Face coverings in my new Etsy shop
I have opened a new Etsy shop, and have listed some face coverings/masks there.
I have made them from vintage fabrics and from vibrant coloured fabrics.
This vintage one was made from Greeff “Bird of Paradise” I hope you like it 🙂
Crochet evening classes, Invergowrie
My next course of classes begins in Invergowrie on 20th January.
To enrol go to the CACE website
Harria Academy Dundee Evening classes
The enrolment night for my crochet class next term at Harris Academy is 15th January from 6-7pm.
You can also sign up and pay online here at the HERA website.
MAvericks Art Craft Group Yuletide Fair, 30 Nov, 1 Dec.
Once again the Mavericks Art Craft Group will be presenting a winter show offering a lovely range of Art and Ceaft work. Come along to Bluebird Arts, Brechin, to find lovely hand crafted gifts, or just to treat yourself!
WORDPRESS FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM
Am all over the place! 🙂 I wish I could cross post between here and instagram. So here is the link to my latest post there – a little bit of spinning using a lovely mixed fibre bat. Some of which I kept back for a bit of needle felting as I like it so much. Enjoy!
instagram – elliefiddesartist
I was hoping in this all singing, all dancing, linked up world that I would somehow be able to link up my WordPress blog with my Instagram account, but unfortunately not to be 😦 At least not as yet.
So for the meantime you can find my latest pictures on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/elliefiddesartist/
and also on my facebook page
Ellie Fiddes The Artist@EllieFiddesArt
NEXT SUMMER WORKSHOP!
TUNISIAN CROCHET WORKSHOP
Hey hey!
The second Tunisian workshop of the summer is this weekend in Invergowrie!
There is still time to book a place on this full day exploration of this popular form of crochet. You do not need any prior knowledge of crochet to learn this one! Everything you need will be provided, except for lunch! You will need to bring your own. I will provide tea, coffee and biscuits.
The workshops costs £60.00 and a non-returnable deposit of £30 is needed to confirm your place. Please message me for the payment link.
Saturday 22 June – Tunisian Crochet Workshop
10.00 – 16.00
at Invergowrie Parish Church Hall, 4 Errol Road, Invergowrie,DD2 5AD
Please bring a packed lunch with you.
Teas, coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Terms and conditions
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NEW WORKSHOPS IN JUNE AND JULY
TUNISIAN CROCHET WORKSHOPS
There has recently been a resurgence in the popularity of Tunisian Crochet, otherwise known as Afghan Crochet or Tricot. It is part knit, part crochet, and is endlessly versatile from close textured even stitches to a multitude of lacy variations. In my workshop you will learn 3 basic stitches and make a small item. No previous knowledge of crochet is necessary . A hook and yarn, and embellisments are included.
Please bring a packed lunch with you.
Teas, coffee and biscuits will be provided.
The workshops costs £60.00 and a non-returnable deposit of £30 is needed to confirm your place. Please message me for details.
Saturday 15 June – Tunisian Crochet Workshop
10.00 – 16.00 near Brechin
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Bluebird Arts Newton Mill Farmhouse, DD9 7 PZ Brechin, Angus
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Saturday 22 June – Tunisian Crochet Workshop
10.00 – 16.00 at Invergowrie
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Invergowrie Parish Church Hall, 4 Errol Road, Invergowrie,DD2 5AD
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Saturday 29 July – Tunisian Crochet workshop
10.00-16.00 at Alyth
Alyth Town Hall, Albert Street, Alyth PH11 8AX
BEGINNNER’S WORKSHOP
Back by popular request this is a Beginners Workshop in Forfar!
Whether you have done a bit of crochet before, or are a complete beginner, you will be very welcome. I will teach you three basic stitches and what you need to know to read patterns. I will also teach you what the commonest mistakes are and how to avoid them!
A hook and yarn included.
Please bring a packed lunch with you.
Teas, coffee and biscuits will be provided.
The workshop costs £60.00 and a non-returnable deposit of £30 is needed to confirm your place. Please message me for details.
Saturday 29 June 10.00 – 16.00
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1a Academy st, DD8 2 Forfar, Angus
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Ellie Fiddes Terms and Conditions
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YARN BOMBING!
Ever since I heard of it I have wanted to have a go at yarnbombing. So when The Fit O’ The Toon Community Association in Arbroath decided to have a go at doing some at Danger Point, I join them.
It’s a lot of creative fun getting together once a week with a group of lovely creative people, who chose the name the Wooly Workers.
The bombing targets are the restored drying green poles, lampposts, gateways and other street furniture in the immediate area. The full installation is due to go up at the end of May and will stay in place for a couple of weeks.
There are lots of inspired works already completed or in progress. We now have a facebook group where you can catch up on progress and the latest news of the installation of the bombing! https://www.facebook.com/woollyworkers/
STUDENT SHOWCASE!
I love seeing and celebrating success by my students, especially when they complete a project they have chosen to work on over a period of time. One of the students I taught over the winter has gone on to do marvellous work! She has kindly sent me these two pictures of her completed Stylecraft Spice of Life CAL Blanket.
Well done that woman! Thank you for sharing this with me.
Saltire colours
A German friend saw some hexagons on my Facebook page, and asked me if I could make them into coasters using blue and white Scottish colours. So here they are, ready to go off to Germany after Bonfest.
TUNISIAN CROCHET WORKSHOPS COMING THIS SUMMER
There has been a massive upsurge in interest in Tunisian Crochet this year. So in response to requests to teach it I am currently setting up workshops in June and July to pass on this skill.
Tunisian crochet is sometimes called Afghan Crochet or Tricot. It is easy to learn, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of crochet to start.
I will post details as soon as each workshop is finalised. Please watch this space for information!
Here are some examples of how to turn a small piece of work into a pretty bracelet.
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- Bracelet, 6mm hook
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- Bracelet 4.5mm hook
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- Bracelet 4.5mm hook
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- Bracelet Tunisian crochet on a 3.5mm hook
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- Bracelet 3.5mm hook
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- 3 Tunisian bracelets and one in Broomstick crochet
ALYTH CREATES 24-26 MAY – FUN WITH FREESTYLE CROCHET
ALYTH CREATES
Crochet is a wonderful pliable way to work with yarn.
I will be in Alyth Town Hall over the weekend demonstrating some tips for getting started.
Here is a wee example. I wasn’t terribly impressed with this motif and initially laid it aside. I then decided to add some surface crochet and changed the look entirely!
You can download the full Alyth Creates guide here :-
EVENING CLASSES IN INVERGOWRIE – START 22 APRIL
My crochet evening classes start again in Invergowrie Hall on 22 April, and has had a lot of interest. There are only two places left, so don’t delay if you want one! The course costs £45 for 10 weeks. To enrol, please visit the CACE website.
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HARRIS ACADEMY EVENING CLASSES – START 1 MAY
What a lovely turnout last night at the Harris Academy for enrolment for the Summer Term evening classes. There are just a couple of places left in my crochet class, and they can now be booked online through the HERA website. Price £43 for 9 weeks.
https://heradundee.org/online-booking/
Freestyle Tweed effect double fan shawlette
I need to work out what I did here and write it down! It’s a variation on the pattern I made up for the red shawlette.
What shall I make with this? The results of my test squares.
I ended up trying four sizes of hook. First my favourite is the 8mm aluminium It gave a firm texture, which would be fine for a rug or placemat.
Second is a 10mm hook. The texture if this is coming out feeling good, not too tight with a bit of flexibility.
The third one is a 12mm knooking hook. The texture of this initially came out feeling very soft, but a bit loose and slabbery. However, as I carried on, my tension evened out and become tighter. Hence the fourth hook.
The fourth hook is a 15mm. I liked the result I got from this best of all.
So here are my stitch and row counts from a 10 x 10cm square (4″ x 4″) for the four hooks, and photos in a gallery for you.
8mm hook – 8 stitches, 10 rows
10mm hook – 8 stitches, 8 rows
12mm hook – 7 stitches, 9 rows
15mm hook – 7 stitches, 7 rows.
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- 8mm hook work in 10cm square
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- 10mm hook work in 10cm square
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- 12mm hook work in 10cm square
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- 15mm hook work in 10cm square
In searching for a project to use this yarn for I found a crochet version of Claire’s Outland Cowl on Ravelry. I rather like this.
The link for it is here.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/outlander-claires-cowl-crocheted
What shall I make with this? The value of test squares.
I have 650g of super chunky in my yarn stash, which has languished unused for too long, so decided to exlore what I can do with it, or whether I want to pass it on. I tried it out as a first round of a granny square, and it looks good. I like the nubbly texture it has
So now to try and work out what size of hook to use and how far it will go by doing a test square. The recommended hook size is 10mm. I know that I tend to work tightly, so a looser hook might be better.
I always make a test square bigger than the 4″ x 4″ (10cm x 10cm) recommended. This means that I can lay a 4″x4″ cut out square on top of the test piece and count the stitches and rows, without pulling the work out to “fit” the ruler, and getting a false reading.
I am trying three sizes of hook, because I have these immediately to hand. First my favourite is the 8mm aluminium but see immediately that this is a bit small for the yarn. It gives a firm texture, which would be fine for a rug or placemat. But that is not what I want. Still will continue for comparison.
Second is a 10mm hook. It’s actually a knooking hook, but I like this one as it is polished wood, not bamboo. I did try a bamboo hook, but it isn’t as smooth and didn’t move as easily through the work, so I didn’t like the snaggy feel as I worked with it. The texture if this is coming out feeling good, not too tight with a bit of flexibility.
The third one is a 12mm knooking hook. The texture of this is coming out feeling very soft, but it looks a bit loose and slabbery, so don’t think this will end up being the best. We shall see.
CROCHET CLASSES – HARRIS ACADEMY DUNDEE
It’s time to sign up for autumn evening classes.
There are only two weeks to go until HERA’s Enrolment Night in Harris Academy on Wednesday 29th August from 6-7.30 pm.
Therapeutic Crochet is a ten week course covering all the basics.
Learners are able to work at their own rate.
You can move on to your own project if you wish, with expert tutor support on hand as needed.
The classes run on a Wednesday.
Aberdeen Yarnfest 2018
Check my workshop out at the Aberdeen Yarnfest on Sunday 13th May. It runs from 10.00 am to 1.00pm at the Doubletree Aberdeen Treetops hotel. I made the A5 journal cover below using Sublime silk yarn in two shades, and a maroon synthetic silk background.
“Therapeutic crochet – Exploring Tunisian and Broomstick techniques.”
How to make Broomstick lace.
How to work 4 basic Tunisian stitches.
Participants will complete a small project incorporating these steps during the workshop.
https://etiom.co.uk/aberdeen-yarnfest
Funaday Dundee 2018
I took part in Funaday Dundee in January. The exhibition is this coming weekend – come along and see what I did – and see lots of everybody else’s fun too.
RECENT PHOTOS
Here are some quick pix I took of a freeform crochet wall hanging I recently completed. More to come later 🙂
