Something new...

So... I tried something new today! Can you guess what I made???

I made salt dough!!

I used the basic recipe: 1 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup warm water.

I kneeded it for 5 mins - DEFFO worth persevering with it, I wasn't going to bother but I kept at it and the texture changed!! It goes from quite gritty and stiff to feeling like playdoh. MUCH better for making stuff with.

Good ol Pinterest had some FAB ideas for inspiration, here's some that caught my eye...

I used star and heart cookie cutters that I already had and experimented with stamping letters and patterns. I think I need more practice with how hard to stamp but I liked the overall look.

After I had got as many shapes as I could from the dough I popped them in the oven to bake. Just another few hours to wait!! 

A few more lines on the blanket...

Progress on the blanket!

 

A few hours here and there and the blanket is growing steadily!!!

 

I am loving how the colours all pop against each other! I was originally a little worried about how I was going to make sure no colours were duplicated in surrounding squares (I’m a little OCD with things like this!) but I quickly found it nearly impossible to make sure no square had the same colour as any of the squares next to it. As you can see in the picture, even when the same colour appears in 2 adjacent squares it looks great!!

A new line takes a little planning just to make sure the outer row isn’t the same as any outer rows touching it but the colour combos created through doing this are FAB!!!

 

I can’t wait to see it grow some more and REALLY can’t wait to see it finished!

 

A project to ease the pain...

At the beginning of Febuary my gran passed away. It's the first time I have ever felt a pain this big, a grief so deep, a loss so huge. I didn't really know what to do with myself, I spent a lot of time with her and suddenly my days were empty. So I picked a project to keep me busy and to give me something to focus on.

I had bought this book a few weeks before from the book club at work - only £5!!! There are some gorgeous patterns in there and I picked a lovely blanket to crochet.

I went and bought my wools (and a useful box to keep them in...

And started making little circles.... 168 of them... (You can see them all around the edge)

Each circle then got a 2nd row of a different colour....

And then each double row circle gets joined onto the next with a 3rd round that makes it square...

The blanket is going to be 12x14 squares big. It's going to be a crib blanket.

I'm really happy with it and I'm pleased to say (unlike my black/red/white granny square blanket that I started 2 years ago) it makes up really fast! 

I think my kitty thinks it's for her!

It's a lovely project that has certainly helped me through a very tough time. Gotta love the power of crafting.

️XxX

A couple of cute cardy sets!!

So, I've finished the little brown set too!!!

I couldn't be happier!! This set is sooooo cute!!!

Think I may experiment with colour changing wool next - hobbycraft had a lovely cream and blue ball of wool. I feel a shopping trip coming up! 

Crochet baby set - finished!

Well, I crocheted another version of the red cardigan and it came out better than the 1st!! (And I'm sure the next one will be even better!!)

I'm so, so proud!!! The last thing I crocheted before I took I this project was a granny square - now I'm crocheting clothes!!! The set is SUPER cute - I just need to find the right buttons for it now.

I have started a set in brown too - I'm already in love with it! I have found that I had been missing a chain in the puff stitches of the red versions though - that extra chain stitch makes ALL the difference to the overall shape of the cardy! Not that anyone would be able to tell... Bit I know! Lol!!

Just finishing up the sleeves then onto the cute booties! Yay baby stuff!!!

Crochet booties...

I am totally in love with these little booties. This is the point where I left them last time... I was worried about the wrap around as a lot of the comments on the blog I found the pattern on said about how no matter what the did they ended up with 2 boots the same, with the wrap the same way.

Well, chuffed to say I didn't have that problem. I just need to find 2 super cute buttons for the sides now! These are the smallest, most adorable things I have ever made!!!!

I've started the cardigan again, using DC instead of TC. Already it's looking better. I have a mysterious dropped stitch somewhere though so I'll need to hunt that down 2night!! Lol!!

While I'm on the subject of babies.... I don't think I ever posted about what I made for my newborn nephew last year...

A massive cross stitch!

It took me MONTHS!!!! But looked awesome! So totally worth it!

PROGRESS!!!

I finished the triple crochet and then moved into the puff stitch - which looks like little balls!!! The first few looked AWESOME, then I had issues. No matter what I did I couldn't get the needle back through the stitches to create the puff. I was gettin so angry that I was on the verge if tears!! (Guess I'm just a passionate crafter! Lol) after 20 mins of swearing and cursing I figured it might not be my tools... You know know the saying...it might be me!! My tension was WAY too tight this bit letting the needle pass through under the stitches. I loosened up a bit and it all went smoothly from there!!! 

The end of the triples...

The little puffs. SO CUTE!!!! I can't believe how quickly the jacket stitched up once the puffs were started.

Buttonholes!!!! 

DC edging! Looks so much neater!!

The little cardigan just before the eves were added. This would be lovely for late spring- just enough to keep their little bodies warm.

And here's the Cardy with sleeves - 

How frickin cute is that?!? 

Comparing it to the pic that came with the pattern... (As you can see I got the pattern from Pinterest!) 

... I think There may be some UK/US translation mishaps - I think my triples should have been doubles and my doubles should be singles... But for a 1st attempt I'm super happy!!!!

WELL..... I was so chuffed with the little cardigan that I started on some booties!!!

(Again, another Pinterest free pattern find!)

OMG. I can't believe how little these are!!! Soooooo cute!!!

I had to use YouTube to learn how to SC2tog and DC2tog (decrease stitches) but a few minutes and I was back crocheting. Gotta love the internet!!

These little booties are gonna be 'wrap around buttoned booties. 

I was up til 1am last night doing these - I got so carried away that I lost track of time. Startin on the wrap around on the booties today so can't wait!!! Hopefully il get the pair finished this weekend.