manoeuvring the crochet hook. This is a problem that I had when I first started crocheting. So if you look at the crochet hook the end is pointed and you the end that you stab through holes and the hooked part is the part that you grab the wool with by scooping the wool with the hook facing towards you.
Magic circle in words...
Wrap your yarn around your pointing finger in a clockwise direction so that you have an X with the tail of the yarn is in your palm. Use your thumb to hold this tail out of the way.
When you have got your circle on your finger, slide the crochet hook down your finger from the nail when you have both of the loops from your cross on the hook move the hook up and scoop the working yarn from back to front with the hook facing you. Bring this yarn through the loop on your finger, so you just have one loop on the hook. Scoop more working yarn from back to front with the hook facing you and pull the working yarn through the loop on your hook.
You can now either choose to leave the loop on you finger or wiggle it off and hold it. You slide the crochet hook through the big circle grab working yarn with the crochet hook pull it back through the circle so that you have two loops on your hook. You then grab more working yarn with your hook from front to back and pull this through the loop on your hook. Go on give it a tug. You have now successfully made a stitch on your magic circle. You need to repeat this step another 5 times to get
the foundation for your amigurumi. You will have 6 stitches pull the tail of yarn to make the circle contract.
You will then crochet two single crotchets in each stitch all the way around until you have 12 stitches. You do this by stabbing your crochet hook through the > stitch that looks like the symbol, front and back loop of the stitch, grab yarn with your hook from front to back and pull this through the > you have now made a single crochet. Do two of these single crochet in each > stitch.
When you have twelve stitches, you will want to increase this to 18 stitches by crocheting a single crochet into the first stitch in the round and then crocheting two single crotchets into the second stitch and so on in the 1, 2 pattern repeating this until you have 18.
To increase further you basically, increase the round of stitches by 6 each time. So your next rows will look like this.
1 1 2 to 24 stitches
1 1 1 2 to 30 stitches
1 1 1 1 2 to 36 stitches
1 1 1 1 2 to 42 stitches.
Ta Da.
I am making a youtube account so I can upload videos to this blog.
I love crochet.
So we had the craft club coven meeting today, and I successfully taught someone how to create amigurumi from the magic circle. I'm a bit excited by this.
It's all in the stab, slide, grab, pull, grab, pull!
People were having real difficult moving manoeuvring the crochet hook. This is a problem that I had when I first started crocheting. So if you look at the crochet hook the end is pointed and you the end that you stab through holes and the hooked part is the part that you grab the wool with by scooping the wool with the hook facing towards you.
Magic circle in words...
Wrap your yarn around your pointing finger in a clockwise direction so that you have an X with the tail of the yarn is in your palm. Use your thumb to hold this tail out of the way.
When you have got your circle on your finger, slide the crochet hook down your finger from the nail when you have both of the loops from your cross on the hook move the hook up and scoop the working yarn from back to front with the hook facing you. Bring this yarn through the loop on your finger, so you just have one loop on the hook. Scoop more working yarn from back to front with the hook facing you and pull the working yarn through the loop on your hook.
You can now either choose to leave the loop on you finger or wiggle it off and hold it. You slide the crochet hook through the big circle grab working yarn with the crochet hook pull it back through the circle so that you have two loops on your hook. You then grab more working yarn with your hook from front to back and pull this through the loop on your hook. Go on give it a tug. You have now successfully made a stitch on your magic circle. You need to repeat this step another 5 times to get
the foundation for your amigurumi. You will have 6 stitches pull the tail of yarn to make the circle contract.
You will then crochet two single crotchets in each stitch all the way around until you have 12 stitches. You do this by stabbing your crochet hook through the > stitch that looks like the symbol, front and back loop of the stitch, grab yarn with your hook from front to back and pull this through the > you have now made a single crochet. Do two of these single crochet in each > stitch.
When you have twelve stitches, you will want to increase this to 18 stitches by crocheting a single crochet into the first stitch in the round and then crocheting two single crotchets into the second stitch and so on in the 1, 2 pattern repeating this until you have 18.
To increase further you basically, increase the round of stitches by 6 each time. So your next rows will look like this.
1 1 2 to 24 stitches
1 1 1 2 to 30 stitches
1 1 1 1 2 to 36 stitches
1 1 1 1 2 to 42 stitches.
Ta Da.
I am making a youtube account so I can upload videos to this blog.
I love crochet.
Monday 18 February 2013
Magic circle
Hello.
Most amigurumi that I create begins with a magic circle, this is not a coven of witches (much to my husbands disappointment). Although non crocheters may thing we do use witch craft to create our mini masterpieces. No magic is used when producing crochet.
If only it was that simple, we could have a Mrs Weasley style scarf spell creating cuties when we earn a crust.
A magic circle refers to a crocheted circle that when you pull the yarn tale contracts into a tighter circle. See no magic.
This is the way I do it, it may not look pretty or be perfect but it works for me.
To begin a magic circle, place the end of the yarn in the centre of your palm then whisper hocus pocus!
Jokes.
To begin a magic circle, place the end of the yarn in the centre of your palm, hold it in place with your thumb. Wrap the working yarn (the bit attached to the ball of yarn) around your pointing finger in a clockwise direction. Until it crosses over making an X.
I then use my middle finger and ring fingers as little hooks to hold the working yarn. So my hand looks like a 'rock on' gesture.
I love crochet. Please visit PlanetJune's website and look for tutorials while I attempt to make a video >_< on how I do this.
Most amigurumi that I create begins with a magic circle, this is not a coven of witches (much to my husbands disappointment). Although non crocheters may thing we do use witch craft to create our mini masterpieces. No magic is used when producing crochet.
If only it was that simple, we could have a Mrs Weasley style scarf spell creating cuties when we earn a crust.
A magic circle refers to a crocheted circle that when you pull the yarn tale contracts into a tighter circle. See no magic.
This is the way I do it, it may not look pretty or be perfect but it works for me.
To begin a magic circle, place the end of the yarn in the centre of your palm then whisper hocus pocus!
Jokes.
To begin a magic circle, place the end of the yarn in the centre of your palm, hold it in place with your thumb. Wrap the working yarn (the bit attached to the ball of yarn) around your pointing finger in a clockwise direction. Until it crosses over making an X.
I then use my middle finger and ring fingers as little hooks to hold the working yarn. So my hand looks like a 'rock on' gesture.
Push your crochet hook underneath the X in the yarn on your pointing finger and swoop it down between your pointing finger and middle finger to hook the working yarn.
Once you have done this pull the loop back through the circle around your pointing finger, so you only have one loop on your hook. Swoop back down between your middle finger and pointing
finger and grab more working yarn with your hook, if you look at your hook you will have two loops on it, now pull the new loop through the first loop. TaDa! You have created a little stitch!
I love crochet. Please visit PlanetJune's website and look for tutorials while I attempt to make a video >_< on how I do this.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Swish
Hello.
Another important thing to have is a comfortable chair and a cup of tea. Not really but I like it. So get comfortable and relax, this is supposed to be fun.
One of the first problems I encountered when learning how to crochet was that I was just too tense and I had no idea how to hold to wool or crochet hook. So before you start creating, I recommend have a little practice. It is all a matter of personal preference and find what works best for you. I like to Hold the crochet hook like you would a pen or pencil, go on try it!
Imagine your a conductor of an orchestra and swish that hook, use it to spell your name in the air or cast a Harry potter esque patronus. Make s shapes with your wrist, as this mimics the motion of crochet. Do you feel comfortable? If not try holding the hook in another way.
When it came holding the wool I will admit I had to youtube how people held it but I found that by wrapping it around my fingers I got into an awful tangle and this is not conducive to a relaxing experience. So I just hold the wool between the index and middle finger of my left hand this allows me to hold my work at the same time.
Another important thing to have is a comfortable chair and a cup of tea. Not really but I like it. So get comfortable and relax, this is supposed to be fun.
Imagine your a conductor of an orchestra and swish that hook, use it to spell your name in the air or cast a Harry potter esque patronus. Make s shapes with your wrist, as this mimics the motion of crochet. Do you feel comfortable? If not try holding the hook in another way.
When it came holding the wool I will admit I had to youtube how people held it but I found that by wrapping it around my fingers I got into an awful tangle and this is not conducive to a relaxing experience. So I just hold the wool between the index and middle finger of my left hand this allows me to hold my work at the same time.
Please excuse the picture, as both of my hands are currently busy I had to use my nose, yes my nose! To press the capture button on my iPad. Now that is how dedicated I am to showing you dear reader how to crochet.
From the picture you can see that I am hold the hook in my right hand like a pencil and I have the working wool (this just means the strand that is attached to the ball of wool) held between my index finger and middle finger.
I love crochet.
Tools
Hello.
So I have a teeny tiny addiction to buying wool. My poor husband is almost buried alive in mounds of yarn, it's in the kitchen; bedroom and living room. It overflows from my Cath Kidston weekend bag. I even have a little CK knitting bag to carry around my work in progress projects.
I live in the haberdashery at work (I was even laughed at for carrying my crochet hook in my pocket). It was on this visit to the haberdashery that I was asked if I wouldn't mind helping some of the other ladies to demonstrate and coach some yarn enthusiasts in the art of crochet. Now I'm a bit of a worried so I was rather overwhelmed, panic set in. "I've only been crocheting for two months. I don't know everything, argh".
Many of the girls from work have been watching my progress on Facebook with my little creations and I've been asked just short of a hundred billion times to coach at the craft club, so being the damn people pleaser that I am, I agreed.
So I thought I would try to explain to you dear reader the wonderful hobby and art of making stuff out of loopy knots that is known as crochet. Please, please, please give me any feedback! It will be gratefully received I promise.
Okay here goes. So the first step, is selecting your tools. If you have read my first blog hello I describe my first experience at a haberdashery. I was excited but it could easily be intimidating for a new starter.
There is an array of different types of wool to choose from and in the above picture I show a selection of some of mine.
It ranges from super chunky, chunky, Aran, to double knit or Dk at the end. This just refers to the thickness of the yarn.
There are also different brands; Sirdar, John lewis, Rowan, Patons to name but a few. Honestly I buy whichever I like the look of and whatever is reasonably priced.
The yarn or wool will also tell you how much wool it actually contains. This can range from 100% acrylic (cheap) to a cotton blend (great for babies) organic (usually over £5 per ball) to softest baby alpaca (remortgage your house expensive).
You also have a choice of different size and material crochet hooks. Bamboo tends to be slightly lighter but usually double the price of a metal hook.
So I have a teeny tiny addiction to buying wool. My poor husband is almost buried alive in mounds of yarn, it's in the kitchen; bedroom and living room. It overflows from my Cath Kidston weekend bag. I even have a little CK knitting bag to carry around my work in progress projects.
I live in the haberdashery at work (I was even laughed at for carrying my crochet hook in my pocket). It was on this visit to the haberdashery that I was asked if I wouldn't mind helping some of the other ladies to demonstrate and coach some yarn enthusiasts in the art of crochet. Now I'm a bit of a worried so I was rather overwhelmed, panic set in. "I've only been crocheting for two months. I don't know everything, argh".
Many of the girls from work have been watching my progress on Facebook with my little creations and I've been asked just short of a hundred billion times to coach at the craft club, so being the damn people pleaser that I am, I agreed.
So I thought I would try to explain to you dear reader the wonderful hobby and art of making stuff out of loopy knots that is known as crochet. Please, please, please give me any feedback! It will be gratefully received I promise.
There is an array of different types of wool to choose from and in the above picture I show a selection of some of mine.
It ranges from super chunky, chunky, Aran, to double knit or Dk at the end. This just refers to the thickness of the yarn.
There are also different brands; Sirdar, John lewis, Rowan, Patons to name but a few. Honestly I buy whichever I like the look of and whatever is reasonably priced.
The yarn or wool will also tell you how much wool it actually contains. This can range from 100% acrylic (cheap) to a cotton blend (great for babies) organic (usually over £5 per ball) to softest baby alpaca (remortgage your house expensive).
You also have a choice of different size and material crochet hooks. Bamboo tends to be slightly lighter but usually double the price of a metal hook.
The crochet hook will have printed on it the hook size, the hook that I am holding is a 4mm metal crochet hook.
When picking your wool if you check the back or size of the packaging it will usually tell you which size knitting needles and which size crochet hook are best suited to the wool.
So this particular ball of wool states that the 4mm hook would be best. Well isn't that just the darnedest thing, I've only got a 4mm hook! Kismet.
Saturday 16 February 2013
£££
Hello.
As I'm sure you have guessed by now, I enjoy crocheting. I have been constantly updating my Facebook and blog with my little creatures and welcoming people's suggestions.
Well, dear reader I have had my first person ask me to date them creatures for money!
How exciting.
A lovely lady at work who has thumbs up-ed all my Facebook crocheted items has asked me to cate two little toys for her friends new babies. I was asked to make a doll for the little girl and a bunny for the little boy.
So I thought I would share them with you.
The little dolls is extremely squishy and has a cute little skirt, I was thinking about ballerinas when I was creating this little mini. I hope that baby Emelia enjoys her, as much a I enjoyed creating her.
As I'm sure you have guessed by now, I enjoy crocheting. I have been constantly updating my Facebook and blog with my little creatures and welcoming people's suggestions.
Well, dear reader I have had my first person ask me to date them creatures for money!
How exciting.
A lovely lady at work who has thumbs up-ed all my Facebook crocheted items has asked me to cate two little toys for her friends new babies. I was asked to make a doll for the little girl and a bunny for the little boy.
So I thought I would share them with you.
This is little bunnykins, he has a little fluffy tail and long floppy ears perfect for nibbling on during teething times. I do hope that baby Elijah loves him and finds him as cute as I do. I almost couldn't bear to part with the little lovely.
So, I'm very excited that people like my creations enough to buy them. It's an enjoyable hobby for me and I feel proud that people think that they are good. I don't know everything about crocheting (yet) and I'm most definitely not a pro crocheter I just follow patterns and look at youtube tutorials and see what the hook creates.
In hindsight maybe I'm possessed by the crochet hook?
Anyway, I love crochet.
Friday 15 February 2013
Hello.: Baby
Hello.: Baby: Hello. My friend Bip has had a baby and I am incredibly excited to meet the little darling. Now it will come as no surprise to you dea...
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