LOOKING BACK OVER 2011

JANUARY 2011

FEBRUARY 2011

MARCH 2011

I LOVE CIRCLES

APRIL 2011

MAY 2011..PAPER FUN TOO

JUNE 2011

JULY 2011

AUGUST 2011

SEPTEMBER 2011

OCTOBER 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

DECEMBER 2011

A PROMISE FOR 2012

AND THE START OF SOMETHING NEW FOR 2012

A FREE FORM RED COWL A PRESENT FROM ME TO ME

Made in a few hours yesterday and today, couldn't resist adding a little flower lol

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, we did, Thanks Dave and Alison for a memorable, chilled and fun filled time

Thanks Santa for some lovely presents

The tears flowed l was so surprised with the unexpected and wonderful presents

Thank you so much Phil and James, you both surprised me this year

Thank you ALL so much for following the colourful and sometimes dusty (and wet at times) blog for the last couple of years and hope you will join me and enjoy 

The 8th Gem crochet blog starting in 2012

HOPE 2012 IS A DREAM COME TRUE YEAR FOR EVERYONE

HUGS XX

Ooops! Lost pattern OCTAGON DAISY WITH INFILL

Octagon Daisy Pattern

top two motifs have a filled in centre to do that start with a circle of 8dc, I prefer the holes. 

PATTERN
US Terms
4mm hook dk yarn
5mm hook Aran yarn

change colour for each round 

Make a loose finger wrap of 5 wraps, or you can ch5, but the finger wrap saves on yarn, has no end, and looks neater.

ROUND 1: ch2(counts as first dc), 15dc into wrap, sl st to complete. (16dc)

ROUND 2: 2sc into each st, sl st to complete. [32sc]

ROUND 3: clusters of 4 trtr, [yarn over 4 times, pull through 5 times] but worked over 2st, and held after the 4th pull through on the hook so the last pull through is through all 4 sts, clustering the petal tog. ch3 repeat for all 16 petals, sl st to complete. [16 petals of 4trtr clusters]

ROUND 4:3dc, ch3 3dc, [corner] in any ch3 sp, 4dc in next ch3 sp, [side], repeat for all 8 sides. [10dc each side x 8]

join as you go between each 4dc at sides and the 3dc in corners, use a sl st to join the the first competed octagon.

INFILL

Finger wrap of 5 wraps, 

ROUND 1: ch2 counts as first dc, 3dc ch3, 4dc, ch3, 4dc, ch3, 4dc, ch3, sl st to complete. [4dc each side]

ROUND 2: Join as you go in the corners by using a sl st to replace the 2nd ch st.

2dc, ch1, sl st, ch1, 2dc, [corner] in first ch3 sp, 1dc in next 4sts, repeat to end joining in each corner, sl st, to complete. [8dc each side]

NEW CROCHET BLOG FOR 2012

THE 8TH GEM CROCHET 

something new for 2012

Sometimes making changes to blog settings isn't a good idea.....but it could be what one needs
A change is as good as a rest

Hopefully I have corrected all that is important...
l was sorry for messing it all up last night but right now after a night's sleep l am very happy
with all, including the accidental changes

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL**
hope you all have a wonderful end to 2011 
and 2012 
is full of fabulous, new crochet

CROCHET FREEDOM

** MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE**

Hope you all have a wonderful time cya next year may be

Rainbow Backgrounds

 or white...bit boring after the stripes l think

**MERRY CHRISTMAS**

chilling before Christmas.....all that's left to do is food shopping

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!

Crochet Freeform Throw

Possibilities...

and no WAVE in sight!

**MERRY CHRISTMAS**

Big mind Little mind?....

Big Mind, Little Mind by Bill Walz 

Rapid River Magazine March 2007

“  As you are aware of your thoughts and emotions, you must ask yourself, who is it that is aware?”    This Zen teaching,this koan, opens the Universe. 

Who is it that is aware?

 Two dimensions of mind..... 

From this perspective, to be what Western culture calls conscious is really to be unconscious. 

It is to be unaware of the limitless potentiality of life. 

It is to be limited to living in the world of forms created by the conditions and conditioning of the egoic mind. We are physiologically awake, but psychologically and spiritually asleep.

I'll agree with that one

Time of year?

I fear I am not in my perfect mind. – King Lear

The world of stresses and worries and errands and projects and noise that we must all endure inflicts upon us a mind full of clutter and chaos.

A mind that sometimes cannot find the calm that we so desperately seek....

15 Can’t-Miss Ways to Declutter Your Mind

CROCHET FREEFORM - An Addiction to circles and lines

NEW BEGINNING

A new beginning is something we need once in awhile,

To make a fresh start and wear a broad smile.

To forgive and forget is not quite the same,

As starting again with a mundane new name.

The whole poem By Francis Jock

Beginnings will come and beginnings will go,

Today I'll dance, tomorrow I'll stroll.

And every morning I'll say a short prayer,

New beginnings and tomorrows will always be there.

Making myself a promise.......

Circles from an Experiment in June 2009 

Combined with the new blanket piece l started the other day and the experiments from yesterday 

Making myself a promise to complete a project a month using one of the experiments that are filling my craft room, from the last couple of years.

June 2009 was when l picked up the hook again after years of no hooky

Enjoy your day x

RIP
Just remembered James Brown a friend of my son James died today 2years ago now...thinking of his family on this day
RIP JAMES BROWN

MAKING WAVES...

Giving the new layouts a try again

9 days to go! 

Merry Christmas All x

CROCHET AND PIE MAKING...

Experimental Wavy stripes...

A Lot less Colour...

Started a set of one colour textured Bobble Cushions last night

Terrible pictures the light is getting worse and the textured cushion is a lot harder to snap...

Tried a Granny Square slipper with a couple of square lying around......pretty but fits James' foot not mine...ooops back to the drawing board

Merry Christmas all x

Stars and Triangles...

Almost there....

Enjoy your week x

Couple of crochet tips....

A few days ago l had a go at crochet chainless foundation....improves on the sometimes tight tension of a chain start and if you use a double crochet gives the first row as well

less curly and so much easier than the chain and first fiddly row
several methods on the net but this one is quite good...
You tube DC Chainless Foundation

I also used makers for every 20 chain stitches and a different colour for 100...makes counting easier if you are making a large blanket

It now looks like this at the moment, trying to make a light weight blanket in DK and a 4mm hook.
 Right now l really am struggling with the giant granny, one may be 2 rounds and l've had enough 

So why, oh! why have l started another blanket?.....lol thinking of it as a scarf that might grow lol
Trying to trick my mind

THE GIANT GRANNY

Definitely needs blocking, I still need to do about 9 more rounds

I think it is the navy SC rounds that made it so misshaped  

Not the right colours but just wanted to see roughly how many stars l'll need to make...

probably 10 or 11....x 4 = 40 or 44...oh l need to get a move on 'cos James wants a cable knit hat too!

Outdoor Christmas tree

Wind and rain blew the star about a bit last night but it is still standing and still works hehe

made with an old parasol stand, a pole (Phil uses for somthing), some garden twine, tie wraps, a few tent pegs and 36metres of outdoor lights

Merry Christmas everyone x

MERRY CHRISTMAS

it was very cold outside...

but worth the effort

My pictures don't do it justice really

It looks wonderful just outside the French doors

tut tut...pole dancing? moi?...hahahaha

The pole grew lights this afternoon

Sweet Dreams x

l was up at 3 this morning so l'm off to bed very early, bit if TV if there is anything on and SLEEP...l hope