Happy New Year!
Yay, we are finally fully unpacked and settled in our new home following our move back to the UK. It has taken a while to get sorted but we now have an internet connection and I have a fancy new desk for my computer and crafty goodness!
Progress on my craft projects has been slow as you can imagine but I do have some news to report.
I have a new sewing machine. Well it’s not just new but it’s also my first ever sewing machine (thanks mum!). I’m very excited. So far I have made 2 projects and i’ll show you some pictures very soon.
I have finished not one but two doilies from my new japanese doily book and I love them. I also have a third in progress at the moment. Again pictures to follow very soon just as soon as I take them.
I brought a new crochet book called ‘Contemporary Crochet‘. It has some very nice patterns in it and I have made a start on one of them, updates to follow.
Back soon. x
I’m not sure how it happened but i’ve started 2 new projects over the last week! You wouldn’t think it was possible with the majority of my stash in shipping at the moment but somehow I found a way! 
I’ve wanted to make a lace scarf for a while now. Whilst in the US I brought some lovely sock yarn by Lorna’s Laces. I did intend to use it for socks but it seemed a shame to use such a nice yarn to make something people won’t see very often. Instead I went online to Ravelry in search of an alternative project and came across this pretty pattern called Fern Lace Scarf.
I have only completed one repeat of the pattern so far so it’s difficult to see the detail from this picture but when I stretch it out by hand it looks like it is going to be really nice. I am really pleased with how well the colours are knitting up too.
I have also started making a crochet bag from a japanese crochet book I brought in New York. More pictures and details soon.
Sorry the pictures aren’t very good. I took them too late at night really and there wasn’t any natural light left. I will take some better pictures of my progress soon.
I’m in the process of moving back to the UK at the moment which hasn’t left me much time to work on my current projects… I hope yours are going well and i’ll be back soon.
I have always admired the work of futuregirl. She writes an interesting blog on her crochet adventures and makes a fabulous crochet bag (in 3 sizes). Recently she published the pattern for it called the Starling Handbag and i’ve been itching to make one myself.
As a trial run I made the smallest size out of some cotton stash, it’s so cute.
I managed to complete it pretty much error free, thanks mainly to the clear pattern instructions.
I’m really pleased with how the seam turned out. Futuregirl has also written a seamless crochet tutorial which she updated recently and it’s the best I have found so far.
Once I get back to the UK I will buy some nicer cotton and made myself a bigger one. I’d also like to embellish it will stitching somehow…..
A few years ago at a bead and gem fair I saw a lady selling silver jump rings to make chain maille jewellery. I remember thinking at the time how pretty the designs were and whilst back in the UK over the summer I decided to give it a go.
I brought myself a really good book called ‘Chains by Becky’. It is packed with lots of interesting chain patterns and clear instructions. I brought myself some coloured jump rings to start with and made myself the following byzantine bracelet. I only had a cheap lobster clasp at the time and it doesn’t really do the bracelet justice so I will change this for a better one at a later date.
After 2 or 3 repeats of the pattern I was hooked and headed online to order myself some silver jump rings to make another one. I also brought myself pretty silver clasp to go with it.
I hope to make some more silver chain jewellery in the future but I will have to save up first. Sterling silver is definitely the best choice compared to plated silver but it can get quite expensive.