Cosmic Crafts

I ♥ Corsets

2011-11-18T12:59:00.010Z

And because I love corsets, I have to make them somehow...my sewing skills aren't that great, so I crochet them. The one's in this post are my latest designs:

I think I've got enough corset tops for the time being (I made these earlier :)) It's woolly Christmas gifts on my to-do list right now...better pull my fingers out!

Toodles...

Some Inspiration

2011-09-26T17:43:00.024+01:00

Goodbye summer, hello autumn! The perfect time to sit in the lounge on an evening in front of the fire and knit or crochet something...yes...something, anything...as long as I can wield a hook or some sticks and produce something useful and/or beautiful with those magic tools. I'm completely rubbish when it comes to following instructions for projects, especially when they're in English with lots of abbreviations, but I love knitting books with inspiring projects just like these:

1. The Spanish Rose Trellis Scarf

2. Fuji Feather Lace Wrap

3. Senorita's Floral Pullover

4. Winter Sun Capelet

Wouldn't the pattern for the capelet not make a lovely cushion cover? If you like these patterns and your knitting skills are advanced, then you might like other projects featured in the book:

Toodles..

More Granny Square Madness...

2011-07-13T14:38:00.010+01:00

Granny squares - pain is so close to pleasure... It's fun to crochet them, but then my patience is severely tested when I have to darn in all those loose ends. That's why I haven't yet managed to make a granny square blanket, and I'm not sure I ever will...

For this top I just made eight squares and added a wide border with picot edging at the bottom. The cotton yarn was leftover from other projects, which was just enough for a sleeveless granny square top, which in materials cost me less than a tenner. Bargain!

Crochet Boxes

2011-06-29T13:19:00.017+01:00

I really enjoyed making this storage box as featured in the latest edition of Inside Crochet (Issue 19, June 2011). It's suitable for beginners and doesn't take long to complete. Best of all, you can let your imagination run wild and create boxes in all colours, patterns and sizes.

I have slightly changed the simple double crochet pattern replacing it with the cross-over double stitch and adding picot edging to the lid.

If you would like to make this box yourself, then click on the instruction image below and zoom in with your cursor:

And if you need more ideas, then check out this book I recently found in my local library; it contains lots of fabulous ideas for all sorts of crochet boxes, containers and pots:

Things to Do with Granny Squares: Arm Warmers

2011-05-26T19:08:00.012+01:00

What to do with granny squares? Blankets, throws, table cloths, bags, scarves...whatever. When I recently tried out a new design, the size of it (13cm square) fitted perfectly around my arms, and a light bulb moment sparked off the granny square arm warmer.

Of course you can turn granny squares into gloves, mittens and gauntlets; it all depends on your imagination and skills. Granny square arm warmers are great stash busters, and the ones you can see here are all made of leftover yarn.

All you need to do is crochet two granny squares (any design that takes your fancy) to a size that fits around your arm. Then fold a granny square in half, sew together and add a crochet border to top and bottom in the desired length. And that's it - very easy!

If you love crocheting granny squares, then you will love making these. And once you've made your own granny square arm warmers, then please get in touch and post a link to your pics.

Red Alert - Freestyle Knitting

2011-03-17T12:07:00.017Z

Strange things happen when I do freestyle knitting; first, I buy yarn I fall in love with, in this case it's Rico Creative Melange Chunky in red code 002. I bought three balls and wondered what to turn it into, so I went to find inspiration from pattern books.
I eventually found a cable lace pattern and decided to knit a shrug. When I was about to cast on, I decided to use my 7mm/80cm long needle as I prefer the flexibility of circular needles.

Whilst casting on, I changed my mind about the shrug and decided to knit in rounds to create a cropped tank top instead. Needless to say I ran out of yarn, but only needed little more to add sleeve borders. And because I needed to buy more yarn anyway, I decided to add 3/4 length sleeves rather than keeping the top sleeveless, so I bought two more balls.

Well, I haven't yet mentioned the fact that the jumper is red; very red. I don't want to go near a bull with it, not that this is the kind of thing I usually do. Normally I don't wear red, but the mix of red hues in this yarn won me over when I saw it in the shop. The yarn itself is beautifully soft and warm. I love wearing this top, which just evolved as I went along.

Pink Medieval Style Corset Top

2010-12-02T09:00:00.010Z

Gosh it's been a while since I last added a project to my blog, but here is my latest creation, another corset top, which I really enjoy wearing.

The yarn used is Sublime Soya Cotton dk, shade 088. Again, it has been crocheted in one piece with straps and borders added to finish it off.

The idea is based on the Medieval Corset Belt design, which can be found in Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker crochet book - very easy to make.

Crochet Corset

2010-06-14T11:21:00.042+01:00

In my earlier post about the Medieval Corset Belt I started exploring historical influences in modern fashion, and here you can see continuation of that theme.

I'm starting to realise that you can crochet any type of clothing, and I was surprised how easy it is to create a funky little garment like this medieval style top, which works best over a frilly t-shirt or white blouse. Of course, you can wear it without anything underneath, but that would be a bit too kinky for me and doesn't comply with medieval standards ;)

The dark colours give this top a gothic feel, but I'm now working on a similar top in a lighter colour and longer length.

The corset has been worked in one piece, front stripy panels have been added before the picot and frill edging finished the garment.

The main crochet stitch used is the double crochet cross stitch, which gives the corset a textured feel.

Yarn used: Sirdar Balmoral, shade 484 (Butler Black) and shade 487 (Windsor Purple)

Knit Happens: Retro Tie

2010-05-28T09:51:00.025+01:00

There are so many things that can be knitted, including ties for husbands, boyfriends and dads, who feel obliged to wear them. Watching them produce an artifical smile, keep calm and carry on going to work with their new handmade fashion accessory attached just makes my twisted day.

And here's my latest creation, an 80s retro tie as featured in the June 2010 edition of Simply Knitting Magazine. Isn't it fabulous? I have used the recommended yarn, just a different shade:

Regia Design Line by Kaffe Fassett, shade 04350, 2.5mm needles

And now that I've knitted my first ever tie, I can continue creating more contemporary designs. Surely my husband will rejoice.

Medieval Corset Belt

2010-05-24T11:14:00.020+01:00

I've always been interested in medieval style clothing and how it can be incorporated into 21st century fashion, so when I noticed this lovely crochet pattern in Debbie Stoller's book Happy Hooker, I just had to try it out. You can see the result on the pics, and I must say, I'm really pleased with it.

For this project I have chosen Sirdar's eco wool dk shade 203, which is 100% undyed virgin wool -very medieval I think :)

I'm now working on a medieval style corset top, which is based on this design. Once it's finished, I'll let you know.

Hooked on Crochet Lace Scarves

2010-05-17T14:02:00.012+01:00

My obsession with crochet hasn't waned yet; the recent edition of Let's Knit! (May 2010) came with an additional crochet booklet, in which I discovered this very easy crochet scarf pattern. Click on the image below to get a better view of the instruction, if you want to try this yourself.

For a supersoft velvety summer scarf I recommend King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK, which comes in a variety of strong, bright colours (slim summer scarf on the left is in purple, shade 524 - and I only needed one skein!). If you prefer something more snuggly warm, then any wool DK yarn will do, and you can see an example here.

Overall I find this pattern so versatile; you can make the scarf any width you like, from long and slim to wide and wrappy. And of course in your favourite colour! It would also make a lovely gift!

Knit Happens at Cosmic HQ

2010-05-11T10:58:00.043+01:00

When friends recently phoned and asked after me, hubby replied: "She's knitting a house. Front's nearly finished." That should give you a clue, how much yarn I process each day; hardly time to blog about it, that's for sure!

But I do have time for a quick update; the red Louisa Harding yarn pictured in my previous post, has been turned into a crochet lace scarf.

The purple/pink/cream Louisa Harding yarn has been turned into a cushion for the lounge. No more granny squares for the time being...

New wool is on the way to knit a retro tie for hubby (yes, and I'll make him wear it...) and a shrug for myself.

I'm also using Bamboo yarn for the very first time to crochet some light and wonderful lace summer scarves. More on that later.

And then I have this destructive thought of unravelling a work-in-progress and turn it into a more exciting medieval-style corset belt - decisions, decisions...

Louisa Harding Yarn Details

Scarf: Kashmir Aran Shade 9, Red

Cushion: Kashmir Arran Shade 21 (Mauve), 22 (Grape), 37 (Chamois)

The yarn is a mix of merino wool, microfibre and cashmere - very soft and cosy; hook size 5mm.

Well, as you can see no doubt I'll be able to show you more of my creations very soon. Until then...

Happy Hooking and Nifty Knitting!

Going Wild in Town....

2010-04-29T13:52:00.012+01:00

No, I didn't drink myself to oblivion, threw up and flashed my boobs to shocked bystanders on a chav night out (been brought up the European way, I get flamboozled quietly at home with a bottle of red whilst cooking dinner). Instead, I went to W H Smith and bought not just one but four Knitting & Crochet magazines after I couldn't decide, which one to choose - how decadent. And then I recently received my delivery of some lovely bargain Louisa Harding yarn, all very soft wool with cashmere.

The magazines are so inspiring; Let's Knit! magazine came with an additional crochet projects booklet, and I've already started trying out the lace scarf pattern with some leftover yarn. I will make this scarf in the gorgeous red yarn you can see on the yarn stash photo.

Crochet today! is a US magazine; it has some fantastic projects inside including a lovely turquoise sweater designed by Debbie Stoller and a Keepsake Lace Shawl. At the moment, I'm definitely hooked on crochet!

Issue 76 of Knitting is focusing on vintage style designs - fabulous 50s and 60s designs overhauled for the 21st century. Vintage and lace patterns feature in the other magazines, too.

Needless to say ideas are just buzzing in my head right now waiting to be turned into reality over coming weeks ahead.

Toodle-di-doo....

Crafty Crochet: Glasses Case

2010-04-15T11:50:00.008+01:00

I love quick projects that can be completed easily on an evening, while the "men of the house" are watching football or other boring sports. When I realised that my bulky shaped sun glasses don't fit in any regular glasses case, I had the bright idea to make one myself.

So I took some yarn from my stash and without a particular pattern, I started with a chain of 22 and worked double crochet stitches into a scarf-like shape until it was long enough to fit in the glasses when folded.

The elastic of one of my pearly hair baubles was worn out, but the pearl beads were too good to throw away, so I started using some of them as decoration and added crochet flowers, frilly trim and cord. Finished! Overall this project took me about 2 hours to complete.

This is a great project for a beginner, and you can use your own imagination when it comes to colour, yarn type and decoration. All I'd suggest is using a yarn for needles up to 4mm; thicker yarns would make the glasses case too bulky. Double crochet stitches make the case material nicely stiff, offering more protection for contents.

Yarn used: Sirdar Balmoral

Shade 476, Damask, and 487, Royal Purple, for flowers, trim and cord

Crafty Crochet: Pen Holder

2010-04-10T09:13:00.009+01:00

Spring has finally arrived, and I'm finding it harder to continue knitting the black sleeveless jumper I started a few weeks ago; I want to work with happy colours, not dark and depressing black. I've been looking through my knitting magazines to select my next project, and until I find something suitable, I pass my crafty time with creating little things, like this crochet pen holder.

Making notebook covers is nothing new, but if you own notebooks too pretty to be covered, all you need is a pen holder. This way I no longer need to search for my pen, when I want to write something into my notebook, which used to happen frustratingly often. But not any more!

Crochet is the easiest way to create these nifty little holders; just start off with 7 chain stitches, join the round and keep on crocheting until it's long enough to hold the pen. Add crochet chains to top and bottom, so the holder can be tied to the notebook. The yarn used is for 4mm needles.

I kept the one I made simple, but if you make a pen holder for a plain notebook, why not embellish it with some embroidery, sequins, beads etc. And don't forget to send me some pics of your creations.

By the way, if you like the notebook pictured, you can find similar ones here:

Funky Notebooks & Journals

Baking a Cake...

2010-02-22T14:47:00.020Z

Last weekend I had the urge to bake a cake after I happened to come across my mother's recipe, which contained some vague instructions like "oven temperature between 180 - 200°C and "baking time 50 - 60 mins". I knew I'd be taking a risk trying it out; after all I'm not the best cook in the world, and cakes I make tend to be stodgy or crumbly. But I felt I had to give baking one last go before I give it up for evermore due to hopeless incompetence.

Luckily, the cake turned out to be a success, and because it is so simple yet delicious, I would like to share my mother's recipe with you:

Ingredients
350g self-raising flour
150g unsalted butter
150g sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk (at room temperature)
vanilla essence or vanilla sugar to taste
optional: 1 cup of chopped roasted hazelnuts

Method
First mix the butter, sugar and eggs until creamy and fluffy; at this stage the mixture is still runny. Then add the remaining ingredients gradually until the dough has an even consistency. Put the mixture into a regular sized greased loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for about one hour.

If you're giving this recipe a go, please do let me know how it turned out for you.

Toodles.....

Gothic Granny Squares

2010-02-18T14:31:00.037Z

Granny squares don't need to be all prim and proper in pastel colours. I thought I'd give them a sinister twist for my recent creation, a Tarot reading cloth. I really enjoyed this crochet project; so easy to complete whilst watching TV. Traditional Bohemian (i.e. Eastern European) designs have inspired me to come up with this colour scheme.

Now that it's finished, it would also make a lovely baby blanket for the Addams Family. What do you think?

Yarn: Sirdar Click DK; colours: Black Sheep 138, Fern 132, Blueberry 137. Available online here.

If you would like instructions for the granny square, please check out this page.

Skull Jumper

2010-01-29T13:17:00.000Z

Skull patterns on kids clothes are quite popular for some strange reason, and my son thinks they are "sick" (the latest word for "cool"). So taking into account my current knitting frenzy, I decided to knit him this one.

If you like the pattern, then you can download it as a PDF document here:

Skull Pattern

The Passionate Scarf

2010-01-26T13:07:00.002Z

When I looked at the photos of my latest creation, I thought that there's a lot of red, pink and purple happening on this blog! But don't fret, if you're starting to find this boring; soon I'll be posting pics of some green and black creations moving towards a more gothic feel.

In the meantime, I did some crocheting for a change and learned the V-stitch pattern and a new type of flower.

The yarn is Sublime Kid Mohair in Rouge (shade 68), the softest Mohair I've felt for ages. One of my bargain buys at just £1.99 each 25g ball (I needed three balls to make this scarf) from The Black Sheep. I wanted to create a romantic piece, that brightens up dull winter days and perk the wearer up a little. In fact, I made it for a friend, who needs a bit of cheering up and will hopefully like it.

Current Yarn Stash

2010-01-24T15:35:00.004Z

On Friday I went wild in Hobbycraft. As indicated by the red "clearance" labels on the left pic, there was a sale on, and I just needed to get those bargains.

There's one particular yarn, I would like to recommend: the Sirdar Balmoral. This soft yarn only contains natural fibres - wool, alpaca and silk - and can be washed in the washing machine (on the handwash cycle). I have already used this yarn for my psychedelic jumper, and when I saw other colours in the sale, I couldn't resist. What will they turn into? Not sure yet, but watch this space.

Pink Heaven Cosy Swirly Jumper

2010-01-09T15:40:00.000Z

At last I managed to take photos of my latest creation in its true colour. On previous attempts my current favourite piece looked strangely purple, but this is a luscious raspberry pink, Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweet Colour No. 17.

I knitted this jumper free-style, without instructions except for the lace pattern in the centre of the front and sleeves. You can download a copy of this very easy pattern below.

The jumper has a gentle A-line shape and a belt feature at the back. I've already worn it loads of times.

The yarn is lovely sofy, and although the label recommends handwash, I've washed it in the machine on the wool cycle without problems. Another yarn I'd recommend!

Pattern Sheet: Lace Ajour PDF

My Fab New Knitting Bag

2010-01-03T14:14:00.000Z

I've been searching high and low for a pretty and practical knitting bag and found one right under my nose, i.e. in my own shop! I toiled with a Cath Kidston design, but I felt I wanted a bag that doesn't look like a knitting bag and can be used for other purposes like shopping, too.

When I saw the one, I knew it was right; not only is it made from my favourite fabric - velvet - but it also has the most beautiful embroidery and plenty of little pockets for all the essentials.

I also got the matching make-up bag, which nicely holds all my crochet needles, tape measure, scissors, double-pointed and cable needles.

The large bag has two side pockets, in which I keep my long and circular knitting needles. Inside there's another small zipped pocket and a mobile phone pocket. What else do you need? And if I don't use this bag to carry all my knitting on-the-go, then at least I can also use it for a shopping trip into town.

I love it!

If you want to find out more about these bags, please check out the following links:

What I got from Father Knitmas....

2009-12-26T14:44:00.000Z

Season's Greetings!

This year, in addition to the usual non-risky presents (mainly bottles of wine and chocolate truffels...hehe...), I have also been given some no-calories treats, which reflect my rediscovered passion for all things knitting and crochet and made my heart beat a little faster when I unwrapped them:

1. A subscription to Simply Knitting magazine

2. A book on how to crochet flowers, Crochet Bouquet by Suzann Thompson

3. A Cath Kidston flower suitcase with yarn and wooden knitting needles

At my age, the excitement could only be kept under control with a few glasses of red wine and my son's persistent nagging to help him build the Lego sets he was given, which I dutifully did, so I could think about my forthcoming yarn projects whilst building pirate islands and space ships.

Anyway, the colours of the Cath Kidston set would go very nicely with our 50s style kitchen, but what can I make for the kitchen except potholders? I'd love to get your advice. Please do leave a comment with your ideas. Thank you so much.

Wishing you all lots more festive cheer and a wonderful New Year. '

Yarns Worth Raving About: Colinette Point 5

2009-12-20T14:41:00.000Z

If you are looking for a quick knitting/crochet project, then a scarf is always a winner and would make a lovely timeless gift. There's lots of adorable yarn out there, but some yarns are more adorable than others! One of them is the Colinette Point 5 pure wool chunky yarn, which comes in a large range of the most beautiful colours.

For my Indigo Rainbow Scarf shown in the image, I needed two hanks of this yarn, colour option Kingfisher no. 33. The yarn is spun unevenly; it's quite thick in places, and you will need size 12mm needles.

Cast on 14 stitches, 2 knit/2 purl until you've used up all the yarn. Length of the scarf: 150cm x 12cm width. Knitted in two days. Quick, easy and ideal for a beginner.

UK stockist: http://www.cucumberpatch.co.uk/point_5.htm

Fairytale Flower Bag

2009-12-05T14:38:00.001Z

Here's yet another bag I made from the leftover wool of my psychedelic jumper. This bag started off as a scarf, knitted all in one piece and then crocheted together at the seams. The flower is the first I've ever crocheted, so I learned something new. The long handle was also added later.

It's a dreamy, whimsical bag that reminds me of fairies and fairy tale princesses, hence I call it the fairytale bag. It goes rather nicely with the Whimsical Tarot deck - the images of the cards are all based on fairy tales.

My yarn stash is growing, so more bags will follow, but before that I need to knit two beanies in time for Christmas.

Toodles!

PS: If you want to learn to knit and crochet flowers, I can recommend this book:

100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet - It's fantastic!

The Jumper that had Children

2009-12-03T14:37:00.001Z

Ok, it may be a daft title, but when you read on you'll find it makes sense. This is my first jumper I knitted after a 25 year break. When I saw the choice of colours in the store, I couldn't make up my mind, which one to choose, so I got them all. Combining all the colours makes this jumper look a little psychedelic, but I enjoy wearing it.

For the first time I added crocheted picot edging to a knitted piece, which is now my favourite type of border (see sleeve detail above).

When you use several colours for one project, you end up with quite a lot of leftover wool, and from this I produced a couple of bags and purses ("the children" of this jumper). This is one I made earlier. I will publish some lovely pics of my latest flower bag in my next post.

Making Beeswax Tea Lights

2009-11-27T13:38:00.001Z

Natural beeswax candles are my favourites; they smell of honey, are completely sustainable, and they are healthy for you (unlike the paraffin variety). So, beeswax candles are mostly used in our house. Intricate designs can sometimes cause the candles to drip, but any leftover beeswax from a candle isn't wasted. I use it to make tea-lights.

All you need to do is collect the beeswax in an ovenproof jug and buy some reusable tealight holders and wicks.

For t-lights you don't need to collect that much beeswax as long as you have enough to fill at least a couple of holders. When you are ready to melt the wax, don't have too much of it in the jug, otherwise it'll take ages to melt. If you have more wax, you can melt it in stages.

Rather than buying an expensive candle melt pot, I simply use an ovenproof jug and put it with the wax into the oven at 95 degrees C. It takes about 25 minutes for the wax to melt depending on how much you've put in; the more wax, the longer it takes. Alternatively, put some wax into a non-stick pan (you can buy a cheap one from one of those bargain stores) and melt on a low heat; this is the quick method, but you have to keep an eye on the melting wax to avoid burning.

And once you've made them, you can use a large ivy leaf and cones for decoration. But remember - always burn your candles and tea lights safely on a heat-proof surface.

Links:
Reusable tea light holders and wicks supplies (UK)
Beeswax Pillar Candles

If you can recommend alternative UK and US suppliers of candle making supplies, please leave a comment with a link.

My Spooky Tarot Bag

2009-11-23T14:19:00.002Z

What do you do with leftover wool? Personally, I love turning it into all sorts of bags and purses. And when I recently discovered a skull pattern in a book, I decided to knit a special bag for my favourite Tarot deck, the Bohemian Gothic Tarot.

The easiest way to knit a bag is by just making a start and let the needles and your imagination guide you.

The yarn of this bag is for size 4mm needles, 35 stitches width x 30 rows.

The picot edging and handle are crocheted. I added a loop and button on the back for closure.

Here are some related links:

Cards: Bohemian Gothic Tarot Deck

Pattern Source: Stitch ‘n’ Bitch Crochet – The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller

Black Obsidian Skull: Cosmic Collection

I love bags!

Meet Frank...

2009-11-19T14:46:00.000Z

This is Frank. My ex boyfriend. I knitted this spitting image of him over 25 years ago, when we were together. Some people say that I could now use this doll for voodoo purposes, but I have no intention to do so. In fact, if Frank had a knitted image of me, I'm sure he'd use it as a voodoo doll...

When I found him recently in my son's bedroom, I remembered that I used to enjoy knitting, so I went to my nearest Hobbycraft store and bought some wool. The result is a jumper, some purses and bags, a scarf, a shrug and lots of other stuff. I've rediscovered my passion for making and creating things, so Frank deserves this special place on my new blog about all things creative.

Thank you, Frank!