A month in craft…

Where does the time go? No, rilly, someone in physics please tell me because I need to claw some of this year back and update this blog properly.

In the mean time…

I made this for our sister iPad mag. Kinda love it. Made with left-over fabric from the Tweed bow necklace I did for them a while back (but still available on the Apple Newsstand, peeps). Hubs helped with the cutting (I'm not massively handy with a pair of scissor, which I blame entirely on my being left-handed (and not just crap at cutting), and then it's just a case of a bit of appliqué. Nice huh? Be sure to select some soft fabric or you'll be in for a restless night…

I've also **fanfare please** taught myself to crochet. I know, I know – despaired in an earlier post about those who can attesting to its ease ("Oh but it's eeeeaaassssy!" they'd scoff, which would usually be met with a thunderous look from me).

See that there? That's 40+ crochet hexagons.

It's… not easy. No, rilly. But it Does. Just. Click. All of a sudden. From out of nowhere. One minute all I can do is a chain, and then next, I'm trebling and cackling and getting ever-so-slightly tangled p in my yarn.

I swear, I have no other explanation other than I just kept trying. I also used a slightly weightier yarn than all the other times (Aran), and I also watched a lot of YouTube videos to get it non-squiffy in my head. I think YouTube definitely helped – those stupid diagrams of pencil-drawn hands just weren't cutting it. Crochet is my new love, and (although I am scared of doing anything much other than a granny square – for now) I can't see myself going back to knitting any time soon. I know – I never thought I say it. And me from last year would totally be seething at me from a few seconds ago for typing it. Sorry, Past Me (also, you should really check out YouTube for some tutes, m'kay?).

Anyway, thanks mainly to Pip, Ros Badger and Indie Lovely for their inspiring throws, cushions etc. And thanks to countless crocheting YouTubers. I apologise I didn't make note of your vids…

Christmas wreaths chez Monty

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…


After I made my first (trad) wreath (this red velvet and gold one, in fact), the bug bit, and I just had to make more. I knew I'd be making an obligatory yarn wreath before I tried the trad one, and was pretty chuffed with how it turned out. I made sure I cut the felt flowers on the wonk – no, rilly I meant for it to be like this – as I thought it would make them look more real (altho quite how real a felt flower can get, I have no idea).

Next up, my third and final one. Wasn't sure what to do for it, until I found a left-over book in the office (it was an old covermount from a magazine we'd got in). Loath to stick it in the recycling, one of the team suggested I use it for my final wreath. And **ding** an idea struck. Ripped into strips and dunked in a bit of PVA/water mix, it looks pretty awesome (even if it was uber messy). I was going to do some book flowers (like the felt ones above) but decided it needed a pop of colour. And so, a good-old pom-pom or two!

Red velvet and gold Christmas wreath

[caption id="attachment_181" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Trad wreath[/caption]

My first ever wreath and it was easy peasy. Small wreath, velvet and gold ribbon from good old Hobbycraft. Bit of hot glue to get me going, and done! Bit trad, but we all like a bit of trad at Christmas.