Bet you thought I'd forgotten about you

I know, I know ... its been too long since I wrote in this blog.  I blame the summer (which I know is long gone) because I don't crochet so much in the summer ... I've got a few half finished projects that I just couldn't sum up the "bothered" to finish.

My shape sorter stalled at three sides !! Not much of a shape sorter really, I think I need to revisit the circle side anyway - it didn't turn out so circular in the end ... So I guess the shape sorter is really two sides and a experiement went wrong.  I'll need to get back to that one again at some point.

The giant rose project stalled as well - I have the giant rose and decided to make it into a tie-together Alice band .  So I have the rose and half (if that) an Alice band ... then this one was abandoned as well.

Now I've had a request for a pattern for my Red Cowl. 



I should have thought of writing it down at the time - I usually do, but not this time.  So I need to make another so that I can get the pattern right ....

So that will leave me one 1/3 finished shape sorter, one 3/4 finished Alice band and another project on the go .... Plus a holiday (Hoooooo-ray) coming up next week - I see this ending in a third half finished project, well at least I am starting to think about picking up my hook again, I suppose that is progress of a sort.

Shape sorter - side 3 completed

Sorry I've been away so long ... no excuses, just havn't been doing a lot of crochet recently.  I think that the hot weather makes me just want to spend time in my garden reading rather than crocheting (see Stuff and things)

Anyway I managed to organise myself to complete side 3 of the shape sorter (finally!!)

This time its a circle.

So now I have a triangle, circle and an offset square



So far I am happy with how it is turning out, I particularly like the bright colours.  Time to raid the yarn stash again and find the next colour.

Shape sorter Triangle side

Since the weather wasn't as good yesterday evening I managed to get my triangle side finished.

I'm still wondering if I've gone too large on the holes but, I am committed now and will keep on going and see how things turn out.

Two sides down four more to go :) Maybe I'll do circle next ?

Shape sorter Part 2

I confess that progress is slow, mainly because the weather is nice and I am choosing to sit in the garden reading rather than get on with my crocheting ... but I am happy to sacrifice a bit of progress for some good weather - it comes soooo infrequently!

Anyway, I decided to make the triangle side next.  Its is a bright, almost electric blue colour.

The second part of the side is currently underway and looking at the weather today, I should finish it to night :)

Shape sorter Part 2

I have started making my shape sorter.  I decided to start with the offset square (parallelogram) side.

In order to give the toy some structure I need to make two if each side

Then they need to be sewed together creating a sandwich.

And then the sandwich is stuffed with toy stuffing

The final result has some substance and can hold its shape.

I am having some doubts right now, I'm thinking maybe the hole is too big .... I think I'll create the next side and see how things are looking then.

Crochet Shape sorter

I think I'll give the shape sorter a try ... in the spirit of if you don't try you'll never know :)

I'm going to keep it pretty simple.  One sorter hole per side, that way I only have to create 6 shapes :)

I'm thinking of the following shapes

Circle

Square

Star

triangle

Cross

Offset Square

I had thought of creating a moon shape, but I just can't get my head around how I would create that successfully.

I think that creating the Star hole will be the most difficult to create, so I think I'll save that one up and do it later.  I don't want to put myself off the whole idea before I even start.

I'll start with the holes, I think I'll have more scope to adjust the sizes of the shapes rather than trying to adjust the sizes of the holes.

So, first thing I need to do is start to design the sides & figure out what size the holes need to be.

Keep checking back for progress.

Ideas time again

I still really need to use up some of this stash of yarn I have.  So I need to think up some ideas.  I spent a bit of time before my holiday just making things for me so perhaps its time to make something new for the shop.

I have an idea for a shape sorter toy, it needs a bit more thought and planning though. 

I am thinking of something even simpler than the one in this picture, with just one sorter hold in each side.  I'm just not sure if a completely soft shape sorter would work ... perhaps an experiment worth trying?

Or perhaps I could make another mobile, they seem to be popular ...

Every time I've made one of these little bird mobiles they sell quite quickly.

I have an idea for a little boy one, with cars and trains etc.  It would need much smaller versions of some of the toys I've made so far

I'm just trying to work out if I have the patients to start into this one!!