Covert Action

Yesterday, our quiet cul-de-sac was taken over by a film crew and a celebrity. I use the word 'celebrity' fairly loosely, as he is probably way down on the A-Z list. If you are from the UK, you probably know him, that bald chap - Dom Littlewood. He is often on 'The One Show' and programmes like 'Cowboy Traders'. Yesterday he was filming a new episode of 'Cowboy Builders' right across the street from us. I spent most of the morning standing on the toilet seat, aiming my camera out of the tiny gap in the bathroom window, and this is my best shot:

That guy did not want to turn around, so this is the best shot I could get. Loving his co-ordinating shoes and jacket. There was also a female presenter, no idea who that was. It didn't look like Melinda Messenger, who had been in previous series of 'Cowboy Builders'. I was waiting for the 'builder confrontation' but it never happened. I can't wait to see this episode, as the rogue builders in question done a fair amount of work in my parents' house a few years back... and totally messed it up, and ripped them off, so I'll be happy to see them get publicly humiliated. Don't get done, get Dom!

So that unexpectedly changed my plans yesterday, poor Little P had to amuse herself a bit whilst we took it in turns to peer out of the window. She kept calling him 'John Lewis' too which was funny... can you tell where we shop?!

I have been playing about with the camera as usual - the garden being one of my favourite places to experiment. Only when you see the really close-up detail of flowers and insects do you appreciate just how amazing and beautiful nature really is. Nothing we make can compare. I'm always photographing flowers, and noticing patterns inside I would never have seen with the naked eye. But the other day, I had a different subject. A grasshopper. He actually sat on my hand whilst I photographed him - Little P was a bit weary, and kept calling him a chameleon! I was amazed he sat there, I actually had to put him back, he didn't hop away. He was quite happy having a scratch of his body and face. Here is the little chap...

In between these antics, and occupying the Little Lady, there has been a bit of crochet. Designing in fact. I mentioned in my last post that whilst making the amigurumi monkey for my niece I had an idea for my own monkey - well I put the cogs into action and produced one!
It started as a few rough sketches in my notebook (along with a bit of colouring help from Little P)...

and got refined to this tiny sketch in the corner of a page...

 

I knew I would use my trusty Rico Creative Cotton Aran for this, as I did the last monkey. Little P wanted a pink monkey too, and I have a thing about pink and green together, so he needed some green 'bits' too. Then began the experimenting...

Originally, I had planned for this monkey to be quite a big thing, but I decided to try a scaled down version, to see if I actually like the design. It turns out I do, and so does Little P, which is the most important thing! I'm happy with proportions, so in theory I could scale him up to be the big chunky monkey I once envisioned.

And there he is! I actually have ideas for a whole series of these animals. I really like his rectangular body shape, with the face as part of it, I think it's quite unique. My Mum has some ideas too, so watch this space for some more animals like this!

I also got quite an exciting delivery in the post this week, more Hooplayarn! Each bobbin is quite sizeable, so I couldn't order too much, I limited myself to 3. I love the colours! Think they look lovely together...

In fact, I think my original plans for them have changed. Instead of adding them to the mixed colour mandala rug (see last post) I may make another rectangular rug just using these. Any oddments can get added to the mandala rug, but I think these deserve to be together, in their own ruggy glory. I ordered mine through an Amazon shop as they had a great range of colours and were a good price.

I've also started crocheting a simple stripy sleeve for my laptop - just to keep the dust off. Will post about that when it's finished! I think I can hear it calling me now, but one thing before I go...

Please go and check out my friend Leah's new blog - Curly Girl Coop - I taught her some of the basics of crochet about a year ago and her love for crochet has taken off, just like mine did! She shares the same love of colour and amigurumi as I do - but we differ a fair amount with other things (she still doesn't get grannysquares), but please go give her a look, it's a great blog already!

I've just been informed that the film crew are back outside... I can't waste another day watching, that's so old hat now! Time to crochet, so until next time...

The Big Blanket

Something happened the other day, something that hasn't happened for a long time. I was projectless. Not for long, I will quickly add, but for a brief window in my life, I was projectless.
A couple of my larger projects have been finished and sent to their new homes, including one very large one. Introducing the massively enormous patchwork blanket, a present for my Auntie and Uncle on their silver wedding anniversary.

I started this just after I finished Little P's mini patchwork blanket, so maybe back in March I think, and finished it a few days before the day it was due - so it was a mammoth project, 5 months in the making! It was more of an 'evening project', one for when Little P had gone to bed and I could watch TV and crochet square after square, joining as I went along.
I based it on Attic24's Patchwork Granny Blanket. It is made up of 144 six-round granny squares (my calculation told me that was nearly 20000 double crochet stitches alone!) and then finished off with a calming border - 7 rounds of 'grannying' and then a round of moss stitch (in purple to give 'dotted' effect) before finishing with a round of bobble shells (see Attic24 tutorial).

I forgot to measure if, but it must be at least 180cm x 180cm. It consumed an enormous amount of yarn - Stylecraft Special DK - in loads of colours! I machine washed it before giving it to my Auntie and Uncle, and was so nervous hoping it would come out in one piece, and not just a jumble of wool! It was greatly received and I was a bit sad to see it leave, as it had been a labour of love for so long! I guess I'll just have to start another blanket, as I feel a bit lost without one on the go! Just look at that feast of colour...

Yesterday was the 3rd Birthday of my little niece, so of course I had to make a little something for her. Just like her cousin, Little P, she is all girly and pink and fluffy, so I thought I would make something pink. I decided on a monkey, using the 'Monkey Girl' pattern by Lilleliis. I changed it a bit to fit with my colour scheme, and adapted the face a bit, but the general shape followed that pattern. I used Rico Creative Cotton Aran as it's super soft and bright - great for chunkier toys...

 

 

Here she is having a photo shoot in the garden (ignore the weeds! No time for weeding at the moment!)

 



Whilst making her, I had an idea for my own design monkey - and more animals, maybe a series - so watch this space for a new creation!

After finishing the monkey, and catching up with a couple of other bits, I actually had to think of something to crochet. I had an empty list of my phone to-do app - first time in a long, long, time. I had caught up after all the babies, birthdays and anniversaries. What to do?
It didn't take long before I rediscovered the bag of Hooplayarn I had picked up at last Autumn's Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally (read my post here). I had bought loads of odds and ends in a variety of colours, with the plan of making a rug. I had visions of a small, round rug, but never really got on with it. Now was the perfect time to start, and with my recent love of mandalas, it seemed like a great opportunity to make a really big one.
I started my research, but it didn't take long to find inspiration. I wanted to keep the pattern fairly simple, and let the colours do the work - although I didn't want just round after round of double crochets. I discovered that one of my fave bloggers, A Creative Being, had in fact designed just what I was looking for, and had a free pattern - brilliant!
I set to work with my Hooplayarn and a 15mm hook. It was a struggle at first, but I soon got into the rhythm of working with such massive yarn.

It worked up fairly quickly, but I soon realised my odds and ends wouldn't go that far. In fact, I've now ground to a halt, and have ordered some more Hooplayarn to get me going again. Hooplayarn are exhibiting at Yarndale in a few weeks time, and I'm hoping I can get some more odds and ends then! I love it so far though...

mmm.... colour...I hope the new bobbins hurry up and arrive so I can continue with it!
Now I'm a bit stuck again for projects... maybe I will have a play with that monkey design?! Until net time...

A Week Of Treats

Last week was mainly a week of crochet related treats for myself, and why not?
Thursday I ventured to London's Ally Pally for the annual Knitting and Stitching Show. Excited was an understatement! Thursday couldn't come soon enough for me, as I prepared myself for my first real 'day out' since becoming a mum. I was sad to leave the little P behind for a whole day, but the sheer excitement of what lie ahead outweighed any bad feelings! Plus I knew the little monster would have a great day with my parents, who she loves to bits! I was just concerned for them as I knew she would not stop all day as their company is much too fun!
So Thursday finally arrived, and it was a fairly early start for me, on the train by half past 7. After catching the connecting train, it was time to whip the crochet out. I had been deliberating hard about which project to take on the train, and after much thought I decided to start a rabbit I have been 'commissioned' to make.
There were 3 of us, 2 crocheters and one knitter (who really wants be be a hooker!). We spent some of the journey trying to teach the knitter to crochet, and she actually was very good! She had produced a nice little green amigurumi ball type thing by the end of the lesson. I made 2 rabbit ears, but there was a major issue... nobody brought scissors, thinking the other person would have them! Oooops, so I had the great pleasure of (discreetly) chewing through my yarn, thank goodness it was only cotton!
We arrived at the Ally Pally late morning, and it was already fairly busy. It was the first day of the show so we were hoping to get all the good stuff before anyone else!

Those of you who know the Ally Pally will know it is huge inside. That's an awful lot of stands to get round!
I love looking at yarn, and other craft related items, but there came a point when I just couldn't look at any more. It is an amazing show, and I'd love to go back year on year, but it is huge, and very tiring! It's quite warm in there, and busy, which makes getting around it slow work. You also have to add walking sticks into the equation - I got one to the shin from a lady fighting her way to look at some buttons. But what a great show! There were so many excellent stands to look at, a few of my favourites included the Hooplayarn and Zpagetti stands. This giant form of upcycled crochet is something I have been looking at and wanting to do, so to see it in the flesh and examples of products was very interesting. I did get tempted into a purchase here... the lovely ladies of Hooplayarn had some leftover oddments of yarn in lots of bright colours.... these had my name on them! The problem with me is I like to use a lot of colours, and it would be very expensive to buy 5 or 6 bobbins of yarn at once, so these small oddments were perfect for me.

I love these colours so much, and am very pleased with the purchase. I love how stretchy the yarn is, and I'm excited about using it... maybe a colourful rug?

My other favourite purchase was that of a super new hook. The creme de la creme of crochet hooks. My friend had told me about these but I'd never seen them... introducing me new baby, Tulip Etimo Rose...

Photographs just don't do it justice, as you can't feel it. It is amazingly soft to touch and I can't wait to use it....only wish I could afford the set (currently retailing around £90 if anyone would like to buy them for me?)

I bought a couple of other bits, as much as I could carry anyway. In answer to the previous post's question, the answer would be no, a suitcase would not have been excessive, in fact very resourceful. A few show-goers were indeed wheeling them around. I topped up on my favourite Rico Creative Cotton which I'm using at the moment for a project, and also got a couple of Clover Soft Touch hooks to extend my ergonomic hook collection.

And here is the whole bunch together.... doesn't look much, think I should have had more!

You may also notice a couple of books, not from the show but a little present to myself earlier in the week. I have wanted both for a while so I treated myself....again!

So all in all, a great day was had at the show and I'd highly recommend it to any crafters out there. By the end of the afternoon we were on the floor. Exhausted. I needed a day after to gather my energy back, but no such luck, back to the bouncing little P!

I haven't had a great deal of other crochet time this week, but am managing to put together a doll for the little lady. I have made the legs, body and one arm so far...

I'm happy how she is turning out so far, the biggest challenge will be the hair, which I'm not looking forward to. I'm using the good old Rico Creative Cotton Aran and a 4.5mm hook, so she is nice and big and cuddly. She also has a separate dress and shoes to wear once I have finished the body.I am using this pattern. That's all my news for this week.... see you soon!