I had to share this with you...
isn't it just sooooooooo cute?
It was made by my friend Wendy. Wendy is amazing: always busy, always knitting and more often than not she is knitting for other people and for local charities. Last year she was knitting hats and blankets for babies in our local hospital's special care unit. This year she is busy knitting for York Dance Works - hence the ballerina mouse!
Super cute mouse and super inspirational Wendy!
Following on from my last post I made a decision! Strangely enough it was none of the things I thought I would do!
A friend of mine is soon to move into her very first home: so I thought I would crochet a little something for her.
Here is a sneaky peek...
Some of you might recognise the wool, it is the gorgeous yarn I made a scarf a while ago.
I'll let you see the finished version after I have given it to her.
I hope she likes it...
At the moment my head feels a little bit like this...
...all full of colour and ideas. It is so full of things that I want to crochet: I really don't know where to begin.
There are hats that I want to make for my friend's little girl. There are hats I want to make for myself. There is a really cute puppy, featured in last months Inside Crochet magazine. An equally cute pattern for a pillow I found browsing on Ravelry. A witchy kitty for Halloween, then there are the Christmas (yes Christmas!!!) cards and presents that I really should start rather than leaving 'til the night before. I'd like to make something for Si, though he can't decide what he would like: so I'll leave that one for a while. I probably should finish the blanket I started during the really hot (well one weekend that was moderately warm) summer - but it is one of those blankets that you are never sure when it is actually finished as it can keep on going and going. Then there is the half (word used very optimistically, probably should read quarter) finished jumper than I am not quite sure why I started, when I know I like making small things. Oh yes - it was a beautify pattern from Rowan's one and only booklet devoted entirely to crochet. And all those cushions I wanted to make...
So much I want to do, I think I'll just go and make a cup of tea!
Happy crocheting, to those who can decided...
...but I have got a really, really, really great excuse...
That's right, we have just returned from a glorious week in Florence. We visited lots and lots and lots of museums, galleries and churches. Ate lots and lots and lots of amazing food. Drank lots and lots and lots of wine! The weather was hot and the hotel wonderful (although Charlotte would not have approved: no view)!
I managed to get Si to visit...
The museum of Salvetore Ferragamo which contains shoes, shoes and more shoes. Some of you might remember the article about the museum in July's issue of Inside Crochet?
See, even on holiday crochet has not been totally forgotten about!
Here's some more picis for you to look at...
The famous Porto-Vecchio over the Arno.
Under the Tuscan sun, okay - moon!
Chianti of course!
I am still quite tired from the holiday, so today is a gentle day of pottering, apologising to the garden (looking very sad and neglected) and maybe some simple crocheting later on...
I love the idea of a crochet magic circle. It conjures up all sorts of images of secret societies, badges and handshakes. Alas the truth of the magic circle is not that exciting!
A magic circle (also known as a finger wrap and as a loop: although I don't think these sound quite as good as the magic circle) is merely a method of starting your crochet, when you are working in the round, so that you have a nice tight joint in the center: ideally with no gap to peek through.
They are quite tricky to master, so I will be posting a how to in the coming weeks. Basically you wrap your yarn around your finger and work the crochet stitches into the loop, the loop is then slipped off your finger, the yarn tail is pulled and hay-presto, you have a really neat start to your work.
They are something that I haven't usually attempted, prefering to start with a few linked chains. When I made my very first hat I didn't know about the magic circle and ended up with a hole in the middle: hence the flower and button.
Over the last few weeks I have become a bit of an expert, well sort of - not all of them are perfect, the gaps in the middle could be smaller - but they will do. So far I have made these twenty-two...
...plus a further thirty. They form the centre of each of the hexagons, that make up my blanket.
Happy crocheting!
Following on from my celebration of September I decided that it was the perfect time to make jam. Bramble jam, to be exact: or Blackberry jam, if that is what you prefer to call those deep purple jewels of fruitiness.
First thing was to pick the fruits, doing this in true urban style Si and I headed off to our local cemetery. A strange place for foraging you may think, but not so: it is fantastic. In parts of the cemetery nature has been left (despite the very best of efforts by a team of volunteers) to take over. This along with all that nitrogen in the soil makes for brilliant growing conditions. So long as you aren't spookedby the graves and the uppy-down nature of the ground (you can imagine why) it is the perfect place for gathering natures bounty.
We ended up collecting about four-pounds of Brambles, which were then turned into jam. Or jelly to be more precise...
Boiling up the fruit, to make a beautiful dark purple molten lava...
Taking time to allow the juice to drip slowly through: no squeezing..!
Back to the boil. Full concentration needed to hit that all important setting point...
Ta-dah..........................................
Si's bounty: for turing into spiced apple vodka. Yum!
Promise: back to crochet next time...
I love, love, love September! In fact I love all of the months that end with a ...ber. But I do think September is my favourite.
I love that there is a hint of Autumn in the air, that mornings and evenings have a chill to them, but the days are warm with the fading Summer sun.
I love that there is still the possibility of an Indian Summer, to take us to the dark nights and short days,
I love that the leaves on the trees are beginning to dry and show us their beautiful hues of red, brown and gold.
I love that when you are out in the country-side you can smell the earth, ploughed ready for next year's crops.
I love the fact that you can still smell freshly cut grass, as the optimistic gardener prepares to rest.
I love that we can think about apple crumbles, fireworks, blankets and scarfs.
It is safe to say I am an Autumnal girl, who LOVES September.
Happy September!
I love to create beautiful things out of yarn. I love textile crafts, especailly crochet.
Recent Comments