Getting square eyes?

Done some more of my crochet squares...you know, the REALLY bright ones. I am onto this months 16. Here are Linda's choice:

The one with the little squares took ages! These are Burnice's choice:

Now just got my 6 to do! Then I will be up to 54 out of the 100 we are planning! Oooo I am getting a lot of creative things done this hols. Got some more dressmaking under way too.....

Am I late......or early?

So this week I have something knitted to show you....

Yes ok...it IS a Christmas jumper. I started it in December. But it is knitted in 4-ply so took aaaaages and grew really slowly! It is a pattern from Ravelry and is based on a 1940s style. Jess (eldest daughter) is really ino all things 1940s so it was her choice. I even managed to find some vintage buttons from my stash; although I think they are more 60s than 40s!

She is away at Uni so I posted it to her. Apparently it fits beautifully. Another UFO bites the dust.

I can knit a rainbow.....

Well it's crochet really but I have FINISHED! I began this just at the end of November last year and finally finished it just last weekend. I was inspired by this and then gave it my own slant.

As this has been Half Term week I have also decorated my bedroom. All the walls have been shocking, raspberry pink for the last 17 years so we decided it was time for a change. Now we have this rather classy chocolate brown feature wall and cream on the other walls.

My new bedding is chocolate brown too which acts as a great background for all my quilts and throws that I intend to rotate throughout the seasons. Here is another view of my rainbow....

...and again in duplicate, reflected in the mirror! I love it's happy colours and it makes me smile every time I walk into this rather grown up looking bedroom that just looks way too classy for my house!

Just to finish, a close-up of the great design of the squares that magically change from circles to squares. A little miracle every time I crocheted one, that never ceased to amaze me each time I completed one!

Blooming Flower cushion

Another "make" that was inspired by this and I followed the tutorial.

Once I sorted out all my DK wool I found that I have a surplus of cream and white. I envisaged my version of this starting with an  intense orange and fading to white on the outside rim, much like a narcissus...

Here is the finished front. I am quite pleased with the effect.

The back is the same minus the petal rows, but it does curl up a little!

I was quite impressed how even my crochet is becoming.

Then I joined the two halves together by slip stitching and stuffed them. There was a small hole in the centre where I had formed the foundation ring so I popped a button in it and pulled it to give the cushion some shape.

Quite chuffed with it now and it looks particularly effective against my brown sofa!
Right no more projects until my rainbow blanket is done. Just 16 more squares to go...

Ripple cushion

I think you have all realised that my new favourite hobby is crochet. When I saw an amazing ripple wave throw over on Attic 24 blog I just HAD to learn the pattern. The instructions are so clear that I found it very easy indeed.

So in the spirit of re-using I searched out my leftovers of wool for some colours to appeal to my daughter at Uni. Her bedding and bits and bobs are red and white so I knew she would like this. And I could only find a few teeny scraps of red! Off I went....

...and after 3 evenings I had done enough to cover a small cushion. It joined together beautifully and now I just want to do more of this lovely pattern!

Crochet hearts

Well as I mentioned Blogger seems to be having a moment and not letting me add pictures but I think I have re-discovered how to add them via Picasa.

I think this year might be my year of crochet. I am making a rainbow coloured throw and have lots of scraps of coloured wool leftover. I came across this easy pattern for hearts on Pinterest so I have decided to make them in all the colours and then will embellish a cushion with them.
Hope you are all enjoying the snow.....I LOVE it. More about that later.

A little bit of crochet

So off we go with the show and tell of what I have been up to whilst Blogger has been awkward. One job I did do over the summer was clear out the loft and sort out all my wool into chunky, 4 ply and double knit. I then used lots of the double knit to knit hats for The Big Knit, a campaign by Innocent Smoothies to raise money for Age UK. These hats go on top of the smoothie bottles and are sold throughout November with 25p from each bottle going to Age UK. I made about 50, ranging from a basic striped one to dappy hats, a deerstalker and flower ones, but foolishly didn't photograph them and I have sent them all off now.

So what to do with the chunky wool? One evening I just picked up 4 balls that went well, a large hook and set off on a Granny square....

 ....just going round and round 'til I ran out. The children love it for going over knees or shoulders whilst watching TV and it's been christened a "snuggle".

It was such fun to crochet and so cosy that I made a second one, this time using the double knit; more rows, more retro and 70's in style but just as snuggly!

Bunting!!!

I think that the whole country has gone bunting mad, myself included! I have been stitching some but I can't show you yet as it's not quite finished. That will go up in the next few days. However I found a rather groovy pattern for crocheted bunting! The original is red, white and blue but I didn't happen to have that lying about in 4ply so I just used some scraps I had. I know it's a bit wibbly but I think it would straighten once joined to other pieces. The long loop at the bottom is to put a bead on. This was so easy and such fun that I ordered some 4ply in green, white and cream to make some non festive bunting!!