Blankets blankets everywhere!!

For a short time I had 3 on the go!!! I've now finished my stripes one, with 4 rows to the edging I thought it would never get done!!

(The 4 rows of edging are dark purple, navy, mid blue, light purple)

Here is my progress with the pink and grey fade blanket:

Looks fab right!

And this is the blanket I started for a pregnant friend: here was the inspiration pic:

And she said she liked the colours so here's what I'm working on:

I would have liked the pink to be a little more mauve but I think it's gorgeous anyway!! It took a while to get the tension right on the puff flowers but I think I nailed it. Tried doing them with a magic circle centre but just couldn't get on with it. Something to master at another time. Lol.

Found a pattern!!!

A great one to showcase the pink wool I bought!!!

Found it on YouTube - think it's a washcloth pattern, it shows it using scrap wool for each row but I adapted it to be all one colour! No ends to see in!!!! 

Looks great so far!!

Love how the colours are changing!!

Another blanket!

Hello!!!

Ive started another blanket!! Well, opfficially I have started 2...

This one is using all the same colours from the granny square one I made earlier on in the year. I found a lovely pattern online and thought the colours would look super cute in stipes. I would say im about 2/3 though.

 

I also started a baby blanket for a friend at work – her daughter is pregnant and i thought it would be nice to make one for her. I found some LUSH colour changing wool in pinks and grey so started a granny square blanket like the one I made... the pattern relly doesnt showcase the wool though. it just looks like I am using different colours!!!

 

So I am on the hunt for a new interesting stitch that will show the ombre effect off perfectly. Will keep you posted!!

 

 

168 squares, 12,096 treble stitches...

...Only another 1,249 for edging to go!!

The colours aren't as dark as this pic makes out - heres a close up in (slightly) better light.

Im so so chuffed with how it's turned out! I think it looks great! 

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!!!

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.

Back to crochet - take 2!!

Whilst at work today my mind was wandering (as it often does at work) and I was thinking about this little crochet cardigan.... And how I was crocheting into the back stitch of the loop (possibly the wrong terminology but I hope it make sense!) leaving me with a visible 'cable' running between the rows...

Well, I came home (after googling it and finding out that, yes, a 'normal' crochet stitch goes under both front AND back loops) and started to unravel yesterday's work so I could rework it.

SNAP!

*sigh*

So I started again (doing it right)

1st attempt after the snap... See the 'cable' running between the rows??

2nd attempt - MUCH better!! 

So I have another 3 rows to go before the pattern changes and I can balls things up again!!!

I'll keep you posted!!!

Back to crochet!!!

My best friend is pregnant and due to have her baby at the end if January next year - hubby's best friend and his wife announced today that they are expecting too!! (Same day as will & Kate announced baby number 2!!) There's obviously something in the water, lol!! 

With all this lovely news I thought I would crack out the crochet hooks and make something little for our friends!!! 

I found a free baby cardigan pattern on Pinterest and picked up some cheap wool to have a practice on.

This is after an hour or so this evening...

I'm actually pretty damn proud of that!! Think it will look awesome a) when it's done and b) when I use some half decent wool!! 😉

I'll keep posting with updates! Squeeeee!!! Babies!!!!

No cardmaking for a while...

... We have moved house!! We were waiting for a response from the Solicitors for what felt like ages and then BAM - we got the phone call to say that we had a completion date! We had from the 11th July to no later than the 28th to choose from... we picked the 11th, which gave us 8 days to pack the house up!!

We managed to do it and handed the keys in 1 day early!! We have bought a new build in a new area of town but it won't be finished for another 6 months, so we have moved in with hubbys parents until our house is ready.

Due to the limited space at my in-laws my entire craft room has gone into storage; all I have brought with me is my bag of wools and my crochet needles. Its a shame because crochet really isn't inspiring me at the moment. I have found something else that might just get my creative juices flowing again though...

I have recently, by the power of Facebook, been introduced to the amazing work of Paper Panda, an amazing paper cutter who not only sells her beautiful cuts but also sells DIY kits!! I think I may have just found something to keep me busy for the next 6 months!

So, although I may not be posting any cards for a while hopefully I will be posting other crafty bits. I'm off now to order my paper cutting kit!