Needle felting

I can't believe I did that workshop back in November last year!!!!  
I really need to keep up with posting things....

Needle felting basically consists in "felting" with a needle. Or in other words, turning "loose" wool into felt by pricking it with a needle. And believe me, as therapeutic as it can be - it somehow feels like you are practising vodoo on a doll - you might want to watch your fingers. Like paper cuts, the pricks on human flesh might not be life-treatening but they surely are painful.  

Anyway, I'm saving the results of the workshop itself for again (when I posted, you'll understand why). Instead here are the results of the left over material from the Needle Felting Workshop that AZ Atelier organised and Maru from Fieltrunguis delivered. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Crocheted rustic basket

OK, still in the process of catching up with the new things I've done...

I attended a workshop organised by Zuri from AZ Atelier where the initial "oh, no, I don't feel like getting up on a Sunday morning" gets replaced by a little bit of magic with an always pleasant and smiley instructor and equally shiny and like-minded people as classmates. The fact that breakfast is included and this time we were presented with yummy home made biscuits helps too.  

This technique is as easy as effective. The kind of one that when you are showed, you go: "d'oh! why didn't I think of  that?". 

Basically two different threads are used: a thicker rustic one is used as the "inside" base and the thinner one is used to crochet around it. 

This technique can be used as well with t-shirt yarn and wool, for example. The only requirement is that the "inside" tread needs to be rigid enough to hold the shape of what you are making. 

The pattern that we used was in Spanish so I won't reproduce it here. But for anyone more or less used to using a crochet hook and its basic stitches this shouldn't be a problem whatsoever. 

Rather than talking you through the whole process, I'll just show you a few photos so you get an idea:

the materials

the elusive "magic ring" to get started

detail of both threads being entwined

base of the basket taking shape
with sample mini basket 

yours truly in action

I hope you enjoyed watching them as much as I did doing it.  

Until next time!

the final result - as a gift basket

Size does matter

Oh, well, always thinking about things too late, me. But as they say: late better than never.

This Sunday I'm attending a workshop but it is already virtually full. So try not to get either too excited or too jealous...

It's a crochet workshop with a difference... or two. It's "Ganchillo XL", so the hook it's going to be massive. On of those that it's hard to loose. That's a good thing already. And the material is "trapillo". "Trapo" in Spanish means cloth. The image that I have in my head is the cut out pieces of old sheets and blankets that my mother used for cleaning around the house. So, I thought, "trapillo" is either a small cloth (doesn't sound ideal for crochet). Or the material is somehow recycled clothing. 

Et voilà! I was right... well, sort of. For those not in the know (like I was not long ago), "trapillo" is known as T-shirt yarn. Mystery solved.

I have looked at some tutorials and it seems quite easy to make out of old T-shirts and stuff. But it is sold commercially ready-made also. I guess due to time constrains on Sunday we'll get out materials already made.

I can't wait. I'll keep you posted on the results. Are you jealous yet?
By the way, the workshop is organised by AZ Atelier & they are based in Playa Blanca in the lovely island of Lanzarote. Worth checking them out!