WIP Ta-Dah Double Whammy!

I am very happy to announce that I have completed not one, but TWO projects! (This is a big deal for me, the WIP queen!)

They are the focus of my latest YouTube video...

What's on my hook

First is my Hotel of Bees Shawl

After the crochet fail a few weeks back, I was determined to make things right and finish this beautiful pattern. I am over the moon with the result! 

The Hotel of Bees Crochet-A-Long is being hosted by Sandra of Cherry Heart and Sam of Betsy Makes. The shawl pattern is by Christina Hadderingh, and I crocheted it using Fyberspates Scrumptious Sport Superwash 4-ply yarn. It feels so soft and wonderful!

I'm in the final stretch of the Missed Kingfisher Shawl

I plan on wearing it in my next YouTube video so keep watching! The Missed Kingfisher shawl pattern is by Joanne Scrace for “The Shawl Project: Book Two”, from The Crochet Project, and I'm using Eden Cottage Yarns Titus 4-ply in Rambling Rose and Oakworth 4-ply in Compost.

Next on my hook will be another Spun Gold Shawl, which I'm making as a gift for a friend, using some beautiful Juniper Moon Farm yarn:

The Spun Gold Shawl is by Kat Goldin for The Crochet Project. I bought the yarn, 

Juniper Moon Farm's Herriot Fine baby alpaca/nylon 4-ply yarn from Pins & Needles. 

And I was gifted a ball of the delicious, coveted Watermelon Shawl Gradient Yarn by Hand Dyed by Kate! I can't wait to make something scrumptious with it! 

What!?! I’m knitting?

Yep, I'm trying to finally get my head around knitting! 

I've tentatively started the Match & Move shawl by Martina Behm, using the juiciest yarn! This is Hill View Farm's Superwash BFL sock yarn in ‘Shades of Flamingo’ and I'm also using ‘Shades of Coral’.

What’s in my hoop

The final YouTube tutorial for my Herb Embroidery sampler is up and running! I finished with the fly stitch for the background fronds. 

The tutorials are forever on my channel, so feel free to give it a go anytime! The original pattern design can be found HERE.

I also show some of the sampler herbs being used for some summer placemats I'm working on!

Pour yourself a cuppa and have a quick visit with me on YouTube!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Adjusting...and sharing the yarn love

The flowers in my garden are confused...

A second flush of lavender, chives, borage, even wild strawberries!

It is September, but the sun has been shining bright, the air has been warm, and the garden doesn’t know whether it is coming or going!

The sky is Mediterranean blue behind a small cluster of jasmine blossoms.

The nasturtiums continue to burst open in hot colours.

Tree leaves are beginning to turn behind a late-blooming rose.

I am similarly muddled. But today I finally feel a nip in the air that hints of autumn. I reach for my shawl and my crochet hook.

‘Tis the season for super-chunky yarn

A blanket in the works.

‘Tis also the season to get a head-start on Christmas

Oh, this book! The possibilities! While I wait for my Anchor Aida Crochet Cotton No. 10 in a range of icy pastel shades, I made three of the snowflake designs from this new book with DK yarn. All using a 4mm hook, all with different, pleasing results. I have yet to weave in the ends and block these snowflakes, so they're a bit untidy, but you get the idea...

The Louisa Harding Etoile has beautiful tiny sequins to give that authentic snowflake sparkle. The grey Smooth DK has the slightest sheen, and the lilac Patons is a mercerised cotton, so it hooks like smooth string.

I’m going to experiment with blocking and stiffening - a comparison of fabric stiffening spray and a mix of PVA glue and water. Watch this space for results!

I am adjusting to a new phase of life, and while I am thoroughly enjoying all the busy-ness that has made up these past few weeks, I am still trying to find my feet. Trying to find time to be *still* and get a grip on what’s happening all around me. I know that time will come, but not yet. 

For the moment I wake up and look at the calendar on the wall and do exactly what it tells me: “Crochet Course 10-12”; “Embroidery Workshop 9.30-12.30”; “Lunch Date 1 p.m.” “Choir Practice 7.30-9.30”. If I didn’t have that thing on the wall I’d probably stand stupid in the middle of the kitchen each morning not knowing which way to turn!

But it’s all good. All good! I just don’t have as much time to blog as I used to, but I will find my groove. You can also find me on Instagram (check the link up there on the right) where I share simple photos of what I’m doing until I’m able to sit down and write about it all.

Here’s some yarn I shared recently on IG, nestled comfortably here in my favourite pink basket:

I was teaching my Beginner’s Crochet Course at Pins & Needles in Grayshott. It is dangerous business, teaching in lovely haberdasheries. I’m constantly spending my earnings on bits of fabric and yarn...well, it just so happened that stock was being cleared to make room for the new season, and those pretty pastel balls of Debbie Bliss Eco Baby were £1 each!

I left with 15. It would have been a crime to leave them!

The yarn is soooo soft and pretty, I was thinking they would make lovely washcloths to wrap up with a beautiful bar of handmade soap for Christmas gifts. However, upon hooking up three shades into a flower just for fun...

I have discovered that the colours coordinate perfectly with my living room! 

Now there’s a dilemma...I just happen to have purchased Annette’s newest pattern, the Popcorn & Lace pillow...pretty granny square pillow or Christmas gifts? What would you do?

Chrissie x

Crochet al fresco!

Oh, the indulgence of it all! Sunshine, bird song, tea and *s p a r k l y * yarn!

Doesn’t take much to make me exceedingly happy!

This past weekend a new haberdashery opened in a nearby village. I took the girls to the grand opening Saturday morning, and of course I just had to show my support by making a lovely yarny purchase!

I simply could not resist the sparkles. I mean, look at them! Sequins and metallic threads are so on trend, but I hadn’t succumbed...til I saw this beautifully textured yarn, in my favourite taupe shade, with the subtlest silver sequins. I remembered a lacy scarf pattern in Erika Knight’s Crochet Workshop book, which only uses two balls of yarn, so I added that to some fun fabric and a needlefelting kit for Bunny and a purple bead kit for Little Flower. A lovely little haberdashery that I will be happy to visit again...and again...and again...!

Also basking in the springtime sun is a freshly made mandala:

This little lovely was designed by Wink for Simply Crochet, Issue Seven. I made this for a close friend’s birthday, in colours that suit her kitchen. I also wanted to test out one of the mandala patterns for next Monday’s Crochet Clinic, because a handful of the hooksters will be learning how to make mandalas.

I will be making one for myself – it really is a wonderful project, and I can understand why mandalas are so fun to create. Each round is repetitive enough to allow you to hook without constantly looking at the directions, yet not so large that it becomes boring to work over and over again. The colour changes allow any palette that strikes your fancy, and cotton yarn is usually inexpensive.

I’m using Drops Paris, which is used frequently in these patterns. The colours are wonderful, but golly is this yarn splitty! The strands separate like crazy, which I can deal with, but I wonder if a pricier cotton yarn would yield easier results. I’ll have to investigate that one. But I do love the colours of Drops Paris, and it works up into a soft, sturdy fabric...  

I’d love to say that I must dash because I have chores to do or children to fetch. But honestly, I’m leaving the dishes in the sink, the dust is quite comfortable waiting for me on the shelf...I’m going back to sunshine, my tea and sparkles!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

An InLinkz Link-up

Bloomin’ CAL: Tiny blossoms and a group project

Thank you everyone for your kind comments and advice on my last post. I have taken on board some suggestions that will make the steel behemoth a bit prettier...

I had in my stash a little flower and a leaf I use for teaching, and a magnet from my art supplies.

A little glue, a little patience and ta-dah! Instant prettiness.

Doesn’t she look sweet on the corner of the fridge? I just love this, thank you for the inspiration! She’s looking a little lonely, though...a small bouquet in the corner or a lush garland of flora and fauna trailing along the top and down the sides? Have your say, please...

In other crochet news, Miss Mouse went to pre-school with Little Flower today. The class was celebrating World Book Day, and the children dressed as their favourite book characters and brought in their books to share. Her favourite at the moment is Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter. She went dressed as Hunca Munca and took Miss Mouse dressed as the little mouse baby. Sweet!

And now some crochet eye candy:

Mmmm-mmmm!!! I wish I could say all this yummy yarn is mine, but I actually am organising a group project for my monthly Crochet Clinic, and this is the bulk order for the crochet gang. At the last meeting, someone asked about mandalas, referring to one in Simply Crochet magazine. This got the attention of others, and before we knew it we were sharing mandala patterns and planning a big mandala making evening.

We are working with three patterns, and once everyone made their pattern choice, they emailed me their yarn colours. I made a big order from Wool Warehouse, which came the next day. So now I have to be patient and wait until the 17^th to share this out with the group and get everyone started...but surely I’ll have to make one of each type before them as an example, right? Can’t just let that poor yarn sit quietly in the corner.

What are you working on this week? Link your crochet projects below!

Chrissie x

An InLinkz Link-up

Yoo hoo! I’m back...

...and writing despite a jet-lagged, foggy brain. I just couldn’t wait another day to return to Blogland!

I’ll be simultaneously unpacking, sorting toys, doing laundry and catching up with everyone’s blogs. I do hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. It seems we fared very lucky indeed escaping severe weather on both sides of the pond – we left England before the horrid storms flooded areas, toppled trees and left our village without power until late Christmas Eve, and we flew out of the States just as the latest snowstorms closed most of the airports in the northeast and record-breaking freezing temperatures roll in! Phew!

So my Christmas...filled with so many lovely, festive, cherished moments with family and friends...

A white Christmas at Grandma’s house!

Santa Claus visits every home in the town before Christmas, and boy oh boy my girls were sooo surprised and happy when the doorbell rang and he stepped in! Little Flower had been worried that Santa might not get our message that we wouldn’t be at our house Christmas Eve, but a personal visit to Grandma’s certainly alleviated those fears!  

But hey, let’s cut to the chase: What crafty goodies did I manage to squish into my suitcase!?! Well, I was very limited with my purchases because I was sharing luggage space with two little girls who spent Christmas with their grandmother, so you can imagine the amount of doting and spoiling that went on! Luckily I found a few great bargains...

These mugs speak volumes, and match my kitchen colours!

I visited a craft store that was about the size of my village. The ribbon section alone was bigger than my living room – and the ribbons were massively discounted. I forced myself to stop at 10:

And that price tag reads 75 cents/46 pence! That is linen ribbon! They were all the same price...

I discovered yet another craft book, I really must stop buying craft books, but I just love all the inspiration!

The three-inch hoops cost about the same as the ribbon. Again, I lament having to tuck these beside Journey Girls, Build-a-Bears and other space-hogging toys! I console myself with the knowledge that the girls will be teenagers one day and will want only clothes, jewellery and small electronic devices, so I’ll have oodles of room for supplies...

I can’t ever leave the States without a few balls of Lily Sugar n’ Cream:

This is the *best* dishcloth yarn ever! You can see I’ve already started one; my old cloths are desperate to be retired. (As per tradition, I share with the four dear friends in my craft group – choose your colours, gals!)

I picked up this Lily dishcloth booklet because it features both crochet and knitting – it might be an easy way to get into knitting again. And it looks so retro...

My biggest bargain of all was a new winter coat, found after Christmas during a crazy sale at the local mall. It is a gorgeous deep plum, quilted, hooded, toggled – all I need for a typical English winter. And best of all, it was marked down down down to $20/£12!

But it gets better: yesterday I discovered that the King Cole Riot Chunky I purchased on a whim because I fancied the colours matches the coat! So I’m working on a more feminine version of the Manly Scarf I made for Darling Husband (I’ll take a FO photo of that soon, he left the house wearing it this morning).

Oh dear, wave of jet lag swooping over me, I must go make a strong cuppa!

Happy New Year to all of you lovelies!

Chrissie x

Knitting & Stitching Show Part II: Yarn Love

How’s that for some yarn bombing? That taxi could drive me to Fairyland...

The Knitting & Stitching Show didn’t disappoint with its yarn offerings. Stall after stall had beautiful skeins hanging from pegs, filling baskets and piled on shelves. I can’t tell you how many shades of magical blues and peacock shades I fawned over. The textured neutrals, the various blends for comfort or warmth...

And I finally got to see the incredible selection of Drops yarns in person! This brand is going to be a big contender for the crocheters’ choice accolade (watch out, Stylecraft). They have a very wide range of blends, in really beautiful, soft shades that I haven’t seen at these prices (lots of DK, 4-ply and Aran yarns hovering between £2-£4).

That stunning blanket above was on The Crochet Chain stand, made with Drops Delight and Fabel yarns – and check out the price per ball on the tag. That blanket would fit in nicely with the Bloomin’ CAL...

But what about us? 

Aw, don’t worry, my little sweeties, I haven’t forgotten about you!

I bought some Drops Big Delight in the Rose Garden shade. I couldn’t wait and started a snood

From this book

Crocheting this is so much fun, it whips up very quickly, and it will perk up my new cream-coloured winter coat. I am loving the shades and how they magically change row after row (speaking of yarn magic, how is it that these variegated yarns knit and crochet perfectly into fancy designs, regardless of pattern? It must be some complicated form of engineering, or frankly some mystical powers at work...) If the snood turns out well, I can make more for Christmas gifts – I have my eye on the Mint Chocolate and Autumn Forest shades, too.

I bought this inexpensive tweed from Abakhan, for this project

Eeeep! How enchanting is this little fellow? He is one of a range of the cutest little dollies from Lalylala.

Janie Crow had a bright, happy stall

I love the crochet bird and flower design that is used like appliqué, see the black cushion on the shelf below

That's got the cogs turning...

Like the stitching aspect of the show, there was some artistic uses of crochet on display

But not nearly as much as the embroidery galleries. I’ll admit that, while I loved everything about The Knitting & Stitching Show, I found the stitching bit more interesting. It was easier to get into stalls and get up close to the delicate stitching on display. 

The yarn stalls were a bit more chaotic. One stand, I think it was Black Sheep Wools, literally had a giant pile of bulk-buy yarns in the middle of the floor, with dozens upon dozens of ladies rummaging through looking for a bargain. I teased my friend that I was going to climb on her shoulders and cannonball into the middle of the pile and shock the daylights out of everyone...

I think with these types of shows you definitely must have some projects already in mind, especially for the knitting/crochet side. It is easy to pick up a few embroidery or cross stitch kits for a few pounds, but with a skein of yarn, you really must know what you are going to make or you will have wasted a load of cash on some beautiful, hand-dyed yarn made from the wool of free-range virgin sheep fed on a diet of milk and honey (believe me, there was some precious wool on offer!). You don’t want to buy yarn at a show then realise you need one extra ball when you’re home checking out a new pattern!

Now I’m off to catch up on my hexies, then I’d better get the toadstool doll going for Bunny...oh, but that snood is just so pretty and sooo quick...!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x