Tag Archives: craft

Thanks for all the fish

Thanks for all your ideas re the fish hats, you really got my creative juices flowing….but it was while I was fitting the latest hat on Carol for a photoshoot just now …

… and the little fins were sticking out on the sides…

that the perfect name suddenly came to me — it’s The Flying Fish hat !!!

And that’s enough from me for now – I have a crochet lesson tomorrow afternoon to prepare for, and a Christmas-in-Winter market in Tulbagh on Sunday. I’m told there’s snow on the mountains out in that part of the world, so let’s hope everyone has a really cold head.

happy granny

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I’ve been hoarding the pattern for Simone’s happy granny (here) for a long time and the other day, when I was looking for something else in an insanely disorganised bookmarks folder, I came across it again. After a lot of Ellas and penguins, this looked like a perfect no-fuss quick make.

Simone’s hat is for a baby, but I wanted to go big. I used a chunky Elle Timber and a 5.00mm hook, so ended up with a hat that fits Carol loosely. I was going to follow the pattern exactly and have the same sort of beanie look but by the time I’d done the two brown rows, I realised that the wearer would have to have an unusually large noggin. (Rob has quite a big head, actually, but I know he doesn’t like raspberry pink).

So I just winged it after that – did 2 rows of grannies with some decreasing, then one row of dcs. That’s given it a kind of puffy beret look instead.

We’ve had a really sharp and sudden icy spell in Cape Town- it’s much much colder than it usually gets in winter, and it’s started a lot sooner. There’s even been SNOW on the mountains – we say that here with such genuine amazement as to suggest that the snow, surely, has picked the wrong country?

Back soon x

the stinky fish hat

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I can’t remember what or who started the internet trail that led to me finding this pattern, but here we are. This is designed by Catrina Usher, who I think came up with a really brilliant idea with her Stinky Fish hat. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry.

Here is my version:

It’s a bit tight on Carol because it’s toddler size, but it’ll be dead easy to make bigger sizes. I fiddled with the pattern a bit (didn’t do all the fancy stitches, used buttons for eyes, and left off the top fin) but I love it! It’s really versatile, as you’ll see from the photos on Ravelry that people have sent in.

Stinky Fish will come with me to the Somerset West market on Saturday, let’s see if anyone wants to buy it!

Back soon x

BonBon update

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I attended a fabulous sector meeting about (a) upcycling, and (b) e-commerce at the Cape Craft and Design Institute this afternoon, and worked on the cotton BonBon at the same time. Yip, two hours of uninterrupted crochet. hoo ha.

I have now worked 20.5 cm from the top of the crown and it looks like this:

And on my head it looks like this:

I think I’m going to work about another 5cm before starting the brim because I want more of a hang to it at the back. (Hats that hug my head do not suit me. It’s why I can’t ever wear a beanie. I get that whole pinhead look).

It’s weighing in now at 145g, so already it weighs as much as a fully completed acrylic BonBon like the one below.

Please bear this in mind if you’re going to try your hand at one – if you choose cotton over acrylic, you will use more meterage and it will weigh more.

Also, keep trying it on as you go, to make sure it’s taking on the shape you want – you don’t want it taking on too much of a life of its own!!!

have a heart (or 7700)

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Today I was going to do one of those 10-random-post things that Rachell of The Little Room got me thinking about. But I’ve changed my mind. Instead I’m going to spread some crochet love from Sandra at Cherry Heart:

and some sewing love from Rebeka at artsy-craftsy babe:

Both of these girls are SO inspiring. Just looking at what they’ve made makes my heart explode with desire! and my brain goes, Make it too, make it too!

Happy Valentine’s Day for tomorrow, everyone. And remember to love yourself – because the more you do, the more you can love others. (That’s what I think, anyway).

Back soon x