International Crochet Day – September 12th, 2010

As many of you will be aware it’s International Crochet Day on Sunday, so I was wondering what everyone was doing to celebrate or promote crochet.

I will no doubt be eating, sleeping and breathing crochet. I will be blogging, pattern writing, and even crocheting. Why not pop along to the International Freeform Crochet group and have a look at this years exhibition.

Click here to view the online exhibition.  

I will probably be making and hanging more ribbons on The Crochet Clootie Tree.

To learn more about this project click here. 

Anyway I would love to know what you all are doing are you busy crafting for Christmas yet? Leave a comment and let us know what your working on. If you are a fellow blogger then please do blog about International Crochet Day 2010 and spread the word.

Inside Crochet Magazine

 

Inside Crochet magazine goes monthly so if like me you have an annual subscription it’s not going to last a year. To renew your subscription click here.

You can also get a digital subscription here.

Inside Crochet Magazine now has a flickr photo group for readers to add photo of their crochet here.

I am in the process of writing an article for Inside Crochet on freeform crochet which will be in print soon. I will give you details about this once it’s been issued.

Ravelry in Scotland – Edinburgh & Glasgow Meetup with Jess & Casey.

Saturday 14th August, 2010 @ 2pmThe Meadows, Melville Drive, Edinburgh

We’ll meet near Middle Meadow Walk, if you head down past Peter’s Yard and cross the junction we’ll meet on the grass to the right of there, maybe a picture is more helpful!

Bring your knitting and any treats you like :)

 

Sunday 15th August, 2010 @ Time to be confirmed.

Botanic Gardens, near or in the Kibble Palace greenhouse.

730 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0UE

I’m hoping that lots and lots of you Ravelers will be able to attend one of the above meetings it will be a great event weather permitting. I’m hoping to be able to attend both Edinburgh & Glasgow and look forward to seeing you there.

If you need further info please refer to the ravelry announcements here.

To get directions please use multimap here.

Alternatively just ask and I will try to help.

The Knitter – Knitted Hat Competition.

The Knitter

The UK’s first quality, collectable knitting magazine.

The Knitter caters for skilled knitters with more than 10 challenging patterns in each issue. The Knitter has beautiful, original patterns and inspiration from world-class designers. Our patterns aren’t just fabulous to look at, they’re enjoyable to make, with a few unusual techniques and intriguing ways with yarns for you to try.

Digital Subscription here.

Knitting competition

As part of their celebrity hat campaign, the magazine are asking readers to design a hat for their favourite celebrity. 

Goodies you can win

• The winner and two runners-up will receive goody bags crammed with knitting prizes.
• The winning hat designs will feature in a future issue of The Knitter.

The closing date is 31 August, so please make sure your entry reaches us by then. Please post your hat and pattern to:

The Knitter/ Mencap competition
Future Publishing
30 Monmouth Street
Bath
BA1 2BW

Remember to include your name, full address, email address and a contact number.

WE MAKE London’s Summer Fair 2010

 

WE MAKE offers designers the opportunity to sell directly to buyers and offers buyers something unique and timeless in today’s fast-paced, throwaway world of mass production.
The next event will be in London on the 26th June, 2010. So please come along for some handmade shopping.

when: SATURDAY 26th June 2010 11.00am- 5pm
where: Chelsea Town Hall,
Kings Road, London, SW3 5EE

About WE MAKE

We Make London was formed by a group of like-minded designer makers with a can do attitude, united by the lack of affordable places to sell their products. A year and half and five successful events later, We Make is now the showcase for the talents and crafts of the most exciting UK designers.

Quietly brewing for the last few years, on and offline through knitting clubs, blogs, forums and small, independent shops, the underground craft scene has exploded onto the public arena. Encouraged to discover this handmade world through India Knights’ latest bestseller “The Thrift Book” and inspired by Kirstie Allsopp’s hit television series “Kirstie’s Homemade Home,” consumer awareness is now rife with the notion of buying gifts that are meaningful, unique and made with passion.

WE MAKE Prize Draw here.

Somewhere in My World 2010 International Freefrom Fiberarts Guild Show

 

Click here to see the exhibition.

BUY THE BOOK!!

100% of the profits from this book will be donated evenly to
Kiva.org
Mercy Corp for Haitian Relief

Click here to buy the book.

Made NOT Manufactured

 

BUSINESS: The Handmade Revolution Gathers Pace: Louis Vuitton ads banned

You may have read in this morning's papers that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a series of Louis Vuitton print ads ruling that they suggest that Louis Vuitton products are handmade when they aren't.

Delft  by Memake

Like me, your initial reaction may have been to throw your hands in the air in dismay, that a mega-brand such as Louis Vuitton, with all its money and clout, is trying to muscle in on the hard-earned turf of independent artists, designers and makers who really DO make their products by hand. But, there is a silver lining to this story, the very fact that a company like Louis Vuitton wants to get a piece of the handmade revolution shows just how much times have changed!

To read more visit UKhandmade

Clootie Tree Update & New Ribbons

A massive thank you to Anjie at PomPomEmporium for sending fabulous 3 dimensional ribbons for The Clootie Tree. These are great and will add a new dimension to the tree. I had an email this week from a lovely lady in North Carolina USA this week and she and her daughter are going to crochet more ribbons making the Clootie tree truly communal and diverse.

If you feel you can contribute please email me at the sunroomuk@googlemail.com

Anjie was also very generous and sent me one of her sublime organza flower brooches. Check it out below.

Thank you Anjie :-)

This is a new pattern I was working on today which I will publish in the next few days photographed on top of a new ‘Bag for Life’ string bag I’ve just completed.

Clootie tree looking good.

Weaving the Woven - WIP

I have been busy working on a hand woven wall hanging using purely recycled fabrics hence the name weaving the woven. This is a home made frame loom which is really easy and quick to make. I will post more photographs as soon as the hanging is complete.

Happy Earth Day 2010

 

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.

Take action today click here to learn more and take action.

The Butterfly Project

Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all well today. I’m somewhat tired on account of staying up way past my usual bedtime last night in order to make another butterfly and to write a pattern to share with everyone.
In an earlier post I did say I would let you have more details about The Butterfly Project sometime this week. well here are the details.

In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting
1.5 million handmade butterflies.
The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember.
As of Summer 2008, we have already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies.
You can find the full details at http://www.hmh.org/minisite/butterfly/
You can handcraft you butterflies from a variety of media but the organisation states the following.

• Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
• Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.
• Glitter should not be used.
• Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used.

I think this is a great project to get involved in and I hope that all of you will too. I have created a Flickr group for everyone to post their butterflies on here http://www.flickr.com/groups/1194157@N20/

I have also written the following crochet pattern for a butterfly which I hope will be useful to fellow crochet chums everywhere. Of course you don’t need to stick to crochet any craft will suffice. This is a tremendous project for children to participate in and express themselves.
The Butterfly
The last, the very last, So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow. Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone....
Such, such a yellow Is carried lightly ’way up high. It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye. For seven weeks I’ve lived in here, Penned up inside this ghetto. But I have found what I love here. The dandelions call to me And the white chestnut branches in the court. Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one. Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.
Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942
Born in Prague on January 7, 1921. Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942. Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.
I have posted the crochet pattern on a separate page so that people can link directly to it. http://www.goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/2009/09/holocaust-butterfly-pattern-crochet.html

West Fife Villages Exhibition of Art, Photography & Crafts 2010

The 2010 West Fife Villages Exhibition of Art, Photography & Crafts

An art and photography exhibition will again be held in Saline in May 2010. This will be the fifth consecutive year that an exhibition has been organised and hosted by the village of Saline. This event has proved to be extremely popular, attracting over 400 visitors last year.

The main art and photographic exhibition will be held in the Saline Community Centre whilst the the nearby church hall will exhibit specialist photographic collections from Blairhall’s Andy Young and Saline’s Bill Wilson. The exhibition is planned for Saturday and Sunday, the 8^th and 9^th May and will be open from 10 am till 4.30 pm on each day. Exceptionally the church hall will not open until 12 noon on the Sunday.

A special attraction this year will be craft demonstrations by local Fife organisation, “Daft for Crafts”. These demonstrations will take place in the Church Hall during the Saturday and Sunday afternoons and will include interesting activities such as stained glass copper and lead work.

The number of exhibits at the previous exhibition exceeded 600. This included 300 paintings from nine of the West Fife village primary schools. These exhibits from the pupils proved to be an extremely popular feature of the exhibition. We will again be contacting all head teachers, inviting their participation.

The exhibition, for work produced by artists and photographers from West Fife, is largely managed by the artists themselves under the authority of the Saline and District Horticultural and Handcraft Society and the Saline and Steelend Community Council. The local Church Guild and the WRI are also fully involved and provide the catering. Additionally, there is active support from the West Fife Villages Community Forum and the West Fife Villages Community Planning Group.

A good number of the exhibitors at our previous exhibitions were artists and photographers who belonged to art clubs and photographic societies. There were, however, a surprising number of exhibitors who were not members of any art clubs or societies. The exhibition had therefore provided a rare opportunity for these artists to display, and in some cases, to sell their work. Clearly, the success of the previous shows reflect a requirement to provide local artists and photographers with the facilities to exhibit and to give the community the opportunity to view locally produced works of art.

Gareth Turner, the President of the Saline Horticultural and Handcraft Society said, “Every year I am amazed at the high quality of the exhibits that have emanated from the West Fife villages. Jim Hensman, the chair of the Saline and Steelend Community Council, added “This event brings together a host of community organisations and is undoubtedly beneficial to the self-esteem of the West Fife villages generally.

The entry of exhibits is free and artists may offer their work for sale if they wish. All artists who would like to exhibit should contact John Crane, tele. 01383 852698, e-mail johnrobertcrane@ic24.net

More Ribbons For The Clootie Tree

I recently received some gorgeous crocheted ribbons for my Clootie tree fro Pauline, Thank You so much Pauline. I will get more photos of the tree once the sun decides to come out again. Yes it’s nearly April but we are again covered in snow.

If you would like to see some of Pauline Fitzpatrick’s Crochet Art & creations the please click here - Pauline Fitzpatrick. 

I really love the crochet woven ribbon – really interesting texture.

Lovely spirals here.

If you would like to crochet some ribbons and contribute to this project then please email me at thesunroomuk@googlemail.com

If you would like to learn more about what a clootie tree is  then click here. 

would you like to make a pennant for a 2012 olympic athlete?

12,000 pennants (a3 size / 12" x 16") are required for this national olympic textile project which is being organised by quilts4london, a non-profit making project.

pennants can be any shape and any design, they will be 'strung' together for some amazing exhibitions in the time leading up to the 2012 games.

all regions of the british isles are invited to get involved! quilters, felt makers, embroiderers, cross stitchers, in fact anyone who sews now has an opportunity to express their support, through the medium of fabric, fibre and stitch, to become part of the whole olympic event in london 2012.

pennants can be as simple or elaborate as you want, made by anyone regardless of their level of ability or age (children welcome) and using any textile media. the aim is to present a pennant to each olympic athlete, a personal gift from you to them.

on the website you’ll find 'how to make one' guidelines as well as youtube demonstrations on how to make a pennant.

the project's supporters include:
lynne edwards, gail lawther, the batik guild, the cross stitch guild, the international felt makers association, coats crafts, the quilter's guild of the british isles and uk hand knitting.

also, the scottish co-ordinator has asked for a little extra help promoting the project in scotland. she is based in the southern part of scotland so any help covering other parts of scotland would be welcomed.

further details can be found on the website: www.quilts4london.org.uk/

The Big Tent Festival 2010

Set against the backdrop of the East Lomond Hill and next to the House of Falkland, the Big Tent offers what has been called 'one of the most stunning festival locations in the UK'.

The Big Tent serves up great music and great food in a thoughtful and family-friendly atmosphere. Come and party, come and be inspired and restored. Come and camp under the stars, come and walk in the woods.

In challenging times of ecological and financial crisis, it's more important than ever that we come together to celebrate the ways we can create a movement for change.

Want to join us at The Big Tent in 2010? Then here is the place to do it. Whether wanting to trade or exhibit at the event, you will find all the information here. Simply download the appropriate form below, fill it in and return it to us! Please note that food trading stands are by invitation only.

To take part click here.

The Big Tent Festival 2010

craft festival scotland

very exciting news from the craft scotland website!!!

"The first national festival celebrating Scottish craft is preparing to launch next month with a series of trailblazer events which will set the ambitious tone for the festival itself which opens in May.

craftscotland is delighted to have been awarded the marketing and pr contract for the festival. We will be working with Craft Festival Scotland's team to challenge the perceptions of craft currently held and to champion the diversity of Scottish craft intternationally.

Craft Festival Scotland is the result of a five year research project, Past, Present & Future Craft Practice (PPFCP), based at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design at University of Dundee. The project explores new directions, practices and perspectives in contemporary craft with an ultimate goal of defining a new relevance for craft in the 21st century. Dundee is renowned within the academic sector as the leading city in Scotland for craft research. The festival will now showcase the outcomes of this research to the world at large with a programme of creative and informative events to be held across the country.

The Future Craft exhibition (26 March – 24 April 2010) opens in the Matthew Gallery at the Matthew Building at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and showcases contemporary and innovative craft by practitioners who took part in Past, Present & Future Craft Practice research. Each practitioner takes a creative journey as they explore craft as a process, product, experience and service. The exhibition includes new work by silversmith Drummond Masterton, interactive jeweller Hazel White, weaver Tim Parry-Williams, product artist Geoffrey Mann.

The second trailblazer takes place in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Quilts 1700 - 2010 explores over 300 years of British quilting history. Over 70 beautifully crafted quilts, mostly from the V & A's collections, will be on show. Bed-hangings from the 18th century will be displayed alongside creative reinventions of the quilt by contemporary artists including Tracey Emin. As part of the PPFCP research project, a quilt by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design third year textile student Kirsty Fenton, will be shown in the exhibition.

The full programme of events will be available shortly. If you are organising an event, or know of something happening in your area, and would like to be included in Craft Festival Scotland's extensive programme please send the details to laura@craftscotland.org."

I’ve got the Zentangle bug . . . . .

Zentangle 1.

Zentangle 2.

Zentangle 3.

WARNING: This is a truly addictive pastime don’t start if you aren’t ready for a new obsession.

hat competition anyone?

i've just found about this competition but unfortunately i'm not going to have time to make anything by the deadline, so just in case anyone else is interested ...

to honour hatworks celebrating its 10th anniversary the museum is inviting folk to take part in a miniature hat competition. the theme is to capture the essence of a marketplace such as stockport, home of the museum.

hatworks is the uk's only museum dedicated solely to the hatting industry, hats and headwear.

entries need to be submitted by 5pm on tuesday 23rd march and full details can be found on the hat works website.

good luck to everyone who is entering!

Clootie Tree Update 8th March, 2010

I recently received some crocheted ribbons from Perry in MA, USA. Thank you Perry. Here are some updated photos of the tree.

fatcat felt is giving a workshop!

and i'm very excited about it :)

i'll be giving an introduction to felt making workshop between 1pm and 2.30pm as part of the international women's day celebrations in perth.

international women's day is celebrated on 8th march this year and the perth voluntary group, be yourself, has organised a day of celebrations for saturday 6th, to be held at perth grammar school (gowans terrace, muirton, perth, ph1 5az).

there is a wide range of activities and workshops to choose from in the morning and afternoon, there will be stalls, children's activities, a creche and a fundraising raffle.

workshops are wide ranging, including: gift wrapping; scottish dancing; computers; creative writing; encaustic; food and mood; jewellery; nutritional medicine; scrap booking; yoga; art; digital photography; introduction to felting; 'hearts and tarts'; holiday spanish; modern jive; singing; tai chi; weaving; world of women; crystal foundation; shiatsu; aromatherapy; reiki; indian head massage; poetry scrolls; simple massage; goal setting and achieving.

so, looks like there really is something for everyone!

international women's day connects women across the world as a day of celebration and recognition of women's achievements and struggles. it has been celebrated across the world for decades, and is a national holiday in 14 countries.

be yourself hopes that women from different cultures, backgrounds and of different ages will join in the celebration.

for more information, or to book a workshop, please email perthbeyourself 'at' hotmail 'dot' com or call 01738 860430.

i look forward to seeing you there!

Call for Entries – The DHM Digital Gallery.

Call for entries

The Art of Applied Design is open to all applied artists age 18 or above, working in the U.S. and abroad.  There is no limit on the number of objects that may be entered.  Entries must be original one-of-a-kind works of the submitter, completed within the preceding three years (2007 to 2010), and be represented by high quality digital images.  Evaluation will be based upon the creative uniqueness and originality of the work, evidence of excellence in craftsmanship, and quality of the photographic images.  Exhibition of accepted work will include notation of the artist’s name, country of residence, and e-mail address to facilitate the independent sales of exhibited work.  One entry in each material category will be selected for recognition as Best of Show for that category.

Click here for full information.

World Book Day – A Few Picks

As it is world book day I thought I would post a few of my favourite books.

Absolutely my favourite Alice Sebold book.

I have bought this but haven’t read it yet!

What makes someone creative? How does someone face the empty page, the empty stage and making something where nothing existed before? Not just a dilemma for the artist, it is something everyone faces everyday. What will I cook that isn't boring? How can I make that memo persuasive? What sales pitch will increase the order, get me the job, lock in that bonus? These too, are creative acts, and they all share a common need: proper preparation. For Twyla Tharp, creativity is no mystery; it's the product of hard work and preparation, of knowing one's aims and one's subject, of learning from approaches taken in the past. It's a process undertaken every day. It's a habit. The Creative Habit is not merely a look inside the mind of a remarkable woman with remarkable skills, but a programmatic, inspiring, encouraging guide to help each of us achieve our fullest creative potential.

Review

A world-changing book, an adventure in politics, religion and haberdashery --Alex Somerset An illuminating and funny testament to one man's attempt to survive economic meltdown, tackle climate change, and enter the kingdom of heaven by making his own clothes. John-Paul shows us that we can almost literally re-make our future and we can do it with a smile on our face. Tony Rollinson, Permaculture Magazine. It seems, and I'm grinding my jaws as I type this, that his time has come. --Harriet Green (the author's wife), The Observer
Combines the cheerful idealism of Tom Hodgkinson with the well-meaning cluelessness of Danny Wallace, and a commitment to the DIY ethic not seen since William Morris started stringing his first loom. --Mark Bailey

'His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.' TIMES 'One of the few to deserve the term Publishing Phenomenon.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Coelho's writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts! he gives me hope and puts a smile on my face.' DAILY EXPRESS 'I love The Alchemist.' OPRAH WINFREY 'The Alchemist is a beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find on our doorstep.' MADONNA

Thing-a-day Final TAD

Bunny from a Facecloth

I'm working on a tutorial for an Easter project today. It will be 'How to make a Bunny from a Facecloth' not earth shattering, I know, but makes a change from a knitted chick!

Thing-a-day Day 27 ‘Nice N Sleazy’ - Glasgow Review

Becky, Isaac, Aileen 27-10-2010

Food = 7 (me 2)

Atmosphere = hostile, bad music, seedy posters.

Would recommend = not really.Wait for the Corinthian to re-open.

Fabric Flower

Tried making flowers from Suffolk puffs (yo-yo's), quite pleased with the results. A textile flower to file away for future reference.

Flea Market Finds

This morning I went over to a local town to wonder around their flea market and charity shops. My TAD is to photographs some of the things I bought.
Three Hornsea Pottery cannisters from the 1970's, six skeins of cream wool, a stoneware jar to put pork dripping in (we will never see the likes of that again!) and four metal teethed zips (to make flowers from). Don't you just love the randomness of it?