Mummy Time

Yes, this week I have not had a lot of time to crochet, as I've been extremely busy with my primary (and favourite) role, as a mummy!
The weather has been relatively good, so we've been outside lots. Little P has developed a love of digging up soil and filling up buckets, she's really quite good at it for 16 months old! She's in full flow on her feet now, and swiftly gets about the garden, no time to turn your back or she's away! We also took her for her first proper beach experience. Needless to say, she loved it, the sand, the water, everything! Only thing is, I don't go much on sand. The first half hour was OK, then when water started to get involved, I just couldn't handle it! I hate that feeling of sand everywhere! But, little P loved it and that's what's important, right?
Considering how energetic she is, and the fact she never stops and sits still, she doesn't seem to need much sleep either. In fact, the afternoon nap is often non-existent now. And that was prime crochet time! So I have had very little hooky time in the last week, just a bit in the evenings, when little P finally gives in to sleep.
I am continuing with my mum's rainbow stripe blanket, I've added only a handful of rows though since the last report.....more of that this afternoon! But I did manage to finish the ripple cushion cover for little P's cotbed.
I have blogged about it on it's own page (see 'My Creations' section, top right of page. But incase you don't, here it is...

I love the bright colorful ripples, and it's cotton too so it's super-soft! I thought I'd pose it in amongst a fern to show off those ripples!

Until next time, when I hope to have made more rainbow stripe progress....

Stripin' Away Again

So yes, I'm in the process of another lovely granny stripe blanket, this time as a present for my Mum's birthday, as she reaches a milestone later this year. It's quite different from the last one (I used chunky yarn so the blanket got bigger quicker!) as I'm using Stylecraft Special DK, in about 32 colours. The aim is for it to be a graduated rainbow.... so lets see how it turns out. I'm currently on colour number 6, 'Shrimp' as so far it is looking quite nice if I do say so myself. Here it is.... 4 rows of each colour (Camel, Copper, Rosehip, Lipstick, Matador, Shrimp)

As you know, I can't just have one project on the go at one time, so I'm also currently rippling away (yes, another Lucy pattern!). It's going to be a cushion cover for my little P's cotbed to make it more cozy, as it's a bit prison cell-like at the moment! For this I'm using Rico Creative Cotton Aran, which has to be one of my favourite yarns - it is a splitty yarn, but the colours are so bright and cheery and it feels so soft and non-itchy, which is very important to me!

 
So hopefully this will turn into a cushion cover.... watch this space! I have another cushion too, but am yet to decide on it's outcome! Stripe? Square? Hexagons? Who knows...

I also have been making another one of my own design cows, as a present for my niece's 2nd birthday.... now she has recieved it, I can post a picture. It was interesting following my own scruffily scrawled pattern to see if it worked, and in most parts it did, just a couple of errors here and there. I'm going to get my friend to road-test it for me when I write it up neater. Now she's getting pretty good with the old crochet hook, I suppose she deserves a little mention. She asked me if I would teach her to crochet, not so long ago, I couldn't refuse as my life wouldn't be worth living! So I took some supplies round to her house, where she'd already mastered the chain stitch and tried to teach her the basics. It was actually quite tricky to explain, but it obviously worked. I think actually seeing someone else do it is really helpful. She's left-handed too which made it more tricky, but by the end of the little session she had made a rather charming oddly shaped ball. But she was pleased, and so was I! It was great passing on what I had taught myself and being able to share a hobby with a friend! So glad she has got into crochet, and she really has.... she is knocking out amazing blankets, baskets and toys already. In fact I'm slightly concerned the apprentice will overtake the master....
So back to the cow (the stuffed toy, not my friend), here is version #2, made with Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo... total yarn snobbery!

So that's what I've been up to lately.... until next time....

Recent Going Ons...

So I have been very busy again lately, hence the spacing between posts! I've had lots of sorting and clearing to do, very boring, but also managed to squeeze in a fair amount of hooking time, which pleases me greatly!
I can tick a few projects off the list.... yes, the giant chunky mahoosive granny stripe blanket is finished! My very own design cow amigurumi is complete, and my puffy flower square pillow is sitting in the rocking chair being all puffy and flowery!

Starting with the blanket.... I am sooo pleased how this has turned out. It has taken a while (but there have been many other projects on the go at the same time) but it was worth every minute of effort.
I used King Cole Comfort Chunky yarn, in 8 colours, Raspberry, Azure, Dill, Cream, Tangerine, Grape, Spearmint and Aqua. I think some of these have been discontinued however, but I emptied my local store and then topped up on ebay so I didn't run out! It's pretty big, which I wanted, a nice huge blanket to snuggle under in the winter with my daughter in front of the TV. Even if we do have to watch Mr Tumble. Can't wait until we can stick a Disney film on and cuddle up!
It measures 130cm x 150cm, I think I chained about 150 to begin with, but can't exactly remember, just kept going until it was big enough. I used Lucy of Attic24's Granny Stripe pattern, and finished it off with her Shell Bobble Edging. I wanted something to just finish it without it being too delicate or fancy, and this was perfect.
So here it is, in all it's striped glory......

Next up is the cushion cover...I made up the puffy flower design, inspired by a design in Crochet Today magazine. I hope to write the pattern down and post it here sometime, when I get a chance!
I made my flowers, turned them into good old granny squares and  joined them as I went along. I made one large bog standard granny square for the back of the cover, and worked it until it matched the size of the front. The two pieces were just a little bit smaller than the cushion itself, as I wanted it to pull tight over it. I then double crocheted (single in US terms) through both pieces together, joining 3 sides, then putting the cushion in before completing the final side. I then worked a snall border of half treble crochets and finished off with that Shell bobble edging again. Voila.... there you have it. I used a whole load of Stylecraft Special DK yarns. Bargain yarn, but also feels nice, and not too itchy! I'm a yarn snob and don't like the feel of many of the 'cheaper' yarns, but this one is lovely to work with and the colours are great!

So finally is my little amigurumi moo cow, who I am still yet to name. Worked in a spiral, with King Cole Bamboo Cotton, here he is..... (also hoping to post pattern here soon)

So now I must continue with my creations, I have many more ideas brewing and 2 on the go already! Until next time...