hope you all have a good one!

not exactly a scrumble...

My photo today is not exactly a 'normal' scrumble, but it is freeform crochet.   

I started by using a fairly thick synthetic (nylon?) macramé cord to create the central spiral, then extended it by adding other stitches using fine mercerised cottons and glittery threads. 

The macramé cord was also used to needle-wrap some of the bars that hold the central crocheted piece in place, and also for finger wrapping around the recycled embroidery hoop into which the crochet has been suspended.  

To complete the piece I added 3 lengths of i-cord...and some large crystal pendants (only one of which is obvious in the photo, but there are others at the end of each the 'dangles').


This piece was created last year, for an exhibit titled 'Dare to Dream'.

Let me know if you ever decide to make your own freeform dreamcatcher.  Would love to see photos!  :-)

a crochet spiral that grew into a necklace

This is another one from a couple of years ago

...made by me, for me

...I have worn it quite a lot

still scrumbling :-)

It's been absolutely ages since I posted anything on this blog, so I figured it was probably about time to add another scrumble or two  ;-)  

Here's a closeup of a section of one (with lots of crochet bullions and a little bit of embroidery) that I did last year (or maybe it was the year before!).   If anyone is still reading here, let me know, and I will aim to post a few more photos periodically.  I can't promise it will actually be weekly, but for the moment I'll aim for a new addition on Monday mornings, and I'll see how I go.

week 18

I have spent the past couple of weeks in Wales and England, where the colours of the landscape have varied from the muted browns and greens of misty hills to the more vibrant greens of new folliage and the various colours of spring flowers...but one of the small bags of mixed yarns that I had brought with me has insisted on working itself into a more tropical ocean theme - as I have noticed many times before, freeforming sometimes just has a mind of its own!

Week 18's scrumble began with the crochet spiral motif in the centre, worked in blue cotton and later embellished with slip stitches in pink. A row of softer blue chain stitches were worked between the points, and then a very thick yarn was threaded through some of the chain stitches, leaving large loops sticking out from the edge. I then crocheted around the perimeter using a thinner blue and pink mix yarn, using short stitches with chains in between. These stitches were worked from the wrong side of the piece, as were the green and blue mohair additions around the edge and the majority of the dark blue and lurex lacy sections, but the bullion stitches in between were made from the right side, using a chunky pale lime single-ply wool.

I imagine that a much more 'English countryside inspired' scrumble will make its appearance here in a week or two ;-)

week 15

The fine sparkly yarn that I added on the surface of a few of the motifs in the week 15 scrumble also made it a bit hard to photograph; everything seemed to come out either too light or too dark. The pale yellow block stitch motif was totally washed out in the first photos I took, so I stitched the small sun charm to the centre, to help give it more definition. The yellow and apricot spiral dome is actually hollow at the back; the slip stitches that were added to the surface help to stiffen it sufficiently so that it holds it shape well.
This scrumble measures about 25cm (10") x 18cm (7")

scrumble for week 4

This week's scrumble started with the lime green crochet spiral. Before cutting off the yarn I added points around the edge. The stitches were worked in the back loops only, so that further embellishment could easily be added onto the surface. A row of slip stitches was then worked, from the wrong side, around the outside points of the spiral motif. Then a couple of knitted slip stitch triangles were added - they were begun using a combination of both casting on and picking up of the stitches, each onto 3 of the points of the spiral. Other random crochet was also added to complete the piece.
size approximately 38cm (15") x 20cm (8")