Flowers in Chain Stitch ...

My personal challenge is to learn crochet.
I made a few Granny Squares years ago (background here) but can't remember how I did them.
I'm very clumsy with a crochet hook, the yarn keeps slipping, and I can now only do chain stitch .....
..... so I'm practising by making lots of chain stitch flowers which I'll use later on something .....
The French Knot centres help to hide lots of uneven stitches and mistakes but I am getting a bit handier with the hook.
I've ordered a beginner's book, Crochet unravelled, by Claire Bojczuk,
and one called 100 Flowers to Knit And Crochet, by Lesley Stanfield, so when they arrive maybe I'll get better - maybe not, LOL!
I'm really enjoying using scraps of all kinds and colours of wool and threads, just making small chains and linking them.
There are so many web sites and short videos to help but the abbreviations for the stitches complicate things.
Crochet is so easy to undo and redo though. I'm struggling with basic stitches next as I'm inspired by lovely flowers I see in the Flickr crochet flowers group.
www.flickr.com/groups/crochetflower/pool/

...... and a new header photo as blossoms are so beautiful just now.
Fifty years ago our street was planted with a lovely avenue of blossom trees. This one is just outside our lounge window - once again a delight!

Learning Crochet!

I've seen several pretty crocheted flowers recently and decided to have a go!
I sent for a begnner's guide and a book of 100 flowers, but couldn't wait .... long ago I made four granny squares at a craft class - but can't remember how I did them.
So I found a hook and as all I can do is chain and slip stitch "free form" is for me.
It's fun so I'll be doing more!
I'm a granny who can't crochet a granny square so I've done a rectangle in two different texture wools, using chain and slip stitches randomly.
The flowers, added on top, are in chain stitch.
The background colours are more golden than shown here.

Cigarette Cards







Kensitas flowers were woven from silk and given away with Kensitas cigarettes in 1933 & 1934. Never before or since their issue has a silk been given away contained in an outer protective card.
They were in two collections, about 100 in all I think.
I bought these few, from 1933, at a collectors' fair about twenty years ago. This size was given in packets of 20 cigarettes,
Postcard size given with packets of 50 - I've never seen these.
There are full details at www.kensitas-silkflowers.co.uk/
I've recently seen them used in a crazy quilt so I may use one or two - though it's nice to have them in their original little folders.

Mini Quilt

'Honey'






I'm still quite unsettled healthwise and have recently mostly taken photos around the house and garden, made quickie mosaics from them in Picasa, half heartedly done cross stitch, and generally messed about.
Photos are in Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261611@N04/

Then I came across some lace motifs, found other bits and pieces and enjoyed making this mini quilt which I may frame ....
Hopefully I'll be less lethargic this week.

Breakfast

Apricot Scones






Inspired by libbyquilter to make scones for breakfast!
www.flickr.com/photos/28992970@N02/3450869687/
As I used a quickie guess, mix , pat flat and cut recipe they have not risen a lot - but taste OK!

Wild Violets

This morning I found wild violets behind our compost bin, picked a few, and left lots to seed for next year. I took photos and made yet another mosaic - one of my favourite relaxations.
Helga saw it on Flickr and asked to use it as a header on her blog.
http://murgelchen94.blogspot.com/
As it looks nice there I decided to use it for a while - I had to change the template too to show it to best advantage.
Well, I always enjoy playing about!
But why do many templates leave such wide margins at each side - I'd rather have more width in the blog .....

Another Easter comes and goes!

I have lots of flowers but I love small posies from the garden and can't resist making mosaics.
It's been an unsettled week having heard that more investigations are needed into hips, back - and now Aorta, so once more it's wait for appointments ....
....adding to my frustration the PC was down for five days, always a difficult time!
Well it gave me time to do a therapeutic cross stitch border on the twee Easter picture I made some years ago.
I hope all my friends have had a peaceful and Happy Easter.

This week .....
I've been feeling sorry for myself, with pains here and there, where pains shouldn't be!
Not to worry though, the lilies from Mother's Day started to open - beautiful and with a lovely perfume, I enjoyed flower stitching on buttons from a tutorial I came across, I sent a ribbon stitched ATC and a doodle Postcard to friends...


... and my 20th picture has gone into Flickr Explore ....
so really all is well!
The button tutorial is at http://karensouth.blogspot.com/2009/01/attach-button-making-flower.html (I did French Knots instead of adding beads.)