Winter chilling.

Winter has set in here (last night was the Winter Solstice) and the days are chilly, which means more time inside and, hence, more crochet-time :)

Here are some of my latest projects:

A lap blanket for someone very special to me (the mum I would have chosen had I had a choice).
Made with three cakes of  yarn in Turkish Delight (Caron Cakes), Sea, Sand, Sky (Portacraft Ice Cream) and Ocean Swirl (Portacraft Ice Cream).

I used an 8mm hook and the border was done in linen stitch.

I'm currently working on a patchwork Four Seasons' blanket (which I will detail in another post) and decided to make a cushion to go with it, using four of the colours from each season's palette.
From left to right, vertically - Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.
I hadn't chosen the Spring palette when I decided to do this, so the colours are just four colours I liked that I will incorporate into my palette when I finally do get around to making the colour choices.

The other side of the cushion, with the seasonal colours going horizontally this time - Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.
I did a border of trebles (U.K. terms) and then used four red buttons, purchased from a local op. shop, to close the cover (you can see them in the first cushion photo).

One of my "big" projects is this blanket that I call my "Buttercream blanket" (so named because I used Caron Cakes Buttercream for the main body).
6.5mm hook and the stitch is called blanket stitch (it's wonderful for blankets as it's such a lovely texture and the lack of "holes" means it's warm).

Another look at this yummy blanket, in better lighting.

Squishy and soft and so comforting.

A close up of the border:
I did the spot-on edging pattern from Lucy of Attic 24 (here)
The "spot" row (R2) was done in Portacraft Ice Cream yarn in Purple Haze (yes, it's pink, I know. Personally, I think I would have called the colour Strawberry Parfait or some such, but that's me.) 😊

This blanket was a present for my baby girl, who loves it and has since "requested" another blanket in a different cake yarn! (I'm partway through that one as I write.)

Finally, a photo of the Winter Solstice sky here in my home town.


Take care, everyone, and stay warm (or cool, if you're in the Northern hemisphere - though, going by the cricket, that's not a problem in some places!)

Seashells in dune colours

Lucy from Attic 24 blogged about her latest blanket design a few weeks ago (here) and I decided to give it a go.
I loved her colour choice but my preference was for thicker stripes so I decided to make each stripe twice as wide as the pattern suggested.
As well, I wanted to follow a more ordered, flow-on colour choice than Lucy's random pattern and, true to her lovely, thoughtful form, Lucy had anticipated this and also listed her chosen colours in a colourwash palette - which I followed.
And hereunder is my dune blanket:

If you read the Attic 24 post above you will see why it's called the seashell stripe and in dune colours (Lucy's post is worth reading, trust me 😊).

Here's a close-up of the seashell stripe pattern and the scrumptious colours (I love, love, love these colours).

The border: I used the spot-on edging from the blog post in five of the blanket colours (which I'll detail at the bottom of this post).

A photo showing the blanket folded and looking soft and squishy! I used a larger than suggested hook size as I've found this seems to make the blankets feel softer and I am all for soft blankets 💖

My "Blankie Basket" is slowly being filled.

An outside shot in the glowing Autumn sunshine.

From a distance it's easier to see the beautiful flow of colour along this blanket; it's just gorgeous!

Now, on to the material details (for anyone interested) -

I used a variety of 8 ply acrylic yarn in the following brands:

Stylecraft, 4 Seasons, Porta Craft and Panda.

Colours:

Storm Blue, Laguna, Mintox, Sage, Mocha, Camel, Fawn, Parchment, Pink, Fuzzy Wuzzy, Light Mauve, Parma Violet, Silver Grey, Duck Egg, Denim.

Border Colours:

Light Mauve, Camel, Mintox, Pink, Storm Blue.

6.5mm Boye hook used throughout (larger than suggested for these yarns but, as I said above, it seems to make the blankets softer if you go up a size or two - personal preference is the best guide).

It's a toss up as to whether this blanket, or my patchwork blanket (see here), is my current favourite blanket. Winter is on the way here so I'll get lots of opportunities to test out both!

Shalom and God bless

A secret garden

I haven't been in the best of health lately but an upside to this is that I've been able to finish some crochet projects - namely some blankets :)

The first one was a present for my youngest girl and I made it with the thought in mind that it had to be bordered in that particular blue, which she loves.
I wanted it to be a lap blanket or one that goes on top of her bed for decorative effect.

I chose five colours for the flower:
Bottle Green
Aqua
Mintox
Taupe
Wheat

All except wheat are from the Porta Craft acrylic 8 ply yarn range and the wheat is an 8 ply acrylic yarn from Textile Traders (their bricks and mortar stores no longer exist)

I chose two colours for the squared-off border:
Fawn
Hot Blue

Both these colours are Porta Craft 8 ply acrylic

The flower part pattern of this one above is called "Secret Garden" flower and is from this blog: https://www.dadasplace.com/2015/10/secret-garden-shawl-free-crochet-tutorial.html

I squared it off myself (the first time I've attempted to do so and I was very pleased with the outcome) and then joined each square, using the join-as-you-go method, with the Hot Blue colour.

If anyone would like the square-off pattern please let me know and I will type it up and link it here :)

The border was done in four rows of moss stitch (a.k.a. linen stitch) and then finished off with a row of dc (sc in the U.S.)
Border colours:
Taupe
Aqua
Wheat
Hot Blue (also colour for final dc row).

Here it is displayed on my fancy couch. Only seven colours but I was really pleased with how varied the flowers looked.

More blanket posts to follow!

Time out by the water.

A couple of weeks ago, armed with my current temperature blanket and a newly-arrived letter from a friend, I headed for a local café near the waterfront (the area is one of my favourite places and I tend to head there, for walks, etc., on a regular basis).

I had filled up my loyalty card and so had earned a "freebie" of my favourite indulgent drink.

The harbour from my side window...

...and the view in front of me.
I especially love being here on rainy, blustery days; watching the waves in stormy weather is strangely relaxing.

Letter, crochet and latté: Blissful!

I live in a beautiful part of the world :)

Two kinds of news

This week has been filled with extended family news - some lovely and some sobering.

Our nephew and his wife are having a baby and I decided to try my hand at making a corner-to-corner baby blanket, using a mixture of neutral colours, though I do have some thoughts regarding the gender of the expectant little bundle (because of a dream I had several weeks ago, prior to even knowing of the pregnancy!)
You may be able to spot my subtle "tells" if you look closely (of course I could be wrong but my dream was quite specific and occurred, as I said, before any knowledge of the existence of the precious new life).

I crocheted with double strands of 3, 4 & 6 ply throughout, using mostly Portacraft yarn, and a 5.25 mm hook.
Surprisingly, it only took me two days; corner-to-corner is an amazingly quick pattern to work up;

And here it is...

The colours were chosen at random and I changed colour when I felt like it, hence it's a hodge-podge of stripes. White or cream were always one of the yarn colours and provided a base for the other colours to show through while muting them to a softness that, I think, is essential when making baby items. Baby bits not only need to be soft, they need to look soft.
Of all the colours, my favourite combo when crocheting was the white and Gelato Coffee mix (seen in the bottom right corner and further up the blanket). I loved how the two went together. (Gelato is part of the Portacraft range.)

My "label", very tightly sewn on as a safety precaution.

I love the pattern produced by a C2C stitch; it's unique, and very lovely.

I love photos that show the layers of blankets, hence my including this one!



The other extended family news was, as I said, sobering. One of the extended family has been diagnosed with cancer. I faced that ugly dragon a few years ago (and I'm still here, against all the odds - thank you, Jesus) so this was rather upsetting for us all, bringing back memories of what is ahead for our in-laws.
Feeling rather helpless, I turned to something I know how to do -crochet - and made them a beanie. When I lost my hair I wore a footy beanie and was very glad of it (you've no idea, unless you've been bald, how cold you get when you have no crowning glory to keep your head warm)!
I didn't crochet back then, or I would have probably made myself a truckload of beanies, so, now that I do crochet, I've started someone else's truckload with this one:

Basic, simple, soft, warm (with a removable flower for prettiness, if so desired).

My youngest bairn, also a crocheter, is planning to make a beanie, too. So, the truck is filling up fast!
Prayers for our relative (and their family) would be appreciated.
Hold your loved ones tight; none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.

Shalom :)

Colours of the moor

I recently finished another lap blanket using colours inspired by a blog post from Lucy of Attic 24, showcasing her Moorland Blanket and the beautiful colours chosen (see here).

I decided on the trinity stitch for my blanket (also called bramble, blackberry, raspberry and cluster stitch) and finished it in just over a week. I love this stitch; it's perfect for blankets as it feels quite thick and lush and, once you get the hang of the repeat, it's so easy to work up that you almost feel you could drift away while working on the blanket!

I used mostly Portacraft 8 ply yarn, matching the colours as closely as possible to the Attic 24 equivalents, but did manage to include some Stylecraft Special D.K., thanks to a wonderful new craft shop that's recently opened in my town.

Et voilà 

The lighting is not the best (looks a bit yellowish) but I love the colours of this blanket; they are scrumptious!

A close-up of the border: several rows of linen stitch (a.k.a. moss stitch) finished with a row of small scallops. The colours were chosen from the blanket palette.

Folded and ready for use; another one to add to my Blanket Basket Collection :)





On a different note, one of our grandbabies celebrated a birthday this week so, amongst other gifts, I made them a basket of "food".

A carrot, a banana, broccoli (more like broccolini, considering the size), a gigantic pear (just the way the pattern worked out), a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich and a small carton of milk.
The milk was my own pattern and, while it doesn't look anywhere near as neat as others online, I think it's cute!




I'm trying out some new stitches, practising by making dishcloths and washcloths, and they are looking quite pretty. Stay tuned... 😊

A blanket for a season...

Late last year I "stumbled" across a blog post that featured a truly stunning blanket (see here)
(I say "stumbled" in quotation marks because I don't think it was coincidental. I was meant to find that post at that time.)

I pored over the post, admiring the beauty of the work, to the point where I decided to try my hand at making my own version of the blog lady's Isle of Skye blanket.

I studied the photos on her blog until I felt I had the pattern in my head (helped along by a comment left in the comments' section about spacing) and then I set to work planning my colour scheme and gathering the appropriate yarn.

I decided to use as much scrap yarn as possible and keep to a blue/brown/cream theme, much like the original blanket, but with bolder hues of blues and browns rather than pastel shades.
I scoured op. shops for colours and the correct ply-thickness (8 ply - similar to D.K. in the U.K. or light worsted in the U.S.) and found a bounty of yarns, both wool and acrylic (I didn't mind a mixture).
Some yarns were no bigger than a golf ball but, if I loved the colour, they were included.
Each square in my blanket was only four rows in total so even the smallest balls of yarn seemed to be enough for at least one patch (I only remember one or two where I had to join another yarn before a square was finished.)

I used a 5mm hook, the join-as-you-go method, a border of linen stitch, and completed the project in 10 days - and I loved every minute of it; it was a balm to my soul and carried me through a challenging and difficult period of time.
I called it my "Night Season" blanket and I am deeply attached to it; when I look at it I am not reminded of the situation at that time but of the joy and comfort and deep peace I experienced whilst fashioning each and every stitch. The peace that passes all understanding, as the Bible calls it, encompassed me as I worked on what I later realised was a blessing and a gift from the Giver of all good gifts.

So, here it is, imperfect and not a patch on the original that inspired it, but much loved, nonetheless - my Night Season blanket:

I thought about taking the washing off the line before taking photos but it was only 7am and the dew was still on it!

A close-up of the border and my "button label". I did a linen stitch border but realised afterward that I should have gone up a size in the hook as it is a tight border stitch (lesson learned).

Artfully draped over our chaise longue like it was made for that spot :)

I made it big enough for a lap blanket (unlike the original, which was much larger).

Folded...

 ... or crumpled, the colours just draw me in and hold my gaze.



Did I say how much I love it? (joking!)

It's not going to be a show pony, though, it's going to be put to work, keeping people warm -family and visitors alike!
Life's too short to put away the good things, the lovely things, the expensive things; get them out and use them. Splash beauty everywhere, it's well worth the effort :)