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Crochet at the cookery school.....

... yesterday evening was the last of my four session 'beginners' crochet course at the cookery school. To say that the course has been an absolute joy is an understatement, the girls have excelled and I've been challenged to keep up with them! So, with requests for edging fabric and increasing and decreasing on the agenda I arrived at the cookery school excited to see how they were getting on with their summer cotton blankets. All set up, I had a moment to enjoy the early evening sun and the beautiful garden just outside...

With some samples of linen napkins I've edged in recent years to inspire the girls in hand, I couldn't resist nestling them amongst the prolific aquilegia, resplendant in the evening glow...

And whilst the linen edging was a challenge - working with 8 gauge thread and a 1.25mm hook - and the ripple - 3tr tog decrease, (1tr 1ch 1tr)increase - stretched the girls, they didn't give up and I know they will become proficient at both within days. But seeing their progress has been astonishing and I know they won't mind a bit if I share their beautiful work with you...

Dena's blanket was inspired by the unfurling spring leaves in all their shades of green...

..and here are some of her gorgeous flowers. And here is Ann, with not one but two fabulous blankets! The 'circle in a square' blankets are works in progress and I can't wait to see how they finish up. The only picture missing is the wonderful Liz - she couldn't make it this week, but I will be sure to catch up with her and snap her fabulous blanket too.

Photographing the girls like this reminded me of one of my favourite creative girls, Cornel - if you don't already you need to check out her blog 'i love pom-poms' or the 'craft share' group on facebook. Cornel and her fellow South African crochet girls get together once or twice a month and C snaps them with their projects - totally inspirational! xxx

Jack Frost's been a visiting!

It's wet and windy out there right now, but earlier this week we woke to the most beautiful frost. We might not get much snow down here on the south coast, but when we get a hard frost, it can be quite spectacular. So instead of focusing on the pouring rain outside, I thought I'd share the crisp wonder of a Dorset morning. The barbed wire looked like nature's very own tinsel.
And the frozen bark of the bird table offered the perfect backdrop to this woolly number - one of my first ever crochet projects was a blanket (flower squares) from the brilliant Beata Basik who writes one of my favourite blogs, Rose Hip. It was a gift for my goddaughter Abigail in Switzerland. I've just noticed Beata has used her fabulous pattern and adapted it to create the most gorgeous lampshade, check it out over on her blog. To match the blanket I knitted a little rabbit courtesy of a Debbie Bliss 'Baby Cashmerino' book. Much to Abigail's distress, bunny's dress was lost recently on a play date, so before sending off her Christmas parcel I knitted a replacement dress to keep bunny cosy this winter.
And just in case I should forget what a beautiful part of the world we live in, this view across the river Frome greeted me as I dropped the children to school on Tuesday morning. It took my breath away, and whilst I have had my head down absorbed in hook and yarn, it's moments and scenes like this that inspire me to create. How lucky I am!!! Have a lovely weekend and I'll be back on Sunday with a snowflake pattern for you ;-) xxx

Start crocheting now ready for the Autumn apple harvest!

It made me smile to see my apple cosies on German design blog designchen. My German is non-existent I'm afraid, so I'm not too sure what they were saying, but I think it was along the lines of 'the apple trees are in blossom, so get cracking on your cosies now in time for the fruit harvest later in the year'! (Any German speakers, feel free to correct me on that one!). And it set me thinking. Our crab apple tree is very much in blossom and quite beautiful. It took me a few months to master crochet, so why not - learn now and by Autumn you'll be making little apple cosies as gifts for children, their teachers, or friends. The pattern is such a simple one and is ideal for beginners - the first edition of Mollie Makes, featuring the pattern, is now available for free download (if you're an iPhone or iPad user - not me, ironically), alternatively you can get it online with The Guardian, or better still it is featured in my new book, together with a sweet little apple blossom pattern and so much more. Inspired by that very apple blossom, I picked up some green, white and pink Rowan 'cotton glace' and whipped up some lunchbox sized apple cosies for my Etsy/Folksy shop. The only problem being, the children are eating the apples as soon as I nestle them in a cosy - I'm afraid I don't even follow my own pattern, I just use an apple as my guide and off I go! xxx

Frankly - meet the maker.....

As if this beautiful weather wasn't enough to lift the spirits, I have just seen my crochet bits and bobs gracing the pages of Folksy's online magazine 'Frankly'. When 'Frankly' asked me if I would like to be included in their 'meet the maker' feature, I leapt at the chance. Those of you who read my blog know only too well how much joy I get from crochet and all things crafty. If I can give others a little insight into my yarn filled world and maybe inspire them to pick up a hook then even better. I am a huge fan of Folksy, it is a great showcase for some of the wonderful crafters the UK has to offer, ideal for an original gift too!

And just to avoid any confusion, yes, the Sara Bratby they refer to is me! Despite being married to The Sicilian for 11 years now, I still haven't changed my email address, so my maiden name 'Bratby' has a habit of sneaking in here and there! 

Well, I musn't dawdle, we're off to Whistler tomorrow - I have a list as long as my arm of last minute jobs, but before I go I thought I'd give you a quick glimpse of my current project.

Inspired by Jill and Jane at our Wednesday Wool Workshop, I've picked up my precious cone of Habu 'Stainless Steel Wool' and combined it with some left over silk yarn from the fabulous girls in Nuremberg (which, if I'm not mistaken, is also available at Loop London now) and a light sprinkling of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. This gossamer light wavy chevron scarf is a gift for a special girl in Canada, so I'll be finishing it off on the plane over! Nine or ten hours should do it, don't you think?! xxx

 

 

Waves of sugary cotton softness ...........

So the stash is gradually becoming a ripple blanket suitable for the prettiest little cot or pram. And it's all thanks to you Kath - I couldn't think what to do with my heap of cotton yarn and you suggested this. I am absolutely loving it, so 'cheers' Kath, you got it spot on! Have a peak at what Kath's been up to over at the Inverleith blogspot xxx

ps. I've still got a way to go on this one, so I'll bring it back when it's all finished!

Summer crochet, just peachy.....

The sun has been blazing, the garden is blooming lovely and inspired by one of my favourite summer time drinks, the Bellini, I've been creating a simple summer crochet project. Thanks to Toby and Lesley at Deli on the Quay, I've had a steady supply of 'granini' peach juice bottles - unfortunately they arrive empty, so no chance to mix them up with some perfectly chilled prosecco! This is upcycling in an instant. The faceted bottles lend themselves perfectly to their new role as bud vases and a flurry of hook, cotton and linen and they're modelling little frilly collars!

They are so quick to do and working with fine cotton and linen is perfect for hot summer afternoons - needless to say, Pipi's granny blanket is on the back burner yet again! It's just a question of which colour combination, how frilly to make them and what flowers to fill them with - as you can see, still plenty of cosmos, calendula and astrantia in my garden. Now I'm just holding my breath to see if my 'random' planting of heirloom sweetpeas has been a success?! As ever, the plan is for deep purple, antique rose and soft white, planted alternately around the pea stick wigwams. I'll post photos of the blooms in the granini vases if they ever decide to flower.

And the Sicilian has been busy in this glorious weather too. Whilst Sarah (a lovely Mollie Makes reader) and I sat crocheting apple cosies at the cookery school today, he rustled up some fresh pasta with a couple of Honey's eggs and some Sicilian semolina flour, before tossing it together with some extra virgin olive oil, thin ribbons of courgettes, the sweetest peas and fragrant mint - all from his vegetable garden, of course! I just love the Italian approach to food, simple ingredients, fresh and bursting with flavour. And, whilst on the subject of Italians and food, we met the wonderful Silvana de Soissons last week when she joined us for a Seafood course. I've been idling away my evenings reading the inspiring articles on The Foodie Bugle (Silvana's online magazine), and gasping at the truly beautiful images that drift before my eyes. If you've got a spare moment, have a peek xxx