Blogging has lapsed - Hooking has exploded!!

It's been a long while since my last blog and it has lapsed totally.  For that I do apologise, but here's why:

Social media e.g. Twitter & Facebook has taken up a lot of my time recently - taken up time promoting my small, one woman business in the world of Crochet.  Advertising is expensive, especially as small businesses are charged the same rates as the "big boys" but there's nothing one can do, so Social Media is a bit of free adversiting, apart from the time it takes to type it all in of course!

Classes and workshops have got busier and busier.  Not only do I teach from home, from my Crochet Classroom (is it the only dedicated crochet classroom in the UK?  I do wonder) but also from other local venues like The Slipped Stitch in Sherborne & KnitWits in Blandford, both of which are FAB wool shops & more, owned by dedicated, passionate ladies of wool & other crafts.  I am not complaining - it's great to be busy, but I do need more hours in the day.

On a personal note, I have 2 rescue Lurchers, 2 Indian Runner Ducks and 4 calves to look after too.  One of the calves is just over a week old, whereas the others are 8, 7 & 6 weeks, so they are ALL on different milk formulas, which makes looking after them that little bit harder.

Back to Hooking:  I have 3 Crochet weekends coming up, one for Improvers this coming weekend, one for Beginners in April and a final beginners one in May.  I am pleased, very very pleased, to type that I only have 3 places left on the last weekend - the first 2 are fully booked.

I have had very generous donations from various companies 

knitwits

In Blandford Forum

They have all been EXTREMELY generous with the items that they have sent & I am sure that all my pupils who will attend will be thrilled.

So, not only do I have to organise lots of new techniques & designs for these weekends, but I have also had to source & buy in a lot of stock for the things that we are going to make, organise lunches for the two days, organise the Saturday night evening meal - that went a little tits up as the Pub decided that they didn't want my business, all over a free bottle of wine, as I would be bringing about 30 people to them over the next 3 months,  and living in a small village, you don't have a lot of choice LOL.  However Carol, at the Willows B&B has come to my rescue and come up with a lovely set menu, either 2 or 3 courses, with a bottle of Red and a bottle of White on the table with her compliments - she knows what good business practice is obviously!!

Then there's getting all the printing organised - everything has to be sent in PDF format, and deciding on what wools and yarns to order in for the courses - the list seems like it's endless.

I took a beginners workshop this morning and then I have a Bavarian Crochet Workshop on Wednesday & I am teaching at The Slipped Stitch on Thursday morning.  

I then have the rest of that day and all day Friday, apart from doing my volunteer stint, visiting an Old Lady via Age Concern.  I go to visit her once a week, we have a chat, a cup of tea, put the world to rights and have a laugh.  Once that's done, then I have my classroom to re arrange.  I have a sofa & two armchairs that I can steal from upstairs to put in my room & I want it to be all comfy and warm.

I have also bought 2 dinner sets and cutlery sets, so I don't have to use the families plates, glasses, cutlery etc.  It's one expense that I didn't expect, but it does make sense as I have 3 weekends to cater for, plus many more in the future too I hope.

Well that's it for now folks, oh no it isn't!!

I am being asked if I am organising a trip to the London Knit & Stitch show in October again this year!!  Yes of course I am but I need this first weekend out of the way before I can even start to think about sending out booking forms!!  I did speak to the Coach Company today & they have a new 54 seater coach instead of a 49 seater, so I have gone for that this year!!

And then there are the commissions that I am working on for books and magazines - phew, I think that's it now.

Yes that's it now - really it is.

Happy Hooking

Tweet Twoooooo!

Don't you just LOVE this cute owl bag?

I designed it for Make It Today magazine which is in the shops now!

And here's a link to their Facebook Page 

https://www.facebook.com/makeittodaymag?fref=nf

and website

http://www.makeittoday.co.uk/

In my Improvers class, SC made this lovely fox wrap which is a design from a recent Inside Crochet magazine

www.insidecrochet.co.uk www.insidecrochet.co.uk

We also started to learn  how to make a 4 colour Granny Square

Once again (as I have used her site for this pattern before) I have started another blanket & also taught this technique in class & this was thanks to Smooth Fox Lover

http://smoothfoxlover.blogspot.com/2011/03/smoothfoxs-spiral-granny-square-or.html

One of my former pupils asked me to ccrochet a few forget me nots for Demetia Awareness week.  I decided to get all of my class ladies making them, so I supplied the blue & yellow yarn & look what happened!

These flowers will be sold to raise funds for this great cause.

One of my pupils is following a pattern by Rowan Yarn & making this amazing felted place mat with a crochet edge.  The amazing thing is that she is using wool that she has spun into skeins that comes from her own Alpaca herd!!

And now for another new technique that I am currently teaching - Reversable Crochet

If you turn it over it's perfectly the same on both sides!!

On May 2nd I went to the Slipped Stitch in Sherborne to help out with Yarn Shop Day

I took mini Crochet Workshops

And I even had a 9 year old boy come in with his stash of Crochet projects to show me which were all fantastic.

And now for some Tunisian Crochet which my left handed pupil is making in  class at Sparrow UK Shaftesbury.

Another lady in the class is making a Chevron Scarf

And another made a blue & yellow spiral effect mat which matched the Forget Me Nots perfectly!

That's all for now followers. I thank  you for following my blog & I hope you have enjoyed the read and have taken some inspiration from it.

Happy Hooking

Week 20 - Water Damage!

I have been after this book for a while.  I found a copy on eBay so I snapped it up, only to be told, about a week later, that it was no long in print, so I got a refund.

Then I went to Amazon and was surprised to see a few copies available on there.  I made my purchase & waited.

And waited.

It seemed to take forever to arrive but it finally did on Thursday & I was delighted.  Once the package was open, I flicked through the pages with a smile on my face, imagining all these amazing stitches on my stripy blanket, but then my smile turned upside down

The reason for this?  Water Damage! 

Yes, from page 117  onwards there was water damage, but even worse, from page 151 onwards the pages where actually stuck together

I contacted the seller, who gave me a refund.  Great, but now I had a badly damaged book.  I tried to steam the pages apart, but it was no good as they ripped and tore.

My search therefore continues!

The lovely Judy Heminsley, who I met via Twitter, kindly asked me if I'd like to be interviewed for her website this week - "Unusual Home Working Jobs" being the title of this particular post....

http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/2014/05/20/unusual-home-working-crochet-teaching/

Hope you enjoy the read!

My Triangle a day blanket is now up to date & looking FAB

Last Saturday I took a Private Group Class for a Mum who was celebrating her 81st birthday on that very day, along with her two daughters.

We went through all the basics together in the 1st hour, as they all fancied a "refresher" even though they did already crochet - they all learnt something new, I was told.

Then Mum needed to go through a pattern she was stuck on.  I took a look at it for her, and in my 3rd attempt of deciphering the written text, we got there! 

In the meantime the Sisters followed a pattern to make a little Rose Brooch.

JP came to class on Wednesday - she's hooked on Mandala's since our last lesson & can you see what a great idea she's come up with!

She puts a strand of each colour she's using through the sieve's hole & then, pops the colour strand she's actually using though the handle!

In class we started to make our own Mandala

And now she's been given the homework of adding a new round - she's already emailed me, so I now have some homework to do!

Interestingly, the photo below is of the 2 mandala's we started, but each made in a different colour scheme - they look very different don't they?

JP also kindly left this very lovely review about my book

on Amazon's website this week....

I am very lucky to have Ali as my teacher - after only 5 lessons I have learnt so much from her and she explains it in a way in which you can really understand crochet. I bought the book because I found that even though I was taking so much in each lesson, there would be little niggly things/steps that I would forget when I was back home on my own crocheting. It was such a good buy! It's like having Ali home with me :) the traffic light system along with really helpful photos of the steps really help you visual what you need to do. I find the explanation in layman terms very very helpful as I am a beginner and it really does help you remember what you need to do for each abbreviated step.

This book really helps people at different beginning stages of learning crochet especially if your brain goes blank for a moment and you can have a quick read of the explanation :) I really cant wait for her future books!

Isn't that great feedback?

 Wednesday Night's Beginners class produced great results!

Homework was completed

Working in rows 

And in rounds

And they all started to make Granny Squares which was very thrilling

Thursday's Class, who are now very "intermediate"

came in with lovely flowers

Made with DMC

And one lady revealed - probably unknowingly, her hook addiction!

I know you are reading this ML so don't blush, but your hook collection is now more extensive than mine.

Last but not least is the Friday Crochet Class that I take in Shaftesbury at Sparrow UK

It was sadly the last class of the workshop & they all worked so hard

They were keen to learn colour changes and JAYGo, so we crammed a lot in.  It's fortunate that this is a small class so I was able to accommodate them their request.

More next week!

And finally my latest copy of Inside Crochet has arrived (it's available in the shops now) Issue 54

Another FAB issue packed with lovely makes by some very talented designers including Tracey Todhunter who's hooked a wonderful footstool in rainbow colours - I MUST hook one of these!!

If, like me, you have long hair and wear it in a pony tail a lot, do you ever wonder what to do with your pony tail,  when you want to wear a beanie?

Well in Issue 54 your find the solution!  Hook a Pony Tail Beanie - designed by yours truly!!

(All last 3 images are courtesy of Inside Crochet - Tailor Made Publishing)

Crochet in Dorset with Radio Chat on You Tubers! Week 15

If you didn't get my latest newsletter the other day then here's the link. 

http://eepurl.com/SNLT9

To ensure that you don't miss out on future fantastically woolly news, then please do subscribe!

Did you know that I have 9, yes 9 You Tube videos to help you to learn to Crochet?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKxRkxkM3TX0lCtXZRoBdw

Why not try my first one - there are versions for left handers too!!

And to top it all I had a call from a lovely lady at BBC Radio 5 Live on Friday evening, asking me if I would go on the programme the following morning!! Of course I said yes & was live on the Radio to the Nation talking about my You Tube Videos!

Now for my week of Crochet Classes.....

I taught my "Improvers" class Broomstick Crochet.

Due to a lack of broomsticks in my house (they are all in repair LOL!)

I had to improvise & we used large white board markers instead!

Isn't it pretty?  There are more photo's at the end

On one of my dog walks I couldn't resist "snapping" these pretty flowers in the fields & woodland

This is AR who comes to the Shaftesbury workshops held at Sparrow UK

She made an Easter "Bonnet"

Some fantastic colours are about to be added to this already wonderful Bavarian Crochet blanket WIP 

Inside Crochet Issue 53 arrived on Thursday- It's  a wonderful issue (as always) with one of my patterns in it!

One of my crochet ladies is making my Pom Hat which was in Inside Crochet Issue 45

And this is a wonderful doggy blanket

A baby cardigan was completed for homework with the addition of a lovely flower button closure!

Learning to work in the round & following a pattern 

More rows have been added to this SUPERB blanket

Now just feast your eyes on this lot - lots of lovely choccy treats with our tea & coffee thanks to Sarah the owner of Sparrow UK who bakes Gluten Free especially for me.

Another Baby Cardigan with lots of lovely flowers!

Also in Issue 53 of Inside Crochet Magazine is my interview so be sure to buy a copy to read all about it! 

Last but not least is Broomstick Crochet - they all loved learning this new technique!