The tree travels...

Hi my blog friends :)

The Easter Tree has relocated to Linda's house. I have added some more crocheted eggs, and am very, very excited about Linda's addition to come! It is going to be gorgeous... see keep a look-out!

We are still receiving emails for the heart swap! Thank you...we will start pairing participants...
Please, if you would like to join in, send us your email addresses, blog address (if you have one), and postal address as well...

Today has been a bit OTT and I have had most of my next two tutorials prepared, but today just ran away from me....so apologies to all :(

Tomorrow I will post two tutorials to make up for it: A tutorial on how to make a Palm Sunday Fabric Cross (to hold your Palm Sunday palm), as well as a crochet rose that goes with the cross and is super easy to make... so visit tomorrow :)

I am signing out for the evening...
Lots of Love,
Heidi :)

Crocheted Easter Egg Tutorial

Happy Friday all...the weekend is here!

I had great intentions to post yesterday, but alas, sometimes the time compresses and dupes us... in any event, it is here now! I have done this tutorial a bit different to the tutorials before. I have written out the whole pattern, row by row, and then added lots of pics to help you see what I mean... Please would you let me know if this format works well...or if the other way is better?

:: Crochet Easter Egg ::
A Heidi Bears Design©

Requirements:

Crochet Hook size 3.75mm
Double Knit yarn (I used Rowan's Handknit Cotton)
Pure Merino Fleece for stuffing
Abbreviations:
sc = Single Crochet

Instructions:

Make a slip knot.
Round 1. Ch 2, 5sc into second chain from hook. (5)
Round 2. Ch1, (2sc into next stitch, sc) X 2, 2sc into next stitch. (9)
Round 3. (sc, 2sc into next stitch) X 4, sc, sc. (13)
Round 4. sc, (sc, 2sc into next stitch) X 5, sc, sc. (18)
Rounds 5-12. sc into each stitch. (18)
Round 13. Skip a stitch, sc (into next stitch), sc, sc, skip next stitch, sc, sc, sc, skip next stitch, sc, sc, sc, skip next stitch, sc, sc, sc, skip next stitch. End of round. (13)
Round 14. (Sc, skip next stitch) X 3, sc.
You will have a small hole left. Making sure that you don't let your work unravel, use the other end of the crochet hook to firmly stuff the egg with the fleece. It may help to place a waste piece of yarn into the last chain stitch that was on your hook, to stop it from unravelling...
Once you have stuffed it firmly, continue as follows:
sc, sc, sc, skip next stitch, sc into next stitch, skip the next stitch, sc into next stitch, skip 2 stitches, sc into next stitch.
The hole at the top of the egg should now be closed.
You will chain 25 stitches to make the loop at the top of the egg. Pull the tail through the last stitch, to end off.
Thread the tail through a tapestry needle and sew to the top of the egg to create the loop and anchor the end of the chain stitch length.

Well done, your egg is ready to be decorated!

Well, it's time to say goodnight...

Lots of Love

Heidi :)

Easter Tree...the beginning... a Tutorial that grows and grows...

Easter Tree Tutorial

Hi, everyone!

I have been so excited about the series of posts that are coming, I have been in a hyperactive state for days! In a middle aged person this could be interpreted in a variety of ways...not necessarily all good ;) , so I guess I did get some strange looks at the knitting group yesterday!

Added to this, we have opened the doors for The Swap!! We are calling it "Share the Love Swap"

because everyone needs a small token of appreciation and aknowledgement now and then...

We have opened a Flickr Group, called "Share the Love Swap", so everyone that participates can upload their creations and the gift they receive. Let's share folks!!!!

If you would like to be a part of the Swap, please email me at heidibearscreativeblog@gmail.com, or Linda at lindadawkins@mweb.co.za , and we will partner you will someone.

The Swap will close to new participants 15 April, so be quick to join ;)

Our goal is to challenge your creativity... we encourage you to push your boundaries, try something you haven't tried before, think out the box... the only rules are that you make it with love and thought! Please do not feel the need to make something expensive...that is NOT the idea... Medium to small in size so that it will be easy to post, and receive. (And if you do join in, please be committed and follow through...we don't want someone to be sad and disappointed if their partner goes awol...)...sorry had to throw in the small print... Ack!

Ok! So here is installment 1 of the Travelling Easter Tree!

Requirements

A plastic/ceramic/cement etc etc pot planter for your project (I used a green plastic pot)

A bunch of branches (I have used dried ones, but I think it could be a nice idea to use some apple blossom, or other fruit tree...)

Potting soil

Some loose stones to put into the bottom of the pot for drainage

Some seedlings (any kind will do, whatever your colour scheme is...)

Decorations....(to follow!)

The pot I used is about 30cm wide at the top, and because I liked the lovely bright green colour, I decided to go with a natural springy kind of look...

Place loose stones in the bottom of your pot. No, you most certainly do not need to spray them gold ;) I used some that were in a different project before...just recycling a bit ...

The loose stones will allow for better drainage when you water you creation...

Start to fill the pot with potting soil, and then transplant your seedlings, exactly as you would do for regular planting.

Voila! Pretty isn't it? Right, for the next bit, I have painted the branches in an off white PVA (water-based) paint, and left them to dry in the sun.

Gently, but firmly press them into the potting soil, being careful not to injure the little plants. Arrange in a pleasing pattern....

And there it is! A bit different, but just wait and see all the developments...

You are now ready to start adding decorations. The first will be a small crochet Easter egg, which will hang from its own chain stitch loop. I am making these up in fresh green, sky blue and the palest pink. They can be plain, fancy, anything you like...

I am hoping to have the time to post the full Crochet Egg Tutorial tonight, but if time doesn't permit, it will be up here tomorrow.

I have designed the little egg pattern to use only one crochet stitch to make it simple for even beginners...

Right, let me get going, so I can work on the pics for the egg!

I wish you all a peaceful contented evening...

Lots of Love,

Heidi :)

Easter Tree, a collaboration...and... "A Swap is Announced"

A Travelling Easter Tree

Evening all!

Tonight is a special post for me, and for my dear friend Linda :) We have been chatting for a few days now, and we have decided to do a special blog collaboration! Since Easter is just around the corner, we have decided to do a creativity exercise, a veritable blog-travelling Easter Tree!

The idea is to create an Easter tree (in the same spirit as a Christmas Tree), but something a little different... I will start with the basic tree (and it's a little different to what you may imagine ;) ), add some embellishment, then send it to Linda, who will add her own decorations, etc, back and forth until it is complete...

We haven't discussed specific ideas, so it will be interesting to see how it unfolds... I will try to do each "addition" from my side, as a tutorial, so you can create something similar. Easter is a special time for our family, so I will be doing some extra tutorials that are Easter-related, simple, easy to do, and fun!

"A Swap is Announced"...

I have always wanted to say something a la Agatha Christie, and today is that day :) (although a good announcement, not the big M!)!

Linda and I are going to host a swap!!!! Yay!! The theme will be "Hearts", and in a nutshell, because we love hearts, people who join in will be paired with one another and will swap a heart- related item. There is no limitation except that it must be a heart of some kind, made of any material, small to medium in size, and preferably more valuable by it's creativity and love, than monetary value... We want to share the LOVE folks! We will post a button on our blogs tomorrow, and (hopefully!), set up a Flickr site for everyone to post a pic of their creation to, so we can all see how amazingly creative we are!

We are very excited about this, and would LOVE to have some comments of what you think of our plans :)

If you would like to join in, please email me at
heidibearscreativeblog@gmail.com
or contact Linda at lindadawkins@mweb.co.za

We look forward to seeing you!

Will be back tomorrow,
Have a good evening,
Lots of Love,
Heidi :)

Crochet Tutorial: Treble Crochet Stitch

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Well, yesterday was really a lazy day...I did a bit of creative stuff , but had a lovely afternoon nap, and listened to an audiobook and just enjoyed being... After the activity of the weekend, I think we all needed some time-out :)

The party was fantastic, the kids had a wild time, swimming, messing, eating, playing, tearing around the garden... the adults had a great time catching up, chatting, eating and not worrying about the kids... My daughter is a supercar fanatic, and the party theme was supercars. Not your traditional theme for a 13 year old girl, but then again, this child is not your typical 13 year old! Thank you to Pete for organising to have some nice cars to look at, you rock dude... :)


On another note... my 13 year old was on her dad's laptop for ages the other day...I wondered what she was doing...and then the little cherub gave me a card, out of the blue... I love it, very special... :)

Now for a quick tutorial, I want to be sure that everyone (who is interested...;) ) knows how to do all three basic crochet stitches, as I have a small easy project for later in the week and you need to know the basics...

Crochet Tutorial: Treble Stitch

For the project (later this week...), you will need some yarn in various colours. I happened to have used the gorgeous Rowan Handknit Cotton, but any Double Knit yarn will do. Use whatever colours you like, as each item will be one colour. You will also need some strong small magnets. If you can't find any, email me and I'll send you the link I used... Also some small scraps of fabric, a needle and sewing thread and a tapestry needle... Ánd obviously....a crochet hook (3.75mm)!

Step 1. Make a slip stitch. If you don't know how to do this, look here.

Step 2. Chain about 10 stitches. It doesn't matter exactly how many, you are just learning, not starting the project yet...this is just practice :)

Step 3. Remember in the previous posts on SC and DC stitches, where I explained that you need some "height" at the beginning of a row of crochet, and that this "height " would be different, depending on what crochet stitch came next? SC (single crochet), usually one chain is fine, DC (double crochet), usually two chains stitches, and now you will "skip" three chain stitches. So you will insert your hook into the loop next to the "skipped" stitches. See the pic above for clarification...
OK, now that you know where to put the crochet hook, you are first going to wrap the working yarn around the hook twice before inserting the hook into the chain stitch loop...

Step 4. Insert the hook into the chain stitch loop.

Step 5. Wrap the yarn around hook again...

Step 6. Pull the working yarn wrap through the chain stitch loop...

Step 7. Yarn around hook again.

Step 8. Pull yarn through two loops on hook. You have three loops left on your hook.

Step 9. Yarn around hook again, pull through two loops on hook. You now have two loops left on the hook.

Step 10. Yarn around hook once again...(getting the hang of it :) )

Step 11. Draw through both loops on your hook. Ta-da!!! You have completed one treble crochet!

Step 12. In the pic above I have finished off the row of treble crochet. Now you have all the skills needed for the cute project that will come... :)

Right! Some interesting links: this boggles the mind (although, I'd say that the one thing I am pretty sure of , is that there is nothing new under the sun...or something like that...so I honestly shouldn't have been surprised by some of the items in this list!!!!), I was surprised by this (what do you think?) and this was predictable (the emotional factors with big disasters, I guess makes for opportunists?)

Word of the Day

hagiography

a noun: meaning the biography of a saint

That's it for today :)

Have a meaningful day ...

See you tomorrow,

Lots of Love,

Heidi :)