I’ve been busy!

I've had a bit of a rush of blood to the head in the last few days. In between trying to teach a 17yo boy how to apply for jobs – I’m doing this via msn and hotmail, and trying to sort out something for me job/house wise, I’ve been madly crocheting, partly to build up items for possible sale but also to keep improving my techniques and learning to adapt existing patterns to suit my needs.

I’ve found this to be a great way to start designing, because I have a solid base to work on and make enough changes along the way that there is nothing much left of the original pattern. There are so many generous people on the net who have posted patterns for anyone to use however they like. I’m becoming more aware that, if you look carefully, most “original” designs are based on a standard pattern type. As long as you don’t copy and market a design stitch for stitch, you can make changes to the basic shape etc. For instance, you can make a freeform bag that is based on a bag of similar measurements but by the time you have put your own touches to it, it is your design.

Anyway, while I’ve been waiting to hear if I am the successful applicant to rent a house for 3 months which will get me back into the rental system, I’ve been making some bags, slippers and the odd washcloth.

I have added a couple of these to my Ravelry account.

Market Bags

This is the first one based on a free design that I found on Ravelry. The original pattern is by Jill Chatelain, who’s blog is here Jillsknit....the pattern is here Rust Goes Green Market Bag . I found that, when joining rows as stated in the pattern, a diagonal line developed up the bag – pictured. I made a second one and worked in the round, which made the stitches look much neater. When I changed the stitch pattern for a panel or 2 (my variation) I worked a couple of half trebles (hdc) to make for a smoother gradient....I was happy with the result. I changed the handle on one of the bags as well. I used some of my extensive stash of Anchor Magicline, purchased at various Perth Spotlight branches. They are currently selling bags of 10 balls and a free pattern for $10...bargain!

You can see the diagonal line running across the design. It is only on one side but I wasn’t keen on the look.

This is the version I made in the round. You can’t quite see the adjustments that I made but it is far more subtle than the first.

Daggy Slippers
Check these out! I found the pattern somewhere (will post a link as soon as I find it!). They are officially daggy, but as they only take one 100g ball of acrylic doubled, they are super easy and quick to make. They can be a bit slippy on wood/tiled floors but as long as you are careful you shouldn't break a hip! So far I've made about 6 pairs and have given them to family and friends who happily scoot about the house in them.  I found the link!  Crochet slippers













My "Inga"Bag

This is my current favourite! It is from this pattern Inga's Crochet Bag. I made this one using Magicline and I think I made the squares 1 round bigger than in the pattern, which may be why I used 6 balls instead of 5. I lined the bag with calico. Sewing up is a bit weird, it is a bit of a puzzle but once you get the hang of what is happening it's like magic! I'm now working on a slightly smaller version (4 rounds instead of 5) in the variegated blue.




















Well, this is lovely diversion from job-hunting...not! I'd better get back to it.