Deerey Me!

Bath WI crochet workshop

The Bath WI strikes again with a cracking craft workshop! Today we had three hours’ beginners’ crochet at Bath’s premier knitting and wool emporium, ‘Wool‘. Our teach, Sara, could not have been better or nicer – and even provided us with delicious cupcakes made by her talented niece. I think Sara’s middle name must be Patience…it took three attempts just to get me to tie a slip knot! Once I got going, I thought I was doing quite well…until I realised that my ‘square’ already had six corners and I still had a little way to go on that round. Sara undid a bit and pointed out where I had gone wrong – but in a way that made me feel like I was actually doing really well (a wonderful talent for a teacher). I didn’t even finish all four rounds and found at the end of the class I had missed three trebles on round two. So my square is not exactly square and my tension was a little tight, making it a very small…but I came home inspired (and with a bag full of yarn to continue practising!). I sat down straight away and made another square. It was so much quicker and, although not perfect, is a great improvement on my first square.

I confess I was tempted to only show you the second square, but I am going to be brave and show you my first attempt too – in months to come it will give me a measure of my improvement (and will give my readers a good laugh!)

Compare and contrast…

I am rather keen to make a blanket…and will share photos (in a year or two…)

 

zips!

Mark’s colleague, Shelley, suggested my book bags would benefit from a pocket. I think she is right so have been experimenting with inserting pockets fitting flush in the lining. I have done a few with button fastenings, but wanted to remind myself about inserting zips. Is it sad to enjoy fitting zips? Anyway, I went a bit zip mad and thought a small purse would be a nice way to use some London themed fabric I had in my stash. I then found some London bus charms…synchronicity!

The purse was fun to make and I now have an urge to do some fabric painting to turn in to more purses. How strange it is to spend a Sunday evening looking forward to starting work on Monday morning!

 

lavender’s blue…dilly dilly

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender’s green
When you are king, dilly dilly,
I shall be queen

I have long enjoyed making lavender bags and had stashed away packs of purchased lavender and pots of flowers harvested last Summer from the lavender in our own garden. I decided I should amalgamate it all and wanted it to look nice.

The jar is described as an extra large biscotti jar, and I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t prefer it to be full of biscotti, but the lavender is far less damaging to my diet, and I do love the little scoop! I do so like things to be both practical and pretty…!