I'm back! (and sorry I've been away so long)

I seem to have taken a rather a long break over the summer - ooops! The school holidays were full of long sunny days, trips to the beach, picnics and of course lots of crafty days with the boys!

Rather than typing thousands of words about what I have been up to over the last few months I will use photographs to tell my story. If you would like to know more about anything you see please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

 the youngest and I learning how to use double pointed needles

 a giraffe I crocheted for the middle boy and an elephant for a friend's baby

 a new style of brooch which I have designed and started selling in my folksy shop

 the youngest drew this monster and I recreated it in crochet!

 middle boy wanted the same, of course!

 youngest showing off his finished hat in Fluph wool shop, Dundee

 anniversary day out with the hubby! He takes his loom knitting everywhere!!

 a friend commissioned me to make this sweet little mouse

middle boy designed and made a den for his crocodile and a water bowl

 eldest sprayed and painted his Nerf gun

 my latest yarn bomb in Dundee, Blackness Road area

 I finished the african flowers blanket which I had been working on for a long time

 detail of finished blanket

I have taken up quilting using the english paper piecing technique

Well, that's a snapshot of my summer! School has been back for a month now and I will get back into blogging and restocking my folksy shop https://folksy.com/shops/martasecocrafts

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design Degree Show 2014

I had an hour in Dundee this morning to take a speedy look around the Degree Show at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. I graduated from this art college in 2000 after studying Fine Art, specialising in sculpture. As soon as I entered the building the distinctive art college smell of oil paint and turps took me right back to to my student days. I enjoyed walking the familiar corridors which have changed very little since then.

I decided to concentrate on Fine Art and Textile departments because I was so pushed for time. In the Fine Art department I was struck by the variety of techniques and media that the students had used. My visit began at 10am and there were no artists there to talk to and ask permission to take photos so I am unable to share any images with you on here. I settled for taking a photo from the 6th floor corridor, from the window my middle sister, Aimee Henderson (BA(Hons), 2011), looked out of when it was her studio!

The view from the 6th floor, looking across the River Tay

By the time I reached the Textiles department the students had woken up and I was pleased to chat to a few of them. I enjoyed the work of Jennifer Heilbronn because of her eye catching use of mega chunky yarn!

Jennifer's tunisian crochet

I liked Jennifer's use of colour, mainly blues and oranges, invoking images of the sea, sand and maritime life. Take a look at her website, the photography is stunning!  http://jenniferheilbronn.wix.com/knit

I am looking forward to next year's show, when I will definitely make sure there is time to see more work!

Free Crochet Pattern - Zig Zag Scarf

I have designed this easy crochet project which works up really fast! It is a versatile pattern, the finished scarf is suitable for both men and women to wear and it can be made in any colour you choose! This pattern has been thoroughly tested and I am happy to share it with you for your personal use. Please respect my original design and do not reproduce this pattern or the scarf made from it for your own financial gain. Happy hooking!

finished scarf

Materials

2 x 100g balls Rowan big wool (approx 80m / 87 yds per 100g), in any colour

10 mm crochet hook

tapestry needle (to sew in the ends)

Tension

Because it is a scarf the tension is not too important, just keep your stitches loose. Approx 9 stitches and 3 rows per 10cm²

Finished size approx 140cm x 15cm

Abbreviations (UK terms)

ch chain

ch sp chain space

tr treble

cab st cable stitch (see notes)

Notes

The zig zags are created by working 1 cable stitch in the missed treble space; work 3 trebles, then yarn round hook, insert hook in the skipped treble space, pull through, yarn round hook, pull through first 2 loops, yarn round hook, pull through last 2 loops.

detail of scarf

Pattern

Edit: This pattern was only free for a short time. It is now available to buy for only £3.60 from my Ravelry store (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zig-zag-crocheted-scarf-pattern) or my Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/476227831/zig-zag-scarf-a-crochet-pattern-for?ref=shop_home_active_2)

Adding little details

I have not done as much crocheting as usual this past week or so because I have become obsessed with adding embroidery detail to my clothing! It began with an ankle length denim skirt. This skirt has always been one of my favourites but every time I wore it I imagined stitching extra detail around the hem. I looked out my embroidery threads and chose a slightly muted palette to go with the denim and began embroidering. Once I started I realised just how much fabric was in the skirt around the hem and that I had a lot of stitching to do!

detail on my ankle length denim skirt

As soon as this skirt was finished I attacked another denim skirt! This one was knee length and I decided to keep it simple, I free hand embroidered some flowers to one panel. I stuck to a blue fairly close to the colour of the denim in the skirt because I liked the fact that this skirt went with almost any colour of top, making it very versatile, and I wanted to keep it that way.

knee length denim skirt with flowers

detail of skirt

Altering my clothes and adding details like this is something I have done since my late teens. There have been a few disasters along the way, for example the time I decided to embroider massive flowers on a pair of bright blue cords - I used satin stitch but the stitch length was about 5cm, leaving big gaping holes that never really filled and the trousers ended up in the bin (clothes recycling wasn't available then). A few weeks ago, inspired by The Great British Sewing Bee, I bought a lovely yellow three quarter sleeve top in a charity shop. The sleeves were elasticated and actually finished around the elbow which wasn't the most flattering of looks on me. I chopped them off higher up and attached some home made bias binding which I was much happier with. The original buttons were poorly sewn on so I took them off, made co-ordinating covered buttons to match the bias binding which finishes the T-shirt off.

my altered T-shirt

The garment which receives most comments from people is my lambswool sleeveless wrap top. I picked this up for a few pounds in a charity shop, initially to turn into felt because it was so plain and not really "me".However, I decided to add needle felted swirls all down the opening and around the hem. These added spirals of colour have changed the top completely and made it one of my favourites!

my favourite top

As you know I am a big fan of Instagram and I love to see other people's twists on similar projects. Someone I have recently started following is Sue (@sewist53) and I loved a photo she had posted of a denim jacket of hers which she had added bias binding and bright applique patches to. I asked Sue why she enjoyed altering her clothes and she replied:

"I do it because I love to give favourite clothes a new lease of life and also I love the fact that it becomes unique to the wearer - you put some of your personality into it!! And it's fun, of course!!!" 

Another person who inspires me on Instagram is Polly (@jakandgeegee). I love a blog post of hers about how she had changed a pair of jeans into a skirt ( http://www.jakandgeegee.co.uk/?m=201402 ). I asked Polly why she enjoys this kind of thing, here's what her thoughts were;

"I love to upcycle my old clothes as I hate to see things go to waste, plus it's fun to make something really show off your personality. It's good to be different and personalising your clothes is an easy way to do it!"

I agree with them both; it's fun, it adds personality and it makes your clothes unique. Have you added detail or altered your clothing? I would love it if you could share your experiences, send me a comment or tag me (@mrsdaftspaniel) on Instagram.

My latest project

I have been very busy over the last few days because I have started a new project. It's another big one which will keep me busy over the next few months. I have always admired the crocheted african flower motif  with it's striking flower centre, surrounded by rounds of trebles finishing in a pentagonal or hexagonal shape. A few months ago I made a one off coaster in the design and knew that it was a motif I would want to go back to.

On Saturday morning I made my first hexagonal african flower motif and so began the start of my latest project! By the end of the weekend I had crocheted 7 motifs and using the join-as-you-go method joined them together to form a larger hexagon.

the first 7 motifs

I have continued making more motifs over the last few days and I am pleased with how it is coming together. Because each hexagon is joined onto the rest immediately after completion and the ends are being woven in at the time I have begun to use the blanket over my knees already. This way I can look at the colours and make decisions about which colours to use next as I am going along.

the first 13 motifs

I am not buying any new yarn for this project, instead I am using up my stash of pure wool. I keep it in a roomy canvas bag so I can see them tumble together, forming exciting new colour possibilities.

the first 17 motifs

I will write another blog post on this before the project is completed and in the meantime I will continue to post photos on my Instagram page - come and find me @mrsdaftspaniel 

Dundee Yarn Crawl

A few weeks ago my friend Jo posted a link on my Facebook page asking if I had been to 'Fluph', a yarn shop in Dundee. A week or so later I posted a link on her page, asking if she had been to 'The Knitting Pin', another Dundee wool shop. Several comments later we agreed we would do a yarn crawl of the 4 main Dundee wool shops!

After a little more organising, I caught the no. 73 bus into Dundee with Jo and her daughter, who loves to knit. I had my youngest and eldest sons with me too because they are just getting into knitting and crocheting. Our first stop was 'The Knitting Pin' up Albert Street (here is a link to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Knitting-Pin/249792755194830?rf=263565830472270  ). We timed it well because my friend Liz, who had a greed to meet us there, had arrived moments before us. We spent a happy 20 minutes looking high and low at all the different wools. This shop is jam packed, bursting at the seams with hundreds of different types of yarn! There is something for everyone, and if you can't find what you are looking for the super friendly staff will help you. It was the owner's husband who was in charge today and he kindly gave the children lollipops too! I bought a ball of Sirdar Eco wool, DK which I have been using lately to dye with natural dyes.

inside The Knitting Pin

Next we strolled down the hill to the town centre (about a 15 minute walk). It was a sunny day and we all chatted away as we walked. We soon reached 'Wool Craft' which is a hidden gem in The Keilor Shopping Centre. The shop was very busy as usual, both with customers and stocks of wool everywhere! A large and unusual variety of knitting and crochet books were displayed for sale. There were special offers and bargain buckets too. I bought 4 little Anchor tapestry wools in different colours to fit into my latest granny square project. I can't find a website for the shop, but here is a link with a little more info and a map  https://plus.google.com/111923526296304615649/about?gl=uk&hl=en .

Wool shop no. 3 was only a 5 minute walk and we headed straight through the city centre towards it. Wool&co. is the newest of the Dundee wool shops and immediately we noticed how different it was to the others! The shop had a simple, uncluttered layout set against clear white walls. All the wool was set out beautifully on the shelves. There were some gorgeous knitting books and patterns on display too. We noticed that this shop also caters for machine knitters with lots of cones of wool. The yarn was high quality luxury brands, such as a large selection of Erika Knight wool (one of my favourite brands!), Blue Sky Alpaca and several types of Rowan wool, including their popular Big Wool. My youngest son spent his pocket money on a ball of Erika Knight's british blue wool and some bamboo needles to knit it with. This is a link to the shop's website  http://www.woolandco.co.uk/index.php .

me and my eldest, outside Wool&co.

From here we had another 15 minute walk (up hill this time) to 'Fluph' (here's a link to shop's Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/fluphshop ). I think our tiredness left us immediately as we entered the beautiful shop. We were full of wonder as we looked around at the beautiful wool and quirky handmade decorations. The wool was a mix of skeins and balls of pure wool, alpaca and silk. The owner Leona and her super cute cocker spaniel made us feel very welcome, inviting us to rest our weary legs on the comfy sofas and work on our current projects too.

concentrating in Fluph

While the others caught their breath I nipped across the road and attached a yarnbomb to the lampost. It was my first yarnbomb of the year and it felt good to put it up as everyone walked past or sped past on bikes and in cars. When I went back to the shop I bought 3 balls of Drops alpaca, 1 ball of Drops karisma and my sons bought a ball of Drops eskimo each.

yarnbomb on Blackness Rd, opposite Fluph

We left Fluph with our purses lighter and our bags bulging with wool agreeing it had been a fantastic morning, full of discovery!

Free crochet pattern - Shell Pattern Cowl

I am pleased to be able to share my first crochet pattern on my blog with you. This pattern has been thoroughly tested and I am happy to share it with you for your personal use. Please respect my original design and do not reproduce this pattern or the cowl made from it for your own financial gain. Happy hooking!

Shell Pattern Cowl by Marta Mitchell

the finished cowl

This lacy cowl is made with alpaca wool which feels luxuriously soft and warm against the skin. The frequent use of chain stitches makes the pattern quick to make up, and gives the cowl a light and airy feel.

Materials

3 x 50g balls King Cole Baby Alpaca, DK (approx 110yds/100m per ball) I used 501 “Fawn”

4.5 mm crochet hook

Tension

15 stitches, 6 rows in  a 10 x 10 cm square. The tension should be loose, move up a hook size if you crochet tightly.

Abbreviations (UK terms)

ch chain

chsp chain space

ss slip stitch

dc double crochet

tr treble

dtr double treble

dtrCl double treble cluster (see notes)

tr2tog treble 2 stitches together (see notes)

yrh yarn round hook

prev previous

Notes

dtrCl is produced by working 3dtr into the same space; hold back the last loop of each dtr on hook, yrh, pull through all loops on hook

tr2tog spans across the dtrCl of the previous round. Begin the tr2tog in final dtr of prev. round, holding on to last loop of tr on hook, skip dtrCl, tr in next tr, yrh, pull through all loops on hook. This creates an inverted “V” across the dtrCl.

detail of cowl

Pattern

Using 4.5 mm hook, ch 120, ss into first ch to form large ring (making sure it is not twisted)

Round 1  Ch3 (counts as 1tr), 2tr into same ch sp used to complete ring, *3ch, miss 4chs, dc into next ch, 3ch, miss 4chs, 5tr into next ch* repeat to end of round, finishing with 2tr in same ch sp as 1st 3tr of round, ss into 3rd ch of ch3 (completing the shell)  

Round 2 Ch6 (counts as 1dtr, 2ch), dtr into next tr, ch2, dtr into next tr, ch2, *dtrCl into dc, ch2, (dtr into next tr, ch2) 5 times* repeat to end of round, finishing with dtr into next tr, ch2, dtr into next tr, ch2, ss into 4th ch of ch6

Round 3 Ch5 (counts as 1tr, 2ch), tr into next dtr, ch2, *tr2tog over next 2 dtr spanning across dtrCl, ch2, (tr into next dtr, ch2) 3 times* repeat to end of row finishing with tr into next dtr, ss into 3rd ch of ch5

Round 4 Ch3 (counts as 1tr),2tr into same ch sp, *3ch, miss tr, dc into next tr, 3ch, miss tr, 5tr into next tr* repeat to end of round, finishing with 2tr in same ch sp as 1st 3tr of round, ss into 3rd ch of ch3 (completing the shell)

Continue with rounds 2 - 4 until work measures approx 30 cm, 6 repeats of the pattern, finishing with round 4. Fasten off.

Finishing off

Secure ends and weave in on reverse side. The cowl will benefit from blocking.

I hope you have enjoyed following this pattern. If you have any queries, please contact me at mrsdaftspaniel@gmail.com

Look out for more free patterns at mrsdaftspaniel.blogspot.co.uk

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