Been a long time

It's been a very long time since I last updated my blog. Lots of reasons, main one being I could not get Blogsy to work and I am in no way IT technical .... 

DH has got me up and running again and I have a good bit of material .... Yarn to share :D

But first something papercrafty, because you're not going to see much of that because I haven't really been in the craft room for 12 months except to make DD a wedding anniversary gift, the first one HAD to be paper!  She had asked me if I could make her a paper rose heart similar to one that 'Next' are currently are selling.  

I started die cutting roses straight away, but struggled to find a heart the right size. After sourcing the heart and starting to fix the roses I realised I hadn't cut and rolled nearly enough .... lesson here.  However many you think you need. DOUBLE IT.  

I hit a problem. I was using some old designer series paper which was now retired .... Oops

I put a call out on facebook to some crafty friends, several of whom came up trumps .... Problem, the colour I was using 'bashful blue' over the years had changed!  I had to remove all the roses I had alteady attached to my heart form so I could 'mix' the colours.  I am really, really pleased with the result :D

Finished It

I have finished my Coastal Ripple Blanket and OMGosh I LOVE IT.

I loved everything about it from start to finish, the colours are sublime, the yarn (stylecraft special DK) was amazing to work with, the pattern was fabulously easy for a novice like me to understand, it was reasonably fast to work up, I could, once I got the stitches in my mind, work on it mindlessly while watching TV ... What's not to love.

Oh, it doesn't fit in with current decor ... I just might have to change the decor to suit the blanket!

I was going to sell my lovely blanket but despite several offers, I really cannot bear to part with it. Still up for hooking up another one though, and I have a few commissions to complete before Christmas, I think I'll be busy bunny :D

 

Work In Progress

It's been a while since I last posted. I haven't spent much time in the craft room. I've been sat on the sofa nursing 2 frozen shoulders for the last 18 months, still a way to go but I'm taking my mind of the pain with my new fav hobby, crocheting.

My lastest project is Lucy, from Attic24s Coastal Ripple Blanket. The kit arrived just before I went on holiday. But Unfortunately it was just too big to take away with me so I couldn't make a start until I got home 3 weeks ago. To say its been an addiction would be an under statement! I haven't been able to put it down.

It's been a joy to work with Stylecraft Special DK, I love the colours :D. I've just finished the main body of the blanket, just have the tails to sew in and the then a boarder to put on then I guess I'm ready to start another project, or maybe get on with one of many Work In Progresses.

Thats another reason to love crochet, you can put it down, play with another project, and go back to the original ... Just as long as you remember which hook size you were using ;0)

 

Craft time

My first visit to the craft room since the flower-a-thon earlier in the year. A good crafting friend had a birthday coming up abd I just couldn't bring myself to go out and buy a card, I had to make one for her.

I'd seen Julie's gorgeous concertina cards and knew I had to recreate one. My biggest struggle was that I've sold off or cut down almost all my 12x12 designer paper cardstock!

Luckily I found an unopened pack of Stampin Ups Sycamore Street, an old SAB and set to work

I forgot how much I enjoy cardmaking. My shoulders hate it, but the mind enjoyed it LOL

Most of my free time is still spent on the current crochet project. I love working on this, and of course I have my puppy shaped shadow helper!

It's coming together, the colours are gorgeous!

 

Life is wonderful

So exciting, one of my many packages arrived last week.

I really didn't know where to start! But I was good and made a start on a shawl for my mother in law's birthday present. I misjudged how much yarn I needed and have had to order more, so it will feature on another post.

I also received some gorgeous cotton yarns ....

I set to work making up this hexagon pattern by the fabulous Lucy of Attic24. I plan to join as I go so I'm going to get a whole load of circles ready so the blanket grows really quickly!

 

Friday evening we were really lucky here in that the weather was beautiful. We were out for the evening, to see a theatre production of Agatha Cristie's 'A murder is announced' so we had a really early dinner in town and then had a lovely walk along the prom.

The views were amazing, we could see all the way back to Hastings.

The show was fantastic, if it does a run in your town its well worth going to see.

Yesterday we had to take a day off from home improvements/bathroom and take advantage of the lovely summer weather so we took a drive out to my favourite gardens at Great Dixter, Northiam.

They are full of colour most of the time, but I think this time of the month has to be the best!

 

Just look at the lovely meadows in the Orchard.

The borders are full of planting schemes that can be used in any garden at home.

Just breathtaking.

And today.

I spent the morning filling in job applications and the afternoon watching tennis and crocheting .... Can life be more perfect?

 

A Mandela

I'm still stitching.

I've finished a mandela for Lucy, she's put out a call and hopes to get as many as she can to put on show at Yarndale in September this year. I stiffened mine last night with copydex glue and will get it into the post to her to tomorrow.

I used Lucy's patten as I'm not a very confident stitcher, but I have to say I really enjoyed it.

The next project is coming along nicely. It's a Beautiful Multi Stripped Baby Blanket, I'm following a video tutorial on YouTube by Wooly Wonders Crochet.

I'm not 100% sure I will make it up to full blanket size as I have nowhere to put it, but it may make a nice scarf?

My order is in for a shed-load of cotton DK yarn which I cannot wait to arrive ... I have a project I've been aching to have a go at.

 

Crochet Tote Bag

I am so pleased with how the bag hooked up. I made it up bigger than Lucy's instructions and changed the handles but other than that, its all Lucy. I'm using it to hold WIP projects, so I can grab and run.

It took just less than a week to complete, fitting it in here and there. But I will admit to taking it away with me last week and hooking my way to and from Wales in the passenger seat ... It really makes the miles fly by!

I used Stylecraft DK Special yarn and a 3.5mm Clover hook.

As a learner, I pretty much winged it on the size and guessed on18 rounds for the base and then started to work my way up. The bag is 36 rounds in height (including the handle rounds).

As you can see I used 'Lucy' colours.

I am thrilled with my new crochet bag and am thoroughly enjoying my new hobby. I just hope I can keep it up. I thought I was on the road to recovery but my left shoulder is still in a lot of pain as its in the process of thawing and my right shoulder is now starting to freeze!

 

A Star Blanket

I haven't updated the blog for a while again, but I have been busy.

I finished a granny stripe blanket all bar the border, which I can't decide in on so I've put it away until I come to a decision.

The next project was another blanket for my daughter who is about to fly to the Falklands for a few months .... It's a tad chilly there she tells me. She requested a star shaped blanket.

She saw the blanket on Pinterest, it was one of many that I'd pinned. The pattern is here.

We were both really pleased with the result, it took me about 3 weeks to complete.

My current project is Lucy's Tote Bag. Its coming along very nicely.

We've just had a long weekend in Wales and of course my hook and wool had to come too!

 

A Star Blanket

I haven't updated the blog for a while again, but I have been busy.

I finished a granny stripe blanket all bar the border, which I can't decide in on so I've put it away until I come to a decision.

The next project was another blanket for my daughter who is about to fly to the Falklands for a few months .... It's a tad chilly there she tells me. She requested a star shaped blanket.

We were both really pleased with the result, it took me about 3 weeks to complete.

My current project is Lucy's Tote Bag. Its coming along very nicely.

We've just had a long weekend in Wales and of course my hook and wool had to come too!

 

Happy Birthday

I really haven't been paper crafty for a while and although I have a card to show you, its one I've had stashed away for a while, ready for my Mum's birthday this week.

She loves the shabby look and I had to use some of my favorite sets. I love this colour combination.

Millie and I went to visit mum and her dogs this week, look at all the good doggies ...