Showing posts with label shawl. Show all posts

How a blanket turned into a shawl!

Last July I started a blanket (see here ). It sat on the back of my small sofa for the whole winter. It looked nice there and I had serious doubts about its suitability as a blanket. The was very soft a bit like mohair, the cats adored it, and would work their little paws on it and snag it!

Well, this week I needed a little relief from a big project for a certain young lady who has a 9^th birthday at the end of November. It is very bright as you will see.

She chose the colours, big pink squares in the middle and a border of aqua colours, an artist in the making? She so wants it for her first sleepover she is hosting on her birthday. So muggins promised! 30 squares, 10 completed, 10 next week and the10 the week after and the last week sewing up and the border, whew!

Anyway I have been making bracelets (last post) as a change, and finally the Japanese flower blanket screamed at me to do something with it!

It was so lovely and soft, it had to be a shawl, so a shawl it became, I only had to do another 6 flowers, and a lot of sewing the ends this morning.

Excuse the quality of the photos, the light was very bright and I think I had the camera on the wrong setting.

I had to show it with some bright geraniums! It will be perfect for those cool evenings that we sometimes get in summer. It will go back to the sofa as I really like it there too.

I wonder what other UFO I can finish next week for relief from the bright blanket. Actually I really love the colours, warms the soul. Great for playing around with the camera.

Hope you all have a colourful week, I know I shall!

Oh and thanks for visiting.

I do so appreciate your comments and visits.

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!

Shawl and a Blast from the Past

Woo hoo! I have finished Shawl no 1. It has been on the go for AGES! It’s the pattern South Bay Shawlette from Lions Brand, except as per usual I changed things, I used 4 ply and did some extra rows.

It has come out paler in the photo, so took it outside and let Lucy inspect it; I don’t think she is that impressed. Could be I disturbed her with her late afternoon nap in the sun. The top corner is about the colour it actually is.

That’s one down 2 to go. Next week I hope to work on the mandala shawl, I've done all the mandalas I just got to work out the way to join them.

Any way I love it, so romantic! This is the first shawl I have ever worn or had and I love it. Age must mellow us in our opinions.

Here is a blast from the past. I love to poke about in op shops looking for vintage china I collect and lately vintage table ware. Recently I have scored lot of crochet cottons etc. For example, I got 10 balls of ecru cotton no 3 for $5! One ball cost about $9 here.

However this week I found this magazine and boy did it bring back memories, both my grandmothers and Mum used to get this magazine. This copy is a bit earlier than my memories but near enough.

The patterns were still inside.

Didn't they have slim waists then! No wonder there were lots of ads for weight loss fixes!

Nothing has changed since 1957! People were still worried about weight, nerves, depression, sleeplessness, etc.

I loved the ads but mainly I brought it for this little pattern of the girl’s cardigan, I love the hearts and I know a little girl who would love it – pink of course!

Anyway that’s it for today; hope you all have a good week and thanks for visiting.

Award and what is on my hook...

I have only been blogging for a couple of months and have already received an award from Anna of Anna’s Simple Crochet. She does the most wonderful exquisite doilies and suchlike.

The Liebster Award involves answering the questions she presents, choosing 11 blogs to pass it on to with 7 questions that you have made up and leave a comment so that they know they have received it! Put a link back to the person you received the award from.

So to answer Anna’s questions

I hope that my translation of her French is correct. (Anna is a Swiss living in Portugal).

What are you having for dinner tonight ?– Pea and Ham soup with crusty bread.

With who? – Myself and the cats of course.

What is your favourite flower? – All of them, but I think the Rose comes out tops.

What is your best gift ever? – God’s gift of creative hands.

What living or dead person would you like to have a drink with in a café? George Clooney, sigh!

What drink you are unable to drink? – Red wine, gives me migraines, drat!

What music you are listening to at the moment? – Umm …… depends what mood I am in. But I think blues tends to win.

Now my 7 questions

What is your favourite book of all time?

What is your favourite colour combination?

Who would you like to be stranded on an desert island with?

What is your favourite dessert (sweet)?

Do you have a hankering to see what is on the other side of the hill?

What is your favourite breakfast

Do you have any regrets?

My award goes to

Here is a question for all of you.

What are your special moments of your day? Mine is that cup of tea after a job well done.

Just to finish, on my crochet hook this afternoon will be this shawl I am making for the cooler nights. It is from a free pattern I found on Ravellry - South Bay Shawlette by Lions Brand.

The pattern used a thicker wool, I am using 4 ply so I am having to do more rows and it is not so lacy. But that suits me as I want it for the winter.

Have a great Easter and see you soon. If all goes well I hope to post again over the weekend with some crochet delights.

Zana's Homemade