Its been a while!

Look just how long it has been since I blogged! Life has been super busy, what with SATS at school and my children doing exams and concerts etc etc. But I have been busy and creating. Way back in February a lady at work announced that she was having a baby. I was keen to knit for her and she said what she would really like is a large, white shawl. I remember my Aunt knitting me a beautiful lace one for my first child and then when I announced I was expecting twins, she knitted me a second one! They are much used and treasured and the most useful of items so I asked her for the pattern and decided this was THE ONE! Well many a time I wondered just what was I doing, attempting such a pattern! It was lacy and huge and in 4 ply but I soldiered on and finally, finally I have finished it! Just as well because there was a surprise lunch for her today and it is the last day to see her!

This is the pattern of the centre....about 5ft square.

And the lace edging; miles and miles and miles of it!

A rather nicely eased corner (if I may say so)

And the final thing; that's on my king size bed for scale! I can't deny that I am relieved it's finished. There are several mistakes that I just couldn't rectify but hey, it's handmade. She was delighted with it....now I just hope she will use it or my labours will have been in vain!

More Easter things...

First I can show you our Easter Bunny....

He quite liked eating my Easter Tree! I have been whizzing on and now I have finished my 6 crochet squares too.

I have also made myself a skirt! This was quite easy but I did learn a new skill; how to put in an invisible zip. I have put zips in before but not invisible ones and I was quite pleased with how "invisible" it ended up!

I did have a panic when I had nearly finished and held the skirt up against me...it looked like it was going to be far too small! Luckily when I tried it on it was a perfect fit...especially as I am now loosing weight.. With a few more pounds off it will be even better.

Last thing to show you tomorrow I hope!

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.....

More Craft Cabin Crochet!

It's coming along. I had quite a few squares to do this month so over the last few evenings I have knuckled down and got on with them. I showed you my six so here are Burnice's choice of six, executed in my oh-so-subtle colours!

Some look a bit misshapen but I'm sure that when they are all sewn together they will be fine!! Now Linda's choice; some of these caused me issues I can tell you, but finally they are done!

So that is 36 done now! Here they are all together.....only another 64 to go! I'm still liking the colours.....

Which is your favourite square?

Cabin Crochet

Remember that Burnice, Linda and I started a new crochet project? Yes...you do; I showed you my 6 squares.....those ones in red, orange, pink and yellow. Well here are the 6 that Linda chose that I have done in my colours....

And these are the 6 Burn chose...

Now we are on the next batch of 18. I'll show you them as I go.....done my 6 already!

A little bit of Ripple.....

My husband is a police officer and one of his colleagues is expecting her first child soon; a baby boy. Hubby asked me if I could make her a little something....well I needed no further excuse to get out my hook and order wool so a baby ripple it was to be! I bought several shades of blue and used a random stripe generator and this is it....

I found a rather lovely edging pattern on the Attic 24 blog that fills in the wiggle and then looks like blanket stitch...

All done and ready for the new arrival!

New crochet project.

New year, new project needed! Each month, Burnice, Linda and I meet in Burnices'cabin to craft. We do a variety of things but this year I suggested that we stick to one, build it up a month at a time, type project. So we have decided to crochet a few blocks each month from this book.

We have each chosen five colours of yarn. These are mine; cranberry, wine, hot pink, gold and orange. Very bright but I hope they will make a cheerful throw eventually.

Then we chose six granny squares each to do. These are my six....

Now I have to crochet Burnices' six and Lindas' six! I will shoe you them as I finish each six.

Garden Flower Throw

So another holiday has drawn to a close and I am now back at work for 6 weeks until half term so all bulk crafting slows down! But I did manage to finish a few projects over the hols as I have shown you.
Now for the last thing I finished, my garden flower quilt, shamelessly lifted from Attic24 and adapted slightly for my taste.

I adopted a more systematic approach to this throw, using up my scraps from the rainbow throw but actually allowing myself to buy some too. I chose thirteen colours. There were fourteen but the last was too light and didn't go,so I left it out. First I made lots of middles (the small circles) then I randomly did another round (larger circles) before making them into either a turquoise or a lime green square.

These were joined into a fourpatch by crocheting them together as I went, again a technique I learnt from Attic 24. I edged each fourpatch with dark purple and then with lighter purple. I'm sure my Mum (and Burnice) would call it "mauve" but that colour doesn't exist in my palette, much like beige, so I shall call it light purple!
Next I joined these fourpatches together with dark purple again to form the throw which is 6x6 squares.

For the first time ever I thought I would try a border so I chose four colours from the centre and added four rounds in magenta, light blue, pinky purple and royal blue.

Finally the piece de resistance....a scalloped border no less, again from Attic 24 and VERY slow to crochet but fabby once done!

So there it is...rubbish pic as it's been used and rumpled and it's too bright in my lounge to take a good shot.

I love the border and it was well worth the hours.

The colours are so me too,

and it is going to live here, on the back of my sofa.

Need to cover those brown cushions now and get new curtains!

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!