Trees and Triangles

My memory really must be very bad indeed cos I honestly thought I had shared this with you a few weeks ago. But it turns out that no I didn't, I just imagined that I did. Dear oh dear, I do apologise. So thank you very much to those of you who gently reminded me you hadn't in fact seen inside the map-package (mentioned in this post), cos you are in for a treat.

Isn't Internet Shopping so easy these days? And such a huge temptation too! I partake in a lot of  Virtual Shopping, lots of browsing and oooohing and ahhhing but on the whole I try very hard to keep my actual purchasing to a minimum. We have quite a strict Financial Control Manager here at number 24 you know.  If I come across something that I really, really, really think I want/need/desire, I tend to step away from the computer, sleep on it a few days, then re-visit and test out the level of Genuine Wanties for whatever it is. I am very rarely an instantaneous buyer. Is this bonkers? Anyone else do this?

This is what happened with this particular purchase. I came across it by happy accident as I was searching for something entirely different at the time. I was on Flickr, looking for bunting inspiration. Which I found (more of that in a bit), and that then led me onwards to a new blog which happened to showcase some amazing artwork. Clickety click and I arrived at an Etsy shop where the aforementioned amazing artwork is for sale. Ooooooo, the wanties kicked in immediately. I really wanted/needed/desired this artwork in a BiG way. So I walked away from the computer, slept on it a few days, chatted to husband/friends about it, tried to gauge if these particular wanties were strong enough to give in to. Back to the computer screen, clickety-click and YeS, that overwhelming heart lurch and I was certain I had to go for it. It helped that the FC Manager had provisionally given this potential purchase The Nod.

Good-o, clickety-click then and it's done. And so I waited. I waited and waited. The Little People waited with me, for they found it incredible that a package would be arriving from the Upside-down side of the world and they were very excited at the prospect. It takes quite a few days for a package to travel from Australia to the UK, so we continued to wait, and one morning it finally arrived.

As you can see from the above picture, it arrived beautifully wrapped. We were (all three of us) very impressed by the map wrap, not to mention the delightful little paper crane. So thoughtful! So clever!

So do you want to see inside the Mappage?

Want to see what got my heart a-skipping?

OK, here it is...........................................

.........this is the sweet little card that accompanied my purchase................

.....and this is the purchase itself. What do you think? Isn't it just beeeeeaaaaauuuutiful???

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh deep sigh. I L♥VE it so much.

It's a print taken from an original artwork called "Backyard with Stars" by the super talented Loretta Grayson. What a creative whizz Rett is! Her crochet work is hugely inspiring, but it's her artwork that really blows me away. I was fascinated to read this post with step by step pictures showing how each artwork is created. It made me love my little print so much more once I got a feel for it's creation. So clever.

The colours in Rett's work are incredibly close to my own instinctive colour palette don't you think? You can see how beautifully it fits in around here...it's right at home in the Attic I can tell you.

I love seeing it propped up there on the mantel, but I do intend to have it framed soon so that I can hang it on the wall.

So if you'd like to see more of Rett's work, do pop along to her Etsy shop and be prepared for The Wanties to strike.

Anyhow, cute little Trees aside, lets talk Triangles now shall we?

The above photo shows Loretta's fabulous crochet work :: this amazing bunting is what caught my eye in the first place over in Flickrville.

You see, I decided to finally take down my Advent Star Garland in the New Year and it left behind it a big wide open empty gap. Even the Little People commented on how empty it looked without the garland there, and we decided between us that the space was in desperate need of Something Else to fill it. Triangle bunting, I thought, and off I went to Flickrville to search out some inspiration.

So I had in mind to make some crochet granny bunting (ie triangles worked in the round with holes in, as opposed to triangles worked in rows without holes)...lots of patterns around and about in Blogland for this sort of thing.

The pattern that I fell in love with is to be found on Alice's blog Crochet with Raymond. What a gem of a blog this is, do go and have a rootle around at Alice's place if you don't already know it, it's a true delight. Her granny bunting is sooooooo pretty (that's her picture above) :: the dinky little picot edging and sweet little pointy bit at the bottom really captured my heart.

She's written up a super pattern for her bunting and it is all yours for free if you should want it...go here to find it.

I started working on my own bunting way back in early January, turning to my trusty stash of Rowan Handknit cotton. I switched down to a 3.5mm hook, and have to say am very happy with the results. I've not blocked them yet so they look a little bit wibbly and roundy still, but they are very sweet indeed.

I'm making mine very slightly different to Alice's original pattern in that I'm making the picot edging round in a different colour to the last granny round and also working an extra row along the top of the triangle.

I reckon I'm going to need twenty triangles in total to fill my very wide archway......only done four so far. Cos I got sidetracked by the Japanese Flower Scarf (almost finished!!!!!!!!), and then that in turn got tossed aside for a wee while when I needed to steam ahead with the Secret Project (very finished!!!!!!!).

More of Scarves and Secrets coming soon I promise. Although do feel free to (gently) remind me if I forget to remember to show you. You know, if I imagine that I did but in reality forget completely. Thank you. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Comments

[PinkCat]

Very colourful. Both the picture and the triangles look very at home in your home! x

[Alice and Raymond!!!]

Beautiful post today Lucy! Yes, I am soooooooooooooo in love with Rett, I used to leave terribly soppy comments declaring my love for her work constantly, but manage to retrain myself! I'm absolutely going to buy a print (or 3) for our new house, because they are so amazingly beautiful!
And your bunting looks delish, very very cute and the extra colour around the edge makes it very Lucy for sure!
XXXXX

[Linda Gilbert]

Visiting you today has given me a serious dose of the little written about disease called blog hopping and I don't want a cure. Thanks for those wonderful links Lucy

[Caroline]

Oh so beautiful & colourful. Loving both the bunting and the prints. I love the art work on this website: http://www.laurawall.com/ Thanks so much for sharing your goodies.

[maypole]

oh that is gorgeous, no wonder you had the "wanties"

I love the colours in your home

[Claire]

Wow there must be something about bunting I'm the air!! Ive recently been pondering some knitted bunting. Yours is gorgeous - I love your choice of colour. Can't wait to see it finished.

[Becky J]

Thanks for sharing your super little finds! I love the bunting and would love to make some for the garden for our Easter Egg hunt but I'm a slow newbie hooker so if I start now it might be ready for next year!
Looking forward to your 'tah-dah' of the Japanese flower scarf. Becky x

[Victoria]

Very sweet...I'm doing virtually the same crochet bunting for a market stall that I have for my baby knitting business at the end of the month...I needed to decorate my stall....and knitted bunting wasn't an option, that was too troublesome. Bright, colourful and cheerful. Love it!!

[Loretta]

What a beautiful post, Lucy... I'm speechless too (almost)!
And what a sweet surprise this morning - I want to give you a big hug! It's also so nice to be in this post with Alice, whose crochet work and blog I love so much :)
Rett
xxx

[Sara]

Your new print purchase fits right in! I just love Alice at Crochet with Raymond. All of her projects are beautiful and inspiring! And I alway seem to laugh a little when reading her posts. Your new bunting is wonderfully colorful as always. :)

[Hazel]

I love Loretta's stuff and I have her bookmarked in my etsy - for, you know, that rainy day feeling when you NEED a boost. I love your bunting. I have been itching to start that too but I just can't get round to it! Oh oh also... last night, I ordered a pair of shoes from that Oxygen place you mentioned. I am testing them out as an online shop so will see what I think. I got some turquiose shoes. Just hope they are okay when they come. xx

[Sandra]

How funny! As soon as you mentioned "amazing artwork" from Australia I knew where you were headed. I have coveted her work for a while - even posted the link to her shop to Husband, just in case!
Also love Alice, she is so generous. Not so into the bunting but love her Grandalas.
I'm always impressed how you make everything you do so very definitively YOU.
Have a gorgeous day,
Sandra

[April]

I love this! I did one triangle in which my son asked for other shapes so I ended up doing a hexagon, octagon, rectangle, square and circle! I tried out your granny stripe pattern for the rectangle!! :) I would still be doing nothing but squares without you!!!

[Renee]

I LOVE your basket of yarn Lucy!!!!!
Such a creative gal :)

[Kelly]

Wise shopping that is. Time to consider. I do that too. And that artwork is amazing! It deserves a frame. Really it does.
I'd forgotten what bunting was when you mentioned it but when I saw the pictures of it I remembered. I really like bunting. I've never seen crocheted ones but they look great! I'm tempted...maybe in my new bedroom in my new place to live when I get there.

[Jocelyn House]

I always thought that you had very similar taste to me. I mean every time you show us your wool purchsases, your projects etc, I am not to proud to admit that I lust (is that to strong a word) after it. And now I have proof positive. This same wonderful and beautiful print of Loretta's graces my work area. My copy arrived about four weeks ago, though it didn't have nearly as far to travel just down from South East Queensland to a little east of Melbourne, and if I loved it when I saw it on Rett's etsy store, that tripled to say the least when I saw it in person. Her colours to me are the colours of Queensland where my mother's family is from.

BTW Your bunting is bee-ootiful. Can't wait to see it completed, but I will be good and patient.

And before I go I have to tell you that the castle in your town was always one of my mother's favourites. Whenever she visited Britain she tried to time it so that she could visit it, and of course potter around all the shops. She had a favourite little B&B that she used to stay at each time, but I can't remember which one it was. I hope to be able to see it myself one day.

[Jacquie]

Hi Lucy , love your print it is so you and so very pretty .
Your bunting is looking fabulous ...can't have too much bunting I say . I love your wicker case full of yummy yarn too :0)
Jacquie x

[Sandi Lee]

Yes it is very Attic24 indeed. I love internet purchases and have the wanties very BIG for that Rowan cotton, the colors are so yummy. But I have to be very strong for the time.
Enjoy your beautiful print.
x Sandi

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy I picked up a copy of Country Living today with photos of
outdoorsy in the woods stuff and was thinking must make some bunting at least, then checked emails and then spotted you had posted and lo and behold a bunting creation! I know crochet with Raymond.
Will look up the art prints/I especially liked the title of the piece.
As always striking colour combinations. xx

[melanie]

OH MY GOD.

Your artwork comes from a lady in my family's home town. I had a look at her flickr and got more and more intrigued that the landscape looked awfully familiar and finally found some photos of the main street and the deal was done. How crazy is it that I have been reading your blog for some time now and there is a strange six degrees moment across the globe.

It really is very pretty :D

[Linnie Joy]

I think forgetsies are going around... spring is coming and everyone is buzzy!!!

[Amii]

Oh, I am just totally in love with that artwork. So in love with it, in fact, that I don't dare go look at the shop for fear of deciding that I absolutely NEED every last piece in it. LOL. I will most certainly be tucking it away in the back of my mind, though, for an opportunity when I have a little extra spending money. ;)

[Susan P.]

I am thoroughly enjoying your beautiful, colorful blog. We are still blanketed with snow in Minnesota and your colorful projects lift my spirits. Thank you for sharing your life and your attic photos. They are just lovely - I need to re-watch All Creatures Great and Small now! Rolling green hills...

[Anita Meade]

Hi Lucy. I bought the exact same print from Loretta's beautiful Etsy store about (?) 8 months ago. I fell in L.O.V.E with it too and just had to have it (a rare internet purchase for me too). I'm sure you're "Backyard with Stars" artwork will bring you just as much joy as mine has. Love Anita. xx

[joanlvh]

a japanese flower how to or hint would be great! thanks