Floral Corsage

I've put this corsage together and a friend asked me to 'customise' it and make it into a Jubilee Corsage - she also says it will be coming out when its the Olympics!  It's made by crochet, easy to put together and I've trimmed it up with ribbon.  Here's a pic and a pattern......the pattern is also available as a freebie on Ravelry.......just look for 'fairislerona'

FLOWER CORSAGE

ONE SIZE  7.5 CM / 3 IN

MATERIALS

2 Small amounts of Double Knitting  - approx 20gms

I pair 5mm Crochet hook

button, safety pin and ribbon

ABBREVIATIONS

ch   chain   sl st  slip stitch  

dc    double crochet   tr  treble

dtr  double treble

N.B. Pattern uses UK crochet terms

SMALL FLOWER

Using 5mm crochet hook.  Chain 4 and join into a ring with a slip stitch.

1st round: 1ch, 6 dc into ring.  Join with a slip stitch into 1st dc.

2nd round: 1ch, 1 dc into same stitch as chain,

(2ch, 1 dc into next dc) 5 times, 2 ch.  Sl st into 1st dc. (6 spaces)

3rd round: (1dc, 2ch, 3tr, 2ch,1dc) into each 2 ch space, sl st into 1st dc.  Fasten off.

LARGE FLOWER

Using 5mm crochet hook.  Chain 4 and join into a ring with a slip stitch.

Ist round: 3 ch (counts as 1 treble), 11tr into ring.  Join with a slip stitch into 1st tr. (12tr)

2nd round: 1 ch, 1dc into the same stitch as chain, 

(3ch, miss 1tr, 1dc into next tr) 5 times, 3ch.  Sl st into 1st dc. (6 spaces)

3rd round: (1dc, 2ch, 1tr, 3dtr, 1tr, 2ch, 1dc) into 3 ch space, sl st into 1st dc.  Fasten off.

TO MAKE UP

Place the smaller flower in front of the larger flower and sew together in the centre

with the button.  Sew safety pin into place.

Sew ribbon into place on the back if required. 

Knitting & Crochet Club, strawberries and cream

Just a gentle reminder that its Knitting and Crochet Club @ Up Country this weekend and to celebrate Jubilee Weekend we'll be having strawberries and cream......hope to see you there!

Busy weekends

During the last 2 weekends I have run 2 workshops - Learn to Knit and Learn to Crochet.  I've met some lovely ladies in the process and managed to spread the word of the wonders of Knitting and Crocheting. The weather has been hot, hot, hot but we've managed to stay cool up in the workspace of 'Up Country' - the sun doesn't hit the room till 5 pm.  Hoping to see these lovely ladies again....

First time I've seen this - knitting AND yoga!  Respect!

Why not learn to knit socks or crochet in 2013

Well its a new year and what about some new crafts?

Hand knitted socks are very fashionable at the moment - so why not come along to my workshop and learn how to knit them?  You will learn how to knit on 5 needles, turn a heel and finish a toe - plus loads of other tips.  The class is on Saturday January 12th at Up country in Holmfirth and commences at 10 till 3 and costs £25.  You will require double pointed needles and double knitting yarn - both of which can be purchased in the shop. Tuition, coffee, tea and yummy cake all provided in the warm atmosphere of 'Up Country.    
Come and be sock inspired!

  

On Saturday February 2nd I will be running a 'Learn to Crochet' workshop,  It's from 10-4pm, its £35 and all you will require a 3.5mm crochet hook and some double knitting yarn.   This class is for the complete beginner or somebody who needs to refresh their crochet skills.   You will be taught the basic stitches of crochet, how to read a pattern and how to produce either a corsage or granny square.   It will be held in the lovely surroundings of up stairs @ Up Country, with plenty tea, coffee and cake.  Small group, focussed tuition, hope to see you there...

Fly the flag.....

With all the pending jubilee celebrations Holmfirth is starting to fly the flags in celebration of the event.  'Up Country' is flying its own bunting to celebrate and even put it outside the shop last week for the Folk Festival: when the sun was shining!
Here is a pattern for you knitters to make your own bunting, our example is using double knitting cotton yarn - only £2.50 a ball in shop - and it comes in a variegated colour to create a stripe effect.  So get flying your bunting!

Liz's recycled box workshops

I just thought I'd give a bit of insight into Liz's boxes....Liz runs workshops @ Up Country producing boxes out of re-cycled corrugated cardboard.  She does a series of workshops - next one is on May 31st -  that develop your skills starting with a basic square box and then going on to a circular box.  Once you make these I can assure you that you will never look at a cardboard box in the same way again....feast your eyes on these:

The Fair Isle Jumper

A bit of culture now....the image that I have chosen to use for fairislerona is the painting 'The Fair Isle Jumper' by the Scottish Artist Stanley Cursiter.  Cursiter was a post-impressionist painter born on the isle of Orkney and I saw this painting at the Edinburgh City Art Gallery and never really forgot it. I think the lady in the painting is quite gorgeous and she is wearing a piece of my favourite knitwear: fair isle.  
As well as teaching textiles I am also a qualified textile designer and I design machine knitted knitwear: in particular fairisle and when we are in the wool wearing months I sell my knitwear on  'Etsy' : the craft site. 
I design and love fair isle, I'm named after the island of Rona: so fairislerona was born....

Learn to knit

On Saturday 19th May I shall be running a 'Learn to Knit' workshop at 'Up Country'.  The class is for the complete beginner or the rusty knitter - who has not picked up their knitting needles for a while.  You will learn how to cast on and off, how to knit, purl, increase and decrease and how to read a ball band and pattern.  Groups are small so you will have plenty of help and tuition.  All that you require is a pair of 4mm needles which can be purchased in Up Country.  Hope to see you there...  

Knitting and Crochet Club, a family gathering and a finished sweater...

Its been a very busy weekend, on Saturday I held the Knitting and Crochet club which is held every 4 weeks at Up Country.  There was 8 ladies - men are welcome - plus myself and everybody was at different levels of ability from novice to expert.  I'm there to help out with knitting and crochet 'problems' and share advice, they are there to enjoy their craft in relaxing surroundings.  We have tea, coffee and cake, we natter and we laugh - a lot!  Here are the 'clubbers':

On Saturday evening I then had to focus on completing my new nephews cardigan, I finally completed it at 12.30am - Sunday!  I hate knitting under pressure!  On Sunday afternoon I then had my family around - to see the new nephew - and cooked for 8 people.  I enjoy cooking and love having people around for 'food': it's a lovely way of giving....I cooked one of my current favourite recipes by Lucas Hollweg: Slow roasted Pork with chorizo and beans followed by Nigella's Lemon Meringue Gateau.  I made enough for 12 and they ate it all.  I'm not complaining.....finally, the finished sweater for my new nephew:

Knitting and Crochet Club

Will be held at 'Up Country' this Saturday 2-4pm.  The club is held as a get together of like minded people who want to sit and knit or crochet and can be given any assistance with any problems they are having with a project.  Tea, coffee and cake available - homebaked of course!

Indigo

Really giddy about Kim Hargreaves new book 'Indigo', seen snippets of it on the website but looking forward to seeing the book when it arrives @ Up Country. Knitting needles bracing themselves for the next project...