the laptop is ill ...

so I'm going to be *so* cool and try out some mobile blogging. The great thing is, that if it doesn't work, well, it doesn't work. But I will have learnt something new. Don't experiences go like that sometimes? Not quite to plan. But if we give it our best shot, we may pick up a lesson or two, a life skill here or there, or even firmer determination not to do that again. I'm a mother of pre-teens and I feel as though I have more to learn now than when I was teen myself!

On the crafting front, as I said, I was trying something new with some burlap. Sometimes you need to shake things up and challenge yourself.

I crocheted into the little holes and kept having straggly bits sticking out between the stitches.

Nevermind, I thought, and just carried on until I had a little needle book.

It isn't quite what I had in mind. And I almost didn't blog about it.

But then thought, why not? Blogging is about sharing, not showing off. It's about documenting, more for myself than for others. I might look back at this and think "Ugh! That's why I shouldn't crochet with burlap!" Or, "That's the mess I made last time. Let me do it better this time!"

Playing around with the burlap gave me an excuse to get to the local button-and-zip shop and once again marvel at the low prices of this hidden treasure trove.

What have you been challenging yourself with? Learning from mistakes? Or serendipity perhaps?

So, let's hit publish and see if this works!
posted from Bloggeroid

ETA: As some of you are interested in my crochet-burlap-mayhem process, let me quickly describe what I did.

I started with two rectangular pieces of burlap, cut out of a rice sack!

As I crocheted three single crochets in to each hole (that I just poked with the hook) and through both pieces of burlap, I realised that a) if the stitches are too close to the edge, the woven stands of burlap come apart and b) the corners were producing too many straggly bits.

SO, for my second attempt, I made sure that a)I cut the pieces out completely in line with the woven strands and made the stitches far enough away from the edge and b)I curved the corners. As you can see from the pictures above there are still straggly bits. I wonder if the two pieces could be glued together before crocheting, in a way that the glue would smooth out and tuck in the bits that insist on sticking out?

As for the motif, I actually started with that, and then worked the last with the two pieces of burlap. Then I just continued round the other half which became the back of the needle book.

I hope that's all clear. Any questions, ask away!