Not dead

Why is it that I am so bad at sharing whats going on? I did think that I was doing better but no.

Anyhoo this is a flavour of what I have been getting up to.

Just in time for the weather turning lovely and warm we decided to rip old fire

and replace it with one that matches the furniture.

 

This has been something that I have hummed and haarrd about for 5 years. Its done now!!

I have been inspired to make a new super colourful blanket for picnic season, its huge and has been nice to be underneath during the chilli spell but we are having a heat wave here, well less freezing snap.

I love it, bright colours are not really me neither do I do random colours, far too stressful so I have copied Attic 24. I say copied I did leave out the Fondant colour, didn’t fancy it.

Granny gorgeous but oh heck all those ends!!!!

I have also made some baby clothes

               

My friend Louise and I also did a Valentine inspired swap, my things have yet to materialise Stateside but look what I got……

Pretty stamps

Gorgeous wraps

Fabric, buttons and stickers.Drum roll please brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The most lovely HAND MADE quilty hanging. I swear it is so perfectly made, the hand sewing is microscopic. I want to hang it next to the new fireplace so I can look at it always. I’d love to have a go at a simple (ish) quilting project as Louise has sent me other fabrics in the past too and I would love to do justice to them. Anyone got any good ideas?

I will try not to let it all stack up and attempt one a week, hope you have enjoyed the catch up.

Lou

Christmas round up

As promised I have the Holly pattern for you. I know that there is a very famous holly pattern out there from Attic 24 but this is very different and doesn’t have an amazingly long tutorial. Oops sorry about that. I also have a symbol pattern. I find them really easy to read but I appreciate that many people do not so I have tried to write this down too, aaarrrgghh.

Chain 10, dc in the second ch from hook.working into the foundation ch htr in next tr in each of next 2 st. ch3, sl st into 1st of 3ch. htr in next tr in each of next 2 st. ch3, sl st into 1st of 3ch. htr in next st. Into last of foundation chain work dc, ch3, sl st into 1st of 3ch, dc. htr in next, tr in each of next 2 st., ch3, sl st into 1st of 3ch. htr in next, tr in each of next 2 st ch3, sl st into 1st of 3ch. htr in next sl st in 1st ch.

I made 2 sewed them together and used a modified tiny tiny flower as a berry. The modification is just do round 2 and forget round 1. Or you can do it unmodified if you like.

Thanks to all the supportive comments re the housework vs crochet debate. You told me exactly what I wanted to hear and I can show you the result of the rest of the day on Friday, I even had it blocked before bed time. Here are the details,

Yarn: Galaxy 2 balls (it has sequins)

Pattern: South bay shawlette

Finally may I introduce to you my very good friends. Good looking bunch aren’t they?

They visited us for the weekend and we had the best time ever. The lady is my bestest buddy from school and my chief bridesmaid and has NEVER failed to be there for me when I needed her. Her Daughter, (girl genius) is my goddaughter and its always a joy and privilege to spend time with her. Our husbands first met when we honeymooned in France at their home when we were too poor to afford a holiday, it was a risk but they hit it off. Their son has had an amazing year and is a face that you will be seeing a lot of. He will be staring in the BBCs dramatization of the borrowers 7.30 boxing day bbc1. He plays James the boy who discovers the borrowers. I am very much enjoying fame by association (I’ll take whatever I can get)

 

I’ll be back after the big day now, I hope you all have a great festive time whatever and however you celebrate.

Love to all

Louise

xxx

round up

I sometimes wonder how I persuade anyone to come see what I’ve been up to at all. I am so envious of those bloggers who think ahead and write a blog with a focus. So here I m with a round up of what is occurring (Welsh accent optional)

Big excitement, Parcels! First my blog friend Louise and I are having too much fun for our own good swapping themed treats. Funny thing was we used the same pattern from Alice to  make 2 very different things. I will let her (if she wants too) show you what I sent as it hasn’t arrived yet.

I love it all thank you Louise. The next parcel came from Sue at SIBOL

She sent me a coaster commemorating the Royal wedding. Ahhhh.

I am in the early stages of putting together another blanket for the group. I am edging in purple and joining as I go but can’t finish it as I am making this…..

As a rush order for Mums cruise at the end of May. Sublime merino 4 ply in Gigi. Carefully chosen to go with her frocks. A fabulous and addictive free pattern with the lovely traditional pineapples. I will show you more when its all done.

I’ve also been gardening…..

Marvelling at nature…..

Sending the family off to their new homes.

I will try to do better and focus on one thing but the manic phase is upon me and I am so scattered. Aaargh.

By the way thanks for all the kind advice you guys are the best. Thomas and I are fledgling geocachers (there's one to focus on!!!)

Lovely happies to you all

Lou

Quiet Riot

 

 

Thank you all so much for the kind words regarding my new (slow burner) project. I wanted to show more but I was a little behind. Basically I found this pattern on ravelry and it works best if you use variegated yarns hence my choice of riot which I bought for £3.26 Here. The colours and feel are a lot like Noro and it does have some natural fibre in so I am well pleased with it.

The pattern says to use 2 different balls but I think that you could use 2 balls of the same colour if you started in different places. One ball is the fat row and the other is the thinner borders. You set off not knowing where the yarn will take you. This is not for the control freak (I have struggled a few times to really love the combos) This is one of those projects that you have to be loose about and wait for the end because no matter what it comes together fabulously in the end. The pattern says to make 6 squares but I may do more. I particularly like the fact that the squares are put together, vertically and horizontally. OOO I am proper excited about this one, its a plodder so no big rush, it will be my autumn snuggling blanket.

Just been on Ravelry searching crochet patterns “What's hot now”, Guess what I found on page 16? My granny shawl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so made up.

Happy weekend to you all and an especial welcome to new faces!!! I am approaching 100 followers which I could not have conceived of when I started out.  New tutorial for next time so be sure and pop by.

A riot of colour

New project preview. An alternative to nasty Noro.

Taking advantage of the sun to show the spot blanket progress.

Summer shawl is all done and being blocked upstairs. Its acrylic so I used steam to “kill” the fibre. I could actually see it move as it died!!! uuurrgh. It is undoubtedly nasty yarn but soft and it looks pretty. I know some people that are like that!!

Finally, what do you do when you are 13 and your muscles have yet to “kick in”. Well you get your mother to paint a six pack on a t shirt for red nose day so you can be the incredible hulk at the school monster theme day.

A grand weekend to you all and if you are one of those people who had green beer last night, then I really hope that you are starting to feel better.

Love

Lou

Fab Friday

A while ago I looked around for new blogs to add to my reading list. One of the ones I found was In the sky. Lucy’s blog is so creative and I have truely enjoyed investigating her blog. I was especially glad that I found her blog when I won her ----tieth birthday giveaway!!!

Wow Lucy thank you. Afternoon tea will be an occasion. I am going to wash my hair and put on a frock!! Fingers are my ultimate, I could and probably will eat the entire box.

I am also grateful to Lucy's blog as it has enabled me to finish a UFO and that was one of my resolutions this year. I had made this colourful coffee cosy but had no idea how to attach it so it stayed on. Lucy drew my attention to Kumihimo-Japanese Braiding . It is such fun, so quick and the result is amazing. I used acrylic yarn but the finished product has (I think) a cotton texture to it. Great stuff thanks.

Other things I have been doing (between gradual spring clean of the glory holes and extreme dust bunnies)

More baby boots for my Aunts friends daughter, free pattern here

A knitting project because I am actually ashamed of how badly I knit. These are to cover creme eggs but they take me ages. They are Jean Greenhowe creatins and are also free Go get some!!

Finally I found this on tinternet  here its a great tutorial and quite easy to make. Its up to you how to decorate.

The best bit is the handle detail, I LOVE this. I have already made several to fill with easter yummies and give to lovely friends

 

I can feel that I am in a manic phase of crafts as I have just spotted a new crochet blankie idea, it calls for Noro silk garden and Kureyon. I bought some silk garden a while ago (£12 what was I thinking) Its awful!! So I am looking for an alternative (cheaper version) It is going to be a Riot of colour. I will share this with you just as soon as I have had it sanctioned by the reigning in police. Have a smashing weekend, I am off to crochet, what else!!

Therapy

  Well my dear sweet friends, I had intended to blog this on Friday but I had a bit of a day, more of that later……

First off Hellooooooooo  to all the new people who are so kind as to swing by. You are so welcome here!!

This week I thought I’d show you the other nearest town to me and that's Harrogate. The Brits might know that Harrogate is posh ( I think it is) full of posh people in Aston Martins. Not me happily but I’m thinking you knew that already. It is rambling and you have to walk alot to get anywhere but there is much to see. 

My bestest favourite place to be is here. Betty's tearooms. Its huge but very English and proper. Yummy food and a deli/bakery shop. When you come to visit we will go there together!! or maybe a virtual visit sometime soon.

Ive not done the place justice but I was shopping and I am so rubbish at it so I was stressed.

On Friday I had planned a wonderful crafternoon and just like Jane I planned to clean madly in the a.m and then feel less guilty playing in the p.m. I volunteer for a charity as treasurer so I got the books up to date filing a return at companies house only to be attacked by the guy who runs the thing and all because I wanted to leave. He poured so much pressure on me to stay with such unpleasantness I felt as if I was being held hostage. So instead of staying until the end of October I am glad to say my hands are washed of the whole awful situation and I am no longer obligated to the man.

Sorry that was a rant, don’t read it!! anyway I felt physically sick (still do a bit) and so crafternoon was no more. I rallyed though and finished this.

 

Oh how I love the VW camper. This is styled on the 1967 split screen version or splitty as they a referred to sometimes. One day maybe.

I am feeling more like me now I have made some squares for SIBOL. My grandma always told me to count my blessings (she was Methodist) and thinking about others has definitely taken my mind off me!!

My lovely boy is sleeping over tonight so guess what me and Mr LouLou are doing? Minds out of sewers please, we are going out to eat!!! ALONE!! No DSi no comic books or endless conversations bout Hulk vs Ironman. Skippity skip weeeeeeeee. Have a lovely evening be it family or no, join me in a glass of wine maybe,

Cheers friends

Lou

xxxx

Blue skies and waves

Shhhh don’t say ANYTHING, you might scare it way but that yellow thingy in the sky, yeh the warm bright thing. It’s the SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well fancy that. As its Friday and sunny the weekly crafternoon has been held outdoors

.

Just to prove that it does happen  although I have played safe and gone for the private back garden option. As Louise said hooky in public gets all kinds of looks. Ali has done it on the lotty and Lucy confessed to beach beading. Hilarious girls!! Well I simply will not let this rest and am out to find fun places to do some and will report back.

 

I had my hook (no yarn though) with me while we were away at the weekend at My brother and sister in laws. Look Hooky at the space museum in Leicester. My Dad made me the hook so its precious a 10mm jobbie ‘cos I couldn’t find big needles he’s since made me a 13mm one in ebony its soooo smooth I will show you it sometime. Anyway we had fab weather and an even better time.Thanks B and F and A!!

.

My eyes swelled up however and I looked like a freak show. They're all better now see.

 

Anyway whatever you re doing and wherever you are doing it have fun this weekend. Cheerio.

Lx