Roses, Inspiration and stash busting

This week, I have been plugging away crocheting my nieces blanket.  Nearly there, hopefully I will be able to start joining the squares before the end of next week.

When I have been blog reading this week I came across two inspirational projects; one from Lucy at Attic 24 and the other from Sandra at Cherry Heart.  They preyed on my mind and I had to start!

First of all, the project that made my heart sing - Cherry Heart’s Painted Rose Blanket.  I had decided earlier in the week that I wanted to make the blanket and it went into my queue of projects.  Yesterday I succumbed and rummaged around in my stash and came up with similar colours.  My hook came out and before long I had made two squares.

I just love them, makes me think of my paternal grandmother, these were her colours.  I don’t have enough of these colours in my stash to make a blanket, but these squares will become a cushion for my bedroom.  I think I will be able to match the colours but it will be a different dye run I suppose. But it wont matter as they wont be next to each other.

For any Kiwi readers I have used Crucci Olympus for the blue (it is not quite as bright as this in real life) and the pink petals and Patons Panda for the mustard and green, I had a lime similar to Sandra’s but it was too strong and dominated the square so I went for this khaki colour, makes it look vintage.  I still am trying to suss out the joining colour, it is between a teal and the light blue I have used above.

The other inspiration I had this week was Lucy ofAttic 24 Cosy Blanket Cal.  Last Monday I pulled out some wool that I had earmarked for a scarf last winter and never got around to doing.  I thought that the texture of the pattern would make a wonderful scarf and it does.

It is such an easy pattern and soothing to do, and I will definitely be making a blanket at some stage using this brand of wool (Countrywide Yarns, Windsor), I have never used it before - it is so soft and the colours are quite lovely.

Both of these will be linked to Linda of Linda’sCrafty Corner November Stash-buster link party.

Now I will leave you with some close up photos of roses that I have picked for the house.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend and week.

Catch Up

Hi, long time no see!  I have been away from home dealing with family stuff for a couple of weeks and boy and I glad to be home!  Do you find as you get older that you revere peace and quiet.  I do!

Didn't get much crochet done, there were little sticky hands trying to help!  However I managed a simple doily pattern here, called Spider Doily (I first saw the pattern on Anna's of Nummer Elva  blog.) And a scarf in the quiet of night. 

Sorry haven’t a better picture, I took this after I finished and a LITTLE 4 year old Miss wanted it for her bedroom and I forgot to take a better picture.  What made me the happiest was her statement that when she is old enough, would I teach her to crochet.  

This scarf is in 4 ply merino wool.  When I got home I decided it was a bit dull and remembered an old copy of Simply Crochet had a scarf with lace at the ends.  I pinned it but the jury is still out.  What do you think?  Does it look too pretty?

The garden is waking up and the winter crops are looking shabby and weeds are growing at a rate.  Time to think about sowing seeds for summer, namely tomato at the moment.

 I was out in the garden doing my daily check-up, when I noticed that the a few winter crops were starting to go to seed, there were still lots of healthy growth, so I picked a handful and brought it in.  I didn't fancy a stir-fry, but I suddenly remembered Mum using silver beet a lot, why not a medley.  They were delish!

Green Vegetable Fritters

Fritters have always been part of our family's diet.  When Mum got out the chopping board and the remains of the Sunday Roast we knew it was fritter night.  If there was no roast left it was usually vegetables in the fritters, mostly corn, but on frugal nights probably before pay day, it could have simply been potatoes and parsley. 

Take your favourite fritter batter or follow this one.

Ingredients

125g (4oz) s/r flour or plain flour and add 1tsp baking powder

1 egg beaten

pinch salt

milk

Handful green vegetables I used cavelo nero, sorrel, rocket, silver beet (chard) leaves and some coriander chopped up finely.  The borage I used in my side salad.

Method

Put flour salt and egg in bowl and add a bit of milk, beat till smooth and add vegies. Now add more milk till it is dropping consistency, (the amount depends on how much moisture is on the veg after washing and drying)

Heat some oil or butter in fry pan (I use a mix as Then the temp doesn't get too hot.  Add tablespoons of batter and fry till bubbles appear.

Flip them over and cook tilt the bottoms are brown. Place on oven proof plate and put in a low oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.  Makes 10.

Serve with a side salad of choice.

Next time I make these I might add some corn and perhaps a pinch of cumin and coriander powder or just curry powder.  The variations are limitless.  Anyways, a marvellous way to use up a tired greens.

The Garden is starting to show signs of spring, the Xmas plum tree is in flower and the camellias are glorious.

Have a great week and see you soon.

Thanks for visiting.

Wrapped Up and Cozy

Monday morning, shivering in  front of the computer catching up with my favourite blogs, I espied Zooty Owls Crafty Blog Road Trip Scarf and I was hooked!  Thank you Zelna you are a star!

I didn't have any variegated wool in double knit, but I had a few skeins of 4 ply.  Immediately I set to and by the time I had to get on with the days activities a was a good way through.  (I used Zelna’s measurements  of 106 cm to adjust the number of rows)

By Wednesday it was finished bar the embellishments!  I had decided to do the final row in white to give it pop, and then added some white flowers to balance.

I so love it, I will be buying some double knit wool to make another. 

I do love variegated wool, to the extent I made another scarf from my stash, a cowl this time.  I am also in love with lacy stitches and found this one from a vintage knitting magazine.

It is 4 ply again, I find I prefer the lighter feel around my neck (might be a different story once the winter really sets in.

In the garden this week it is looking very green, so today I brought some pansies the small flower variety as I find that the big flower once don’t hold up to all the rain we have.

I have also started to collect polyanthus to have in pots by my back door which is a sun trap in winter, I like to sit and crochet on the back porch while I have my cuppa. Their colours are inspiring these days, they make you think of mandalas !  Oh dear mandalitis still rules!!

Once again I wish to thank Zelna at Zooty Owl, she is so generous with her designs and I have just noticed she has just published the pattern for the dahlia mandala! 

Today I am linking to Annemaries Link your Stuff

Have a wonderful week every one and thanks for visiting!

Pink and Cozy!

Now I am not a pink girly girl, I am more into bright colours and zany.  Well I thought I was.  Last week I noticed that pink has started to creep into my life!

It first started with the trio Colclough china set I found in a local op shop.  I just had to have it!  In the same shop I found a tray cloth (I adore vintage table settings and china).

I have a pretty teapot and for a while I wanted to do a tea cozy that matched it prettiness.  Most of the tea cozy patterns on the net are for rounder pots.  I eventually find a couple of sites that showed you how to make a cozy to fit the shape of your pot.  So, grabbing some very pale pink I started.

It needed some flowers, so I visited Attic 24 and learnt how to do some roses and other open flowers

As you can see it is starting to get rather pink and girlie!  More so when I decided to add some pearl buttons and do a scalloped edging!  At this stage I started to giggle at myself.

I got a bit carried away and added a tiny flower and pearl button at the button where the bottom is attached.

Attaching the flowers was fun and by this time I was chortling loudly, Tada how girly is that!

Actually, I was rather pleased and proud of it, and had to go rushing out to show my neighbor it.  Result she wants one for her teapot!  Yesterday showed my bestie and she wants one!  I have been told in no uncertain terms not to call it girlie but romantic.  And this setting does look romantic.  My two buys at the op shop. (Tray cloth and china trio, plus the scarf I crochet over the last two days.

The scarf is actually a peach colour and the pattern was a fancy trellis  pattern from a library book on vintage crochet.  It will be ideal for the cooler nights we are now getting with the arrival of autumn.  Got to be cozy!

This pretty and feminine stuff is starting to scare me, think I will get back to my CAL blanket from Little Woolies blog.  So far its taken me about 3 months and I am about 2/3rds through.  That should stop the urge I have to crochet a lacy shawl.  But don’t be surprised if you see one soon, I think I am fighting a losing battle!  Because as you know we all have a little bit of romantic girlie stuff inside all of us.

Anyway that has been my week crochet wise. 

PS I have asked one of my friends to slap me if I start to wear pretty pink dresses!

I am linking this to Annemaries Haakblog weekend Link your Stuff.