Polymer Play

This weekend I have been playing with polymer clay (I used fimo for these samples)

lots of blending and shaping the clay

These are ready for the oven
Just out of the oven and the colour has become must darker and stronger will have to experiment with different temperatures.
Here's some finished results

Just time to make another batch.

Saturday Classes

I have been busy on Saturdays (so blog is getting neglected again) attending a 10 week course in plotting pattern pieces (that's my hand with the mouse with all the buttons) and using Lectra- Modaris pattern design software to develop and adapt patterns. Grading sizes is so easy. I have added a few screen shots below.



We also used Lectra - Diamino software for marker making (laying the pattern pieces onto fabric) a giant pattern piece jigsaw puzzle.
I just need to win the lottery so I can have the software at home.
So now the course is finished it gives me some time this weekend to play with polymer clay (a quick pic of some work in progress), i'll post my results later when they come out of the oven :)

Butterfly Dance Chart

To match the "Here come the Bee's" chart from last month I have added the "Butterfly Dance" chart over at NezumiWorld.com . Look out for more mix 'n' match charts coming soon :)

Knitted Red Rose Brooch

I was thinking about this years up and coming "knit in public day" (12th June) and decided I wanted to make some flowers again, that's if I get to do any knitting on the day this year, I am attending a digital digitising and pattern cutting course on Saturdays (its a 10 week course and I am half way through it) using lectra software I will post about that soon, its really interesting maybe I will knit in the canteen at lunch time :)
In case I can get to do some knitting, I have been playing making some knitted roses, a bit like the crocheted rose pattern I posted early last year (eek the months are speeding by way to fast) so I can mix and match them on a bag I am making.


I have included the pattern for this red rose


Knitted Red Rose Brooch (or any colour rose brooch you prefer)

DK yarn/ Light worsted weight
(pattern will work with most yarns and weights just adjust the needle size)

4mm/ 8 (uk)/ 6 (USA) Knitting needles
Brooch Back (optional you can just sew onto a sweater, cardigan, bag etc if you prefer)
Abbreviations:
k - Knit
yo - yarn over the needle
k2tog - Knit 2 stitches together

I put some lace holes in my rose for interest but it can be knitted without them just adjust rows 2 and 8 to k60

Pattern
Row1 : k60
Row2 : k2, [yo, k2tog, k4] 9 times, yo, k2tog, k2
Row3: k60
Row4: k60
Row5: k60
Row6: k60
Row7: k60
Row8: k5, [yo, k2tog, k4] 8 times, yo, k2tog, k5
Row9: k60
Row10: k2tog 30 times
Row11: k30
Row12: k2tog 15 times
Row13: k15
Row14: k2tog 7 times, p1
Row15: k8
Row16: k2tog 4 times
Row17: k4
Cast off leaving a long length to use use for sewing
Twist into a rose shape and sew to secure. If making a brooch add back now.

Elephants

All over London a strange herd of very colourful elephants have appeared. There are over 250 of them. All individual some metalwork others hand painted beautiful elephants and fun elephants.
They aim to raise money for elephants throughout the world, part of the Elephant Parade, organised by the Elephant Family Charity there are similar events throughout the world in an effort to raise awareness of the plight that faces elephants
Here are a few I saw appear last week.

Lacy elephants
Shiny smooth silver elephants
Police elephants
Elephants pretending to be pandas
Even footballer elephants

Glow in the dark leafs

I have been playing again with jelly yarn this is the peppermint glow-in-the-dark jelly fine yarn. I am making some leafs for the garden I hope to add some flowers also (I have some glow-in-the dark pinks also), I'll see how it goes. I have noticed the darker it is the more the yarn glows.

Here come the Bee's

Maybe its because it has been a beautiful spring week with the sun shining or its the fact the windows are not shaking every 20 minutes because of the no fly zone over the UK caused by ash from a volcano in Iceland, but I have managed to update the whole of the nezumiworld.com website (all 132 pages) plus added a new chart "Here come the Bee's". This is to complement the last chart "honeycomb" I am currently using this chart to make a scarf, I will post it when finished and hopefully now keep updating the site and blog more regularly :)