FO Friday: Cushion Covers

I managed to get some time this evening to do a bit more sewing and I started with adding some borders to a wallhanging I started a long time ago. I was running out of black thread so decided to do the quilting with purple as it seemed to go with the colours in the other fabrics. I also manged to make the hanging sleeve while our tea was cooking and get that attached. I still have the binding to make and sew on.

Heart Wallhanging

It's not as oddly shaped as it looks in the picture, honestly!

Then after the kids went to bed I decided I might as well finish off the cushion covers I quilted earlier as it would be another UFO finished. My husband said he preferred the grey fabric for the backs and it goes better with our living room which has grey walls.

Cushion Covers - quilted patchwork front, plain grey back

FO Friday: Blanket 1

I'm now over halfway on the second of the kids' blankets and I have finished the first one. It's been a bit hectic this last week because I had a 3 hour exam on Wednesday afternoon so had LOADS of revision to do. I was massively behind with the reading for this course...it ran from the end of January so hit two half-term holidays, the Easter holidays and the big 6 week summer holidays. I also had toothache and tonsillitus and, in case that wasn't enough, Orla pretty much dropped her afternoon nap. All that meant I lost many planned hours of studying. The books were also very 'wordy' so required hours of quiet concentration unlike my previous courses which could be read in 5 minute chunks when the kids were playing nicely.

My plan after the exam was to spend yesterday just sitting and relaxing but it didn't quite happen! I did a bit of tidying/cleaning the kitchen and a bit of laundry, then wrapped some Christmas presents but I did find sme time to sit and crochet. I've now done 4 of the 7 colour repeats on the second blanket (so about halfway as there'll be a border to go on).

On the first blanket I sewed the ends in and started to add a border but I decided it didn't really look right so pulled it back out again and have left it without a border.

You'll have to imagine it's finished as I forgot to take another pic!

I've wrapped it ready for Xmas. Unfortunately I asked the kids which blanket they liked best and they BOTH said the other one. I was quite surprised tbh as I think this is much brighter and more interesting.

FO Friday: Surprise!

Well this was possibly the quickest ever Christmas present I've made. I also feel a little bad because it's for my husband so I can't put a photo directly on the blog as he'll see it and it won't be a surprise.

Don't worry though...you can see it on my Ravelry project page HERE where you'll also find a link to the pattern. It's to go on his desk at work and I think it goes rather well with the coaster he asked for, don't you?

For more finished projects check out Tami's blog. I know some of you have found my blog that way. Thanks for the comments - sorry if I haven't responded to many, I do read them all but don't always get chance to reply.

Pretty Much Finished: Mario!!!

It's finished, apart from the last two ends to weave in. I am pondering doing a second round of the black but I quite liked it with just the one round so I'll probably think on it a bit.

It's from this pattern by Russ McAllister.

FO Friday: Ballet Bag

A little bit of a cheating post today since this item was finished a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to show you this earlier as I didn't want to spoil the surprise for my niece's parents if they saw the blog.

Inspired by this version by Monkey Beans and made following this pattern by Pink Penguin, here's the ballet bag I made for my niece.

Modelled by Erin!

The blue outer handle fabric was from my stash and the rest of the fabrics were from The Skep. I lined the bag with the same fabric used for the rim, it was a bargain remnant piece. I made it in roughly an afternoon and would definitely recommend the pattern. I love that it has the drawstring cover so that things can't fall out.

For more finished objects see Tami's Amis

FO Friday: Crochet Cable Scarf

If you popped onto my blog yesterday you might have seen I started a scarf (Crochet Cable Scarf by Joyce Nordstrom). It was a very quick make indeed. It's a cable pattern and the scarf has 18 repeats of it. We watched a film last night and by the time it was finished I had 15 repeats, so I quickly finished it off this morning.

I might even make this pattern again! That's unusual for me as I prefer to try out new patterns but I like the finished scarf. It's a good size and only took 100g of DK. Actually, it took exactly that...I was starting to panic I'd have to start a new ball for a handful of stitches!

I started making this because I wanted a little break from granny squares and I wanted to get something finished. I have a slightly odd feeling at the moment because for the first time in ages I have no deadlines for coursework. It's all going to change in a few weeks as my next course starts and I still have the exam for my current one so I don't really feel relaxed despite the lack of deadlines. At least by doing something that's quick to make I feel like I've completed something.

Luckily I didn't have to struggle to get a picture of myself wearing the scarf as I had a very willing model ;-)

In case you're wondering why she has no trousers on, she didn't want them back on after I changed her nappy this morning after the school run.

Check out Tami's Amis for more FO's.

FO Friday: Harmony Shawl

Usually Orla will have a nap for a couple of hours in the early afternoon and I use that time to do some studying as I really need peace and quiet for the latest course. Yesterday though she didn't nap until I was collecting Erin from school. This meant I didn't have chance to study but it also meant I had time to do a "pick up, put down every 5 minutes when I'm needed, don't need to be counting stitches" project!

I had a bit of a browse of the patterns on Ravelry. I was looking for something that was quick to make, wasn't tricky (i.e. didn't need much concentration) and was interesting.

Firstly I stopped on the CloudBurst Shawl by Tuesday Fortnite but then I spotted the Harmony Shawl by Bodhi Sasa. This is a rework of the CloudBurst Shawl, giving it a centre spine and wings. It was the shape of the Harmony Shawl that really appealed to me.

I decided to use some Fyberspates Scrumptious DK, a gorgeous blend of merino and silk, dyed in Blue Lagoon colourway that I bought quite some time ago at Baa Ram Ewe. It's lovely to work with, though winding it into a ball was a pain in the neck. It seemed to keep slipping off and I lost count of the number of times I had to rewind bits.

The pattern itself is very quick to make - it suggests 3 hours max for Worsted weight yarn and an 8mm hook. I used DK yarn and a 6mm hook so I expect mine was a little slower. The only thing it needs now is blocking. If I had a complaint to make, it's that it was easier to follow the chart than the written instructions and I don't often say that! The written instruction refer to the ch-2 space and with the little one around I hadn't taken a huge amount of notice where the ch-2 and the ch-1 spaces were.

I couldn't bring myself to do the fringing, it's not really my style so I finished on a Row 5 repeat rather than a Row 6, did a row of single crochet and then a picot edging.

I would definitely recommend the pattern for last minute gifts.