Hat and Cowl

I made this hat while on the train going to Epsom Surrey to see my two daughters over Christmas, with this matching cowl, my own design, made whilst there. We had a fabulous relaxing time. The Christmas dinner and all the trimmings prepared and cooked by our daughters. We are going up again in January to an awards ceremony Michelle will receive her MRCP award.

Felt and A Craft Fair

I did a craft fair yesterday at Helston it was very busy the first 20 people through the door were given a goody bag. I sold the crochet hat I just recently made a little girl loved it and wanted to wear it. And another little girl showed her mum a mug with one of my mug cosies that she really liked. I made last week a cream and blue crochet mobile phone case which you can pick out in the photos I also made a pair of fingerless gloves as one of a few presents which I sent to my sister in law but forgot to photograph them. I had a second table as my sister had a cold and could not go so I put my cushions on her table and sold one a patchwork one. There was singing by a very talented lady with a strong voice and only 13 years old I later found out on Hellys Craft Fair Facebook page. I painted a few fruit boxes as displays instead of just eveything spread on the table. I think that they were okay, though I saw some people had wooden folding shelves which I was told you could buy on Ebay. So all in all it turned out to be a very sucessfull craft fair for everyone. Tea coffee and biscuits were provided free with a small donation. Next Friday myself and OH are going to Surrey to stay for the Christmas with my two daughters. I don't know if I will be getting much knitting or crocheting done, though I may do a little. When I got home from the Craft Fair a lovely surprise was waiting for me, a lovely selection of felt, with a pretty card that I had won on Janine's Wool on Sundays a One Year prize Give Away

Snowstorm Hat

I liked this pattern Snowstorm from Hooked on Crochet for super warm hats. I chose the colours I already had with a chunky acrylic yarn. It was quick and easy to do and I'm learning new crochet stitches with each new item I make!

Three Pairs of Mittens

I have made these three pairs of mittens. The two pairs without a rib edge, one pink and a tan colour I added a small cuff to and the pair of mittens made with the original sweater ribbed edge was okay as it was. I lined them with a pink, and a tiger pattern fleece and decorated them with colourful circles using embroidery pure wool with a chain stitch in a spiral. I think that they all turned out pretty good. I still have good amount of the sweater left over to make small items maybe purses with. I chose these fleece linings a pink and a tiger pattern. The tiger pattern looks lovely and I will make mittens with this next adding a fawn colour lining.

A Tea Cosy and Dyed Woollens

This is the woollen I dyed from a shop dye an over all shade of colour. The other wool sleeves were dyed with turmeric I over dyed them I may try turmeric again for a yellow. I have bought these mini carders and will card my fleece when I've finished making small various knitted items for the craft fair. This is a little tea cosy I knitted with a pattern and wool from Knitting and Crochet magazine. I thought it would go well with all the mug cosies I've made, twelve so far.

Cowl Coasters and Cream Jumper

I have almost finished a second cream chunky jumper! I am really pleased with it and It took no time at all to make with sizes 8 and 12 knitting needles. This knitted cowl was easy to make and has four wooden buttons stitched on one side and the pattern came from my Knitting Magazine. These are four crochet coasters that I just made and will be brought with me to sell at the craft fair in December. I have quite a few small knitted and crocheted items to take to the fair now. The Guernsey Sweater Update. I have dyed the sleeves first, using a turmeric spice dye, the other sweater pieces will be dyed a shop bought bright pink. And I bought two mini carders online costing £6.50 each plus vat postage.I am really pleased with them as they are easy to handle and just right to card the small amount of fleece that I have.

Mug Cosies, Mitten and Fleece

I have completed a few mug cosies some have a bottom some without. I think the granny squares one is better with a button. I started this cowl I saw in my Knitting magazine with the chunky cream yarn I had left over from the cream jumper I knitted. My daughter Fiona loved the jumper by the way my other daughter Michelle wants one too! So I am making another one. One side of the cowl is longer than the other, that's the pattern I suppose! The seams have been cut through of the Guernsey sweater. I used the hand template and cut around the red woollen, stitched this and a felt lining. I think it looks okay as a first attempt, now to attach the lining. I find there are two methods to make mittens, either use your hand shape for a template or with the thumb under mitten pattern method. I will probably use the hand template as it is easy and is effective. A new shop has opened in an arcade in my nearby town selling lots of fleece of all colours and natural too. I chose a 100g of the coloured fleece so have more feece to make something with. And I thought I'd show this colourful tree as I have not seen anything like it, lots of rainbow colours. Rainbow Eucalyptus- The unique multi-hued bark is the most distinctive feature of the tree. Patches of outer bark are shed annually at different times, showing a bright green inner bark. This then darkens and matures to give blue, purple, orange and then maroon tones.

Mug Cosies and Woollens

I have started making these mug cosies knitted and crocheted for a craft fair I am doing in December. I have used either two strands of double knit or a chunky. I found this pure new wool Guernsey jumper at a car boot sale on Sunday and bought it. I may felt it or use it as it is. I also have this red woollen that is mine and has shrunk a little, so ideal, the jumper will be dyed. I will have a try at making mittens and have made a template of my hand to use. I may also make a bag too. I bought this very handy Expert Guide to Knitting at an indoor market as well as 15 step by step tutorials and 16 inspiring patterns to try there are 20 stitch patterns too that I will use to make more mug cosies. I am glad I picked up this magazine as I am finding it very helpful!

Cardigan and Jumper

Here are the finished knitted chunky cardigan and jumper. The cream off the shoulder is very soft and warm and the blue one too. I added one button as I think it suite this style of cardigan with the thick wool better than all buttoned up. I think that both of them look quite good.

Knitting a Cardigan and Jumper

Jumper and Cardigan

After making two cardigans and a sweater from scrap yarns I asked my two daughters if they would they like me to knit them a woollen.  Fiona said yes please either an off the shoulder cream chunky or a black Chenille and Michelle said yes too and chose blue colour.  It was an easy choice as I found this pattern ideal! a cream chunky off the shoulder, quick to knit on 12mm needles. Then I found a stripy cardigan pattern using blue throughout with a moss stitch ribbing.

I have made the back and fronts of the cardigan, still have the rib around neck and fronts which I hope will knit up nice and neat, and the sleeves. And the back and front, both alike, of the jumper and sleeve.


I knitted this cream jumper with two strands of chunky knit and thought that would be thick enough but I think it could do with a thicker yarn and may have to start again. I dont really mind as it is very quick to knit.

Around The World Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog Crafty Bags and my scheduled stop on the Around The World Blog Hop.

Sunflower Tote

 I would like to thank Janine from Rainbow Hare for inviting me to join the Around the World Blog Hop! I have always admired Janine's work, her dolls Plain and Purl with a story! quilting, textile wall art the beautiful crochet flowers throw and gorgeous knitting. And I love her Wool on Sundays. Please go and take a look and see.

Janine has asked me to answer four questions so here goes!
 
What am I working on?

Curtain Material

While out with Mr CB on a trip to Bodmin town to have a look around and to make the most of the late summer sunshine I spied this colourful material in a charity shop window it's two curtains, I think it looks like it could be retro material. I will make two cushions from it, the blue trim I bought the next day in a fabric store, a good match I think. I have made Mandala crochet cushions too which I recently discovered how to do. 

Jacob Fleece Merino Tops Felt Bag

This is the carded Jacob Fleece and Merino Wool Tops leftover from a Sheep to Hat course I did. I made this bag. It will be either a felt bag next or small shawl or scarf using both the Jacob and Merino together or on their own, wet felted needle felted or both.


How does my work differ from others in its genre ?

I started by making bags, all kinds, shapes and sizes and various fabrics and after a while I restarted knitting and crochet and became interested in trying other crafts, quilting, felting, cross stitch embroidery (I like to do more embroidery) and applique so I don't think I have a particular genre.

Two Crochet Throws

Two Knitted Rugs

Crochet Cardigans and Sweater

Quilted Knitting Bag and My First Quilt

Cross Stitch Lavender Sachet

Why do I write/create what I do? 

I just love to create things I just recently really enjoyed using my colourful, fancy scrap yarns to crochet two cardigans in stripes of colour that was easy to do and surprisingly quick, then knitting a sweater this time in blocks of colour. I love making items from something once used into something compleatly different, recycling. And as I make nice things I like to write about them
and share what I have made with others who love crafting and blogging too and I find it interesting to see what others are creating.

 How does my writing/creating processes work?

 I am lucky to live in the amazingly beautiful county of Cornwall in the UK with its magnificent varied scenery all around the many beaches and coves, living here gives me added inspiration to create nice things I think.

I don't use a pattern, I plan out a style of bag in my head and get straight on with it, sometimes I do sketch out an outline of the design to keep me focused. I use the fabrics to hand imagining what type of bag I could make, the lining, then the handles to match. I see colours, patterns I find striking in a fashion magazine and put them together as a bag. I did this with a denim and blue/ white pattern cotton bag.  A bag I made from a multi-coloured cardigan looked lovely and I added a thick cotton shoulder strap. I may see a bag I really like in a boutique and make one similar. I cut out the sheep shapes from a curtain with lots of patterns and stitched them together to make a knitting bag.

Sometimes it is trial and error and a learning process and I start again but find if I take the time to plan it out it is half the battle and usually comes out all right.

I am always on the look out for colourful material it could be curtain material, or off cut remnants as I only need a small amount for a project at a time, I find these aplenty in fabric stores, wool shops, markets, car boot sales and sometimes charity shops.
I love to go to look around a car boot sale near me which also has a market outdoors and indoors too so there is plenty to browse around.

I hope you have stayed with this to the end thank you and because I want to introduce to you the lovely Julia from Horse Fire Textiles who makes amazing rugs from recycled material, wall hangings and art and all really inspiring and colourful to look at too, I am sure you will agree and she will be answering questions on the next blog hop next Monday.