A Gallery of Crochet

Hi..

A great many of my visitors are coming from What Not to Crochet, a site where we poke good humoured fun at designs that are snigger worthy. We dont pick on individual’s items as people who create blankets and prayer shawls and baby garments do so with a great deal of love. Some things arent to my own personal taste but I respect the amount of effort, dedication and skill they have demonstrated in making those special things.

A lot of my visitors are rapidly becoming friends who I look forward to hearing from everyday, and seeing their own works and blogs progressing. I’m always willing to talk crochet.. and horses… and mining… and sometimes, the Navy.

This page is to showcase some of my old and some of my new pieces.. a lot taken at shows as I do like to enter competitions as well as give away much of what I make. I am more than willing to discuss anything you see here and provide help if you would like to make something similar!

These are some different views of one of my favourite designs. its a very simple mesh pattern, 5 rounds of dc ch dc and then a round of hdcs. (Please note I use American terminology) This afghan was made from 1400 metres of Lincraft Mohair, Sentiments white and Sandyk11 gold angora for the border. Its a true Autumn red colour and it has won at three shows and placed second at the huge Melbourne Royal. You can see it here at Melbourne, Freds Pass and Darwin Shows. The black Shawl in the corner is also mine.. a very simple crossed extended treble pattern with beads and tassels.

This photo shows two of my afghans and another one of my shawls (the bronze article hanging on the wall) The Afghan on the Left is the same mesh pattern but done in Patons Myth (a beautiful pink and purple yarn.) It won both Canberra 2007 and Darwin 2006 and went to the lovely girl who organises Canberra Royal (she couldnt resist buying it). The Blanket to the right was my entry in the “Sun Sand and Surf” Challenge. Its Moda Vera Sentiments again, and is supposed to represent the waves breaking on the sand - using the blues and aquas. This afghan won (and my bag took second) and went to my Grandmother.

These two blankets are made from Panda Elfin. Its a limited edition mohair that I have bought a fair amount of. It’s beautifully soft and has a fantastic array of colours. Again this is the same mesh in rounds pattern and very easy to produce. I think the pattern does well because it demonstrates uniformity of tension as well as three different stitches. As well as being buttersoft and very pretty.

This blanket was made as a special thank you to the nurse who was caring from my maternal grandmother during her last few months in the nursing home.

For some reason the light in my room is quite yellow and it makes the colours a little more plum than purple but again I’m quite proud of it. By accident, I bought two packets of 10 that were different lot numbers - I checked.. I swear but the variations actually were a plus. The layout has its own special story… I should call this the Morris blanket, and see if the person who first spotted the pattern in the layout remembers why.

The Alphabet blanket is my Favourite Big baby Blanket - it’s done in Puff Stitch and see if you can remember how to crochet ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ backwards and each letter from the reverse side. I used This pattern with a few modifications to make the border. It is a heavy blanket using over 2kms of yarn however very well worth it as our models Erin and Sebastian will tell you.

The creamy blanket with the edge is a blanket I made for Arcadia’s second daughter (Arcadia now has 6 of my blankets, plus a jacket I knitted.. a seventh is nearly finished.)

The peachy blanket is nearly finished but its off to a show so I wont list it here just yet.I have made (at last count) 27 baby blankets for my friends’ and friends of friends’ babies. In my past life, at my life I used to be sent many sailors who were unfit to work anywhere else because they were medically unfit, disciplinary problems, the works. I had two girls sent to me because they were pregnant (they had other family issues as well). I made both of them blankets and they both cried when they received them as none had ever made anything for them.

This blanket went to Canberra Royal - and then to Sebastian. Its a very simple stitch - do a slip stitch and then next stitch is a  hdc, all the way along, the next row you alternate, hdc in slip and vice versa. It makes the most wonderful cushiony fabric and with a simple white sparkly border, the judge was very pleased with it

Angels

These ladies are a great deal of fun to make, and relatively simple. Each one seems to take on a bit of a life of their own. The second one from the left was GrandChampion Crochet exhibit at Canberra Royal this year, and she then went to live with my Grandmother.

The second one from the Right was at Fred’s Pass Show and Winner of the Christmas designs (sorry the photo is so lousy, the phone in my camera isnt brilliant). When I went to pack up my entries I had four little old ladies who were helping me. Mostly they were folding and refolding everything (shawls, blankets, baby garments etc) that I had already put into the boxes.. and then another lady would come along and take it out and refold it.. and then another lady would take it out and refold it… it was sort of funny.

But anyway.. one woman reached up to take the angel in an almost reverent sort of way. She wasnt very tall and very frail, and when she took the angel down (they’re quite stiff ) she held her clutched to her chest. I was moved to ask the woman if she would like to keep the angel - she nodded.. and teared up. I was told later thaht this woman was the sponsor of the craft section, especially the patchwork/quilting side, and had been diagnosed with bowel cancer, with a poor prognosis. I hope my angel is looking after her.

TOYS

I have only just started making bears and Barbie clothes. I was never into Barbie but I am enjoying making the reproduction costumes. I like the fine details and the chance to embellish my crochet with beads and other items. Bears are also something I intend making more of… And Wipples..

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.:* Shows *:.

Out and about at Canberra, Melbourne and Darwin Shows this year. The hat of of course is being worn by Mother_figure and the photography is courtesy of Father_figure, Rebecca McGavin of Urban Tails Photography , an old friend Bronwyn and… me…

Filet

This is the Daffodils Filet Pattern that is responsible for a lot of my depression. I worked myself into a real gloom finishing this piece.. Brooding over the number of things that were wrong in my life. But I’m getting better and I have started a new piece of Filet. Its more advanced than shown here but I havent got it with me tonight - its still out at Toothbrush Three.

One morning, under the inlufence of waaaay to much chardonnay and the hangover from hell.. I decided to make a Christening Gown from Laceweight Merino. This pattern is the same as the laast two photos - made in 3ply Australian Baby Yarn from Patons called Dreamtime. Its a beautiful set… and one day.. I’ll finish the Laceweight version.

I started in two months ago and have made quite reasonable progress however the gown has nearly racked up 4000km on the road. The final tally will be quite something!