It is 16C today, a big and welcome change from the plus 30C we were having last week. It feels OK to touch yarn again!
So some crochet projects:

The all pink "lapghan" I had started last crochet update

I don't actually wear scarves, but I do like these scarf/shawl items and they do seem to be popular online. Currently I own 4, and want to give more away, several have already been given to ( hopefully) good homes.

Peach colour, with beads, my own pattern

 

Sea Foam scarf, inspired by Kat Goldin 'Spun Gold'

To keep someone's neck warm next winter, crochet cowls.

A bit tired of crocheting in cotton, and having finally used up almost all my cotton  stash, I have switched to acrylic crochet hats to give away. Possibly to Bissell Centre.

Now I think I will go and bake some cookies, while the temperature is reasonable!

The kiln was firing while I was away last week and my big bowls are now done. Last time we saw them they were still wet. Now they are all finished. I had also made mugs and I tested various glaze combinations on them before using them on the bowls.

One bowl and a pair of mugs were left at the guild to sell, but I forgot to photo the bowl, must run ( bike) back and do that!

A bit of everything this time!
Since the last post I have had company for a week, been out of town for 4 days and generally puttered around. but some things did get accomplished.

hook

well always some hooky

 A second shawl/scarf in a variegated white/pink/green/beige. This time I did not start with un-liked yarn and did not have to take it apart.

Not a selection of very narrow scarves!
These are the beginning of a strip afghan. Each will have a border, then the pieces will be joined together and an edging added.

 throw

These three have moved a few steps further along the path but I still have not glazed them. Can't decide what  want them to look like.

bake 

Every few weeks I make a batch of 8 loaves of bread. One of this weeks batch.

sew

On request I am trying scrubs hats. This is the best so far, it fits me, now to see if it fits the requester!

It is surprisingly hard to take a reasonable looking photo of a hat, without a head!





So there we are, all "crafts" checked in.

Busy garden season keeps one away from other projects. But now the garden is almost entirely planted and pot trimming commences.

 I never seem to remember to take photos at pottery. maybe because my hands are usually dirty!

 I may take a table at a farmers market later in the summer to try to sell crochet and pottery items. I thought I had better get some suitable things made. Mugs are always useful and usually salable too so I threw a few last week. Here they have been trimmed and handles attached. Once they are dry enough it is into the bisque kiln for first firing.  I also threw a few bowls, but I need more and bigger ones. Big bowls are usually a hit at sales, at least here at the guild.
Two shallow bowls, with Rorschach patterns!

Everyone sees the design as something different. To me it is like seaweed, others say trees. One person saw ghosts!

It IS possible to turn back time.
Or at least to fix a crochet piece which did not turn out the right way.
I have ripped out, right to the first stitch, before; but if most of the piece is good, then that can be very discouraging. I crocheted a shawl/scarf from a free online pattern and started with one yarn then changed to another part way through. I thought they were closer in character than they turned out to be though, and in the end I did not like the first few rows.
I posted an appeal for help to a facebook group I belong to " Make it, wear it (crochet and knitting) " and a reply led me to a Utube video  which gave me enough help that I could figure out the rest.

The white part was a thicker yarn and somewhat scratchy. It also did not have the flexibility or stretchiness of the variegated yarn so it pulled the shape in.
To remove it I first had to be sure the wanted stitches did not unravel. I threaded a cord through each stitch of the first desirable row, cut away the unwanted parts, then pulled a "good" piece of yarn through to replace the cord.

Then, still following the Utube instructions I crocheted a row of single crochet and chain. In this case I tried to mimic what should have been there.

It now looks as though the first row was crocheted into a row of chain.

I may add a row of single crochet or of some matching kind of edging to make the top end a bit more sturdy, but overall I am pleased with the results.
A new summer shawl/scarf. Truly a ta da moment!

The first weekend in May was our spring pottery sale, no payout yet but it seemed to go well. I also have a couple of items done just too late for sale.

hand built mug

hand built rectangle bowl

wheel thrown plates

And a small "lantern"

 The camera just ran out of battery , again, so these were taken by dumb cell phone.

Weather
In spring is variable.
Very variable.

May 6 2015

Perhaps a ma nature opinion on our election?

But even under all that very wet snow....

there are green things growing.











And inside the yarning goes on.
I am working on two crochet tops, for others, and there may not be enough yarn for either one. Which would lead to ripping out again.  As may be obvious I am not following directions carefully!

crochet side to side

For the purple one, and yes that is not black but purple, I am following a pattern from the distant past but with different yarn and hook size, so some modifications are required.










 

left and right upper front. beginning of upper back

 The aqua one is using the shape of pattern pieces in a book and filling in with my own stitches.










To relax in between bouts with these I whipped off a few hats, probably to try and sell, or donate.

baby size "turban" style hats

Adult/teen size slightly slouchy beanie














Collars, supposedly a new thing, but rejected by some!

Pottery buttons, crochet collars











And finally a sort of wearable,

sort of being worn.