Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Another WIP Wednesday...

... and I'm finally catching up!

Let me present - this week's crochet square. Yes, you heard that right, this is actually this week's pattern piece.





I haven't done them all, obviously, but I finished last week's pattern piece on Sunday, meaning that I started on this week's pattern only a few days late and crucially, BEFORE the next piece of the pattern is released on Friday. I've finally done it, I've caught up with the CAL!!

Here is the pattern from the previous week. It was probably my favourite so far - all that delicate lace work in the centre - and it was quite quick to do as well (hence enabling me to catch up). 

The pattern this week is quite fun too, but not quite as much so as last week. I did enjoy doing the little stars in the centre, though, and since you need to break the yarn to continue anyway I decided to just do all the stars first. Cute, no?  :)


Anyway, I'm thrilled with my progress this week, not only because I now actually have a chance to finish the CAL before Christmas but also because it means that I will, occasionally, have time to work on my other projects again. Garter Yoke Cardi here I come!!



Initially I did a single-colour square, just to get used to the pattern, and then I had the seemingly grandiose idea of using two colours, not to do rows but instead to pick out parts of the wheel pattern. It worked - kind of:



I'm not actually too happy with it. Sure, it sort of worked, but the work was immense. Can you imagine all those ends to sew in? Awful! I tried to carry some of them on so I'd have less to sew, but that made the purple bits a bit larger than the yellow, which, again, wasn't that great. This square needed a lot of blocking and shaping to come out the right size... Needless to say, I decided that this pattern piece wanted to be in a single colour (I didn't think different coloured rows would work too well, because they distract from the pattern) and did the rest of them in yellow, purple and green.

Another thing I wanted to show this week is this:



It's that Cheviot fleece I washed the other week. It spins up really nicely and I did this bit at my monthly spinning group a couple of weeks ago. I've been meaning to show my progress ever since, but had the wheel packed away. This morning, though, I had a couple of friends here for coffee. They wanted to learn how to spin, so I dug the wheel and the drop spindles out to show them. So ta-dah, the beginnings of a bobbin of Cheviot yarn. :)

Now tell me, what do you think this is?



Any idea?

No?

I don't blame you! ;)  It's my big 'Red Canvas'. I occasionally paint - usually acrylics, although I've done some oils too. This is not for anyone but myself, so please don't think that I fancy myself an artist, but I enjoy painting and when I have time I occasionally work on a canvas. This one is fairly abstract, The idea came from a photograph, taken while D and I were on honeymoon in New England. I took a picture of my red silk skirt, fluttering in the wind while at the beach. It's this one:


This was years ago, mind, but I really like the picture and the abstract quality of it, and ever since I've been meaning to do something with it. It finally occurred to me that it might be a starting point for a fairly abstract painting. This is a big canvas, and I've only just done 2 layers, outlining the colours and the rough shape, so this is a long way off being finished, but we'll see how things go over the coming months...

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20 comments:

  1. Gorgeous squares! I wish that I could figure out how to make them myself!

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    1. You should try! Before this CAL, the only thing I had ever crocheted was granny squares - I'm learning so much with these patterns!

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  2. Anonymous5:07 pm

    Well done on catching up on the squares, last weeks is so pretty I love it and in a solid colour I'm afraid, the solid colour lets the lace look of it shine through. I love the red on canvas, I look forward to seeing more.

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    1. I totally agree - not happy at all with 2-coloured square. Oh well, I learned something new - this CAL is teaching me so much, not only about crocheting techniques, but also about colour combinations, etc.

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  3. Well done on catching up, I am so impressed they are beautiful. Loving the wonderful array of colours.

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  4. Beautiful squares - I love the stars. The red is gorgeous, I love the photo and the idea of turning it into a piece of art.

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    1. I'm loving the stars too - I think this is one of my favourite weeks. :)

      The red canvas will be a loooong project, but I love how forgiving canvas is - if you don't like something, no big deal, just paint over it!! ;)

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  5. Can't believe that you've caught up on all the squares - well done!!

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    1. I can't quite believe it myself!! Now if I can only stick with it so I don't fall behind again...

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  6. Your squares and flowers are very pretty.

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  7. Ooh, you go with the bold red. I love your squares. The green and yellow remind me of my alma mater.

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  8. once again, makes me want to learn to understand crocheting patterns....this is going to be great!!! and what a renaissance woman you are.....a painter, too!!!! (I had ONE studio class ---art history degree, one was a requirement----and quickly learned that painting was NOT one of my talents!!!) more envy, there, too!

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  9. That top square is just so darlin'!

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  10. You've been busy... Loving the crochet squares, and all the red!

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  11. Such gorgeous shapes and colours! Thanks for sharing!

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