Hello 2014!

Myf's been away with her Dad this week so I've taken some creative time.  I'm always saying to myself when I finish a project intended for someone else that 'I'll make one for me' but somehow I never quite get round to it.  Well, just before Christmas, I was making 'Nanny Bags' for my nieces and I really wanted to make one for myself (the original one is kept safely tucked away as I don't think it would survive much use) so this week I thought why not?  I'm planning another blanket, this time for me (I'm being so greedy!) but that'll take some time to figure out and I wanted something quick to do...

Now, be warned, I'm EXTREMELY excited about this.  I started making the pentagons on New Years Eve

I wanted a chunkier feel than the ones I previously made and as I don't have stockpiles of chunky yarn, I had two strands of DK yarn on the hook.  It's fun working with two balls at once ;-)

After those were made, I started thinking about lining for the bag.  Now I'll just stop here and explain that I've never tried to make a lining before.  I cut up an old dark blue pillowcase and spent a while stitching it-I had to unpick it a few times until I was happy with it (I don't have a sewing machine so this involved quite a few pricked fingers).  Then I stitched it onto one of the pentagon pieces.

I forgot to turn it right side out first so I had to unpick it and start over :-(

But eventually, I got it the right way round, stitched onto the main pieces and then I crocheted the main pieces together.

Then came the strap.  I may have slightly overdone the length but it hangs quite well and I wanted to be able to have it across my shoulder satchel style so it stays secure.

The last thing it needed was a zip (another first for me) so I popped into town quickly to pick one up

I do want to add buttons to one side for decoration but I need some more white ones for what I have in mind...but until then, it's finished!  I'm ridiculously proud of this bag-I've not tried anything at this level and while the stitching is messy, I'm delighted with it and can't wait to show it off!

Taking a walk down memory lane

Phew!  I'm mostly done where Christmas is concerned-I've been crocheting every spare second I get and today, amid piles of wrapping paper, all my family presents are finished, wrapped and posted, all Myf's stocking stuffers are wrapped and about 90% of my Christmas card list is done :-)  I will of course share what I've made but I want to avoid spoilers so it'll have to wait until after Christmas...

I'm finishing up a scarf for a local friend and I'm making a crocheted neck warmer for my Dad and I need to get Myf's main presents wrapped and at some point tidy this mess of a house up!

For my nieces crocheted presents, I wanted to go with something close to my heart.  My paternal grandmother died when I was very young, only around 6 years old and I have no real concrete memory of her.  I know she loved to sew and knit and when I was really tiny, she made three little bags-one for me and one for each of my sisters.

I had it safely tucked away for years as it's all I have from her but I came across it recently during a house sort out and realised that it wasn't knitted as I'd previously thought but crocheted!  And now that I have joined my sisters ranks in the crochet army, I wanted to attempt to figure out how she made them and replicate it to pass on to our next generation.  Turns out it was a very simple granny style she used that was easy to do, so with a couple of personal tweaks, here is what I came up with

I thought using buttons to make the initials would be cute-Myf didn't want any on hers but I'm so tempted to make myself an updated version of my Nanny bag (with buttons!) to carry around.  I've had so much fun making these-I think Nanny would love the fact that three of her grandchildren are avid crocheters-that's the best heirloom I could have :-)