Stockton Crafts Blog

Off to Suffolk to see what my garden grows....

The last time I was in Suffolk I took photos of all the potential in the orchard....

 
 
Apples!

 
 
Sloes for my sloe gin !

 
....and plums by the bucket load!

Now if I am very lucky, this weekend will be spent picking/eating/cooking/freezing the plums which should be ripe and juicy by now... then the apples in another couple of weeks... then wait all the way until after the first frost for the sloes...all the time keeping fingers crossed that the birds don't eat them all first!

I make my sloe gin in large Kilner jars, and keep it for a minimum of 2 years to soak.... I must remember to look and see how many jars I made in 2009....I'll take a photo to show you next week!

 

 

What to do when I have run out of yarn for my hexagon blanket?

Oh dear... my daily dose of hexagons has been put on hold as I have run out of the cream yarn... so what shall I do? Start another blanket! Well..... this MIGHT become a blanket/ throw.. it would be a very long term project, so might end up as a cushion cover... here is one teeny tiny granny square:

This square measures 5 x 5cm... the pattern is called 'Nine Patch Granny' and is from a book called, '200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans', by Jan Eaton, published by David & Charles.   

Basically the idea is to make 9 of these tiny squares, then join them together and finally put a border round.  That is for ONE square, which will measure 19 - 20cm when completed.  Then just make another 3 for a small cushion side (that's 36 tiny squares), another 8 for a large cushion (that's 81 tiny squares), or approximately 48 for a small throw (that's 432 tiny squares)...GULP!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves... one square a day and see how I go....

 

 

Another lacy stitch potential for Mum's scarf...

This stitch pattern is called 'String Network'... again from, 'The Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches'... again simple; chains, double crochets and trebles....

 
 I LOVE this tealy colour... my Mum (she'll kill me for telling you she is 87 - and YES she does read my blog), has that gorgeous silvery grey hair and bright blue eyes, so this sort of colour makes her look beautiful...

 

Finally blocking.....

I have never been much of a one for 'blocking' my work... mainly because I didn't really understand the process, and maybe a little bit because I couldn't be bothered....

Now that I am doing more intricate crochet work - flowers, lace stitches etc., I thought I had better do a little research on the subject. 

The best tutorial I have found is here: http://www.crochetme.com/blogs/kim_werker/archive/2010/01/18/how-to-spray-block-crochet-or-knit-squares.aspx

.....and guess what?  It isn't a weird, complicated, mystical process... it's simple! Maybe fiddly...but definitely simple.  In her tutorial Kim uses a very posh blocking board, but I haven't got one (Christmas list no. 1), so I retrieved an old piece of insulation board from the shed:

 
 I pinned it into an old pillow case, et voila! I have a blocking board....now apparently I just spray the work lightly with water, wait for it to dry thoroughly and unpin - why  have I always thought this was a complicated process?

 
 
The reason for needing a blocking board today? I want to crochet my lovely Mum a scarf to keep her toasty this autumn... these are the colours I have to chose from (all Katia Merino Baby):

 
 
 Now for the stitch... this is the first I tried, it's called 'Offset Filet Network' from a lovely old book I have, ' The Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches', published by Lyric Books Ltd, 1986. I got it from a vintage sale for £2 - this is one of those rare books that I consult a million times, it IS my crochet bible! So here is a small sample blocked:

Hmm.... I like this stitch...it is easy (all chains and trebles, so as long as you can count, you can do it), it grows fast, its airy and light when done with this wool, and it is pretty! 

Do you have any books on knitting/crochet that you would recommend as the ONE book to own on the subject?
 

Crochet Rug using Hoopla Yarn - Pattern on blog

 
Hopefully I have written the pattern for the Crochet Rug using Hoopla Yarn down correctly... and converted it to a PDF file if I am very lucky.  Next step is to get it onto the blog so here goes:

Download Hoopla Granny Squares Rug Pattern

 If this works I will also put it in the 'Patterns' file in the right side bar. If anyone finds any problems with this pattern, or getting hold of it, please do let me know...

 

A Hoopla Ta-dah!

The sun is out, the skies are blue.. so a cheerful, bright (get your sunglasses quick) ta-dah for you in celebration...

On 01.07.11 I showed you this giant granny square....

  
Today I finally applied the edges to the finished rug...

 
 My lovely daughter has just painted the hallway white, so a colourful splash was needed... apparently this was a little brighter than she had intended... I might have to do a toned down version...

 

This photo was taken in full sunlight...I guess the brightness comes over a little more clearly...I told you sunglasses were needed...

As you can see, Freddie approved....but then he approves of everything I do :)

 

 

I used a very traditional granny pattern with a huge hook... I'll write it down and put it in my 'patterns' section later.

I'm off to try out some other colour combinations... I hope your week has started well, despite all the sad news this weekend x

 

 

 

 

Hoopla Yarn on sale

Hoopla Yarn is now on sale at £6.99 per cone

plus free postage (to UK) 

at Stockton Crafts - until July 31st 2011!

20 colours now in stock! 
  
 

 

Have you found 'Pinterest' yet?

  
I found 'Pinterest' a while ago... if you haven't found it yet it is a website which helps you to make photograph albums of all the beautiful things you see on the internet and you can also see what other people have found. 

On my Pinterest 'Boards' I have a huge collection of crochet, knitting, crafts and home decorating inspiration...if you want to see them click on the 'Follow me on Pinterest' button in the left side column of this blog.

 

A (very quick) 5 minutes sunshine today...

The sun came out late this afternoon, so I went out to throw the ball in the garden for the dogs for a few minutes.... I noticed that we have a lot of this plant:

  
 I'm not sure what it is... but I know it is great for autumn flower arrangements... and I know it is beautiful...so I am very pleased to see that we have loads of it!

Have you heard of 'witchy stones'?

In Suffolk there is a tradition that stones with natural holes in are hung at windows and doors to ward off evil spirits... now as I am relatively new to Suffolk (only 10 years), I am not convinced that this is real folk-lore.  It may just be 'my husband-lore'!

We have three long 'danglings' of them under the lean-to:

 
  I like them hanging like this (threaded onto old metal coat-hangers)... and they must be working because I have never encountered any evil spirits under the lean-to! 

We have thunder and lightening outside now... which is pretty scary when you are in a wooden barn which makes lots of strange creaking noises... so I shall do what I usually do to keep me calm... crochet!

 
 I hope you have managed to keep your toes dry and your hands warm today :)x

 

Rain, rain, go away...come again another day!

Saturday in Suffolk... I had plans: a car boot sale, a local market, a walk with the dogs... and look what happened... 
The sound of rain on the barn roof woke me this morning... earlier than planned... and it hasn't stopped yet. It has been raining 'cats and dogs'...Fred isn't impressed...he usually spends the day in the garden here, just running, watching dragon flies and occasionally swimming in the pond...

 
 I think the water is too cold, even for Fred today...

 
 
 The rain poured off the barn roof onto the gravel... the barn is unconverted as yet... hence the broken pipe...

 
 However, I don't want to depress you all, so I'll leave you with the best photos of the day...

 
  Every cloud DOES have a silver lining... in this case the gardens and farmers need the rain...and we all need to thank our lucky stars that we live in such a beautiful country and remember the awful situation in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.....

What do we do on rainy days when all our plans have been scuppered??  Crochet! Well, I do...

 
  A few more hours on the blanket produces a few more hexagons... just another couple of hundred to go! What do English people do in the evenings on a day like today... go to a barbeque of course!  I hope there is room for me indoors!

 
 What have you been doing on this rainy Saturday afternoon?

 

 

 Visit us at Stockton Crafts for yarns and more....

Easy and quick 'Drop Stitch Scarf' pattern - FREE

I found this pattern a while ago and made mine in Katia Bombay. It is a really adaptable pattern that can be made in just about any yarn.  Variegated coloured yarns give a fantastic result as you can see in Christine's photos, but it works well in plain colours too.  

 
 

This scarf grows fast, is really easy to knit, and is a FREE download from Christine Vogel at 'Frazzled Knits'.  Just click on the link to download yours:

http://christine.typepad.com/knitting/easy-drop-stitch-scarf-pa.html

 

My favourite patterns....

I was searching for a scarf pattern today and came across these from Paula of: http://hookandyarn.wordpress.com Click on the photos to go straight to the patterns:

Spider Crochet Lacey Scarf

Lacey Crochet Scarf 
 I'm going to save patterns I love as I find them - have a look at the 'patterns' section in the column on the right.

Heveningham day out and alpacas...

 
Today is the day of one of my favourite events of the year.... Heveningham Hall Country Fair in Suffolk.

I have been going there for 9 years now.  It is a feast of craft tents, entertainments in the main ring (including dog show, terrier racing, horse skill and falconry displays), dancing, music and lovely things for sale (notably fudge, ice-cream and strawberries)! Usually the weather is perfect.. but today was only the second time that I have known it to be washed out.  Imagine craft tents packed with people... sadly not purchasing... all sheltering from a deluge of English summer rain...all soggy and steaming together!  Dogs of all breeds... pedigrees, Heinz 57's... all much loved pooches...meeting and greeting each other as if they are old friends.. It is a lovely day out.  Heveningham Hall itself has 365 windows... one for every day of the year.

We were strolling around the tents when I found beautiful Alpacas!

 

 
These Alpacas come from Melford Green, Darsham in West Suffolk... such beautiful placid creatures and fine, soft wool... I just had to buy a little yarn....

 
Not sure yet what to make...probably a small scarf.. I can't wear wool myself as I get a bit itchy, but apparently Alpaca wool doesn't contain the same lanolin as sheep's wool, so is hypo-allergenic...hurrah!

I'll let you know what it becomes...

Fred had a lovely day meeting all the other dogs...it was very hot and humid for the first couple of hours, then it poured...so he was a bit damp round the edges!

 
So today was a very typical summer's day for me...I hope you all had a lovely Sunday too... were any of you at the Fair?  Has anyone got any experience of knitting with / wearing alpaca wool?

New stock!

 
I can't tell you how excited I get when new stock comes in!  After a year of trading purely cotton, I have realised that just because I prefer to work with cotton other crafters prefer wool and mixes.... so my first wools have arrived! Here are just a few of them:

 Katia Bombay

Katia Paper 

Katia Merino Baby

The Katia Merino Baby yarn is washable AND goes in the tumble drier!  I have also got further colours in Katia Bamboo and Katia Spring - a lovely Aran yarn which is a cotton / Polyester elite mix.

I am about to attempt ot put up my list of blogs that I love - I found another lovely one today called "The Yvestown Blog", if you love crochet and colour go and have a look...

Well it's lovely weather for ducks in Oxford....here are some of mine....

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
  

 
 
 
  

 
 

 

First Post and a spotlight on Hoopla Yarn!

You are very welcome to the first post from Stockton Crafts’ blog site – today the spotlight is on Hoopla Yarn.  Hoopla is a salvaged fabric.  During the process of fabric manufacture, the huge rolls of fabric are trimmed and the selvage edges removed.  These are then packaged and brought to us as Hoopla. 

Here are some gorgeous bags which have been designed and made by Emma Hilton-Jones:

 

 

... and an aqua mix rug made by Mary J. Blampied:

 


 


Stunning I think you will agree!

For even more inspiration have a look at Julie’s blog: 'Hipp'.  Julie has been designing and making bags, necklaces, purses etc. and they are truly inspired!

I will be putting links to patterns for Hoopla on the left side bar as soon as I can get them organised.

Here is my latest offering made from Hoopla:  A giant granny square. . .soon there will be 6 of these and I will sew them together to make a rug to cheer up my dull hall.... bright I know...but they make me smile!





A glassy treasure for Christmas

At the auction on Friday I also found 2 broken lights...they have light bulb fittings, so not that old...but one has glass beads like a chandelier, and the other has a glass bowl....

  

  

I have Christmassy plans for these lights ...

 

 

I dismantled them, and retrieved the glass sparkly components.... 28 gorgeous pendants each of 7 glass beads.....

 

 
 They really sparkle in the sun....

 

 
Imagine these little beauties dangling from a Christmas tree...

Christmas lights twinkling around them....

hmmm.... I'll get back to you on this one!

Suffolk sunniness

 
A beautiful sunny evening yesterday in the middle of a sunny, warm weekend... perfect for a trip to the 'Low House' in Laxfield....

The Kings Head (or low house), Laxfield, Suffolk, UK

 

As you can see it is really called The King's Head, but locals call it the 'Low House'... because there is another pub in Laxfield which is higher up the road...I've never heard that one called the 'high' house though....

 
  The special thing about the Low House is that it is one of very few remaining , 'tap room' pubs... there is no bar, the beer is served straight from the barrels in the tap room at the back of the pub. 

The 'tap' room

When we are in Suffolk we make a point of having a drink here, it just feels like you have slipped back a century and all is well with the world....

Not much creating has gone on this weekend, but I did manage to make a visit to an auctioneers called, 'T.W. Gaze' in Diss, Suffolk. I do love going to auctions - you see antiques and fine arts of all sorts going under the hammer, plus 'modern' items, household clearance sales, old tools, garden statuary... but for me it is all about the glass... beautiful vintage, colourful glass...

Suffolk and Hoopla Grannies

I'm in Suffolk today ... hubby is restoring a barn here.. when we first met (nearly 10 years ago) he told me that he lived in an 'almost finished' converted barn.... well what a porkie pie! It is a ramshackle old barn still.  It has a house on the end of it though, so it's all good. 

Last month work started on the actual barn - it is going to be a living room and bedroom eventually - footings are being dug and beams replaced etc., so we are off the see the progress this weekend.  I'll show you the photos next week. Does anyone else live in Suffolk, UK?

 

 Meanwhile... look what I made in a brief respite from Hexagons!!

 

 
 
Ahh just a good old Granny square I hear you say?  But look at this:

 

 

 

Thats my favourite mug next to the square... I got fed up with the lack of sunshine during Wimbledon weeks ... so dull was the light indoors that I decided to brighten up the hall... this may be going a little far... the colours are very BRIGHT!!  But they do make me smile and when the hall is painted white.....ooooo I can't wait!
 

I used a size 15mm hook and each square took me 50 minutes to make... I reckon I am going to need 6 squares.

 

Has anyone else got any experience with Hoopla Yarn (it is like Zpagetti in Europe)?  I sell it in my internet shop so have the adantage of being able to choose from all the lovely colours, but the cones are HUGE so I think I am going to sell smaller amounts so that people can try it out, or use it to trim smaller projects... I'd love some input from other crafters really... so let me know what you think....