Darwin - coral & crochet!

So I'm off to run workshops in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge tomorrow. It's on Darwin, coral and crochet.
I'm super excited to be able to go and run it, I really feel like I'm getting back to where I should be with craft and craft educating.
I will post photos when I get back, but until then you can find more information here.

Internet Malfunction

Don't you just hate it when you rely on something and then it breaks! I have had no internet access since my last post due to some unknown malfunction that either BT or Virgin may have fixed, or it may have just started to work again, as abruptly as it stopped in the first place. Needless to say I was slightly annoyed at the timing - having just spent a good portion of time getting the bones of my website into a reasonable condition. I had spent an afternoon setting up a mini studio and photographing items for the gallery and new exciting things for sale (with the help of Lightborne - Thank you!), but then had no way of putting these lovely things in webspace.
I plan on getting the majority up and going over the next couple of days...

One good thing did come out of being cut off from the virtual world, I have made a lot more this week. It was great to get back to being solely creative.
I am a maker!

website changes...

So I have spent the best part of the afternoon changing the shop area of my website around. It will have a whole new feel to it, once I have uploaded it!! It's almost there. Be patient dear people, it will materialise. :)

Crazy few months

If I have any regular visitors to Peeko, you might have noticed the lack of activity over the last few months. Things have been hectic, and I would love to say that it was Peeko keeping me occupied, but unfortunately not. My other job - the one that gives me a sustainable income - has taken over my life. There is just so much to think about and until very recently I was allowing it to take up almost every waking moment.
But not anymore...
I have realised that without my crafty side I start to go a little crazy. Being crafty, crocheting, spinning, and now beading gives me such a sense of achievement... (I'm starting to ramble a little...) There is nothing better than coming home from a hard day in the other job, and making something to help me relax.

So that is my new plan, I'm going to try to get back to making, and being happier. I aim to make something everyday, be it large or small, and all shall be balanced again... hopefully. :)

Crochet Coral Reef, Dublin

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef reached Irish soil about 10 days ago, as part of the Knitting and Stitching Show. It was a great show - the reef grew a little more. Here are some rather shaky videos I took of it in the RDS.


Crochet Coral Reef (RDS Dublin) 1 from Denise Quinn on Vimeo.


Crochet Coral Reef (RDS, Dublin) 2 from Denise Quinn on Vimeo.


Crochet Coral Reef (RDS, Dublin) 3 from Denise Quinn on Vimeo.

Spin, spin, spin

My brand new spinning wheel arrived last week, so I've been busy trying to spin some fibre and some plastic. It's great fun and utterly relaxing. I bought a Kromski Sonata and I LOVE it!

The plarn (plastic bag yarn) is turning out really well and is crocheting up great.



The fibre on the other hand will take some time to get used to. I did manage to spin a lovely blend of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere - it is charmingly uneven and I think it will make a lovely piece of coral for the UK Reef.