Hats off to Alice

There has been a frenzy of activity in the Curly loungeroom. The floor is littered with yarns, the mannequin heads are out and all energies have been dedicated to getting the beanies in the Express Post bag on time.

Yes, it is almost Alice Springs Beanie Festival time. http://www.beaniefest.org/

For the first time this year I have entered the competition in a couple of categories - just because it is so freeing to create hats, not necessarily to be worn but just because.

Naturally the hounds have done their bit to help by constantly taking yarn and partially completed projects down to the back yard, chewing crochet hooks and generally creating chaos.

And, as usual, there has been loads of support from the offspring - 'You have really lost it, Ma!' and, 'I hope it's not hereditary'. However I choose to interpret this as high praise indeed.

Here is a picture of Offspring No 1 modelling - reluctantly!

This has been a blast and I am really excited to be off to the Alice next week to mix it with a few kindred souls.

Recent eneavours - or -make bags while the sun shines

Have been dabbling a bit with tapestry crochet of late, inspired by the amazing work of Carol Ventura and others on the net. While I have tried this before, I never actually made anything - just played about.

The order for a hat for Kosta was a perfect excuse to play about even more - Kosta is a VERY non establishment lad and my instructions were, 'make it as crazy as possible'. With this, I changed stitches and colours on a whim and even included a bit of TC.

Hey, that was fun, thought moi, must do some more of that. MMM...turtles might be a giggle- will just colour in a couple of boxes on graph paper and give it a go. Well it was fun, and a learning experience as well. Crochet stitches made by right handed folk slope right, right? Straight lines don't turn out straight, straight! Well the turtles danced and colours looked jolly so all in all, not too bad. Just a small question.... to felt or not to felt? Still, this is a dilemma.

A bit hooked on this designing stuff now, and getting really adventurous, thought to make a bag for the DD who is about to depart the shores of Oz for the ski slopes of Japan. Since she thinks, breathes and speaks very little other than cold white stuff on hills and planks on feet, the skiier motif had no contest. This one will definitely be visiting the washing machine for a good rumble about - or maybe I could just give it to the dogs to play with!

Last but not least, the promised wine carrier bag for Trev. Yeah I promised, and if it doesn't get made, he will not let me forget it. Thinking to make life a little easier for myself, I used one of Carol's motifs from her More Tapestry Crochet book. This one was lookin' good. Even dear old Dad could identify the orange dogs! Woops! On returning home after a wee adventure in planes and automobiles, the dogs had slipped their leads and the WIP had vanished.

Second attempt now in progress. This will be felted as I am sure that this would be much more sensible for the intended purpose.

So, loving the TC but not loving quite so much the achy hands and wrists that seem to result from extended hours (I wish!) of labour. Stay posted for the fully felted outcomes.

lotsa stuff with stick and string

Just to let you know that if you really have nothing much else to do, there is a bit more stuff that has fallen off the crochet sticks at http://www.flickr.com/photos/martini_qb/

yarns at curly

...just to prove that it really does happen! Yes I do sit on the beach and crochet. Yes people do look at me strangely. Yes I do get sand in stuff. But hey, with this view just down the road apiece, wouldn't anyone? (ok so don't answer that - I know, I know, I am yet to see another crocheter sur la plage)

Fulling around with felting

Here are the before and after shots (ok so one of the after shots is still to come)- taken with the phone as the camera charger is still in hiding somewhere. The Kureyon yarn (blue-ish) makes a much softer felted fabric. T'was a lot of fun, despite the fact that the washing machine lives in a deep damp cave.

new models old stuff

Right in the middle of Inspector Rex they arrived! Such poor timing! But, one can never let a chance go by. The beautiful models were immediately (well, almost) wrapped in crochet stuff and paraded before the camera. Ahhhh, how youth and beauty can do so much for the humble hooked hat.

This is Tess wrapped in black.

...and Tess the Purple Princess

...and a happily hatted couple

Gotta luv 'em!

5th generation Martinis - appropriately clad

The gorgeous Maya - and I still haven't met her!!

And who is this handsome lad?