Easy Crocheted Brooch

Today is my very first post on It's A Creative World.

I made a crocheted brooch. It's easy peasy if you can do basic crochet.

US terminology

You will need a few scraps of leftover yarn. The thickness is totally up to you. I used chunky which I believe is called bulky in other countries. It gave me a brooch of approximately 3 inches in diameter. You could use thinner yarns doubled.


I used a 6mm crochet hook.

Directions:

Using the magic circle method (explained here) chain 3 and then do 10 double crochet (explained here) into the circle. Join with a slip stitch into the top of the chain 3.


It should look like this:

 
Chain 3 and then do 4 lots of double crochet into each double crochet from the previous round. Slip into the top of the chain 3. Weave in your ends and your crochet part of this is done. The 4 lots of double crochet makes it slightly ruffled. If you prefer it to be flatter then simply substitute the 4 double crochet for 3 double crochet.



It now looks like this (yes I was naughty and took the picture before I got rid of the ends):

 
Now comes the fun part. Grab some buttons and beads and let your creativity loose.  I used just ordinary sewing thread doubled for attaching the embellishments as some of the items I used were too small to fit yarn through. Invisible thread would be great for this part.
 

Sew a pin to the back and you are done.

There are numerous other ways of using this project. It would be great to dress up a bag, for fastening a scarf, as a hair accessory or on your papercrafting projects.

Thanks for looking at my design.  I've linked it up to Ravelry here

FO Friday

I've not taken part in Finished Object Friday for quite some time. Mainly because I didn't have anything finished to show you.

This week I have finished a ruffled scarf and have written up the pattern on Ravelry - here to try and make a few extra pennies for Christmas. Also because I am doing a craft fair soon and plan to print a few out to sell there.

I decided that my main sale item at the craft fair will be corsages.  I've finished a few more than this picture shows and whilst some of them are finished I could use a bit of feedback on them.  I was going to add beads or buttons or both to each and every one of them but with some of the bigger ones I am wondering if less is more and to leave them plain. They are made with a variety of stash yarn I had.  The bigger ones are made with some Icelandic Chunky yarn which is absolutely gorgeous in real life. Each one takes up a full ball.

Then there are these little guys.  Just a simple trianglar knit made into a christmas tree shape.  I'm undecided whether to make some more because it is a christmas craft fair or just keep them for my own tree.

One thing is for certain, as much as I am enjoying making things for it, I shall be glad to be able to go back to knitting for my own pleasure once the craft fair is done.

Shameful pimping of my pattern post over now so please visit this week's FO Friday for lots of knitted and crocheted inspiration.

Still Learning

Day 16 was definitely that tissues and the washing machine are not a good mix and that they clog up the tumble dryer filter

Day 17 was that scrapping for just because rather than commitments can be enjoyable (see yesterday's post for the layout) and that is what it is supposed to be about.


Day 18 was that the weather can be unpredictable especially when I have delicates on the washing line that can't be tumble dried.

Day 19 was that it costs quite a lot more to travel by train into the big city at 9am than it does at 10am.

We got to shop in almost empty shops though so there are positives.  Gotta love Cath Kidston and I got to have a look at some of the lovely stuff in there without other people being right where I want to be (I hate that lol).  I'm currently eyeing up a new purse.  Expensive but I might treat myself for a big birthday which is coming up next month.  The purpose of the trip was for the last few bits (apart from food shopping) that my eldest needs for going back to university on saturday.  We got her most of the essentials last year so there wasn't a huge amount to buy - mainly things like a new duvet, sheets, duvet cover because she has a double rather than single bed this year, stationery, pegs because she will be in a house and able to hang her washing out rather than in her flat in the halls of residence last year and general bits and pieces. 



Still running and this was yesterday's run. I'm happy with that pace although it didn't feel any faster than the 25 minute miles from last week so I'm taking everything the pace thing tells me with a pinch of salt. I'm still convinced that 25 minute miles are definitely not what I did.

Exactly two months today I am having a stall at a craft fair for the very first time.  For the last few weeks I have been messing around with yarn and trying to perfect a couple of ideas. I think I'm pretty sure on one of them now so here is a little sneaky peeky.  Taken with my phone because my dear husband has taken the camera to work with him as he is going off to the Leeds v Manchester game straight from work.

Scrumbling

Do you know what a scrumble is?

I didn't until earlier this week and once I discovered them I can honestly say I am getting addicted.

In the scarf journey group on Ravelry we are doing a crochet journey but it has evolved into freeform crochet and the making of scrumbles.

This is my section which will go to the next person in the circle and the next until it eventually reaches home.  There are 11 of us in the group so it will be a while before we all get our end result to either add to or make into something.

Expect to see quite a few more of these soon. 

FO Friday & Week In The Life Day 1

I have some crochet for FO Friday (finished object Friday for those not familiar with the term).

They are from a block a month group on Ravelry.  I definitely need some practice with blocks, as you can see from how crap these are, so I thought it would be a good way of learning new stuff.  For lots of much better finished objects than mine head on over to Tami where the FO Friday is hosted.

So here are my attempts

Hands up if you are doing the Week In The Life project run by Ali Edwards.  I had really good intentions with the documenting part of this but since it is the first week of the school holidays here in England I ended up bypassing the actual writing part and have just gone with the photographing.  I decided I would mainly use the Hipstamatic app on my iphone since it is better than the actual phone camera and using my phone is so much easier than taking the camera everywhere.  So here is Day 1 (Monday yeah I know it is Friday lol)

Up at 730ish

Post Office run with Ebay parcels

a bit of guitar hero (yes in his pjs)

lots and lots of towels to wash

having to hook the wii remote out of the side of the tv cabinet with a meat fork

we went to the library and joined little man on the summer reading challenge

went on the bus to a local shopping centre for

new trainers

made a very fattening cheesecake

Weekend Showcase

Welcome to the weekend showcase - the place to show off something you are proud of this week.

To show off please enter the link to your proud show off item in the inlinkz box below.

This week I taught myself how to crochet.  Well I kind of did! This is my first project which will be this bag.  It is riddled with errors but I'm using it as a learning project and since I plan to use it as a project bag which only my family will see anyway then errors are fine.

Wednesday Memes

This Wednesday I am taking part in two memes.

First up one I haven't taken part in before - Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday

My workdesk is basically any free surface in my kitchen. Usually the table but as that is often a dumping ground for the rest of the family I am using my counter top and cooker top.  This is the Basic Grey Page Of The Month kit for March which arrived yesterday with my scraproom kit.  It is a shocking photo sorry.

The layout is a party theme but I am thinking of using some beach pictures instead as we don't really have any party pics.

This picture shows the April one aswell which looks fab.


Second meme is the usual WIP Wednesday

I have a bit more of my Sockknitters Anonymous mystery socks done.  I am finished on clue 3 once  I have turned the heel.

I have made it my mission this year that I will learn to crochet.  I saw this on one of my favourite blogs and was inspired to give it a go.  I had this book recommended to me as a brilliant resource for beginners and had to laugh at the bit on the cover which says -learn to crochet - even knitters.  I don't know if being able to read knitting patterns and do just about anything that is asked of me with regard to knitting will be a stumbling block or a help. Anyway I have ordered it and will take it from there once it arrives.  I learnt to do a foundation chain as part of a provisional knitting cast on but that is about it.