From bits and pieces

Have you ever tried to just let yourself go and sit back and work on something at random? Well I had some beautiful pieces of tapestry yarn of the finest quality that I put to use. 



I straightened the pieces first...



And as I worked I joined them together in knots. 



I kept the knots to the back of the work and crocheted on picking up random colors. 



The interplay of colors were so pretty and with no clue on where each color was going to end. Weaving in these uncertainties brought out its own meaning and design from what seemingly looked as chaos. 



In this picture you find a pretty fabric created with diverse strands. I loved the end result and the bright pop of colors at play. There’s joy in unplanned color combinations!!! 

I have not blogged in a while but hope to keep blogging some of my work ... 

until next time 

Keep smiling !!! 

Cardigan in process

So here’s how I started this ... just picked random colors and used black for all the granny square motifs. The motifs are done now ... they have to be joined and ends woven into the cardigan. Will post the finished cardigan when completed. 

I started slicing some grocery bags and rolling them out into plarn balls. At random I started crocheting and finally got 27” diameter mat. It’s so soft and pliable and  can be rolled or folded when not in use. Any size can be made depending on how much plastic yarn I have retrieved from the grocery bags. It’s a great environment friendly project to keep the plastic from the landfills. I have one that I am using for the past eight years now!!! 

Granny square crochet jewelry

Granny squares are the most simple to crochet. One can make them with all kinds of yarns, they can be fashioned into jewelry or apparel or accessories or even a king size bed spread. 

Here are some granny squares made with cotton yarn and made into ear and neck accessories with some additional semi precious stones. 

 

This is a great project for left over yarn. 

Hairpin lace crochet shawl

Made this v shape shawl using a hairpin loom, crochet hook and remnants from other projects. 

These randomly picked colors turned out with its own expression .. bright and beautiful. 

So here’s the picture for you...❤️

Basket weave scarf

Here’s a scarf I made recently for my friend’s son. I have used mixed grey from yarnspirations, Caron yarn. 

He liked it a lot she mentioned and here is  the picture for you ... 

Hairpin lace shawl

Hello friends 

I have made quite a few projects although I had not blogged them. 

Here is a hairpin lace shawl I made integrating the loom woven lace with broomstick lace and incorporating the granny too. 

Here are some pictures and I hope you enjoy them. 

This is the finished shawl made with lion brand mixed grey and black yarn. 

This is a close up of the broomstick lace border. It has three cascading layers. I have worked the broomstick around the two edges of the v. I have designed this pattern and will release it shortly. 

You would need the broomstick lace dowel and a hairpin lace loom. 

This was my first chicken scratch when the design first was conceptualized ... 

Here’s the loom in progress...

Here’s the first motif ... with my favorite hand made polymer clay handle for my hook. 

Bee

My daughter had asked me to make a bee to coordinate with the surprise baby shower theme bestowed on her, that she so much loved. 

Here are my bee process pictures. Hope you like them. 

This is when I first started... This little angel was bought about 15 years ago during my trip to Aucklsnd. 

The bee's rather large head is taking shape. The bee walking up the ladder to my Christmas cactus is watching 🐝🐝

Bee's body taking shape now. I don't have stitch markers .. And so use a piece of yarn to mark the rounds ... Counts are very important ...😊

Fixed the eyes on to the head .. Embroidered the mouth and stuffed the head too. 

     Made the hands and legs .....

AAttached the body head and legs ... Bee is keeping me company watching me make her antenaes 🐝

Attaching the antenaes ...

Attaching the wings now...

My curved needles come in handy ....

Picture of completed bee...

Bee has just joined the rest in the crib....


These are pictures of the bee themed baby shower cookies and return gifts, and nursery decor. Hope you liked the crochet bee I made. 

Hairbands

I had a few pieces of fabric with me, and the kanzashi flowers were perfect for using them. 

Here's what I made... Hope you like it. 

Inspiration from the Christmas Cactus

Hello everyone,

Wishing you a blessed New Year.

This is not an art post. It is about my Cactus that kept me company as I worked through some of the art work the past days.

 

Watching my Christmas cactus bloom and unfold was such a joy.

Sharing this  joy with you through these pictures. You can read more about the Christmas Cactus on google. 

Here are the pictures ..
This was how the bud looked when it first started growing...

 

soon I noticed tinges of beautiful color akin strokes from a paint brush.

 

You can see the petals forming at this stage. The bud has also taken its characteristic horizontal position. In the background you can see more tiny buds.

The bud is long and elongated with a sharp tip, and the growth is maintained in the same horizontal position and parallel to the floor underneath. It is amazing to see the thin green cactus. This cactus I read can be handed down the generations (I mean the same plant) and read about a plant that has lived for about 140 years being handed down the generations. I got this last year for Christmas and has now been with me for a year. It blooms only once a year, and the last time they bloomed was the last year December.

The unfolding process is quite rapid compared to the time it takes to build up to this mature stage. The following picture was taken the morning of the day one of unfolding.

Morning of day 2 of unfolding:

 

Night day 2 unfolding. (it takes just two days for it to unfold and the unfolding is very dramatic and almost moves right in front of the eyes)

Day 3 morning picture. It had unfolded overnight on day 2 to its fullest beauty. This is a top down picture. Notice the stamen and the layers of petals and the flower faces down. This is the only flower that I have experienced that faces downwards.

 

This is a close up of the side view of the fully bloomed flower. It seems like a sky diver to me in a pretty pink dress..almost like a ballerina.

 

 

The following picture is a down up picture where I placed the camera beneath the flower and so you can see the ceiling as background.

 

 

This final picture is taken with my handcrafted clay sparrow. In the background you can see the Hallmark nativity set that was released last year. A ceramic angel made in Mexico hangs over the crib.

This picture is a close up of the Sparrow's breast, with the words that I wrote that His eye is on the sparrow, and with the relevant scripture.

Until next time,
Keep smiling!!