Rainbow in the Storm - the only one of it's kind

Following on from my Rainbow in the Clouds this is second version of this, there won't be any more after this, just the two of them.  So, as before, I have basically taken a design that I make regularly, a 1970's shawl pattern and re-purposed it for my needs, so it is still the same flower with a granny square surround but made using much thicker yarn, bigger crochet hook, more colours and a new shape/configuration of the motifs.

How many colours in total?  How about 32, yes I did say "32".  One for the flower centres in bright yellow, one for main colour in white and 30 different colours and shades for the petals, arranged in 3 similar colours from dark to light such as dark purple, mid-purple, light purple and that makes up with width of the short edge.  The long edge the colours are arranged in a kind of rainbow configuration such as yellow, orange, red, dark red, purple etc etc so that technically you end up with 3 rainbows, one in dark colours, one in mid-depth colour and one in light colour.  Perhaps photos will help explain it, after the white and the yellow, I've put them in the same order that they are in the finished item.

I added an edging once I had finished, just to finish it off.  I had to substitute one of the colours for another similar one as I ran out and I swapped the white for black looks like a rainbow stained glass window...

They're not the best photos in the world but they will have to do for now until I get round to taking proper photos for the shop.

Rainbow in the Clouds - the only one of it's kind

Why is the only one of it's kind?  Because I came up with the idea, designed it and put the colours together myself before I actually made it.  How many more unique points do you need?  I have basically taken a design that I make regularly, a 1970's shawl pattern and re-purposed it for my needs, so it is still the same flower with a granny square surround but made using much thicker yarn, bigger crochet hook, more colours and a new shape/configuration of the motifs.

How many colours in total?  How about 32, yes I did say "32".  One for the flower centres in bright yellow, one for main colour in white and 30 different colours and shades for the petals, arranged in 3 similar colours from dark to light such as dark purple, mid-purple, light purple and that makes up with width of the short edge.  The long edge the colours are arranged in a kind of rainbow configuration such as yellow, orange, red, dark red, purple etc etc so that technically you end up with 3 rainbows, one in dark colours, one in mid-depth colour and one in light colour.  Perhaps photos will help explain it, after the white and the yellow, I've put them in the same order that they are in the finished item.

I added an edging once I had finished, just to finish it off.  It has turned out a lot bigger than I thought it would but that is not going to stop me from making another one the same, although I have to substitute one of the colours for another similar one as I have run out, and I'm going to swap the white for black so it will look like a rainbow stained glass window...

They're not the best photos in the world but they will have to do for now until I get round to taking proper photos for the shop.

A whole lot of rainbows of cotton

So I've just finished making my eighth consecutive shawl using aran weight cotton yarn, one that I over-dyed Burlesque Red and then seven of the wavy lace wraps so you would think that I would have used up quite a bit of yarn.  I probably have to be honest but it just doesn't look like I have.  I had hoped that this pile would have been a lot smaller by now but I guess my expectations hasn't met the reality of it.  I feel like I do with a yarn Pacman right now, eat some this would ya?  Nom, nom, nom, nom.

This photo isn't even all of the aran weight cotton yarn.  I have 15 balls of black, 15 balls of white and 15 balls of bright yellow all waiting on the side-lines to be used as main colours in large rainbow themed or similar colour projects.  All of these are 50g balls originally, some are part balls now though too.

Design A193 - Olive greens

My final colour combination that I have sorted out to make these shawls with is olive/khaki green.  Can't wait to be done with these now, getting a little bored, want to make something else, have ideas, hmmm, will they work though?

And that's a wrap, quite literally!

Design A1932 - purple stripes

I really enjoyed making the last shawl, let's hope this one goes the same way, it is shades of purple after all.  Lovely!  I am getting through some of my stash of cotton yarns but nearly as much as I had hoped that I would.  Lot's of leftovers, I will take a photo once I have finished this and the next one but I already have ideas of how I'm going to go forward with it as I really don't want to make anymore of this particular design after the next one.

Design A193 - the sunset

I kept looking at the range of colours of aran cotton that I'd got and couldn't get away from a particular thought so I decided to go ahead and try it.  That thought is that a certain group of colours reminded me of a sunset when in the right order.

When my 15 year old saw me making this one they started singing the opening lines from The Lion King, which they learned when they were in Yr6 as that was the end of year performance they were part of when they left primary school, and followed it up with "that looks like a sunset".  Bingo, the exact reaction I was hoping for.

Reminds me of a cross-stitch picture I done years ago...

One day I will get this framed, along with all the others that still need to be framed.

Design A193 - Red wine to white

No rest for the wicked, on to the next of crochet shawls.  Aran weight cotton again, in shades red wine, rose and white.  They're pretty quick to make but can become boring, if like me you make one after the other, after the other.  I've not got a lot to say about it other than that you work from the bottom up and then the last thing you do is go around the entire edge and create the shells across the top and add definition to the points along the bottom.