Day 231 -Wow what a day!! US Book is not far away!

Yes we are going back across the pond again today to the USA!

My Book

Crochet cor Beginners who want to Improve has been translated (by me) checked (by me), PLUS it's been  read & approved by non other that Sara Dugan AKA  MomWithaHook

who said

"Ali, I just finished reading it and You did a fantastic job in converting. I can't tell you enough what a great resource this is."

So it's on the way to the publishers on Amazon right now & should be available within the next 24hours!!

I will also be publishing a Kindle Edition

If you would like the UK version on Kindle then please take a look here - it was released today!!

See I told you it was a WOW day.

Last night I spent a rare few hours working a few rows on my jumper....

And today I managed to complete a VERY lovely commission for Make & Craft Magazine.

It's so lovely and adorable that I want to share it with you all but I can't!

So for Day 231

I made this Pinky for today

Day 218 - Crochet Days in Dorset 2013 & an Interesting Exerise!

First of all here is the Square for Day 217 (yesterday)

And Day 218

Now for the interesting bit

Did you know that the time it takes you to crochet something could take you longer than you actually think!  Like me, you could be doing it to relax, sitting in front of the TV or you simply pick up your hook, crochet away, unwinding at the same time & not realising where the time has gone.

Well I challenge you to TIME the next piece of Crochet that you make, including the colour changes, fastening off, sewing in ends, sewing on buttons, whatever you have to do to finish the piece. 

I used the stopwatch on my iphone clock.

Realising the time involved in Crochet

Making the Granny Bag again turned out to be a very interesting exercise as I timed each piece I made.

 

Each Rectangle (x2) took 2.5 hours           = 5

Each Square (x4) took 1.25 hours               = 5

The Base took 80mins                                = 1 /  20

The Top took 2 hours                                = 2

& the handles 30 mins each                        =  1

 

So total time to make = 14 hours 20 mins.  This does not include the time it took to cut out the lining, machine sew & hand sewing involved!

Also, I am a fast crocheter, I wrote this pattern & I didn't have to refer to it that much, so if you are a beginner, find it hard to read patterns, have 3 million screaming kids or an attention seeking puppy to look after or the phone rings, these "obstacles" will add to your timings as it takes time to put your hook down, stop the timer, deal with XYZ, go back to your work, start the timer & work out where you last left off!!

And finally

CROCHET DAYS IN DORSET 2013 

I am now taking bookings to maximum of 8 places

These are the proposed days :

Choice 1 = Friday 27th & Saturday 28th September

Choice 2 = Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September

Here’s what’s planned!

Day 1 – Arrive on the chosen day, any time after 12 noon.There is ample street parking.  Refreshments / Light lunch & a good old catch up will be provided. Crochet will start at 1 p.m.

We will finish Crochet at 5 p.m. & you can go and check into your B&B’s & freshen up in time for a meet up & an evening meal plus a few drinks at the local Pub – The Old Ox Inn, Shillingstone.

Then to bed!

Day 2 – On the following day, the crochet will start at 10 am. We will crochet until 1p.m. when lunch will be provided (kindly let me know if you have any dietary requirements at all) & after that we will all go on a local walk together, using the local trailway and visiting Shillingstone Station Project (you will be taken back in time when you see this place!) All this is just on the doorstep (literally) and a breath of fresh air will prepare us for the afternoon of Crochet which will end at 5 p.m.

So this is your chance to bring along that Crochet Pattern you are stuck on, work on that stitch that you can’t master or just learn something new from one of the many patterns available in one of my ever growing pile of books & magazines!

If there is any specific technique that you want to learn, then just let me know in advance e.g. “I want to learn to crochet a poncho” or “I want to learn how to follow a pattern or understand the symbols that I keep on seeing in pattern books”. I will cover each topic in turn and can be prepared & have everything needed to hand!

Refreshments of Tea & Coffee or Cold Drinks, including cake and biscuits, plus lunch on the 2nd day, will be included in the price of £85.00. (no change from 2012!!) Places limited to 8 people

The cost of any B&B / Evening Meals / Drinks will be payable by you, directly to the proprietor of the establishment.  I can give you details of local b&b’s in the area.

Crochet Days in Dorset was a great success in 2012 & I hope that it will be the same for 2013!

Kindly let me know if you are a YES a NO or a MAYBE by SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2013 & I can arrange from your replies.  You will then be sent a booking form & this will need to be completed & returned with a 50% deposit to reserve your place.

I look forward to hearing from you so if you are interested please email campbellmac44@gmail.com 

PLEASE PUT 

Crochet Days in Dorset 2013 in the Subject Line

(just in case I have to search my junk folder!)

Day 212....Started on a sock, then.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There's still time to enter!

You've got until midnight on Monday 5th August 

So, yes, I started to make a sock, but, a lovely huge envelope full of Rowan Pure Wool DK arrived for my commissioned Granny Square Bag

If you click on the picture you will get taken to the pattern hosted by Slugs on the Refrigerator.

So I made a start on the Granny Bag as the socks are not needed so quickly!!

However I will continue to work a little on the socks tonight if I sit under a good light as the sock yarn is 4ply & I am using a 2mm hook.

Last but not least....

Here are the cut off's from the Granny Bag

Aren't they pretty colours?

And Square 212

Plus I had more calls for my workshops today - so that's 9 for September & 2 for October or Nov so far!! WOW

Day 205 - Are you still following Crochet Camp?

Today is all about Granny Squares & How to change colour neatly....

http://slugsontherefrigerator.com/category/crochet-camp/

Why not pop over & take a look?

The camp is full of great information!

Well folks, today is my last day with both feet intact - tomorrow is my Foot Op so don't be surprised if you don't get a blog post from me tomorrow.

I will catch up on Friday when I will be sitting there in my Pink Plaster Cast & lots of crochet time on my hands

So I leave you today with this rather Regal Square for Day 205

To commemorate the naming of the Royal Baby

George Alexander Louis

This Crochet Square is for you.

Day 196 - Teaching & Mandala's!!

KPK came for a lesson today & we decided to turn the tables

She read the pattern & told me what to do!!

This was excellent practice for her

We chose Winky's pattern in Simply Crochet magazine

It was a good pattern to follow - well written and with photo tutorials too - just like I do in my eLearning Courses & my book (see side panels for more on both of these)

So we both made lovely Mandala's

If you want to know more about Mandala's then CLICK HERE

KPK's homework is to finish following the pattern & bring it back finished in her next lesson!!

If you want to read more on Wink here's her blog 

http://www.acreativebeing.com/

I continue to add to my Jumper WIP.  In this heat it's very demanding to work in Pure New Wool!!

And finally - Day 196

Day 168 - Just as I thought "phew" + Course 3 "The Finishing Touches"

Just as I thought "phew" that's all my commissions work over & done with for a bit, another large bag of the most loveliest wool (100%) arrived in the post today!

Plus I have been asked to do a regular monthly slot for a well know magazine & I am thrilled with this spot!

However I have popped it all away so that I can get on with a few WIP's of my own

One of them is Day 169

Another is a hat that was started with a pupil last Friday who has already send me a photo of hers & I have a lot of catching up to do

And my socks need a tiny bit of work to finish off the edging.  I am now pleased to say that this is now done.

There is also my jumper to finish which is now my ONLY personal WIP which I have promised myself that I will find time for this week.

And after loads of tears & sweat, research & organisation, I present to you

Crochet eLearning Course 3 - The Finishing Touches

Day 158 - So MUCH to share today

The lovely PD came for her Crochet Lesson today & I taught her how to 

Join As You Go!

She picked it up so quickly, I couldn't even say "get your hooks out"

She was so thrilled with the results

That I taught her how to make my 1, 2, 3 Square

As you can see I made my Square for Day 158

Whilst she made her square

And her challenge is s to repeat the 1,2,3 square from what she's made PLUS make some more so that she can practice her Join As You Go at the same time!!

She also practiced pattern following from Inside Crochet Issue 41 - she did a great job here too!

See you in 2 weeks PD - I am looking forward to it already.

 This afternoon KPK arrived

With her part finished socks

BUT

During the lesson we had a torrential downpour

&

a massive clap of thunder & lightening

so after checking that it was ok I went to fetch Scrumpy who doesn't like the thunder claps

So he came to join us!

& at that moment we also had a power cut!

OH JOY

Not only that by my iPhone was on very LOW power so this

And this were all the photo's I could manage

Fortunately by the time KPK got home (she also lives in the same village)

Power was restored & she managed to get

these photo's to me via Twitter

So shes' finished 1 sock, just one more to go!

Day 157 - Cracking On!

Some of my wool arrived & YES I do mean WOOL and not yarn as it IS

100% Merino!

It's so lovely.

It's so LUSH.

It's so SOFT.

It's a DREAM to Crochet with

I have died & gone to heaven & so I am cracking on with that particular project.

I took a rest from this project, as so many idea's were creeping into my head for the next one, so I made a cup of tea, took what I needed into the garden, sat in the sunshine & tried out a few "drafts"

&

guess what - they worked YAY!

Sorry no photo's  - enough said

Actually I lie 

There

is

a 

photo

and 

its

off

Day 157

Day 156 - Crochet Design & Mathematics!

I was supposed to meet my lovely friend from Blandford for a coffee today, but she is full of cold so she very thoughtfully phoned me to cancel - I don't want any bugs before my op so that was very sweet of her.

If you are reading this NS I hope you feel better really soon. x

So I cracked on with my Crochet Commissions instead - I am still waiting for wool to arrive, which should have arrived last week, but I made the most of my time and got on with the pattern writing side of things instead.

This is where the trouble started.

My Crochet & my mathematics were not being friends & this is  not good news as it's all about getting the two to "harmonize" so I resorted to good old fashioned pen & paper and several attempts later things clicked.

To be honest it might be my brain, but now I may never know!

So now it's Day 156 and look at what I have already.....

Isn't it lovely?

Considering this is all made with "wool stash scraps" I LOVE it

And not to miss out the square for today......

.... here is Day 156

The Weekend of Days 152 & 153.....

Saturday 1st June & Sunday 2nd June

It's a lovely sunny day today, so I abandon all chores / housework duties that I can get away with e.g. cleaning etc. & I take my Crochet kit into the garden 

And get hooking out there

Whilst getting a tan at the same time!

So this is my new improved version of my jumper - I did sit there thinking "I must be mad - I am sitting in the sun, crocheting a JUMPER with Pure New Wool!"  I am just grateful that it isn't that "large" at the moment, otherwise I may have had to abandon that particular project.

As you have probably gathered, I like to crochet in "Rainbows" and this is what is on my table today!

My Crochet Kit Case, my Personal Organiser Cover & the start of my Jumper.

Have you seen this?

Knit Now Magazine are offering one of the Crochet eLearning Bundles from the Yarn & Craft Shop as a prize giveaway.

http://www.knitnowmag.co.uk/competitions/item/290-win-crochet-course

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do take a look at this link

BODKIN

Bodkin  is the New UK craft Ezine PDF - Knitting, crochet, fibre dying, sewing, upcycling and lots more

And this one too.....

Yes, I have opened an ETSY shop - more designs will follow soon!

So you can see I have been busy!!

Day 144 - More Crochet Class News!!

I have had a lovely day today & shall I tell you why?

It's because I taught Crochet for 4 hours!!!

The first 2 where spent with "PD" who drives up all the way from Swanage!!

Today we covered Colour Changes in a Granny Square & didn't she do a FAB job of it.

We also went on to do Colour Changes in the Round, along with lots of interesting chat and tea!!

I had a 2 hour break, so more than enough time to do my square for Day 144 - again thanks to @smooogle AKA Alina who is STILL supplying me with wool

And then Kelly arrived aka @kelspk from Twitter - do you remember her?  She's into socks and if you remember, we started with "chunky" socks or "slipper" socks, but today.....

....we progressed to a more normal sock - made with proper sock wool & a 2mm hook.

We did in fact start these last week, however today we went on to create the heel opening & working  up from the ankle

& this is the photo she sent me a few moments ago. - she's steaming ahead - well ahead of me and I can't wait to see her next week as we are going to have some FANTASTIC socks.

So there you have it.  It's Friday, so you probably won't hear from me on Blogger World again until Sunday, no actually Monday as it's a Bank Holiday weekend, so until then, be good & keep Crocheting!!

Day 143 - Crochet Workshop & a Class too!

Day 143 started off with a group workshop at an alternative location as the main road of our village is being dug up & resurfaced, so it was easier to go to them in the next village & this is what I was greeted with!

"A" is going to line this and make it into a pot holder - not bad for someone who has only had 6 lessons!

"M" is making a "sampler" before she starts to edge her 8ft table cloth in a more traditional crochet style

 Here is "L" and "M2" at one end of the table

With "A" and "M" at the other

And this is "A" learning to Join as you Go

Here is "M2's" JAYgo - Haven't they both done well?

And here is my JAYGo for Day 143 - once again this new colour is thanks to @smooogle aka Alina

And here is the Twitter Blanket so far!

And now for my One2One class this afternoon with "V"

Who was genuinely THRILLED to be making her first Granny Square

And loved it when it started to grow!

Another well and truly happy pupil who told me that she "loved coming to Crochet Class as it was her bit of ME time with good chat and a lovely cup of tea"

Isn't that just lovely?