Well, what can I say, I start my blog, get posting enthusiastically and then life happens and over a week goes by!

I have definitely missed posting. How have you been?  All well I hope.

Well, although I have been absent from the digital world I have managed to do a little crocheting and I am really happy to be able to show you the finished items. As you may know, I am a crochet tutor at a local adult education college and a few weeks ago I was teaching a class on openwork and lacy patterns. At the end of all my lessons I like to offer a pattern or two for the students to try back home and I always try and  include something a bit unusual. If I have the time I also like to work up an example for them to see.

Hence these…

Stones covered in crochet! I know there might be an small cry of ‘why?’ and ‘for what purpose?’, but I have LOVED crocheting these little beauties! And actually, just creating something for the pleasure of seeing it come together can be enough sometimes.

I just can’t stop looking at them.

 They are so tactile. The stones are smooth ones collected from a beach. Even without their crochet embellishment they feel lovely to touch and roll round in your hand. The crochet cotton is delicate and pretty and its cream colour against the matt grey of the stone underneath I find very calming.

The original pattern came from Purlbee.com and is called ‘Little Urchin Crochet Covered Sea Stones’ by Margaret Oomen.  Purlbee.com has some great crochet projects, as well as lots of sewing and other craft ideas. Each project is explained through clear instructions and lots of photos. The pattern’s designer Margaret Oomen’s own website ‘Resurrection Fern‘, is also well worth a look, as she has lots of other crochet stone work and her still life photography is both beautiful and inspiring.

I warn you these little crochet stones are quite additive. As I said earlier, I was just going to make the one from the original pattern to show my class, but fitting the crochet around the stone and seeing it all come together was soooo satisfying, that I needed to make another, and I couldn’t help having a bit of a play…

I started off by attempting another abstract pattern of my own design…

And then I wondered whether I would be able to manage…. an owl!

The shape of the stone just suggested an owl to me! I am rather pleased how he turned out. More a happy accident than design I would say!

Anyway, lovely to be back! x