Crochet Along- CAL

Not posted in a few days, busy with work 🙄 i started that lovely bolero last week then realised I’d made a mistake, completely lost heart in it and ended up frogging the lot!  I’ll save it for another time when I can face it again.

Doing well with the beach cover ups

It helps that they’re easy! They’re quick too I’ve finished one so far in the James c Brett Aqua

And I’ve started another one in white for my neice, once that’s done its onto the orange for my friend at work.

Anyhow I also spotted on Deramores a CAL called Emma blanket mystery CAL I just had to order the wool! My yarn stash is getting slightly out of control and I’m having to hide it allover the house before the hubby sees it!  This is one of my IKEA boxes in the lounge, I’ve got a double one full in the den and a few bags hidden in boxes in my office!

Then I ordered this lot for the CAL

There is a Facebook page and every week a new pattern is released for a block, my yarn came today, and I managed to get 20 mins to make my first block, it’s lovely!

I know it’s not perfect, someone commented on my pic on FB to work my join into the corner I think they’re right so I’ll do that in my next one, anyway I’m behind by 3 weeks on the CAL so these will keep me busy for a while! This is week 1 and I need to do 8 of these before moving onto week 2.

My husband still hasn’t made me my blocking board, so I’ve gotten fed up of waiting on him and I’ve bought one, I can’t wait for it to come it looks lovely!

It’s been dispatched already so I can start blocking my CAL soon.  

Anyway off to work on some beach cover ups!

Happy hooking X 

Lucky, lucky me

I just had to share with you, I’ve scrapped my line up of work from my a previous blog, some of the yarns are so expensive and use so much, I had some left over Colton DK from the sirdar tops I’ve made, so I decided to give this a go, I’m really enjoying it!

It’s obviously not going to take as long as the sirdar tops, which is good, but I’m really enjoying the pattern, the changes in the pattern keep you on your toes and it’s nice to watch it inflowing as I crochet, well worth a go!  I’ve order some gorgeous buttons for it too

How cute is this! I can just see my 12 year old wearing the bolero cycling along on her Retro bike which coincidently matches the button ha!

Anyway why am I lucky? My husband is a bit naughty, I have to stop him buying me gifts, I work very hard managing his business, so he does treat me every now and again, most women would in their element but I’m not all that materialistic, I’d rather have some really nice yarn.  Anyway today he tagged himself in at Blacksheep wools I immediately rang him and asked him to get me a few balls of James c Brett noodle chunky (which is ace by the way) he said yes of course, anyway when he got home he gave me a bag full of yarn, happy days! However at the bottom of the bag was this……..

What is it!?! Ready?

Look at these beauties!!!!!! Birch wood with a Swarovski crystal at the end! I’m so pleased with them!! 

Anyway enough making you jealous, after he came back with hooks and yarn I couldn’t wait to try my new noodle yarn on this

I’m making a turquoise for my daughter and white for me, only just started but enjoying so far

The noodle yarn is amazing, they’re like stretchy tubes! 

Anyway off to play with my new hooks 
Happy hooking x

Phewwww!

My last post was rather dreary, I’d just finished a piece and it didn’t turn out quite as I expected.  I will admit I normally crochet every day but I didn’t yesterday, the top I made for my mum didn’t look any better (to me) come morning!

Anyway today I plucked the courage to take it over.  I said to my mum ‘Be honest mum, if you’re not going to wear it my mother in law would be glad of it, I’ll be gutted if you don’t like it but I’d be gutted if you pretended you did too!’ She promised she would be completely honest, and she opened the gift bag…….

SHE LOVED IT!

I’m so, so pleased! It’s given me confirmation that I’m not too bad at crocheting, I did finish the top off with one little button on the bottom right hand corner, just one of these

And she thought it was a lovely touch, anyway she must of like it because she sent photos of herself wearing it, and dad has plastered it allover Facebook! How embarrassing!

Besides the top I think my mum is gorgeous!

My sister said it looks shop bought…go me!

I’ll join my top together tonight, now I have my confidence back.  

Then I’m starting this for me for my holiday

I have ordered the most gorgeous yarn for it!!! It’s called James C. Brett noodles chunky, oh my!!! It’s very light and almost tubular, I cannot wait!

The pic is for illustration as I’ve ordered it in white, but just to show you incase you’ve not seen it before.

Anyway I got a great deal with it from Deramores it was £1 cheaper than anywhere else, they’ve sent me a link, so if you are looking for wool or yarn this link will give you 20% off of your order and a free pattern! Just click on this Mention me

Anyway off to check for any Facebook comments on mums top!

Happy hooking X 

Not sure what I was expecting

But it wasn’t quite this, I’ve finally finished mums sirdar top, still got mine to finish but not sure I’ll bother! I’ve followed the pattern to the letter, maybe it’s one of those pieces that look better on? I just can’t see mum wearing it and I think I’d be offended if she didn’t! Mum is only 61 and very trendy indeed, her favourite shop is the white company, followed by jack wills, I just can’t see her wearing this at all! 

I suppose it might look nice with a white vest underneath, it’s supposed to look like this:

But White of course, maybe it will look better on! Let’s hope so anyway! I’ve frogged it that many times to get it perfect, I’m considering not even giving it to her, I’ll be gutted if she doesn’t like it, and even more if she pretended she did!

I’ve made the same top for myself in a beige/gold colour, it just needs joining and blocking, urrrgghhh a rather miserable post from me but I thought I’d be more pleased!

I took mums measurements and I’m also thinking it’s slightly too big! She’s a tiny lady, worst comes to worst I can send it to my mother in law in Australia, but let’s see how it goes tomorrow!

Also, does anyone else fear that once they’ve washed their make it might all fall apart?!

Think I’ll be sticking to smaller projects from now on, next project for me is Twinkly Chans doughnut foot rest, well two of those then two mermaid tails and two shark tails.
Wish me luck for mum tomorrow!
Happy hooking x

Crochet Sunday ☺️

This morning I’ve raced to get my weekly ironing finished, raced around the house cleaning and sorting the kids out for the week, so I can have some time this afternoon/evening to get some WIP complete, I’m still waiting on Mr.H to start and finish my blocking board! 

So my sirdar summer sweater is still sitting there, I’ve just got the last quarter of the back of mums sirdar to too to finish then I can block them. 

I’ve bought some gorgeous buttons too, I thought I’d add just one at the bottom right/left side of mums top when it’s done, what do you think?

I have to admit I am getting slightly bored of making these tops and I can’t wait until they’re finished, I’m thinking I need to create shorter projects, more varied, more colour!

I saw this beautiful blanket made from granny squares, absolutely stunning, it looks so good it’s almost edible!

It would look amazing in my daughters bedroom. I suppose with them being granny squares they’re individual projects, full of colour, which I might have a little more patience for.

Also I found these patterns on Sheepjes Last Dance on the beach in memory of a lady that sadly passed away, there’s a pattern for a granny square for each week, I thought it was a lovely idea so I thought I’d share it with you.

Tomorrow evening I’m going to drive over to Garstang/Preston way Northern Yarn run a knitting/crochet group there in a Monday evening, so I thought I’d go a check it out, I’d love to start a local stitch and bitch group in Warrington, social media groups are great but it would be nice to see and meet people in person!

Right off to get my crochet on!

Happy Hooking x

A Mermaid tail

My daughter was desperate for a mermaid tail after it was posted all over social media, and asked if I could buy her one, ‘buy one?! I’ll make you one!’ She asked for Disney Ariel colours, I’ve got to admit I really enjoyed making this, and I’ll be making a possible 2 more for Christmas presents

She says they look like scales!

Happy hooking X

Crochet on the train……would you?

On the 07:20 train into London for meetings, it is a 1:56 hour journey.  My thought this morning was to take my crochet instead of sleeping through the journey, but I swiftly dismissed the idea…..why?!  I travel into London by train a lot, and not once have I seen anyone crocheting or knitting.  

My kids laugh sometimes when I crochet, until I make them something really cool, my husband offend calls me granny, and whilst my parents think it’s clever and they appreciate my makes, I think that they think it’s a bit of an old fashioned thing to do.

There does seem to be a stigma about it or is it just me?  I’m absolutely astounded by the amount of people of a similar age to me that post about crochet on social media, because I did think that it was for the older generation, until I started crocheting! So if I thought that it was for an older generation do other people think that too? Or again is it just me? Why don’t we see more people crocheting in public? Why aren’t there people crocheting on public transport to pass the time?  Would you?

I shouldn’t give a monkeys what people think, I do it for me, and perhaps if more people crocheted in public then it would change the perception of other people, or is it just my perception 😂 all I know is this morning I should of been staring at something similar to this

Instead I’m looking at this and blogging

I know which I prefer!!!

Until later happy hooking X 

Tadahhh!

Ok so not quite tadahh, Im not overly pleased with how I’ve finished this, it just shows how much of an amateur I am when I haven’t got a straight edge! It looks nice though, the colours have really grown on me

Not the best finish I could of asked for but who cares! It’s useful, I’ve enjoyed doing it, colours are stunning, most of all I love the button

I need these buttons but I’m not willing to pay $10 postage for 10 buttons from US! 

So this project has come from Little box of crochet if you’ve not had one of Amanda Blooms boxes get one! You’ll love it.  This roll is made from Three Bears Yarn at first I thought it was a bit twisty but you know it’s so worth it, if you’re going to do a project that needs a little strength:

• Bath mat
• Coasters
• Bags

Anything that needs a sturdy yarn this is for you, it doesn’t split what so ever, it’s strong and robust, the one supplied with this box is an Aaron cotton yarn, I’m definitely going to order some directly.  I like the fact that they’re local too, and that they’ve been in business for over 100 years, they’re obviously doing something right!

See wonky!!! So very amateur, the spike stitches are nice though I’ve not used a spike stitch before.

And holds my hooks nicely! I’ve got piles of hooks in a large hook case but the zip always catches, so I think I’ll be using this from now on!

Right now that I’ve used this to procrastinate from what I should really be doing, I’m off to do some more on mums sirdar top!

Happy hooking x

How much?!

When I first started crocheting I wasn’t fully aware of all of the different types of yarn available.  Then one day out on meetings at work one of my clients mentioned she was addicted to knitting, I mentioned I’d been crocheting for a few months, she was then rather excited to show me some wool she’d ordered from Black sheep wools  and had delivered to her office in London, now I have to admit I had never felt a wool like it, it was beautiful!  Then I realised Black sheep wools was literally 4 miles from me in Warrington! 

I had to go and have a nosey, since then I’ve been broke!!! I cannot stop spending on yarn! I love that shop, it’s just an absolute haven!  

But there has to be a limit doesn’t there?  So as you know I’ve ordered the pattern from DMC below

So whilst waiting for it to be delivered I’ve been looking at the cost of DMC Natura, £3.49 a 50g ball, not too bad I hear you say, I opened the pattern and oh my! 20 balls needed!!!! 20 BALLS!! 20 50g BALLS!!! That’s like £70 and hours of work, seriously? Stupid thing is I’ve gone and promised my sister one too 😂 

Anyway popped into Blacksheep wools today on my way back from Solihull, and asked the lovely lady in there if there was any kind of alternative to DMC Natura, there’s a few but I am a stickler for doing things by the book, anyway, even with a cheaper cotton it’s still going to work out at least £50

Anyway, enough moaning! I gave myself a break from mums sirdar top today and had a little bash at The Little Box of Crochet this months box is a nice hook roll holder, using some pretty scrummy Aaron/cotton yarn by Three bears yarn I love it!  It’s a real sturdy, hearty yarn, I’m going to order some more as I’d like to make a nice beach bag (another project on the list!) and Three bears yarn is absolutely perfect for that sort of project, I wasn’t too sure about the colours when I saw the pattern in this months box, not really my cup of tea, but now that I’ve started its really nice!

I’ll post some better pics when it’s done properly, I’m quite liking the spike stitch too!

Anyway if anyone spots any nice offers on a 4 ply cotton 100g ball weight please let me know! I really begrudge forking out all that money #skinflint!

Happy Hooking X 

Sunday is for crochet!

I finished my sirdar top last night, well the crochet side of it anyway, just need to to Join it together but I’m slightly nervous about it, it’s my first item of clothing and I’ve put a lot of time into it, bought the recommended sirdar cotton etc. So once it’s joined I’ll know if I’ve done a good job! Anyway I’m still waiting on Mr H to make my blocking board, once he’s done that I’ll join and block.

So I got up extra early to do my weeks worth of ironing, then cleaned the house so I had nothing to stop me from sitting on my bum all day, so started on mums sirdar top, I do like the pattern but I’m pleased she is a lot smaller than me it’s a lot less crocheting, I am getting tired of the pattern now and itching to move onto something new, anyway I’ve sat for so long crocheting I’ve managed to get 25% of hers done already 

That pic isn’t the 25% though! I’ve not bought sirdar DK for this as I couldn’t find the white she wanted so I’m using Paton DK, I’ve got to admit it feels exactly the same as the sirdar DK but less costly, and I don’t need as much for mum.

Anyway, it’s lovely to crochet with! And I’d definitely use again, plus I got it from hobbycraft on 3for 2 so even better!

Is anyone here on Instagram? I was honoured today, I got a comment and a like from Twinkie Chan!!!! So after my holiday I definitely need to sit down and crochet her doughnut footstool FACT!! 

I’ve asked Mr H to make me a blocking board so I can get the perfect finish to my work, his instructions are to follow the pic below

Once it’s made I’ll post a pic.  

I’ve also ordered the pattern for this today!

I’ll use the recommended DMC Natura Medium yarn but not sure on colour, I was thinking of the petrol blue or a nice coral, I do love coral, and of course my sister wants one too! As you can see they’re made form the large granny squares shown, so my blocking board will come in very useful! Any ideas on colours? I’m going to Florida so it’s going to be hot!

Anyway off to watch some tv trash before before work tomorrow…..

Happy Hooking!