Snowflake

Look what the postman brought me today, ok the postman didn't exactly get his yarn and hook out and make this for me, he just delivered it! Mum was the super-duper clever one who made this lovely snowflake.

Having read my blog my Mum has decided to get a little crafty again and conjured up this little cutey. Looks really impressive and it will certainly be pride of place on my Christmas tree.

Crochet Blanket

I have to start by admitting to you that I've just completed a little victory lap of the living room punching the air on the way, yes I have finished my granny square crochet blanket. It was a little more work than I originally thought (although I didn't exactly sit down and think about the time when I decided to map this).

I've had a good crafty weekend and started today with all the squares completed and ends threaded through ... very close to completion



So the challenge was on.... just the stitching together left before the blanket was finished....surely that can be completed in 1 day...

So about 9 hours and crochet claw hand later here it is, my fabulous granny square blanket.


... and I'm absolutely loving it, although I guess I am a little biased.

I have been lucky enough to inherit this beautiful antique wooden 2 seater sofa, think the blanket looks perfect casually looped over the back of it. Not sure how I'm going to feel if someone decides to sit on the sofa with a glass of red wine though. I have at least checked the yarn and it is machine washable, fingers crossed I won't be washing it in the near future.

I have been completing these squares on my commute to work each day which leaves me with a quandry for tomorrow morning...might have to read the paper like all the other commuters until I find a new train friendly project.

Thank You

I'd just like to say a quick Thank You to all my family and friends for the lovely supportive messages I have received recently about this blog. Great to hear you are enjoying it and I'm thrilled that it has inspired some of you to dust off the knitting needles or crochet hook and get creative.

Keep reading
xx

Crochet purse

I thought I would have a go at making a simple crocheted purse. I started with a foundation chain and then did rows of single crochet until I had about the size I wanted then I continued to crochet rows on just half of the stitches in order to make a flap. I crocheted the edges together, I've heard that there is a method of stitching so it doesnt show, thats a little too advanced for me right now.... but will work on it. I found some cute patterned patchwork cotton I had, dug out my sewing machine and lined the purse

Stitched a button on the front et voila.... a cute crocheted purse, perfect for the winter months ahead

Christmas Fabrics

I discovered Fat Quarters near Newcastle Upon Tyne this weekend. A quaint quilting shop in the middle of the picturesque Northumberland countryside. Of course I couldn't escape from the shop without getting some Christmasy bits.



I intend to make some mini Christmas Stockings to hang on the tree out of this and other scraps of material I have hanging around. Hopefully I'll have the time to complete this project before the big day.

They also had some lovely cotton on rolls to make larger quilts, maybe someday I will have a go at this, there is only so much craftiness one girl can do at once

Retro Pattern Collection

This weekend I raided my Mum's old knitting, sewing and crocheting patterns to see what gems I could unearth. There were some classic 1980's jumper patterns which I put back where I found them (after a good laugh), but I also discovered these fantastic embroidery patterns which are simply stunning. Not entirely sure what I will use them on but will be keeping them safe and close to hand for a rainy day.

Granny Square Blanket - progress update

Following the development of my new found crocheting skills I have been working to produce what will eventually be a blanket. Here is my progress so far....I have 20 squares in varying degrees of completeness, think I need 30-40 squares for a blanket so am at least 50% there.

I've been busy doing this in my commuting time, love how no one blinks an eye in London at what you are up to on the train! Hoping to get a lot more done this weekend

Headband type thingy

I was a little bored today on a rainy Sunday afternoon, with my quilt all finished I found my self looking at a ball of yarn and my crochet hool.

So I made a loop and had a play with no real intension. I started with a magic ring (I found this great magic ring tutorial from Planet Jane during the week) and then did 2 double crochets into each stitch to make a really full round. After a couple of rounds I was left with a fairly large circle. So what is a girl to do???? Make a coaster or make a hat....oh yes I made a hat / facinator by attaching a couple of chains. It's an interesting result, not really sure where I'm going to wear this the only place I think I could possible get away with it is skiing (although won't exactly be warm!) anyway I'm quite impressed with my (somewhat strange) creation.

I'm willing to do these on commission if you fancy one for an event you might have coming up ;o)

..a Finished Quilt / Bedspread

I have finally finished the quilted bedspread. It was certainly a lot of work all that tacking, machine stitching and then unpicking the tacking took its time but I'm really pleased with the results. I used a duvet cover, stuffed this, stitched the edges closed and then quilted on top rather than stitching together lots of smaller peices of fabric, this is certainly a simpler way of producing a quilt and I like the results

I decided to do the stitching in duck-egg blue, thought it really complemented the white fabric of the quilt whilst being quite subtel.

The room I've put this in is purple at the moment (thanks previous owner!!) but hoping to put a lick of paint on this fairly soon to make it a little more neutral to go with the fancy new bedding. Watch out for my next project where I'll attempt a quilt with the more traditional smaller pieces of fabric

'Tis the Season ...

As much as we would like to deny it, Christmas is only a matter of weeks away, stores are over flowing with Christmas gifts and it is probably only days before the first Christmas cards start to drop through the letter box.

Besides the decorations, merry atmosphere and an excuse to snuggle up with a glass of mulled wine in front of the fire, certainly my favourite part of Christmas is the food!

My Mother-in-Law has made these fantastic Christmas Pudding tree decorations which are the perfect size to fit in a Ferrero Rocher....the Ambassador would be impressed! They are absolutely adorable and I'm really looking forward to displaying mine on the Christmas Tree and of course eating the contents.

Eco-Haberdashery Shop

Today I discovered a Crafty Wonderland right on the doorstep of my office.

The Eco-Haberdashery Shop housed on the first floor of the Oxo-Tower overlooking the Thames, is a treasure-trove of goodies. This shop belongs to Annie Sherburne the founding member of the International Felt makers association, experienced jewellery designer and award winning rug maker.

All items are either vintage, handmade or enviromentally sourced. I spent ages browsing the organic yarns, crafty tools and handmade jewellery which is displayed in shallow drawers so you almost feel like you are in some amazing bedroom with permission to rifle through all the sparkly delights. I could easily have spent a fortune but in the knowledge that Christmas is around the corner I resisted and came away only with this stunning handmade metal brooch which has been cleverly designed with a hook to fit a necklace on the back so it can also be worn as a pendant. This will look great against this season's thick knits or to give a feminine touch to a boyfriend blazer or even on the side of a trilby, oh... the possibilities are endless.....

It’s a really inspirational shop to browse and the quality and variety of the yarn available means I will certainly be back when my skill level has improved and I have an idea in mind.

... a Granny Square

I am very proud to present my first Granny Square. Having never picked up a Crochet Hook before I am very pleased with the results, I have to thank Jane for her patience in teaching me this new found skill and I have to tell you it really isn't as tricky as you might think.

This took me about 2 hours to create but to say I have the bug would be an understatement, I have visions of having to offer my creations to friends and family as my excitement may result in the generation of more crocheted blankets than one house should really hold.

I think I will stop short of producing a dress though, whilst this creation doesn’t look bad on the stunning Cate Blanchett I don’t imagine that anyone over a size 8 would be able to pull of such an outfit, and poor ol’ Cate has come under heavy criticism for this ensemble by Sydney design duo Romance Was Born. Certainly a bold move and has gathered here a few media inches.

You never know though this may be bang on trend for A/W 2010/2011, I’d better start the diet and the Granny Square production line now so I can be dressed in a blanket like all the other fashionistas out there should the trend arise.