Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ball Dress in Progress

Hello all!

Below are a few pics of a work in progress. Have done the mock up of the dress but haven't finished the final sewing. Not sure about the shape of it at the moment, any suggestions? I'm in need of inspiration, this project has been my baby for quite a while but its high time I got it finished up!

Brid and I are in exams at the moment. Stress. But expect lots of christmas posting after they're out of the way.

Luvies,
Nat










Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Clangers have arrived...


I have always been a fan of 1970s children's television shows. I like them more than your average individual does. In a serious way. There's is something so lovely and special about them. My flame for these saggy characters and tinny music has been reignited of late with the reintroduction of exams into my life. I would much rather watch Bagpuss and the mice clean some newfound item than stare for hours at a dull book about some form of abstract and incomprehensible law. Likewise I would prefer to hear Sweep squeaking away than learn aeons of case names off by heart.


However, my absolute favourite of these television shows is without a shred of doubt, The Clangers. I just love them. They are just such awesome little creatures. I just dig the idea of little mice stop-motioning around a planet making some kind of strange hooting noise while that quintessential vintage BBC voice narrates their actions.

What I love most about The Clangers though is the little mouse-like creatures themselves and the story behind them. The Clangers were hand knitted and dressed. by the wife of Pete Firmin (model-maker, illustrator and animator for The Clangers). I find it so lovely that her hand-knitted creatures became such iconic television characters who have lasted through generations and retained their charm and appeal.


Bagpuss


Sooty, Sweep & Co.


I have my own Ambitions to knit a little Clanger friend for myself. Unfortunately with these exams I won't be able to accept the challenge until the Christmas break. However, once Christmas arrives, my time will be devoted to Clangers. I am planning on fabricating an entire family of Clangers and making a little Papier-maché planet for them to live on.

Below is the original BBC pattern for my pink mousey friends. Isn't it amazing? I'm literally so excited to try my hand at knitting one.

Make a Clanger p1

Make a Clanger p1

Make a Clanger p1


If you are looking for something nice to watch, I actually recommend having a little perusal on youtube and tracking down some vintage children's television shows. They are adorable and a real pleasure to watch. The stop motion animation is also remarkably impressive.
The simplicity of the Clangers is so appealing. The storylines are so endearing and uncomplicated. I think in part I find tv programmes these days a little dull, it tends to be the same tired old sitcom over and over again. I prefer crazy pink mice running all over planets. Yes I do.


Enjoy!

Bríd x x

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Banksy Knits


We rate!





Do You?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

An array of Knitted Niceties!

Here's a little selection of some of the pieces I made for the flea market:



Hope you like them.

Instead of post in detail about them now I am planning to give individual instructions and patterns for each of the items so you can try and make your own! Watch this space.

Have a wonderful day!

Bríd x

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The University Times Features Crafty Students

Crafty Students has been featured in UT Culture, the culture supplement of The University Times, winner of last years Student Media (Smedia) newspaper of the year award. Many thanks to The University Times and to Beth O'Rafferty who wrote the article.








Friday, October 29, 2010

The Knitting and Stitching Show!


Here at Crafty Students we take it upon ourselves to keep the Dublin population informed of all craft related events taking place in our rainy little city.
This weekend the Knitting and Stitching show is on in the RDS. It always makes for a fabulous day out. There are classes running throughout the day where for a mere 8 euro you can learn a whole new skill.
It's also a great place to pick up all kinds of crafty goods at a reasonable price. Often, you will be able to find things there that you won't find in Dublin craft shops as traders from all over the UK descend on the RDS to flog their wares.
There are also exhibitions of craft gracing the walls of the hall. It's fabulous to see what fellow crafters across the Emerald Isle are doing. You never know, maybe one day you'll see a Crafty Students exhibition having pride of place!
Even if you're new to knitting and crafting, the Knitting and Stitching show provides the perfect inspiration and place to pick up all that you need to get your knit on!

Here's a link to the website:

Enjoy!

Bríd x x

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Stop Motion Knitting

Feast you senses on this Natural Gas commercial, aired in Belgium this year, which uses stop motion and knitting to create a visual representation of cosy warmth. 

The project's simplistic concept is the the key to the films success, a clever and emotive production of TBWA Brussels, directed by Olivier Babinet produced by Lovo Films.

Don't be fooled, however by the simplicity of the concept.  This is an example of labour intensive and skillful production. Only after a month of preparation, 4 days and nights of shooting, a professional crew of over 40 men shooting live and in stop motion with 4 different cameras did the project come to fruition.



Below is a short video documenting the making of the commercial. I was struck by how it captured the satisfaction of the men working on set in their artistic process. It seems such a wonderful creative environment. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

More Flea Market Photos and Graphics

Below are a selection of extra photos not included in our main Flea Market post and some of the promotional graphics I did as business cards and price tags. :-)

Natalie



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sharing The Love




Here are a set of fantastic little hearts. They are ready to radiate lots of love and make you or someone dear have moments of heart-skippy happiness. The challenge is on you to knit them. Should you choose to accept... I have provided the pattern!
I got the pattern from a wonderful blog called Mochimochi Land. Give it a glance when you get a chance, it'll be worth your while!

Here goes:


Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

st = stitch

k = knit

p = purl
kfb = knit into front and back of stitch (to make 2 stitches where there was 1)

k2tog = knit 2 stitches together

p2tog = purl 2 stitches together

rep = repeat

Pattern starts here!
CO 2 st

row 1: kfb, k to last st, kfb

row 2: p 1 row

rep these 2 rows 6 times total (14 st)
row 3: k2 tog, k5 and turn, leaving remaining 7 st on the needle

row 4: p2tog, p2, p2tog
BO 4 st, cut a long piece of yarn (about 10″) and weave through back of piece to reattach to other side (where you left off when turning)

row 5: k5, k2tog
row 6: p2tog, p2, p2tog
BO 4 st
Repeat the above pattern for opposite side of heart.

Good luck to all my knit-wits!
Thanks to Anita Murphy for the photo.

Bríd x x


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Getting Rich Fast, Crafty Students Style!



Hello all!

Here at Crafty Students we have been extremely busy recently with our latest project, holding a stall at the Dublin Flea Market (http://www.dublinflea.ie/). The following is an article I wrote for The University Observer about the experienceYou can read the original at http://www.universityobserver.ie

/2010/10/19/o-two-attempts-getting-rich-fast/Thanks to Bridget, Paul and Killian in the Observer office for all their encouragement and for giving me the column space in their culture supplement, otwo which is always a great read every fortnight, check it out here! http://issuu.com/universityobserver/docs/otwooct19. Many thanks are also due to Anita Murphy of http://anitamurphyphotography.blogspot.com/ who came along on the day of the Flea and took some fantastic shots and kindly mastered them to vintage perfection. We are indepted to Anita. 

Natalie


Getting Rich Fast!

Money. Glorious cash, light of my life! Provider of overpriced coffee, unending credit, lavish nights out, new phone, new haircut, new laptop, new car, seasonal wardrobe, sun holidays, concert tickets and whatever else my heart desires. Oh wait, that’s right, I’m a student.

Right so, scrap all of that and replace with cracked screen Nokia, Tesco value rum and an age-old bicycle with flat tyre, no breaks and mind of its own. I was brought up on the famous seanfhocail: “Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte,” meaning health is better than wealth. I had never thought to question my resolute adherence to this phrase until the year I began UCD when my belief in its practicalities began to wane.

Due to the pressure of mountainous student bills, I’ve tried my hand at numerous jobs over the years. I’ve worked as a waitress, telephone operator, sales assistant, babysitter, house-sitter, dog-walker, food promotions girl, legal secretary, dance teacher, choreographer, corporate dancer, unqualified hairdresser for my nearest and dearest and more.

All and all it’s been completely rubbish and at €8.65 an hour, just not worth it. I’ve had my fill tidying tables and always under the watchful eye of some demanding manager or other. There is, however, no getting away from the pressing matter of money, cash is king and I’m a stuck in the role of courtier.


Whilst having a grumble about the above in The University Observer office recently, the o-two editor saw an opportunity to create some havoc and challenged me to an o-two Attempts. Get rich fast, or die trying.

Teaming up with my best friend Bríd Doherty, we took our first steps down the road of becoming self-made women. Settling on a business model took little effort as it grew from the roots of a blog, which we jointly run.

We both sew and knit and the blog follows our attempts in the world of the handmade. We decided to translate this into a stall at the Dublin Flea Market, which hosts a huge event on the last Sunday of every month in Newmarket Square, where over sixty stall holders sell their retro wares. Our stall, we decided, would compose of handmade items and a selection of retro and vintage goods, all of a kitsch style and under the brand: Crafty Students.


Trekking around Dublin, we eventually sourced such items as a as a baby blue and cream record player from the ’60s, a number of beautiful vintage typewriters in a variety of styles and colours all in full working order and with their original carry cases. Not to mention a variety of oh-so-kitsch tea sets from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, a vintage, original Bush radios, a Soviet globe, some authentic cricket jumpers (which could not have been more preptastic!) and boxes of records and slates.

Getting our sewing machines, knitting needles and crafty brains out, we made floral hairslides and hairbands, preppy rosettes for blazers and bags, numerous lengths of decorative bunting in different styles and colours from sailor stripes to granny floral, hats and fascinators, knitted woolly scarves each decorated differently, make-up bags and pencil cases.

Spurred on, we even used decoupage to cover the entirety of a chair in vintage Beano comic strips and made housewife style aprons out of a pair of vintage curtains we had picked up.



The run up to the Flea was a time of extreme nerves for us both. With so much time, effort and money invested, the only option was for the day to be a success, but with no previous experience, we had no idea what the outcome would be. We began to promote wildly, on Facebook, our blog and through business cards but with a niggling fear that all those virtual “I’m attending”, promises on Facebook wouldn’t translate to reality.


On the day, our stock spilled over the edges of the table and engulfed the floor around us. To our relief, we were swamped with custom as hagglers argued over who had seen which tea set first and literally grabbed various typewriters, claiming them as their own.

Neither of us ate all day, not that we didn’t try to tuck into two massive falafel kebabs, but so constant was the flow of people that we were unable to take more than one or two bites. Reflecting that my favourite seanfhocail seemed to be taking ironic delight in my situation by furnishing the two of us with terrible flus, we fought on.

At one point, a frenzied bargain hunter seemed to be fussing over our stock more than anyone and I asked her if I could help. She subsequently revealed that she was a scout looking to source quality vintage stall holders for a new flea market she was setting up and pressed us to consider joining her.

The Monday after the flea, I marched into the Arts Café, now able to afford their over-priced coffee and saw a guy walking in the opposite direction proudly sporting one of our preppy cricket jumpers. Crafty Students had arrived. Roll on the good times!