Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Showing posts with label scrapbusting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scrapbusting. Show all posts

Sunday 28 June 2015

A "Magic" Blanket

..... and the lessons my Grandparents taught me! 

 

My Oupa (grandfather) and Nanna (grandmother) lived in a big old rambling house when I was a little girl.

I spent most of my waking hours with my Nanna and a lot of time with my Oupa (who was semi-retired).

Oupa and me in the garden

Nanna was a true lady, and Oupa a real GENTLEman and from their example I learnt some valuable lessons:

My grandparents in Johannesburg

Always have self-respect:
Never disrespect yourself by being untidy, unruly, rude or improperly dressed!

Me - in my school uniform

Always treat others with respect:
No matter what their station in life! 

Manners Maketh Man (or woman!)
There is absolutely no excuse for rudeness or discourtesy!

Diligence: 
Anything worth doing is worth doing well!

My Grandparents - At a Police Service Awards Ceremony

Prepare Food with a Happy Heart:
Having food to prepare and eat is a blessing!   Show your thankfulness for that blessing by preparing and eating your food with a happy heart. 

I always have a good giggle when they speak of "cross-contamination of food" on Food Network - I always tell my children this means that you must never make food in a bad mood!! 

Be grateful for every meal!
Eat your food mindfully - never shovel food into your mouth!

Me - at breakfast time!

Never put off till later what you can do now:
When you are done sleeping, make up your bed!    When you are done bathing, clean the bathroom!
When you are finished using something, pack it away!
Tidy and clean the kitchen as you cook or bake!
Pack away your laundry as soon as it is done! 
Wipe your shoes and allow them to air after wearing them (they last longer and NEVER smell!!)

Doing things this way actually gives you a lot of free time to do the things you love (Crocheting!!!!!!) 


Calm Down:
If you are fretting about something make yourself a cup of tea and drink it mindfully!! 

Think before you speak or act:
Once the words have passed your lips or the actions have left your hands they can never be taken back!

Don't wait for life to happen to you:
Get out there and participate!!!

On a "Big Walk" with Oupa to raise funds for charity

Don't look for someone to blame:
Take responsibility for your own actions!

Sorry is just a word:
It means nothing if you do not atone and change your behaviour! 

About sloth:
Lazy people look for excuses - industrious people find solutions! 

Waste not - want not!
My grandparents grew up through the depression and lived through WW2.     They knew what it was to go without.   

My grandfather was taken prisoner by German Forces at TOBRUK IN EGYPT and spent many months in a Concentration Camp

Oupa - During WW2

They taught me to use my imagination to turn scraps (paper, wood, yarn..... almost anything) into fun and useful projects!

crochet stripes

(There is a great little tutorial on You Tube if you have never used the   MAGIC KNOT)


I never was (and still never am) bored - I just need to apply a little imagination to whatever is to hand and "magic" happens!! 

crochet stripes

Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop
Keep your hands busy doing something constructive (knitting, crocheting, baking, cleaning, gardening, being helpful).   


crochet stripes

When you sit around doing nothing trouble comes looking for you!!

crochet stripes


Don't let Evil Sully you!
No matter how evil or horrible the world around you maintain your own goodness! 

crochet stripes


Always be kind:


These blankets are a great side project to keep going and when winter comes you will have quite a few blankets to donate to your favourite cause!


crochet stripes

The end result is a super snuggly, soft and warm blanket!   


Each and every blanket is unique and you can use up your scraps as you go!!

Monday 15 June 2015

A RicRac Winter Blanket and A New Chapter

 

The nest is empty!

My three children have left home!

My middle daughter moved out at the beginning of last year and although we missed her terribly, there was not too much of an adjustment in terms of household management.

My youngest daughter moved out at the beginning of March 2015 and my son towards the end of March 2015.

SUDDENLY I felt quite lost!  

Mornings I would make coffee and toast for my youngest and hang out with her while she was getting ready for work!     The first week or two after she left I would get up and wander around not knowing quite what to do with that half hour!!

I had been cooking for a family and almost overnight I had to make food for just hubby and myself!   For the first two weeks dinner was a cause for panic - and we would invariably end up eating out!

Not being inclined to "mope",  hubby and I got over the shock of having an empty nest and embraced this new chapter in our lives with open arms!

I gave away most of my "big" pots, pans and bakeware - and then went on a bit of a shopping spree to buy "just for two" replacements.

I  began mercilessly cleaning out rooms and selling or giving away any excess. 

My yarn stash had to be tidied out too as there were a lot of partially used yarns which were making my space look untidy.   I wound various thicknesses of yarn together to give a total of 16ply (DK plus DK;   or 2x4ply plus DK) and then set about making a HUGE chunky scrappy blanket which is perfect for cold winter getaways!



I wound all the scrap yarns together before I started so that I would not end up with too much of a colour mishmash!




Yarn Weight:   Super Chunky (16ply)
Hook:  7.00mm
Foundation Chain:    250
Stitch used:   V-Stitch


You can find a tutorial for this V-stitch Andrea HERE


I just kept going until the yarn was all finished and I had a blanket which covered the top of my King Size bed.


There were way too many ends when I was finished so I used them to make braids instead of working them in.


All in all a very rewarding exercise!     My yarn stash is once again tidy and we have a lovely snuggly RicRac Blanket!!

Friday 5 December 2014

Little Flower Scrap-Along - WIP Wednesday


Wednesday really managed to run away from me......... I started out instructing the gardener to do this and that ..........then noticed that the roses needed deadheading and a light summer prune (I prefer doing this myself).   

By 11h00 I was only about a third of the way through the rose bushes, and was starting to MELT!       I spent most of the rest of the day in the pool trying to cool down and regain some energy after the morning's exertions.

Yesterday was too hot to even think about crochet or gardening!    I sat making cards for most of the day!   

Today is fixing to be another scorcher, so I thought I would quickly finish this post before I camp out by the pool with a light read and an iced mint coffee (YUM!)

Better late than never............ here are the WIP "Wednesday" snaps..............

Katie Garner was off to a good start, but had to take a break from crocheting as she has been under the weather!    Get well soon Katie!

crochet hexagon

Diane Bolt is using a more subtle palette for her scrapbuster blankie!


crochet hexagon

Gerda Collins is very serious about her scrapbusting and has almost finished her blanket!


crochet hexagon

I am adding motifs with the bits I have left as I finish other projects...



Such an explosion of COLOUR just makes me sooooo happy!




It is not too late to join in........ details of the Scrap-Along can be found HERE


Please post your progress photos on my Zooty Owl Facebook page so that I can share them in next week's post!

HAPPY SCRAPPING!!!!!!!

Saturday 29 November 2014

Kaleidoscope Blanket

During October I started making a Scrapghan using my POPCORN FLOWER HEXAGON!


I worked the scraps and leftover yarn from every WIP completed over the past few weeks into this kaleidoscope, retro-looking blanket!


Working on this blanket was so relaxing and so much fun!   Adding only a few hexagons every day as I finished other projects resulted in a complete mish-mash of colour!


When it reached a nice size for a lapghan I gave it a funky border, following the uneven edge made by the hexagons!


Voila!      A happy, retro kaleidoscope of colour reminiscent of the blankies my great granny used to make!


Love!   Love!   Love!

Friday 28 November 2014

Little Flower Hexagon: Print Friendly Pattern


LITTLE FLOWER HEXAGON PATTERN

Pattern Terms:   US
  Foundation:  With Colour A -  Ch 4, sl st to form ring OR make a magic ring

Row 1:   Into the ring,  2ch 1dc (1st cluster), 2ch;   (2dc cluster, 2ch) x5 (6 clusters), ss into top of first cluser to close to close,  break off yarn

Note:   a 2dc cluster is formed as follows - yarn over hook, work the first part of the stitch leaving 2 loops on your hook, repeat this once more (three loops on hook) Yarn over hook and draw through the loops on the hook to form your cluster

 
Row 2:  Join Colour B in any 2ch space, 3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc into same 2ch sp as join (4dc group);  (4dc into next 2ch space) x 5;  sl st into top of start 3ch to close.   Break off yarn

Row 3:  Join Colour C in centre space of any 4dc group,  6ch (counts as 1dc, 3ch),  2dc in same space as join;   [2dc into space before start of next 4dc group;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc) into centre space of next 4dc group) x 5;   2dc into space before start of next 4dc group;   1dc into same space as start 6ch,   sl st into top of 3rd ch to close.

Row 4:   sl st into 3ch space   [3ch (counts as 1dc),  1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same space];  [(2dc into space between next 2dc group) x 2;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc into next 3ch space)] x 5;   (2dc into space between next 2dc group) x2;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.   Break off yarn.

Little Flower Hexagon Scrap-along


How Does the Scrap-along Work?

You do not need to wait until you have "lots" of scraps - start with what you have (don't forget to include your variegated scraps) and add on as you go!


Post your progress photos on my Zooty Owl Facebook Page!

Every Wednesday I will do a WIP Gallery Post on my Blog to showcase your workpieces!

The goal of our scrap-along is to have FUN! FUN! FUN! to clear out our scraps and to have a warm and cuddly afghan to show!

Work at your own pace.   Each motif is only four rounds so you can easily sneak a few between chores and other projects!

I will be running this until well into 2015!

Zooty's Tips on Getting Started

Working randomly from a tangle of random scraps can be very daunting so these are my tips for stress free scrapping:

Use a nice flat basket, tray or (even better) a container with compartments (I use an old cutlery basket).

Roll each scrap of yarn neatly.

Sort by yarn type:    Acrylics,  Courtelle, Chenille, Synthetic / Natural Blends (where the natural component is no more than 30%) can be used together.      If you are using Natural Yarns stick to the same type of natural material, otherwise you may sit with some yarns shrinking and ruining your hard work.

Sort by thickness:     Eg. DK (8 ply or light worsted weight);    2 strands of 4 ply can be worked together (=8ply).    Making sure you use the same weight / thickness of yarn will ensure that your work does not pucker and will give you a neat finish.

Sort the yarn into quantities:     
The teeny tiny bits will be used for the centres and the petals (rows 1 and 2);    
The larger quantities will be used for the border on each motif (rows 3 and 4)

Sort your colours:    
Reds, Oranges, Yellows together;     
Greens, Blues and Purples together;    
"Neutrals" white, cream; beige, brown, grey, black etc together


Start off by crocheting up the smaller scraps - making a few "Little Flower" centres (rows 1 and 2).    

If you have some really "ugly" colours rather use them for your centres!


Try to contrast your colours as much as possible to make the pattern "pop", eg:  light, dark, light or bright, pale, bright.

Don't be afraid to mix colours that you normally would not use together!   I do not follow ANY rules when it comes to mixing and matching my colours - that way you end up with a really funky retro end product and you discover some colourful surprises along the way!

If you suffer from a mild case of OCD - make a really pretty hexagon in a tried and tested mix and then arrange your motifs around that by alternating "like" hexagons opposite one another - continuing to build your blanket outwards   


The motifs are very easy to make I use three colours per motif and JOIN AS I GO!

My yarns are a selection of synthetic yarns and synthetic / natural blends, worked up with a 4.00mm hook.

LITTLE FLOWER HEXAGON PATTERN

PATTERN TERMS:   US

The "Print Friendly" version of this pattern can be found HERE 

Foundation:  With Colour A -  Ch 4, sl st to form ring OR make a magic ring

Row 1:   Into the ring,  2ch 1dc (1st cluster), 2ch;   (2dc cluster, 2ch) x5 (6 clusters), ss into top of first cluser to close to close,  break off yarn

Note:   a 2dc cluster is formed as follows - yarn over hook, work the first part of the stitch leaving 2 loops on your hook, repeat this once more (three loops on hook) Yarn over hook and draw through the loops on the hook to form your cluster
 

 

Row 2:  Join Colour B in any 2ch space, 3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc into same 2ch sp as join (4dc group);  (4dc into next 2ch space) x 5;  sl st into top of start 3ch to close.   Break off yarn


Row 3:  Join Colour C in centre space of any 4dc group,  6ch (counts as 1dc, 3ch),  2dc in same space as join;   [2dc into space before start of next 4dc group;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc) into centre space of next 4dc group) x 5;   2dc into space before start of next 4dc group;   1dc into same space as start 6ch,   sl st into top of 3rd ch to close.


Row 4:   sl st into 3ch space   [3ch (counts as 1dc),  1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same space];  [(2dc into space between next 2dc group) x 2;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc into next 3ch space)] x 5;   (2dc into space between next 2dc group) x2;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.   Break off yarn.

Friday 17 October 2014

Happy Days Mandala Hexagon Motif

HAPPY DAYS MANDALA HEXAGON

YARNDK (8ply / light worsted weight) 100% acrylic 

 
HOOK 5.00mm


(NOTE:    These motifs can be made with any weight or blend of yarn)
 
PATTERN TERMS:   US

I will include this conversion chart with each pattern to make it easier for those using UK terms


crochet terms conversion chart



Foundation:  3ch, sl st to form a circle OR make a magic circle


Row 1:  3ch (counts as 1dc);  11 dc into circle;  sl st into 3rd ch at start to close (12dc)

crochet mandala

Row 2:  Join yarn into any sp between dc,  3ch (counts as 1dc) 1dc in same space as join (2dc grouping);  [2dc into each sp between dc  (2dc grouping)] x11;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close (24dc)

crochet mandala

Row 3:  Join yarn in centre of any 2dc grouping;  4ch (counts as 1trc), 2trc into same space as join;  [3trc into centre of next 2dc grouping (3trc grouping)] x 11, sl st into top of 4ch at start to close (36trc).   Break off yarn.

crochet mandala

Row 4:   Join yarn in any space between 3trc groupings,  6ch (counts as 1dc, 3ch), 2dc into same space, 1ch;  [2dc into next space, 1ch;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc = corner into next space, 1ch)] x5;  2dc into next space. 1ch;  1dc into start space;  sl st into 3rd chain to close.

hexagon motif

Row 5:   Sl st into 3ch space;   3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same space, 1ch;    [(2dc into next space, ch1) x2;   (2dc, 3ch, 2dc = corner into next space, ch1)] x5;  (2dc into next space, ch1) x2;  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.


hexagon motif

I use the join-as-you-go method to join my motifs (you can use whatever method you prefer).   You can find a tutorial for the join-as-you-go HERE