crochet menagerie

after crocheting a Santa and then Rudolph, I was hooked on amigurumi (crocheted cute figures) and decided to create one in lieu of a gift tag for all the family gifts, creating a figure related to each person’s interests.  There are so many amigurumi patterns on line and I easily found something applicable for each person

[links to the pattern]

the nurse was for my nephew’s girlfriend

the panda was for my sister

the puppy for my mum

the Christmas lights for my sister’s partner

the dodo for my dad

the cactus for one nephew

and the devil for the other nephew

I really enjoyed finding appropriate patterns and creating them all. Each come together in a evening and I enjoyed the variety after several months of diligently crocheting squares for charity blankets.

I’m now crocheting lots of flowers and leaves to create something pretty to hang when I take down the decorations.

Look Up Look down on Christmas Day

Hard to believe this is the last of my weekly look up and look down pair

with the angel on the top of my parents’ tree and the stockings waiting to be opened

A year ago when I was thinking about a weekly photo pair I thought that looking up and down would be interesting and a useful exercise in being more aware of all angles.  I do notice myself looking up and down more often and thinking about different angles for photos.

I was delighted when my initial post was met with enthusiasm and comments that others would join in and I’ve had great pleasure from the up and down posts I’ve seen from the other regulars and the occasional players.  Thank you one and all.

For next year I’ve decided to go for zoom in and zoom out and welcome others who want to play along too, either weekly or when the mood takes them.

I think with will be fun when the difference is a matter on moving the camera nearer / further away; or using zoom to full extent; or creating a zoom on the computer.  I’ve also been thinking about situations when I’d start with the zoom and then show context for contrast and other situations when I’d start with the big picture and then choose something to focus on.

I’ll be posting my first Zoom in Zoom out on Wednesday the 1st, and hope that some of you join in too

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas blog friends

I’ll be posting my final Up and Down of the year on Friday along with details for 2014.

one was not enough

My introduction to amigurumi (cute crocheted figures) was the  santa that I shared earlier this month

he was fun to make and looks cute and festive.

Then I began to notice other figures in magazines and online and I thought ‘one more won’t hurt’.  Staying in the festive theme I created a reindeer head and added a red nose for a Rudolph effect

and before I’d even stuffed the antlers I was back online looking at other patterns and wondering about what else I would make.  They are satisfyingly fast to make and so quirky.

I now have over 30 patterns bookmarked, am familiar with the basic instructions and processes, and have bought two kinds of eyes.  I can’t show you the other photos yet as I’m making them on contract for Santa – I will share next week.

When those are finished, I’m tempted to make a cute crochet hook (!) that I’ve seen – it really is a whacky creative space.

Look up Look down during a nice break

For my penultimate pair I’ve captured a lovely break in the middle of visits to the dressing-up, cake decoration and craft supply shops.

and rather surprised that it took me until week 51 to think of including a selfie in the up shot!  I have included hands, feet, shadows and reflections but never a real selfie. 

This cafe has great coffee and a nice busy buzz with people working on laptops and having work meetings, as well as reading and chatting.  I enjoy the stripped back architectural feel with bare concrete and bricks and re-used school tables and chairs  (for those of you with family in Edinburgh its the Brew Lab, near the uni)

and in other news – I posed earlier this year about applying to be a volunteer for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year and I just received my invitation to join the commonwealth association team which provides support and assistance to the team oraganisations – that’s all I know for now.  Orientation training is in March

Look where next?

Every Wednesday this year I’ve posted a pair of photos looking up and looking down.  I’ve enjoyed the weekly focus which has made me think differently about what I photograph.

I’ve enjoyed immensely seeing blogfriends join is with this accidental meme.

Only 2 more Wednesdays this year and Rinda asked if I had ideas for next year. 

Well yes I do.  I wanted to continue with a pair and an easy to remember, flexible approach.  I have 2 ideas

the 1st is to have a zoomed in shot and then to stand in the same place and remove the zoom to show the bigger picture

and provide some context to the image.  I think this would be easy and provide some interesting context

My 2nd idea is to take a photo and then turn right around and take a photo of what was behind you – again easy to do and it provides some interesting context

interesting how the colour changes just from turning around.

 

and in this case showing the less picturesque riverbank  which I rarely capture

The 2 ideas share an interest in providing context, so perhaps they would work together as alternate methods in one meme.

what do your think?  as ideas to use?  as pairs of photos to see weekly?

and I need a catchy name – any suggestions?  look around?  photo in place?  capture the context? 

Look Up Look Down at festive decor

I’m slowly decorating my house, taking a few bits out of the boxes each day and finding them a home.  Decorating in early December still feels a bit strange as always followed the 12 days of Christmas tradition when we were growing up which meant we decorated on the 24th and took it all down on the 6th. 

Looking up at some of the eclectic mix I’ve places on top of my display unit

and looking down at my reminder of Christmas in New Zealand – plastic pohutukawa – a native tree that is covered in fabulous red flowers in December

hooked Santa

inspired to crochet this amigurumi Santa as soon as I saw the pattern in Simply Crochet.  At 16cm he is bigger than I’d imagined  (don’t you hate pattern illustrations with no size perspective) but now sits nicely on my display unit, surveying the festive preparations.

5 on the 5th at the Christmas market

Joining Sandi’s  lovely meme again this month with a wander around the ‘European market’ (formerly the German market) set up for the festive season in Edinburgh.  I went just after it was open so that I could get some decent shots of the displays

I love all the funny hats that are still popular this winter

I could smell this stall before I came upon in and bought a string of cinnamon, lime and orange which is infusing my house with festive smells as I type

these decorations look so jolly all grouped together

these polymer clay covered bowls always fascinate me – in part with awe at the skill (polymer clay is one craft I’ve tried but found too frustrating to keep up)

and something I hadn’t seen before, these thin white ceramic bowls have patterns that show when a candle is lit underneath them

Thanks to Sandi for prompting me to visit the market with my camera as my focus.

Look Up Look Down at the Winter Fayre

Edinburgh city puts on a good spread for the festive season with markets, food stalls and entertainment in several of the parks in the middle of town. 

This week I’m looking up at a new ride – which I won’t be going on – which rises people up high then twirls them around

and looking down at the Santa train, which is much more my speed !

Would you enjoy being twirled around up in the sky?

November numericalised

 

yes I know that is not a real work, but it makes sense to me.

Joining Julie for her monthly summary of the month using numbers.  My November was a nice mix of being in Ottawa and at home being crafty

and I had to share this photo which sums up the arrival of colder weather for me – a lost glove kindly picked up by a passer by