Happy New Year 2016!

Wishing everybody who visits my blog a fabulous Happy New Year. Hoping that 2016 is a fantastic year for all.

I didn't realise that 3 months had passed since my last post. I have been super busy crocheting and creating patterns but have had huge difficulty in taking photographs. It seems to have been so wet, dark and dreary for months and all of my crochet makes have been piling up just begging to have have its photo taken so it can be shared with you. Well today is no exception. I am sat here typing this post at 8.37 a.m. and I have the lights on because it is so dark outside. I am going to share some photos I did manage to take.

I joined a Facebook group last year called Blue Light Babies who put together baby packs which are given to paramedics to carry in the ambulances in the North East of England just in case they have to deliver a baby. Each pack contains various items all lovingly made by volunteers. I made them this cute little dress, hat and matching blanket for a little girl the group are supporting. The group are also creating a flower wall at a local hospital, once the wall comes down all the flowers will be sold to raise funds. I was also asked by the group leader Jo Owen if I could create a pattern of their logo mascot baby Bob. I must admit I found him a huge challenge but I managed to create a pattern which is now for sale via the group which is helping to raise funds.

Wet and Dreary Saturday Hooking

Well woke up this morning to dark, dreary and wet weather. I was hoping to crochet all day today anyway, so yay! for the weather, now I can put my feet up and work on my new project. I have a love of buttons and ribbon and yarn and (you get the picture) anything pretty then I'm addicted. I have been trying to tidy up my studio space and came across lots of small amounts of Stylecraft Special DK in various colours and was wandering what to do with them. So I had a little play and came up with buttons.

I thought with Autumn upon us I wanted more darker colours than bright. So I choose Lavender, Pomegranate, Spice, Aster, Lime, Saffron, Petrol and Fondant.

These little cuties shall be turned into buttons and attached to granny squares to create a tactile blanket, just need to decide what size to make the blanket. I'm leaning towards a large snuggly blanket. I have decided to use cream for the granny squares, I was going to use white but feel cream works better with my colour choices. 

I shall post more photos as I go, not sure how long this project is going to take but I'm loving it so far.

Baby Button Beanie with Mittens

I have been having play instead of getting on with my other projects, naughty I know but I had 70g of a lovely blue mixed baby soft yarn and I have sadly lost the label and do no remember the manufacturer, anyway this little ball of yarn was getting on my nerves. Overtime I opened one of my many draws it seemed to be there asking me to make something with it, so last night I decided to see what I could get out just 70g. In the end I made a sweet button beanie and a pair of mittens to fit 0-3 months and I still have plenty left over enough for probably a pair of booties. I have put the pattern in my Ravelry store for free. I aim to be making these for various baby charities and to sell as a newborn gift in my Folksy shop. Here is a link to the pattern - Baby Button Beanie & Mittens

Holidays Over

Happy bank holiday weekend everyone. I have just returned from a lovely week camping in North Yorkshire. We have a folding camper called a Dandy and it is so cute. I shall have to take photos next time to show you all. We bought it early July this year and have already been away 5 times in it. All this camping is playing havoc with my crochet though. I always take my crochet with me but for some reason never have time to actually sit and create. So back home now and getting backing into the swing of things. I have a very cute little girl poncho that I'm trying to finish and also a new idea for a baby blanket along the lines of a granny stripe but slightly different. I hope to have both some where near finished and being able to be photographed this week so I can share. In the meantime I have completed my pattern for my summer wrap and it is now for sale in my Ravelry store just click on the "Summer Wrap" link if fancy a look.

Summer Wrap

Ladies Chunky Headband

Morning everyone. A huge thank you first of all for everyone who has popped by to read my blog. I was extremely happy this morning to see I have had over 5000 visitors. So today I want to share with you my latest make. I am not usually a big fan of chunky yarn, but I purchased 8 balls of Stylecraft Brushstrokes in various colours. It is a wool, mohair and acrylic mix yarn which works up really well. I had cowls and headbands in mind when I bought it and it has been on a shelf in my studio for about 6 months now so it was time to create something. I designed this very easy headband with an optional flower the other day while I was waiting for my hubby at the doctors. I tend to wait in the car so that I can keep on crocheting. Anyhow I was sat there merrily watching the world go by and crocheting away and when hubby came back to the car I had finished my headband. 45 minutes is all it took without the flower. I was very pleased with how it turned out. I had the pattern in my head so promptly went home to write it down. I was amazed that out of 1 x 100g ball I got 2 headbands with flowers and enough left over for just the flower which I shall turn into a brooch. This headband is so quick it would make great gifts especially with the dreaded colder months approaching soon. I think I'm going to make a matching cowl too.  My eldest daughter Abi kindly modelled the headband for me.

The pattern is available in PDF format 

Ravelry  - Easy Chunky Headband

Lacy Textured Infinity Scarf

Well I know I'm a day early, I was supposed to upload tomorrow but the sun is shining at last and I felt like getting my head around a few patterns and things I really need to get finished. So do you remember my 'Lacy Textured Infinity Scarf' that I created for the July yarn club over at Dexter's Rainbow well I'm glad to say it had really good reviews and it is now officially for sale from my Ravelry store, just click on the photo if your interested. I have made this scarf so many times it is a real favourite and the beauty of its you can make it for gifts all year round and what with Christmas soon approaching (I know I'm sorry) it would make a lovely handmade gift.

I have also finished my 12 point star blanket in white, blue and silver and I shall share that tomorrow when I have sorted out weaving in the ends and taking photo's. I hope the sun is shining where ever you are in the world, we have been waiting a long time for it so I'm going to sit in the garden while weaving in my ends. Happy Friday everyone x

Where has July gone!

I have only just realised that July is more or less over with, where did it go? It would have been nice if we had had some sunshine, but it looks like August may pick up yeah! I have been super busy with new projects, trying to catch up on older projects and I have been away in my Dandy (more on that to follow). Has you all know I write patterns for Dexter's Rainbow who has a monthly yarn club. Well this month Tracey sent me 100g of beautiful super wash merino in a colour way called 'Rainbow Flash'. the wool is a very fine 4 ply with a little sparkle in it. I must admit I did struggle at first with a design but we had agreed on a summer wrap and that is all I had in my head, so I set about playing and I would start a design only to find I didn't like it, so after 3 maybe 4 attempts (and nearly sending it back) I came up with my 'Summer Rainbow Wrap' Now I have a called it a wrap but when I have been taking pictures and posing the wrap I discovered that it can actually be worn in various different ways which I am really happy with because I'm not much of a wrap kind a gal but I do like a scarf. It can also also be worn as a sarong on the beach. Here it is I hope you like it. The pattern is included in the August yarn club packs over at Dexter's Rainbow and shall be on sale in my Etsy shop from 1st September.