Back to the Hook

This weekend,I felt the urge to get back to hook and needle. I really want to finish my Lucy inspired Summer Garden Granny Square blanket that I began back in October last year. However, my attention span is not well-suited to big projects, so I will work on it little by little while I concentrate on some smaller stuff.

I really like this shawl patten from this book:

A bigger project than I had in mind, but the motifs are very simple to crochet. I made one up in some white cotton double knit yarn with a 4mm hook:

Then in a four ply with a 3mm hook (the size in the pattern):

Here they are side by side -  quite a difference in size

I'm thinking it will make a nice table cloth (or runner!). I'll probably stick with white or cream (although I do like that pink shade a LOT) but can't decide which size to make (the larger has a diameter of  4.5", the smaller is 3" across - excluding corner loops). The bigger one would be much quicker to make, but the smaller one gives a more delicate effect.

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you'll know how indecisive I am. Which version do you think would look best?     

    

The end is in sight

So, just over a week ago I make a resolution. A PUBLIC resolution no less, to update my little blog more regularly .... and then I disappear. What can I say?

You will see though that something has been happening.

Hmmmm, exhibit A: itty ends of yarn on the arm of the sofa. Does anyone ever DO anything with these? Looking further along I see this

A little stack of granny squares in two colour combinations

  

Yes, it's yet ANOTHER hooky project. Actually, I started this before Christmas and am hoping to finish by the end of the weekend. There are sixteen squares (eight in each combination of blue and white). I've just started joining them together. I decided to do my blocking when the squares are joined (this will work right?)

I'm planning on a four by four central square and then I'll keep adding borders until I'm happy with the size. It's going to be a little blanket for a little person (a new baby boy) to give as a gift. I've used Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino which is lovely and soft and nice to work with.

About half way through hooking the squares I began to have doubts about the whole thing - are granny squares alright for babies? Will their little fingers get stuck? Oh well, I'm hoping it will be ok.

Sorry for the terrible photos by the way - the light is AWFUL (these are actually the best pics I got out of I-don't-know-how-many-attempts). I'm also tired and I've decided I need to upgrade my camera to a digital SLR. It's all so confusing though - any advice is much appreciated (I need something that I can more or less point and click!)   

  

Trial...and Error

I've had a lazy, lollopy sort of weekend. I wasn't feeling at all well on Friday so took the day off work and have spent most of the weekend lounging and hooking. I did make a trip to get some yarn yesterday. I wanted to be in and out and back home quickly, but had great difficulty choosing yarn shades, despite having pondered over the sample cards.

So, after much stacking and lining up and arranging of yarn, I chose these to take home. Apologies for the poor photography, the light hasn't been good.

Of course, once home I was already doubting my choice and quickly made up two sample squares

I was quite pleased with the first square (on the left).The idea was to have the third rounds in green and bronze to reflect the changing leaf colours.The grey came out much darker than I expected. It probably doesn't help that the deeper and darker colours are all together in one square; it's just that I wanted to use all 8 colours in the square samples, and that's how it worked out.

So then I wondered - what if I make all the leaves green and use the two brown shades to outline? 

Hmmm, I think that looks better. That would mean using green for round three on all the squares, the two brown shades for round four and a random choice of the other four colours (omitting the grey now) for the central flower. Confused yet? I am.

But then....what if; what...if  when they're all put together the grey doesn't look too bad after all? Have I been too hasty here? I coudn't work out how to do this with PSP, so did a mock up in Word which I now can't post here. Hrrmmmph!!! You'll have to use your imagination - but it did look better - honest.

Back to square one (excuse the pun). Any thoughts and opinions would be MOST appreciated. Before I give up completely and make hexagons instead :)

Getting Closer...

Just a quick post today....
I didn't get round to finishing anything on Sunday as planned because LIFE happened (nothing bad, just general stuff). Oh well. However, the big granny square blanket continues to grow

Not a great pic, but you can see it's getting there now.

I also decided that my next blanket is definitely going to be made of smaller squares in the Rowan wool/ cotton that I mentioned in my last post. I've convinced myself that if I continue with the big Granny and also make up some smaller squares at the same time then its not cheating (does anyone else have self imposed rules?). I made up one of Lucy's Summer Garden Squares in some nearby yarn last night (as in literally reach out and grab some from a teetering pile near the sofa).

I just did it in two colours so that I coud get a clear idea of how each row looks and fits together. I'm liking the rich reds and purples, browns and yellows that you can see in the picture. Not all of them together....well maybe, still not decided (I'm rather impressed that I've made ONE decision on this yet).

But very definitely, almost, nearly, but not quite there yet, at a final decision on this one.

EDITED TO ADD: Oops, forgot in the rush to add the pic of the square and the colours that I mentioned - didn't mean to confuse you!!!

Bits and Pieces

Despite having the week off work, I have come to something of a standstill.

Well - not quite.

The problem is that I have too many things that I want to do (plans for at LEAST two more crochet blankets - I blame the lovely Lucy !) and all that I have been doing is playing with embroidery (I blame the wonderful Jenny!). I think it's because of my new "don't start a new project until you've finished the one you're doing" rule. Oh, I HATE breaking my own rules, but oh well... 
Ooooh, by the way - I just got Jenny's new book (now available in the UK at last!) and am loving it!

I just can't decide what to do the next embroidery on. Maybe a bag, or my jeans, or a t-shirt? So far, I am just ironing and embroidering some designs on some scrap linen that was originally bought for a pair of trousers that I never got round to making  JUST that purpose!  But hey - that's practising isn't it? And today is the only day I've really had to myself so far (spent shopping), so maybe it's not sooooo bad.

Ooh! Ooh! I forgot - I did crochet a hat at the weekend, but for some reason it came out too small (grrrr!)

Still ... I hope to have something new to show you by the weekend!

Hello

Hello and welcome :)

I've been inspired so many wonderful crafty blogs, I thought I would join in the fun! The craft blogiverse is such an exciting and rapidly expanding place.

I love to crochet, sew, embroider, bead and make cards. Actually, there's not much crafty that I wouldn't turn my hand to. I would definitely put myself in the amateur class (although mistress of the unfinished project perhaps). I'm looking forward to sharing my projects with you - mainly crochet and embroidery.

One of my current WIPs is this granny square blanket:

The photo doesn't do the colours justice - that is the most gorgeous deep teal blue in the border. I still can't decide whether to continue the whole thing with one round of each colour (as in the centre) or as I have just started adding bands of solid colour. What do you think?

I'm also working on this embroidery from a Sublime Stitching patterm:

I plan to make this into a herbal sleep pillow as a gift. I'm going to back it with a printed cotton fabric and fill with dried hops and lavender.

I decided to stick to one colour (blue) and one stitch (split) for this project.

I'll post (better quality) pictures of the finished projects when they're done.