Where Have I been?

Hello there! I have had some time off from this blog, because I have been putting together a new one! Here is something I posted recently if you are interested in what I've been doing:

A recent post from How To Crochet A Heart 

Crochet Tips for Beginners

Sometimes learning something new is overwhelming. Especially if you are teaching yourself online through tutorials!

Here are a couple of tips that I hope will encourage you if you are thinking of learning.

1.Start with a soft yarn. there's nothing worse than using scratchy yarn. You want something that feels nice! Don't start out too small either.

2. Practice. It might take a few goes to get something that you are happy with, Don't fret if you don't get it first go.

3. Don't be afraid to unpick! (Also called 'frogging!') It can be hard to unravel a row (or three) but it is better to take that extra minute to re do a row than be unhappy with the final product.

4. Experiment. Try different hook sizes and yarn thicknesses, then you'll see what results you like the best.

5. Break the rules. If you think something would look better with an extra stitch here, or and extra few rows, then do it! Its your project after all!

6. Use different sources. I have done some tutorials of different stitches (I know I haven't covered everything.. yet.) but maybe there is another explanation that speaks to you. Maybe a you tube tutorial is what you need!

7. Ask questions! Get a friend to learn with you. And have fun!

Rag Rug: Part 2 {Getting Crafty}

I'm slightly overwhelmed by the amount of traffic I got from part one of the tutorial. So without further delay, here is part two!

1.I used a Q Size crochet hook (I said earlier K, just edited the correction) (15mm)- The largest I had!  You could also knit using the same materials if you prefer. 2. Tie a slip knot and 3. chain stitch until you achieve the desired length.

4. For the main body of work I used double crochet stitch /UK treble stitch.

So far working up the rug has been quicker than cutting the material!

I am not finished as yet, but will post a finished photo as soon as I can. I would love it if you bookmarked the blog or added me to your reading list!


Emma

Rag Rug : part 1 {Getting Crafty}

Sometimes I might pin something (on pinterest) and it will get a surprising response. I photographed some crochet I was doing and got some positive feedback. I thought I would share with you how it was done. 

Today Part 1: preparing your material. 

I have a few jersey cotton baby wraps, that I just loved using, but they are stretched out and I don't think anyone would want them as they are! They are the perfect material (stretchy cotton) to make into a rag rug. With a good sharp pair of scissors cut a strip until about an inch from the end. Then cut back in the other direction. Wrap the material as you go to prevent tangles! Makes one continuous strip. The 'turns' will be a little bulky, but will be a nice little design element!

Have fun!

Emma

Faking Macro {Photo Tip #1}

Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many photo tricks and tips. Putting together some new techniques I have been learning and sharing them with you. Because, lets face it it is going to be a month before I get back on track with my 365 Project.

So here we go with photo trick number 1.

I recently read about a technique that allows you to fake a macro shot with a 50mm lens. (I wish I had saved the link) In layman's terms, macro is an extreme close up, typically of a small object. Using a 50mm lens that is held in reverse up to the camera (a DSLR in my case)

This first shot is about as close you can get to an object (in this case, bald Lego Harry Potter) while it remains in focus with a 50mm lens.
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This second shot shows how close you can get using this reverse lens technique.

It is quite hard to focus, especially since one hand is holding the camera and the other is holding the lens. The best way to achieve this is to move yourself closer or further from the object. I found that it made no difference to the manual focus settings anyway. 

So in short, a fair amount of experimenting is recommended. There is a very small depth of field, so while Harry's face is mostly in focus, the rest of him in not. This is not the technique to use if you require a sharp image, but it allows creativity at very little cost. 

At this stage I have only used my 50mm lens, but I am interested to know if anyone wants to try, or has tried another sized lens. 

Here are a couple more experiments. As you can see Lego was a readily available (and still) subject. 

In summary, do I like this technique? Yes, I like the dreamy softness, and I have always been a fan of macro photography in general. I hope that you give it a try. You will require a D/SLR camera to try it. And please let me know how it goes!

Emma