Catch Up

Hi, it has been a long time since I was last here.  In October I spilled coffee over my laptop keyboard and yes my computer died.  So I have only been able to access the internet on my phone.  However last week I got a new laptop and I am a happy person.  I missed it. Moral of the story is not to drink coffee while at the computer, LOL.

However, I was still able to crochet and I have lots to show but will do it bit by bit over the next few weeks.

I succumbed and have doing afghans again, but this time I am doing them in cotton, I have fallen I love with cotton,especially the Paintbox range so many colours.

 I am following a Cal - Lilliana by Hooked on Sunshine blog. I am managing to keep up to date too!  Here is some eye candy, I am not following the colours or the sequences of colours and just being random about my choice.

Part 4 done

 

part 5 completed

Nearly finished part 5 but Ambrose was having such a good sleep, I decided I will work on it tonight.

Here are some toys I have done for charity.

 

Have a good weekend see you all soon.

Happy New Year to All

2016!!! Phew, I am glad that it has arrived, the latter part of 2015 was a difficult time for me and to top it all I could not crochet or craft!  I had carpal tunnel ops on both wrists, and while the right wrist healed quickly the left had complications and so on.  But I am now back in the swing and should be able to crochet to my hearts content.

Over the last month I was able to crochet in small bursts and took the opportunity to make some Christmas gifts, mainly washcloths and scrubbies!

Bumpy Scrubbie

This one didn't make the gift pile I had to test it to see of the cotton die ran, It didn't but it made a wonderful scrubbie for my kitchen. Pattern here

Custard Pie dishcloth

This washcloth was quick and I made up the scrubbie to go with it. Pattern here

Happy Discloth

This was made out bamboo cotton and felt so luxurious that I gave it to my sister as a spa cloth and scrubbie, I made the scrubbie up by using rounds of popcorns and did a simple backing that I joined in the middle and edges.
Pattern for the cloth here.

I also started to knit for a change.  Dishcloths again!!

I made this one up and the back is rougher so I decided it would make a great face cloth.  I crochet the edges too, cant keep away from that hook!

This year I hope to concentrate on doilies and blankets, I've decided to join the block a month cal group on Ravelry and over the year I should hopefully complete 2 to 3 blankets.

So my dear friends have a great New Year and I hope all that you wish for comes.

Hello There!!!!

It has been a long time since I posted.  Life has got I the way.  However I feel that now I can have the time for me again.  I have lurked, reading your blogs from time to time and I apologies for not leaving comments.  Sometimes communication is difficult when you are in the thick of life.

I also haven’t had much time for crochet over the last 6 months, but  I managed from time to time snatch a little time to do some crochet mainly some baby stuff and I joined the Block a month group on ravelry.

The squares done so far.  I love this group as it is very friendly and the squares can be a challenge.  I have been doing the extra square also as I find two a month is suits me and I can keep up.  I have another 8 to do, as I started in June and so playing catch up.

The other crochet has been baby items for a friend’s new granddaughter and an new arrival in my family.

I have found the Lisha hat pattern by Linda of Crafty corner a great pattern and have used it a lot.

This lovey blankie was popular and have made three of them for various friends.

Now that I have more time I have started a CAL albeit rather late – Cherry Hearts sampler blanket, I am just finishing part 4 so about half way through.  I am using scraps of yarn and will donate to the Lions annual Christmas collection for families in need.  I am sure some child will love it.  Think I will make some more loveys to donate.  Maybe different animals.

I think that is enough for today!  Except I have to show you a photo of Peggy Sue on a cold winter day!

However, today she is sun bathing in the garden with Ambrose and Lucy as

Spring is well under-way - blue skies gentle breeze and to top it all it is a public holiday!

So  bye for now and see you soon.

Tea Time

I am in the process of moving house – downsizing!  My garden is too big for me to manage and as my R.A is playing havoc with my mobility I have decided to move to a smaller property.  My new place has a garden a quarter of the size of my present garden, however there is an upside, it is on the edge of town and will have an outlook of paddocks and the Tararua ranges.  My neighbours will be sheep and it will be interesting to see what the cats make of them!

I am in the process of getting rid of stuff!  Lots of stuff!  I have been here 10 years and my lordy I have heaps of stuff!  On Monday I took a large load to the local hospice.  Good, you would think, well I succumbed to the sight of some china.  I have a thing about china, especially teacups.  I walked out the shop with two sets.

This: 

And this:

I adore the green set, such an unusual colour, and I seem to have a thing about green at the moment.

Yesterday it rained, which is good as we desperately need it here.  But it meant I couldn't get out in the garden (I am in the process of tidying it up and potting up cuttings for my new place.)  I thought I would have a go at making a tea cozy that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I had it all planned in my head, but discovered to my dismay that the ivory cotton I thought I had was only remnants of a previous ball!  I didn't want to go out and buy some as I was nicely settled so I made this instead:

It was just big enough for my smallest teapot and I am rather pleased with it, I need to sort out the decreasing rounds when I make bigger ones.  I used popcorn stitch and it gives the cozy enough thickness to not have to line it.

I had to test it out this afternoon and it did keep the tea hot.  To celebrate my new cups and the cozy I decided to bake a cake, something I haven’t done for a while.  It is a really quick and easy recipe.  Pineapple Fruit Cake, very yummy.

Pineapple Fruit Cake

16 oz (450g) canned crushed pineapple

2 ½  cups dried mixed fruit

1 cup castor sugar

4oz (125g) butter

Pinch salt

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup plain flour sifted with 1 cup self-raising flour

Oven temp 160 C (360 F)

Mix the pineapple, butter sugar, spice, fruit, salt and bring to boilo and cook for 15 minutes. Add Baking Soda and cool.  When cold add eggs and flour.  Mix and put in a lined cake tin (20cm) and bake in lower half of oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours.   Allow to cool a bit before moving from tin.

I have realised that I have now been blogging here for just over a year!  Time flies.  I have enjoyed showing you all my makes over the last year and of course visiting you all.  However, over the next month or so I don’t know if I will have time to post with all that I have to do for the move.  So, bear with me, and hopefully normal service will resume at the end of April.  I will still be working on my blankets and be doing the odd doily when time and energy allows.

 Ambrose is finding this moving lark rather exhausting.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend.

Doily Contrasts

This week has been one of contrasts:

Colour, bright and neon and a sedate ecru!

Yarn, thick chunky wool and fine cotton!

Sunflower Bloom

I have finished another Patricia Kristoffersen doily for my bedspread.  It was much more difficult than the first two.  I have started the fourth one and that is really difficult!  But hey I love a challenge.

The above is a doily I have done in dk cotton from a chart I found on Pinterest.  I made it for my table outside to lighten up a shady spot this summer.  The colours are not true in this photo (it was taken early this evening).  The true colour are those in the first photo above.

 This is the next two rounds of Kates Mini rings ofchange CAL, wk 2.  I had a hard time restraining myself from doing more rows.  That’s why the neon doily was started. Lol!

It has been stiflingly hot this week, and my poor flowers are being bleached by the sun.  The grass is brown, at least it has stopped growing!

However the mini agapanthus loves the heat!

The vegetable garden is thriving and this this morning’s pickings.

This week Peggy Sue takes a star turn.

Have a great week and thank you for visiting.

A New Year, A New Start

Yes I am still here!  December was a month full of life’s dramas and I am sorry to say that crochet and blogging didn't get a look in.  However, things are settling down and I am so pleased to be able to blog again and visit you all.

This is the scene that greeted me when I got home a few days ago; my poor garden is a jungle, lots of work to do.  Missed the best of the roses but these carpet roses seem to thrive in the heat.

For the last few years instead of making a new year’s resolution (which tended to be broken as I made it!), I have chosen a word for the year.  Last year it was Forward.  This year I have chosen Streamline.

Why streamline?  Well it is something I need to apply in all areas of my life.  I need to declutter.  I need to simplify my garden.  I need lose a bit of weight especially around the midriff!  I really just want to be comfortable with my body.  I need to focus on a few projects instead of hopping here and there and losing track.  Especially crochet!

I was unable to crochet for most of December due to RSA from crochet!  In November I went mad and completed 2 blankets plus other bits and pieces, well, I have learnt!  On Christmas Eve I picked up my crochet hook and some thread and started a doily.  No pain!  Well I managed to do this in front of the TV.  The next day I picked up my hook and some wool, the pain was there.  I must use a different technique for thread.  Whatever,  it means that I can crochet again, albeit with thread, doilies here I come.  But I will not push it too hard.

I have just finished this one and one other that I started earlier in the year. (Details in my next post)  I am blocking them at the moment and will show them in the weekend.  One question I would like to ask you doily experts out there.

Blocking – what is the best way, I have seen various methods in books and on the net.  The doilies I am doing for this project are quite textured and I want to keep that feel.  The book I am using suggests washing them, but I think I would prefer to just spray water on them.  What do you think?

It is great to be back and doing some crochet again, I missed you all too.  I hope 2015 will be a great year for all of us.

My Week

It has been a typical spring week, one day a taste of summer and the next a reminder of winter.  One thing I love about spring is the elderflower trees in blossom.  Elderflower cordial making is the top of list.  I love it with its musky flavour.  I have never made elderberry cordial, I mean to but the birds get the berries before I do.  May be I will have to camp beside the tree!

This week I have been busy with the blanket for my niece it has to be finished before Thursday!!!  I am busy sewing it up, hopefully tomorrow I can start on the border.  However I have done some other crochet to lighten the load.  One was a little cowl, as it still can be cold in the early morning when I leave the house and I wanted something to keep my neck warm.

I used V stitch it was super quick to do an hour or so.  I have worn it most mornings, and soon as it is warm enough I slip it off and put it in my bag.

Pretty colours!

I have also done some work on my Painted Rose cushion and it is now ready to sew to the back

I am using the curtain material leftover from when I made new ones earlier in the year.  I just love this pattern from Cherry Heart.  I cant wait to get started on the blanket.  But it will have to wait as I have other projects that require my attention.

For a change I decided to try my hand at making embroidered brooches.  I had seen some on Pinterest and thought they would make great gifts.

So here is my first attempt.

Think I will keep this one for myself as it has a few errors in it!  But I love it anyway.

So that has been my week, I will leave you with my recipe for Elderberry cordial.

Elderflower Cordial

Ingredients

25 - 30 elderflower heads

1.7litres/3 pints boiling water

900g/2lb caster sugar

50g/2oz citric acid

3 lemons, sliced

Preparation method

Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures.

Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a very large mixing bowl. Stir well and leave to cool.

Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers.

Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Strain through some muslin and transfer to sterilised bottles.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week.

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.