By Helen

crochet happy feet…

Back in Mollie Makes issue nineteen, there was the most wonderful pattern for crocheting granny square slippers.  The idea was so simple, that I just had to crochet them.  I thought that I would start small so I crocheted I (who I'd crocheted hats and other stuff for) a pair…

See those happy, smug, feet in crochet slippers…

I used quite dark yarn, so that they would keep (relatively) clean: hoping her Mum would appreciate that and what little girl doesn’t love purples?  They were perfect for using up left over yearn, as the granny squares I crocheted were tiny, just two rounds…

I only had to crochet twelve granny squares to make the slippers…

Double crochet was used to join them together, no sewing – genius!  The colours shown in Mollie Makes, were brilliantly put together…

A big, biG, BIG thank you to the very talented Stephanie Gohr for designing these – I can’t wait to try out more of your patterns.

 I am very very tempted to buy some yarn to crochet myself a cheerful pair.  But Si has asked me to crochet him a pair.  I can’t wait: this is the first time he has ever asked me to crochet him anything, despite repeated offers.  So I must make a start.  Making size nines, will take slightly longer than those for I – who is two.  I’ll let you know how I get on!

crochet hat for I …

I know that I have said it before: and I will say it again, many many times.  I love crochet.  I love that you can start and finish a crochet project in one afternoon.  So, when my friend mentioned that her little girl was in need of a new hat for winter, I knew I was in for a happy afternoon.   You might remember my friend’s little girl.  I often crochet for her; hats and cardi. 

I gathered together yarn, crochet hooks, buttons and a steaming hot cup of tea, and began work.  I am really pleased with what I crocheted: and I think I is too…

I decided to crochet the hat with a rib hem, so that it will see I through the coming months.  Doesn’t she look just gorgeous (with or without her hat)? 

So, I what would you like me to crochet for you next?

welcome 2013…

Happy New Year to you all!  I hope that 2013 is an amazing year for you and that all your hopes and wishes come true.  For me, I’d like to raise a glass to a year of crocheting, crafting and making: and I can’t wait to share it all with you…

Happy New Year!

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a celebration of 2012….

As 2012 comes to an end, I thought that I would share with you, and celebrate,  some of my highlights form 2012, what a busy year it has been…

In January I started my New Year’s resolution, to crochet a different flower each month – something I hope to continue in 2013.  

In February the weather turned cold: and it snowed and snowed and snowed.  I love snow; nothing else can change the appearance, sound, smell and feel of your surroundings quite so well as snow.

With March came the promise of Spring, with golden Daffodils cheering-up much of York.  I just had to crochet a Daffodil…

In April I celebrated my first Blogversary.  A whole year of sharing all of my crocheting and crafting with you.  Thank-you for sticking with me!

May was a busy crochet month.  Crocheting May blossom and festival hats for my little friend I.

June saw crochet to the rescue with a quick fix for my hair…

I was sooooo very proud of July’s crochet flower of the month; I had to share it with you again.  It still makes me smile of dull rainy days!  The crochet pattern for it is here!

In August I was in for a real treat, making beautiful faabric flowers.  I hope to make bunches of these next year…

September saw Si and I start to get the house ready for re-modelling.  It also saw me fall in love with the most perfect yarn for crocheting flower brooches.  And I introduced you all to my favourite yarn shop. 

Crochet in October was given over to going out, to let the builders get on with finishing our home.  I did manage to sneak in a bit of Halloween hooky time…

Christmas started really early, in November, as I crocheted lots and lots of samples for my Crochet for Christmas course.

In December I found the cutest Christmas trees to crochet, and hung them proudly in by nearly finished home…

Yep, it has been quite a year, all good!  See you in the New Year for lots more crocheting and crafting! 

merry Christmas, yuletide greetings and seasons greetings…

Merry Christmas, yuletide greetings and seasons greetings…

Joyeux Noël

Gelukkig kerstfeest

مواسم تحيات

Buon Natale

मौसम अभिवादन

Frohe Weihnachten

ברכות עונות

sezone čestitke

Karácsonyi üdvözlet

musim salam

სეზონის ულოცავენ

Wesołych Świąt

节日的祝贺

Καλά Χριστούγεννα

季節挨拶

veselé Vánoce a šťastný Nový Rok

mevsim selam

ทักทายฤดูกาล

Feliz Natal

Nadolig Llawen

сезона поздрав

сезоны приветствия

sezoane salutări

فصول سلام

Glædelig jul

God jul

계절 인사

temporadas, saludos

メリークリスマス

I really hope that I haven’t spelt your languages wrong, I have had to rely on Google Translate for this posting.  Or if I have missed you language – sorry.  I hope that you get the sentiment and have a wonderful time what-ever you do this holiday period…

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fabulous fabric fun…

I’ve take a little break from crochet.  Don’t worry it is not a long break: it’s just my little finger really hurts from crocheting too much over the last few weeks.  This break has given me the perfect excuse for indulging in fabric crafting.  I thought that I would make the holly wreath, which I bought at Harrogate, to get ready for Christmas.  After reading, re-reading and re-reading, the instructions I finally got started.  Please bear-in-mind that this is the first time I have ever crafted anything like this.  I managed to workout, with a little practice and advice from I, how to machine-stitch curves.  This really wasn’t as difficult as I imagined.  I was ready to go.  This is where I ‘ve got to…

I need to spend a happy few (lots) of hours hand stitching the detail onto the leaves, then join them together to make a wreath/garland.  I really think that they might be ready for Christmas.

While I had the fabric and sewing stuff out, I thought that I’d make the cute festive robin badge, which featured in Mollie Makes, issue twenty-one…

The fabulously talented Debbie Greenway, gave really great instructions and templates to make your life easier when making these.  I am quite chuffed with how mine turned out…

Though I do think I need to practice covering buttons, so that I get a smoother finish.  Tis a hard life!

Happy crafting! x

it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I’m beginning to feel all Christmassy!  I have to admit it has taken a while this year: normally I am super excited in early November and by this point I am desperate to put the decorations up.  This hasn’t happened this year: I think that it is because I feel like I’ve lost a month to building work, so still have some catching-up to do.   Today, I am beginning to feel Christmas brewing-up inside me.  Christmas cards are made and posted.  Christmas presents have been bought: and will be wrapped at the weekend.  Christmas cakes were made in October (thanks to a strange family superstition which means Christmas cakes must be made before Halloween).  I am going to hear one of my favourite singers, Kate Rusby, singing Christmas songs.   And I have put up my first Christmas decorations.  Yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas….

Last year I crocheted a Christmas tree, by stacking up Starflakes.  This year I found a really cute crochet pattern, on Ravelry, by the super talented Carol Bancroft…

The pattern is very easy to follow.  You can crochet a Christmas tree in less than twenty-minutes and in an afternoon you have tree bunting.  What’s not to love?

our nearly finished home…

Three months on, from starting re-modelling our home, it is very nearly finished!  We had an amazing team of builders to do most of the work: but decided that we would do the finishing off bits ourselves.  We did set the deadline of finishing for Christmas.  We now realise that this was a tad optimistic, so in the interests of not being tired and ratty all the time, we are now aiming to be as-finished-as-we-can by Christmas.  I thought I’d share, another, an update to show you where we are at, at the moment.   My favourite part of the re-modelling has to be the change we made to our old bath-room.  This room (known as the back room) is now the place where I’ll be posting  my blog to you.  It also serves as a dining-room and as a crafting-room.  Hope you love it as much as I do….

I love the seats: they double as storage, and the shelves for all my craft books and magazines.  Ok, you have to imagine the room with a small table in it.  And please don’t look too closely at the cushions: they are definitely not finished!!!!

Our old study, is now our main bath-room….

I love, loVE, LOVE the purple and teal together, a big thank-you to Si for letting me have the colours I wanted.  An even bigger thank-you for not admitting you still weren’t sure about the colours until it was too late (paint bought and walls painted).  And a BIGGER thank-you for agreeing that I can, from this time onwards, choose the colours for the home.  Yay!!

Finally, our guest bath-room…

Ok, bath-room may-be a bit of an exaggeration, technically there is only a basin and wc.  But just look at the great use of space George Clarke would be proud! 

fabric fat quarters, yarn and lots more goodies…

When I went to the Knitting and Stitching Show, at Harrogate, not only was there lots to be inspired by, there were also lots and lots and lots of lovely things to buy.  And buy is what I did.  I thought that I would share some of my purchases with you; you never know they might inspire you for Christmas presents, or for treating yourself…

Of course I bought yarn, but I also bought lots of fat-quarters, to make into fabric flower…

I love these Japanese prints, from Japan Crafts…

I loved how you use yarn and hooks to make amazing fabric pictures by Hooked by Design…

…I just hope I can remember the technique, when I start this project!  My guilty purchase was an embroidery kit from Rowandean…

 …guilty because I haven’t finished (or even started) the kit that I bought from them last year!  Ssshhhhhh!  Don’t tell Si!

A little something to make for Christmas (this Christmas)...

I finally found some flower yarn, which I had been looking for, for ages.  I can’t wait to crochet it, I think it will be turned into a scarf…

The rest of the yarn I bought will be crocheted into jumpers…

…I think that I will have enough yarn!  I think that I will have enough projects to keep me going until next year...

crochet for Christmas, part two…

I mentioned that there might be Crochet for Christmas part two: but it depended if anyone came along to the crochet course I was running at Grace and Jacob.  Well three people turned up: and so my fledgling teaching crochet career has begun. 

I had the most fun, and hopefully the people on the course did to.  We crocheted; Starflakes (blocked with water, pva and glitter), mistletoe and started to crochet Christmas puddings and robins.  Time went sooooo quickly, that the puddings and robins were taken away so that they can be finished in time for the big day.  Just look what the talented people crocheted...

Can’t wait to see some picis of the finished works: and here’s to more teaching crochet in the New Year…