The great strawberry craft swap can now be revealed!

Ok so as most of you know I signed up to be part of a strawberry craft swap through Popular Crafts magazine. I did this via twitter and I got assigned a partner.

My partners name is Carla and her blog revealed enough for me to get an idea about what she liked. I especially love the vintage push bike called Bluebell, complete with basket.

I honestly had no idea to start so I thought about my skills and the best ones to use. I narrowed it down to knitting, crochet and sewing (that being the weaker of the three).

Naturally my first stop for knitting ideas was ravelry. I input strawberry and waited to see what delights I was presented with. It came up with a gorgeous pair of crocheted strawberry hand warmers. I am a slow crocheter so decided I would take inspiration and knit a pair. I started off knitting from the top down but the first one I made was cast off too tight at the cuff and I couldn't get my hand in it. It became a temporary phone case and is now waiting to be turned into something Christmassy. Then I started from the cuff up and included a few more stitches, they were perfect. I was going to sew on some seeds but a clever colleague suggested sequins. How terribly girly and completely appropriate sew on they went (see what I did there). Then I added a little crochet flower and voila! These are the reason I was asked to knit the little pink ones I made recently.

Project two was the crochet project. This was just a flash of inspiration really. I looked up a crochet strawberry pattern and then wondered what on earth I could do with them. I thought bookmark, hair bobble and then something clicked and I thought bunting to go on the lovely basket on the lovely bike. Number two complete.

The third project was inspired by a Cath Kidston egg cosy. I was going to make one of them but thought it might be a bit impractical and not very useful. I know if I have a dippy egg I just want to rip its head off and devour its insides, not tuck it up nice and warm and make in comfortable. So then I thought a larger strawberry lavender bag. I love lavender and one of these next the bed is a wonderful sleep aid so that was my plan. A little relaxation in the post.

As for the gifts I struggled a bit. I ordered a cool strawberry clock keyring from Hong Kong but it got here smashed so that was out the window. I then thought some nice jam is always a treat, lip balm (a girl can never have too many) and something for a future crafting perfect to keep the strawberry love going.

Oh, I nearly forgot about the card! Simple really, a little cross stitched strawberry. It was the start of my personalised birthday cards.

Such great things have come from this swap! It is even how I learnt I knitted the wrong way round!

Anyway, I have run out of things to say for this swap. Can't wait for the next one!!!