Community Yarn Project in the Mountains

When I heard tell of a community driven project that involved covering part of a town in yarn, my ears pricked up and I organised a trip to investigate further! In the rather sleepy, nearby ski town of Les Contamines, here in the French Alps, an English teacher at the college suggested a community yarn bombing project to the Tourism Office and top French yarn manufacturer Bergere de France, and so was born Les Contamies 100% Pure Laine

The aim of the project, which began in October and runs right through until the end of the winter ski season, is to cover items in the town's main square (lamp-posts, benches, railings etc) and also some trees along the ski pistes in knit or crochet as a way of changing the perception of the objects that surround us in a mountain environment. It is part of the events put on by the Tourist Board to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ski-Cross World Cup

I chatted with the girl in the Tourist Info Centre who told me that the project had been really well received and that local knitting groups as well as passing holiday makers had enjoyed taking part. On the table next to her, sat a huge basket of Bergere de France wool which she encouraged me to take a few balls of (free wool??!! yippeeeeeeee!!!) if I wanted to knit up a piece to add to the display. They even had sets of needles to rent out! I didn't like to tell her that to knit something large enough to go around a lamp-post in dk wool would take me a little longer than an afternoon and unfortunately I didn't have my crochet hooks with me! (but yes, I 'fess up, I took the wool anyway!)

Had I got myself to Les Contamines a little earlier in the season I would certainly have made them a pile of crochet Granny Squares for the project - my preferred yarn bombing ammo - and I would have loved to see the bold colours as a stark contrast against the white snow. Apparently at the beginning of the project, they had a chair lift up that mountain that was totally covered in knit! Would have loved to have seen that!

Here is a quick run down of the requirements for participating, should you fancy organising something similar where you live; this kind of community project would work just as well in an urban environment, as many large yarn bomb installations have shown over the last few years (Google it, you'll see what I mean!):

• they recommend using acrylic yarn to withstand the harsh weather, plus it dries quicker after rainfall
• use any stitches you fancy
• use plenty of colours, with or without motifs
• use whatever sized needles you wish to obtain a piece 28x47cm

It's great to know there are fellow yarn enthusiasts not too far away and I feel inspired to launch another yarn bomb activity here in Chamonix, all the info on the large piece I did last summer can be seen in this post here. I think something in amongst the woods is in order...

What do you think about yarn bombing and knit graffiti? Would you like to see this where you live? Do you participate in group yarn bombing? Tell me about your yarn adventures!

Lisa x

{all photos ©Lisa Pocklington for Get Smitten using Instagram}

Instagram Addiction

Chances are if you've spent any time with me over the last couple of months, you will be aware of my latest obsession - Instagram! I am a newbie to the whole smartphone phenomenon (got my first one - an iphone 3G - at Christmas) and this app was the first thing I downloaded. Having seen the results other people were achieving with it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I can hand-on-heart say that it has surpassed my expectations and I totally LOVE it!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about - Instagram is a free application that allows you to add a pre-programmed "look" to photos you take with your iphone camera. As well as using it out and about to snap any wonderful things I see about my daily life, I have been using it to take pics for my blog posts and Etsy shop; it makes the whole process so much quicker and easier.

In a nutshell, it's a bit like Twitter but with images. 

You set up a profile (can be public or private) and images you take using the app will be uploaded to the web and seen by other Instagram users. You can hashtag your images to increase their visibility in people's searches and to participate in group activities such as #photoadayApril which I am currently enjoying being a part of! (thanks Fat Mum Slim in Sydney!) and of course you get to "like" or comment on each other's shots. I have formed some great new friendships already with some like-minded girls from all across the globe

I have always loved capturing imagery - I see the world as a series of inspirational 'shots' as I go about my day and have dreamed of having the ability to freeze that moment, that inspiration, that composition to refer back to whenever the mood takes me. At art college I had a manual SLR but it was too cumbersome to take everywhere and I never quite got the look I was after with my compact digital - that or I'd forget to take it with me. So the combination of the iphone with Instagram is suiting me just fine; in fact it will no doubt be the only reason I upgrade the phone... I've heard the camera capabilities on the iphone 4 are fantastic!

There are a few ways to view Instagram photos online, particularly if you don't have the app yourself (this one's for you Mum! xx) My preferred one is called Instagrid which, as the name suggests, allows you to view the images in a simple grid form and also to subscribe to the users of your choice so that you will be sent a weekly email with all their photos in. Sweet! Another is Followgram. 

If you'd like to keep an eye on my view of life here in France, of the places I visit and the things I create, you can check out my feeds here:
LisaPocklington on Instagrid
LisaPocklington on Followgram

There are also a number of sweet products you can have made from your Instagram photos, such as iphone cases, stickers and mini albums - Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim has done a great round up of them on her wonderful blog here

And talk about serendipity; I came across (and snapped up without a moment's hesitation!) a mint condition original Kodak Instamatic 100 camera this weekend at a local vide grenier (car-boot sale) for a mere €3. This is the camera that the entire application is based upon - I am so excited to run a film through it! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee happy days!

Does anyone else have (or had) one of these originals? I'll be doing a little bit of research over the Easter weekend to find out more about the history of it and how to get the most out of it... but any hints or tips are welcome!

I'll let you know how I get on

Lisa x

{all images © Lisa Pocklington for Get Smitten taken with Instagram on iphone 3G}

*FREE* Crochet Easter Bunny Pattern

There's just enough time left before Easter to grab your crochet hook and some oddments of wool and whiz up a bundle of these easy-peasy, slightly bonkers looking Easter bunnies. There are two types to make, the fat bottom bunny and the long tall bunny and the instructions for both are found below. Please note that the instructions are given in UK crochet terms but to help out all my lovely American friends, here's a quick translation guide..

dc (double crochet) = sc (single crochet) in US
htr (half treble) = hdc (half double crochet) in US
tr (treble) = dc (double crochet) in US

For this project you will need:

oddments of yarn that is 100% wool content (this is so that it will felt)
toy stuffing
small buttons
embroidery thread for face details

Fat Bottom Bunny

ch12 into a magic ring (as above)
Round 1. ch1 and dc into same space, 2dc in each st, slst to first ch = 24
Round 2. ch1, dc in next 2sts, 2dc in next st, *dc in next 3sts, 2dc in next st. Repeat from * to end of round, slst to first ch = 30
Round 3. ch1, dc into back loops only of all sts, slst to first ch
Round 4-6. as round 3
Round 7. ch1, dc in next 2 sts, dec 2sts, *dc in next 3sts, dec 2sts. Repeat from * to end of round, slst into first ch = 24
Round 8-10. ch1, dc into each st, slst to first ch
Round 11. ch1, dc, dec 2sts, *dc in next 2sts, dec 2sts. Repeat from * to end of round, slst into first ch = 18
Round 12-14. ch1, dc into each st, slst to first ch
Round 15. ch1, dec 2sts, *dc, dec 2sts. Repeat from * to end of round, slst to first ch = 12
Fasten off leaving approx 30cm tail to use for stitching ears on later

Long Tall Bunny

ch10 into a magic ring
Round 1. ch1, 2dc into next st, *dc, 2dc into next st. Repeat from * to end of round, slst to first ch = 15

Round 2. ch1, dc into back loops only of each st (as above), slst to first ch
Round 3-15. ch1, dc into each st, slst to first ch
Round 16. ch1, dc into next 2sts, dec 2sts, *dc into next 3sts, dec 2sts. Repeat to end of round, slst to first ch
Round 17. as round 3. Fasten off leaving approx 30cm tail to use for stitching ears on later

Ears - make 2 per bunny!
ch15 for the foundation row, turn

Working into back loops only, continue as follows: dc into 2nd ch from hook, 1htr into next 5sts, 1tr into next 4sts, 1htr, dc2, 3dc in last st then continue back along the remaining loops of the foundation row. (tip: crochet over the loose end so you don't have to darn it in later!)  dc2, 1htr, 1tr into next 4sts, 1htr into next 5sts, dc into last st then slst to first dc, fasten off leaving a 10cm tail for sewing to body later

To make up your bunny:

1. Stuff the body of your bunny with some toy stuffing and position the ears in the slot at the top. Using the yarn tail, sew the ears in place with a simple running st

2. Pop your bunny into the washing machine (it's ok to go in with your clothes as long as the colours are similar!) and run through a 60+ degree wash to felt the wool. Alternatively you can do this step by hand if you dampen the bunny with some hot water and rub some liquid soap into it, rolling and shaping as you go. It is the combination of hot water, soap and friction which creates the felting process

3. Dry the bunny thoroughly either on a radiator, tumble dryer or in the sun!
4. For the fluffy tail, make a small pompom with some white yarn and stitch it to the back of the bunny (tip: wrap the yarn around a fork or a piece of card, then slide it off and tie a length of same yarn around the middle to secure it. Cut the loop ends and fluff it all up!)

5. Using embroidery thread, stitch on two buttons for eyes and a little cross (Miffy style!) for the mouth

Have fun giving your bunnies character by adding extra details such as a ribbon bow or some lace flowers, or even some stripes as you crochet. You can also play around with the height of the bunnies by either adding or subtracting the amount of rounds that don't have any increase or decrease stitches. Get creative and have fun... but watch out, they are addictive!!

Wishing you a wonderful, chocolatey, bunny filled Easter!

Lisa x

{all photos by Lisa Pocklington for Get Smitten using Instagram}

Credit: this project was inspired by the knitted bunnies by Claire Garland of Dot Pebbles which appeared on the fab Mollie Makes blog recently - hop on over there for her free pattern if you are more of a knitting fan. I created my version of the simple bunnies as I can't knit for toffee!

Knitting Hell!

I've decided to add a new word to my cussing vocabulary - to be used in place of the very overused and infamous "F" word; it's "knit"

Back in September, if you remember from this post, I was gleefully proposing projects to tackle from a Phildar magazine and not being much of a knitter I decided to ease myself back into the game with this made-in-one-piece cardi. I say, ease myself back in - what I actually meant was throw myself in at the deep end, as the pattern is in French and I have not followed one in English for some 20 odd years!

A long road trip back to England at Christmas seemed the perfect opportunity to get started and I had the expert guidance of JW's mum to make sure my cast on row was done correctly - I'd like to point out at this point that I had already completed several inches of said project only to discover that I had been working on the old English needle size 7 and not the metric 7cm... big difference and big problem!

So here I am 3 months later just completing the first armhole shape - in this time I have unexpectedly learned how to pick up stitches that fall off the needle when in your bag, how to leave stitches to one side on a giant safety pin in the hopes they'll still be there when you need them again, how to increase and decrease, how to find out where you are in the pattern when you pick it back up again after several weeks & forgot to mark your place, how to continue with a pattern even though you somehow seem to be working it in the reverse to the image supplied and how to amuse your fellow sewing/yarn buddies with your haphazard, not-growing-very-quickly knitting project!

So why am I sharing this? Partly because I'm embracing all my imperfections and partly because I'd like to tell all my crochet and sewing students that I totally know what it feels like to be a novice at a skill everybody else makes look easy! I'm normally considered an expert when it comes to anything yarn related, afterall, I'm the one with the Textile Design degree and the one who teaches workshops and designs sewing and crochet patterns, but when it comes to knitting, it seems I am sat at the back of the class wearing a pointy yellow hat, emblazoned with a capitol D. I find that funny!

Sometimes it's important to accept that there are some things in life that you simply are a bit rubbish at and that you need to ask for help with, from someone who is more expert at it than you are. There's no need to beat yourself up about it and there's no need to feel like a failure. Enjoy the process, and with a little time and perseverance, chances are you'll get better at it until one day you'll find you have someone asking you for advice because they see you as more expert than they are

Crochet is definitely my thing, it's what I'm best at and can teach it till the cows come home - knitting is for fun and something I look forward to improving on over time. If this cardi is wearable when I eventually finish it, I will be a happy lady! My sense of achievement will be huge! I'll keep you posted!

Wish me bonne chance!

Lisa x

p.s in case you are wondering about the other projects I proposed in September's post from the above Phildar magazine, the Alpaca crochet lace effect waistcoat was started on the train journey to Paris but I decided it looked a bit like string so need to find an alternative yarn to use. The gorgeous, textured, wave crochet cardi is yet to be started!

{photos 1 and 3 by Lisa Pocklington for Get Smitten using Instagram, photos 2 and 4 taken from issue 50 of Phildar magazine}

Spring is in the Air!

Yes, even here in the French Alps, Spring is in the air... and with it comes that icy nip that has you reaching for something warm even though you are keen to burst your Springtime wardrobe into action!

Before things launch right into Easter, I thought I'd share with you my Get Smitten pattern from February - the lovely crochet cowl and neck warmer which features two patterns for the price of one! The pattern repeat is simple - ideal for advanced beginners and experts alike - and the overall effect is elegant and sophisticated with minimal effort; you'll love working this design

The lightweight version is perfect for these in-between months to keep that chillly biting wind at bay - use a floaty, mohair yarn for a light-as-a-feather, ethereal and delicate neck warmer. There are some delicious colours out for this season in turquoise, coral and soft grey

The chunky version is a real snuggler and looks lovely over your favourite jumper, denim jacket or winter dress. Worked in super chunky yarn, it grows in no time and makes a great gift

As with all pdf patterns from the Get Smitten pattern library, there are full written instructions on how to make both the lightweight and the chunky versions of the cowl, along with photos to help you know you are on the right track. Anyone who has participated in any of my creative workshops will testify to my thorough, step by step instructions; I'd hate for you to have any frustrations and not complete your project. I'm a strong believer in Achievment = Motivation


For this project you will need:

* 200g of super chunky yarn and / or 1 ball of mohair yarn

* size 12mm (US O/16) and / or size 10mm (US N/15) crochet hooks

* a yarn needle to darn in the ends

*a copy of the Get Smitten Crochet Cowl Neckwarmer pdf pattern
 

 

You can get started straight away with your Spring neck warmer by grabbing a copy of the pdf pattern in my Etsy store here - and if you don't crochet and would like me to make one for you, please contact me for more info! I absolutely love making these cowls

March's pattern is underway - you'll love this one too as it features a good friend of the Easter Bunny! Stay tuned, until then, stay warm!

Lisa x

{photos by Lisa Pocklington for Get Smitten, using Instagram!}

An Apple a Day...?

In case you've been wondering where I've been hiding of late, I had a few technical hitches that quite honestly scared me silly and made me realise how dependent I've become on certain devices... namely the ones with the apple-type logo!

Thankfully, what I initially feared as a total lost-it-all-forever disaster (remember that episode from Sex and the City??) actually turned out to be a very 'blonde' mistake - yep, the cable had come loose at the back & dropped out mid blog post. Having not been very diligent with my back-up habits, I panicked and it took me 2 whole days to 'fess up to JW that all was doomed, only to find (most gladly) that in fact I was just a techno numpty!

However, the thought of losing all my data, images and bookmarks got me thinking and I'm pleased to report that I chose right there and then to take some positive, preventative ACTION, as opposed to the typical, panicked REACTION that would be inevitable should my ancient system actually give up on me!

I am now the proud owner of a Mac Mini that actually supports my not-so-smart iPhone 3G and a spanking new iPad. I am officially embracing technology, technology is my friend! I can now back up all my treasured info with iCloud, sync my devices and work from wherever I may be... I see this as a good thing!

I am grinning like a Cheshire cat!

Lisa x

{gorgeous retro apple print by They UK - visit their Etsy shop here!}

Daydream Believer

When was the last time you allowed yourself to make a great big, fat list of all the things you want? I'm willing to bet it was probably addressed to Mr Santa Claus and was at least a decade ago if not two. It seems that somewhere along the journey of growing up we forget how to ask for all the things we want and how to fixate ourselves on those desires coming true with every fibre of our being. In short, we lose the power of daydreaming.

Now, obviously, there are reasons for this - after all, the real world can be a tough place to negotiate and we have all the daily pressures of life to deal with. Real, hard, scary and difficult things that our survival depends upon. But most of us find this becomes all we have room to think about and so we forget about our dreams or we feel wrong for spending time thinking about them when there is all this serious stuff to contend with.

As a society we are quick to condemn those who dare to express their desires; who do they think they are, wanting all those unrealistic things? As kids we learnt early on that it's rude to say "I want.." and are told "I want doesn't get" or that you only have the right to such desires at Christmas time or birthdays. And so as adults we are incredibly disconnected with tapping into or regularly daydreaming about our wants and desires. It's not what grown-ups do.

Having decided a few years back to change what I was very unhappy with in my grown up life, I began to ask myself what it was that I wanted? It felt like a very un-natural and almost uncomfortable question. I wasn't at all used to thinking about what I really wanted deep down and with all my heart - surely such thoughts would only lead to disappointment, right?

Wrong. Sitting down with a pad of paper and allowing myself to freely go ahead and list all the things I really, really want - no matter how far fetched they seemed at the time - was liberating. It felt weird & forced to begin with, but as I relaxed into it and realised that this list was only for me to read, I let rip and those desires flowed out of me! It felt fantastic to air dreams I didn't even know I'd been repressing.

I still have that list and re-reading it makes me smile. It is essentially my life's daydream - what I want for myself; where I'm heading. I believe that having a daydream and vision of what you want for yourself is healthy, it keeps positivity alive and its very existence is more likely to make it happen.

How will you get anywhere if you don't have a destination in mind?

How will you have a dream come true, if you don't have a dream?

Try it, make that list. Dig deep and let your imagination run free. Don't hinder yourself with guilt and practicalities - they have no place in daydreams.

Dream big

Lisa x

{Daydream List artwork by Katie Daisy for The Wheatfield}