Bloomin' CAL: Hey baby!

A new year, a new baby blanket to give to a friend!

I blocked the blanket last night, and I’m glad I did – the mum, whose daughter is in Little Flower’s pre-school class, is having the baby today! The little girl’s grandma brought her to pre-school today, which made all of us parents smile and introduce ourselves and start guessing gender, size and names...

Blocking the little blanket

This will be her third child, and she has lots of friends and family in the area. I know she probably has oodles of baby blankets and paraphernalia, so I decided to create a *useful* item. This is a small blanket, intended for car seats and prams, a lap blanket for a buggy – any place you don’t want to have to fold and tuck a big blanket. Then, when baby is older, it will be a manageable size for a snuggly blankie.

I love the crochet stitch; being January, I wanted a compact fabric, warmer than more traditional lacy baby blankets. This is Sirdar Snuggly yarn, so soft to touch but very easy to care for.

To add a wee bit of colour, I worked pale green into the border (I had a bit left over from this baby blanket I made last summer). After edging with one round of dc in white, I added a round of dc (US: sc) in green.

I wanted an actual stripe of green, not a row of little stitches, so I went round the back loops only of the green, with a htr (US: hdc) in white.

A pretty edge is a must for a baby blanket, but big ruffles wouldn't suit this small piece. So I went for a little picot-type border with dc, ch1, dc in every other stitch. Easy peasy!

Now that this blanket is finished, it’s time to face the music with the hexies I have neglected for so long...

Poor little dears, look at them. All rumpled, yarn ends dangling, a little gang of crochet urchins. Time to clean up these sweet blooms and get back on track with this project!

I have a very long list of crochet WIPs that I must tend to, but I don’t want to keep these hexies in the back of the cupboard any longer. So I will do what women do best: multitask. A few hexie flowers, a few rows on that purple scarf. A few hexie flowers, the wolf that has been waiting so long to join Little Red Riding Hood. A few hexie flowers, the crochet doily lace that I bought fine thread for in November. I could go on, and on, and on. Life is one big WIP!

What are you hooking this week? As usual, link up below!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

January blahs

My, my, my, I am finding it *very* hard to get back into the swing of things. The deflating combination of jet lag, dark and dreary January mornings and missing family and friends back in the States has left me less than inspired to get much accomplished today. (I know I’m not alone in the doldrums, so many of us are battling the blahs in Blogland...)

I shall remedy this with a blog post and an evening with the village craft group, which meets at the local community centre once a month. Hopefully I’ll recover my crafty mojo!

I’m still getting my head round organising the house and putting new purchases away, so rather than show you what I’ve been working on, I want to share something very special with you, glimpses of my grandma’s sewing room:

The far wall, with a display of sewing machine music boxes.
My great-grandfather made the little shelves.

Grandma took over a narrow little anteroom of her house decades ago to serve as her sewing room. Mom found the charming sewing-themed wallpaper and transformed a bleak storage room into a cozy nook for Grandma to sew into the wee hours (which she still does to this day, she's a true night owl!).

How sweet is this wallpaper?

She has things just how she wants them, with three machines – an embroidery machine, a serger sewing machine, and her good ol’ Singer that might very well be older than me:

It is built into its own sewing cabinet, with handy-dandy storage cupboards on either side. I want one!

Spools of thread are showcased on the walls on display racks specially built for her by my uncle:

Ah, a work of art in its own right...

Another rack for smaller spools, plus a three-tiered caddy on the table for current project needs.

I was so happy to see the little gifts I’ve made for Grandma dotted around the room – including the sewing-themed cushion, the crochet teacup pincushion and cookie needlecase.

Inspired by Grandma’s room, and fuelled with the desire to sort out life from top to bottom – a common feeling this time of year, methinks – I returned home determined to get all my cluttered cupboards organised and make myself more dedicated craft space.

But jet lag and January blues come and go in waves, so the effort has stalled a little. Never mind. I know not to push myself, just do some quiet crafting and wait for the next burst of energy!

In the meantime, why don’t you link up to the Crochet-A-Long below and show me what you have been working on? I hope to join in next week...

Chrissie x

Bloomin’ CAL: Strawberry season

We’ve had a very cold, blustery day here in the south of England, with a biting wind and icy frost. Certainly no weather for strawberries...or is it?

Off my hook this week is a new winter hat for Little Flower. I made her a little strawberry hat last year, and when she realized she had outgrown it, she asked if I could crochet another one.

Of course I couldn’t track down the original pattern, which I had sorta mashed together from various sources last year, so I decided to improvise again. A baby earflap hat pattern was increased until it fit Little Flower’s head, the strawberry stem was spotted on Pinterest, but I didn’t like the leaves that accompanied it, so I made my own. Pale yellow yarn stitched on for the seeds. (I will happily cobble together all the elements into one coherent pattern upon request – just send me an email!)

She is very pleased and wears it with pizzazz – and gets many a smile from passers-by on the street!

In other crochet news, I finished the first ball of yarn for the Manly Scarf:

I am loving the shades of this yarn! But I must tuck it away so it is not discovered...

And like so many of us, there are a few other makes in the works that must stay secret until Christmas...so I will entertain you with a funny item I found in the latest Graham & Greene catalogue:

My, my, what gorgeous pom poms used decoratively on the wall! Remind you of something? 

Oh, I am just so on trend...but wait, let’s look a wee bit closer...

Good grief! Do you see the price tag on those posh balls of tissue paper? Three for £19.95?!?  I have £40 worth of pom poms on my wall from the Rainbow Birthday Party! And heck, mine are multi-coloured, which Graham & Greene would no doubt value at £29.95 for three!

Don’t you just love love love being a *maker*? I am sure most of you have experienced a similar crafty smugness, yes? Tell me about it and revel in it here!

And don’t forget to link up your hooky projects below!

Chrissie x

Crochet-A-Long: A Little Christmas Tree Pattern

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to this week’s CAL post! I am so thankful for the blogger community, always so inspirational and supportive...and this week I’ve created a little Christmas tree pattern to share with you:

This year I’m attaching crocheted ornaments to my Christmas gifts. I have yarn for snowflakes, holly leaves, mistletoe...but I couldn’t find a small tree pattern that I liked. So I came up with this very quick, and very easy, pattern.

The tree on the right was my first attempt, but it is a bit too teeny...

I love the simplicity of adorning the trees with just one tiny jingle bell or a few snowflake buttons, but they could be decorated in so many ways...why don’t you make one and share your ideas?

I used scraps of DK yarn and a 3.75mm hook for a close weave, but vary this with what you have in your stash. The triangle is a simple “double crochet two together” at the start of each row. It whips up in minutes!

With the green yarn (or use white, red, any colour, really):

Ch 16

Dc in second chain from hook, 1 dc in each st across (15 sts)

Ch 1, turn, dc2tog, 1 dc in each st across (14 sts)

Ch 1, turn, dc2tog, 1 dc in each st across (13 sts)

Continue in this way until you have only two stitches left, dc2tog, fasten off.

You now will have a sweet little triangle. 

This one was made with scraps of cotton washcloth yarn

For the trunk, with the brown yarn:

Ch 9

Dc in second chain from hook, 1 dc in each st across (8 sts)

Ch 1, turn, dc in each st across (8 sts)

Continue for three or four rows, until the trunk is the size you like. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Now simply centre the trunk with the triangle base, and using the long tail of brown yarn, sew the trunk to the back of the first dc row of the triangle, making sure the yarn doesn’t show through at the front. Weave in all the ends when finished.

And that is it! I envisage a garland of trees, trees fastened onto teachers’ gifts, napkin rings, personalized by children...

What’s on your hook this week? Please link up below!

Chrissie x

Blooming flowers, blooming ideas

Greetings to you all and a happy welcome to my newest followers. We are well into the Bloomin’ CAL with Ladybird Diaries, and I think for most of us the attention has shifted from hexies and blankets to Christmas projects...

I managed a few more rows of this oh-so-manly scarf from the latest issue of Simply Crochet. The yarn is King Cole Riot Chunky, and my dears, is it lovely! Soft, silky, and very warm, it is sure to keep Darling Husband toasty during the coldest of workday commutes.

It is worked in a granite stitch, which I’d never done before but it does sound macho, doesn’t it? I typically don’t crochet for men because, well, crochet usually just works up more lacy and delicate than knitting, but I spotted this and just had to make it. I like the yarn and stitch so much, though, that I am snooping around the other variegated shades of Riot Chunky for some more feminine shades...

Off the hook this week is a sweet collar for Little Flower:

This tiny pattern (and I mean tiny – the flowers are worked in embroidery floss and a size 2.5 mm hook!) is also from Simply Crochet, it’s a great issue this month, chock full of little gifts and lovely projects!

As I was making this collar, Little Flower helped choose the colours for the flowers, she happily stood while I measured the size to fit...so of course now she refuses to put it on, not even for a quick photo. Hmph.

Now, I’m not one to start thinking about Christmas until my birthday has passed on 1 December. My presents and my cake come before the advent calendar! But then we go mad and decorate and create and bake like we were proper Santa’s elves. So although I am not decorating, I’m starting to sort out the gifts, and that means thinking about how to wrap and present them...

And I have a few yarny ideas I’m going to test during the next few days. More to come in next week’s CAL update!

What’s on your hook this week? Please link up below!

Chrissie x

P.S. Thank you all for your well wishes for Little Flower’s recovery, she’s almost back to full health, a few more days of snuggling and back to pre-school next week!

Bloomin’ CAL: The Hexie Factory

Following on the heels of my statement that I prefer to crochet one hexagon at a time, giving me the satisfaction of a pretty little blossom hexie each time I pick up the hook, I am retracting that proclamation. I figured this would happen; the honeymoon period with my Hexagon Throw is starting to wear off. Oh dear!

It’s not that I don’t love this blanket. I am besotted by the gentle pastel colours, the curving petals of each hexie, the tiny thrill every time I finish another flower and place it next to the group.

But like so many other aspects of life, more urgent matters have distracted me to the point that I am seriously neglecting my blanket. And I am ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED NOT TO LET THIS ONE SLIP TO THE BLACK HOLE THAT IS THE BACK OF MY CRAFT CUPBOARD FOR ALL ETERNITY!

So, based on the comments and advice from my “How do you hook?” post a few weeks back, I have started a Hexie Factory, where I will run an assembly line to boost my progress on this throw...

Already I have about 20 centers completed, and I haven’t even worked on them a complete hour! A few minutes here and there and I have a nice handful of hexie middles.

I know the next level will take longer, but I like trying out this method. It is providing some instant satisfaction so I don’t feel so overwhelmed by the scope of this project.

Yesterday afternoon I took along my crochet bag to Bunny’s harp lesson, and I whipped up at least 10 little centres while I sat outside the music room, listening to her play.

Now that was one lovely crochet session!

A few months ago, Bunny asked – completely out of the blue – if she could take harp lessons. “Yes, dear,” I replied, like most would, assuming this was a fleeting thought in her head. Then during the summer holidays she asked again, and then again, and I realized that she really was interested.

Because we’re a musical family, I vowed to myself that if my children wanted to try out an instrument I would do my best to make it happen. I know it’s not always practical or feasible, but I would try.

And indeed this was one of those moments of great serendipity, because the music school where I have studied singing on and off for 10 years just so happens to be run by a professional harpist. A harpist! So I rang her up and arranged a little trial lesson to see if Bunny would enjoy the harp.

She came out of the lesson grinning like it was Christmas morning. Yes indeed, I’ll make this work, whatever it takes!

So now there is a beautiful child’s harp, rented from the school, sitting pride of place in her bedroom. She practices while I’m making dinner, and it sounds like fairies are visiting our house. It is a beautiful sound, even if she’s just plucking various strings learning techniques. (And I know we are *very* lucky in that respect, not many instruments sound like fairy music when children are learning!)

And it does make quite a dreamy accompaniment to crochet...

What’s on your hook this week? Link up below!

Chrissie x

PS I was overwhelmed by the lovely comments about my first quilt, thank you all so much, it really boosts me to get this next one going! 

Bloomin’ CAL: Link up!

 You all know what I’m up to today...

Happy Birthday Little Flower!

But after the birthday girl goes to sleep this evening, I’m going to settle down with a glass of bubbly (a tradition on my children’s birthdays!) and check out what everyone else is hooking up this week.

Obligatory hexagon, and a rainbow lollipop.

Please link in your crochet goodies below!

Now I’m off to make more rainbows...tee hee!

Chrissie x

Bloomin’ CAL and Happy Halloween!

I’m afraid my hexies have gathered a few cobwebs this week...

A combination of half term and Halloween meant that I only got three more hexies completed. Oh, but I did manage to finish this lovely project:

My snood is finished! I tend to finish a scarf or cowl-type project by trying it on partway through and not by following the pattern. Usually the pattern is designed for someone a bit taller than five feet, so unless I measure it to me as I make, I’ll end up with a scarf that could double as a blanket...

So I pinned the snood last night and tried it on and it just seemed to be the right size for me. Ta dah! And now that I know it’s a very easy project and turns out well, I can make some for gifts. (Luckily, I still have enough of that gorgeous Drops yarn to make a pair of mittens or a hat!)

In the meantime, we’ve just come back from the first Halloween party of the day, for the little ones...

Talk about a feast! They dined on witch’s broomsticks, pumpkin-shaped sandwiches and cheesy puff pastry bats, amongst other goodies. A friend and I joined up to throw a party for our young ones – thankfully she offered her home as I have a trick-or-treat party and sleepover happening here later...

We both had lots of decorations to share. I was in charge of some veggie snacks, which took the shape of a pumpkin head

...and lots of sugar cookies to decorate and gobble up! There were cats, rats, bats and creepy spiders!

I also made larger pumpkin cookies and a few ghosts for the children to decorate with orange icing and all sorts of sweets!

Now I’m off to prep the food for the next party, a decidedly scarier affair for the older kids! Happy Halloween everyone! Please share your latest hooky WIPs below, I’ll enjoy reading them when I’m up late tonight listening to sleepover giggles down the hall...

Tomorrow I’m dusting off that pink hook and getting back to hexies!

Chrissie x

Bloomin’ CAL: How do you hook?

Hello hello hello to the newest members of the Bloomin’ Crochet-A-Long! Ladybird Diaries and I are so happy to have you with us, whether you are following along quietly or are posting and linking up with our endeavours.

This week I’m curious to know how you go about projects involving numerous hexies, flowers, granny squares, etc. Do you crochet one at a time, changing colours as necessary, or do you crochet a bunch of centres, then proceed to do a wave of second colours on each one, like a hooky assembly line?

I’ve been following a few bloggers who do different methods, and I’m curious why you choose to work the way you do!

So far, I’ve been content to work one hexie blossom at a time. I like watching the little sweeties build up the petals and the lovely cream edge. I like snipping the yarn of each finished one and laying it down flat and admiring it. A teeny project complete.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that this is because it is still very early days with this blanket. I am in the honeymoon period, where I am still enchanted by the candy colours. I find every round a joy. Ask me how I’m feeling at hexie 47 of 114...

Which prompts me to ask if you ever change your method partway through a project? Or perhaps shove the lot in a basket and leave it for a bit? I find I’m constantly seduced by new patterns. Hence this CAL, to keep my focus! Are you a fickle hooker?

And speaking of fickle, the little snowflake in the latest Simply Crochet magazine caught my eye...

I spotted this very pretty sparkly thread at a haberdashery earlier this week, and I knew straight away that I wanted it for snowflakes. The shimmer in it is from a clear, plastic-like thin thread woven into the shiny cotton strand, so it sparkles without having an actual metallic thread that is obvious to the eye. I used a size 2 hook, it is quite delicate going, but I’m pleased with the result. I’ve blocked it, but I might play around with starching or something to make it a bit stiffer. Garland is the obvious use, but I am considering making more and sticking them to plain brown gift tags as Christmas labels. This one is smaller and more fragile than the snowflake in the magazine, which was worked in proper yarn.

And I just couldn’t end a crochet post without showing you the progress with the snood:

mmmmm...

Welcome to my new followers, and a huge thank you to everyone joining in the CAL, I am so happy to have so many enthusiastic, lovely people happily hooking up with us! Link up below...

Chrissie x

Bloomin' CAL: Progress report and a book review

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I haven’t made progress on my hexie blanket this week, as my crochet energies were devoted to the Knitting & Stitching Show and getting to know my new yarn purchases...

The colours seem to change with every photo, sometimes bright, sometimes smoky...

*sigh* Ain’t she just a beauty? This type of project is just so portable; I’ve been tucking the yarn and hook in my bag this week as I zipped to a meeting, to a get together with friends...I even completed four rows as I waited the half hour of Bunny’s harp lesson (yes, harp. Her second lesson. Because obviously a piano isn’t big enough...). I do love the social aspect of it, the other musical mums waiting at the school were keen to talk about the snood and seemed quite interested in my crochet (perhaps next week I’ll let them know I’m teaching some more classes in a few weeks, drum up some more business!).

Do you take your crochet out and about? Have you struck up a conversation about a project?

I had some queries about the book from which this snood pattern originates, so I thought I could show you a bit more.

Erika Knight is one of my crochet heroes. I have a few of her books – this one is aimed primarily at beginners, but it is so gorgeous that the more experienced might well want to add it to their collection. It is an excellent reference book to have on the shelf.

Here is what’s on offer inside. Erika Knight offers some of the best tutorials for crochet that I’ve seen. Her stitch descriptions and illustrations are crystal clear, and she goes a step further to show detailed hook sizes and swatches of stitches so the reader has a visual guide.

The book features page after page of these types of swatches, as well as a multitude of yarns and textures that lend themselves beautifully to crochet. I love Knight’s books for the contemporary use of materials. She specializes in earthy, smoky palettes, with the texture of the fibres enhancing the appearance of the crochet.

The projects in this book could easily be adapted to pastels or brights, like I’m doing with the snood, but it is lovely to see them in these more neutral tones, and they would suit those of you with more male-dominated homes (stripy cushions for your boys’ rooms!).

What’s on your hook this week? Check out the links below and join in the fun! I hope to have a gang of hexies invading the CAL post next week...

Chrissie x

PS Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post, I loved reading what the season has offered you! 

The nose on my face

Thank you all for helping with my colour conundrum in my last post – the result was a dead heat between the pale green and the aqua. So I whipped up a hexie in each colour

And the solution was obvious – use both!

Really, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. I suppose I was so enchanted by the picture of the hexagon throw in Cute & Easy Crochet with Flowers that I wanted to copy it as closely as I could. The flowers in that blanket use the same colour patterns throughout.

But now I’m thinking outside the box – thanks to all of you who commented with ideas! – and I’m going to treat these hexie blooms like granny squares, and just use whatever patterns strike my fancy. I tell ya, I’m living on the edge! I’m a bit of a wild child like that...

Tomorrow I’m off to the Knitting & Stitching show in London – yippee! I can’t wait to get there...I’ll give a full report for Stitching Sunday!

Have a lovely weekend!

Chrissie x