Crochet Hero 3KCBWDAY3

Well, what can I say. When I saw the topic for Day 3 of Knitting & Crochet Blog Week there was only one choice. I had to pick Lucy from the Attic24 Blog.

There are so many reasons why I've chosen Lucy and here are the main ones:

1. Her designs are stunning and yet so simple to make. I love that you can often start them and after the first couple of rows the pattern is so stuck in your head that you can just sit and crochet without needing bits of paper around you and it doesn't matter if your kids are asking a million questions because you're not losing your place each time you pause to answer them.

My Neat Ripple Blanket

2. The lovely bright colours she uses. They just make me smile! I love that places are now selling a "Lucy Pack" of the 17 shades of Stylecraft she used in her granny stripe blanket.

My Granny Stripe Blanket, made using a "Lucy Pack"

3. I wish I had her photography skills. It's a pleasure to read her blog just for the pictures!

4. She makes so much for her own home. This is something I didn't really do before I found the Attic24 blog. I would make things for my kids. I would make the odd thing for myself. I would perhaps make something for my house at the sewing group I go to, if we were all doing a project together. I made a quilt for the bed and planned to make some for the kids. But after finding her blog and making the granny stripe above, I just couldn't stop. I wanted that Homemade Home! I've made multiple blankets, cushion covers & jar cozys, not all from Lucy's patterns but inspired by the lovely photos she has of her home. It's like I no longer need to just make for other people.

Candle Jar Cozy

Owl Family

I think that seeing the photos of Lucy's beautiful home has made me realise that I can make things just because they're pretty, that I can dot things about the room to make it look nice, that the things I make don't have to just be practical. She's helped me turn my house into a home.

 

Photography Challenge Day 3KCBWDAY2

It's photography challenge day! Eek, this was the day I was most worried about. I always think my photos are lacking.

I was actually inspired to take this picture by the lego photo on the Eskimimi Makes blog. I think the reason I'm so inspired by that photo is because I didn't find my creative side until I had my first child.

Anyway, I wanted to feature my owls in the photo and, as I have a family of them, I thought about what we like doing as a family. Recently my kids have been sent a My Little Pony train set to product test and they've been playing with it loads. Then this thought popped into my head; my kids love going on the train...maybe the owl family would like it too.

I couldn't resist playing with my Instagram app too, so here is my photograph entry:

I also couldn't resist using my Neat Ripple blanket for the backdrop.

Just to add: If you like my photo please consider nominating it here.

 

Look what I got!

I went into town last week and while I was there I spotted a yellow plastic basket. I pondered buying it to put yarn in for my current projects. I needed something that would keep the yarn together, be easy to move about the house and that would hold enough yarn. That was the tricky bit...after all, how much is enough yarn???!!!??? So I looked at the basket and thought about whether I could fit the yarn for my vertical stripe blanket in there - that's 5 balls (i.e. one for each colour) and I thought, yes, yes, I definitely could fit that in there...but I'm also making a neat ripple cushion, that's another 3 balls. Hmm. Now it's definitely not fitting in. Scrap that idea.

Of course a few days later I thought I really need something to keep this yarn in and, of course, regretted not getting the basket. It was 79p!!! Why? Why did I not buy the 79p basket to make my life easier. Ok, so I know that I didn't buy it cos it was yellow and I really wanted a purple basket . 

Yesterday the weather was lovely and sunny, so I wandered up into town. My plan was to BUY. THAT. BASKET. then take Orla to the park.

So, into the shop, down the aisle for the basket. The basket was not there. Off I go up and down the aisles searching for the basket. Nothing. None.

Hmm....plan out the window. Decided to look in some of the other shops and guess what I spot? A basket. The same basket as before but...it's purple . Hang on though, it's definitely smaller than I thought. Yes, I think it's too small. See a pattern here????

I did pick up this plant though, to brighten up the windowsill. I also got some seeds for the kids to plant.

Today we happened to go to a garden center. Shhhhhhh...don't tell my husband that I suggested going to the garden center so I could look for a basket. The baskets weren't big enough and more for flower displays than yarn until I saw it. A bright pink tub trug. As we approached I saw....a PURPLE tub trug. So here it is, filled with current projects(those knitting needles are in use - I'm making a simple shawl and loving it)

I know, it's ridiculous to be so excited about a plastic bucket but it's just perfect. Look, it really is

See that card? Well that's the Mother's Day card Erin made for me at school. She was desperate to give it to me this morning. Oh and check out the floor. It's far, far nicer than the grubby old carpet.

And I just have to share this picture of Orla playing with my neat ripple blanket the other day. She was playing 'bedtime' with Dora.

WIP: Neat Ripple Cushion

I just couldn't resist getting my hook out and starting on the Stylecraft I bought from Coldspring Mill. I knew I was going to make a cushion cover with it and had a browse on Ravelry to see if there was a pattern I liked. I was really struggling to decide, mainly because I really fancy doing a circular cushion but the pads I have are square. In the end I decided to do another ripple cushion but this time I'm going to make the whole thing crocheted, rather than backing it with a jumper.

Here's the progress so far:

The yarn is lovely to work with, though it's a bit thinner than the Jarol Heritage DK.

Christmas Chaos!

Well, I've just realised I haven't blogged since the end of October. It has been so busy here.

First off I started my second Open University module in October. The assessment for the first 5 Units consists of a computer marked assignment after each one (i.e. every 2 weeks). I have a longer tutor marked assignment due on Thursday that I really need to get started on.

I've also been busily crafting. I took part in a swap on the We Love Lucy ravelry group. This involved making some bits and buying some more things to send to a partner. I had lots of fun selecting items and was sooooo pleased with the items I received.

It included this handmade fairy, which went on our Christmas tree and will do so every year

Some Rowan handknit cotton. I still haven't decided what to use this for.

and lots of other bits

One of the items I've been finishing off is the neat ripple blanket as featured on the Attic24 blog. I made this from Jarol Heritage DK.

I added a sc broder just to finish it off as I thought the lime green end stripe looked a bit unfinished. It's now on the sofa in the living room awaiting cushions to match. I have crocheted the front of one cushion by using wider ripples and sitting on the back of the sofa are 25 granny squares for the other cushion cover. I need to weave all the ends in (hate that job!) before joining them together. My Boxing Day shopping consisted of me searching for some jumpers I can chop up for the backs of the cushion covers.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without some last minute panic crafting and this year it was stockings. I made one for a friend of my husband and enjoyed making it so decided to make one for each of us. I'm really pleased with them but oh my, do they hold a LOT.

I didn't have any stocking hangers so did a mad rush round the shops on Christmas Eve and managed to make do with some plastic hooks for hanging lights on the outside of your house. Once these were hanging up I felt very festive.

and the children were very pleased with them. Better still there was no fighting over which one they wanted!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas!