Ripples

Thank you to all you lovely people who took the time to give me advice regarding the back of my granny square cushion,  As this is my first cushion I am going to keep it simple, so I have decided on a large granny square. I am just going to stitch  the two sides together and not bother with an opening this time,  the recipient will just have to keep it clean!!

I have also made a start on my next project, a ripple blanket, using some of the same colours from the cushion, as the blanket is going to the same person.



I've also had a go at another hat this week,  this was supposed to be another slouchy hat but I obviously went very wrong some where along the way, it's more like a beret.



As you can see, I have a new model this week, the lovely Isla-Rose, she wasn't to impressed with having the hat on, she was more interested in watching cbeebies.  Lucie was to busy to model today as she had football training and then a ballet class with only 15 minutes inbetween to get changed, clean off the mud, put on a leotard , hair in a bun and then I drive like a lunatic to get her there in time.

I always said I wasn't going to be one of those mums whose life was taken over with after school clubs, but I am afraid to say we only have Friday nights that are club free.

 

Anyway back to the hat, I love the pattern it's just the size that's not quite right, so I'll give it another go with a different hook and maybe a few more increases to see if that will make it more slouchy. You can find the pattern here.

The back of the hat looks like this...

Hopefully I will be able to show you my completed cushion on my next post. One last question has anybody else had any problems loading photos on to blogger????? Maybe it's my  laptop.

Speak soon xx

What about the back?



I have finished the front of my granny cushion and I am really pleased with it, but as this is the first cushion I have done I am unsure as what to do with the back.

Do I sew it on to another ready made cushion, should I crochet a back, plain or patterned?

Should it involve some sort of opening ?  Do I make the back as a separate piece and sew it on after or can I join it to the cushion as I go along???

Please help!!

I really want to get this finished as I am itching to make a ripple blanket in the same colours to go with it, so worried about ruining the front if I get this wrong.



Speak soon xx

Weekend in Venice

It's been a while since my last post and that's because I have been lucky enough to spend three days in Venice, it was fantastic!!!

I went with my lovely hubby, my closest friend and her hubby, yes you have read that right, a child free weekend!





It was postcard perfect, a photo opportunity around every corner.

We took a boat over to the beautiful islands of Murano and Burano.  The colours were breathtaking, a feast for the eyes.



I fell in love with these wonderful glass flowers, this is the sort of gardening I could manage.





I have the travel bug now and began thinking about my next trip whilst on the plane home, Florence, Bruges, Dubrovnik or Marrakesh?? Any recommendations will be gratefully received.

As well as being lucky enough to have a trip to Venice, I was also  the lucky winner of  Lilies and Daisies giveaway. I received a beautiful bracelet on Thursday morning, just in time for me to take to Venice.



I mentioned in my last post about attending a knit and natter group at my newly discovered wool shop, so I popped in on Thursday morning and loved it.  I managed to sit and crochet for two whole hours without any distraction from children or that feeling you get when you sit down and notice the dust sitting on the top of the t.v .

It was so nice to chat to the other lovely ladies, drink coffee and eat cakes, I will definitely be going back this week.

I'm working on some squares at the moment for a cushion as a gift for Christmas, so with two hours uninterrupted crocheting this is how far I have got.



Thank you for the lovely comments about Lucie's hat, you can find the pattern here.

Speak again soon xx

Crochet Buttons

I haven't managed to get much crafting done this week, I have been trying to catch up on little jobs that I have neglected to do during the summer holidays as well as two mother and toddler groups and a wiggle and giggle baby singing class.
With today being National crochet day I was determined to get the hook out, I waited until Isla-Rose had her nap, I knew I didn't have long and would only get something small done so I decided to freshen up last years winter coat with some funky chunky crochet buttons.                                                           

                                                             
I'm really pleased with them, the coat is off to the dry cleaners on Monday and then I shall sew them on and post some piccies of the finished coat.
I am definitely going to need a matching hat and scarf .

I have managed to do a little Christmas project this week,  I have made my jars of chutney all pretty.

     I have discovered a wonderful yarn shop very close to where I live. The shop has been there years and was very old and tatty, but has now been taken over by a new owner and it's wonderful,  I was like a child in a sweet shop,  I could have spent hours in there but the hubby was outside waiting in the car with three bored children on what was quite a hot day. I managed to grab a leaflet from the counter about a meet up on Thursday mornings at the shop, I just need to take whatever I am working on and I will be supplied with coffee and cake and yarn loving people to natter with, sounds good I will let you know how I get on.
The shop's called "Knitworking" it's in Nottingham it doesn't have a website yet but can be found on Ravelry as knitworking.
Speak soon x

Tomato crisis

I came home from a wonderful weekend away camping with family and friends to find this happening to my tomatoes.  What on earth is wrong with them? 
The cherry and plum tomatoes are fine, but my poor beef tomatoes are splitting their skins.
It seemed a shame to waste them, so hubby set to work in the kitchen to turn my poor poor tommys into some delicious green tomato and red onion chutney.
A huge batch was made, so there was plenty to put into little jars for Christmas presents, I just need  to decorate the lids with some pretty fabric and string and label the jars.

Green tomato chutney

500g green tomato

500g red onions

250g molasses or dark brown sugar

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground green cardamom

500ml malt vinegar

Roughly chop all ingredients and place in a large pan.

Bring to the boil and then turn down heat.

Simmer for about an hour and a half until reduced to a thick pulp.

Leave to cool and then transfer to jars.

Whilst the hubby was busy in the kitchen I took myself off outside with a ball of wool and a hook, sat in the sun and made Lucie a hat.

Autumn is definitely on the way and the time has come to start on the hats and scarfs and possibly a new blanket if time allows.

 

Lucie got a little carried away with the whole modelling thing.

Speak soon x

My First Award

My first award!!

Look what I have got my very first award, I am pleased to bits with it.

To receive this award there are 3 things I have to do, so here goes, I hope I get this right.

1. 
   
   Say a big thank you to the person who sent you the award, so thank you very much Pink Fluffy Warrior you made my day.
2. 
   
   Reveal 7 interesting facts about yourself, this could prove tricky as I'm not that interesting.

• 
  
    I have a very sweet  tooth, chocolate is my all time favourite, especially Green and Blacks dark chocolate with cherry's.
• 
  
  My occupation before I left work to raise Isla-Rose was as a pharmacy dispenser, very far removed from anything crafty I know.
• 
  
  I get very excited about visiting coffee and tea shops.
• 
  
  I love books and have been known to take 6 on a fortnight  holiday and read them all, this was prechildren though.
• 
  
  I played the drums as a teenager and had my own kit in my bedroom.
• 
  
  I'm 5"1 and 3 quarters and that last bit makes all the difference.
• 
  
  I love pigs and would love one as a pet.

3. I now have to pass this award on to 15 more beautiful blogs.

The Ramblings of an everyday mummy

Scented sweetpeas

Flora and Purl

Pink feather paradise

Crochet with Raymond

Kandipandi's pad

Twenty Three Violets

Karens playtime

Rambling with me

Handmade by Charlotte Nash

Virginia Blue

Lilies and Daisies

With love, cupcakes and biscuits

Holding Mummy's hand

Works in progress...

I have had lots of lovely comments about my little blue and white jug that featured in my previous posts, it is beautiful isn't it?  It was a lucky find from a charity shop and cost just a £1.

I thought I would share with you some of my favourite charity shop finds from this year so far, here goes..

                                                                   

                                                                            

My favourite find  (£2.50)

To Pretty to chop on.

I love hunting around charity shops, looking for that little gem.

I have also found the time for a little crochet this week, we have had a new baby born into the family, so had to whip up something cute. Inspired by the Birdie pattern on the lovely Attic 24  I have made a birdie mobile, what do you think??

Speak again soon..... Jacey x