Category: Crafts

I’ve owned my basic Nikon Coolpix now for around 2 and a half years. I do love the camera, which is a basic bridge camera that is perfect for beginners. I have taken some photographs that I am rather proud of. Mainly flowers (they don’t move) and a stunning photo of The Flying Scotsman train (moves very fast) as it thundered past my house.

There’s something quite therapeutic about photographing the cut flowers in my home and the pretty colours bursting in my garden. But I am feeling as if I am out growing my camera. Both my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law are photographers. I feel like I should make more of an effort.

How pretty is this #rose?! One of my many flowers I received for my birthday #lastyear. #flowers #roses #friends #bff #cutflowers #blogger

A photo posted by The Newhouse Family blog (@thenewhousefamily) on Jan 2, 2017 at 2:22am PST

I see blogs with beautiful photo’s accompanying posts, yet mine always look grainy and never quite ‘on point’. I’m sure it’s probably my fault to be honest, but I am recently feeling the need to treat myself to something new. I would like to take a step up into the world of DSLR cameras. But where on Earth do I begin? There are so many DSLR’s to choose from, it’s a minefield. I feel like I need something that is perfect for a beginner moving away from a bridge camera, but not quite ready for a £1000+ fancy-bad-boy-long-lens-chunky-monkey camera.

 

Having a look online at the best budget, entry level DSLR cameras, I think I am going to go for something like the Canon EOS 100D, which is just under £400 and doesn’t seem so complicated that I need to study photography at Uni on a masters level. I’m a hobby photographer that only really takes pictures for my blog… or of flowers.

Gave myself some pretty #PinkKisses #Dianthus #flowers yesterday. They smell gorgeous and look so vivid! #floral #venusflytrap #cactus #prettyhouse #summer #gardening

A photo posted by The Newhouse Family blog (@thenewhousefamily) on Jul 3, 2016 at 2:11am PDT

I’ve been knitting for around 5 years now. I’m not amazing but I can follow a basic pattern (when I can be bothered and I’m not just winging-it) but I like knitting basic squares or panels and making them into ‘things’. Everyone gets knitted dishcloths for Christmas, or basic cowls. Practical, easy knitting.

Learning Crochet- How hard can it be?

But, I always wanted to learn how to crochet. I just never could do it. My fingers wouldn’t allow me for some bizarre reason. I tried on and off for a few years with no such luck. Chatting to a neighbour who is an amazing Crochet-Artiste and my local haberdashery owner who is also the Dogs Bollocks at the fine art, I was determined to do it. I COULD do it. And finally one day it just came to me. A YouTube video that I became drawn to showed me the way, and the force was strong. Totes did it!

I popped back into my local haberdashery proudly announcing that I could now make a basic chain (Whoop-de-do!) and I was hungry for more. I bought a decent crochet hook and a Mollie Makes- How To Crochet book and I rushed home. With the kids at nursery and baby Ivy napping I set to work.

Over and over again I attempted one pattern- a pan holder. A basic circle. Could I do it? It took me around 5 attempts to get started. Once I had mastered the first round, the second, third … seventh, all came to me with ease. I had bloody well done it! I had made my first crochet project. And, I still use it daily!

I have a knitting buddy. One of my closest friends. I think we became friends because we both share common ground. Both of our toddlers are pains in our arses, so we decided to start knitting and ignore them instead. It worked.

I proudly showed Danii my pan holder. “ooooh… wow… how?” “I have no idea. I think it was a fluke.”

Danii was like me, great at knitting, not so amaze-balls at crochet. We sat together and tried a new project each. Big Granny Square blankets. Nailed it.

We are now both, blatantly racing each other to the end of completing our big blankets. We are still ignoring the fighting toddlers and the mess unfolding around us, but we are getting pretty good at crochet. Danii is a bit of a wool snob, while I am happy with Poundland glittery shit, but I won’t hold that against her.

So, get yourself on YouTube and give it a go. I promise you, that you shall soon be making your own blankets (and other useless household items that will only take up more room). Crochet is also a really good excuse to ignore the real world and have a natter with your BFF at the same time.

Trust.