Bargains up for grabs

Busy busy week this week. I have decided to close down my Sugarplum Cards business so that I can concentrate on my crochet life. so I have been photographing and organising items for sale.

I am having a sale night on Friday 13th March at 8pm. All items are priced and all are plus postage. I shall combine postage on Saturday morning and sent out Paypal invoices.

There is so much to add so why not pop over to my Facebook page and join the sale night link.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1055027791181260/

Spring is in the air

I started to make this lovely baby blanket about 4 months ago but it ended up in my wip (works in progress) box to which I have been adding to on a regular basis. Naughty I know but I can't help myself, I see so many nice patterns and have a rather lovely huge stash of various yarns that I have to play.  Well over the weekend I gave myself a good talking too because I can not move in my office/studio for boxes and bags. So lecture over I decided to concentrate on my wip box and complete one project at a time and get a little more organisation in my crochet life.

When I first started this blanket there were lots of comments on social media talking about Cath Kidston colours for inspiration. I thought that would be my next colour theme, so a cup of tea and hour on Pinterest, then a rummage through my stash and I came up with my Stylecraft Special DK in:

White, Sherbet, Spring Green, Lemon, Candyfloss and Pomegranate 

I used the trust V stitch for the pattern and completed the blanket with a simple two rounds of half trebles and one round of simple chains for a frilly effect.  The colours reminded me of spring so that's what I called it my springtime baby blanket, although it doesn't feel like spring is in the air today since its snowing again and hasn't stopped all morning. 

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.

I just had to buy!

Morning everyone, yet another dark and nasty stormy day here in West Yorkshire. I need the weather to play nice and let the sun come out just for 1 day so I can take photos. Last weekend I found out about a garden centre not too far from me that was selling wool. I thought two of my favourite things in one place, wool and plants. I told hubby who said we will pop along and see what its like. Well, I then found out that the wool was 50% off. Forget the plants get in the car we're off, I told him. So with a view to 'just having a look' off we went on Wednesday. I was like a kid in a sweet shop, shelf after shelf of lovely squishy wool and yes half price. As you do when confronted with such a bargain I filled up two baskets and carried more to the checkout. Seen as it was lunchtime we decided to stop for lunch when finished at the garden centre. While re-fuelling I looked on a couple of websites and discovered that most of the wool I had bought was much better than half price. So after lunch we went back this time with a trolley and I filled that up too. There is a chance I just might be going back again soon with my friend Dawn too. Here is photo of my lovely haul.

I came across another blog called Repeat Crafter Me where I found a pattern for a lovely little jacket, I adapted the pattern slightly which I will post hopefully tomorrow, but in the meantime here is a photo  of my version made using the fabulous Stylecraft Vision in Lagoon. The wool is 80% acrylic / 20% wool and is lovely and soft.

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.