Flower Crochet and other crochet projects

The flowers planted on 6th April are thriving in all the sunny weather we've been having and I have been watering them every evening before I walk the dogs.

They were the inspiration for a flowers crochet class I was invited to teach the other evening.

I was delighted to be asked and planned an evening including small pretty folded petal flowers, some rolled roses and the traditional three layered Irish rose.

Now I know that did not include pansies or anemones but this was an introduction to crocheting flowers and those other types would follow in due course...

Here are some of the wonderful flowers that were crocheted by the lovely ladies I was teaching:

And by the end of a very busy and intensive evening, there were 10 Irish roses to be admired!

 WOW: aren't these amazing? Didn't my lovely ladies do well?!

I also have had a few projects that have been crocheted in spare moments and evenings and they are coming to completion about now:
First a silk yarn bought many years ago at a Knitting and Stitching show in London: I finally found a stitch pattern to do it justice and a 6 mm hook , the one ball purchased had made a lovely cowl.

 It's a hand dyed pure silk in a squiggle zig zag style yarn, which leaves a boucle type effect.

 I just adored the colours but found neither hairpin nor broomstick worked very well as it was a very tricky yarn.
A simple mesh with a very large hook, working the yarn very loosely was the answer.

 It was from Alchemy: the yarns of transformation and I think this one was called Pagoda.
You can find this yarn on Ravelry: here
http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/alchemy-yarns-of-transformation-pagoda
My single skein was 40 grammes for this cowl, I must have used up about 10 g in trying those other stitch patterns and it's well nigh impossible to unpick. No:I have looked it up now, it comes in 40 g skeins and 167m.

 I have also finished, well almost- my version on Rowan's CETONA but I have made it too wide!

 Got carried away on the colour striping and was loving the stitch pattern, so I went too far.

 It is meant to be worn with the shoulders gathered up by a cord... As mine is so wide it's also too bulky to do this nicely so I will have to unpick a few rows either side.
Why do I always ''guess'' that I'm bigger ( read fatter) than I actually am?
It also looks on the short side, but I did want to wear it with skirts for dancing. So I did not want it too low on the hip, but rest just below a skirt waistband.

My third - idle moments or queue-busting project was started years ago and I thought it was time I finished it! The Ghost cone scarf/cowl from interweave crochet.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ghost-cone-scarf

 I have now completed 4 out of the 5 rows needed and connected them every 3rd ''gathered up'' section, but feel I may prefer it more connected ? I may do that by sewing at the end.

It's easy and fun and I love the unusual effect it produces. I'm using a 4 mm hook and Rowan Cash soft yarn in cream. I think it will take about 3-4 balls. And will have 5 small cream buttons at the end.
It's like doing broomstick crochet but instead of yarn loops you are using chained loops.
What will the next portable and larger projects be? Not decided yet!

Wait and see?

For a hot summer there may be more crochet T tops or tanks needed or maybe a swirly pineapple skirt? For next winter I'm thinking cables.... But I also would love to make the Rebel cardigan in navy from a Craftsy class?