one loop short

out of order

2012-01-24T19:59:00.003+02:00

This blog is no longer active. I do hope you will find something of interest in the archives here. If you would like to follow my current activities, please join me here.

2011-03-17T12:49:00.004+02:00

Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the nation's east coast, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured. (source: Yahoo News)

Japan has played a huge part in my life and the one place I hope to visit before I die! I am shocked and appauled by the worsening situation in this beautiful country. I have created this digital collage entitled Japanese Girl especially to raise money for the people of Japan. 100% of the profits I make on this print will be donated to Global Giving.
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Although I would prefer you to buy this as a high-quality giclee print so that much needed donations can be made, a downloadable poster version is available to help spread the word :)

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!

2011-02-20T10:09:00.001+02:00

My little shop has been nominated for The Lovelies! It would mean the world to me to get one of these. Voting ends soon! Please, please vote for me!

Simply hit the Facebook 'like' button! Thank you <3

sabbatical

2011-02-05T10:02:00.002+02:00

Hi all... just a quick note to let you know that one loop short will be taking a break for the forseeable future so that I can concentrate all my efforts on one little bird, my print business. It's a slightly different vibe over there, but I do hope you will pop in to see me occasionally!

print giveaway

2011-01-30T21:36:00.005+02:00

Happy New Year! Sorry I've been away for so long. I've not been crocheting much lately as I've been busy concentrating on revamping my Etsy shop. It's generating quite a bit of interest, so in celebration of this I am running a giveaway over on my One Little Bird blog. I'll be pulling a winner out of the hat on Friday 4th February so hurry on over and see what's up for grabs.

Seasons Greetings!!

2010-12-23T17:07:00.003+02:00

Here's wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a damn fine 2011!!! Thanks all for keeping up with me... I very much hope to see you again in the new year!

Revival!

2010-12-16T12:02:00.011+02:00

Hmmm... I feel another 70's revival coming on. Firstly, I've been thinking about macrame for the past few days. I remember a girl teaching me how to macrame in the playground at school when I was about 7 years old. Back then every home seemed to have at least one macrame plant pot holder and one macrame owl.

I want a macrame owl!! I want to make a macrame owl. But I can find hardly anything about macrame on the net. Let me know if you find something!!

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And how about this in all its 70's rainbow glory.

I found this image over on Thrifty Fox's blog this morning. I am definately going to have a crack at one of these great pillows!

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And finally, while we're at it I recently received some beautiful samples of vintage wallpaper from Johnny Tapete. I just love vintage geometric wallpaper and was hoping to cover one wall in Leo's room with it. Alas, too costly at the moment, but not wanting to waste the samples I covered a couple of empty formula tins with the stuff and hey presto, two lovely new containers for odds and ends!

New Flickr Groups

2010-12-14T11:53:00.005+02:00

Good morning! It's high time I got back into my online activities. To kick start this I've just created two gorgeous new groups over on Flickr. The first is one loop ahead, a showcase for all the best in contemporary crochet and knit culture. I hope to create a book from the best of the pool's submissions eventually, so in order to keep the standard as high as possible, it's an invite only group, but do let me know if you'd like to be considered for inclusion. Once the group takes off I may start a dedicated new blog to include artist interviews and features.

1. yippee sonia arrives home today, 2. Phydeaux Twist Cowl Honey Dijon redux, 3. more pincushions, 4. Petri dish No.3, 5. all together now, 6. Cinder, 7. the twins..., 8. megadoilyrug_pillows, 9. just say it like it is...

The second of my groups is button it, a place for all creative button enthusiasts. If you use buttons in your creative projects or just appreciate the beauty of a good button why don't you sign up.

1. Necklace of Buttons, 2. Buttons & Doilies, 3. Antique Mother Of Pearl Buttons, 4. a little wall vignette..., 5. For Button Phobia exhibition, 6. Violette talc box & treasure!, 7. altered envelopes, 8. sew-easy-close-up, 9. miss Evelyn...

Feeling creative again!

2010-12-02T14:38:00.005+02:00

I seem to have a constant string of crochet projects on the go. I've just finished this little cushion for Leo's room, which seemed to take an age to do!

And I'm playing around with these buttons that I've just unearthed in a jar somewhere... but what to do with them?

Suggestions please. I'd love to string them into a necklace but haven't the faintest idea how to do it!

100+ followers!!

2010-11-25T11:26:00.005+02:00

Woohoo!! Despite my continued absence from blogland, my followers keep slowly mounting and now we've passed the 100 mark!! Thank you all for your interest in my little piece of virtual world!

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things... lots of crochet and knitting ... and I'm finding new and gorgeous things on the internet daily, I just never seem to find much time to post about it. My Pinterest and Tumblr accounts are gathering dust. However, in an effort to try and make amends I will show you what I found today. These amazing bags from Australian based company Glory Daze. Such a simple idea, but executed so well. Just choose the style you want and cover with the fabric of your choice from their extensive gallery. My favourite was found in their vintage fabric section.

This week sees us celebrate Leo's 5 month birthday and my 42nd!! I have everything I could ever wish for now. So happy birthday to us :)

Phew...

2010-11-04T23:36:00.004+02:00

I'm tired and my back kills me... ALL the time!! But at least I have time to knit now. Even if it's only for him :)

Buzzbee & Baby Yoda

Little Model

2010-09-30T13:47:00.004+03:00

One of the joys of being a bit crafty and being a mum is that you can make stuff for your baby. Here's a couple of things I made, modelled beautifully by Leo!

I created the onesie by uploading some of my artwork via Cafe Press, who will then print it for you.

The cardigan is the Rosebud cardigan from Erika Knight's book 'Simple Knit's for Cherished Babies'.

It's Been a While

2010-09-24T10:59:00.005+03:00

On Tuesday Leo turned 3 months old. I can hardly believe how quickly time has passed. Of course I'm still too busy to really focus on my blogs, but I wanted to say a quick hi and post these lovely pics from our recent holiday in the west of Greece.

Motherhood is really wonderful and although we still have our 'difficult' days I really do have one beautifully easy baby. He is a true joy. I'm only really finding time to post pictures on my Facebook page (you can find me under 'Leanda Xavian') at the moment so please do 'friend' me over there if you want to keep up with his progress.

the prettiest star

2010-07-09T16:01:00.002+03:00

Here he is folks...my precious little boy. Two and a half weeks old. We are all doing fine. Exhausted and no time to write any more, but will be back soon :)

Tuesday is the day!!

2010-06-18T16:49:00.002+03:00

So, by this time next Tuesday I should have my little boy! I can be exact about this because I am due to be induced. So a last weekend of just us two and final preparations. Slightly hampered by an exploding water tank today in 40 degree heat. Not a lot of fun... I hope you all have a great weekend and I will be showing you the small one very soon!

Happy Summer!

2010-06-04T12:22:00.001+03:00

As you can see I've been rather quiet here on blogland since the wedding as we're just concentrating on getting ready for the big arrival in a couple of weeks time!! But I want to say a huge thank you for all your lovely comments on our wedding... I genuinely am so touched by all your kind thoughts and wishes. Until my next post, I hope you all have a wonderful summer!

We did it!!

2010-05-08T20:26:00.009+03:00

Yesterday I married the most wonderful man in the world! George has been my rock for 6 years now.

Finally, with me at 7 1/2 months pregnant we got married. We've been through a lot in the past three years, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

We are in love and money doesn't buy happiness. (Dress, shoes, ring and flowers (arranged by me) = 100 euros ;)

It's a stashbusting day!

2010-04-28T11:02:00.008+03:00

I may already have mentioned once or twice that I am having a baby very soon (did I mention that... sorry I'm just really excited about it)! And I want to make something very special and heirloomy for him. A gorgeous blanket made with love. Having very few pennies and not really enough to splash out on lots of lovely new yarn I decided to face the bitty stash that I have already. After rewinding it, it turns out I have quite a few lovely colours to turn into something.

With the addition of a huge ball of chocolate Cascade Eco Wool, I have found the perfect project to inspire me... the Sunshine Day Afghan by Alicia Paulson.

I love the combination of bright solid colours against a muddy tweed background. Just gorgeous!! Hopefully I'll have it ready in time for winter!

A Very Large Doily

2010-04-26T09:42:00.006+03:00

I'm into doilies again... with not much else to do right now, except get married and wait for my baby to come, it's the perfect time-killer.

This is a whopping 17"/43cm across! Maybe I'll frame it.

And it is infact a lovely shade of mustard/chartreuse and not bogie-green as the pictures seem to portray :)

Pattern details on Ravelry.

Happy Hangers

2010-04-20T18:03:00.006+03:00

As soon as I saw these Happy Hangers from Dottie Angel, I knew I had to make some...

... Tif's pattern is really easy to follow, but if you suffer from 'daft & pregnant' brain syndrome like me, I had to make one or two small changes, which you may or may not find helpful.

1. However hard I tried, I just could not work this over a foundation of 65 + 3. For some reason I had to work a foundation of 73 + 3 for the required amount of 13 shells. Go figure... I don't think anyone else had this difficulty with counting :)

2. Tif's hangers are probably fairly vintage and therefore weeny. My bottom hanger in the picture above is quite old and is the same depth as hers, but the top one is more modern and a bit fatter. To compensate for the extra depth I first edged the shells in my second colour with single crochets before joining the two halves together.

3. I found the joining difficult... and Dottie does explain that you need some patience. However, I don't have any. I found it easier to start joining one chain to the the left of the post of the hanger at point (a) and working all the way round until I reached point (b) before inserting the hanger. That way, I just had the little bit on top to do (which still requires the patience of a saint I might add).

These are a sinch to knock out, beautifully practical and a fantastic stashbuster too!

Spotlight on... White Owl

2010-04-20T17:45:00.003+03:00

I'm more into modernism than vintage these days, but just check out these stunning, stunning reclaimed lace pieces from White Owl...

...and so beautifully photographed too!

The First Cardigan

2010-04-06T21:07:00.004+03:00

It's been a while since I knitted anything, but now with the baby on the way there's a new incentive! And my first constructed garment too :)

I'm particularly pleased with the odd buttons...

Details on Ravelry.

Home From Home

2010-04-06T13:49:00.000+03:00

George and I have had a wonderful relaxing Easter weekend in our 'home from home' town of Nafpaktos, a beautiful little place in western Greece. One day I would like us to live there permenantly. The town itself is built around a beautifully preserved Venetian castle and port, and the location is perfect.

Photo: Wikipedia

Situated on the Corinth Gulf with views of the Peloponnesian mountains beyond, Nafpaktos is half an hour from Patras (Greece's 3rd largest city) from where you can sail up to Corfu and Italy, an hour by boat from the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos, and has a multitude of outdoor activities in the surrounding countryside from rock climbing to white-water rafting to kite surfing and more. We have some wonderful friends there too and I can't think of a more perfect place to raise a family.
So, as mentioned, we have just spent Easter there, which is a big occasion in Greece. Here are just a few moments from the weekend.

The port staged a spectacular (if not slightly tacky) light and fireworks show on Good Friday night.

The view from our hotel balcony - the tiny port of Hiliadou (about 10 mins from Nafpaktos)

Lunch on Saturday next to Evinos River.

George and I... relaxed and happy!

I hope you all had as good an Easter break as we did! I looking forward to hearing about it!

In a whirl!

2010-03-27T18:38:00.005+02:00

Phew... I'm exhausted after the antics of the past two weeks so tonight George and I are treating ourselves. We're off to see the whirling dervishes from Turkey. I've always wanted to see them and they come to Greece at least once a year. Our seats are about 100 miles from the stage, but I still think it will be worth it!

These amazing images are from talented Turkish photographer Umut Kebabci.

Hope you're all off to do something nice this evening and have a great weekend!

a BIG thank you!

2010-03-26T17:14:00.005+02:00

I'd like to shout out a big thank you to the lovely Through the Loops and Knit and Tonic blogs for featurning my little hexagon pincushion pattern... and of course to all you lovely people who purchased it!

Photos: Through the Loops

Featured here are two beautiful examples from Through the Loops. I've had more sales in the past week than in the past six months and a much needed boost to my piggy bank. Thank you all so much!

Cast your votes please!

2010-03-01T23:15:00.002+02:00

Unashamedly, yet again, I am asking for you to vote for me in the Spoonflower Boba G2 Baby Carrier fabric design contest. I stand to win $500!

You can vote for me here. Hit the link that reads 'Vote For Your Favourite Nature-Themed Fabrics' at the bottom of the post and you will find me on page 6 of the selected 260 designs. To vote for me click on my design called 'Footprints'. You will see a green box appear around it to let you know it's been selected. You can select as many designs as you like, but to submit the votes you have to click through to the final page and hit save. Thank you!

Edit: Oh dear, seems I'm not stationery on page 6. If you can be bothered to scan through for me all the more thanks to you :)

I'm a winner!

2010-02-17T14:33:00.002+02:00

Yay! I'm so chuffed! My little pin-cushion won Best Design in the Ravelry Free Pattern Testers Mini-Awards!! My first crochet award! I am very flattered and thank you to all of you who voted :)

Crochet Workshops

2010-02-13T16:44:00.003+02:00

A big thanks to the lovely Bee over at Chain Creative for this lovely little interview she did with me. She seems to think I'm some sort of crochet expert (err...), but still very nice of her:) Anyway, she is running some creative crochet workshops in the London and South East England areas, so if you are in that part of the world you can find more details here on her Make Do & Mend site. As well as discussing the designs (?) of myself, she will also be taking a look at the work of the very talented and wonderful Emma Lamb and Sarah London (that's more like it).

I've been nominated!

2010-02-13T11:53:00.002+02:00

Holy smokes! I've been nominated for a little award by the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry in their 2010 Mini Awards: Best Design category. It's for my one and only pattern, my little hexagon pincushion.

So in a shameless act of self-promotion and in the hopes of getting myself a little award you can vote here :)

Last Minute Valentines!

2010-02-11T20:22:00.000+02:00

For those of you who have a romantic weekend coming up but have forgotton the card, don't worry! I have two printable cards available in the shop!
A romantic butterfly heart, and for those of you who like a bit of schoolgirl nostalgia a retro Love Hearts card!!

Hope to see you there!

I'm over here!!

2010-02-02T14:05:00.001+02:00

Just a quick hello from here to say I'm now spending most of my time over here! I may pop in from time to time :)

Finally!!

2010-01-28T20:51:00.003+02:00

Well, I've been rather elusive of late I know. And I promised I would show up more often, but hey, it's all for a good reason! Finally, I have opened my Etsy store!! You can find some more details over on my new blog where I have a special treat waiting for you. So hurry on over for a bit of 'blog-warming'!! See you there!

Happy Christmas!!

2009-12-23T14:04:00.004+02:00

A big thank you to all of you who have supported me and inspired me this year!! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year wherever you are...

1. The Real Beauty Of The Candy Cane...., 2. Waiting for Santa, 3. natural christmas sparkler, 4. xmas decoration, 5. Untitled, 6. looking..., 7. a small miracle..., 8. Baubles, 9. Block printing + embroidery / Estampado + bordado, 10. englar, 11. >>> PEACE <<<, 12. Snowflake Curtain, 13. wreath light, 14. white christmas, 15. Untitled, 16. -10°

expecting

2009-12-18T14:25:00.009+02:00

I have to apologise for the extreme lack of activity on my blog in recent weeks. Now I can finally share the reason with the whole world... I'm pregnant! And for the past 5 weeks or so I have spent most of my time looking down the toilet. I'm starting to finally feel a bit human again...

It's been a struggle for us. I was told in May 2008 that I had started my menopause (at 39!!) and there wasn't a hope of me producing my own eggs. So we started on the long and financially crippling road of IVF and egg donation. The third attempt worked and thankfully all is going well. I realise we are incredibly lucky - I've heard some real horror stories of 9 or 10 attempts and counting!!

So now I can focus a bit on the months ahead. One of my first baby projects will be this beautiful mobile from spool.

You can select the pattern for the bird under their 'Free Pattern' menu on the left.

And I love this Lizzy House fabric from A Fabric Outlet

I'm going to try and be a bit more productive here from now on, so see you very soon!

this tickled me...

2009-12-03T11:51:00.003+02:00

Nicely done by these guys!

that's more like it

2009-11-15T15:58:00.005+02:00

Now this is what I have been waiting for. The LYS made truly cool! Great minimal design and bang on trend. Here is Wool and the Gang (just not sure about that name, anyway...)

They also have a blog here

milkin' it

2009-11-15T14:52:00.004+02:00

I don't like milk except on my cornflakes or in my tea, but this packaging is just gorgeous. Seen on the lovely package website.

early seasons greetings

2009-11-13T15:35:00.005+02:00

Well, as I mentioned before, I'm sort of having an off moment with crochet. A couple of days ago I got a teeny job out of the blue to design some bottle labels. Whether anything will come of it I don't know, but it got me back on the old computer and I kind of enjoyed it. So yesterday I sat down and did this little Christmas card. I really had fun creating it and think I might be doing some more. So, what do you think? Should I???

(click on image to enlarge)

November inspiration

2009-11-12T10:31:00.004+02:00

It's been a while since I posted a mosaic of my Flickr faves, but here's a little warming collection now the nights are drawing in. And Mosaic Maker just got a whole lot more user-friendly!

(click on image to super-size)

1. Vintage Notions, 2. Some Vintage Finds, 3. My bedroom (and Emiliano), 4. 100 yards., 5. etsy, chickens & me..., 6. vintage mugs, 7. snippets of color..., 8. Green Pincushion, 9. bada bing, 10. ||, 11. Firki, 12. living, 13. red stripes, 14. Untitled, 15. Assorted nuts, 16. sage

don't do it!!!

2009-11-10T13:01:00.007+02:00

This gave me such a laugh this morning! I discovered this brilliant blog dedicated to all crocheting blunders called what not to crochet. I do urge you to take a look, if only to remind yourselves not to attempt that Elvis statuette. Or were you feeling the urge to whip up a tampon cozy?

If you discover any crocheting catastophes, then submit them to whatnottocrochet (AT) yahoo (DOT) com!

how to make pom-poms

2009-11-06T13:12:00.026+02:00

I'm loving making squishy little pom poms lately. I'm sort of having an off-moment with crochet - not helped by terrible wrist and thumb pain - so taking a break from that for a bit. So pom poms still enable me to play around with yarn, creating pleasing little objects of joy!

I have some round plastic pom-pom makers, but I threw them down after about 2 minutes out of pure frustration! You have to keep cutting lengths of yarn and awkwardly threading it through the middle. No, the no pom-pom maker method is best! There are a few tutorials out there on the web, but I didn't find anything truly satisfactory, so this is my version.

You will need
some yarn
a crochet hook suitable for the size of your yarn
a darning needle
some small sharp scissors
your fingers!

You can click on any of the images to make them bigger.

Step 1 Cut a length from your chosen yarn - about 30cm/12" should do. Put it where you can grab it easily. We are going to use this later to tie our pom-pom.

Step 2 Take your ball of yarn. Put the end over your palm and hold it out of the way with your ring finger and little finger.

Step 3 Start wrapping the yarn - not too tight - around your remaining two fingers.

Step 4 I am using a DK yarn here and wrapped it around my fingers 100 times, but play around with different thicknesses and different wrap amounts. The more you wrap, the denser your pom-pom will be!

Step 5 Once you have the desired amount of wraps, take your length of yarn that you cut earlier. This will save you trying to cut a piece now - not easy! Slide it between the ends of the two fingers holding the yarn. You should leave it longer at the back as we are going to secure the pom-pom with this long end.

Step 6 Take the longer length behind and over the pom-pom and towards your knuckles as shown.

Step 7 Grab your crochet hook and stick it through your fingers to grap the yarn.

Step 8 Pull it through to the palm side of your hand and around to where you originally joined in the yarn.

Repeat this step a couple of times. Now pull gently but firmly on the two ends to tighten the 'waist' of the pom-pom.

Step 9 Now you can remove the pom-pom from your fingers. You will see that by wrapping the yarn round a couple of times already, it won't budge. This will really make your life a lot easier when tying the pom-pom. Now tie the two ends together, pulling a little tighter to secure, and tie once more.

Step 10 Now we are ready to take our scissors and cut around the outside edge of the pom-pom. Continue cutting through all layers until no loops are left. Be careful not to cut your ties at the moment!

Step 11 Here's the fun bit - shaping your pom-pom! There is no quick solution for making a perfect ball (which is where pom-pom makers have the advantage), but you're roughly aiming to trim off the longer lengths to match the shorter lengths. Shake out your pom-pom every now and then, hold it up and spin it around to see where it's uneven. You will however, have to cut off a lot more than you think is necessary!

And there you have it - a (hopefully) perfect little pom-pom! This one measures about 5cm/2½" across. You can leave the ties on until you come to use it or chop them off recklessly.

Now you can experiment. Try using two different coloured yarns together with half the amount of wraps. And you can use the same method above with 3 or 4 fingers, although a little more difficult to tie on the 3-finger method. I have even made some really small ones using a straight-sided fork instead of fingers!

a year in yarn

2009-10-30T11:03:00.004+02:00

It's been exactly a year since I picked up my knitting needles again and tentatively made a few swatches. I taught myself to crochet in May which for me was the major breakthrough. Something I always wanted to do, but never thought I could. Now there is no stopping me. Here are some of the snippets of my year in yarn! (Click on the image to zoom in)

1. starstitchscarf, 2. swatches, 3. brioche stitch, 4. toast, 5. Untitled, 6. Noro Taiyo Dizzy Lizzy, 7. Noro Striped Scarf, 8. Noro Striped Scarf, 9. habitat hat, 10. h e x a g o n s, 11. h o o k e d, 12. s t r i n g b a g, 13. s h o p p e r, 14. f i l i g r e e b o w l, 15. d o i l y, 16. 8 point star, 17. p i n c u s h i o n, 18. ***, 19. c u s h i o n, 20. s h a w l, 21. experiment in colour, 22. t w i z z l e r, 23. p i n c u s h i o n, 24. s c a r f, 25. Untitled

it's crochet Jim... but not as we know it

2009-10-19T14:44:00.007+03:00

I'm just not an enthusiastic knitter anymore. Crochet is my thing in an obsessive and passionate kind of way. Knitting just has way too many sticks involved, and don't even get me started on DPNs! But I do hanker after the texture of knitted items sometimes, especially the chunkier kind... a simple stocking stitch in a lovely bulky yarn can't be beaten. And for me, the queen of knitting stitches has to be brioche. But it seems you need a PhD in rocket science to understand how to do it! Ah, if only there was a kind of crochet that in someway resembled this type of knitting, and was really easy to boot. What a perfect world it would be then... But wait, there IS!!! It's called Tunisian (or Afghan or Tricot) crochet. I nearly wet my pants with excitement the other day when I discovered this. Immediately I grabbed my stubby little crochet hook and worked up this teeny swatch in the three basic Tunisian stitches. My Tunisian hooks are on order and I can't wait to get started on my full-size beauties. My world has just got a little brighter!

my first pattern

2009-10-15T16:13:00.006+03:00

I have just published my first ever pattern... my little hexagon pincushion. It retails for 3 euros, but in celebration of this momentous occasion, the first five of you to leave a comment will get a copy for free!

Thanks girls - patterns are on their way!

Or you can buy the pattern directly here

it's been a while!

2009-10-04T14:02:00.007+03:00

Well, I've been away for a while. Lost my mojo as you know, but I think it's coming back slowly. One thing that's really helped me is starting a knitting group with the Ravelrers of Athens. I had an idea to meet a couple of like-minded knitting addicts over a coffee every now and then. Twenty turned up to the first meeting! We even had a lady from Salt Lake City joining us, while holidaying here in Greece!

I really couldn't have been more delighted with the turn out or to have met a nicer bunch of girls. I think we all got really inspired talking to each other and fondling each other's stash ;) We really all had a wonderful time at central Athens alternative cafe Pure Bliss, right in the heart of LYS land.

And we're going to do it all over again next month. So if you happen to be in town, why don't you join us! We'd love to see you!

Alexandra, in between Eve and Maria here, has also started a knitting group up in Thessaloniki. Get in touch with her here if you are going to be in that neck of the woods!

Many thanks to Eve for the photos!

Hurry to get this!

2009-09-18T16:27:00.003+03:00

A free pattern for this lovely throw landed in my inbox this morning from Crochet Me. I think it's only available to those registered, so maybe you'll receive this too if you hurry and join today!

Flickr Galleries

2009-09-16T10:44:00.004+03:00

Wow... Flickr now have a great new tool (well, I only just found it) called Galleries! Now you can collate your own collection of other peoples images within your stream. One way to keep your favourites organised! Sadly, you can only put up to 18 images in one gallery... so I made two for my first subject! Below are a small selection from 'For The Love of Cotton Reels'. Get curating!

1. Spools, 2. Four spool clover, 3. pile of spools, 4. Untitled, 5. spun, 6. notions IV, 7. Pinks, 8. ., 9. YIP Day 251 - Cotton Reels

spotlight on... Emma Lamb

2009-09-14T12:35:00.018+03:00

One of my most favourite of blog friends and goddess of granny chic is the one and only Emma Lamb. I'm sure many of you are getting to know her name as she is deservedly appearing everywhere lately and slowly taking the yarn world by storm with her cushions and potholders. Which all have fantastic granny names like Audrey and Doris by the way!

Her sense of colour is outstanding and her work is so exquisitely executed... just get a load of those granny squares!!

And I just love all the beautiful little details too...

Emma runs some amazingly inspirational groups on Flickr too including .knit.solid.yarn., granny chic... and all colours in... which are definately worth a look over a cuppa. All this along with a day job as a textile designer - I really don't know how she fits it all in! But I'm glad she does. Here's to you Emma!

nearly smiling

2009-09-11T12:04:00.016+03:00

Phew... it's still stress-city here, but I am feeling a tiny bit more encouraged. A HUGE thank you to all you lovely blog-friends who spent the time conversing with me over the past few days. Your comments and advice have been so helpful and I feel much more motivated now. So, watch this space...
Just wanted to post a couple of inspirational bits today. I am so in love with modernist art - who isn't these days. I particularly love the work of Charley Harper.

And I found two lovely websites who have turned modernist giant Alexander Girard's work into gorgeous design items and homewares. The first is Maximo who say they are the 'official agent to the Estate of Alexander Girard and is responsible for re-introducing Girard designs to the contemporary marketplace.'

And then there is House Industries who appear to be a design team inspired by Girard. Not only do they produce great objet d'art, they have also produced a range of fantastic fonts.

I think they're all gorgeous and wonderfully uplifting! Enjoy and have a wonderful Friday one and all!

trying to cope

2009-09-09T11:58:00.005+03:00

I just have way too much on my plate right now to blog properly, so sorry for the sporadic posts. I am desperately trying to motivate myself and not let myself slide into depression, and job-hunting like crazy. I have one or two issues in my life which make this a slightly more complicated task for me than for others, but I won't bore you with that right now.
One thing I am trying to figure out is what to do with my crochet skills, money-making wise, but I just keep staring at my hooks. I hope the lightbulb in my head will come on soon... in the meantime, a few shots from my workspace. And all inspirational, motivational comments/stories are most welcome!

And a BIG thank you to all of you who replied to my previous post... you really did make me smile :)

where's my mojo?

2009-08-28T14:30:00.005+03:00

I'm back... but not quite myself. Feeling a little down these days and not up to much blogging. So here in the meantime, are some more inspirations from Flickr for you to enjoy. Hope to get my mojo back soon....

1. Untitled, 2. The Book Collection, 3. Untitled, 4. urchins, 5. New Labels, 6. generations, 7. Pearl's Dream, 8. Join the circus - embroidery, 9. ..., 10. happy bike, 11. pencil roll, 12. DSC_0007, 13. Untitled, 14. Silas, 15. Raspberries- nom nom nom, 16. ...

summer's here...

2009-08-01T12:22:00.004+03:00

It's that time of year again! The year-end in Greece is usually the end of July. They don't really stop for Christmas - maybe a couple of days off - but you don't really feel that psychological break as we do in England or the US. August is the time when pretty much every Athenian buggers off for a month, while the tourists come in (not so many this year of course). I could never figure out how industry could just sort of shut down for a whole month (they do it in Italy too), but that's exactly what happens, and everyone is in holiday mode from about the end of June! During August, most Athenians will go 'back to the village' where they usually have a country home. This may sound grand, but it's anything but. The notion of actually coming from Athens is pretty new, maybe by only one generation or so. If you ask most Athenians in their 30's and 40's where they come from, they will usually name the villages or islands where their parents are from. As property is very much kept in the family here, most will still have maintained a property there, which will eventually be passed on to their children and so on and so on. It's where most will spend their holidays and maybe escape to for the odd weekend here and there too.

This year, as George and I have no money whatsoever, we are putting a tent in the back of our 13 year-old Nissan Almeira (The Beast of the Asphalt) and driving round the north of Greece. This will happen next Friday. In the meantime, I am off to Crete to stay with a dear friend for a few days and George has taken off to an island this morning with his mates for a bit of male bonding time. I am no big fan of camping, but I will throw myself into the spirit of things this year. Even though I haven't been working, I desperately need a break from the house and the city. Just to switch off, relax and forget about it all for a while. Everything will spring into action come September, I just hope I will be able to too.

Thanks to all of you who have followed along so far, have a great summer and look forward to catching up again in a few weeks!!

five minutes of fun

2009-07-30T20:55:00.008+03:00

Ah, nostalgia. We never grow up that's for sure... remember those cut-out doll templates that you used to dress with cut-out clothes with the foldover tabs? I used to love those... and now, courtesy of Boden you can do it online, using their entire range of clothes. I spent more than five minutes actually... a bit addictive if I'm honest.

Here's one I made earlier (Trinny & Suzanne... your jobs are safe)...

Home Spun

2009-07-30T14:49:00.007+03:00

There's not much I miss about England, but I do miss events like this. If I were there now I would do my best to attend this years Home Spun fair in Cornwall, followed by a large cream tea!

And such a pretty shop too...

spotlight on... Lulu Dee

2009-07-29T23:15:00.002+03:00

Spotted on Simply Stated today [an offshoot of Holly Becker's great Decor8 blog], I love these simple retro mid-century modern prints from Oregon based designer Lulu Dee. They are hand printed in short runs of 40... and now she has lowered her prices as she knows times are hard. Grab yerself one quick!

little jug of mystery

2009-07-29T23:11:00.003+03:00

I can't remember where I spotted this little jug, so if anyone knows who I should credit do let me know. I do, however, love it and wanted to share it with you!

[edit] Emma solved it... it's from the perfectly lovely Found Vintage Style. Unfortunately sold :(

just a perfect day

2009-07-29T12:31:00.039+03:00

Sometimes I can't believe I actually live here. Yesterday, George had to go for another one of his business meetings, 4 hours drive from Athens. The notion of conference calls don't really exist here and business is still very much conducted on a face to face basis. Which is no bad thing sometimes. Again, despite a very early start, I joined him for the ride. Most of the landscape we drove through looked like this...

sadly a lot of it is still burnt from the terrible forest fires, trees standing like ghosts...

but sometimes it even reminded me of the hedgerows of England...

We ended up in a place called Pylos in the south-west Peloponnese, and while George went for his meeting I had my coffee and then climbed up to the castle at the top of the town...

wandering through the shady grounds, I discovered secret little entrances and gateways...

which you would walk through and suddenly come upon a view like this...

and then turn around to see this...

I found a bench under a shady tree, sat down and breathed a deep satisfied sigh. This was my view for the next 2 hours...

I sat and read my book and looked far out to sea, the only sound the wind in the trees, the occasional sound of children's laughter, and a choir of a million cicadas. They're ugly little beasts... a bit like giant flies, about 2" long...

but they sound like this...

I realised after a while I couldn't hear another soul around, perfectly blissful. Eventually I wandered down to the gate to leave and found it locked. The castle had already been shut for an hour! Luckily somebody let me out, but I was almost sad about it. I'd found a little peace of heaven.

And then, if that wasn't enough, we went for a swim here!

one hot hooker

2009-07-26T18:49:00.008+03:00

It's 42 degrees here, but... I'm still crocheting... very slowly... with wool!! Just putting a companion together for my Granny Square cushion below...

There is a great tutorial for larksfoot stitch here.

it's not supposed to be difficult

2009-07-23T16:14:00.011+03:00

I seem to be spending way too much time making this damn cushion cover. Apart from procrastinating for weeks over the perfect colour combo.. which I'm now pretty sure is right... I just seem to need so many squares to cover one side of a 50x50 cushion pad. Twenty-five infact!

And I could never quite 'get on' with granny squares personally. They were never quite cushy enough - I've got round that by doing 4 dcs instead of 3. And I hate the way that (well, mine anyway) kind of start 'skewing' once you get past a certain number of rounds. I block them of course - slowly, one by one.

So I've gone for the 'many-small-squares-joined-together' option.

But then there's the joining together. Took me another couple of days just to figure out which kind of join I like best. But I think I like my single crochet ridge the best.

I still haven't decided how to back this yet. Another side of crochet or backed with fabric?? Decisions, decisions... it might be ready in time for Christmas...

super simple hexagon

2009-07-21T12:20:00.019+03:00

While I love my regular hexagons, I do find them a bit tiresome after a while and by the 4th chain round (of 5 rounds) I'm usually reaching for the kettle for a wee break. But these whip up in minutes and have only 3 rounds! They work in a very similar way to a granny square, but are much prettier I think.

So, here it is as promised... my Super Simple Hexagon! It's a short pattern so I'm posting the full instructions here, but you can also download it in printable form here.

There is no copyright on this... please feel free to use it for whatever you want! But a little credit and a link back to here would really make me smile! So, now on with the pattern:

Abbreviations Cl St = Cluster Stitch: YO and pull a loop through ring, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook (3 times), YO and pull through all 4 loops on hook.

Pattern written in US English. (because it’s what I’m used to)

Ch 5, join with a sl st to form ring.

Round 1 Ch2, yo and pull a loop through, [3 loops on hook], yo and pull through 2 loops [2 loops on hook], yo and pull a loop through [4 loops on hook], yo and pull through 2 loops [3 loops on hook], yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook, ch2, (cl st, ch 2 into ring) 5 times. Join to top of first cluster with a sl st and fasten off. Pull central thread gently to close ring. [6 cl st and 6 ch2 spaces]

Join in new yarn. Don't forget to work in your ends as you go!

Round 2 Pull yarn through next ch2 space, ch2, (yo and pull a loop through, yo and pull through 2 loops) twice, yo and pull through all 3 loops, ch2, cl st in same space, ch2, *(cl st, ch2, cl st, ch2) all in next space*, repeat from * to * 4 more times, join to top of first cluster with a sl st and fasten off. [12 cl st and 12 ch2 spaces]

Join in new yarn.

Round 3 Pull yarn through next ch2 space, ch3, 2dc in same space, *(3dc, ch2, 3dc) all in next ch2 space, 3dc in next chain space*, repeat from * to * 4 more times, 3dc, ch2, 3dc in final ch2 space, join to top ch of first ch3 and fasten off. [18 3dc groups and 6 ch2 spaces]

You can join your hexagons in whichever way you want. Alex at Moonstitches has quite a good method for joining as you go. Otherwise, you could stitch them all together at the end with a contrasting yarn, which looks lovely.

Do let me know if there is anything you don't understand or if you find any mistakes. Other than that, I'd love to see what you do with it!

spotlight on... Peter Clark

2009-07-20T20:33:00.007+03:00

I like my art a bit on the fun side... doesn't take itself too seriously, makes you smile. And it usually urrs towards what could be called illustration, graphic design or craft. Peter Clark is one of my favourite artists. His work is clever, witty and a joy to look at - gorgeous creations painstakingly made from paper. His website is beautiful too!

what we need. part 3

2009-07-20T11:15:00.004+03:00

I adore anything mid-century modern and probably anything that used to sit on my granny's sideboard, but just didn't appreciate at the time. I'm loving this Swedish glassware from the 60s and these amazing Chance Brothers handkerchief bowls... minus the boiled sweets of course! Head over to 20th Century Glass and start collecting now!

a space within

2009-07-17T11:17:00.017+03:00

I love seeing the environments in which people work. These in themselves can be an inspiration! The wonderful Orla Kiely's workspace has recently been featured in The Guardian, found via a great blog called Inspiration Boards.

They also have a Flickr group, so make yourself a nice cuppa, take a pew and have a browse. Just a couple of examples of what can be seen there are shown below.

Photo: Mady Dooijes

Photo: Elizabeth Dye & Chelsea Fuss mood board by Matt & Myra Callan.

what we need. part 2

2009-07-15T21:48:00.005+03:00

You know I love crocheting hexagons don't you! Well, you do now. Specially worked up in gorgeous rich colours. Spotted these beautiful things over on the Garnet Hill website via Put a sock on it!. (There are close-ups available on the Garnet Hill website). What's even more exciting is I can work out a very similar motif for myself, and super simple it is too. I will post some instructions if anyone's interested!

up and running

2009-07-15T18:11:00.006+03:00

Phew... finally back online after our connection went down on Friday night. We've had no telephone either and the occasional power cut too... not a lot of fun in this heat, I can tell you! But, that didn't stop me crocheting and I've been busy making a batch of these cute little motifs with my new thread. Oh, and a lovely little pin cushion too!

doilyhead

2009-07-10T16:30:00.004+03:00

I just can't stop making 'em at the moment. This is a motif from a vintage tablecloth. There are a stack of vintage patterns over at Celt's Vintage Crochet so go and have a browse. Once I have a little collection I shall decide what to do with them.

what we need. part 1

2009-07-10T10:59:00.006+03:00

We all need these! Spotted over on the rabbit and the duck blog, these amazing alphabet drawers are a mere snip (!) at £2700 from kent and london. Start saving...

new thread

2009-07-10T10:29:00.003+03:00

Waiting to be used...

buttons on a string

2009-07-10T10:24:00.004+03:00

Have a nice selection of mother-of-pearl buttons sitting in my sewing box waiting to be attached to something. Making a long chain of palest-pink with a few picots and embellishments...

market day

2009-07-08T16:26:00.009+03:00

I live in a wonderful neighbourhood right in the centre of Athens called Gyzi. It's an old working-class neighbourhood, where women of a certain age still wear aprons, sweep their steps and talk to the neighbours across the street from their balconies. I love it! And one of the best aspects is the weekly street market on a Wednesday. I can see the orange canopies of the stalls from my balcony. The produce is wonderful and it is as good as any of the best markets I've visited in Provence. I will let the images speak for themselves.

too much talent

2009-07-07T12:28:00.008+03:00

OK... let's kick off the inspiration side of things. Flickr is a hotbed of talent and I always try to spend a few minutes a day there. I have developed some wonderful contacts through it and hopefully some life-long friends too! Here is just a tiny taster of what can be seen on my favourites pages... more to follow.

1. Doilies on the stair. And Papu!, WIP, 2. Untitled, 3. Buttons & Doilies, 4. vintage threads, 5. 09:25, 6. Step by step guide to doily invite, 7. Dancers without foot in Aqua, 8. pinky dinky doo, 9. Voodoo Pierre, 10. close proximity, 11. Untitled, 12. sketch 18th march: a little more than I had bargained for..., 13. Spools, 14. project about senses, 15. Bird-speak, 16. flowers and grannies...

vintage loops

2009-07-07T11:47:00.007+03:00

I have always loved creating. Always. Throughout my life I have tried (and sometimes worked in) all sorts of creative activities from patchworking to bookbinding to floristry to knitting to sewing to embroidery to millinery to collage to screenprinting to calligraphy to garden design to graphic design to crochet... the list goes on and on! The upshot is, I love making things in a real hands-on way. I should have been a textile designer really. My mum taught me to sew at a very young age and by my teens I was either buying vintage pieces or making my own clothes. I had a very individual approach to dressing then - I didn't own a pair of jeans until my 20s. My grandmothers knitted and crocheted. I learnt a tiny bit of knitting from my mum, but didn't really do anything with it. I made a few scarves about 6 years ago. And then last year the bug bit me... hard!! However, it was crochet I always secretly yearned for. But I just couldn't 'get' it. All those confusing terms and impossible-to-follow diagrams. And then, one day, I found a video on youtube, and like a child, I learnt my first simple granny square.

It was a revelation! And I haven't put my hook down since. I'm still learning, and of course always will. In recent weeks I have sat myself down and tried my hand a vintage doilies. More for the exercise than anything else, but the results are truly beautiful. No, doilies are no longer just for grannies!

daytripper

2009-07-06T23:33:00.022+03:00

The image in the previous post is not, sadly, where I live. The place in the picture is Nafplio, a beautiful, picture-perfect town on the coast about two-hours drive from Athens. I live in Athens. A huge, sprawling, filthy, hot, crowded city, not without a certain charm in parts. For now, I am happy here. One day I will live in the picture. With some babies and chickens and beehives, plenty of cats around, a few fruit-bearing trees, maybe a room to let, baking my own bread. This is my dream.

I had the opportunity to visit Nafplio last Friday, where George had a business meeting. He took me along for the ride and let me roam around the town while he talked the talk. I had a wonderful time mooching around with my camera. The banner image for this blog was taken there. A simple scattering of jasmine flowers on the steps up to the castle. There was also a wonderful folklore museum full of amazing textiles and costumes... lots to inspire there! On the way home we went for a swim in crystal clear waters and ate fish by the sea. It's better than Milton Keynes.

live your myth

2009-07-06T22:02:00.010+03:00

I live in Greece. A country of contradictions - rich in beauty, culture and history, yet politically corrupt, where blackmail and nepotism is commonplace and the cost of living is far higher than the average wage. The divide between rich and poor is wide. It has suffered hundreds of years of oppressive reign and division, mass displacement of its people and civil unrest. This is probably why the Greeks are one of the most forthright and frank populations on the planet. Every Greek has an opinion and you will hear it. But Greeks are also one of the most hospitable and genuinely friendly of the planet's nations. And for two years now I have called this place home.

I met George in London in 2004, a place where I spent 20 years of my life and I have absolutely no desire to return to. Always certain that he would return to his country, and always sure that I would leave England, Greece seemed a natural choice. I love Europe and the Mediterranean - this is my little corner of the world - with its wonderful sea, climate and food. Throughout my blog, I will hopefully share some of the best aspects it has to offer.

simple beginnings

2009-07-06T21:55:00.006+03:00

So... where does one begin? I had never considered starting a blog before, but in my current jobless state, in a new house that no longer needs 'tweaking' and arranging, and in weather hot enough to melt the windows, I find myself spending long periods of time in a dark room in front of the computer screen. I have had a long affair with Flickr, and more recently Ravelry, but what about all those nuggets of gold that I find along the way, those inspiring images and blogs, and all those things I just want to 'tell' somebody. No, there's no other way... the blog starts here!