Long absence....

Sorry for all the quiet here-I've been a bit down recently and have found it a little too much to post anything.  I've got a few projects on the go-a couple of blankets and I'm hoping to make a Mandela for the lovely Attic24 and Yarndale.

Myf and I had a lovely May Day bank holiday weekend visiting my beautiful sister Mummycat, my lovely brother in law and my gorgeous nieces as eldest niece was taking her First Communion.  Myf and I spent ages trying to find suitable outfits-she was trying on loads of dresses that weren't quite right and we ended up in a charity shop that sold bridal and bridesmaid dresses.  She tried on one that she really, really loved and looked so gorgeous in but it had some kind of staining along the bottom right...nothing too bad but it would show up!

I spent ages taking up the hem and underskirt (Oh, the joys of not having a sewing machine!) and then devising some way to cover up those marks.
I naturally turned to a favourite book, Crochet Bouquet, and made some little flat flowers in various sizes in similar shades of embroidery silk.  Those got stitched over the worst of the marks and then I stitched a line circling the flowers over some of the last bits.  Added a few tiny crystal beads and done!

Myf very kindly modelled it for me

We had a WONDERFUL time with the family

I'm making a lovely ripple blanket (first time!) for my sister's neighbour's daughter-it looks so pretty already :-D

I proudly present...the 'Sleeping Forest' Blanket!

I know you know it was finished a few days ago but I wanted to take a few photos of it laid out.

It's been such a lovely process, taking photos along the way.  It all started here, when I finally decided it was high time I made myself another blanket.  You've seen all the photos as I made 126 squares and put them all together.  I've agonised over the border and taken AGES finishing it as either my daughter or my cats keep nicking it for cuddles.  But now, after 2 and a half months, it's finally finished!  I can't wait to have it on my bed :-)


This isn't my bed, it's in the spare room-but the light is so much better...

...The blanket is MASSIVE-I can't even get all the squares into one shot!

So what do you think?  Isn't it lovely?

Reasons to be Cheerful!

I completely forgot to post on Wednesday!  Myf had another bout of sickness on Tuesday which I didn't think was a tummy bug but then yesterday, I was really sick all day-despite having to be at work (I did end up having to close early and dealing with the fallout from that with my boss wasn't fun).

When I finally got home yesterday and picked Myf up, I was so ill, I could hardly stand.  Myf ran around bringing me a bucket, water, tissues, her duvet, wet flannel and at about 8 o'clock, she got herself ready for bed and got my bed ready for me as well!  I collapsed in bed right after tucking her in and thankfully managed a night with being sick but I do feel very shaky today (I was supposed to be working again today but thankfully managed to get cover as I shouldn't be working around food at all!)

I know I go on and on about my daughter but I don't think I could have gotten through last night without her!  She's definitely the number one reason to be cheerful :-)

Myf also had World Book Day at school this week and wanted to go as Mildred from the Worst Witch (yes, Mildred has long dark hair in plaits but she could have had a haircut too!)

Doesn't she look fab?

In other news, I STILL haven't finished the border on the Sleeping Forest blanket!  This is because every time I make a start, this happens...

I may have to come up with a new strategy...

Half Term :-)

Half term this week and Myf is spending the first half of the week with me before she goes to her Dad on Wednesday.  We took a trip to Techniquest on Saturday that was a lot of fun

We went swimming today and are going to Cardiff Castle tomorrow and then a quiet day before she goes :-(

In other news, the blanket is almost finished!  I'm working on the border now which may take a few days as I want to try one from the crochet border book.  Myf very kindly has done some blanket modelling :-) apologies for the poor photo quality, I couldn't wait till daytime for better picture quality!

I HAD to lay it out after doing the first border round (hdc clusters in dark brown)

A rare photo of me actually crocheting!  I'm going with a cream for the second round-Myf suggests going with a shade of blue for the bulk of the border (not sure yet whether I want to stick with the Autumn palette)

I used single crochet to join the squares-I like the ridged effect as well how sturdy it is.  Someday, I may use it on the right side of the squares so I get to enjoy that ridged effect as well as all the colours!


Hopefully won't be long now!

Lots of photos...

I have a poorly daughter at the moment-she's been up and down with a nasty viral bug and has spent most of the morning being sick :-(  She's currently tucked up in bed and hopefully she'll be feeling better when she wakes up.

We spent some time this weekend laying out the squares for the Sleeping Forest Blanket-Myf has taken some photos for your enjoyment ;-)

I played around with the arrangement for the next day until it felt like the colours were flowing properly then I pile them up into groups of 14 (vertical strips) and used a little piece of wire to mark the end square so that I crochet the squares together in the order I want!

Over the last couple of days, I've been busy getting some of them crocheted in strips (I crochet the strips together as soon as I finish them) and so far, we have a four-strip wide blanket!

Doesn't it look beautiful already?  Only five more strips to do then it's on to the border!

126 squares made!!!!!

Yay!!  The last of the squares are done and they're all sitting in a pile waiting to be played with :-)

They're a blanket-they just don't know it yet!

Back when I first started making granny squares (nearly 3 years ago!) and before I started making the epic TARDIS blanket, I was making loads of granny squares in different colour combinations just for fun and practise.  Most of them have ended up pressed into service as blankets for Myf's castle or spare coasters!  However, there was one that I found recently that I thought would be perfect for this project.

The centre green is a little blue for the palette I was working with plus it's a round short but I really wanted to include a square from my early days (I'm sentimental).  I ripped the outer brown round, added another green and a dark brown and voila!  A new-old square :-)

These are the last eight granny squares to show you...

For the last special square motifs, I've found some lovely patterns to test myself on and had fun improvising the rest :-)

So much pretty!  I'm itching to start laying them out and getting the pattern I want but I want to finish up a couple of other projects first.  I've done the poncho-which I'll try to photograph tomorrow-and I'm working on a couple of rune pendants and a pair of fingerless gloves.  But then, it's blanket time!

Total number of squares to make-126 (63/63)
Brown edged granny squares-63 DONE!
Special Square Motifs-63 DONE!

Total number of square made so far-126 made.   DONE!!!

Reasons to be cheerful

It's been a good week in many ways-lots of hooky happiness, luxuriating in the colours and getting very excited to make the last few squares.

I got called into work on Monday to cover Neil who wasn't well but I made the most of Tuesday.  I took a walk through the park in the morning-a little windy but there was a wonderful clear sky and I managed to capture a few shots :-)

I was looking closely for signs of new life and found these beautiful snowdrops :-D

And on the way back through I came across these two...

Other reasons include the mornings being a little brighter and the afternoons a little longer-soon I'll be going to and from work in something approaching daylight!

I've taken a little break from squares for a couple of days and this poncho has been on my hook instead-I'm working it up as a birthday present for a friend

I also was very productive with the cleaning yesterday and gave the kitchen a thorough going over (cupboards and all!) before making a really delicious roast lamb dinner-there's enough left over meat for another week's work of meals :-)

Mornings with Myf, watching some Star Trek or chatting about school, having a hug before I drop her off and go to work or take her to school are still my favourite moments :-D

Happy Wednesday folks, hope you've had a lovely day