Meet Lucy!!

Meet Lucy - my very own Yarndale Sheep!!!

Remember I mentioned my Sheepish Sheep earlier this month, that I only made and sent off to Yarndale just in time?

Well, I decided to pop an SAE inside the envelope with her, along with a note and a donation, asking if they might be able to "buy" a sheep and send her winging her way to me.

I didn't think they would as I could guess just how busy they were all going to be. So imagine my delight when I arrived home from a really rubbish day in the office yesterday to find a squishy squidgy envelope waiting for me containing my very own sheep!!! Isn't she gorgeous?!! 

You know, she looks really familiar. Maybe because her little jacket is the same colour as one in the pic above from the pattern. But I can't help feeling I've seen her on someone's blog. Do you recognise her?? Please let me know if you do!

I've decided to call her Lucy in honour of Lucy of Attic24 would wrote the crochet instructions and took all the fab photos to go with it.

I took her into work today for a little look around the office.

I think she quite enjoyed frolicking amongst the windowsill plants

Looking out the window at the Deanery.

She took quite a shine to Shaun!!

Then she met the rest of the Team.

I wasn't the only person inspired to make a sheep by any means! I came across a Postcard From Gibraltar the other day when I was looking at other sheep. (Yes. Sad, I know.) Reading through some of her blog brought back happy memories of a holiday there several years ago - her blog is well worth a look and I'll be going back for a longer read soon.

Anyway, back to the sheep! There were over 700 in the flock and their sale raised over £3,000 for Martin House Hospice! I saw a note on facebook to say the hospice would be happy to still receive sheep to sell to raise funds, so maybe one day I'll make another sheep or two.

I will get to Yarndale myself one day. I will... and I might just take Lucy along for the trip!

I still can't believe I've got my very own Yarndale Sheep!! I wonder where my Sheepish Sheep is living now?... Is she with you? Have you found the heart hidden under her coat?? I wonder...

CAL Part 6 - Nearly there !!

The Peackock Tail Bag CAL Part 6 was released this week and my bag now looks like a bag! Albeit without a handle/strap yet...

What do you think?? Not bad eh, even if I do say so myself.

Here's a close up of the double crochet band around the top. Very neat.

And the inside!! Did I mention I decided not to darn in the ends, just secure them? As the bag will be lined no-ones going to see them, so why bother??...

I made a little bag charm to go with it with beads I bought for goodness knows what but never used,

This shot shows how the front and back are joined. The pattern called for placing the 2 sides together right side out and working a row of double crochet through both layers. This would have formed a ridge along the join on the right side that I didn't fancy. So I put the 2 sides wrong side out before joining, so the ridge is on the inside and the outside is smooth.

And here are some more purely gratuitous photos!

I need to make the strap still - I've pretty well decided that I'll make a crocheted strap that will have fabric one side for strength. Just need to make it...

The final part next week will have details on how to make and attach the lining. I think I can work that out for myself and may well do a photo tutorial as I'll be adding pockets and a zip.

Am I getting on with that strap today?? No, of course not! I started another project.

I made this little bag a year ago and I've used it so much - it's perfect for a day out when all I need is my wallet, camera, phone and car keys.
I've often thought over the summer that it would be nice to work one in crochet using the purple cotton yarn leftover from my crochet bolero. Highlighted with variegated pink from the abandoned cardigan.

I drew round the bag on a piece of paper to use it as a pattern - crochet is brilliant like that. Just draw your shape and keep laying your work on it, and adjust the stitch height etc as you go.
This is what I've done I've got so far -

I have made a start on the other side - it's completely different, using freeform crochet. I've never tried that before but have plunged in to give it a try. Not sure quite how it's going to go but I do enjoy not having to follow a pattern - except a drawn shape that is!!

And I did a teeny bit of sewing too! We had some tiny embroidery scissors in at work in pastel colours and I thought maybe I could buy a pair to keep in my bargello project bag and make a little scissor keeper/needle rest for it. I used some of the scraps of flamingo fabric from the dress a girl dresses I made a couple of weeks ago, along with a scrap of aida and binca - they both have nice big holes, perfect for a darning/tapestry needle. (I only made one but it's double sided.)

  

 

I wonder what the girls at work will make of it tomorrow?? Til next time - T xx

CAL Part 5

Part 5 of the crochet along bag is finished, lightly washed and drying in the sun. Next week, the two sides will be joined together, then the final part will be adding a fabric lining.

The pattern for part 5 was quite hard on the wrists and my right wrist still aches today - it was worth a little pain to have so much texture though. I worked some of the rows in two colours again to make the textured stitches stand out more and I'm very happy with how it looks.

Last week I put some photos of different fabrics on facebook and had loads of lovely comments (there's a screenshot of them below.) Most people liked the fabric at the top which is mid turquoise with the bright pink flowers. It's quite vibrant though it does match the bag colours. My favourite is bottom left - a pale pink with dark pink strawberries. I want to make a lining with a zip closure at the top for security and may make a crocheted strap with fabric one side, so the fabric will be quite visible. What do you think??
I think I'll wait until I've joined the 2 sides together, then actually put the fabric in the bag to see what it looks like in situ.

I will miss it when it's finished... although it has given me ideas for a small bag just big enough for a wallet, car keys and phone using the left over purple yarn from the bolero I made in July. Maybe with either variegated pink or gold highlights.


Did I mention before that a lady had been in touch about Dress a Girl?? She's also been working on a teenage sized pattern but did a much better job of it than I did! (ie She actually finished it and got someone to try it on and made adjustments so it was comfy.) At the same time we had some new fabrics in at the craft shop a lovely tiny flamingo print in either pink on white, or white on pink. Anyway, it got my sewing juices running again so I bought half a metre of each and produced these -

Here they are in the shop window to give people an idea of what they could make. (Apparently several people had asked if we sold the pattern but it's a free one I found on line.) 

I made these two are in the smallest size 12-18 mths. I think I might be making some more tiny dresses because they are so fast to make and look just so darned cute!! They also only cost about £3 each to make including elastic/ribbon. And that's before you taken my staff discount into account.

I really must make something else to go in the shop as a sample. A simple patchwork cushion or bag maybe? We always sell more when people can actually see what the fabrics are like when they're made up into something.

Well, that's all for today. Not much progress to show you on the Bargello Alliums to share. I worked some rows of green while I was in the shop last week but haven't done any at home for a couple of weeks. I did say the repeating pattern would turn into a labour of love didn't I??

Have a good week and see you again soon!

CAL Part 4

My Peacock Tail Bag CAL is progressing very nicely. Part 4 is now complete and I'm eagerly awaiting part 5. I've been scouring the charity shops for a suitable bag with a nice handle but still nothing. I did see a belt that would have worked but it was the wrong colour. I may have to order a handle...

Anyway, would you like to see it??

This last one is of the back view of the front. Who would have thought it could look so smooth with all that texture on the front.
I'm glad I left out the gold colour. It really wouldn't have worked, so I'll (hopefully) use that for something else. One day...

Off she goes !

My little sheep is on her way to Yarndale to join the flock!

I added a little more decoration first. A sweet red heart inside her coat -

And a smaller one with some beads on one shoulder and just a silver heart on the other. 

She never did get a name though. .. Hopefully she'll take part in the grand sheep auction they're planning and her new owner will name her. I wonder what part of the country  (or world) she'll end up in? ...

A little Sheepish something...

Back again! This is the little something I wanted to share with you -

This is my Sheepish contribution to this year's Yarndale, although I'm not expecting to go... one day maybe.

Having requested crocheted bunting in their first year, mandalas in their second and flowers last year, this year they have asked for either crocheted or knitted sheep. This is my effort. I think she looks Sheepish rather than sheep like and she doesn't have a name yet. I've been meaning to make a little sheep for ages but suddenly realised I'd better crack on as it's now September. Having just checked the website, they need sheep by this Friday! I wonder how big a flock they'll get?...
They will all be sold off at the show and afterwards in some charity shops in Yorkshire, raising funds for a children's hospice there.

If you want to join in you'll need to get cracking! Here's the link to Lucy of Attic 24's crochet sheep and Frankie Brown's knitted sheep. Go on - join in!

On the CAL front, I promised a photo of the bag back. So to speak! Here it is, along with the front. I really, really like these colours together. There's no way I'm adding any gold on part 4. I did see that there is a variegated version of the turquoise blue available but I think I'll carry on with the pink for now.

Part 4 is released tomorrow afternoon, so I know what I'll be doing when I get home from work! Can't wait!!

CAL part 3

My crochet-a-long (CAL) bag is going well. Part 3 was released on Wednesday and I got straight on with it that night. With a little help from a fluffy friend! I've done the back as well but need to take a photo. If I use the gold yarn, I think it will be introduced in part 4. It may then be ripped out! Maybe I'll just use more of the variegated pink. I'm glad I decided to use it as it's made such a huge difference. The bag has a really summery look - very pleasing. 

I haven't found a suitable handle yet. I keep searching the charity shops but haven't found the right type in the right colour yet.

Well, that's all for today - just a quickie! I did make a little something else today that I want to show you but I need to power up the laptop for that, to make it easier to put in links.

So I'll probably see you again soon! Bye for now - X.