MemeRose

Spring is in the air and on the pavement...

2012-03-11T11:04:00.000Z

It has been bitterly cold here for the past few days with grey clouds. Yesterday we decided to wrap up and go for a walk around one of our favourite towns... by the time we got there the sun was out and it was 14 degrees. There was a definite feeling of Spring in the air, no more so than when I went to get back in the car - which was parked on a busy street - and nearly stepped on a pair of amorous frogs. I had to get my husband to drive down the street before I got in the car so as not to disturb said frogs!

Of course there was a little charity shopping involved... and I'm rather taken with a pair of vintage St Michael pillowcases which feature what looks like a snowdrop design...

I also picked up this rose tapestry...

Mainly this weekend I have been making another tea cosy. I managed to pick up a couple of small white teapots for £2 each at our local Factory Shop and thought they would make good gifts. This latest cosy is a bit of a wild one; certainly designed to brighten up the dullest of days.

... it is not finished, I've just pinned some flowers to the cosy to see how it might look.

My husband is out on his bike for the next few hours, so I am going to do some online yarn shopping! Whilst the cats away.... the mice will yarn shop; isn't that the saying!? After a comment left by Nana-go-go I have been looking at machine knitting yarn on cones. This is new territory for me; I feel the need for new colours as I have been using Stylecraft for 18 months now.

Do you have any experience of using machine knitting yarn? It seems to only come in 4 ply and I have never used this for crochet... a whole new array of colours is calling my name though... your thoughts are always welcome.

Wishing you all a relaxing Sunday and start to the new week x

Nothing new but lots to do...

2012-03-07T14:41:00.000Z

"Nothing new" isn't entirely true, as I am making crochet flowers at the moment; I'm aiming to make one-a-day for a tea cosy present... The flowers in the photograph all come from the book "Crochet Bouquet" by Suzann Thompson - from the easy section I might add. I have attempted the more advanced designs with no joy so far...

Apart from the flowers, I am continuing work on the black granny square blanket - 100 squares to date - and I have unravelled the border of the Spring blanket from last year with the intention of adding more squares and making it bigger.

This blanket is going to reside on our bed... the colours are perfect for the bedroom. Unfortunately it just isn't big enough to stretch over a super-king bed, so more squares are needed... many more...probably another hundred ... so this is where the "lots to do" bit comes in!

I found the mini donkey at a charity shop the other week and brought him home to live with the other donkeys.... you can just and so see him on the windowsill on the picture below...

Thank you for your tips on cleaning vintage linens ... oxy clean seems to be popular and not something I have ever tried before and I haven't found any for sale locally yet. There was also a good suggestion to rub the stain with half a lemon and let this dry in sunlight before washing ... this takes a bit more forward planning in this neck of the woods as sunlight is an infrequent visitor at the moment!

Addiction to Vintage...

2012-03-05T08:29:00.002Z

No sooner had I walked into a local antiques centre at the weekend, I spotted an embroidered tablecloth. It was love at first sight. Now, I know and my husband knows and I have a feeling you my dear readers know, that I have at least a dozen embroidered tablecloths. But I couldn't leave this tablecloth all scrunched up on a shelf... this is the queen of all tablecloths.

With the tablecloth firmly under my arm on the way back to the car, I turned to hubbie and said "You do know I have an addiction to vintage, don't you?" His reply was "Oh, I know alright!" Now I have acknowledged my addiction I have decided to take action; I'm going to open an Etsy shop and try to sell some of my treasures and I'm thinking of renting a stall at a vintage fair in the summer. Surely if I sell what I don't use then I can continue to buy the odd vintage item here and there!?

Hope you have a bright creative week x

PS A few readers have asked me about cleaning vintage linens and how to get stains out... boy oh boy, I am useless at stain removal and all things laundry related! If any of you dear readers do have a good tip on stain removal for embroidered and vintagey linens I would love to hear about it.

My techniques consist of using washing liquid and cold water so as not to set a fresh stain and then washing on the delicate cycle. I have bought tablecloths with stains already set in them and I have not had much joy in getting rid of these old stains. It doesn't bother me too much, as they are working tablecloths after all... x

It's that time of year again...

2012-03-02T18:50:00.000Z

Yippee! The crocus field is in bloom..... sending colour therapy your way x

Crochet magazine...

2012-02-28T17:52:00.001Z

I've never bought a crochet magazine before... sometimes I have a flick through them to see if something catches my eye. The other day I did just that with Crochet Today March/April edition, and I was pleasantly surprised to see numerous projects I'd like to try. So here is a little look ....

I like this scarf...

A crochet rug is totally on my "to do" list... love everything about this one...

A Spring cushion cover could be happening soon....

Great colours on this blanket... I might give this design another go sometime...

I'm definently going to try a ripple sometime... in varying shades of pink!

I fancy trying crocodile stitch and this shawl is just wonderful... although I'm not a shawl wearer.

Adorable Easter baskets...

found this scarf in a charity shop and thought it would
look good as a tablecloth....

I hope you enjoyed this little taster of the current Crochet Today magazine.

It is published in USA and it is always in my local newsagents here in UK; I'm not sure where else it is available.

I was having a browse on Ravelry yesterday and I came across a link to a blog called According to Matt and it is really great - there is an abundance of fabulous crochet... check it out if you have time.

Sending crochet love your way x

Chopping and changing....

2012-02-24T12:59:00.000Z

The above plate is from the 1940s and is a recent purchase... I love it. Perfect for Spring...

This peacock above, was found last week in a charity shop... it is on a piece of silk and the packaging said it is from China. I can't work out if the majority is machine embroidered with a few hand stitches over the top or if it is completely hand embroidered. Either way it is pretty, but I haven't got any idea what to do with it yet.

Yesterday I found four crochet books - two vintage, two recent - at a charity furniture warehouse and purchased the lot for £1.50... I couldn't believe my luck. Surely proof indeed that crochet angels exist! So there is a nice pile of books by my bed at the moment, as I also treat myself to Homespun Style... this book is such a treat for the eyes. I showed it to my husband and said "look honey, other people live in homes like ours too".

This post isn't about my shopping believe it or not.... no, I thought I would show you what I am working on. You know how sometimes you start a project and you feel it is just not right and it ends up as a cushion cover? Well I have been wandering around aimlessly in the land of crochet for a couple of weeks now trying to find a project to get my teeth into.

I abandoned the medallion square blanket because I wasn't loving how it looked and turned my attentions to The Royal Sisters Nana Square pattern. This wasn't doing it for me either...

Then on my rainy day off I decided to "frog" this scarf and start a blanket...

I have been in my element ever since... I'm finally making a crochet blanket just like my nanna had in her front room. It seems what I have been looking for is the freedom to throw all sorts of colours together without any thought to colour co-ordination.

I took the above photos a while ago and I've wanted to put them in my blog and seen as today's post is a chopping and changing type post, it seems the ideal time... the statues sit on gate posts in the street where my nanna used to live and they have peacefully sat here looking over Morecambe Bay since I was a child. They seem truly devoted to each other and I smile every time I pass them.

I'll leave you with a picture of how our porch windowsill looks at the moment... it is a little corner of Spring and brings great delight every day... hope you all have a colour filled wonderful weekend x

Wet Wednesday...

2012-02-22T11:56:00.000Z

Brightening a grey day... our mini irises are blooming

Today is my day off.... the weather is wet and wild... I don't mind as the fire is on and I'm having a relaxing time. The light is not very good for taking photographs, but I have tried my best so you can see the tea cosy made for an anniversary present.

Sending cosy goodness your way x

It's all white...

2012-02-15T15:23:00.001Z

This new plate was a Valentine present off hubby...

I have decided to make a crochet blanket for our bed... a huuuuuuuggge undertaking as it is a super king bed. My husband doesn't really love our bedroom because it is completely white - not a thing on the walls; white fitted wardrobe doors line one wall and the other three walls are white white white. There is a splash of colour with a pair of curtains and an aqua throw.

Detail from a pair of pillowcases found at the Chariy shop

I LOVE the bedroom... I find all the white tranquil. There is so much clutter in the other rooms and it is lovely to come into the bedroom and relax. However I understand where my husband is coming from when he says it is "too white" and I know how serious he feels about this, especially when he said "can we have something on the walls... anything... even some crochet would do".

Ever since this alarming statement, I have been looking in charity shops for mirrors and pictures, but so far nothing has turned up. I have decided in the meantime to make a beautiful - I hope - blanket for the bed.

I've chosen pastel colours... and decided on using the pattern below:

The pattern is called Medallion Pattern for Patchwork by Patons.

The picture above featured in an issue of Mollie Makes magazine and after a little wander on the internet I came across this delightful blog by Sarah Youde and a copy of the pattern.... super duper indeed. The original pattern features in "First Steps in Crochet" by Patons.

Aside from crocheting away on this blanket, the other task I have set myself is to get rid of the alien spaceship light-fitting which the previous owner put up. Next month we will have been in the house 18 months and I cannot believe I have lasted this long with this spaceship light fitting... the base is fitted with tiny lights which are blue when the light is on!

I have made a few squares already and I think I am going to enjoy this project very much. Not having as many ends to weave in, is an added bonus. The plan is to make strips consisting of the desired length and then join these together at the end.

You can just and so see the spaceship...

I'm not really a pinny wearer but I
just loved the colours and vintage
pattern of this... very MeMeRose!

I'm off for a cup of coffee now to try and perk myself up for work this evening... I've had a very indulgent day today shopping and looking for "treasure"... my haul includes a retro Pyrex dish, another little "ugly" donkey, a swan and a pinny. I've also just bought two super duper books off Amazon which I will show you when they arrive.

Happy mid-week to you all x

Retro brew

2012-02-12T14:52:00.004Z

I bought a 1967 Meakin tea-set in January from my local charity shop... I'd wanted it ever since I had seen it, but it was too pricey for something I really didn't need or have room for in the kitchen. I loved the teapot though and kept going back to look at it. Then the charity shop reduced it to half price and I couldn't resist.

It matches a set of dinner plates I bought last summer. The tea-set has been sat in a glass kitchen cupboard for the last month unused, until I had a brainwave the other day... I would make a retro cosy for the teapot to feed my current cosy obsession...

The flowers used include Crochet with Raymond's five point flower, Sew Ritzy's Peony and the English Rose from the book Crochet Bouquet. I love it; the peony looked huge when I was making it, but it sat perfectly on the teapot lid.

I have a cosy to make for an anniversary present and then I am sure cosy making will be out of my system... I'm a coffee girl if truth be told, so I need to make a cafetiere cosy really.

Before I go, super Alice has a wonderful tea cosy post which you really must see if you haven't already...

One today!

2012-02-07T07:36:00.000Z

Well I'll be... my MemeRose blog is one year old today! The year has flown by... and blogging has turned out to be very enjoyable indeed. A few days ago my business turned eight, so this first week in February is certainly a time to celebrate indeed.

I can still remember very clearly sitting down at our old dining table this time last year, and taking the plunge into blogland. I really did cringe when I looked back at my first post. I felt kind of awkward typing to no-one in particular and wondered what the heck I was doing. Now I know there are people out there in the big wide world that do read and take interest in what I put in this blog and the awkwardness has long gone. Thank you thank you thank you everyone for visiting my blog over the past year. I know I wouldn't still be blogging if I felt I was talking to myself...

I've finally managed to collect enough lily of the valley cups for these hooks...

I have finished the turquoise blanket... 70 squares and a border of about 16 rounds.

I took the first two photographs last Friday before the blanket was finished... it was below freezing when I was erecting a string washing line to the garage wall and pegging up my blanket. A year of blogging has hardened me up no end, as I no longer care if I look crazy in my neighbours eyes.

I like the above picture as the sun has produced complementary colours in the top right-hand corner...

The blanket has similar colours to the stain glass in the door...

This blanket seems to have been made super quick... I think being ill helped, as row after row of triple clusters was all I was capable of last week. I have a feeling I may now go through a bit of a teapot cosy phase...

Details for the blanket can be found on my Ravelry page HERE...

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on the tea cosy... I'd never thought about it before, but tea really does taste better and is a much more cheery experience when the teapot has a beautiful cosy on! So on that note I am going for a celebratory brew and a little hooky... it wouldn't seem right not to on MemeRose's birthday...

I'll leave you with pictures of my latest treasure... a brown junk shop owl money box and an owl ebay purchase. Bambi and an owl all rolled into one! Why yes please...

Sending happy vibes your way x

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Sunday...

2012-02-05T14:21:00.006Z

It snowed yesterday and this morning we put on our Yaktrax and went for a snowy walk... off the beaten track, up past a farm and into the countryside.

It was very misty and the sky merged with the snowy fields, but underneath our noses there was plenty of beauty to be found...

These sheep had come for a nosey onto the lane, through a gap in the hedgerow... their coats get snagged on the branches and in frosty weather this looks rather beautiful. Very sculptural encased in ice.

I loved how nature was frozen in time...

I've got a thing about stone walls; we are very fortunate to have one at the bottom of our garden and I just love all the different textures and colours on the stones...

The sheep were moving sharpish as it was lunchtime...

As the sun started to come out we made our way home to have a cup of tea from my new teapot.... By the time we reached the trees in the photograph above, we got wet as the ice was melting and showered us with icy water as we speedily walked past.

...and yes, that is a rare picture of me at the top of this post...

Wishing you a happy Sunday x

Tea for two...

2012-02-02T16:05:00.001Z

I've wanted to make a tea cosy for quite some time now. There was one featured on the front cover of Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench and Alice of Crochet with Raymond has made many wonderful tea cosy works of art.

I decided to make use of my new book Crochet Bouquet by Suzann Thompson for the floral decorations and use the Cute and Easy Crochet pattern for the actual tea cosy. I bought some chunky Stylecraft yarn and off I went....

I had a teapot which looked the same size as the one in the book, but once the cosy was finished it was way too small for the teapot. Getting it on the teapot reminded me of the beginning of January, when I was trying to squeeze into my skinny fit jeans.... not good. I was in a bit of a grump. A good hours work and it didn't fit.

A tight squeeze.... a new teapot is in order! It matches my new vintage tablecloth at least...

A much better fit... now for the transformation

So off I trotted to the charity shop and I bought a £1 teapot for two, which fits the cosy perfectly. After soaking the teapot in sterilising solution for a couple of hours, the teapot looked like new.

After making the English Rose flowers, I found a pattern for leaves over at Crochet with Raymond. Alice has written a super leaf pattern which is super quick to do.

So here is the finished cosy... I'm pleased with this first attempt and would like to make another one for a present, once I have purchased a suitable teapot. I didn't enjoy making the cosy itself, but I really enjoyed decorating it.

I must also mention that Tales from Cuckooland has a very pretty tea cosy pictured on the sidebar... just in case you are after more inspiration.

I'll leave you with this picture from today's walk... I am loving this cold snap with frost and buckets of sunshine...

Sheep eating turnips.... and looking a bit miffed that I was disturbing elevenses...

Mr and Mrs....

2012-01-28T17:19:00.001Z

I've been meaning to show you a pair of pillowcases I bought a while ago...

I've been admiring them an awful lot this past week, as I have been in bed for the past few days with a virus - you know, the kind that makes everything ache and shiver and it hurts to breathe.

I found these pillowcases in my local charity shop and my eye was instantly drawn to the edging... I loved the pink colour graduated thread used and the ribbon incorporated into the crocheted edging. So very pretty.

The pillowcases are made from a lovely heavy linen and meticulously embroidered with "Mr" and "Mrs", most probably as a wedding gift. I don't think they had ever been used as they were immaculate and the linen still very crisp. We use them all the time; there is no keeping them for "best" in this house.

By far this is the best 50p I have ever spent... and they have brought a lot of pleasure to my aching body this past week. I have been lying there thinking about what sort of person would have lovingly worked away making these beauties. That's the beauty of second-hand, there is always a history to think about...

On the bright side my hiatus from work has left time for some crochet. The above picture shows my new Tulip hook, which I lovey love love. A big thank you to everyone who recommended this hook, it is fabulous!

I'll leave you with a picture of my latest charity shop buy.... my ears are still blocked, so I pretended I didn't hear my husband call them ugly...

Hook talk...

2012-01-19T13:07:00.001Z

You may remember a few weeks ago I asked my dear readers for some advice on crochet hooks with handles, as I was suffering from achy hands when using my metal hook. Many of you use Clover hooks and I purchased one and was very pleased with the result. I found the yarn slid off the hook more easily than with the metal hook and the handle was comfortable.

Some of you mentioned Tulip hooks and I ordered one of these from Ebay. They are made in Japan and have a cushion grip handle and in my opinion they are fabulous. Tulip hooks feature a larger handle than the Clover hooks and I like the feel of the cushion grip handle. So if you are just starting out on your crochet journey, I would recommend Tulip hooks wholeheartedly. You only have one pair of hands and it is important to protect them as much as possible so you can crochet to your hearts content... my hands haven't ached since I started using hooks with handles.

Sending rainbow colours your way x

January Junk...

2012-01-17T17:23:00.000Z

For the majority of us in the UK, we have been enjoying beautiful winter weather these past few days.... blue sky, sunshine, warm peachy sunrises and sunsets, and glittery frost. I didn't realise how much I needed to feel the warmth of the sun and to soak in every ray possible. I like January and yes, there is an absence of colour in the garden, but I cherish what there is and go out each morning to count the snowdrops (six) and crocus (two) and take great joy in what there is around. It wasn't until I looked at my latest charity shop purchases that I realised I was buying distinctly "Spring-like" items... the little cake plate with daffodils and an adorable mother-of-pearl cake fork (30 pence can you believe) and flowery plates galore. I don't know about the Australian Galah plate being particularly Spring-like, but I couldn't resist, purely because it is pink! It seems subconsciously I am wanting to hot foot it into Spring with my January junk shop finds.

Turquoise on my mind....

2012-01-15T19:23:00.000Z

So there I am, happily making colourful circles for the Blues Chaser blanket... happy happy happy.... when something happened.

I just couldn't get the thought of a turquoise blanket out of my head and one of the little crocheted circles became an experiment, which in turn became the beginnings of a new project... The turquoise yarn is a more muted shade than the cushion cover made earlier this month. So the "Blues Chaser Blanket" is on the back-burner for a little while....

Circle of inspiration and synchronicity....

2012-01-12T10:15:00.000Z

I started to write this post on Tuesday evening and I have been patiently waiting for some sunshine to take a semi-decent photograph of my latest work in progress...

When I turned on my computer this morning and read Lucy's latest post on Attic24 I couldn't believe my eyes.... for there was my latest project!

I had started to tell you in my first draft of this post that I have wanted to make a dark edged blanket since I learnt how to crochet and I have finally started one edged in midnight blue. Then I went on to tell you that I decided on the pattern after looking at blankets on Pinterest and just made the pattern up by looking at this blanket. It wasn't till I read the post on Attic24 that I realised it was Lucy's Granny Wheel pattern but with four rounds. I think the synchronicity of the two posts is rather wonderful and is the perfect example of the "circle of inspiration" Lucy is writing about.

So here is what I have made... I like the results so far, and it is lovely to use any colours I fancy and not worry if they go together or not. It is going to be called my "Blues chaser blanket", as the cheerful colours are brightening up these grey January days and making me H.A.P.P.Y.

I have been using the Clover hook for the past couple of days and I do find it much better than the metal hooks I have been using, so thank you again for taking the time to offer your advice.

Happy Thursday x

The first sign...

2012-01-09T17:11:00.000Z

Hello dear readers... I hope you are having a good day. I just thought I would show you my latest cushion cover using the sunburst granny square pattern. It looks very bright and cheery sat there with the Avoca throw and plates don't you think?

It is certainly brightening up our post Christmas decoration home...

There was great delight yesterday when I spotted our first snowdrops in bloom ... I love seeing the first snowdrops of the year, especially when they are in our own garden. To me, it is the first sign of Spring and I embrace this with open arms.

They do not look worthy of photographing from afar, but once you get up close they are beautiful...

Thank you for your advice on hooks with handles. I have just received a Clover hook and I have ordered a Tulip Eltimo hook. The jury is still out on the Clover hook, it will take some getting used to, but I think it is good to have different hooks to use so repetitive strain injury does not occur. I can't do without my crochet!

Sending a whole load of happy your way x

Christmas, Crochet and Colour....

2011-12-20T15:06:00.000Z

I am now officially on HOLIDAY! Pheweeee....I am mentally exhausted. My work phone has been switched off and I have no intention of switching it back on until next year. It is cold outside; torrential rain at times with the occasional onslaught of hail... lets face it, perfect weather for crochet by the fire. I'm at a bit of a loss though, because I can't decide what to make... I am surrounded by people who do not share my crochet love and I was contemplating whether our home really needed another blanket, until I saw this image from Sarah Applebaum:

Image from Sarah Applebaum

I got to thinking.... I live in a white house with a nice big white wall in the dining room and I have a penchant for crochet blankets.... hmmmmmmmmmm. This image has made me come to the conclusion that you can never have too many crochet blankets. Once every chair has one draped over it, there is always a crochet wall to consider!

So I will no doubt start another blanket over the holidays. Hot off the crochet hook is the cushion cover in the above photographs...

I couldn't decide if I wanted it to be the beginnings of a blanket, but the colours were not singing to me. The pattern is from The gentle art of knitting by Jane Brocket and can also be found in issue two of Mollie Makes magazine.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, full of peace, love and joy. May your Christmas wishes come true and thank you so very much for visiting my blog over the past year xxx

Darling Dahlia Scarf....

2011-12-15T14:57:00.000Z

the plastic fawn is a new addition called Lula-Belle... she is not loved by my husband, but I think she looks just wonderful on the window sill surrounded by
her owl and russian doll friends in the feather boa snow!

I've grown up with this fairy and she looks very
1930s to me... I just love her

I almost want to say I have just been working a lot this week, but somewhere inbetween work I have made vanilla fudge, cinnamon shortbread and chocolate and cranberry muffins (all devoured might I add!) and fluffed up our nest with decorations here and there.... oh, and made another swishy scarf in Rowan pure wool double knit, dahlia colour...

Thank you very much for your swishy scarf love you sent my way last week... your kind words have brightened up a rather wet and wild week of weather...

I must add a note about the scarf for any beginners to crochet reading... once the scarf is complete, I placed it on a large towel and sprayed it with warm water and gentley pulled it into shape. This helps flatten the scallops; otherwise because the scarf is pure wool it curls up. Once the scarf has been sprayed and shaped, I leave it on the towel to dry overnight. This is my version of blocking and worked for this particular design.

So here are a few pictures of the latest scarf... apologies for the rushed photographs, the sun shone through the clouds for a nano-second so I had to move quickly!

I'm now on the search for a crochet beanie hat to go with the scarves, but haven't found one I like on Ravelry... if you know of a book with a beanie hat pattern I'd love to hear about it...

Sending warm wishes your way x

It's beginning to smell alot like Christmas...

2011-12-13T09:33:00.000Z

I don't normally feature recipes on my blog and I am not a wizard in the kitchen, but I thought I would share this recipe with you, as it tastes delicious, is super easy to make and perfect for a winters day.... After a long wet walk on Sunday, I came home to make easy peasy cinnamon shortbread... I don't know where the recipe came from as it is a hand written recipe on a scrap of paper, but it is one of my Christmas staples. This year I have been making it up into little parcels to hand out to visitors. The cinnamon adds a Christmassy aroma, but it can be left out...

Easy peasy cinnamon shortbread

225g (8oz) butter at room temperature, roughly chopped

75g (3oz) golden caster sugar, plus extra to dust

225g (8oz) plain flour

50g (2oz) cornflour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Put the butter into a large bowl and briefly beat in the sugar – the mixture shouldn’t be too pale or fluffy

2. In a separate large bowl mix together the flour, cornflour and ground cinnamon, then beat into the butter and sugar mixture.

3. Press the mixture into a 23cm (9 in) shallow square cake tin and smooth the surface flat with the back of a wet spoon. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork then chill for 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (150 degrees C fan) mark 3. Bake for 55 minutes or until pale golden. Remove from oven and cut into fingers, then sprinkle liberally with golden caster sugar. Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

The shortbread will keep for up to one week in an airtight container.

This shortbread is delicious, but be warned.... it will go straight to your bum and tum, so eating a piece should be preceded by a lovely brisk winter walk! Hope you enjoy this recipe x

I'm loving the colours in the sky at this time of year, with the palest of yellows, mauves, greys and a dash of blue...

OOooooooooooo lovely...

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000Z

make-handmade

I found this picture today via Alice on Pinterest... and it instantly made my heart skip a beat!

I just love the styling of the image; the white dress and ethereal feel and the delicate nature of the shawl. The colours of the shawl are just perfect with the turquoise and bright colour punches of the flower motifs.... heavenly indeed.

Vivienne's modelling a new scarf!

2011-12-06T15:01:00.000Z

I've made myself the "swishy scarf" from Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench using Rowan pure wool dk in Cypress colour... very straightforward to make and it took me three days in total and cost about £12 for the wool. The scarf used about 125 grams of wool and I'm really looking foward to wearing it. The timing couldn't be better as it is very chilly in this neck of the woods with snow forcast by the weekend.

Details for the scarf can be found on Ravelry...

Winter decorating MeMe-style...

2011-12-03T16:33:00.000Z

I've started adding "winter" decorations around the house and they have proved very popular with visitors, so I thought you might like to have a look yourself...

It started with filling a large pewter bowl with a white feather boa and some glittery pine cones (Marks and Spencer)... then a charity shop doily in an embroidery hoop, followed by a pre-loved carved deer and fawn in a bowl of snow (salt), and finally my most treasured find in months, a rather fabulous bambi to oversee the wintery goings on...

...and in case the colours are a little muted for some of you, I will leave you with this beautiful bird...

I need more time!!

2011-12-01T08:04:00.000Z

Available from Anthropologie

Ok, I'm loving this Christmas tree skirt idea from Anthropologie.... I just don't think I've got enough time to make one as December has sneaked upon me! Such a shame, as every home should have a beauty like this around the tree in my opinion...

November...

2011-11-30T22:30:00.000Z

I had to double check the date of some of the photos taken above, because I couldn't quite believe that they were taken in November. It seems incomprehensible that the fuschia picture was taken a few weeks ago... now we have heavy rain and gale force winds in the North of England and the temperature has finally dropped. The tree with the glorious red leaves has been stripped bare. The cold weather brings good news in one way, as I have finally been able to wear my granny square scarf!

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful December x

A little crochet talk...

2011-11-27T20:34:00.000Z

Can I just say how delighted I was to read all of your lovely comments on the kaleidoscope blanket ta-dah. It really did make my day and I have enjoyed sharing this crochet journey with you all. Now a little vintage crochet talk...

On a visit to a charity shop last week, I came across a crafting magazine from 1972 called "Golden Hands". Inside was a double page spread on potholders and I was particularly drawn to the "scallop edged potholder". It is very similar to a pattern Lucy at Attic 24 used for a cushion not long ago, but her method is different to this one.

This method involves making a foundation chain for the petals and the stitches consist of double crochet, treble and double treble. It was very quick and easy to make... I would like to make some more in bright colours and hang them on the wall.

This retro fabric had my heart racing the other day when I spotted two immaculate bedsheets
and two pillow cases in the charity shop... I just love the design and the colours are right up my
street! So fabulous, I cannot decide what to make with the fabric yet... maybe curtains for Spring?

This pattern is almost forty years old and still fabulous...it could easily be made bigger for a cushion or even miss the last round out and make christmas baubles...

Hope you enjoyed this little crochet snippet... enjoy your week x

Kaleidoscope ta-dah!

2011-11-25T21:07:00.002Z

Yesterday I said to my husband I would be happy when my kaleidoscope blanket was finished... and he replied "so will your blog readers, you've been doing it for ages!" Well, I thought this was a little cheeky. It has taken two and a half months to make and I have loved seeing it evolve along the way. It is not as big as I intended to make it, but I would like to start on Christmassy things and so I have left it this size. There is no edging, so it is possible to go back to it at a later date and add a few more rounds should I wish to.

I love it so much I want to hang it on the wall and I might even run this idea past my husband....but for the time being it will live on the back of one of the sofas in the lounge.

The details for this blanket can be found on my Ravelry page here.

Loving....

2011-11-24T15:53:00.003Z

Scandinavian Deko

The Daily Telegraph

What's making me smile today? Finding this picture of Helsinki's cathedral, Finland, with a carpet of crochet afghans covering the steps of course!

Fancy a cuppa?

2011-11-23T21:25:00.000Z

I thought you might like to come on in and have a cuppa whilst looking around my newly spruced up home.... I know I like having a nosey in other peoples homes...

Getting a new boiler has spurred us on to having a good ole clear out and general sprucing up of our home. I'm very sneaky when I photograph my home for the blog and I am very adept at using the zoom button on the camera to zoom in on the tidy areas... out of frame there are piles of magazines, unfinished projects and piles of miscellaneous clutter!

So with Winter looming we have been introducing some colour into our home and hopefully a warm, cosy feeling... the mantle is up, the porch has been painted with the left-over paint from the chimney breast and I have made some new curtains from vintage bed sheets (costing a rather wonderful £3 in total). I did repeatedly ask my husband what he thought about having "vintage bed sheet curtains" and he said he liked the colour and was more than happy to have them in the dining area. Oh, he's a good sport isn't he?

There is a sticking point in the lounge and that is the hot pink filing cabinet which I need for my work papers... my husband would like for it not to be there, but there just isn't any room anywhere else. So I've prettified it as much as I can and hope this will passify him.

oh I do love having a mantle for all my little treasures... I put some doilies around tumbler glasses rather than jam jars, as they fit better and show off the doily designs.

Did I ever show you the rather ugly sea creature bowl? I just had to have it because the dish is lilac and aqua, but I must admit I'm not overly enthralled with the teeth baring sea creatures...

Is it just me or is the mantle in need of some crochet?

The porch with a new lick of paint...

There's a saying isn't there, about the hearth being the heart of the home and I feel it is so true now we have our fire and mantle up... my husband thinks it is such a money saver as I don't want to go out in the evenings and I'm happy to stay in by the fire! I'm such a "home-bird".

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this little mooch around and please feel free to come round for a cuppa again soon ... there's crochet to show you on your next visit x

Corners of home and new treasure...

2011-11-13T11:38:00.000Z

Love the brass plate and it goes with the beaded bag which my husband bought for me years ago...
On the opposite wall is the newly purchased winter scene

On our shopping trip yesterday we picked up a few new treasures from the charity shops... my husband was particularly pleased with himself as he spotted an acrylic painting from Old Yugoslavia, dated 1980. Other purchases included plates and a lovely mirror on a chain which appears to be hand engraved with foliage and a butterfly.

Displayed in the hall... an adorable winter scene

I already owned the butterfly hook and beaded bag and think they set the mirror off very nicely indeed!

Also found was this 1930s plate, which was originally a cake stand... the dark bits are silver and I just love the wear and tear on it... It would be good to find an old cake stand one day and restore it.

I'm off now to do some patchwork and I will leave you with a progress photo of the Kaleidoscope blanket... the aim is to make it as big as this teal rug.

Sending happy thoughts your way x

p.s. as I was writing this post, a field mouse was eating the blackbirds apple stash in the garden. I think the unusually mild weather is upsetting their body clocks. I expected them to be nestled cosily in their nests by now.

Colour in the dolly house!

2011-11-10T16:05:00.000Z

We've painted the chimneybreast "ocean breeze" and I thought I would share a snippet of the chimney/fireplace renovations. We found the mirror in an antique shop and it is etched with bullrushes and a dragonfly... which compliments the dragonfly hook I already had. When you live in a white house, it takes time to get used to such a bold colour.

Pyjama clad crazy lady with a camera...

2011-11-06T17:22:00.000Z

I woke up this morning to a sunny, crisp Autumn day and I felt inspired to take a photograph of the Kaleidoscope blanket in the sunshine. Off I trotted down the frosty garden path to drape the blanket over the washing line; the light was not right. I came back in and the porch was glowing with sunshine so I hung the blanket off the front door and here is the result:

We have enjoyed some wonderful walks this weekend and the light has been wonderful....

have you noticed that the mild weather has encouraged so many flowers and shrubs to
have a second flourish?

I love how vibrant the leaves are on this tree....

Tomorrow we are getting a new boiler fitted and I am not looking forward to the mess... our new fire has not arrived yet, which will leave us with a gaping big hole in the chimney breast. The only thing which will keep me sane during this time is the thought of the oak mantle we managed to find in a charity furniture shop. The thought of having a mantle to decorate is very exciting indeed!

I'd just like to say thank you to No Knitted Knickers for her latest post... pop over there and have a look at the "chairs on the wall display". Genius.

Sending some sun your way x

Cheap as chips...

2011-10-31T14:30:00.000Z

I collect things... a variety of things... without even realising sometimes that I do....

After rummaging around for fabric for some curtains I want to make, I came across a stash of crochet doilies that I have been collecting from charity shops. The work that has gone into these is amazing. I think my intention was to piece them together and make a tablecloth, but I never got enough. So I decided to make candle holders to go on the mantlepiece in my work-room. The result is rather lovely if I do say so myself and they cost next to nothing to make.... cheap as chips!

I've used jam jars for three of them and a vase for the larger one... the doilies are just stretched around the jars and sewn together.

Today is a grey, rainy day... so my photograph of the kaleidoscope blanket is not taken in the best light. At the moment I am trying to square it off and get it looking "blanket-shaped".

Sending some of this blanket rainbow colour your way x

October...

2011-10-30T18:48:00.000Z

So, October is nearly over... there have been some beautiful autumn days here and the light has been fabulous.... Looking at the kaleidoscope blanket draped over the chair shows me that there has definently been progress made over the last week or so. I will photograph the blanket when the sun shines - hopefully tomorrow!

I'm excited about November... we should have a new fire and fire surround by the end of November. I've missed having a mantlepiece and I can't wait to decorate it. Hope you have a month full of good health and happy times... thank you for visiting today x.

Honey... can I yarn bomb the bird table?

2011-10-27T08:26:00.000+01:00

Husband: "I don't understand exactly what you just asked... but yeah of course!"

So I explained that yarn bombing is a type of graffiti that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth.

The whole concept of yarn bombing just makes me H.A.P.P.Y. There is even a book devoted to yarn bombing. I first became acquainted with the term "yarn bombing " a few months ago and I just can't get enough of it. Whilst I've never seen anything "in real life", I can imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up and discover something in your neighbourhood has been yarn bombed!

Yarn bombing

I mean, seriously... what is not to love about these two images?

Courtesy of Streetartutopia.com

The movement has been said to be "changing the face of craft" as stitchers are more and more frequently being viewed as fibre artists rather than amateurs! Oh yes, that's more like it... I like the sound of being a "fibre artist".

I really do feel the birds in our garden would appreciate a little yarny loveliness on their bird table... and it would certainly brighten things up in the winter months.

...one of the beauties of yarn craftiness is its ability to make people happy. It very much feels like a natural progression for crochet to flow outside the doors into our garden... My husband wants to know if it would be permanent and he has put his foot down regarding pom poms, but other than that I've been given the green light!

A year....

2011-10-23T10:15:00.002+01:00

This post is about a little anniversary I wanted to acknowledge in my blog just for me really. It is approximately a year since I started to crochet...

Around the time of my husband's birthday in late October last year, I decided I wanted to learn to crochet. I wanted to make an afghan in bright colours like those I had seen in magazines and on the internet. So I bought the book Crochet Unravelled by Claire Bojczuk because it included left-handed instructions, a ball of fushia yarn, a hook and off I went.

A couple of weeks later, after watching youtube videos and using the book, I had cracked it.... I was on my merry way to getting that afghan of my dreams.

this was the first piece of crochet I made... it was intended as a
cushion cover...

It is fair to say I have been hooking away ever since. What a difference a year makes.... So here is a little look at my first year of crochet through my blankets...

When I look at the first piece I made I can remember how excited I was. I'd always been inspired by Kaffe Fassett's work and now I felt I could make my own soft furnishings in a riot of colour.

Kaffe Fassett

Looking at this blanket mosaic from the past year makes me feel happy and very glad I persevered in those early days of learning to crochet. Of course, it hasn't just been about the actual final products for me, because learning to crochet was also instrumental in my decision to start a blog. Being part of this crafty blogland is by far the best part of my crochet journey so far...

So, if you are learning to crochet, don't give up.... x

Rainbow magic...

2011-10-19T15:42:00.000+01:00

Dreaming...

2011-10-14T12:01:00.001+01:00

I'm having such a lovely day today... it started off with reading the thoughtful comments on my last post over a cup of tea. Sometimes I like to know who is commenting so I click on their name and check out their profile. This is exactly what I did with Frances of City Views, Country Dreams and I am so glad I did. Frances is from Manhattan and her writing is beautiful and all engrossing... I spent at least an hour going through her posts and immersing myself in her New York tales. She lives near Central Park and visits there regularly. When we got married in New York we spent a lot of time in Central Park and her blog brings back so many memories of our honeymoon time there. As a cash-strapped couple at the moment, we cannot afford to go back to New York just yet, but reading this blog reminds me of wonderful memories and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself - thank you Frances.

I couldn't bear to peg the washing out on a rare sunny day
after discovering this spider had taken up residence...
I thought I would let him enjoy his rather impressive
haul of flies and use the tumble dryer instead....

I've also had a move around at home and created a little blogging corner for myself... this consists of a £5 table and an Ercol chair overlooking the garden. I love it! Watching the birds as I catch up on blogs and do bits of work is wonderful. We are fortunate to have a view of a row of silver birch trees and they look magnificent this time of year in the sun.

Today I went to view a beautiful 1930s house - my husband doesn't know this and he claims not to have time to read my blog, so it is just between you and me. Ohhhh, it was a beauty! This is definently my era and it was pretty much untouched from the day it was built. Unfortunately there was simply too much work that would need doing to make it habitable, but boy would I love to get my hands on it.... I'm dreaming that one day I will get my hands on a 1930s house....

on a recent walk in a local park I looked up to
discover this rather wonderful bat sculpture...

Do your partners read your blogs? I find it rather funny that my husband doesn't at least pop in every once in a while to read mine. Sometimes I will have shown my dear readers something I've purchased or changed in the house and weeks later hubbie will say, "when did you get/change that?" and my response is always "if you read my blog..."

After the house viewing I went into town to do my banking and popped into a charity shop and to my hearts delight came away with a brand new 100% cashmere dress for £6... this dress feels like pure heaven and I cannot wait to wear it once it is washed and dryed. It is completely unforgiving and clings to every curve however, so once work is finished I may go for a little run in an attempt to burn off a little extra padding!

I'm finishing off the week with a little work on the kaleidoscope blanket. I've been working with purples, mauves and lilacs and now I'm looking forward to moving on to reds and hot pinks...

Sending happy thoughts your way x

Crochet and owls

2011-10-09T16:19:00.000+01:00

This dear readers is my 100th post ... doesn't time fly. I've been having a bit of a rest from the kaleidoscope blanket this week and dusting off my embroidery hoop .... I used to embroider as a child, but I was more of a "free-style" embroiderer. There was never any particular neatness or formality involved.

I decided to make a bathroom sign using an owl pattern found on Pinterest...

I've got a thing for owls at the moment and without realising it, I have been building a collection everytime I see one in a charity shop...

Mollie Makes blog featured a retro owl embroidery pattern a month or so ago and I really wanted to do it, so I have now moved on to this. It is fiddly to do and requires concentration, but it does make a nice change.

This doesn't mean I haven't done any crochet; the kaleidoscope blanket is progressing perhaps more than I realise. It no longer fits on the dining table and I have taken to laying it on the floor to check my colour flows and progress.

Hubbie wants to know if it is going to be a rug... I tell him in no uncertain terms to keep his feet away from the crochet!

Your comments are always welcome and a few of you have been asking how the blanket is made in terms of colour choice. I am making this blanket up as I go along and just allow it to grow "organically". I'm always inspired by nature and take photos when I go walking... nature is the best inspiration for colour blending and I am very much influenced by the changes in the seasons and the light.

The hexagons are sewn together with slip stitch and all ends are sewn in beforehand. It is all very organised for me I must say...

I have had real trouble leaving comments this week, but this does not mean I do not read and enjoy your posts. Everytime I write a comment out and click preview, my comment gets deleted.

Wishing you all an enjoyable week x

Fabulous chairs...

2011-10-06T12:47:00.000+01:00

I've been spending waaaaaaaaay too much time on Pinterest... where I came across some rather fabulous crochet chairs, including this crochet deckchair. This deckchair is so wonderful I would happily have it in my living room...

This crochet armchair is a work of art:

I'd like to think one day I will attempt to re-upholster an armchair with crochet, but for now I will have to settle for throwing my WIP kaleidoscope blanket over one of my chairs.

Just because...

2011-10-03T11:19:00.000+01:00

... I thought you might like to see my progress so far. We are back to true Autumnal weather here in the North with wind and rain and I'm feeling a little under the weather - so to speak - so I thought I would boost my spirits by dressing Vivienne up in the kaleidoscope blanket. It looks good as a dress on Viv don't you think?

Thank you for all your encouragement regarding this project and I love knowing I have inspired some of you to start your own.

Happy Monday everyone x

The winner....

2011-09-30T19:17:00.001+01:00

...the reds and golds of flowers and trees bring summer's twilight to a gentle close...

I saw a sampler in an auction room with this verse embroidered on it from 1950 and I thought it was very appropriate for the collection of photographs on the September mosaic. "Summer's twilight" is such an apt description for September...

The colours of "Summer's twilight" have really been prominent this week with all the wonderful - unexpected - sunshine... very inspirational for the kaleidoscope blanket.

...And now the winner of the giveaway:

Susie T

Congratulations Susie T, please send me your postal details via email and I will post your plate to you. The winner was chosen using the very scientific method of asking my husband to pick a number between one and 55.

Thank you sooooooooooooo much readers for your words of encouragement regarding the kaleidoscope blanket... I'm so pleased it is bringing joy and inspiration to many of you x

I've been asked how I choose my colours. I just don't know how to answer this... I just let them flow from one colour to the next based on the yarn I have available. I find it very handy to lay the blanket on the dining table and look at how the colours are blending or not as the case may be. With a project like this I personally find it necessary to assemble the hexagons as I go. What is surprising me is the use of colours I don't particularly love popping up in little areas of the blanket; the process is very much like painting in my opinion.

Reminder...

2011-09-29T08:44:00.001+01:00

Good morning.... if you live in Britain, I hope you are enjoying our beautiful weather. I've been lucky enough to have a couple of days off, and of course I managed to rummage around in one of my favourite charity shops. I've been after napkins for ages, to go with some lovely napkin rings I bought a few months ago on another charity shopping spree...

These couldn't be anymore perfect and they were in pristine condition - an added bonus!

I particularly love the swan napkin ring...

I couldn't resist showing you these, but the purpose of this post is really to remind you all that the giveaway deadline is tomorrow 30th September. Everyone is welcome to enter and the winner will be announced next week.

I'll leave you with some kaleidoscopic colour therapy:

I've been adding greys, peaches and orange this week...

Kaleidoscopic frogs and progress...

2011-09-25T11:54:00.003+01:00

... I just liked the sound of "kaleidoscopic frogs" and although it will never make complete sense, I'm sticking with it!

I was hooking away at about 6.30am this Sunday morning, as I woke early and decided to get up. I opened the french doors and sat in my rocking chair with a coffee and my crochet, listening to the birds and enjoying the early morning sunshine. A very large flock of geese flew overhead and I wondered if they were migrating for the winter... I really enjoy getting up early on a Sunday sometimes and just having a couple of hours to myself.

The kaleidoscope blanket wasn't "singing" to me this week and I think it was the dark purple mass of hexagons which were to blame, so I pulled them out. Is it called "frogging" when work gets unravelled? This latest blanket development is the "frog" reference in the post title... never a delightful task frogging, but satisfying overall.

Now the dark purple has gone I'm a lot happier with how things are progressing.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/memerose/kaleidoscopic-blanket

Wishing you a calm sunny Sunday x

***Anne's comment below made me laugh, as well as making the term "frogging" make more sense:

"Yes it is called frogging from the sound of ripping it out: rip it rip it rip it....lol!!!" ***

A kaleidoscopic endeavour...

2011-09-18T16:14:00.000+01:00

In the summer of 2010 I decided to try my hand at patchwork... we were just about to move house and the slow process of making up the templates and stitching the small hexagons together by hand calmed my mind. I liked the result but it was a slow process; too slow for me and patchwork gave way to learning to crochet. Recently I have been toying with going back to patchwork - maybe using a bigger hexagonal template or squares, so the process isn't as laborious. Until I saw Ceitaspasaule's blanket, it never occurred to me that I could make a patchwork with crocheted hexagons!

Completely inspired by her blanket, my blanket of many colours is now on its merry way. I'm using BunnyMummy's mini hexagon pattern and I'm aiming to create a blanket using all the colours of the rainbow. Making a mini hexagon is super quick and before long there is a lovely tower of hexagons waiting to be sewn together. It is totally addictive and I love the fact that every scrap of yarn in my stash can be used in this blanket. After I abandoned the popcorn blanket I realised that what I need most is to work with colour. I wondered if I should try to tackle a more complex pattern; a pattern that requires concentration and counting, but by the time I have finished work I'm tired out. No, what I require is a pattern I can make whilst watching TV, that indulges my love of colour.

So here is the result of my labour so far:

Honeycombe bee-uty...

2011-09-15T22:03:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I think I'm not half bad at crochet and putting colours together and then I see work like this from ceitaspasaule...

Truly beautiful. This is Ceitaspasaule's crochet version of the beekeeper's quilt and the colours are just exquisite. Oh how I wish this blanket was on my bed... I'm inspired.

Ceitaspasaule's blog is truly a place you must visit - and she makes ponchos too! Thank you Ceitaspasaule for leaving a comment on MemeRose which consequently brought me to your beautiful crochet x

Popcorned out...

2011-09-15T07:17:00.000+01:00

So... the popcorn blanket wasn't working for me and it has ended up as a rather lovely cushion cover. I think this popcorn granny square design suits a lighter background colour as opposed to the midnight blue I chose. The cushion cover will be ideal for Autumn/Winter and I found a spare 18 inch feather cushion pad, so it is big and cosy...

I'm all popcorned out now and on to pastures new...

the back consists of an old cushion back ... waste not, want not...

I wasn't particularly feeling the love with this project and feel it was wise to stop when I did. Now I am looking forward starting something new and hopefully I will have something to show you soon x

Beekeeper's quilt...

2011-09-14T08:06:00.001+01:00

Most of you will be familiar with this knitted quilt by now, but I have just discovered it and I think it is wonderful. Details of how to get the pattern can be found at Tiny Owl Knits.

This beekeeper's quilt could very well spur me on to picking up a pair of knitting needles in the future and teaching myself to knit...

**Note** thank you dear readers for your comments as always.... yes somewhere in blogland I too have come across a crochet version of this quilt. Don't you think smaller versions would make great seat pads?

Yippee! Blanket making weather....

2011-09-12T10:59:00.000+01:00

Good Morning....

I hope you have all had a good weekend with at least a little hooky time. Today here in north-west England we are braced for gale force winds and we are on flood alert! In other words it is blanket making weather. I love blanket making weather...

Hopefully, once work has finished I will be able to settle down with my stash and hook away for an hour or so. Unfortunately I am not loving the new Autumn blanket I am working on, and it is dangerously close to cushion cover size.

I will have to see how things progress. In truth, I much prefer the Mollie Makes granny square pattern used in this mini blanket:

As I type this post and glance over at the popcorn squares, I am more and more convinced that it will end up as a cushion....

I've managed to use up another abandoned "work in progress" without really intending to, and will photograph this when the black clouds blow over... with the 40 mph winds, this shouldn't take too long. Now I shall go and have a ponder over a coffee on whether we really need another blanket or whether I should try and make the crochet wall art featured in the 1970s crochet pattern book for the "one-a-day" CAL.

This wall art project is calling my name...

Sending crochet love your way x

Happy happy happy...

2011-09-08T08:31:00.000+01:00

My charity shop hunting has finally paid off and I now have in my possession a 1970s crochet pattern book called All You Can Knit and Crochet for the Home: 50 Patterns. It is love at first sight... I thought you would like to have a look at some of the patterns:

hexagon rug... yes please!

Hello! Crochet curtains are right up my street...

Cute baby....LOVE the headboard. I hope a similar headboard winds it way into a
local junk shop sometime soon

Crochet wall art... now we're talking. This project is on my "to do list".
With the right colours this would look fabulous...

Foam floor cushions.... ooooo, yes please

I think this chunky chevron blanket looks so cosy and I really think the pom pom
edging is wonderful

This potholder pattern looks very striking with the darker background colour...

I have a lampshade awaiting a crochet transformation and this pattern is just perfect.

There seem to be a few copies of this book available from Amazon.com and there is a link on the sidebar if you are interested.
All You Can Knit and Crochet for the Home: 50 Patterns

I hope you enjoyed having a look at the vintage crochet... and can I just say "thank you" to everyone who has been visiting my blog and those who leave comments. It always makes my day to know people enjoy my posts x

Scrappy dappy dooooooooooo blanket finished!

2011-09-07T12:00:00.002+01:00

I've finished my scrappy blanket which I started with the intention of using up the yarn scraps left over from the Spring blanket... The finished blanket is a good size and will certainly come in handy as the nights get colder. I attempted to edge the blanket in Teresa's slanted blanket edging, but it does not look like Teresa's version.

I do like the way it looks, but Teresa's edging looked more square and slanted, with sharper edges. The reason for this is that I thought I had memorized the pattern and in fact I needed to add another treble to each cluster. That's what happens when you don't write things down! I used a 4mm hook for the edging, but think it would work better with a 3.5mm hook. The blanket was made with left-over Stylecraft acrylic yarn and a 4.5mm hook. It is a good feeling to be able to create something useful out of left-over yarn and I'm glad I got around to finishing this blanket.

I'm getting an idea of what the Autumn blanket will look like now there are four squares completed.

I had to stitch these squares together as my husband had decided they were coasters - which in turn was
ruining their puffy popcorn loveliness...

The idea is to just plod along with this project, doing "one-a-day" until I feel it is big enough.

I'm off to brave the winds now - it might be a good idea to fish out my wellies as heavy rain is forcast. Wishing you all a happy Wednesday x

One a day...

2011-09-06T10:06:00.002+01:00

This little square was found with a coffee cup on it
this morning...my husband thought it was a coaster!

Good morning dear readers .... whewww! It was hard work trying to sleep last night with gale force winds and rain lashing against the windows, I feel exhausted this morning. The sun is shining now though and I might get chance to complete my "one a day" all things going well.

After much ummming and ahhhhing I have decided what my "one a day" crochet project will be; the popcorn square first seen over at Dottie Angel. I like the three-dimensional quality to this square and think it will make a cosy blanket. The pattern and details of the Ravelry group can be found here.

I'm new to Ravelry and still finding my way around, but it is the kind of place where you could easily wile away many hours... if you need some inspiration you will find it in buckets here.

I'm off for my second cup of coffee now and then maybe a quick walk to blow away the cobwebs and help revive me for the day ahead...

Hope all is well in your corner of the world x

A few ideas on keeping warm this Autumn

2011-09-04T07:46:00.001+01:00

I can see this skirt going down the catwalks today...
it would certainly keep you toasty warm

I was having a look for a vintage crochet book and came across these pictures in a pattern book on Etsy... It has to be the socks that make me smile the most.

Well... what have we here?

2011-09-01T10:28:00.002+01:00

I don't like waste... especially when I have spent time and money making something; when I stumbled across some granny squares I had made months ago, i decided to make them up into a blanket.

I had intended to make a blanket to use up my scraps of yarn, but had jumped to another project before this one was finished.

The blanket consists of twelve granny squares consisting of twelve rounds and I used a 4.5mm hook with double knitting yarn - predominently Stylecraft acrylic. I am now going to make a border consisting of treble clusters and maybe a shell edging. I want to finish this quickly so I can start making my "Autumn" blanket using darker colours.

The blanket is resting on our latest vintage find - an Ercol small pebble table, lovingly restored by my husband.

last of the summer flowers...

I'm going to join in with the "One a day" group over on Ravelry when I start on the blanket and hopefully this will spur me along nicely... There are no crochet/knitting circles where I live, so being part of the blogland crochet circle is very valuable to me and has brought a lot of joy this year. It is always so wonderful to see what everyone is making and I'm sure it will be fun to be part of this group.

Wishing you all a wonderful new season x

September...

2011-08-30T07:28:00.000+01:00

Charity shop tablecloth...

I enjoy the changing seasons and none more than summer into autumn.

The red and gold leaves, trees laden with berries and the last of the swallows before they leave for warmer shores... I love autumn.

August 2011 mosaic

There have been some wonderful summer days in August with plenty of rain inbetween! Towards the end of August there has been a definite change in temperature and a real autumnal feel in the air. The Virginia creeper is turning a deep red and the rowan berries have already been devoured by the birds.

There is nothing I love more than a sunny crisp autumn day. The birds start coming back into the garden and we can go in search of blackberries; I'm also looking forward to a change of wardrobe, the day when its cool enough to wear my crochet scarf and the change in home decor. Give me autumn to a British summer any day...

Yes, September gives me a spring in my step and I'm looking forward to starting an Autumn crochet blanket in celebration...

Mojo

2011-08-26T13:38:00.002+01:00

Sooooooooooooo.... I've lost my crochet mojo at the moment. It's temporary - don't panic - I can feel it in my bones that I will be back hooking with gusto anytime soon. I think this is why I have only managed to write four posts this month; it is a crochet blog after all is said and done.

I may be minus my crochet mojo, but I haven't been idle and I've been enjoying unearthing treasure at the local junk shops:

1970's Meakin plates will replace our bland white ones... six dinner plates, side plates and saucers for £1.

I LOVE this little Swedish jug and the snowdrop plate is now hung on the wall

At last a friend for the Bambi I bought a few months ago!

Lovely bird pot... couldn't resist for 10p

Snowdrop plate in its new home

Swedish jug's new home...

A clue about my next crafty project....

For those who have got to the end of this post with crochet withrawl symptoms...
granny stripe jar cover with flowers from the garden....

Meet Lola

2011-08-18T14:47:00.002+01:00

As I was making the border for this mini-afghan I couldn't get Barry Manilow's Copacabana song out of my head! You know the one...."her name was Lola... she was a showgirl, with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there"... and I thought Lola was a rather fitting name for this mini blanket. I'd like to think Lola the showgirl would very much love to own this snazzy little number - and with a "dress cut down to there" it would help keep things from getting too chilly whilst doing the merangue...

So as you can see, Lola is now covering the stash box as originally intended. Apparently all that was needed was a little light steaming with the iron and a frilly edge and she now hangs beautifully over the box.

Thank you as always for your enthusiasm regarding my crochet goings on. It is always lovely to hear from you. My husband is busy painting the other two Ercol chairs for the dining room, so my next project will be making two new seat pads.

Hope life is rosy in your part of the world x

**The border is made using the pattern from Nicki Trench's Cute and Easy Crochet book. **

I used a 4.5mm hook and it suited the edging very well, making it "lacey" in appearance.

A little vintage... a little crochet

2011-08-16T08:51:00.001+01:00

Good morning dear readers...

It is Tuesday morning... mid August.... summertime... I am typing away in the comfort of my bed with the heated blanket on and the wind howling outside and rain lashing against the window...

Summer has forgotten us here in the north of England this past week and it has done nothing but rain. I like rain and it hasn't really bothered me staying in more. Staying in on a rainy afternoon is cosy and at the moment I need the comforts of home as there has been a lot of change going on lately. Rainy days are not so good for trying to photograph spaces indoors however, but I did the best I could.

So during a long weekend off with my husband we had a very relaxed time and found day trips suitable for rainy days... which is how we discovered GB Antiques in Lancaster. This is a fabulous rabbit warren of furniture and home accessories both vintage/retro and antique. It took hours to walk around everything and maybe because there was just so much and it was over-whelming, we only came away with this embroidered tablecloth. The tablecloth was a gem of a find though and in immaculate condition; the colours are perfect for our dining area.

If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Lancaster, a visit to this centre could offer up some gems...

But what about crochet!

Well, I started hooking a cover for my yarn stash box. The background colour is midnight blue. I love the way the colours look together and it is refreshing to have some darker crochet in the room. The only trouble is, it did not lie right on the box when it was finished. So it has been made redundant and I don't know if it is worth trying to salvage it and make it into a blanket of some kind? I'm a little fed up that this project did not turn out as expected, but it is not the end of the world...

I think the day is fast approaching when our living and dining area will look like this crochet room featured on knithacker.com:

This image scares my husband.... the "crochet on walls" idea excites me...

Sending crochet rainbow loveliness your way.... x

p.s. blogger will not allow me to leave comments at the moment... but this does not mean I am not reading and enjoying your blogs. Alice, I enjoyed reading about the snow and I still get excited when it snows here and Claire, I loved your post on going to the Avoca mill and seeing how the blankets are made (the blanket in the picture above is Avoca and my favourite).

Remember this?

2011-08-02T12:50:00.000+01:00

Granny chic scarf by House of Holland for Autumn/Winter 2011...

I blogged about this way back in March and it has been on my "to do" list ever since. Well, now I have my own version. It has been a joy to work on because I have been using new colour combinations and the granny square pattern from Mollie Makes .

I used Stylecraft double knitting acrylic yarn and Stylecraft double knitting "Lifestyle" yarn which is a wool and acrylic blend with a 4.5mm hook. The larger hook meant the scarf grew very quickly and the pattern has produced a lovely soft warm scarf.

I just love the way the colours look framed in black and this colour combination may be my new obsession for some time to come!

Now I just need the autumn chill so I can wrap myself up in this wonderful rainbow-granny scarf... I'm looking forward to it very much.

July 2011

2011-07-31T14:49:00.000+01:00

Another month has whizzed by ... we've had a holiday from work this week and we have had wonderful summer weather. Both of us are sporting "garden tans".... it has been lovely spending time in the garden and appreciating nature at work. In this past week ten beautiful yellow roses have bloomed and the most vibrant orange gladiolis. I also noticed blossom on the apple tree, which has one lonely apple on it!

I've renovated a plant stand which probably looks good in the photo, but in reality the painting is poor. My husband didn't help with this project so there are paint blobs and missed bits galore! Having said that, I like the way it looks with the stainless steel bowl we got as a wedding gift and the charity shop copper enamelled dish - it shows them off beautifully.

... I may end up distressing it a bit to disguise the poor painting, but for now I'm happy with my £4 plant stand makeover.

I've been crocheting away during our week off and hopefully will be able to show off my efforts in the next post.

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week x

Dolly blanket!?

2011-07-22T17:07:00.000+01:00

a coaster...

Well .... what has been happening between "Wet Monday" and "Wet Friday?" Mostly work, although I have finished a little blanket for an imminent baby. I say little, because it is exactly that ... I got fed up crocheting in white. It will probably end up as a doll's blanket.

I started making a large granny square and did a few rows of granny stripes either end to make it rectangular in shape and then a few rounds of treble clusters for the border; finished with the lacy blanket edging from "Cute and Easy Crochet."

To add a bit of colour I made some popcorn flowers from "Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers". I hadn't used the popcorn stitch before and I'm loving the result. These flowers are addictive.

So I now have the pleasure of starting a new project and I'm moving away from white for now...

Hope the sun shines for you this weekend x

Wet Monday...

2011-07-18T09:29:00.000+01:00

placemats for the new table...

Today feels like winter has arrived. In fact it is our summer, but the wind is howling and the rain lashing against the windows. I like days like this; I'm more than happy to be indoors and cook comfort food and think about my next crochet project. But I will say I miss my morning coffee in the garden, seeing what has bloomed overnight and smelling the sweet peas.

There is not much going on regarding crochet at the moment... I've added another row to the Spring blanket and have decided it now only needs 24 more squares (bringing it to 300 squares in total) before it is finished and can have an edging. It covers the two seater sofa very well now and I can't imagine the room without it.

love this popcorn flower

I found a really lovely baby crochet book in a charity shop the other day and there are some patterns I would like to try. It is called Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers by Lesley Stanfield. Unfortunately I had already started to make a baby blanket before I found the book, but I am going to use an edging from the book to finish the blanket off and hopefully come September I will be able to make the flowers to attach to it!

Here is a little look inside the book:

I'm going to do this edging for the baby blanket - treble treble stitch with picots... if it turns out OK I think I will
also do this edging for the Spring blanket

I would also like to say a big thank you to the lovely readers who have given my blog an award recently. Thank you for taking the time to think of MeMeRose, and also hello to the new followers I have acquired recently. Thank you for stopping by. One new follower is Ava and she has a blog called Picket Fence Fancy, which I am enjoying reading. I want to live in Ava's house by the sea and I very much want her "chook" caravan... do give her a visit.

Wishing you all a colourful start to the week x

The dolly house dining room BC (Before Crochet!)

2011-07-06T19:04:00.000+01:00

We call our house "The Wee Dolly House" because it is small and our former neighbour is Scottish and calls it our "wee dolly house"...

This first photograph is our house BEFORE we did anything to it.... it's the dining area of the lounge, taken September 2010.

The second photograph is how it looked once we had decorated and put our things in it.... BC. Yes dear readers, there was a time when I did not have a hook permanently in my hand! This photo is pleasant enough, but BC (before crochet) the room did lack a certain something.... it just wasn't enough of a homemade home.

Believe it or not this photo was also taken in September 2010! Ohhhh, we are hard workers....

The dining table did take up most of the room and it has now been replaced with a dinky white round number... with some lovely vintage Ercol chairs. Oooooooooooo this makes me happy. It will come as no surprise to regular readers, when I say crochet features in every corner of our home now... there is even a little crochet hanging in the bathroom! I can't imagine life BC now.

So here is a snippet of the new dining area... it is a work in progress and whilst I'm not entirely happy with the layout yet, I am enjoying the space, light and new feel of the area... I hope you like it x

Post crochet dining area July 2011

Crochet blanket - check. Crochet cushions - check. Crochet lampshade - check. Crochet bunting- check.
Crochet placemats - check. Ahhh, thats more like it! Dining area post crochet....

Placemats for the new dining table .... how long they stay white is anybodys guess, but I'm
loving them right now!

Ercol-O-licious

2011-07-05T07:38:00.000+01:00

1960s Ercol dining chair "before"

"After" - Team effort in the transformation ... beautifully painted by my wonderful husband and crochet loveliness by yours truly!

Fortuitous find...

2011-07-02T20:21:00.000+01:00

I found these teacups, saucers and sugar bowl in my local junk shop today and purchased them for the grand sum of 50p! It wasn't until I got home that I realised they are a perfect match to the cushion I have just made... a fortuitous find indeed!

Enjoy the weekend x

Cushion crazy...

2011-07-01T19:29:00.002+01:00

This isn't one of the Ercol chair... just a £2.50 jobby showing the new cushion for now....

...made as a seat cushion for one of the Ercol dining chairs, which now has its first coat of paint!

A beautiful gift...

2011-06-27T09:39:00.001+01:00

...last week I was pottering in the garden and decided to sort out an abandoned terracotta pot which was full of weeds. Right in the middle of this pot I saw this:

I wasn't quite sure what it was, but I knew it would be something wonderful and sure enough, five days later I wake to this sight:

I'm just so happy at this sight... it feels like a little gift from the garden angels!

I love how the poppy looks against our old patchwork stone wall and we don't have any poppies in the garden.

So what is the message here? Don't be hasty with the weeding? Quite possibly. But I think it is just a reminder that nature is full of surprises and always offers us something to brighten our day.... and I am truly inspired to do a little crochet using the colours of the poppy and stone wall.

I love the old stone wall with bits of lichen and red brick showing through....

I hope you all find a little bit of colourful happiness this Monday x

p.s. The photos of the poppy were taken at about 8am... when I finished work at 7pm and I looked out of the window, there wasn't a petal left on the poppy! I think the wind must have whipped them off, so I am very pleased I have a memory of this on my blog...

Crochet tablecloth!?

2011-06-24T19:26:00.000+01:00

I've cleaned and cleared the dining table because someone is coming round to possibly buy it and I thought I would have a play and put the ever growing Spring blanket on it as a tablecloth... it is the perfect size and looks wonderful. Wouldn't it be super if we lived in a world where such a tablecloth would be practical and stay clean! I could quite happily eat my breakfast off this table every day, it would instantly make me feel happy...

Alas the table is going and the crochet "tablecloth" would not last five minutes without getting grubby.

Ooooooooooooooooo... I like living on this cosy tablecloth...

Me too....

I'll leave you with a picture of home....

A little bit of sanding...

2011-06-23T08:14:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone... I hope your Thursday is full of sunshine.

So what have I been up to? Well, I have bought a new dining table, which is smaller than the one we have now. To be honest, our old dining table is just too big for our "dolly house" and after a lot of ummming and ahhhhing I took the plunge and decided to downsize. I'm trying to sell it, so until I do our new table has to remain in its packaging!

For the past nine months we have had a set of four Ercol dining chairs in storage and I have been itching to get them out and renovate them... they are now going to live a wonderful life around the new dining table. I think I especially love these chairs because they were made in the 1960s and I feel they are very well suited to our 1970s dolly house.

Of course the Ercols will need seat pads, so I envisage lots of crochet happening in the near future. I bought a couple of balls of Stylecraft yarn at the weekend which is 75% acrylic and 25% wool in DK. I was drawn to the pink colour... it is a pink I have not been able to buy before and it is called "Clover". There is not a large colour range in this particular brand and I am wondering if it is acceptable to mix it with 100% acrylic yarn? What do you think?

Also when the mood takes me, I add another row to the Spring blanket, with the aim of eventually covering the two-seater sofa. So my spare time is filled with sanding the chairs ready for my husband to paint them (apparently I'm not meticulous enough!) and little bits of crochet...

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend and I will leave you with a couple of pictures from our garden... I still get excited about everything that grows there! x

from our garden... I suspect the birds will get
to eat them before we do! The sparrows love pulling
out the basket lining for their nests at the moment...

hot pink roses climbing up the wall by the patio doors....
yes please!!

Life is better with bunting!

2011-06-16T09:32:00.000+01:00

I see Daisy when I go running....

This post is to say thank you for a couple of bloggy awards I have received in the past week... one from My Rose Valley and the other is from Wendy at The Crafter's Apprentice. Both blogs are well worth a visit... It is lovely to receive awards every now and then and I have to say My Rose Valley made me laugh when she called me a "crochet maniac"...

I'm not very good with the rules surrounding blog awards, but I think I am meant to tell you things you do not know about me...

Well, I ran the New York Marathon 3 years in a row... and I intend to run it again maybe next year.

Curry is my favourite ... usually chicken curry.

I LOVE the tv programme "The Good Wife" and my husband isn't allowed to make any noise when it is on.

I did a silversmith course for a year and made a silver bracelet which I wore on our wedding day.

our wedding afternoon tea at The Plaza darling!
This little wedding cake was heavenly...

We got married in Central Park, New York and The Plaza Hotel made us a chocolate wedding cake; I am convinced it was made in heaven, it tasted divine.

If I could afford it, I would spend a fortune at Anthropologie on clothes, jewellery and home... it is my dream store.

I will pass this award on to Anazard. I don't remember how I came across this blog, but I love the way she styles her house and I'm sure you will love her crochet work...

So... I have just made some lacey bunting as a present for a friend who has bought a little summer house. That's another thing you do not know.... I NEED a summer house! How utterly wonderful would that be! All cosy with crochet blankets, cushions and bunting flung across the windows... husband if you are reading this, a wood burning stove inside would be the cherry on the cake - a girl can dream....

...yes, this bunting is destined for a summer house and I am sure it will be happy in its new home.

...remember "You can never be unhappy in a poncho"... This one from Anthropologie is heavenly, if a crochet one is a little too geeky for you!

Perfect for a lazy day in a summer house.... x

It's pink...it's gold...

2011-06-15T08:31:00.000+01:00

...it's got a picture of lily of the valley and it's a plate!
Treasure found at the charity shop...

Covered in scratches...worn in parts... I just don't care. I'm in love...

Yessss! New granny love...

2011-06-13T12:30:00.000+01:00

A happy Monday to you all.... I've woken up not feeling 100% today, I just feel a bit "off colour". As a result I'm finding it hard to get going - fortunately I'm not working until 3pm. I've just sat down now with my favourite coffee of the moment - Taylors of Harrogate's Lazy Sunday - and a homemade muffin to catch up with the comings and goings of blogland.

This morning I sat in the rocking chair for a while and watched the birds. They are very tame and come and eat right by the patio doors, so it is like having them right by my feet. It is lovely to see at the moment because they are bringing their babies to feed...

Mollie Makes magazine

I settled down with a new pattern for a granny square during my quiet time which is featured in this month's Mollie Makes magazine... the square uses double treble, puff stitch and cluster stitch; I am not familiar with the latter two and was very pleased with the end result. The pattern produces a lovely squashy granny square and I really wish my last blanket was made using this pattern!

Not sure what I will make using this pattern at the moment, but I think I will make a few more whilst I decide...

Spot the new cushion...

2011-06-10T21:40:00.002+01:00

I've just finished a cushion cover similar to the Spring blanket... it's for the other sofa.

I do love these sunbursts edged in white at the moment... there may still be more to come!

The Spring blanket has now been moved to the two seater sofa and whilst it is still "edge-less" I thought I would add a few more rows to it, so it completely covers the front of the sofa. In reality I would love a new sofa, but this is not going to happen any time soon... so covering it in crochet loveliness is the next best thing! I'm coping quite well with the whole "sitting on the blanket" situation - at the end of the day it was made to be used...

in its new home...

the back of the new cushion...

thank you hubby for the beautiful anniversary lillies x

flowers a present from a lovely client...
the colours are just me!

... I've just bought the new issue of Mollie Makes magazine...this magazine is the best! Absolutely fabulous on every page. I'm itching to make something inspired by this month's issue, so hopefully I will find some hooky time this weekend.

Hope the sun warms your corner of the world this weekend x

I'm on the (frilly) edge!

2011-06-08T11:24:00.002+01:00

When I first started to crochet last year, I was just soooooo surprised to be actually able to create a “fabric” that I never gave “the edge” a second thought. My first blanket was edged with 8 rows of treble clusters and I thought this was a blanket edge...

Seven or eight months of reading crochet inspired blogs has taught me that this is not necessarily the case... the edge can be a fabulous creation and the variations and possibilities are endless.

When I received the book “Cute and Easy Crochet” by Nicki Trench, one of the first projects that caught my attention was the frilled edging on the baby blanket.

Baby blanket from Cute and Easy Crochet by
Nicki Trench

I liked that it was BIG and a definite feature of the blanket, so I had a go at creating it on the unfinished baby blanket that I made in May. I like the results and think it works with the blanket very well. I do think it would look better in a natural fibre yarn, one slightly “floppier”. The only thing I will say is this edge is a yarn eater! It definitely used the best part of a 100g ball of yarn and the blanket measures 50cm by 85cm.

Regular readers will know that the edging has come off the Spring blanket... I have decided to add more squares to this blanket and in the meantime think about possible edgings. I think this blanket will benefit from a plain edge of some kind in white...

I bought the book “200 crochet blocks for blankets, throws and afghans” by Jan Eaton the other week and this book has a page on edgings.

I particularly liked the scallop edging and tried to make this the other day, but it just was not happening. I don’t know what I was doing wrong and will have to have another go sometime. These edgings are made in a strip and then attached to the blanket once they are the right length; I do prefer to work directly onto the blanket. I think I will enjoy using this book over the forthcoming months and it seems like a good source book.

So there you have it! A new crochet book and a frilly edge experiment... do you have a favourite edging you go back to time and again? I would love to know...

Wishing you all a colourful Wednesday x

It's impossible to be unhappy in a poncho!

2011-06-05T10:40:00.003+01:00

Mitten and makings reminded me of this quote from The Mighty Boosh and I can't believe I hadn't remembered it! It is SO true... it IS impossible to be unhappy in a poncho!

I am sat here in my poncho, on our wedding anniversary... it is raining outside and our planned picnic is not looking promising. It may be a case of throwing a granny blanket on the floor and having an "inside" picnic - if we fling open the patio doors it will feel like we are outside! In the meantime I will attempt to answer the emails and comments you have left regarding the poncho. The pattern can be found at LeMondedeSucrette.

I used Stylecraft yarn and a 4.5mm hook. The colours used are as follows:
Sherbert
Bluebell
Lavender
Aspen
Emperor
Wisteria
Bright Pink
Turquoise
Magenta

The Emperor looks black in the photographs, but it is dark purple and the bright pink looks red. As the tutorial suggests, cast on in multiples of eight until the chain looks long enough to go over your head. Looking at the neck of my poncho, I think I did a chain of 136. There are 47 rows and usually I did two rows of each colour. For the edging it is just double crochet in a contrasting colour - literally a "no frills" poncho.

I hope this answers everything... once the initial treble cluster row is complete, it is easy peasy from there with no counting required. All you have to do whilst making your poncho is remember Vince from the Mighty Boosh's wise words, "it's impossible to be unhappy in a poncho."

I'd also like to say thank you for all the comments and emails you have been leaving recently. They are grately appreciated and never fail to make me smile.

It's all about frilly edging at the moment, so I will post shortly on this latest endeavour!

Enjoy your day x

Yee ha!

2011-06-02T11:07:00.003+01:00

the dark colour is Stylecraft Emperor, a dark purple. It didn't really photograph well.

The poncho is finished!

Hmmmmm, it is a snazzy little number (not so little actually). I don't think I've started a trend here, although it is very cosy and warm and cheers me up when I put it on and sit down to watch some TV after work.

The pattern is Angie's at Lemonddesucrette and it was super easy to do...

Now I'm sorting out the Spring blanket edging... it now consists of 228 squares and I am firstly tidying up the edge with double crochet before committing to anything else. I've also started a cushion cover to compliment the Spring blanket...

You're doing a fine modelling job Viv.... the Ikea shelves - a work in
progress...

May June be full of adventures for all you dear readers x

My favourite room...

2011-05-31T07:58:00.001+01:00

... is the porch ( aka my mini "front" conservatory). The porch is like a greenhouse in the sun and it is the perfect place for my junk shop finds... I also like the turquoise colour, making a refreshing change to the white of the rest of the house.
The porch is a great place to sit and do some crochet whilst watching the goings on in the street and it is the perfect place for my seedlings to grow before being "hardened off" outside.

the painting was a gift from a lovely client....

I love the porch because it is always so light and bright and during the winter when the sun was shining, it was the warmest room in the house. The crocheted bunting hangs proudly for all to see...my husband said on first sight of the bunting's new home "won't people think we are celebrating something?" Well... yes honey we are celebrating crochet, colour and a happy welcoming home!

the brass teapot is used as a "watering can" for the seedlings and plants.

I've just put up these voiles...leftovers from the Ikea panels in the lounge. They add a bit of
privacy and create the illusion of more space and light!

The bay tree has not been put away from Christmas - at lease I've taken the baubles off it!

I think the porch "prepares" people for what awaits them inside... Lots of colour, the odd bit of treasure and handmade goodness.

Enjoy your day x

Junk shop finds....

2011-05-28T09:03:00.003+01:00

I can go weeks without seeing anything in the charity and junk shops where I live and then in one week I can find some real gems - in my eyes.

I work in a street which is flanked by two junk shops and I picked up this Scottish heather pottery trio the other day. I love the colours and the unusual design. They currently live on the Ikea shelving. The tray was found in another shop for £1... it is made in Norway and it is the most beautiful sea green colour, which I could not capture in the photo. I really do love Norwegian design and I am chuffed to find this tray; currently being displayed on the dining table.

I also found some yarn, in a colour I use quite often... I think it is yarn made with bamboo? It is very soft...

...and a lovely "vintagey" plate to add to the collection in the lounge.

Finally the most exciting find was an Anglia pottery Bambi in turquoise, which is now sat on the Norwegian tray - perfect!

Also from the Anglian pottery range is this owl, which nows lives in the Ikea shelving....

...a pretty good week by all accounts, although there was one traumatic incident, when my husband "encouraged" me to walk away from a Scandinavian style rocking chair... apparently we do not have anywhere to put it. I am still upset by this, as it was completely wonderful and just crying out for a lick of paint and some crochet happiness...

Wishing you a colourful day x

Lacy Bunting...

2011-05-25T12:17:00.002+01:00

I've wanted to try Alice from Crochet with Raymond's lacy bunting for a while now... if truth be told the stitches she uses scared me off! Dc2tog and dc3tog seemed fiddely and far too taxing for my tired head. Of course once you get going it isn't difficult and by the end of the first flag the stitches managed to take up residence in my brain...

This bunting is a firm favourite with me. It was a test run, as I thought about doing some as a baby gift for the nursery. It is living below some Ikea shelving I bought last month, which is not making me happy! I'm struggling to make the shelving pleasing to look at, but I'm committed to having the shelving in the dining area, as my husband will not be happy if he has to take it down and patch up the wall... Paint has been applied as well as some scrap crochet so far and I'm sure it will merit a post at some point in the future...

College finished yesterday and to celebrate I have taken the edging off the Spring blanket... it was simply not right. I've decided to add another row of 12 squares before starting another edging...

Unfortunately this has slowed down my progress with the poncho, which I am itching to finish and wear around the house. The weather here is certainly poncho worthy - yesterday we had strong winds which covered my car with volcanic ash from Iceland and then hail and rain; I'm hoping this has washed the volcanic ash off the car!

So I will leave you with a WIP poncho pic... wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday x

the dark band is "Emperor" Stylecraft colour - a dark purple

Six months ago...

2011-05-23T11:27:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I have to take a minute to think about my blog and why I have one... As I’ve said before, I did not think I would get any readers; initially the blog was a place for me to document making our new house into a home and my progression with learning to crochet. Since February however, I have nearly 300 followers which is fabulous! So people are reading and commenting and helping to make my hobby and renovations an absolute joy.

For some time I have had visions of making the first year of my blog into a book, when the time comes around... Mias Landliv gave me this idea, as she has had some of her blog printed in book form. So this post is really for my own reference, although I hope some of you out there will find it of some interest...

It is six months since I first picked up a crochet hook and sat down to learn the art of crochet... here is a compilation of my efforts so far:

My first six months of crochet...

I must admit I didn’t think it looked an awful lot when I first went through my photos, but there are two large blankets in there, which were time consuming. I’m very much looking forward to the next six months of blogging and crochet... x

Will you go out in that honey?!

2011-05-21T16:33:00.001+01:00

I’ve made a baby blanket recently, although as it was nearing completion I became increasingly undecided about its fate. I don’t know why... So it is currently living on my yarn stash box with an incomplete edge.

I always need a simple project to take to work... as I work with the public, there is a lot of waiting around! When I was in Scotland last week I took my first granny square blanket and found myself wandering around the cottage with this draped around my shoulders.

The only snag was it tended to fall off my shoulders whilst I was cooking or making a drink. The first granny is soft and cosy... it was made with a 4.5mm hook and this has made it drapey and soft. So... I have started to make a PONCHO... yes, a poncho. Will I wear it outside? Highly unlikely, but I can’t wait to wander around the house in it when the sun has gone down and there is a chill in the air. I want it to be full of the colours I love, so it will lift my spirits everytime I pull it on.

Initially I started a shawl using Solveig’s pattern in complementary tones of aqua, pale purples and turquoise, but I decided to abandon this for now, as I wanted something that would stay on without any effort. Also I thought it would be a good change to use brighter colours than I have used of late.
I’m using similar colours to the first granny blanket and it is based on the pattern provided by Angie at Lemondesucrette. I just cannot wait until it is finished.

uh-oh... stash box is full and I've just ordered this lot
from Masons... I'd better get busy! Sample shawl in grey and
purple on top of the yarn...

The robin knew I was taking a photo, so he stuck
his beak in the air for his pose...

So there you have it... a poncho in the making and a promise to my husband that I will not go to the supermarket in it!

Happy weekend x

Me likey..

2011-05-17T21:53:00.002+01:00

... thank you Vanessa at Coco Rose Textiles for blogging about the new crafty magazine. Today I bought Mollie Makes magazine and I love it. Love Love Love... Flicking through it, I nearly hyperventilated when I saw this:

Oh wouldn't it just go perfectly with Solveig's bike seat cover.

Coincidentally, when I got home from college I saw Coco Rose had left me a comment with a link to the website for these dress guards, thinking - correctly - that I would love them. They are produced by a company called Simeli in the Netherlands.

Rainy Days and Hexagons...

2011-05-17T09:20:00.003+01:00

It has been raining here for the last few days and I have to say I love the rain. We went for a walk the other day and it started raining mid-walk and it was cold and blustery...but it was also so peaceful and the flowers and fields looked so fresh and vibrant. I kept stopping to take pictures of the flowers...On the downside it is difficult to take pictures at home in the dim light, I will have to be patient with my new camera!

I’ve been asked to provide the pattern for the hexagons I did last week. Whilst I did this “off the cuff” so to speak, I’m sure this pattern is out there in Crochetland and is not original to me. It’s basically a combination of a granny square and the African flowers I have previously made...

The pattern is in UK terms. Treble = US dc

Round 1 - Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch

Chain 3 (counts as first treble stitch), then into ring treble stitch 11 times

Slip stitch to finish and join a new colour

Round 2 - Chain 3 then 2 treble between a treble stitch in the ring. This makes your first treble cluster.

Between the next treble stitch of the ring do another treble cluster (3 x treble)

Continue until you have done 12 treble clusters. Join with a slip stitch and join a new colour.

Round 3 - Chain 3 and make 2 treble stitches at the beginning of the first treble cluster.

Skip 3 treble stitches and inbetween the treble clusters do 3 x treble.

Continue making a treble cluster, until there are 12 treble clusters. Join with a slip stitch and join a new colour for the final round.

Round 4 – chain 3 (counts as first treble stitch) 2 treble in a chain space from the previous round.

In next chain space, 3 treble, chain 2, 3 treble (this forms a corner)

In the next space 3 treble

In the next space 3 treble, chain 2, 3 treble (corner)

In the next space 3 treble

Then 3 treble, chain 2, 3 treble (corner)

Continue with this until you have a further 3 corners. At the end join with a slip sitich.

I used a 3.5mm hook and used acrylic yarn. I joined my hexagons with slip stitch.

There are lots of hexagon patterns out in blogland and it is worth trying out all the variations until you find a pattern you are happy with. If you are a complete beginner, Maikke at Crejjtion and Bunny Mummy have good photo tutorials.

I’m going to leave you with a link to a lovely blog I have recently stumbled upon Sol(tr)ikke. Solveig’s work is just delightful and I wish I had come across her blog sooner as her “Spring” blanket edging is perfect and I would have liked it for my blanket. I can see me unravelling my edging one of these days....

Her crochet bike seat cover is the best. I love it! My husband is a keen cyclist and I offered to crochet him a seat cover months ago, but he felt he would be ridiculed at his bike club! When he saw me looking at Solveig’s bike seat cover the colour drained from his face...

If you haven’t seen this blog before then have a little look – you will be inspired for sure.

I have to go, so I will love you and leave you x

P.S. I did manage to see a few of the comments left on the last post before they disappeared. Thank you for your comments as always. I was happy to find out that many of you have your own “Rose” camera!

P.P.S. I'm really not comfortable writing out patterns, so hopefully from what little I've said and the photos you will be able to figure it all out...

Introducing Rose

2011-05-14T09:23:00.000+01:00

Oh Rose... you are doing a super job!

I've been away to Scotland for a mini break... a very lovely cottage with a kitchen full to the brim with organic goodies and homemade cakes. The owners have chickens, so we got fresh eggs and I have never tasted eggs sooooooooooo good. Whilst away I celebrated my birthday and my wonderful husband gave me a camera - I've never had my own camera before!

I'm a "point and click" picture taker... blogging hasn't changed this. I use technology, but I'm not keen on learning about gadgets and gizzmos and how to use everything... so I can only tell you that I LOVE my new camera because it is tiny and pink - Rose Pink according to the packaging. It is so small, I'm sure I could wear it as a necklace!

I haven't started a new crochet project yet... but I've had a little play with some colours inspired by the little plate I picked up the other week. I sat the other night and made up a pattern for a hexagon, only to come home and find Bunny Mummy has put a hexagon pattern on her blog! I like the way the hexagon turned out though. I just did enough to make a little mat, thinking I may hang both the plate and the crochet on the wall sometime... The colours look good together, but I don't want to make anything bigger in these colours at the moment.

I love this wire bird... car boot sale find

I have to leave you with a picture I took shortly after I received Rose... a red squirrel in the garden of the cottage...

Happy crocheting x

In the blue corner...

2011-05-07T09:13:00.002+01:00

I've finished the little "in-between projects" cushion cover.... I chose the colours to compliment one of the Avoca blankets. It was intended for the two-seater sofa, but it wasn't photographing very well there, so I set it up on the rocking chair by the doors. It's looking rather inviting on the rocking chair with the throw, so I've decided this is its current home.

The side table is actually a stool from Ikea...

I'm liking the button flap style of cushion at the moment, which is what I have done here and as always, I crocheted a matching back panel.

I'm off to have a coffee on the revamped rocking chair now... hope you all have a colourful weekend x

Spring blanket....

2011-04-30T07:14:00.004+01:00

Yippee! The Spring blanket is finished! And it is still Spring!

Don’t get me wrong, I have really enjoyed making this blanket, but there is nothing quite like finishing a big project.

I wasn’t loving the white border, but then I found an edging in Crochet Unravelled by Claire Bojczuk. It is called “cluster edging” and consists of a treble cluster, one picot and another treble cluster. I just did 2 trebles, a picot and 2 trebles though. Why? Something to do with being too lazy to get up and find the book and trying to create it by memory... at least I’m honest!

So, once the now “double cluster” border was on it’s merry way, I began being a lot happier about the border. The border consists of 3 rows of treble clusters and the final fourth row is the "double cluster"edging. I officially LOVE this blanket.

I may disappoint a few of you dear readers because I am not an organised person and I cannot tell you how many balls of yarn I used or how much the blanket cost to make. I have made bunting and a cushion and stool cover out of the same yarn colours along the way... The yarn used was predominantly Stylecraft, with the odd ball of Woolcraft yarn used, simply because I liked the pink and coral colours.

The pattern I used was from Yarning blog and I used a 4mm hook. It is a heavy, warm blanket. I know a few of you have emailed to ask how I joined the squares and there is no fancy method, just slip stitch. I tend to join 9 squares at a time and then make up a panel consisting of four 3 by 3 squares. I have tried to sew in ends and join panels along the way, because this gave me the impetus to carry on. There are 216 squares, 12 by 18 rows. The blanket was made to be big enough to go over the 3-seater sofa.

It has been so lovely when I have received a comment or email telling me I have inspired you to start your own Spring blanket. It is well worth the time and effort, believe me!

I truly believe I would have one or two cushion covers with white borders if I had not started blogging... documenting the progress of the blanket and receiving so many kind comments, has kept me going with this project. It is quite an undertaking producing a crochet blanket and I truly admire the people out there that can do one after the other.

I can't decide which sofa - the 2 or 3 seater to put
the blanket on...This is the two seater sofa. I don't know
if I'm ready to let people SIT on it!

So there you have it.... my second blanket under my belt in the first six months of being a crocheter! It wouldn't have been half as much fun without you all. x

Oooooo.... I forgot it is the last day of April... here is the April mosaic...

Going to a Royal Wedding teaparty Viv?

2011-04-29T07:38:00.000+01:00

Doesn't Vivienne look the part! I didn't have time to make any patriotic decorations... but remembered that I bought this 1970s Marks and Spencer shirt dress last year from a vintage shop...the perfect outfit for the Royal celebrations!

Enjoy the bank holiday x

Stool cover...

2011-04-28T08:00:00.003+01:00

The stool cover is finished and I'm pleased with the results... I don't think the stool looks £8.99 anymore! I used a 3.50mm hook as I wanted the crochet to be quite close together and I just used up left over Spring blanket yarn. The Spring blanket edge is still in progress - to be honest I'm not loving the edge and it could well end up being pulled out! I wanted a plain edge, so I have started doing treble clusters.

my version of a wood & wool stool...

I like the way the Ikea curtains make patterns on the wall in the morning...

...but the stool cover I love.

I have really enjoyed your comments on "how do you crochet yours?"

Thank you for taking the time to share...

Enjoy the long weekend x