Being creative

I'm really enjoying working a little bit of creativity into my day again. I've always got a crafting project on the go, but craft seems to fulfil different needs at different times in my life. Sometimes, it's more of a relaxation thing, which I do to de-stress and take my mind off things, rather than as an end in itself. Other times, it gives a feeling or achievement, of actually being able to make something tangible with my own two hands. I find the most satisfying times to be the times when it gives me an opportunity to be really creative - whether it's by picking colour choices for a project that are all my own, or by coming up with a new crochet design. At the moment I'm enjoying making this stripey cushion from scraps. I wouldn't really say it's a pattern I've come up with as it's so simple, but I didn't follow anyone else's pattern when I started it - just my own tension square to calculate the number of stitches and my own judgement that I needed two row stripes to create the kind of look I wanted.

In May, crafting was more of a de-stress activity than anything else, but I'm happy to say that since the start of June it has become more of about creating something new again, which is nice as I haven't really had that for a while. I find it less challenging, and in a way, less stressful to follow someone else's pattern rather than come up with my own, but when you can design your own patterns, it's really special. I have also been working on some more of my own designs, writing out patterns and making swatches, but more of that another time.

I've also been enjoying the way my orange roses have blossomed and bloomed over the weekend, opening out to show a pale yellow in the centre.

Happy Monday everyone!

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Stripy Wave Cushion

I decided this week that I really needed to finish a crochet project. I had reached that point where, once again, I had waaaay too many things on the go, and it was starting to stress me out a little, and make me feel like I just wasn't achieveing anything!

At first I thought it would be the Something Pretty blanket that I would finish. So I spent all of Sunday hooking away on that. By Sunday night my hand was aching so much from crochet overload, that I had to stop and admit to myself that I still wasn't really that near the end of that project.

So, I turned to a little project which I started in January, the Stripy Wave Cushion from Nikki Trench's Cute & Easy crochet. I started this in January and it was almost complete when I put it down to do something else. It's now finished after one everning's gentle work!

I don't know if you will remember my post about this from last month - I made it using scraps of DK yarn in various pink and purple shades. I started with a slightly longer chain than specified in the pattern - a chain of 83. The cover is a little loose on the pad - I probably could have got away with a 73 chain base, but never mind.

I have to say, I am really pleased with this one, I love the finished result. I attempted this pattern not only to use up my scrap yarn, but also to get some practice in crochet edges, including straightening a ripple edge, which I'd never done before, and crocheting down the side edges of rows of treble stitches, something I have tried but with limited success.

I'm happy to say I found both tasks much easier than I expected, and now have my lovely snuggly, pretty cushion as a result!

Looking forward to some warmer more spring like weather here in England tomorrow - provided the weather forecast is correct!

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Striped bag

Something else I've been working on in the last week or so.....

Inspired by Attic 24 (again) I made my own version of a striped crochet bag. I have to admit I didn't follow the pattern, but just made it up as I went along.

I'm fairly pleased with the way it came out. I think I probably could have made the bag a bit bigger and the handles a bit shorter, but never mind!

What I do love are the little flowers hiding where the handles are sewn onto the body! I made up the pattern quickly myself:

Chain 4 and join into a ring with a slip stitch.
Round 1: chain 5, *work 1 treble into ring, chain 2. Repeat from * five times more. Finish by slip stitching into 3rd of 5 chain from start of round.
Round 2: work 1 dc, 1 half treble, 1 treble, 1 double treble, 1 treble, 1 half treble, 1 dc into each of the 6 chain spaces made in 1st round. Slip stitch into first dc from start of round to finish.

Then fasten off, and sew into place with a button in the centre! I think they look so cheerful and cute. They definately put the finishing touch to the bag.