A Crocheted October...

In October I joined in with the Lazy Daisy Jones Crochet Hook Up on instagram, a daily photo to go alongside the theme for each day. I am proud to have managed to actually post something every day, and thought I would share the month here...

Day One - Hello - me, obviously...
Day Two - Work In Progress - my 2015 blanket
Day three - Colour combination - several of my favourites
Day four - Blanket - my first ever blanket
Day five - Chunky or lace - brooch with tiny doilies
Day six - favourite hook - my 'go-to' hooks
Day seven - square or circle - squares, always!
Day eight - future project - Sarah London pattern
Day nine - Fave Stitch - puffs and popcorns
Day ten - cushion - sunburst with Brian modelling
Day eleven - border - I like a scallop
Day twelve - fave book - 200 crochet blocks by Jan Eaton
Day thirteen - scarf - chevron scarf from last winter
Day fourteen - fave make - bundles of blankets
Day fifteen - storage - cupboard in my studio 

Day sixteen - where? - my cosy spot on the sofa
Day Seventeen - Fave yarn - cotton in lovely colours
Day Eighteen - Christmas Crochet - glass baubles made last year
Day Nineteen - Who taught you? - my first ever square, made with the help of a fellow student at uni
Day twenty - Vintage pattern - my great grandmother's crochet book
Day twenty one - pastel or bright? - always bright
Day twenty two - amigurumi - unicorn from Simply Crochet
Day twenty three - crochet blog - Meet Me At Mike's, Emma Lamb, Twinkie Chan and Dottie Angel
Day twenty four - Flowers - my rosebud brooches
Day twenty five - yarn stash - my sock yarn, the neatest of my stashes...
Day twenty six - gift - teacosy from the pattern on the Crochet With Raymond blog
Day twenty seven - stitch markers - Yummy Doughnuts 
Day twenty eight - inspiration - galleries
Day twenty nine - local yarn shop - RKM in Oswestry
Day thirty - crochet toy - Groot from Twinkie Chan's pattern
Day thirty one - Halloween Crochet - my 2015 blanket square

Ruthin Adventure

Our first Summer Holiday adventure was a little trip up into the lovely Welsh Hills, visiting Ruthin Craft Centre. I always leave with a head full of inspiration, they really do show amazing objects. 

The main exhibition is "Not Too Precious", and there are some wonderful pieces of contemporary jewellery. 

Top Row - Zoe Robertson and Felike van der Leest
Middle Row - Christel van der Laan, Mirei Takeuchi and Mariko Sumioka
Bottom Row - Michiriro Sato, Lina Peterson and Catherine Truman

So often beautiful work seems to be overlooked because of the inherent worth of the material. This exhibition was so refreshing, seeing how makers interact with materials and how they are so inventive, being freed from the restraint of rules and obligations of materials and processes associated with "precious" materials. The colours and textures were amazing and I felt a renewed enthusiasm for my own design process. 

The other exhibition was "Welsh Collection II" and was mostly ceramics, as well as a little bit of metal and wood. I love beautiful ceramics, but I was never very good at it myself, so I appreciate the work that goes into it. 

Top Row - Julia Griffiths Jones and Lowri Davies
Bottom Row - Anne Gibbs and Jin Eui Kim

Such beautiful work. 

Brooch A Day in May

I really can't believe how May has flown by - there is just over a week until I finish my Brooch a Day challenge, and I have absolutely loved it!

I am noticing that I naturally pick up certain brooches for certain outfits, I do love to match after all, but I have really enjoyed trying out different combinations.