re brand

The etsy shop that I started last year hasn't been very successful, I have made sales but not as many as I would like. I don't think the problem has been down to the products or the prices. So I am taking my daughters' advice (her husband has a very successful on line shop)and re branding. She is helping me with a new name and logo idea and I have another friend who will help me with the design. I will still make clothes etc for babies and young children and as I have a background in teaching early years I will be focussing on Montessori inspired products too. 

Here is the first of these....

A reversible draw string bag made from original retro fabric and calico

inside are eight little crocheted balls, two of each colour. These will encourage different areas of development....physical and cognitive. The balls are made from fair trade organic cotton and are lovely and soft to touch. They can be used for colour naming, colour matching, sorting and counting as well as squeezing, rolling and throwing! 

crochet bunting workshop

Those of you who visit my blog regularly will know I love a bargain and regularly visit charity shops. If I can find fabric or yarn to up-cycle, even better. Our local hospice has a charity shop selling second hand goods, a gift shop selling new items from which the profits go to the hospice and also a pre-loved furniture and textile warehouse called Returned to Glory. This isn't far from where I live and so we often call in and have bought items of furniture from there. Today they began a series of craft workshops and so I joined the first one on making crocheted bunting. The lady teaching was really helpful, I have done crochet before but learnt lots during our morning workshop. It was run really well, we learnt the basic stitches, made new friends, ate delicious lemon & blueberry iced cake and drank coffee. 

Julie, our teacher, had made the cake and included a photo copy of the recipe in our teaching pack :)

the table was laid out beautifully, lots of books and ideas to look through

the 100% Rowan cotton yarn was provided together with the crochet hook in these disposable take out cups...a grat idea

all instructions were included

 the finished bunting that Julie had already made was joined with crocheting ribbon along the top of each little flag

I have finished my first flag and will make some more. When my daughter comes over from SA to attend my mothers funeral, I will teach her how to make them too and she can take them home for her little house :)

crochet blanket

I just finished this blanket, its not really big but just the right size for a lap blanket to snuggle under on a chilly evening or to take away in the caravan. I used 100% acrylic yarn and a no 3 crochet hook.

crochet

I'm doing a bit of crochet, using up odd balls of wool, until I have my quilt top finished when my evenings will be spent hand quilting...really looking forward to doing that again it seems so long since I did any.

The colours of this crochet are a bit bolder than they look here, not quite so pale.

Fun

So the rainbow blankets are getting full use. 

So sweet how they are holding hands because its a bit dark in this Medieval Roundhouse

 

OK so I may not be very tall but I can do it without any help

Pacifier/Dummy Clip

I will be trying out lots of ideas over the coming weeks of products to consider selling in my Esty shop. Here is one my daughter suggested, a crochet dummy/pacifier clip. I have made this out of organic cotton yarn, adding a button for decoration.

London Trip

Half Term has been busy with family visiting, a trip into London on Saturday to meet the boys (Alice was working). First was a visit to Violet at London Fields, for coffee and some yummy cakes. Then onto London Fields Park and down through the market checking out the vintage stalls. Loved the crochet blankets!

Rainbow Blankets

I have finished the rainbow blankets for the twins...just in time as they arrive tonight. The one with pink trim is for Primrose, the blue trim is for Maggie. All neatly folded on their bed ready. I am hoping that Gilby is still a little too young to notice that he doesn't have one. 

Gilby

I am still trying to work my way through the two crochet rainbow blankets for the twins, they will be up for half term....so in the mean time I will post some photo's of their little brother that I have stolen from their Mummy's FB page

My daughter pinned this website to her Pinterest page and I re pinned it...please check out the website and watch this video it is amazing what Krochet Kids are doing

Crochet Cushions

While I was ma

king these squares I changed my mind from asking a blanket to making two cushions. I looked on attic24 and came this tutorialhttp://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-wooly-jumper-cushion-.html

So now I have the squares and am looking for a jumper to use for the backs. I love to recycle clothing and fabrics when I can.

While Away

I managed to get myself a few little treats while away over Easter, this lovely Rowan milk cotton dk was reduced in price so I am making a blanket with it. The yarn contains milk protein which makes it lovely and soft although it sounds a little weird! 

I also went into a Cath Kidston shop in Marlborough on route to Devon and bought this fat quarter bundle which I will use to make a CK quilt at some point.

We had a lovely day out at the Miniature Pony Centre, the children loved the ponies and Gilby showed no fear!

Baby Blue

I have finished the Blue Baby Blanket. I love the colours and used a shell stitch around the edge. The yarn is 100% acrylic and so very soft, machine washable and tumble dry.

I reckon I can get three blankets from the yarn I bought costing £13 in total....bargain!