500 Posts Winner

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my giveaway of the new-to-me crochet 
technique cushion and yarn-bombing diary.


I haven't been able to get the random generator widget to show the winning number,
so apologies for lack of verification... you'll just have to trust me that lady luck chose...
lucky number 27! 





Congratulations to Belinda from Gretchenmist :) I'll be emailing you soon.

The gorgeous paper garland in the background there is by 3 Girls and a Goat.
Hope you have a lovely weekend everyone :)

Inspiration: Mr Dries VN

I've been crocheting madly here but my mind has been drifting to thoughts 
of fabric. I'm itching to start screen printing again and have been dreaming 
of different fabric designs.





These took my breath away this morning... Dries Van Noten's Spring 2012 
collection. This man is the king of fabric design... his clothes are pretty good too ;) 
The pics below are my favourites. You can see the whole collection here.










I have finished going through my two-year's worth of mags... the dining table is 
now cleared... Time to start some screen printing I think :)
What do you have planned for the weekend?

Our Creative Spaces: Playing with New Technique

I've been doing lots of playing this week... experimenting with just what works 
(and doesn't) with the new-to-me crochet technique I posted on last week.



Play 1: Multiple colours and creating shapes and shading.
So, multiple colours (I had three going at once) was straight forward.
Creating shapes wasn't too bad (as long as you don't mind a fuzzy definition!) 
but shading didn't really work. 







Play 2: One colour small shapes.
This was very easy and much more effective. The shapes still don't have definition 
but instead look like paint dabs, which I rather like. I like the little speckly peeks of
colour you can see in the spaces in between too :)





Play 3: I did try text too but it was just terrible AND I forgot to take a photo before
madly unravelling it all... sorry ;)


Anyway, I feel like I understand the limitations of this technique a bit more.
I also added bits here and there so I can make something useful out of it...
I'm thinking it could make a cute pencil case if I fold up the halves and crochet a
couple of panels for the sides? 
Just an idea... you may see it in the shop one day ;)


Hope you've had a great week... Find more creative spaces here.





p.s. I have a 500 posts giveaway that will be drawn this Sunday 30th October.


p.p.s. There's also a Pay it Forward happening if you're keen?




UPDATE
I have crocheted sides and have an almost pencil case.
All it needs now is some lining and a zipper....

Every little thing...

I've been thinking of that Police song ever since I received some magical mail...
Contemplating my fabulous arrivals, I've realising that these three bloggers, 
well, I just love everything they do.


So, here's some pics – a visual feast – and if you feel like singing 'Every little thing 
they do is magic' I don't blame you one little bit.. :)

Seriously gorgeous fabric and prints from the very talented Ms Belinda at Gretchenmist - 
blog and shop.

The most stunning graphic prints from the fabulous Ms Francesca at Mrs Eliot Books 
- blog and shop.

And the fresh original prints of the lovely Ms Kerry at Seventy Tree - blog and shop.


Actually, these prints from Kerry are my gift from a Pay it Forward... aren't I lucky? :)
But you know what a Pay it Forward means... yep, my turn to pay. 


I'm going to put together five different gift parcels of something I've made... not sure yet
what that will be... it could be a brooch, or some screen printed fabric or some crochet,
I haven't decided. I send one of them to you and then you pay-it-forward to five people 
on your blog... simple?... My dad always used to say 'clear as mud' :)


So, if you would like to take part in the Pay it Forward and receive a gift from me,
leave a comment and your contact details below and the first five will be my PiFs :)


Leaving a comment does not mean you sign up for it! 
Don't feel bad if you can't (it is a busy time of year!) I'll only count you as in if you say 
"count me in", okay? ;)

The Switch

I've finally done it... I've opened an Etsy store! Feeling very happy here :)





Still trying to figure out how it all works and a tad frustrated too that it won't 
list my items under the 3 Sheets name... taken apparently ;(


Not so enthused to be listed as kylie67... any suggestions for a new 
name...?


Pop over and tell me all the things I should have done too - thank you! :)

Inspiration: Masha Rumyantseva

Collage is an enduring love for me and the work of Masha Rumyantseva is a 
particular favourite. It's so open and witty, but she also employs a deft hand at 
colour too that is always visually exciting.



Rumyantseva works as an illustrator for Russian magazines where she
mostly uses collage and ink drawings.











You can see more on Rumyantseva's Flickr Photostream. I found 
her work via another fine collage artist Esra Dandin.

500 Giveaway!

                                                          *

                                                       *

Last month I hit my 500th post. It was a busy time so the postponed celebrations 
are happening now :)              * *
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                                                    * 

                                                       *

I'm giving away my new (to me) crochet technique cushion. It's made from the 
Australian yarn, Biggan Design DK Merino in natural, yellow, aqua, olive and brown. 
It's super soft and cuddly and it has no knots from the yellow up (sorry, the experiment 

started at that point ;) The back of the cushion is a citrus-coloured cotton/linen with a

zip, and it comes with a 3 Sheets custom-made insert.

                                                 * *

                                                       *

                                                           * *
                                                       *

It'd make a great neck pillow for reading in bed or to place in the small of your back 

for extra support...

                                                          *



* * * * * *      * * * * * *      * * * * * *      * * * * * *      * * * * * *      * * * * * *      * * * * * *

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                                                            *

I'm also giving away a yarn-bombing diary for 2012 which I bought at the Pompidou
bookshop in Paris...

                                                    * * *

                                                       *

It's super duper fabulous and full of different yarn-bombing pics...

                                                 * *

                                                       *

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                                                       *

Cute projects (to practise your French on while doing your knittery)...

                                                * *

                                                       *

                                                   * *

                                                       *

And a few random crochet/knittery objet d'art... ;)

                                                             * *

                                                       *

                                              * *

                                                       *

So, what do you have to do to win this fine booty? 

                                                             * *

                                                       *

Well, I would prefer it if you are a follower of 3 Sheets or 'like' the 3 Sheets 
Facebook Page... but I'm flexible. This is my thank you to everyone who has 
supported me through my 500 post journey.

                                                 * *

                                                       *

One more thing... if you only like, say, the diary and the cushion is not really your 
thing (or vice versa!), then say so in your comment and I'll do a second random 
pick for the other item if you win.

                                                          * *

                                                       *

Anyway, just leave a comment and I'll do the magic random generator trick on 
Sunday 30th October. Good luck and thank you! :)

                                                       *

Our Creative Spaces: New (to me) Crochet Technique

I've discovered something new! Well, it's new to me anyway;) 
I'm so excited about it I've decided to have a giveaway tomorrow to celebrate 
my 500th post from September.


Anyway, new technique... I was playing around with some crochet... I wanted 
to be able to swap between colours in a row without having to do the old 
knot-and-cut routine over and over. 





I began that way but the piece was getting a bit bumpy... so, I started introducing 
new colours and keeping them running through the piece, picking up different 
colours as I wanted them. I think it worked out a treat.





This is how I did it, working with a simple double stitch...


(1) When you get to the spot where you'd like to introduce a new colour, put
your hook through that space and pull through a loop of the new colour, yarn 
over with the new colour and pull through the two loops on the hook to complete
the double stitch. It should be half the new colour and half the old colour...



(2) Continue working your double stitches into the next spaces with the new 
colour... 





(3) Make sure you are crocheting the old colour into the work so that it is hidden...





(4) When you've completed as many new colour stitches as you require,
pick up the old colour of yarn and start working double stitches with it.
Again, you need to make sure that the other colour is worked into the piece 
and hidden from view, but ready to pick up again when you need it... 





It's almost like weaving in a way because all the threads run along the length
and can be picked up and woven in as you need them.





The finished effect is rather soft looking too - quite feathery in appearance
which is funny. I love that the surface is all smooth and bump free too :)


Strangely, the colour parts are more defined on the back of the piece...





Anyway, in our world where nothing is ever original, I'm sure it's all been done before...  
but I do admit I'm quite chuffed at discovering this method through experimentation.


Hope you've had a wonderfully creative week too. You can find more creative
spaces here.


Don't forget to come back for my giveaway tomorrow! :)

Making Hey

This weekend just past was also the weekend of Make Hey! Pip's new wonderful book. 
I've only been able to catch a quick look so far as my big girl has been delving into it 
almost constantly.





Not that I'm complaining - it meant we had dinner made for us last night :)
She made Michelle's Couscous Salad from the recipe cards...





... and has been sourcing all the things she'll need to make Ginger Beer.
She's also started crocheting hearts for the I Heart You necklace...





Like all of Pip's books, it's so well written with fabulous things to make. 
Big thanks from us Pip! :)

That view...

Yes, it's that view again ;) 


We had a long weekend because the girls' school had a pupil free 
day today... so we ran away to the mountains. It feels like we've had 
a week off.


Hope you've had a wonderful weekend too :)