Lampwork Loves

I am in love with lampwork beads. They work so well with semi precious stones. I also love the look of the Greek silver beads and I think they make the necklaces I have made this winter more delicate. Here are the latest ones which have already found new homes as Christmas presents.

 

 

 

 

Winter Workspace

My normal workspace is a bit dark and cold in the winter so I have decamped and taken over the conservatory. On the rare days we get a bit of sunshine it is the most glorious spot but even on dull days there are plenty of distractions. I leave all my beads out and just have a play every now and then. Here are some of the end results.

 

 

Rag Wreath

Kevin and I had fun making rag wreaths. I used fencing wire which we got for the co-op and wound it round 3 times. Each wreath takes 1 yard of fabric and I used 4 different fabrics. I folded the fabric in half and cut it and then in half again and that was just wide enough for the strips. I used poly/cotton fabrics. The green paisley was a crepe mix so I knotted that twice as it was a bit floppy. We really enjoyed playing and the end result looked very effective.

 

The first one took me about 2.5 hours but Kevin soon used the Frederick Taylor style of management and we polished off the second one in less than an hour. I have ordered some fabric in the sale to make more for next year.

 

 

Tea Cosy

Ryan wore the hat I knitted him last year for three months. It kept his head warm and protected from those east winds in London. They come all the way from Siberia. He liked it so much I made him a mocha coloured one for this year. He doesn't mind that his friends called it his tea cosy hat!

 

It knits up very fast in Drops Big Merino. The cable is unusual because it is worked over 9 stitches moving 3 stitches at a time back and forth. It is a bit of a pain but only one row and worth it for the finished result.  

 

 

Dahlias

The wonderful dahlias that Kevin grew this year were the inspiration for my latest stitching. I found this dress in the charity shop and thought the colours were perfect for Breda's kitchen. There is even a butterfly.

 

 

Christmas Wreaths

Our display is up in the library until the beginning of January.

 

 

Needle Cases

I used a felted landscape piece I had made to make two needle cases. One is for one of my Liberty Stitch friends and the other is for me.