Stash Busting Pet Blanket

I would like to start of by apologising for been AWOL for most of this year. I have still been crocheting and knitting but its been a strange year. The loss of my friend back in February knocked me for six, my girls growing up too fast and the eldest leaving home for University, discovering a love for caravanning plus lots of other reasons have made 2016 a bit of a strange year, some of it happy but a lot of it sad.  I have felt like I was drowning  in lots of things I wanted to do but neither had the energy or motivation to do so.  My office work space has turned into a shed and I have moved boxes from here to there and back again about 3 times. I have discovered a new love along the way too in Jamberry nail wraps, but more about that later.

So I have made a decision to sort myself out and start 2017 in a positive frame of mind. Strangely enough the Christmas holidays have made me realise how bad things had gotten. I started going to my local Slimming World back at the beginning of October and so far I have lost 1.5 stone (21 lbs) with a long way to go to get to my target weight, but over the Christmas holidays I slipped back into my old habits which made me feel rubbish about myself and sitting here in my (shed) over the last few days has made my mind up for me. It is time to sort out my work space and divide it into my loves of crochet & Jamberry. Slimming World has given my a confidence that I didn't know I had and I have gone from feeling positive to negative over the holidays. Today is the start of all things positive for me and that's the way I intend to keep it.

As things are, right this minute I can't find anything in my (shed) and I want to be able to just go to what I need when I need it. I thought about making it my New Year's resolution but decided that won't work for me, it never has before, so why label it and turn it into a chore. I started bullet journaling a few months ago and I didn't really think that I had that much to write about but I have nearly finished my 1st journal and it is helping me get organised and ready for a new me.  I am working on various new crochet patterns and trying to organise my future with Jamberry.  The idea of this blog was to share with you my followers what I was up to and I haven't, but I have decided that I need you all to help me with my journey through 2017 and beyond. I never thought that anyone would be interested in my ramblings but you all seem to love my crochet patterns and I do have 70,000 kg of stash, so lots of patterns to come. I have made a decision to buy NO more yarn until 2018. Now that is a New Year's Resolution. My 1st offering is a fab stash buster, you all know that I have a few pets and I have a local PDSA pet hospital who always need blankets etc, so I thought lets stash bust a few pet blankets.  I thought granny squares, super easy but not quite what I wanted, then I thought round, lets make round simple blankets which are surprisingly quick to complete.

I started by sorting out my oddments into yarn weights, when I had a number of DK yarn balls, using my trusty winder I set about winding them into one ball. I needed approximately  100g for my blanket, when I had enough I wound them all into one ball and picked up my 4mm hook.

I started with a ch2, then 12tr's into the 1t chain.

Next row: 2tr's in each stitch to leave you with 24 sts.

Next row: work 2tr's in next st, 1tr in next stitch continue to the end to leave you with 36 sts.

Next row: work 2tr's in next st, 1tr in each of the next 2 sts,  should leave you with 48 sts.

You basically continue increasing by 12 sts each row.

I continued until my ball was coming to an end, I ended up with 22 rows using 96g. The completed blanket measures 21" which is perfect for a cat or small dog. Here is Cody modelling her new blanket. She preferred to be under the blanket rather than on top.

All that is left me to say today is Happy New Year to all of you and your families. I hope 2017 is a fantastic year for all!

Mad Day at the Beach

We have a tendency in our house to have mad moments and just doing something, anything on a whim. Due to hubby not being well we don't plan anything specific so when he's feeling up to it we just go with the flow and see where the day takes us. Except yesterday was a definite mad moment. Kids on school holidays, eldest out with her boyfriend and the youngest 'bored' already, so hubby decided lets take the dogs for a walk on the beach at Mappleton over on the East Coast. We visited Mappleton last year and it was beautiful, lovely huge beach, you could walk for miles.

I thought it was a good idea so suggested that he check the weather for the area and times of the tide. It is approximately 80 miles from where we live and I was thinking it's a tad too far if the tide is in. I was assured that we were up for light showers and the tide was not an issue, so of we go. Car packed, Daughter in the back with a long face because we are dragging her away from her iPad which she is on FaceTime all day with her best friend and off we go. On route we decided fish and chips for lunch from Hornsea then on to Mappleton for the beach. Well I'm sure you won't be surprised if I told you that as we approached Hornsea the so called light showers were persistent rain. We parked up, found a fish and chip shop then sat soaked in the car while we ate them. Car completely steamed up and I suggested lets turn around and go home. It had taken us 2 hours to get to Hornsea. Hubby said we are already wet so why not just pop to the beach and see what it's like. So 6 miles down the road later we park up and yes you guessed it the tide was well and truly in. I had to ask myself what weather and tide information had hubby looked at because it was or he was wrong on all counts. Still there was a small patch of beach that we were able to get on and it stopped raining. Down to the beach we go, the dogs loved chasing the pebbles and getting their feet wet. Youngest though was not impressed.

Even though it was wet and the tide was in we and the dogs did enjoy ourselves. Daughter maybe not so much. A four hour round trip for a bag of chips and 30 minutes on the beach is a bit mad but thats who we are. Next time though I think will check the weather and tide reports.

Una's Donation

Last year the lovely Una from over at Great Balls of Wool blog donated lots of 4ply oddments that she had leftover and wasn't going to use. I agreed that I would use her donation to make something for charity. I sat yesterday and with my fabulous wool winder turned all these oddments

into 4 large mixed cakes (balls). I joined all the little bits together has I went and doubled it up by winding two strands together at a time. I ended up with a mixed pattern that changes all the time.

I decided to turn my donation into pet blankets. This is the start of my first one. As you can see by winding two strands together you get a thicker wool plus a mottled kind of effect.

I decided simple granny squares would be good with my trusty 4mm hook. I think I could possibly go up to a 5mm hook. I am making them 20 rounds in size and I will possibly have enough for 2 blankets, maybe even 3. So huge thank you Una for your donation. I kind of enjoyed winding it all.

I shall post a photo of the completed blankets when I have finished.

Crochet Therapy

Although I love the snow, we have had quite bit over the last couple of weeks and that has meant no sunlight for photos so today a glorious sunny day, I thought I would take advantage.  I wanted to use up some of my oddments so that I can concentrate on something new. So I have made two small pet blankets one a typical granny square, the other a C2C (corner to corner). I want to make the C2C blanket again and I shall make a few to donate to our local cat protection league. I gave the granny square blanket to our little jack russell Lacey, she loves it and while taking photos she decided she liked the other one too.

She also loves the snow!

I am now working on a two tone pink mini granny square blanket. I am using a bright pink and a light pink finished with white, I shall share once complete.

Morning everyone, well we have a wet and miserable day here today which means no photos of my latest makes. I like to take my photos in the morning when the sun is coming through the studio window, so I suppose I shall have to wait for the sun to come out and play. I tried a light box but I only have small studio and it just didn't work for me.

On Sunday I should have stayed in taking my photos but it was a such a lovely day and we really needed to blow away the cobwebs so we went for a walk instead to our favourite place. Tingley reservoir near Leeds is approximately 1.25 miles, its flat with a pathway all the way around and it doesn't seem to matter what time of year you go its beautiful. There is a sandbank at the beginning of the walk which allows the dogs to paddle a little before the walk. Penny our big dog was so excited that she didn't want to come home.

Enjoying a rare but welcome child free week this week, so we put the dogs in the car and headed to our new favourite spot on the East Coast. Mappleton Sands is a tiny village right next door to Hornsea.

There is a small FREE car park and clean toilets located at the top of a small hill but my hubby made it and he's not well. When you first get down to the beach there is quiet a few pebbles and rocks but if you keep to the let its easier to access. Finding the car park was very easy there is an ice cream parlour and sign post saying viewing point and your there.

The dogs were allowed to go on the beach with no restrictions other than you must clean up after them but thats it. I have been going to the East Coast since I was a little girl and have never come across this hidden gem.

There is no shops so you need a picnic or you can eat in Hornsea village. The nice surprise was the beach is so long and you could spend many an happy hour there. There was lots of families on the beach but being so big you hardly noticed anyone.

The dogs and us had a fab time and are hoping to return with the girls in a couple of weeks time.

Penny waiting expectantly for another pebble to be thrown, wouldn't mind but she doesn't even pick them up and bring them back

Lacey looking like she owns the beach, she be small but she thinks she's a great dane

Meet Olly

I wanted to share a photo of my lovely ginger tom cat. His name is Olly, he is now 7 years old, still a rascal and likes to get into as much mischief as he can. When he was only 1 he fell from a tree and broke his leg badly, not insured (duh!) and £1000 later his leg was pinned and soon back to his lovely cheeky self. He hobbles and drags his back leg but when he wants to climb and jump he can and nothing can stop him. We also have two dogs (more about them later) and he doesn't mind coming for a big lick then sits there staring at them just to annoy. Why! you ask, because he can. We had a fab sunset a couple of weeks ago and there he was on the garden wall posing with not a care in the world. So out came the camera and here he is looking majestic.