Flowers for Memories

I was hoping to visit a friend at a craft fair today but I've been fighting a sore throat all week and thought it best to stay home in the warm and rest, rather than go haring off cross country in the cold. So I did a bit of crochet instead and produced my first flower for Flowers for Memories.

I had already had a browse through Ravelry for flower patterns and came across this Orange Gerbera by Camelia Shanahan. I turned out the blanket box full of wool this morning and came across something I don't remember buying at all but it was the perfect shaded wool, from yellow to red. The pattern actually used crochet cotton, not wool, so I knew mine would come out a lot bigger - the ball band said to use 5-6mm hook but I used 3.5mm to try and keep it smallish. The pieces worked up very quickly and easily and I pinned them to my little home-made pressing board (please forgive the stains - it's very well used!) and lightly steamed them them so they weren't too curly. I soon realised if I used all the rings of petal shapes, that my flower would be HUGE! So I left out the biggest petals (top right in my pic). Instead, I added 2 more petals to the petal ring at bottom right, so it would be long enough to form a double layer. The centre is green, although the one you see in the photo I decided was the wrong shade and made another in olive green. And here it is finished, next to the pattern.

Although it is perhaps more dahlia than gerbera, I am none the less very pleased with how it turned out and I quickly glued a brooch pin to the back to finish it. I think the next one will be made just in white with a bright yellow centre, for a daisy. I have a little white in Patons Smoothie that will do the job nicely. I was going to make some more in this lovely variegated wool but when I bent down to pick the ball up from the floor, this is what greeted me -

 GREEN!!!

Never mind, there's enough to make some more, I'll just have to wind off the green as I get to it. Although it might be ok to make a green flower I suppose. 

My first day of my new Monday job went well - I think. It's been nearly twenty years since I worked in a shop and although I was somewhat nervous to start with I did enjoy the day and am looking forward to next Monday morning. The staff are all really lovely too which is always a bonus. Being a Monday, it wasn't overly busy, but the Cathedral's Christmas Market has just opened and apparently an awful lot of people who visit Winchester just for the Market, can't resist popping into a craft shop they haven't seen before. There are even times when they get a whole coach load of people pouring through the door together and you don't know who to serve first! Can't wait for that!!

My regular job is now really busy as well - it always is this time of year - but we have the added complication of two members of staff unfortunately now on long term sick leave. And no help to cover... By the time I was asked if I could go full time again for a while, it was too late, I already had a second job and didn't want to leave when I had only just started. So somehow I need to magic up extra hours to do someone else's work as well as my own. I get the feeling I am going to be very stressed very soon!!

With so much going on at work(s!), I haven't really wanted to do any sewing at home. Maybe my mojo has burned itself out already...it was a bit manic for a while there. I'm sure it will be back soon though. So I'm very glad I've kept busy the last few weeks making things for the craft fair as it's happening 3 weeks today!!!  It's on Saturday December 12th at Bishop's Waltham Jubilee Hall - I've put a link on my facebook page. If you happen to live in the area, do come along and say hi - and spend loads and loads on my stall!! (Hee hee!!)

Sun 22nd Nov

I had a go at the white daisy last night and have just taken a quick photo - the lighting is rubbish today, so it didn't come out too well. But I'm very happy with how the daisy itself turned out. I made it a little differently from the first flower. Although I still followed the pattern instructions on working the petals, I just made one continuous line of them, rather than break the yarn and start again for the next size petal. I made 16 of the smallest petals, then 16 of the second size. And a simple yellow centre.