roman sock

For the love of Meerkats

Ever since I watched the program Meerkat Manor http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html I have fallen head over heels in love with the little creatures. So instead of being perpetually disappointed that they don't roam the streets of Edinburgh I thought I would make my own...

Meet the Meerkat

I think it's quite clear that this is one of the naughty Meerkats, not a clever one like Flower...but the sort of Meerkat that would forget he was baby sitting then run out for food...leaving the babies all alone so another Meerkat tribe could come and steal them.

I still like him though...

A flower and a promise

I am still totally overwhelmed by the interest in this little blog…it really is amazing! Due to popular demand you can download the tutorial for the Amelia Flower here: Download ameliaflower.pdf

I have been working on something very special and it should be ready to post tomorrow… here is a sneak peek.

Tricia from Darncat tagged me a couple of days ago and you can find my answers here…

http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/about-me.html

I am very excited because I am going to go on holiday!!! To a little cottage in Arrochar right on Loch Long, the cottage is practically in water, I can’t wait! It will be nice to get away from Edinburgh for a bit, because even though it is very beautiful I miss the stars and birdsong…

free to a loving home - A Pomeranian

I am finished with the Pomeranian pattern at long last! The pattern is few pages long because I have included numerous photos of each step, but seriously a Pomeranian puppy is really very easy to make! Ta da...Download pomeranian.pdf

I have also been working on an autumn corsage. It is supposed to be autumn leaves and berries...that time of year, but I am not sure how well that comes across.

worn by a owl I got when I was two...

he always was a snappy dresser!

a legion of poms...well two....

I am back from my trip to London. Not very exciting...just for a meeting. London means people watching for me and I wasn't disappointed. I saw a very forceful elderly lady fliritng with two strange men on the train, to the point where they were offering to buy her drinks and she was giving them advice on everything from love, to food, through gardens and careers... A real Miss Marple character.

I couldn't find the tube station that I arrived at ,so on my way home I ended up walking form Holborn to Kings Cross, not very far but quite an adventure for me. Through loads of markets, and more interesting parts of town. I saw butchers out on the street and a chain of mexican dinner carts called 'Papa Donkey' - hmmm not sure about that one. When I finally arrived at Kings Cross I didn't really know where I was going so asked someone and he very astutely pointed out it was the big building over there, and low and behold there was a big building, that looked exactly like a station. I felt very stupid...

On the train home I saw a rainbow. I am constantly suprised when I see one; I dont quite know why, I guess beaucse they are so fleeting.

I have finally...finally...finished the pom pattern and it should be online tomorrow ( was a bit more work than I planned, because I put in lots of pictures...)

So here is a sneak preview of the orignal and his baby brother!

and their very big brother

asleep like I should be   

Autumn

Today was the first frost of the year, always a pivotal day, and when I went for a walk at lunchtime the rain was falling in small sharp drops and my scarf wasn’t enough to keep me warm.  This day always makes me think of short days and long nights of cloves, cinnamon and ginger, of Sinterklaas and Christmas… of holidays mucking around and snow. Soon leaves will fall and I will be out spotting robins…

I have been crafting hard and the Pomeranian tutorial is almost finished, and will probably be online tomorrow. Then I will get to work on the Kitty and the Halloween corsage. I am expecting a delivery of wool tomorrow I am sooooooo excited it’s for a new bag I’m making.

I have been totally overwhelmed by the response to the Froggy pattern and the Pomeranian puppy and I want to say a big Thank You. So please take these virtual muffins with my love.

a touch of halloween... a little bit early

It's one of my biggest regrets that I have never lived anywhere that really celebrates Halloween. I love the whole idea of it, the candy, the parties... the little bit of mystery! In the UK we do very little for it, although it seems that people do more each year; the supermarkets are full of cheapy costumes and candy concoctions, which is something, at least.

This year I want to show my Halloween spirit, although I don't think there is an call for me to get totally dressed up... no where to go and all that... plus I am quite sure my boss wouldn't be that amused. So I devised a slightly secret nod to it. This little naughty corsage.

in its natural setting...

I am going to make a couple more, one with a black face and one with an orange one. When the time comes I  will wear one on my jacket with pride.

A green afternoon and a tree frog tutorial

I spent a snuggly afternoon crocheting another tree frog and writing up the pattern. I used the same new tutorial format to update some of the other tutorials too, and I will hopefully write up the pomeranian, kitten and hippo patterns soon, in the same way. I hope that they are easy to use, please let me know if there are any problems. So voila, enjoy!

Download treefrog.pdf

Download owleyemask.pdf

Download the_amelia_bag.pdf

I am really struggling to find something decent to read after finishing all the Amelia Peabody's... I have been picking books up and putting them down again for days. I think I really want to be transported instantly somewhere and its just not happening.

I read the House at Riverton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_at_Riverton and it was a beautiful book but somehow slightly forced. It felt very aware of itself and slightly hulking. I think I am going to try Possesion next...I am sure I will find something eventually.

It's Sunday tomorrow and, in Edinburgh, that means hordes of people will be rushing all over the city to visit flats from 2-4 during open viewings, and tomorrow I will be joining them. It is very strange experience when you end up at a few of the same flats as fellow hunters. You share a laugh, but all the while you know you may very well be facing them off in a biding war. The thing that astounds me is that, before I started looking to buy a flat, I would have never known that this Sunday afternoon frenzy was going on behind the seeming quietude of lazy, weekend Edinburgh.

 

I love frogs

My Oma used to collect owls and my Tante Puck would collect frogs, it made presents easy and they suffered many plasticine monstrosities.

But still, when I see a little a owl I think of the wisdom of my Oma...her top advice includes 'never use a glass vase as you'll see the gunk at the bottom' and 'if you don't use your head you use your legs': she was always the teacher. And when I see a frog I am reminded of the fun of Puckie; she crafted till the end and was a convert to fimo in her 80's.

I miss them both, but don't really know how to express it yet, so here is a little frog they both would have loved. Hopefully it would make them laugh.

climbing...

sunning himself...

focused!

My pomeranian's mini me

I have been trying to find a way to crochet a Pomeranian for a while. My little pom twinks has just turned 6 and despite having a collapsing trachea, a dislocated hip (fixed now), black skin and an enlarged heart he is always full of fun and has no sense of self pity.

So because of his infinite cuteness and his gung ho approach to life that I would love to emulate. Here he is in crochet:

at attention...

having an adventure...

thinking...

playing...

together...

I am really pleased with how he turned out! Almost as cute as the real thing. 

a plea for the cloth doll

Ms Sock's nieces are coming to stay with us this weekend and, at only 2 and 4, they already own literally tonnes of Barbies and Bratz. The scary thing is they have started to be concerned with the way they look and how fat they are, which is heart-breaking. Little girls are so often told that their worth depends on how attractive they are, which is frankly horrible.

I am really lucky because my parents moved around every couple of years when I was little and I got to live in quite a few countries, which meant that my Christmases mainly consisted of glue, cloth, paper and clay (still my favorite gifts). We, also, didn't watch much TV because it was always in languages we couldn't really understand, so I guess I got through pretty much unscathed.

Therefore, in a move towards little girls being little girls, and dolls made of cloth, I present what Ms Sock and I have been working on almost all night.....

The girls

in their full glory...

the detail,

and we can't forget the close up;

and I can't forget the crochet.

the amelia bag tutorial is now available from the side bar

phew! It fair took it out of me... a detailed version with pics is here: Download the_amelia_bag.pdf

I also got a wonderful package in the mail!! It was my narwhal from Babs@ Mwahcreations http://www.mwahcreations.etsy.com. We did a personal swap -I sent her the little black kitty.

Isn't the narwhal beautiful ( I am basking in his gorgeousness)

the amelia bag

Here is a bag design I have been working on for a long time. This is the third trial and I am finally happy with it. I like bags that have some shape rather than flat bags and I love the look of carpet bags and textured wool mixed with leather. It is made with blue faced Leicester wool which is variegated ( Next time I will try with a dark red - not variegated I am not sure I like the effect) This is the simplest version. I am going to work on ones with ruffles and patterns.I am writing up the pattern and as soon as I have finished I will bung it in the side bar.

 

This bag is named after Amelia Peabody from the Elisabeth Peters books which I am totally obsessed with (Currently on Children of the Storm) and I guess I think it is both a bit different but ultimate extremely practical. I found a really good interview with Barbara Mertz ( Elisabeth Peters) here http://www.loc.gov/locvideo/peters/ which shed a lot of light on the writing process.

The flower:

from the side:

on my computer table: