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.

My New Venture

I have my new venture to share with everyone. Last month I was on a Facebook page that I like called Dexter's Rainbow, drooling over the most gorgeous hand dyed yarns when I got a talking with Tracey the owner. Tracey runs a monthly yarn club and asked me if I would be interested in writing a pattern each month using her fabulous yarn. Obviously I said yes, I have patterns rolling around in my head and thought it about time they were put on paper. So along came Mr Postie a few days later with this beautiful 100% merino tweed in DK.

The colours of this design "A Misty Walk" were just up my street and I couldn't wait to dive in. I already new what I was going to make but being my first professional pattern I did have to play around a little to get it just right with 100g, but in the end it worked out beautifully if I do say so myself.

This is my 'Lacy Textured Infinity Scarf' the pattern is available as part of the July 2015 yarn club over at Dexter's Rainbow then it shall be available to purchase online via my Etsy shop from 1st August 2015.

If anyone is interested in being part of the July 2015 yarn club were you get 100g of the merino tweed along with the pattern to create my 'Lacy Textured Infinity Scarf" and get to choose your own colours if the above doesn't tickle your fancy and free postage then please pop over to Dexter's Rainbow have a drool over the lush yarn the click on the pinned post regarding the club, alternatively you can message me or say hello to Tracey on her page. 

Simply Beautiful Star Blanket

I was asked by my sister to make two matching baby blankets for her friend who had just giving birth to precious twin girls. I wanted to make something different, not a granny square or 'v' stitch blanket. I had a good look around the internet and came across a beautiful blanket on Ravelry, here is a link to the pattern Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket. 

I used New Fashion which I had never used before and I was extremely happy with the way it worked and how the blanket turned out. My blankets are only 36" point to point where the pattern calls for 45" but I thought mine was just the right size for tiny twin girls.

I picked baby pink, clematis and white and I just love how the blankets came out. So much so I have another 4 on the go, same colours but different stripes. 

I am so bad with starting and finishing one project at a time but I love having a choice to work with. I also have to finish my bag I shared previously, a baby girl pinafore dress that is nearly finished and for which I am writing the pattern plus a blanket for my Daughter and I have to catch up with the CAL. I suppose I shall get there in the end.

This is a close up of the colours, its not easy to see on the photo above.

These two lovely blankets shall be handed over to my sister on Saturday and I do hope the twins' Mummy likes them.

My little bit of help for Nepal

I am a member of Loving Hands an organisation that makes items for all kinds of charities world wide. Due to the disaster earthquakes recently in Nepal members were asked to create 6" knitted or crocheted squares which will be sewn together to make blankets. Due to being under the weather for the last few weeks and losing my crochet mojo I thought this would be a good place to re-kindle my love of crochet and boy how I had missed it. So I rifled through my oddments box and made 30 squares that shall be sent of this week to the lovely Helen who is organising the sewing together bit. These colourful squares are also part of my stash busting 2015 challenge.