Category Archives: Crochet

Knitting and Stitching

Helloo! Have you been wondering where I’ve been? I missed posting on Sunday for the first time for ever such a long time and it was all down to the fuse at the substation. We had no power all day, so no tea and coffee to fuel the knitting and stitching. I was very happy that I was able abscond to the other side of the village to my Mum’s house where the extended family were celebrating her birthday, and also welcoming a new baby to the family. Mum’s fourth great grandchild, and first great granddaughter. Such a little sweetie, after all the babies in the family for ages being enormous boys, great long things with huge feet weighing 8 or 9 pounds apiece (the boys, not the feet!),so we were all entranced by this tiny little girl and her perfect little fingers and toes. And this included the enormous boys!

There is a lot going on at the moment but I really wanted to slip in this review. As you know, I’m a bit of a butterfly with what I do and like to experiment with new ideas and designs. This usually means that when I post my latest make on the blog or Facebook I’m already brainstorming the next idea. It’s hard to keep up with the pattern writing as well because this is very labour intensive. But I frequently get emails and messages from people who say ‘I can’t crochet but I’d really like to buy the Mice, or the Garland, how much are they?’ And I don’t have a box of them ready made, and they would no doubt fall over if I gave them a price which covered labour, materials, overheads, etc, etc…

But what I want is for people to find out the fun of learning a new skill be it knitting or crochet, and to learn something which will be with them all their lives which they can pass on to the next generation. It’s lovely when I have comments and messages from people telling me that I played a part in them learning or rediscovering the joys of knitting and stitching.

This is why, when I received an email asking me if I would like to review the Bergere de France Knit and Stitch Magazine Series I was very happy to say yes.

The postman delivered this enormous package and I really wanted to photograph the contents in their entirety, but it was a bit tricky. I tried to do it on the floor…

But I had a lot of help…

There was quite a bit of packaging to get through but that was probably my only quibble. Once that was out of the way I had two pattern books, knitting needles, crochet hook and a DVD.

The first thing that I really liked was that you could walk out of the shop having bought Issue One with everything you need to get started, which is ideal for a novice who hasn’t got a stash of yarn and needles at home. Every issue gives instructions to make a sample square, which teaches you the stitch and then gives you labelling instructions so that ultimately you have all the components for a patchwork throw.

But it’s not just for the beginner, because there are also patterns even in these first issues for pieces which a confident knitter would like to make. I particularly liked the shawl, gorgeous colour…

…and the man’s sweater…

…which I wouldn’t mind for myself!

But the thing which really impressed me was the DVD. It only lasts about half an hour but it gives incredibly clear instructions for all the basic stitches for both knitting and crochet. I know there are a lot of You Tube videos which purport to teach the basics, but it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. This DVD is excellent, ( and I was also very impressed by the instructor’s beautiful manicure!)

I understand that it’s possible to get these first issues through the website and subscription. You’ll need to follow this link to find out more about back numbers but it’s current in the big newsagents. And once you’ve worked your way through the DVD you’ll be filled with confidence about tackling a Planet Penny Mouse or two!!!

The other big thing about to happen on Planet Penny is that Clovis, the Mad French Cat is about to be returned to his family.

Those of you who have followed Planet Penny for a while will recall that Clovis came to stay with my Mum while his humans relocated from France to the South Coast of England. It’s taken some time for a new and permanent home to be established, and he’s had a hair raising adventure or two in the meantime but on Monday Tim and I are loading him in the car and driving for 3 to 4 hours from Norfolk to East Sussex to reunite him with our son, daughter-in-law and grandsons. ( No doubt with Clovis complaining all the way!)

Higgins will be off to his Barking Mad host for a little holiday (Clovis doesn’t ‘do’ dogs) and Henry will be reigning supreme at home. ( I have arranged for ‘staff’ to visit to attend to his needs.) And I am SO looking forward to a couple of days by the sea and switching off.

Although there is the little matter of the Easter Bunny Pattern…

See you soon!…x

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Feeling Blue…and Grey.

This is a post in two halves because I’ve had a few days where my usual Pollyanna disposition has been conspicuous by it’s absence. I’ve been in two minds too, as to whether to even write the post but in the end I felt that appearing relentlessly upbeat is probably a tad annoying and maybe letting on about the down times is a good thing (occasionally)

It’s not been helped by the weather. Not just the cold, but the unrelenting gloom. I don’t function well under sullen grey skies and feel like I’m carrying the weight of them around balanced on the top of my head. I know this means I’m feeling blue but I love blue, and grey, well not so much.

Add to this an M.E. flare up, my other half being in the middle of the North Sea and the boys heading off back home to the South Coast it’s been a bit grim round here, I’ve definitely been Mrs Grumpy.

But today there was sunshine.

The aches and pains have subsided a little so I could enjoy my walk with Higgins properly and I could almost see the flowers in the garden opening…

Apparently the Met Office consider March 1st as the first day of Spring, so the end is in sight. Lets hope it sweeps the grey away!

I celebrated the sunshine by announcing an upcoming Facebook Giveaway which will happen when I reach the 2000 ‘likes’ milestone so if you’d like the join in the link is here.

…and I also indulged in some silliness with a little sheep. I retired the sheep I’d had on my keyring for some years when I changed my car and swapped it for a crochet heart keyring, but despite looking a little battered and tired I couldn’t bear to part with her.

So after a quick wizz around in the washing machine she has now been spruced up and given another car based role. Together with her knitting she’s going back in the car to sit on the dashboard to bring a spot of Planet Penny colour to what is alas, a grey car!

Next step, a crochet cushion or two!

Back soon …x

Half Term and a Harty Crochet Hook

Not a lot of creativity of the crocheting kind has been happening on Planet Penny over the past week. It’s been half term and Higgins and I have been visited by our favourite little boys. (And a big one and we like him too, but he’s slightly less noisy!) In the middle of it all I was sent a lovely present and if you are wondering what a Harty crochet hook is, all will be revealed presently.

It’s been sooo cold and grey, and now they’ve all gone home Higgins is sulky and I’m feeling grumpy. Spring cannot come soon enough…

Higgins had such a lovely time having someone around who can do running. I have my good points as far they go from a doggy perspective, but I’m rubbish at running…

Boys also do interesting things with sticks…

…and dogs like that.

And the Harty hook? Well I had a message from the lovely Nicola via the Planet Penny Facebook Page saying she would like to give me one of her beautiful Harty crochet hooks, I just had to choose the style and size. That was the most difficult bit, there’s such a lovely selection which you can see on the Fleabubs Website.

I eventually chose this one…

And I had enough quiet moments to crochet up some little flowers…

…and finish the edging on my baby blanket to test it out. (Not a moment to soon as my new great-niece arrived a few days ago! )

I’ve not used a hook with a handle before and I really recommend it. Very much more comfortable to hold, especially if you are using a small hook as you don’t have to grip so hard. Thanks you so much Nicola!

I’ll leave you now so I can get back to the fire, the flowers and the hook but not before I leave you with a link to Handmade Harbour for Handmade Monday Linky. Do call in and see what everyone else has been up to.

See you again soon…

Mollie Makes and a Little Down Time

This was the week that I finally decided I wasn’t going to beat the bugs on my own and headed off to the doctor. So, with a large box of antibiotics and some concern from the doc that I’ve been overdoing things I’ve tried very hard to keep myself confined to the sofa. This was helped by Higgins’ favourite Post Lady arriving with my copy of Mollie Makes with a crochet project which looked right up my street.

I’ve been very focused lately on creating my own original ideas so it was nice to relax and enjoy someone else’s pattern! This garland has been devised exclusively for Mollie Makes by Emma Lamb and is very easy, and oh so pretty. I love Emma’s colour palette, very delicate and pretty and very much in the Mollie Makes style.

But I have lots of odds and ends of Planet Penny cotton in the Planet Penny palette so I’ve made my own interpretation of Emma’s garland…

Nothing delicate about this colour palette!

I thought it might be fun to try a little Mollie Makes styling for the photos…

I don’t know whether all that was strictly restful, but I am definitely on the mend now!

This is a perfect project for using up yarn from other projects, and I found the Planet Penny Cotton ideal. I’ve just been looking on line for approximate yarn prices and found that Debbie Bliss Cotton, 50g /84m is around £3.30 a ball and Rowan Cotton Glace 50g/115m is around £4.95 per ball. The Planet Penny Cotton packs are £36.50 per pack of 14 50g/125m balls making them just £2.60 per ball. I like it more than ever!

Spring is trying hard to arrive here in Norfolk, it was very nearly mild yesterday, and taking my camera out when Higgins and I go walking is essential. Otherwise I’d miss recording little sights like this…

…and yesterday’s evening sky…

And finally, I know some of you feel deprived if you don’t get your Higgins fix and he has been working very hard at being cute this week. (He needs to, he’s eaten the corners off yet another cushion!)

I’m joining in as usual with Handmade Monday over on Handmade Harbour which starts on this evening. I’m off to walk Higgins while the sun shines and I’ll be back soon….x

Hearts and Flowers Mobile – The Reveal!

I can’t believe it’s taken me all week to get to the ‘big reveal’ for the Hearts and Flowers Mobile project I was working on last weekend. I’ve spent a lot of time keeping metaphorical plates spinning and I’m so glad I’ve got the routine of Handmade Monday to keep me ‘regular’, once a week at least! I think if I was asked to pick just one piece of advice to give to someone trying to get their head around blogging it would be make a routine, and stick to it. I know when I started out it was so easy to put off a post and then have so many photos, so many ideas that it would take a huge effort of will to sit down and turn it all into something potentially interesting to someone else. Right now the mid week post keeps getting put off because of ‘stuff’ getting in the way, but I’m hanging on the the weekend post for dear life until everything settles down a bit.

We’ve had all sorts of weather thrown at us in the UK over the past days, but I made the most of a brief mild spell to nip into the garden to see what was going on and found these…

…with a little help from my friend!

I love snowdrops. They look so delicate and yet brave the elements every year to let us know that Springtime will arrive, eventually…

There is an old rhyme which says…

The snowdrop, in purest white array,

First rears it’s head on Candlemas Day.

Candlemas Day falls on the 2nd February, so it must be true!

Back indoors though it was rather a struggle to photograph my Hearts and Flowers Mobile. Ideally I need a large blank space, a white corner of a room with no distracting background stuff going on. But I live in a very small cottage, my studio is packed with things and the mobile is just under a metre or 3 feet long so I hope you’ll bear with me…

I’ve used the garland pattern to make the hearts and flowers using the Planet Penny Cotton colours (the pattern and yarns are available from the Etsy shop). I’m very happy that it worked out exactly as I had pictured it, and that doesn’t happen very often!

It’s triggered another idea, so I hope I get time to make a start this week. My other ongoing project is building a website for our entry in this year’s Norfolk and Norwich Open Studios. This will be the third year that I and my friend Kit Calladine the printmaker will be taking part, but this time we are part of an art trail with six other local artists which is very exciting. Before long I will put a link to the website so you can find out all about us, and hopefully some of you may even pay us a visit!

And this also means I must return to the felting needle. I have a plan for a piece for the Taster Exhibition but it is very easy to have the image in your head for so long that you forget you haven’t actually made it yet!

So altogether I have quite a bit to keep me out of mischief , and I promise I won’t forget to call back here to tell you all about it!

Meanwhile, I shall leave you with a link to Handmade Harbour where after 6pm this evening (UK time) you will find lots of other busy crafters and makers taking part in Handmade Monday.

I’ll be back soon…x

No Time for Crochet Hearts!

Hello! I thought I’d start with cheery daffodils ‘cos I’m going to moan…only a bit, but I’ve had so little time to be creative this week, and all I really want to do is make more crochet hearts because I have a cunning plan! I had a flash of inspiration last week, sourced the very thing I wanted on line and when the box arrived I thought yessss…that’ll do the trick and life piled in behind and filled up all my available minutes.

So, darn…and other, more colourful expletives. However I’m not going to spoil the whole thing by rushing it, or giving the game away so you’ll have to wait until later in the week I’m afraid!

One thing I did do was to redisplay the Hearts and Crochet Garland. I wanted to put it on the dresser to instil a little Spring like colour to cheer things up so I carefully divided it into two pieces. I’m happy with the way it works…

…and it’s most decidedly cheerful!

A complete change in the weather means we’ve swapped the snow and grey clouds for this…

…but losing the snow so quickly means this…

and also…

…but there were a few places where Higgins could walk rather than swim…

He came back and parked himself on his favourite look out post, he does prefer to admire the great outdoors from the comfort of an armchair I’m afraid!

Thinking of crochet hearts got me digging around in the archives, back to last February in fact, when I made this for the dresser…

I never did write a pattern for the whole piece, but the pattern for the crochet hearts you can find here if you are thinking ahead to Valentines Day.

I’ll leave you now to get back to the crochet but in the meantime do call over to Handmade Harbour to check out the Handmade Monday links. Lots of busy crafters making beautiful things! Don’t forget, you can join me on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter!

See you soon…x