my new cheap as chips dress(£5 from Primark). Just customised it by changing the buttons for some vintage ones and adding a ribbon and voila a little dress that looks like it could have graced the 50's. Well sort of!
::anticipating:: Coldplay's new single coming out tomorrow - though I'm bracing myself for disappointment as I don't think they have really ever improved on Parachutes and Rush of Blood To The Head years ago.
::still laughing about::
The other week at school we were practising SATs papers before the end of term assessment. I had to take 4 six/seven year old children out of class to read the paper for them. When I came to Question 3, I paused...smiled.. and had to quietly sing the question..."Look at the stars,....and then added... look how they shine for you...!" The children burst out laughing. Chris Martin. He gets everywhere doesn't he?
::desiring::
this wonderful cushion at church. It must have taken ages to knit. Does anyone have any idea how to knit those segments? Any help would be gratefully appreciated!
::enjoying::
finally being able to drive the lanes in sunshine.
::finding::
a thrifted bracelet almost identical to my new Cath dress. Can you even spot it?!
Hello - sorry for the long absence. Life is just so busy and sometimes my priorities have to lie elsewhere. I hope you understand. But here I am with some things that are making me happy at the moment.
Crocheting coathangers covers...I'm so totally loving this at the moment and I can finish one in a couple of nights! Yes, me actually finish something. Heavens!
It's March and the shops have little pots of spring bulbs and flowers for less than a pound which I dot around the house. Simple but perfect.
Last weekend I experienced a 'first'. Matthew came to stay and we went to our local bird hide and look what we saw - a Bullfinch! Our first, and what a handsome chap he was, much more orange than he looks in the photo. I was most excited. Matthew even sees Goldfinches in his Winchester garden...sigh...even though I have nyjer seed in one of my ahem..many feeders I doubt I will ever get any. Or even a Bullfinch for that matter, but at least I have seen my first.
What I call the yearly bluebell cover of Country Living is out. They usually do a bluebell shoot around this time and it's my favourite because bluebells are my favourite flowers. Isn't it lovely? I do love their styling - they get it just right.
We have been bathed in sunshine these last few days which has also made me happy. It's amazing what a little bit of sun can do to your spirits can't it? I hope your week has been made up of some happy things too xx
There was a little friction over the summer between the girls and me - well, more Lucy and myself to be exact but Alice decided to take her side in the matter of what we now call 'Crochetgate!'
During our few days in Salisbury, Bath and Ludlow I had managed to find a few crochet doilies (I'm still to find a pot holder but I'm ever hopeful). I've become more obsessed with doilies as the years progress and have now gone crazy for larger pieces of filet crochet which I like to back in a contrasting fabrics and make into a cushions. They are quite hard to find so when I find one it's like treasure.
Anyway, whilst in Ludlow I went into The Wear House (the new premises and name of Zani Lady) and found a wonderful crochet runner which I had plans for (probably to do with curtains and it wasn't that cheap either). When we got back home and unpacked, I had all my crochet bits I had gathered at the end of my bed ready to put them away. They stayed there for a day or 3. Lucy decided (with maternal prompting) to 'personalize' her bedroom a little more. She decided to paint her chest of drawers. She chose to paint each draw a different colour.
It was her first time painting. There was chaos. I just closed the doors and let her get on with it grateful that for once it wasn't me painting. I put my crochet booty into a large plastic lidded box.
A few days later I decided to get some fabric out of the large plastic lidded box.
I discovered this..
..it looked like a mark...
..a few marks...PAINT!!!!
Well...Lucy is indignant that I could ever imagine it could possibly be her. I mean she was after all the only person painting so it couldn't be, could it? Alice even agrees with her. I'm so outnumbered. This rumbled on for a day or two. We are feisty lot we Goble girls!
Anyone know how to get gloss paint out of crochet?
- I'm finding it so, so hard to juggle my time at the moment with having to work everyday! How do people manage who have to work full-time all the time/run a home/have 3 teenage children at home and sitting exams/have far too many interests to squeeze into one day/and find themselves stuck in bed with migraines 4 out of 5 of the last weekends? Phew..the house is quite unrecognisable with mess/clutter and dirt and I've just had to let some things go - my blogging being one of them. But I have missed this space and am ignoring the dirty floor to sit and chat to you for a while. But I've had a great week this week and here's why.
:: A new crochet obsession- the 'ordinarily extraordinary' blanket ::
:: Singing in a choral workshop in Salisbury Cathedral last Saturday ::
(ooh, I was seriously excited about that folks. I asked Anth to take a photo and I'm afraid they came out a bit blurred to say the least but I've put an arrow pointing to where I am!)
Talking choirs - I spent a large part of my childhood in a church choir and I am desperately yearning to join another that has all the musical parts or a choral society. I'm finding it hard to find one locally but the search is on as the need to sing choral music seems to have been reawakened. It must have been all those times sitting behind the choir in the Quire in Salisbury Cathedral and being so moved by the soaring voices that I am covered in goose bumps and I have a lump in my throat. It is in my blood though as my father used to a chorister at New College Oxford and my lovely aunt Madelyn has her own choir and a beautiful voice. (Though mine does need working on so some lessons might be in order first.)
:: Discovering a new anthem ::
Carrying on from my choral bliss last weekend I was sent into the stars quite literally at Evensong when listening to the choir perform this anthem by Jonathan Dove, 'Seek Him that Maketh The Seven Stars'
I had the privilege of being seated in the Quire right behind them so was fully immersed in the beautiful sound which I confess moved me to tears. You can listen to a version here on YouTube but it isn't as good as the Salisbury Cathedral version on their CD, Praise & Thanksgiving Anthems (in my humble opinion) Don't tell anyone but I'm actually going to buy the sheet music so I can learn to sing it properly by myself so I can sing along to the CD! How sad is that? I told you I just had to sing in a choir didn't I! Well a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.
Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning. Alleluia, yea, the darkness shineth as the day, the night is light about me. Amen. Words Amos 5:8 and Psalm 139
:: The receiving of the most wonderful gift ::
Sometimes, very occasionally, I find myself lost for words. A week or 2 ago was one of those times. I was so very blessed to be gifted the most loveliest crochet cushion by sweet Emma from way 'up North'. The fact that someone actually made it for me still makes me tear up because I have never even met her and the hours of work that has gone into this...I'm welling up again. Sigh. You should see the back, it's just as lovely as the front.
The rest of the family were touched by Emma's generosity too and I have noticed them each studying the cushion carefully when it arrived - probably, me thinks, wanting to see what a real life finished crochet project looks like...hmm. Emma, words still fail me xxxxxxxx
:: Alice has started to crochet ::
Well let's not get too excited just yet. She has started to chain stitch but has really enjoyed doing that and has made bracelets for her friends - so there's hope she might be turning out cushions like Emma by Christmas and I won't have to make any presents this year as she will! She's not interested in the least in making anything else so this photo is probably the last you'll see. Shame. I have to laugh because as soon as she said she wanted to learn I was up off my seat and over to the bookcase pulling out all my 'how-to' crochet books as fast as my little legs could carry me. The hooks were out and a choice of yarn colours thrust under her nose. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and she'll be on her first granny blanket by next month and actually finish them, unlike her mother.
Meet my new crochet obsession - Tif's 'Crochet Happy Hangers' I am seriously 'into' these gorgeous hangers but have only managed this one so far. I'm finding the final row of single crochet around the edge a little fiddly so next time I think I will make my shells triple crochet stitches instead of double crochet to give me a little more room for manoeuvre. We will see. Either way they are so enjoyable to make and I am grateful to the lovely Tif for inspiring me once again. The Country Living is just for styling - I think it is the best cover this year. Do you agree? In fact my poor holey hanger looks rather pathetic next to such beauty! I bet most of you spend 5 seconds looking at the crochet and 2 minutes at the Country Living. But hey, I'm cool with with that because I would do that too. Honestly. You can confess in the comments if you want to. I will still love you. I don't know why they don't do more covers like this..a simple tin with wildflowers. Perfect. Save them some money too. And while I'm on the subject of magazines/book editors etc and Tif Fussell - someone is missing the peachiest opportunity, dwelling in the most beautiful mossy shed, making the loveliest things I have ever seen. I will say no more.
Oh yes, yes, YES.. it's the joy of such small things that make such a big difference to my small life. I've been looking for those tiny joys today and this is what I've found..
Joy # 1
The crochet mistletoe that looks like it might still be on my gift list - whoopeeee...(and sorry to those of you who will receive a bunch of crochet mistletoe from us this Christmas, for spoiling the surprise!)
Joy # 2
{And this is really making me excited. Very. Very. Excited.} We are replacing our burnt sitting room carpet with..floorboards..white painted floorboards to be exact, just like the rest of the house (but not counting the girls room).
Look at these beauties. It really is a shame to paint them isn't it but it is going to look so, so good. I hope.
The family have taken some time to persuade (read: years) and we will be buying a rug; but if it's not working out we can get a new carpet as our burnt one is in need of replacement. Can't you just hear me saying that as I plead!? So my friends, any idea where we can buy a rug or what colour we should go for? I'm going to start sanding (oh my, do you remember the trauma of this sanding experience!!??) and painting etc in the October half term. Oh, I just can't wait. This is big, serious heart quickening joy for me.
Joy # 3
Late summer offerings in our garden. There is not much else flowering at the moment but these plants are doing their very best to lift my spirits.
Yeah I know it somehow looks smaller than before in this post; but if you look closely you will see that it isn't the same blanket. This is the 4th version of Yvonne's blanket.
Oh what a kerfuffle I have had. A right kerfuffle. First, I was fretting about the choice of yarn. I was using acrylic yarn and although I was happy with the coloured circles made with acrylic yarn, I wasn't happy with the white edges. They weren't sitting nicely (!) and I wondered if that was because of the cheap yarn or my crappy crocheting. Probably both. So I had this thing going on in my head about acrylic versus wool/cotton but knew I really couldn't afford to buy pure wool at the moment (or even a mixture as the cost can be £4 or £5 a ball and that's if one can find any in this part of Devon.) especially as I want to make this blanket big enough to be able to go over our bed. So I carried on with the acrylic wool. Then I wasn't happy with how I was joining the circles together. I was trying to study the photo of Yvonne's blanket and not really getting any answers, but getting more and more frustrated. All I really wanted to do was talk to someone about yarn and joins and what I should do because if my crochet isn't going right then my life isn't going right..well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but my crafting is very important to me and if it's not delighting me then what's a girl to do?? None of the family wanted to listen to my bleating but then help came, and this why I love, love LOVE the blogging community. A lovely reader from Australia, (hi Patricia!) came to my rescue and we 'talked' about the blanket through a number of emails. Bless her. I was thrilled to be able to connect with someone who was making the blanket as well and is just as passionate about it - even though she was on the other side of the world! She sent me a few photos of other people's versions of Yvonne's blanket. I didn't realise that so many other ladies have made it or are making it. Amongst the photos were some tutorials too. So I started yet again, this time changing the number of stitches I made on the corners. Two days later I happened upon some discounted white wool - 50% Merino 50% Acrylic. Mmm, best of both worlds and a bargain at £1.79 a 50g ball.
I bought 2 balls and pulled out all the acrylic white for the 3rd time. Decided it looked much better so went back and bought 8 more balls. So, that's where I am at the moment. I am really enjoying making this blanket particularly the joining as you go.
The stitches are still not lying perfectly flat but I haven't blocked it yet and I'm sure a warm iron would help flatten the edges as well. I've written down the pattern I'm using which you will find here (I am having problems putting it on my sidebar but will keep trying) I would welcome your comments on acrylic yarn. My green Cath Kidston granny blanket is made with acrylic yarn and that is particularly soft, but I suppose you get what you pay for with yarn. I am liking this blend of merino and acrylic though.
In my cyber blanket journey I have been so inspired by some of the talent out there..gee whizz it makes my head swim..there's a lady called Sarah London and words fail me when I see what that girl can do with a crochet hook. Then there's The Crochet Afghan flickr group.. what eye candy. It makes me want to never put my hook down and leave my sofa..
Talking about crochet and bringing up the wonderful subject of Christmas (whoop whoop!), I decided many, many months ago to make bunches of crochet mistletoe for my friends this Christmas,(taken from the book 100 flowers to knit and crochet, by Lesley Stanfield.) Well, I'm having a problem with that too! Yup, in these last few weeks there has been a crochet conundrum going on in my head. I have no problems following the pattern, though I can't seem to get a particularly tight tension even with a smaller hook; but the leaves just flop and look pathetic. I've tried threading wire through the leaves but that wasn't brilliant. Then I decided to try and use pipe cleaners and well...
..it's all going terribly, terribly wrong..can anyone help?? I'm using 4ply Rowan Cotton yarn and have used 100% wool in DK too. The wool was too soft so I went for the 'firmer' cotton yarn. I will be most grateful as I would love to have bunches of crocheted mistletoe all over the house this year. Are you impressed by my organisation already?? I am! But I bet I'm not the only one. Am I?
Oh dear, oh dear, oh bloomin' dear and a few choice words in between! Last weekend I made the horrendous discovery that for the last 2 months I have been doing my Irish Rose crochet cushion WRONG! I should have been joining the outer roses much closer together but the pattern was so vague at that point and the photo not detailed enough, so I have been merrily crocheting away oblivious to the fact that I should have double the amount of roses. How dumb am I? Hugely. But in all honesty, I have been struggling to keep the momentum going - struggling to stay in love with it so in one way it has been a relief that I could stop and return to something more enjoyable, like this..
the blanket that belongs to the lovely Yvonne which I spied in one of her photos years ago. She then kindly photographed it for me. I started this blanket last October and then temporarily shelved it for my 'all time bestest, most favourite crochet blanket ever - the one belonging to Petra Boase. I have so many on the go I really must try and actually finish one.
But fear not, I will do something with my Irish Rose crochet and will make it into a cushion. Meanwhile I'm really enjoying playing with colour again and not just pink. Oh it's pure bliss.
Every Wednesday at my lunch time Crochet Club, there is always a new face or two. Most become regulars and some come when there isn't anything more exciting to play on our school field. I give out hooks and let them choose yarn and then get them started on a chain. I have some who want to knit which I find so time consuming (we only have 30 minutes) as once I've cast on some stitches, shown them how to do a row, turn to someone else and then a plaintive cry fills the air..."Mrs Goble, all the stitches have fallen off.." Again. And again.
Anyway, last Wednesday I had another new face; she wanted to try crochet. She sat by me, I gave her a hook and got her started on a chain and then helped someone else. Five minutes passed.
"Mrs Goble?"
"Yes."
"I think I could get obsessed with this."
My heart quickens..she has used the magic 'O' word.. 'obsessed.'
"I don't think I will watch TV again. I never want to stop."
A huge smile spreads across my face. I am beginning to recognise all the signs, even after 5 minutes, of a fellow crochet addict. I made sure she took a hook and some yarn home.
The next day she came to find me. She proudly held up the longest chain I have ever seen.
"Oh, that's wonderful! Are you enjoying it?"
"Yes, I can't stop." she laughed.
She then went on to tell me that she was unable to play Rounders in her P.E. lesson due to a sore foot; so she sat and crocheted by the side of the field whilst her other class mates played. I saw her mother shortly after and she told me that the night before she had been sitting up in bed, crocheting. Oh the joy. Mrs Goble had damp eyes after she had gone.
I think some extra lessons are in order, don't you?
At the risk of boring you all as you read yet another post on crochet - I have some books I want to share with you. Now, as usual I'm behind you all and these books have been available for quite a while and you probably have them already; but I like them and, well, I just wanted to show you them.
First up is Vintage Crochet by Susan Cropper. I have managed, after a very long wait, to borrow this from the library as I fell in love with this wonderful picture..
it is so very 'me' and I could look at it forever. I just love everything in it. Perfect, perfect styling. I can't wait to do the blanket but will try and make it bigger so it will cover more than one leg! When I picked it up from the library and had a proper flick through I was pleasantly surprised at how appealing the other projects were to.
There. Lovely.
The second book is by Lucinda Guy and Francois Hall.It is one that some of you recommended to me for using at my Crochet Club (which, incidentally, is growing weekly!)
It is a very child-friendly book, with excellent illustrations.
It has a few simple projects as well. Very good. So, there we have it.
Now for something completely different. I am hoping that someone who speaks Spanish will be able to help me with a translation. Our Headteacher is going to visit a school in Peru (Cuzco) and has asked me to make a scrapbook of our school to take with her. I want to include the schoo'ls Mission Statement but translate it into Spanish so the children and staff in Peru can understand it. It is..
Mission Statement
We are challenged to...
See God in everyone
Experience the Christian way of life
Be the best learners we can
I hope you can help - leave a comment or email me if you can. Thank you.
It's Monday morning and I'm sitting in a strangely silent, empty house. The silence is actually bouncing off the walls and it's wonderful. Everyone has gone either to school, sixth form, university or work and have left me here to try and catch up with emails, blog posts, washing, ironing and generally restoring some kind of order to this poor house. Oh, it's good to be back to some kind of routine again. I love routine and get a lot of security from it, even at the ripe old age of 45; which goes to show that we don't really change much in someways as we grow older.
But before I start the mammoth task of restoring order I want to show you my Irish Rose crochet. It was going to be my new project over Easter once I had called in at John Lewis at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, on our way to Ludlow. Remember? It all seems a very long time ago now! Well, the bright cerise pink yarn I had thought I would do the cushion in turned into a pale pink yarn as the 4ply cotton choice wasn't too good. It also came down to price as I needed a little over 100g ball and if I had chosen the cerise yarn by Rowan it meant getting 3 or 4 balls of 50g and at approx £4...well, you do the maths. So in the end I bought Patons cotton 4ply in pale pink which was much cheaper and has been fantastic to work with - smooth and not separating like my usual yarn. Bliss.
I was quite nervous doing something so fiddly as I have only ever crocheted ripples, granny squares and the odd flower garland. Nothing so ambitious but I tried to stay focused on the round I was doing and not read ahead and go into a panic. And slowly but surely it stated to take shape.
There have been parts that have been tricky but I think that's more down to me not taking the time to read the pattern carefully. I do think however, that joining the roses could have had a picture or diagram to help make things clearer as you have to rely on the photograph in the book to be sure you're doing it properly...and I hope that I have!
Now, onto Anth's bad back. Bless him. He went to work today but I'm not sure how long he'll last. It is still very painful but he took Lisa D's advice and has been sitting with his back against a wall and stretching his legs. He says it has helped so thank you Lisa, and thank you to everyone else who have sent good wishes.
Now I had better get on with my chores as I have a feeling that this lovely empty silence will not last long. See you tomorrow.
I hope you had a better weekend than me- well the start of it anyway. I spent all Saturday in bed with a migraine but managed to get up on Sunday and in the afternoon staggered around to the lovely Lisa's house where I started my lace edging on my second round cushion. This cushion has been unfinished for ages and I'm trying to be disciplined about finishing it because, yes, you've guessed it, whilst sitting on Lisa's sofa I flicked through one of my crochet books and discovered another cushion that I absolutely must do.
Isn't it lovely? Though I'm not going to do it in white but either in hot pink with a black cushion cover or in black with a hot pink cushion cover. What do you think? I'm hoping to buy the yarn at John Lewis at Bristol on Thursday en-route to Ludlow for Easter. We have no good wool shops in our area and it's not quite the same buying online as far as checking out colours I don't think. It's done in 4ply so it might take some time plus it does look very complicated doesn't it? Yikes.
I'll be interested to know if anyone else has done something similar and what combination I should do regarding the whole black/pink thing. And yes, I promise I won't start until the other is finished..but I still can just stare at the picture can't I?
Edit:
My Sweet Blog Ladies,
I've had a few enquiries about learning to crochet and what book I can recommend. Well, my friends, it is not a book that I think is the best - it is our own Lovely Lucy from Attic24 blog. She has such a gift of, amongst other things, well... crochet, and has written (with photo illustrations no less) quite a few tutorials on the subject of granny squares, ripple blankets, flowers, joining said granny squares...you name it she will probably have done it or will do it for you. I print them out and keep them in a folder. I'm so grateful to her as I have found learning to crochet very tricky and I don't think it helps that the stitches have different names in the US (though I prefer their way in all honesty!)
So do take a look at her sidebar where she has made a list of tutorials and above all...don't give up! xxxx
Isn't the blogging world a funny old business? Yesterday I visited sweet Lucy's blog at Attic24 and lo and behold I spied the book that I was going to tell you about today. We are all so alike we crafty?? bloggers. I received my copy on Wednesday and she received hers last week too and has already made 2 things from it. Me? I'm still at the browsing stage. The reveling in a new book stage; sniffing the pages and making lists. Sometimes that is better than the crocheting -before you feel the disapointment of coming up against a pattern that just won't work. The list phase is a phase to linger on. Believe me.
Remember yesterday when I told you I had decided what I was going to make my friends this Christmas? Well, I won't tell you yet but it is from this book and no..it isn't a flower - well I don't think it is. Back to the book. I bought mine through Amazon here and all in all it came to approx £7 including P & P. It is written by Lesley Stanfield, published by Search Press - ISBN 978-1-84448-403-4.
It is beautifully photographed and includes basic/intermediate/advanced patterns of both knitting and crochet. And not only flowers, it includes fruit, leaves, insects and vegetables. The other thing I like about it (which makes it different and I think better than Nicky Epsteins books) is the fact it will only specify the type and weight of yarn as opposed to the actual named yarn which usually, because of living here in this part of Devon, is impossible to find.
So, I'm off to buy another one for my dear friend Lisa as a rather late birthday present (yes, it was in December..cringe but I have been waiting to find just the right thing) so I can bore someone else with talking about it!
As I have mentioned to you before, my job as a Teaching Assistant is rewarding and a privilege (that is 99% of the time); none more so than last week. I was talking about, rather passionately I must confess, and showing my second crochet cushion, to a small group of children and happened to noticed a certain light in the eyes of 2 little girls. At the end of the day one of them said to me,
"You know Mrs Goble, you can be extra happy now as you can go home and do your thing."
"My thing?" I asked intrigued.
"Yes, your ..um.er..knitting thing," she replied.
Recognising the eagerness in the eyes and the fact she remembered what I had said, I asked,
"Would you like to learn to crochet or knit?" And with eyes shining she said she would.
So, I have decided to change my lunchtime Story Club to a Craft Club with just the 2 girls to start with. Our first session was last Wednesday. The girls had really been looking forward to it and it gladdened my heart when I walked out of the lunch hall and found them sitting in the corridor waiting for me, their smiles wide. When we found a quiet corner and settled down I was suddenly hit with the realisation that I don't hold my hook correctly and I don't want to show them the wrong way. My heart sank. But then again, I'm not sure if that matters, I have found my own way of holding my hook which is comfortable to me but perhaps holding it like they show in the books is quicker. What a responsibility! In the end we just did a cord of chain stitch which they then wore as necklaces and bracelets. They loved it and I love the fact that I am hopefully awakening a love of craft which will be a bright light for them for the rest of their lives. What a privilege indeed.
If any of you have had the experience of teaching a child to knit or crochet I could do with some pointers if you are willing to share. Thank you. And now I'm off to hunt out my child size knitting needles.
Yes, this morning at approximately 9.15 am, (whilst still in my pyjamas), I sewed the last flower on. In fact I would have finished sooner, much sooner had it not been for a Parents' Evening at Alice's school (how inconsiderate!) and those pesky little flowers. I've been making flowers and leaves all week. First I tried the ones from the actual pattern but I don't think I did them correctly because they looked odd; so I made up my own. Then I couldn't choose the colours or how many I should do (I ended up making 7). After that it was the leaves - should I or shouldn't I? Also whenever I picked up my hook at school the bell would go signaling the end of playtime/lunch.
As you can see, in the end there are no leaves, 3 flowers, 3 colours and obviously no ringing bells. I even made the actual cushion pad inside because (a) I couldn't find a round one (b) I remember when I had seen round pads they were crazily expensive (c) I was concerned that a white pad would show through the stitches (d) I found some cheap, almost identical in colour, plain chintz which I then cut and sewed together 2 circles and then stuffed with filling from a cheap pillow..so much cheaper than the proper stuff. I would have preferred a feather pad but hey, we have a credit crunch going on here and I have to show Anth I am doing my best to spend less., well, trying anyway.
So there we have it. I have really loved making it, and I would go as far as saying that it has been one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever done. But alas, I'm not holding out on it looking like this for very long given what treatment our cushions get and Alfie does this weird clawing,padding thing on our cushions before he sleeps. So I think I will just have to start another one..now what colour shall it be...
P.S In honour of my darling husband, tomorrow I will be doing a series of posts called, 'Anthony Week.'
I do. I really love it. I look forward to doing it. I dream about doing it. I spend too long thinking about doing it and spend too long actually doing it wherever I may be. But it hasn't always been like that as I used to make lace; knit; cross stitch and embroider.
I can't quite remember what enticed me into trying crochet for the first time (I think about 6 years ago. 6 years?!) but I remember my first crochet book...
and my first project, a covered coat hanger.
I found learning how to crochet really hard as it is so different to knitting and it took ages for it to click. I still don't hold my hook the correct way but that's nothing new as I don't hold my knitting needles the right way either! The book I found the most helpful was a simple vintage children's Ladybird book. It has very simple diagrams and helpfully telling you to that the first thing you should do is wash your hands.
How sweet is that? Anyway the big news is that I am now on to my lace edging of my round cushion and I am overcome with excitement at how well it is turning out.
I have been wondering this week if my obsession for crafting is ..well, normal! There have been a couple of incidents that have got me thinking. The first being a conversation I had with a colleague when we were discussing what we looked forward to during the day. I said rather too quickly and slightly squeakily, 'lighting my fire and doing my crochet' and she just stopped and looked at me in disbelief, totally not getting it. Then the next day I heard a man on the radio ask a folk singer what she did in her spare time, 'I knit,' she said and he just couldn't believe what he was hearing and it totally freaked him out for a minute or two. It was if she had said she murdered people!
My crafting has been a huge part of my life for many, many years and I can't contemplate life without it. It gives me enormous pleasure to look around our home (and some of my friends' homes) and see the things I've made adorning the walls and chairs. So my apologies if you are waiting for an email from me this week but every spare second I've had I have been grappling with a lace edging and being in perfect bliss.
Can you guess which one is me? Anth and Matthew couldn't quite believe it when I took my crochet out on the tube and settled down for a quick 'hook' between stations. We spent Saturday in London and as my companions were both male, shopping was definitely off the list - but I did insist on going to Borders Bookshop. No Christmas magazines yet but they seem to have every craft/interiors book known to man and guess what...a true miracle happened to me..I found another book with a picture of the blanket..yes, yes yes!
It's from this new book and has 3 and-a-bit pictures of the blanket and yes, I confess, I only bought this book for the 3 and-a-bit pictures. Tut, tut. I could not afford it, if truth be known, and spent the next 3 hours feeling guilty about it; but later when I had spent an hour pouring over the pictures I knew I had done the right thing. I tried to explain to Matthew how incredible it was to have found another picture of it as it must be the only one in the world and it lives in a house deep in the Norfolk countryside. More likely though it must have been the silent prayer that I have been saying hoping for another glimpse of it somehow. So now I can probably work out approximately 30 of the 70 squares. It isn't the only book I have bought over the last week. I nearly fell over the other day when I walked in a shop and saw this
I didn't know Cath had another book out. It has 48 projects and 16 design templates to use to embellish T shirts, bedding, cushions etc. It looks very simple to use but I think a lot of skill has gone into making each project. This is my favourite page,
And back to London, (which incidentally was completely Cath-free - no lurking involved at all) - it was a gloriously sunny day and we walked along the Thames for a while and I played tourist with my camera.
But soon it was time to head to Shepherd's Bush and see Mr Stills..and before you ask I was almost the youngest there, and yes, I did crochet in the interval!
I don't know how to tell you this but I'll say it very fast....I've started another blanket, er well more like 2, in the last fortnight. I know, I know I have the most terrible habit of starting crochet blankets and never finishing them..ahem..first there was this one, then this, and this and finally this. Yes, could there be anyone worse at starting and not finishing crochet blankets? I think not. But I will explain all the same.
Quite awhile ago, the lovely Yvonne of Yvestown posted a picture of her lovely sitting-room and I spied a lovely blanket in the corner and begged her to show and tell. She very kindly took a photo of it and put it on her Flickr page and I have drooled over it since then. Then 2 weeks ago I suddenly just had to make one too. So I started. There isn't a pattern so I did a little working out and then off I went. It accompanied me to take Tom to Uni and it has been everywhere with me ever since. That was until this week when I thought I would have a go at trying to join it. Mmm, not good. What I thought was the way, wasn't, and after a few very despondent days (isn't it funny how when your latest creative project isn't going as planned it colours everything else? Well, it does with me..mmm ..what does that say about me I wonder!) I lost heart in it and then I remembered the blanket - the actual blanket that I have always wanted to do and frankly, am a little bit obsessed about.
And there is a little story behind it too which I may have mentioned before but can't remember if I did. A couple of years or so ago I saw Petra Boase's bedroom in the book 'Flea Market Style.' Her crochet blanket has never left my mind since and I thought that one day I would make my own. Then one day Alicia mentioned it on her blog as she too had fallen in love with it and I, not for the first time, felt that wonderful connection with a fellow blogger many miles away, who obviously has the same taste in crochet blankets! I didn't want to start it then as she had, so in the meantime I have collected as many pictures of it as I could and just enjoyed looking at it. That was until Friday when I finally started it. Yay!
So yesterday was spent cozy by the fire, books by my side, hook and wool in hand hoping against hope that this one will be trouble-free and will actually be the very first one to be finished!
And something tells me it might just be the one.
P.S Please don't forget to enter my giveaway- I can't quite believe how many of you have already entered...it's times like these I wish I was a millionaire so each of you could have a bag...
The scene was set for my friend Lisa to come over, at long last, for our 'crochet session'. This is something we've tried to organise for sometime and I was really looking forward to it. The children laughed, well scoffed would be more accurate, at me as I decided to set up a little tea table which looking at it now, looks barely worth it! Why didn't I go the whole hog and arrange it with a cake stand and a vase of flowers - it looks quite ridiculous and (horror of horrors)...dull..a word that strikes fear into my heart! It really does make me smile when I think back to Lucy's reaction when I asked her if she would, at some point in the afternoon, take a photo of the scenario for the blog....as she looked up at me from her studies, her face incredulous.."What do you want me to do? Are you joking? Take a photo of you two with the tea things in front of you? No, you are crazy!"
So I took the photos myself but it wasn't long before our quiet, girlie afternoon was interrupted - just as I had made the tea. Did I tell you weeks ago that our fridge had broken? Well, Anth had arranged for our friendly 'odd-job' man to come and remove the old fridge freezer before the new one (which has just arrived today) could be installed. So, there was banging, sighing, requests for screwdrivers, light switches having to be removed, the very loud whizzing of an electric saw, (tiny kitchen = tiny space = cutting off a cm of work top = every little helps!) sawdust flying everywhere and cats running around covered in cobwebs as they found a way behind the kitchen cupboards due to the removal of the fridge/freezer. Lisa and I sat with all this commotion going on but dissolved into giggles when every now and then a now separated fridge or freezer would pass by!
And just look at the filthy state of it - I was horrified (though it was between cupboards for 15 years, I hasten to add!)
Now that wasn't the afternoon I had been expecting but did we manage to do much crochet? Well let's say that a repeat of the afternoon is necessary minus household appliances passing before our eyes!
So now I can add the long grass to the long list of different places I've crocheted my ripple blanket. I am still loving it and find it very therapeutic going up and down the waves. I am not following any colour pattern - it's just sort of evolving.
Slight problem though - the more I do, the bigger it gets, the more it covers me! Hmm not a sensible summer project but I do love it. So if you see a blonde, sweaty lady wrapped in a ripple blanket crocheting furiously - pass her a towel!
I succumbed. I was going to start my own crocheted ripple blanket when I finished my granny blanket, but I was in need of a lift and a change so I started it over the weekend. Anth and I had another day out, this time to Slapton Sands. I sat in perfect harmony with the sea as I rode up and down each wave of my new blanket.
Slapton is a huge beach made up of tiny pebbles. As I sat rippling Anth read the paper.
There was a fresh breeze blowing but that didn't stop the first seasons wearing of the flip-flops or revealing my pale English legs.
Our journey to Slapton took us through some of the best places Devon has to offer. It was all pale blue skies and the freshest green. The beach above is one of South Devon's finest, Blackpool Sands.
Poor Anth kept having to stop the car for my photos.
After a few hours of rippling and gazing out to sea we headed home
Umm..it's coming along quite nicely but something doesn't feel quite right. You see, I spend every, and I mean every, possible spare, and some not-so-spare moments, with my crochet hook in my hand - and look how s l o w l y it has grown! I must admit that all the ends have been sewn in (hooray!) so far but it still doesn't look big enough to justify the numerous car, bed, lonely railway waiting rooms, school lunch hours, Ludlow,trains, Tom's drum lessons, Salisbury, restaurants, children's singing shows, and blissful moments by the fire with the TV, sessions! I do have a few more squares to sew on but still...even the photo makes it look bigger!
But I am not discouraged and already have my next project lined up in my head. I get a strange kind of pleasure thinking about what's next on my list. I do have a confession though - I haven't blocked any of them and after reading about what a difference it makes I have decided that I will do the whole lot now before I add anymore squares. I'm just too impatient but hope to be convinced that it will be worth it. Any hints or tips gratefully received!
Here I am in the only place I want to be right now - with my new crochet project in my lap. I found an old American crochet book in the library with a beautiful (afghan? Is that an American word for blanket?) on the front cover and I was hooked! (Pun intended!)
Now, the extent of my crochet history is a coat hanger cover, so this was going to be a challenge. A challenge I was ready for as I have had a huge yearning to knit or crochet something recently. It has taken a couple of nights to suss it out (the US books call each stitch a different name) but it has been quite straight forward and now I'm flying...well slowly flapping. Only 2 problems. The first is finding the same colour yarn.
I think the beauty of the blanket is the ice cream colours and I have tried faithfully to copy them. They aren't quite the same but they will do.
Second problem...I don't want to move from the sofa so the laundry, housework and general chores are all stacking up! I even took a little while to go to sleep last night, so went back downstairs and brought my crochet to bed! How on earth will I drag myself to work tomorrow? Last week I even crocheted at school break time and lunch time and gave furtive glances to it sitting in my bag every time I walked by it in the class room! Mmm.. maybe a crochet lesson is in order..
P.S For Angela and for anyone else that is interested the ISBN is:0-696-02307-5
P.P.S My slippers were a present (thanks Hazie) about a year ago..sorry! I think they were from New Look but I'll keep my eyes open for a pair.
