Tuesday, April 17, 2012

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!

13 comments:

  1. Well, your post worked! :) It's great to try new things (yes, even crochet with burlap...), sometimes they work, and others not so much. But the sharing helps others to learn what does and doesn't work too. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's made me brainstorm about how it might work. :)

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  2. I love it, it is really cool, and so are you.

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  3. AS SALAAM ALAIKUM,
    the needle book is really neat and beautiful, MASHAALLAH. would really llike to know how you attached the crochet motif on it after the edging? didn't get to try that before.

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  4. This is so cute! Very original for sure.

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  5. Love the purse masha'Allah what a great idea!

    Helenxx

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  6. Craft projects, especially original ones, don't always turn out as we imagined, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Many a times, they turn out better and in any case, you get to learn something.
    That is a cute needle case! And burlap looks like a very interesting medium for crochet. I have used it for cross-stitch in the past.

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  7. Oh you guys! You're so encouraging! Thank you for all the kindness. I'm that some of you are thinking of using burlap in the future. I think using it for cross stitching is a brilliant idea Umme Yusuf. Maybe something for my girls to try out!

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  8. I *heart* that needlebook and I am glad you shared it.

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  9. masha`allah i think you did a great job on that sis .

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  10. As salaamu 'alaykum :)

    Oh, ma shaa Allah, what a sweet needle book! I love fabrics with textures - they have such a rustic charm :) i love that you repurposed a rice sack! Too bad the rice at the store here (I'm in SG) is sold in plastic bags! I am going to hunt for burlap now!!

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  11. salam.

    mashallah the needle case looks really great.
    love the colour too!

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  12. I thought the little design on the cover was adorable - I linked through from icrochet because I thought it was AWESOME!! thanks for sharing

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