I had a bowl of hot soup for lunch on Wednesday. It was "Moreish Mexican Chilli Bean" soup and was delicious, mmmmm. I would like to tell you that it's a terrific homemade recipe that I knocked up, but I would be fibbing. I don't really do homemade soups, I just cannot face all that chopping and prepping. So I go with the Opening The Carton approach.
There. Hot soup that taste's (almost) like homemade in a couple of minutes flat. After lunch whilst I was in the kitchen tidying away, I was hit with an idea. It came visually flying into my mind, whoooosh (which is happening a lot these days, love love loving all the Creative Vibes I'm getting!)
So instead of flattening the carton and slinging it in the bin, I rinsed it out, measured it, double checked the measurements, then set to work hooking up a jacket to wrap around it. I used exactly the same method as I did for the tuna tins, only of course I made many more stripes. I had a huge amount of fun playing with the colours, working the stripes through a sort of earth~grass~sky~clouds type of idea.
But as lovely and delicious as the stripes were, I had something else to add.
A flower. A simple circle, with a stem and two leaves. A few buttons for extra detail.
I stitched the shapes to the stripes using ordinary sewing cotton and tiny stitches so that they were invisible. I stitched the stem first, then the leaves, then the flower on top. Afterwards, when everything was attached in place, I used the Rowan cotton yarn and a darning needle to add a bit of chunky decorative stitching on top. Little straight stitches radiating out from the flower, and a line of backstitch running up the centre of each leaf.
I love decorative stitching. Whenever I do it, I always tell myself I should do more of it (I thought this when I stitched my Jolly Festive bunting letters)
There you go, there it is with all the stitching finished.
So. Can you see where this is going?
You know this is a wrap for my empty soup carton. And you know if you took note of the post title that this is going to have something to do with herbs, right?
Fresh Parsley to be precise. I'd love to hear how you buy fresh herbs in other parts of the world? Here in the UK, we have a choice. We can either buy a pre-packed cut bunch of them, or we can buy fresh living herbs growing in a pot, like the parsley in the picture above.
I like the idea of living herbs, but truthfully they are very flopsy, leggy little plantlets in an insubstantial plastic square pot. They flop and droop and look all sad if you take the plastic wrapper off. So my idea was to make a pretty container for them to stand in. Something tall enough to hide and support the thin leggy stems.
And the soup carton happened to be the perfect size and shape. Absolutely perrrrrfect.
Before I could slip the parsely pot inside it's new home, I took some scissors and trimmed the rim of the pot off. It was just a smidge too big to fit with the rim left on. It was easy to cut as the plastic is very thin indeed. I was all prepared to do battle with the scissors, but no need.
So shall we have a little ta-dah moment now?
Ok.
Here it comes...............
Ta-DAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One crochet herb pot. Complete with insect life. Aww I couldn't resist adding the little bee button, I've had him sat in my button box for such a long time with no real hope for his future. The bee came as part of a mixed pack of small insect buttons which I bought (along with quite a few others) many years ago. They're called "Dress It Up" buttons and there are hundreds of designs to choose from. Easy to find them online if you like this sort of thing (which I really do)....see here for bees and other critters.
I'm really, really happy with my herb pot. Like ridiculously happy with it.
I love it cos it turned out just the way I had in mind, and it does the job so beautifully. And I love it cos it's sparked off yet another idea............
........I'm thinking about a long, rectangular stripy cushion with a whole row of appliqué crochet flowers. Kind of like Caroline's paper flowers but in crochet form. A flower garden cushion. Oooooooooo how exciting!!!
Buzz buzz buzz. So many ideas buzzing in! Where on earth are they coming from? I could really do with a bit of a let up now so that I can settle back down with my ripple.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ps :: about the soup carton. You don't have to use a soup carton. It could be any sort of carton with the right dimensions. In the UK, we have almost identical sized cartons for many of our liquid products including fresh fruit juice and long life milk. I know this cos I went round the supermarket with Little Man's animal ruler to measure all the cartons I could find. Yeah I know.
x
Edit to add :: the yarn I used here is Rowan Handknit Cotton dk. It's a lovely, soft cotton yarn in beautiful colours, and I love it for decorative projects because it holds it's shape so well. It produces a soft but slightly stiff material, unlike the Rico Creative cotton which produces a soft but floppy material, if that makes sense. I've also gone down to a 3.5mm hook instead of the usual 4mm to make the stitches nice and tight. Rowan yarn is quite expensive at around £3.60 for a 50g ball. But I adore working with it and will always have a basket of it in my cupboard. I sometimes look on ebay to buy up odd balls of discontinued colours which are often much cheaper. I would be interested to know what cotton yarns are available in the US which might compare? x
That is sooo cute! And colourful, that bee just really finishes it off. :)
Posted by: idiosyncratic eye | January 29, 2012 at 01:07 PM
This would make me silly happy as well. It's awesome! I'm your newest biggest fan!
Posted by: Julie from Denmark | January 29, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Fantastic work yet again Lucy, and eco freindly to boot!
Posted by: emilylovesbagpuss | January 29, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Incredible
Posted by: Deb | January 29, 2012 at 12:06 PM
i am french and i love your blog, it is very nice et happy
Posted by: catherine | January 29, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Thank You for your idea! I passed it on for my friends. Hier-->http://www.facebook.com/groups/nadelspiel/
Posted by: Ai Ha | January 29, 2012 at 09:23 AM
Lucy, you asked about cotton yarn from the U.S. that might be similar. Both Peaches & Cream (U.S.) and Lily Sugar'n Cream (Canada, but readily available in the U.S.) are beautiful cottons that cost less than what you mentioned for the Rowan Handknit. Might want to check them out! :) Each company makes different colors, and the two cottons blend seamlessly in a project. I've heard the Lily brand bleeds in the wash a bit while the Peaches & Cream doesn't, but I haven't tested that. Lily brand does tend toward bolder colors. There is also Lion Brand cotton, but it tends toward being much more expensive for the same amount of cotton, though again, the colors are different. I have not had good luck joining lion brand cotton with my other cottons. It is always obvious it doesn't belong. Enjoy! Good luck! And I love your project and your blog. :)
http://www.sugarncream.com/
http://www.elmore-pisgah.com/ (peaches & cream)
http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/newcottonease.html
Posted by: Michelle (KiaTree) | January 29, 2012 at 06:26 AM
Just curious: how old is your Little B? We have a Little B in our house as well. He's just a tad over 11 months. He's growing altogether too quickly, and I'm having a hard time admitting to myself to he will no longer be a "baby" soon.
Posted by: Hannah | January 29, 2012 at 05:25 AM
You are so fantastic. The colours are very lovely and warm and make me happy!
Unn :)
Posted by: Unn | January 29, 2012 at 04:41 AM
I love you colorful and inspirational projects! Thank you for brightening up the winter doldrums with energetic color! I just started a mini version of the granny stripe for my sister's bump, which is due in less than a month. Thank you for all you do!
Posted by: EllieCsong | January 29, 2012 at 04:35 AM
In Australia our herbs are sold the same way (floppy in a pot) or by the bunch. I think they are grown in greenhouses so are not happy when they hang around in the store for a time
Posted by: Raine Phillips | January 29, 2012 at 04:34 AM
So amazing! I love how you are taking things that would otherwise just go to a recycling center or even worse a land fill and making them into beautiful and purposful items to use around the home! I'm really inspired! Thanks so much for sharing.
Posted by: Amanda G. | January 29, 2012 at 03:52 AM
so cute! you are one creative lady!
Posted by: eva | January 29, 2012 at 03:21 AM
I love your creativity!
Knitpicks has some rather nice cotton. I am using Comfy sport for a baby blankie. Comes in different thicknesses.
Posted by: penelope10 | January 29, 2012 at 02:44 AM
Oh wow! That is completely adorable. So much stripy goodness! The little flower and the bee button just make the whole thing. Fab fab fab. :)
Posted by: Kristen | January 29, 2012 at 12:18 AM
You can make the most fiddliest thing with a crochet hook, but you can't chop a few vegetables???? I'm sorry, but that is just pitiful and downright lazy!
Posted by: mklara | January 29, 2012 at 12:01 AM
This is so sweet! I cannot help but love it! During these cold gray winter days, I need some cheerful colors to brighten things up. Thanks for the inspiration! :-)
Posted by: Janet | January 28, 2012 at 11:50 PM
What a cute crocheted carton!!! I love it!! I think Sugar n'cream could compare to Rowan DK cotton. It also comes in fun colors and is sturdy. I can't wait to see your pillow!
Posted by: Taylor | January 28, 2012 at 11:45 PM
Wow Lucy, I can't keep up! You're creative mojo is on fire! Love that herb pot cover x
Posted by: Emma | January 28, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Awww Lucy I proper love this! It's really made me smile for some reason! Maybe it's the randomness of it or maybe it's that bee! I love him :D
Turning rubbish into something lovely is a fab thing to do :D
Posted by: Nicole | January 28, 2012 at 11:04 PM
Lovely! I love it!
Posted by: sooz | January 28, 2012 at 10:47 PM
Lovely! I love it!
Posted by: sooz | January 28, 2012 at 10:47 PM
Oh Ditto everyone! Terrific idea, yes my favourite sleeve too. Love the colour combo - at first I just thought 'oh yeah, usual nice stripes' but when finished, the whole idea of a horizon behind the flower and then that bee, those extra little design details top it off! You're in the zone, great place to be, surf that creativity cause we're loving the results! :)
Posted by: Denise B(ee) | January 28, 2012 at 10:25 PM
Wonderful! I will have to have a go at these.
Helenxx
Posted by: Helen | January 28, 2012 at 08:55 PM
cut bunch here! (Cyprus)
OR grow your own in backyard.
Posted by: Sike | January 28, 2012 at 08:42 PM