My fine fibrous friends, I have some crochet to show you. And if my tone of voice sounds defensive, please accept my apologies. I admit that the rate of yarnery around here has been way less than usual of late, thanks to marathon-training and garden-redesign. Mostly the garden-redesign. To give you an idea of quite how much I’ve been toiling away in the soil, the fingerprint-thingummy on my phone no longer recognizes my fingerprints. I’m not even sure that I still have fingerprints. (Memo to self: now might be a fabulous moment to take up crime. Aim high. The Crown Jewels, perhaps?)
And my hands are a mess of scratches and scrapes and engrained mud that refuses to be scrubbed away… which wasn’t even remotely a problem until I remembered that on Monday morning, I was booked for more standing-in-front-of-a-camera work with these people… work that was going to focus mostly on my hands. Sigh. So I spent a chunk of time that morning applying far more makeup to my hands than to my face, before heading off once again to this studio:-
I like doing this sort of work because it’s a real contrast with the day-job, and it’s fascinating to see how the studio works. I can’t really ask these people for photography tips, but boy can I observe and try to learn.
Anyway, I’m back home, in the garden, and I have yarn. A year or two ago, my parents (The Twisted Seniors) returned from a trip with these colourful balls of garden twine.
They thought I’d want to do something creative with the stuff and they were of course right, but for a long time I couldn’t figure out what I should make with this loveliness. Then three of my yarny friends came over for the evening:-
…and perhaps because it was an outdoorsy sort of evening, plant-related inspiration hit: hanging plant-holders! I have three little ceramic pots and three little succulent plants, and I realized that these might look more interesting hanging from the kitchen ceiling in crocheted holders. I got to work with a hook (and some wine).
The pattern? Well, there isn’t a pattern, but assuming I can re-create what I did the first time for the other two pots, I’ll write it all up for you in a future post. In case it’s not obvious, this is exceptionally simple hookery, and doesn’t take long unless you’re too busy chatting and drinking to get much done.
I’m quite pleased with the result, even though it does look bit ‘rustic’, being made of rough twine. Shall we have a closer look?
Right, I’d better get on with making the other two, then…
‘Til next time, my friend.
Phil x
Sue L. says
May 23, 2018 at 2:21 pmOh, this takes me back – our first flat back in the 70s was festooned with hanging plant-holders – probably mostly spider plants. They weren’t crochet, though, but macrame which was the big thing then. I made some ‘artistic’ wall-hangings, and a shoulder bag in macrame. I threw that out when it became too grubby, but I do wish I’d kept it.
Dianne Burns says
May 23, 2018 at 2:25 pmI can totally relate to Sue. L’s comment as I’m also of that generation when macrame was all the rage. Lovely to see plant hangers becoming fashionable again. PS – hope you recover your fingerprints!
Kris Rasmussen says
May 23, 2018 at 2:41 pmYour garden hands look just like mine! 🙂 I love the plant hangers and you can bet I’m on the hunt for some twine. Thank you.
captelaine says
May 23, 2018 at 2:49 pmPeppers sprouting here in Charleston SC so I can relate to the lack of finger prints, I try to keep my right thumb clean so my phone and iPad will open for me. Macrame, I too remember that phase of crafty goodness 🙂
lildeville says
May 23, 2018 at 4:29 pmI’ve macramé’d loads of plant hangers with jute twine, it never occurred to me that I could crochet with it d’oh!
Susie Hewer says
May 23, 2018 at 6:48 pmThat’s really sweet! I usually macrame my outdoorsy hangers for the summer. Btw, I hear Gloucester marathon has been cancelled but I couldn’t remember if that was the one you’d entered?
narf7 says
May 23, 2018 at 8:55 pmWhats that “Greener than green” garden twine made of Ms T? It certainly looks interesting in a windswept and interesting Billy Connolly kind of way. I think it’s time I made ALL of the crochet hanging thingo’s for some indoor succulents myself. Up in the air, Earl can’t access them to prune them at will and with impunity so their safest place to exist is up in the stratosphere of my kitchen. Awesome that you are going to attempt to shift the crown jewels from their current resting place to your humble abode however I think you missed your prime opportunity to filch them when all eyes were on the royal wedding. Just sayin’…
Valerie Horsburgh says
May 24, 2018 at 12:25 pmI have 3 bales of binder twine how would I use them never thrown.anything away
Sharon says
May 25, 2018 at 8:26 amLove the plant pot hanger, and as everyone else has said, I too remember the hey day of macrame.
As for Val H’s baler twine – having had some experience with farmers and the stuff – you use it for anything and everything. Tying up fences, gates (pending further repairs), tying the exhaust back on your tractor, temporary (becoming permanent) fasting of doors (and you wonder why farm robberies are on the increase!) Even as a temporary belt to keep your trousers up/coat shut around you/your cap from blowing off your head in high winds . . . Baler twine is the farming equivalent of electricians Gaffa tape. Or other people’s duck (duct?) tape.
Unfortunately most baler twine these days is plastic and therefore horribly persistent in the environment. But otherwise I’d suggest she knit or crochet herself a shopping bag and at least use the stuff, keeping it out of harms way.
Mother Twisted says
May 25, 2018 at 8:36 amFor those who want to revive their macramé skills, there’s a workshop in The Old Fire Station, Oxford tomorrow (Saturday). How very timely!
Moke says
May 27, 2018 at 8:44 amHi Phil – Love the multi-coloured twine. If you haven’t come across it I loved “Unexpected Crochet for the Home” by Lena Maikon which uses unconventional materials (that is what the ‘blurb’ calls it) in her crochet. It has inspired me to make pots and rugs using strings, twines and ropes. Moke x
tinaor says
May 31, 2018 at 4:13 pmCute – and what a good use of garden twine – your twisted seniors were right to give it to you to make into something ‘one day’!