~Baby Gifts~

This Saturday is the baby shower for my new niece who is due in July, so we will zip across the Pennines to Manchester for some tea, cake and fun.
Here are some things I have been making.
First, another Puerperium Cardigan from Ravelry - this time it's the long-sleeved version in a dark pink yarn (Wendy Sorrento) with chunky wooden buttons. Pictured here with Mrs Bunny, a one-off for my new niece, inspired by soft toys and cuties I've admired on other blogs. 

And finally, my biggest reveal...
Who would have ever thought I would complete a crochet project? No more crochet-fear here -well not much :)
Thanks to the 2 crochet lessons at Me and Mrs Fisher in York, here is my cushion for the baby's room...

 The wool is a bamboo cotton type in 3 lovely shades of pink and the big granny square is just stitched onto a cushion I've made from Laura Ashley cream woven fabric.

Hope you like them!
Made with love x

~Crochet-fear resolved~

I've written about my 'crochet-fear' before and I am happy to announce that thanks to a Beginner's Crochet Course at Me and Mrs Fisher in York yesterday, I have finally got there and am well on my way to being crochet-fond!

Me and Mrs Fisher, Lord Mayor's Walk, York.

The course was run by the endlessly patient Trish, and was hosted in the upstairs craft room next to the Sunday Nest haberdashery.  After a lovely hot chocolate downstairs we went upstairs for the 10.30am start. The course was 3 hours (which went so quickly) and cost £25 with the end result of producing a granny square.

The craft room. Image from Me and Mrs Fisher

 There was plenty of individual attention as the group size was nice and small, which was brilliant for me as I couldn't get my head around even how to hold the yarn.  Trish brought inspirational books and completed projects along for us to look at.  Laura went along with me as she fancied learning so she can crochet on the bus and train.  This is my granny square from the actual day...

Not very neat, but I do like the coincidental choice of colours - I had another attempt last night and made these...

Laura is so speedy now, much better than me and her work's much neater too.  This is a cushion front that she started last night...

I've been looking at how to join the squares on YouTube and I've signed up for next Saturday's improvers course.

~I ♥ Blankets~

I love blankets. I don't particularly like the word throw, which sounds too modern, much preferring the cosy snugness of blanket.
I'd like to share 3 of my current favourite blankets with you...
The first one is a granny squares blanket which is very old and was actually crocheted by my Nana B.

 I love the black background and it's made in good quality wool. It's definitely destined for a caravan sofa and I will treasure it forever.

The second is a recent thrifty find in a York charity shop. 

Labelled 'Pet Cover 50p' (hurrah!) it's a small cream Witney blanket in excellent condition.

That was a good find,  that came after a hopeless hour in Selby at the charity shops where I found nothing - and saw a (slightly bobbly and faded) jersey Designers at Debenhams dress priced at £15. Honestly.  But then, that particular charity shop has had a recent revamp and now has laminate flooring!

Lastly, I received a package from Steph at Curlew Country, who now sells vintage treasures via her blog.  This blog, I have to say,  is one of my absolute favourites, having read it now for over 3 years. I spotted a gorgeous crochet blanket, and it arrived safely- wrapped in brown paper and baker's twine.  I love the colours, especially the geranium red and the hot pink.  At the minute it's making the sofa in the conservatory look very festive.



Now my granny squares blanket quota has been met, I am happy to stick with the knitting (under a blanket, of course!) and for the moment ignore my crochet fear!

~Knitting Project~

So I know I didn't learn to crochet and dispel my 'crochet-fear' in the summer hols; but I have met some nice ladies via Clandestine Cake Club and lovely Joanne from Wool & Buttons, who may help me with that challenge soon! My Louisa Harding Fleuris wool in Meteor arrived quickly from Wool & Buttons with some advice to help me with the cable cast-on method and a recommendation for this tea cosy pattern book (have already ordered it!)

So, I have started my coveted cardigan (only 2 months after I blogged about it on 14th June) on these gorgeous bamboo needles and learned something new.

 I think I should have knitted into the back of the 'YO' loop- I knitted into the front and the result is not as lacy...

...but I like it. Wonder how long it will take me to finish it?

~Tea Cosy~

I finished sewing up my tea cosy, knitted at the seaside last weekend. I've adapted a pattern from a womens magazine from a certain era; you could see it in my previous seaside blog post. It's almost certainly from the 1950's...ahem, and I quote...
       " Gay for Giving! Knit a handsome present in time for Christmas....tassel trimmed cheerful tea cosy"

Well if you start it today, if you're anything like me, maybe it will be finished for Christmas!

Pattern
Double knitting wool & No. 8 needles
Cast on 50sts and knit 4 rows.
Work in pattern
Row 1 K
Row 2 K2, * P4, K2 rep from * to end
Rows 3 to 6   Rpt last rows twice more
Row 7    K2,  P to last 2 sts, K2
Rows 8 to 10  Rpt last row 3 times more.
Last 10 rows form the pattern. Rpt til 2nd row of 6th pattern has been worked
Next row K1 *sl.1,  K2tog,  PSSO  rpt from * to last st,  K1. (this makes holes for the drawstring)
Next row K2 tog  9 times
Next row  Knit
Next row K twice into every stitch (front & back)  (this increases the stitches for a frill)
Knit 5 rows then cast off.
Sew it up leaving holes for the spout & handle, I plaited wool to make a drawstring thread, then with a safety pin threaded it through the eyelet holes and pulled it tight. Then I knitted some flowers to decorate the tassels, embellished with wooden buttons. If I could crochet I would have crocheted them; but I can't, so I didn't!!
Let me know how you get on.

~I must... I must... I must improve my...crochet

I have been following Julie on Little Cotton Rabbits with her recent discovery of crochet and her beautiful one-a-day blanket.  Why, oh why do I have an aversion to learning crochet? I was too busy knitting and sewing as a little girl; I thought crochet was inferior (!) on a par with macrame and Knitting Nancy, so never bothered with it. I was a very fickle child.  The trouble is I feel I've left it too late, and my aversion has now snowballed into crochet-fear.  I found this 1960s instruction manual recently in a Charity Shop for 20p and I MUST make myself have a go this summer...

I want to make granny squares! That's all; nothing too complicated.  My Nana B. made this huge blanket years ago (it's now in my caravan-awaiting stash); it's in lovely quality wool, and I love the black crochet joining the squares.

Any crochet advice greatly appreciated...Once again many thanks for getting in touch; it's really lovely to hear fom you.         x    Lavender Attic