40,000-odd stitches later....

          Yes! It's finally finished! Earlier this week I sewed in the last end on Monster blanket!! And yes, I did work out that 37,080 stitches had gone into the blanket (didn't have the will to figure out how many were in the border!)

Having worried that the colours would clash, I found they actually worked really well together once I'd joined them together in cream. Joining was a lot quicker than making the circles, but the border took aggggges! I think it really frames the blanket nicely though.

I don't think the colours go together awfully well here, but I was running low on a lot of colours and these were the ones that I could be reasonably wouldn't run out halfway round the border! (Isn't it annoying when that happens?)

I have decided that this is the last large granny square blanket I'm going to make for a long time. I simply can't face sewing in all those ends again! I thought that making lots of squares and joining at the end would make for a much more portable project - wrong! I found I still had to cart around my big bag of yarn anyway, for all the colour combos. Plus, I'm having nightmares about one of the many ends working their way out and unravelling, even though I was really particular about making sure they were secure. Anyway, it's been dropped off at my mum's ready for when my aunt comes to collect it when she visits, and I actually quite miss it! 

Here it is in all its glory!

Stats

Size: 79" x 68" (including 4" border)

Weight: 1900g (roughly 1000g coloured circles, 600g cream, 300 border)

Yardage: 6308 yards 

Time taken: About 3 months.

Now onto one of my many other projects I have lined up! :-)

Blanket progress and other bits

Oh dear, two whole months have slipped by since I last blogged. Shameful.
On the plus side, progress on the Flowers in the Snow blanket has come on in leaps and bounds. I had a period of around a month where I made no circles at all, then I threw myself back into it, prompted in no small amount by the fact that the blanket has to be ready by the end of May, and I had only done half the amount of circles required, not to mention I still had the joining up and border to do. Unfortunately, with my renewed vigour, I somehow neglected to sensibly sew in all my ends as I went, so now I have over a hundred circles with ends to tidy up. At least I managed to reach the magic number of 270, and have now begun to join in cream yarn.

I decided to join in blocks of 9 circles, so I have 21 more blocks to do. Thankfully, joining seems to be much quicker than making the circles (mainly because I'm not faffing around trying to decide on the next colour!)

I also had a couple more small projects on the side that only took a day or so to make.

Kitchen bunting, made out of scraps of fabric samples, and my first go with bias binding. As the sewing machine has gone back to my mum's, and as I was too impatient to wait to sew my triangles together, I used some embroidering cotton and a 1.5mm hook to make a crochet edging over the raw edges:

There was also a toy box that I thought was looking a little bare, and I wanted an excuse to make some more crochet bunting, so I used up some of my scraps from the Dr Who scarf::

I'm hoping to get the big blanket finished within the next month, fingers crossed!

111 down, 159 to go....

I finally managed to photograph all my circles laid out on Madam's bed on a unusually bright day. There are a lot more blues and yellows than anything else as I'm trying to be systematic and finish colour groups one by one. Looking at the photos, the blue circles contrast nicely against the red sheet. I hope being joined in cream doesn't kill the colours. 

I haven't done any work on this since I took the photos, I've mainly been concentrating on my cross-stitch and making some mini bunting for a toy basket downstairs, which I haven't photographed yet. It's snowing hard outside, so looks like tomorrow will be a cosy day (except for going out to make the obligatory snowman!) - maybe I'll get some done then! 

New Project!

Whoops, I've left it too long between posts again! At least this time I have a new project to update with!
My auntie has recently bought a new house and my Mum has asked me to crochet a bed blanket as a house-warming present. I had free rein to make whatever I wanted, as long as it was colourful. I agonised over this for ages - granny squares, solid squares, granny stripes, ripple, vintage vertical stripe? Having already made two granny square blankets last year, I was a bit doubtful about making another; not least because it would mean I would have to weave in about a million ends. However, squares make for a much more portable project, and it's always fun trying out different colour combinations. Then again, I do love the ripple pattern, and it would mean fewer ends to weave in.
In the end I decided to go for the Flowers In The Snow pattern - colourful circles against a cream backdrop.
The best thing about this project was that my mum was paying for the yarn, yay! I ordered 20 colours of Stylecraft Special DK, plus some cream, and also added in some stash yarn.

From top, L-R: Lipstick, Bright Pink, Pomegranate, Shrimp, Plum, Raspberry, Emperor, Grape, Magenta, Violet, Lavender,
Wisteria, Aster, Turquoise, Cloud Blue, Sherbet, Teal, Aspen, Spring Green, Saffron, Fondant, Clematis, Baby Pink.

 So far, I've made 95 circles since the yarn arrived two weeks ago. My aim is to make 270. I have a plan of sorts; that is, to make a roughly equal amount of blues, reds, yellows, oranges, greens, light purples, dark purples and pinks - I just cannot do totally random colour combinations! 

 Photo is not very good due to lack of light! Hopefully I will manage to take some soon.

I am really enjoying this blanket, having so many colours to play with is a delight, and I am actually being good and sewing in my ends after I've made 10 circles or so - makes it much more manageable!

Another project I am working slowly on on the side is my Janet Bell Beach Hut cross stitch, which hubby bought me for my birthday.

       I've got quite a bit further since this pic was taken though. Haven't done cross stitch for a few years, so this has been fun. I think I will hang it in the bathroom when it is done. 

2011 Crochet

Well, one of my New Year's Resolutions is definitely to blog more!!! I really find it helps spur me on to complete projects, rather than leaving them languishing in my yarn basket.

I will post a list of my crafty intentions for 2012 soon, but first a mosaic of my 2011 crochet projects:

      From top, L-R:

      ROW 1

      1,2,3: Seafoam Granny Square blanket for our bed. 4: Stripy fingerless mitts, which I still need to        photograph properly

       ROW 2

      1: Granny Tea Cosy for a friend of my mum 2: Granny Bunting for Madam's bedroom 3: Pincushion from Attic24's Christmas decoration pattern. 4: Sweet Heart Wall Hanging

       ROW 3

      1: A bigger picture of the heart wall hanging. 2: Stripy bunting for Madam's door. 3: Hat which I more or less improvised (and it shows!). I don't wear it very much as I made the headband too tight, and it's not particularly warm. Still, it was a valuable lesson in counting my increases properly <bitter about countless non-flat circles>  4: Summer Garden Granny Squares for the Ice Cream Granny Blanket

      ROW 4

      1,2: Ice Cream Granny Blanket in progress. 3,4: Ocean Ripple in progress. 

      ROW 5

      1: Finished Ocean Ripple! 2,3: Finished Dr Who scarf for my step-dad. He is a massive sci-fi geek so was really chuffed with this Christmas pressie! :-) 4: Reverse side of my Granny Square Hot Water Bottle Cover. 

      ROW 6

      1: Front of Granny Square Hot Water Bottle Cover 2: Easter stripy and granny bunting. I'm not sure if I'm really pleased with this, the colours are a little too pale for my tastes. 3: Hallowe'en bunting. A good way to use up some of that Stylecraft Special Jaffa, which is shockingly bright. 4: Snowflake Christmas bunting/

      ROW 7

      1: Christmas Stocking Garland. 2,3: Flower Patch Hot Water Bottle Cover, adapted from Attic24's cushion. 4: Purple Heart Garland, for stringing across the mirror in our purple and cream-themed dining room. 

      

Apparently....

...conkers repel spiders. They don't like the taste apparently. I HATE spiders. Especially since the time a particularly large one ran under our armchair, with hubby in fast pursuit, where he discovered the brand new oven gloves that I'd melted by leaving them on the still-warm hob (brand new because I'd bought them to replace the old oven gloves I'd melted the previous week), and which I'd quickly hidden to avoid him tutting and rolling his eyes at my carelessness. (This is the man who drove our car into a car park barrier just months after we bought it, may I add!)

Anyway. So spiders hate conkers. So guess what I was collecting this weekend...?

Madam was only too pleased to assist, and we collected a good amount to take home and plant in strategic areas - namely, behind the fridge and the TV, and in the corner by the desk. I'm sure I can spare a few for Madam to play with though. 

It was nice wandering through the trees. I especially love the ones with the red leaves.

Madam also gathered some acorns and when we saw some squirrels darting among the trees in the park, she tossed some over to them, and was delighted when they picked them up and started nibbling on them. I was able to get quite close for a picture. It's amazing how many squirrels you can see if you look for them; they seem to blend really well into the background if you are just walking past and not really paying attention. 

I also completed a quick crochet project this weekend. Although I am in the middle of several large projects, I felt the need for some instant gratification, so I decided to make a hot water bottle cover. I've needed one for ages, since the cover that originally came with the bottle was a hideous Winnie the Pooh bear pouch thing. I thought the simplest thing to make would be a granny square cover. I estimated that 20 small two round squares for each side would suffice:

I just used oddments of yarn I had left over, mainly Stylecraft. 

When I had woven in all the ends, I crocheted them together with dark purple yarn:

 It's not particularly clear from the photo but I added a bobble-shell edging to finish it off. I decided not to make it removable, because I couldn't be bothered faffing with buttons and really, how dirty can a hot water bottle cover get? 

Yay! I love it. And no more burns from now on! I have a larger hot water bottle too, with a cover I knitted when I first learnt, and which I don't really like anymore. I'm thinking of some crocheting something similar, in slightly different colours though, and maybe some flowers attached? 

All better...

After a bit of this....

...some of these...

and lots of this...

... my cold seems to have subsided. Yay!

Today is my and hubby's 6th anniversary since we got together. We don't really do anything special for it as now we have a wedding anniversary to celebrate (although we are going to see Stephen Merchant live in a few weeks), but I saw this card in a shop and thought I would get it for him, just to remind him that he's supposed to be buying me a beach hut just like it one day (hey, I can dream!) I love everything about this photo - the bunting, the cushions, the lovely spotty bag, the gorgeous bluey-green painted walls, the embroidered quilt, the little doll on the window ledge. What I wouldn't give for a little hidey-hole by the sea!

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away...

...how come I have a stinking cold when we have about a trillion apples on our tree?

We were thrilled when we first moved into our house and realised we had an apple tree. Our previous home was a first floor apartment with no outside space, so to have a little garden was a real treat. I began making apple crumbles and apple sponges. It felt great to make something with homegrown produce, like my mum used to.

However, this year I have been unable to keep up with the supply of apples! I have parcelled up a load for my mum and baked quite a few, and also set some aside in storage in a dark box. Madam has been taking one for her break time snack at school. And still I am raking up apples that have fallen and been got at by wasps, maggots and birds. I wish I had a giant ladder to reach the apples on the uppermost branches that have had the most sun, they are so red and as big as those you can buy in the supermarket. It's quite a comforting noise to lie in bed at night and hear snap, rustle, thud, as an apple decides to fall from the tree. Unfortunately, they tend to hit the paved footpath that leads to our door and split.

As well as an apple tree, we also have raspberry bushes, but we are actually fairly clueless garden-wise, and haven't been caring for them as well as we should (embarrassing, as the woman who rented the house before us was a member of the local horticultural society and was famed for her prize-winning raspberries). This year we are going to make a special effort in sorting out the weeds and everything so that next year's crop is good.

As I mentioned, I am currently fighting off a horrid cold, my first of the year, so that's pretty good going I guess. Maybe I will make an apple sponge later if I feel up to it. I have had a couple of hours to huddle on the sofa with the laptop whilst Madam is at school for the morning, but I must pick her up in 15 minutes. Think I'll finish my Cadbury's hot chocolate first though.

Late summer colour

September

Well, it certainly looks as though the summer is over, judging from the weather this last week or two - the air is definitely autumnal now. The leaves on the trees are already turning brown, I noticed, and the nights are pulling in.

Our little Madam started school last week, something she was very excited about. The past few weeks have been a flurry of preparations for this event - buying sets of skirts, shirts, shoes, plimsolls, trousers, pinafores, socks, jumpers, cardigans....the list is endless, not to mention the sewing in of the ubiquitous name labels. It made me feel rather nostalgic for my own childhood, actually, sewing those in. I think my mum even has some of my name tags in her sewing box still!

Although Madam starting school has been a big step, and one which I have been mildly dreading, I can't pretend that having a few hours to myself in the week isn't something I haven't been looking forward to. I only work part-time, which leaves me plenty of time to browse the internet and crochet keep on top of the housework.
Luckily, just in case I run out of housework to do (no danger of that!), I have several new projects which are sure to keep me busy.

I have waited very patiently to order the yarn for these projects. Firstly, I made sure that I had ticked off most of the things on my crafty To-Do list, which had been languishing half-finished in my craft box. Secondly, I wanted to wait until the expense of July and August were over (two weddings and no less than five family/close friend birthdays to buy for!). Finally, I was able to place my order with Mason's, which arrived in less than 48 hours.

What did I order? Stylecraft Special DK, 19 balls of it, for three different projects all destined to be Christmas presents.

From top, L-R: Mocha, Walnut, Meadow, Spring Green, Clematis, Fondant, Raspberry.

 Project 1

This yarn is for a blanket for an old housemate of mine from university. We hardly ever see each other now, due to distance, so it's really hard to buy presents for her as I don't know what stuff she already has, etc. I normally go with an amusing novelty gift, but I do like to give useful things too, so I thought I'd make her a blanket for Christmas, as I know she always used to like her fleece lap blanket at uni. In fact we had matching ones. Originally, I thought I would make her a Wavy Blanket, which looked great when I'd completed a few rows, but I quickly realised that it would be quite a yarn-hungry project and I wouldn't have enough yarn to complete it, and I didn't really want to have to order more. Plus, I found that the (US) treble stitches quite hard on the hands. Anyway, here's a pic of where I got to:

I made the decision to make a Summer Garden Granny Square instead, which was an exciting thought as I now had seven colours to mix and match, as opposed to five when I made the Seafoam Granny Square. I thought I wouldn't follow a plan with regards to colour placement; just try to make sure the colours were evenly spaced and not clumped together. Here's where I've got to so far:

Forty-five squares of loveliness! Unfortunately, I have neglected to sew in any ends, so I am in for a treat when this is finished! 

Project 2

I am making a ripple blanket for my 10 year old sister, who detests anything pink and girly. So I picked seven shades of blue. (Sherbert, Cloud Blue, Aster, Denim, Bluebell, Royal, and Midnight). Annoyingly, I had to rip back what I've just posted a picture of, as somehow I had neglected to put in two DC into the top of the chain-3 at the end of a row, and everything got all out of sync. When I started again, I decided to go with a graduated colour scheme, rather than random. I think it looks good, although it will be hard to tell until I've done a few colour repeats. 

Project 3

This little lot is to become a Doctor Who Scarf for my stepdad, who is a keen sci-fi fan. The website I've linked to gives lots of great pictures of the different scarves used in the series (I naively thought that they used the same scarf the whole way through!), so I tried to match up similar colours on Mason's website. Up there I've got Khaki, Teal (Masons made a bit of a boo boo and sent me Teal instead of Turquoise for the ripple, so I've pinched the Denim that was meant to be for this for the ripple blanket, and used the Teal for the scarf. Actually I think it goes rather well, so no matter!), Camel, Copper and Mocha - plus a barely touched ball of Plum that I have left over. I don't think I will make the scarf quite so long as the scarf from season 15, (as 16ft would be rather impractical, I feel!), but long and wide enough to be a cosy winter scarf anyway.

I seem to have typed rather a lot tonight, so perhaps I will leave it there for now!  :-)

Mummy's Little Helper

Seafoam Granny Square Blanket - Finally Finished!

OK, I am officially rubbish at keeping up with my blog!! I have blog posts in my head, but never seem to get round to actually writing them down, especially when I haven't got anything particularly 'exciting' to write about, like a Finished Object. I must work on not being embarrassed to post whatever I fancy on my own blog, lol!

Anyway, I thought that since I actually have a FO or two to post about, I would take the time to write a post!

Presenting....the Seafoam Granny Square Blanket!

I ordered the yarn for this blanket back in January, and worked on it sporadically throughout the spring. I decided to use a combination of traditional granny squares, Attic24's Summer Garden Granny Squares and Flowers in the Snow squares I found on Ravelry. I decided to use Stylecraft Special DK again, and ordered Cream, Sherbert, Cloud Blue, Aspen and Spring Green, as I was planning to crochet some flowers and leaves to attach to the squares. I hadn't realised Aspen would prove to be quite such a bold greeny colour (the perils of internet shopping!), but I think the colours work well together. I was too lazy to crochet flowers to attach, so I just incorporated the Spring Green into the squares. 

I used the join-as-you-go technique to join my squares which saved loads of time, and also saved me from losing squares in my various project bags and boxes. 

Finished off with the granny blanket edging found at Attic24.

It took me months to finish sewing in all the ends. In fact, I even pressed it into service on the bed before I'd fully completed it. I did a few squares at a time - whilst on the phone, or watching TV. I did take it round to my mum's one day, where we sat out the back for a pleasant hour or so, weaving in all the ends together. Finally, this weekend, it was all finished! I've enjoyed admiring it spread across the bed, without those pesky ends sticking up everywhere, and I've been lucky enough to get some lovely comments on it on Flickr. 

I haven't got all the measurements yet, but I will get round to that soon hopefully! 

Going to the chapel....

One of my best friends got married this weekend, and I was her bridesmaid, which was rather exciting. The couple requested money rather than gifts as they already have things for their house, but I wanted to give them a little something with a personal touch as well. (For our wedding two years ago, they gave us a Welsh love spoon with our names and the date engraved on it).

So I decided to knit them a pair of wedding teddies, with the outfits personalised to them. The pattern came from a book called Twenty To Make - Knitted Bears by Val Pierce, which I picked up about 18 months ago in WHSmith, before I learnt to crochet.

The bride wore a full-skirted dress with beads and sequins sewn onto the skirt. The colour scheme was black and yellow, and the groom wore a black suit, white shirt and yellow tie and pocket square. I had to text my friend to get her to send me pictures without letting her know why I wanted them, lol. 

The pattern says to use beads as eyes, and sew the nose and mouth with yarn, but the bears ended up looking rather evil for some reason, so I scrapped that idea and cut pieces from fabric and glued it on instead.

The bride wore a bubble veil (had to Google that! lol).

I lent her my blue garter, so of course, I had to put one on the bear! 

...and she carried a bouquet of pale yellow dahlias (could only find these yellow ones in The Works but I think they suit).

Some pics from the actual wedding...

View of Tintern Abbey from the car (the wedding was in Merthyr Tydfil and we had to take a detour through the valleys as the Brynglas tunnel near Newport was shut due to an explosion. I didn't mind though...the scenery was wonderful!)

A close-up of my bouquet. The lovely little yellow flowers are a type of Australian daisy and are called Billy Buttons. The groomsmen wore them as buttonholes too. 

Obligatory shoe shot! Mine is on the right!

The reception venue

 The tables were named after Welsh theatres (bride studied Drama and is involved with the theatre) or tools (groom is a carpenter!) 

Funky cake toppers! 

My present for being bridesmaid was a gorgeous charm bracelet, including this cute little yarn charm! 

                                                                 Me, the bride, and our other friend who got married this year comparing our bling!

All in all, it was an amazing day! I'm now impatiently waiting for more of my friends to get engaged!

PS - I have it on good authority that the bears now have a happy home on the mantelpiece!