Category Archives: Crochet

Crochet Hearts and Snowy Weather

Four pm and the first flakes of a promised band of snow have started to fall as the light fades. Higgins hasn’t been beyond the garden today because there’s so much ice about and I’m paranoid about slipping over, damaging myself and not being able to walk, drive and generally take care of my immediate responsibilities, namely my Mum, Henry and Higgins. Snowy roads I can cope with, ice? No!

So I’ve been going a little stir crazy this week what with treacherous conditions and antisocial germs. I can’t imagine what it would be like without being able to reach outside my own little orbit and communicate in cyberspace. It’s not like I haven’t been busy, it’s just a bit solitary round here.

Yesterday’s walk was very bracing. Higgins has a new coat, just the same as the last one – red is definitely his colour – but a size larger. You may have noticed the one he’s been wearing is rather Pooh Bearish, snug and a little too short. I’ve been saving this one for the snowy weather, and it was perfect, reaching all the way down to keep his rump cosy! I think he liked it too because he ran all the way out…

…all the way around the fields…

…and back home again!

Not the most attractive angle, but you try getting in front of him!

It’s been extremely busy in the garden. I’ve put an assortment bird feeders just outside the glazed garden door and it’s been fascinating to watch the birds flocking to feed. The house sparrows who live in the roof, the robin, a colourful assortment of finches, several blackbirds, blue tits, a thrush and a fieldfare. I had suspended a wrinkly apple in the bush out of reach of a greedy dog, and there was quite a lot of kerfuffle as the fieldfare wrestled it to the ground, and then proceeded to demolish it whilst beating off any other bird that dared to come within pecking distance. It was mainly the blackbird!

This morning the blackbird had decided to fight back and had eaten quite a bit of apple before the field fare turned up with a couple of chums. The area round the garden door is a mass of bird prints and scuffles now, and I’m nearly out of apples!

I’ve had to abandon the studio this week alas, the snow on the skylights made it too dark, and it seemed silly to heat it as well as the house, what with all the to-ing and fro-ing and opening doors and letting in cold air so I’ve been crocheting in front of the fire quite a bit.

It might be snowy outside but February and St Valentines Day is just around the corner so I’ve been revisiting my Hearts and Flowers Garland Pattern which is one of my favourites.

It’s quite versatile, the little hearts are pretty on their own…

…and the flowers are simple to make, are a great way to use up short lengths of yarn and make a simple but beautiful decoration on a polystyrene ring…

I’ve attached clasps on individual hearts too, they look pretty on a key ring or as a bag charm…

If you like the look of these you might be interested in the current Giveaway on the Planet Penny Face Book Page which is a sample pack of all the Planet Penny Cotton yarns with a crochet hook and the Hearts and Flowers Garland Pattern. It’s running until tomorrow morning so you still have time to join in!

I’ll leave you with the usual link to Handmade Harbour where there is a special Handmade Monday Linky running to celebrate the 100th Handmade Monday post. There will be lots of goodies to win during the week too, so do pay a visit and find out all about it.

Wherever you are, have a lovely week, and I’ll be back soon…x

Birthday, Butterfly and Blanket!

Well, that was the first Sunday without a post for months and months, but I had an excuse, my sister had a ‘Big Birthday’ celebration! By the time I got home it was rather late, so I sat in front of ‘Blandings’ and digested my slice of birthday cake, rather like the Empress!

Empress of Blandings

Having just come back from Weight Watchers I find I’m well on the way to looking a lot like the Empress after Christmas (too many Frangipane Mince Pies!) so no more cake for me for a while!

One of my sister’s birthday presents was a beautiful scarf, knitted by a fellow member of our Knit and Stitch group in gorgeous Noro yarn, but guess who forgot to photograph it? Sorry! But it did look pretty wrapped up…

It was my first chance to use my lace effect sticky tape, which is lovely!

And aren’t these pink tulips cheery?

Today is my first day properly ‘back at work’ after a week of organising and catching up after the rather manic month of December so I hope to get my blogging rhythm back very soon. Tim goes back to work too tomorrow and will be away for his usual two weeks so meals will be simpler (and Weight Watcher approved) less wine will flow (!) and I will be spending more time on Planet Penny!

The Planet Penny Crafty Cotton has proved popular so more winding is needed…

…and more Rainbow Mouse Kits are required!

Meanwhile the baby blanket has been progressing slowly in the evenings in front of the fire. Coincidently a friend asked the other day if I could show her how to make a baby blanket in ripple stitch and I was able to whip out mine and say ‘What? Like this?!’ so I will be writing a pattern for it…

It’s really pretty just as it is, but I wanted to add an individual twist …

…and added a weave through the lacy holes…

ripple blanket and crochet bunny - Planet Penny Cotton Club yarn

There are few more ends to weave in, that’s a job for tonight while watching Lewis!

So I’d better get out of the office and back into the studio and get my winding arm whirring, but before I go I want to share a picture of the moon last night. I stepped outside into a clear frosty night and saw the moon as a slender shining crescent but with the rest of the moon clearly visible in the light reflected from the earth. It was beautiful…

My Mother told me later that it was the New Moon with the Old Moon in her arms, which I thought was lovely. Although a little pocket digital is not the right equipment to photograph heavenly bodies you can just about see what I’m getting at…

There’s also an Old Wives Tale about the ‘Moon on her back, rain in her lap’, and that figures!

Be back soon…x

Another Milestone

Hello again…and how have the first few days of January been for you? It’s been very strange not to be on here every day, although I can’t say I’m not glad of the rest! And it’s another milestone. My first post of 2013 and it’s my 400th… This is extraordinary when I think about my bloggy beginnings when I kept thinking ‘I’ve got nothing to say! ‘

Higgins and I went off to the beach this morning for some exercise out of the mud. It was beautiful…

and very quiet…

I don’t know who drew the line in the sand, but Higgins didn’t have any problem crossing it!

I’ve been doing quite a bit of reorganising in the studio after nearly a month of daily making. Creating chaos is one of my specialities and I couldn’t move by Christmas Day. Thank goodness I was able to shut the door on it and have Christmas indoors where there was a space to sit down! Anyway, it’s all right now…

…for a brief moment at least.

I have a new project on the horizon because we are anticipating a new arrival in the family next month. My nephew and his wife are expecting a baby, which is very exciting. (Isn’t it strange how being a Granny is fine, but being a Great Aunt somehow sounds incredibly ancient? Or is that just me?) I have it on good authority (from my sister who was wielding a paintbrush) that the nursery has been decorated in yellow so I’m planning a little baby blanket.

It just so happens that I have the ‘Sunshine’ yarn which replaced the Planet Penny ‘Buttercup’ when it was out of stock. It’s really pretty, but slightly different from the rest of the range because of the variagated shades of yellow and lemon. I’m combining it with some of the Planet Penny ‘Snowdrop’ which I had as a limited amount for the Christmas Crochet Kits to make a ripple blanket with a twist…

This it so far, but you can’t see the twist yet!

I’ve also been playing with the rest of the Planet Penny Cottons because I’ve had enquiries about buying the all the colours, but a smaller amount of each. This still gives plenty of scope for making little toys and bunting etc, any of the patterns on here or for sale on Etsy but less expensively and crucially lighter to post overseas. It’s a bit of a fiddle to weigh and wind but I have two to go on Etsy next week…

Approximately 25gms/62m per ball, 14 balls plus a crochet hook for £20.00. I’d be interested to know what you think. And if you’d like to buy them and can’t find them in the shop, please let me know. Create a demand!

I’m rather missing the snow on the blog now we’ve had to take the decorations down for Twelve Night so I’m having a play with the background I think this one is suitably wintry for January, but I have other plans so watch this space. However, as an eternal optimist and being well into the Spring yellow vibe with my crochet I’d just like to share this photo, taken at the end of my garden this very morning…

…and that’s not wintry at all!

I’ll leave you with a link to the first Handmade Monday of 2013 over on Handmade Harbour where the links will start at 6pm, and I shall get back to my crocheting!

See you soon….x

Advent Calendar – Day Seventeen

It’s Day Seventeen on the Advent Calendar, and a week today it will be Christmas Eve! How are you getting on with the preparations? I spoke to someone today who said she had been into the city Christmas shopping four times since Friday!!! And on one of those day she was there from 10.30am till 4.30pm!!! I feel faint at the thought…Hooray for Handmade and online shopping I say!

As I mentioned last time the Christmas tree went up yesterday. It’s alway lovely finding all the decorations which hark back over the years, a very eclectic mix. That means though that all the little extras I’ve been making fit in very well, and also this gorgeous stocking I bought at the Christmas Fair on Saturday…

Today’s make for the Advent Calendar celebrates 2012 on Planet Penny, the Year of the Mouse!

There have been quite few mice running around what with one thing and another, from the Wedding mice from this post…

…to the Rainbow Mice Clock…

What I’ve found so great about the mouse patterns is the versatility. It came into being because I wanted to use the Planet Penny Yarn, but as I wrote in this post, just changing the yarn and the hook means you can have a mouse for any occasion!!

So while the larger mouse pattern is perfect for making a squidgy soft toy made in chunky yarn with embroidered features, just right for peeking out of a stocking…

The tiny mice from the Mini Mice Fridge Magnet Pattern, made with a fine hook and embroidery thread look so sweet peeking out among the branches on the Christmas tree…

…so much kinder on the teeth than the sugar variety!

There must be many a pampered pussy cat which would love a fat mouse stuffed with dried cat mint on Christmas Morning, and the tiny ones fit on hair slides, brooches and if you’re really game for a laugh, earrings!

I must head back into the house now and try and get the rest of the Christmas cards written as tomorrow is the last day for 2nd Class post…eeek!

…but I shall be back tomorrow…x

Advent Calendar – Day Thirteen

It’s Day Thirteen on the Advent Calendar and we’ve just come cantering back from a frosty sunny walk…

Higgins is tucked up in his little bed by the studio heater sleeping off his rushing around and I have some peace and quiet to write this post.

I’ve been decorating a new set of fairy lights. I have several sets which I bought half price after last Christmas which run on batteries and I’ve been pleased how long the batteries last with the little LED bulbs.

I’ve made little flowery covers before using wool, but this time I’ve gone for the Rainbow brights of the Planet Penny cotton and it’s worked really well…

My little wire tree has come in useful for displaying them now all the robins have flown!

These would look very pretty twisted round a greenery wreath with the battery pack wired to the back out of sight, draped across the top of a dresser or round a mirror, even across the top the headboard of a bed.

I’ve just started another version, this time all in white…

The flowers are made using the ‘Magic Circle’ method, you’ll find a tutorial here, and the tails are left long to wrap and knot the flower on to each little bulb. You’ll find the tutorial for the Crochet Fairy Lights just here. It’s a great way of using up oddments of yarn and thread as each little flower uses such a short length. I made the rainbow ones with yellow centres, but as you can see they look just as pretty all one colour.

I hope this has inspired you, it might have even inspired non crocheters to have some lessons! I’ve toyed with the idea of making some to sell but it’s not going to happen this side of Christmas, and I’ve no idea if battery sizes are the same internationally. If you are better infornmed than me, I’d love to know!

I’ll be back tomorrow!

Chilling out on Planet Penny

Brrrr, it’s sooo cold! I’m ensconced in my little Planet Penny office wearing my Boneyard scarf…

wrapped several times round my neck, the pink version of the wrist warmers and with a cup of hot lemon and ginger tea to hand. Apart from the miserable weather a lot of it is to do with sitting still too much, needlefelting, crocheting and winding wool, or tapping on a keyboard does not generate enough heat! Tim’s on dog walking duty while I finalise the craft fair bits and pieces, so at least he and Higgins are getting proper exercise.

The needlefelting? Well it’s robins as usual! I think I’ve got enough now to be going on with. My latest version, and I think my favourite, is attached to a wool covered crocodile clip which means it can be clipped on the branches of a Christmas tree, or a pot plant…

…he’s got a little button heart in his beak…

The crocheting, well I’ve made some tiny bunting, it’s great for using up left over Planet Penny cotton and would look lovely strung on shelves or a dresser. For the moment I’ve just added it to my bunting and garland collection in the studio add a little colourfulness against the gloom…

The winding has been for more rainbow mouse kits (this can be done in front of the fire watching Strictly Come Dancing so I did manage to thaw out a bit!)

And the tapping away on the computer was for my first proper book review which, if you missed it, is here. It’s worth a look, it’s a fabulous book.

Finally, with Halloween around the corner, Higgins had a go at pumpkin carving yesterday. When I came in with one to turn into pumpkin soup, Higgins when wild with excitement, convinced it was a football, just for him.

When I put down for him to check it out he made a huge effort to get his teeth in it…

But the disaster came when he finally managed to get it to roll. It rumbled across the floor, hit a small table on which Tim had just placed a fresh cup of tea and knocked it flying, soaking poor Henry who was just passing. What a good thing Henry has thick fur, just his dignity was hurt!

He managed to make quite an impression on the pumpkin before being bribed away with a doggy treat so I could hide it in the pantry! (I now have a lot of soup, a lot of frozen pumpkin, and I still have half left. I wonder if I can chop it up with dog food? And this was a small one!)

So for now I’ll leave you with the usual link to Handmade Monday and get back to work. If you’re in Norfolk on Wednesday it would be lovely to see you at How Hill for the Craft Fair but if not, I’ll be back soon…x