my distraction...

here she is...

the gorgeous little blossom who has been distracting me from my blogging -

little miss charlotte, now 11 weeks old

isn't she precious???

the hat and jacket were made by a couple of very crafty girls from my local crochet group...

and a bunch of them worked together on this blanket for her also:

we're so spoiled!

testing.

Been having a play around with those mini skeins... just to see how far each will stretch, if making single colour motifs

These simple squares are approximately 6cm x 6cm, and I get 1 square per skein. Not that fussed about the small grannies, or the leaf. But I quite like the simple garter square.



Fun to play around with, but I can't see myself making an entire afghan this way.

Maybe another cushion cover? I still need to make more

Although I should finish that granny one first...

mystery solved - now what???

Thanks to Kyliie and Elle for solving the mystery of this square!

It is the PUMPKIN PATCH SQUARE, click here for the free pattern

So, now that I've finally found the mischevious square... any ideas on what I could use it for???

The first thing that springs to mind is to make a cushion to match the afghan, but I'm feeling a bit 'meh' about that idea.

Maybe I could keep it aside to use in a freeform piece at some point in the future?

Or donate it to someone making a charity blanket?

What would you do? I'm not feeling particularly attached to it.

free crochet pattern - suggestion square

• this clearly written crochet pattern creates an interesting 12 inch square


• as written there are four colours used; the colour changes at the beginning of each round – but it also looks superb worked in a single colour


• square requires a 4.5mm hook and approx 50g of 8 ply yarn (DK)


• please read through the assumed knowledge and special instructions before beginning


• US terminology used throughout


• available as a free download - download now

blocking with knitting needles

Now this is a technique that I heard mentioned a couple of months back, and finally decided to give it a try for myself.

Blocking with knitting needles.

Obviously it only works for small projects.

I've used 2.75mm needles, which are 35cm long. It would have been even better if my needles were actually straight, but these ones are a weeny bit bent.

They're a perfect size for blocking a 30cm/12 inch suare.

Just weave needles along all four edges. Make sure that your piece is sitting flat, and then give a light water spray all over. Lightly press if desired (although you do need to be VERY careful with some fibres).

Leave the piece to dry or cool down, before removing needles.



How easy is that???

And it saves messing around with all those pins like I usually would.

Have you tried needle blocking yet?

columns...

So I've started joining.

I'm using what I call a ZIG ZAG join.

Don't know if that is the proper name for it or not, but you simply work a zig zag of stitches back and forth between the two edges which you are joining.

It's a bit hard to tell in the photo below, but all of my columns of zig zags are completed

let's get it together

Alrighty then...

I feel like I've sickened myself of this afghan.

It's been a Work In Progress (WIP) for such a long time... and I must have written a bazillion blog posts about it!

So...

If you're as sick of it as I am, then you might as well stop reading right now.

Just walk away.

I won't take it personally!!!

Honest.

It's okay.

Go and make yourself a nice strong coffee... or fix yourself a lemon lime and vodka... or maybe a big baileys on the rocks (depending on the time of day, of course)

For those of you who are still reading - HERE IS MY PLAN...

I will finish this damn blanket.... THIS MONTH.

Absolutely.

Completely.

Entirely.

I mean, the squares are all done...

Do you remember when I went away on the crochet retreat? I had intended to join the blanket while I was gone, but discovered that I had left one square at home???

Well... it didn't ever show up...

I'm starting to have doubts about whether I actually made it at all!

Sad.

But true.

So I had to make YET ANOTHER square, which I don't have the pattern details on hand for... so I'll the blog the details of it another time.

Once all the squares were EVENTUALLY done, I needed to work a border of single crochet around each one... a job which I finally finished at a crochet meet yesterday.

Here they are...

All laid out and ready to start joining...

home again, home again - jiggidy jog!

Actually... I've been home all week, but it's just been kind of crazy around here...

The retreat was fabulous... magnificent... marvellous... tremendous... excellent... wonderful... superb... phenomenal... amazing... spectacular... awesome... brilliant...

Enough said - I'm sure that you get the idea!



The plan was to assemble my 2009 BAMCAL afghan while away... but I somehow managed to only pack 24 of the 25 squares!!!

Hmmm - maybe some more careful packing next time???