made for you: a love note

The heading of my blog says 'made for you'.

While majority of the things I share on my blog are from my crocheting hobby, here is one handmade item I made yesterday afternoon.

Every now and again I put a chocolate or a small note in the kids lunch box. Here was yesterday's effort.

It was simple.
And the recipients loved it.

This is the remnants of the eaten banana - saved and taken home in a plastic lunch bag.

The other banana that was too good to eat!

Take a sharp instrument, I used a skewer, and gently scratch in your message or picture but not too hard that it splits the peel. Put banana aside and place in lunchbox the next morning. The message will become blacker with age.

One item that I made, can't be kept, but will be repeated!

Hope you are all having a good week.

L.

Hexagons WIP

They are getting there... I just have too many WIPs on the go...

20 hex's made, 8 to go. Centre cirles already made.

2 squares made, 2 to go.

And July is creeping up fast.

Here is the link to the hexagon bag in a previous post.

Sure I had a hex-eating-child the other day. I am sure I had finished 18, but after a catchup snooze the other day, my hex's had made their way onto the lounge floor and there were only 15. But I was told, "no mum, I haven't hid any of them, and nor Nadia". I guess time will tell if they show up in some inconspicuous spot...

(they do very well and not touching my hooks, patterns, yarn and crochet projects in general, even if it is right at their little hands height, in the lounge. She was just trying to count how many I had done ... )

L.

block 14

Block 14 now completed too. Granny square with a difference.
I first had to layout all the other blocks so I could decide what colours to use, and also try to show the pattern thru using the colours. When I had all the blocks laid out, I realised I haven't used much white even though this was a chosen colour for the square. There were a few blocks with it, but it needed more.

So this is what I came up with. Must say I did have to Frog-it a few times, but it was my own silly fault (and I realised at the end of it, I had done it right the first time...!)

L.

block 13

Yay, block 13 is complete and blocked over the weekend. (it is square, I just can't seem to take square photos). Another nice flower one to add a bit of 3D to the throw.

I am a bit dissapointed, it does not show the true colour of the plum. This time it has really thrown it out as maroon. :(

Here is block 13 with a couple of the other flower blocks completed so far. I have kept them all with a plum flower, cream center and thick grey border with the other blocks all being random choice. Looking forward to getting it all joined together at the end. Every now and then I lay out all the blocks so far and try and picture it all finished. Only another 9 weeks to go...

And block 14 was released on Friday, and I haven't done any more then print it off... The way my week is looking, it might just stay that way for a bit longer too. :(

Feel free to leave comments too. Love to know who my readers are out there in this big wide world!

Enjoy your week.

L.

rainbow

This past weeks challenge: with time running out till my little niece turns 2, and to find something that can be sent via airmail...

After a bright idea from my sister, my hook came out earlier this week and after looking at my stash of yarn,

and with 10 mins spare at school pickup waiting patienly for the children,

and 10 mins with a cup of coffee here and there,

(this above photo shows true colours.)

and when the house is quiet after the children have all dozed off to la-la land in the evening

and inspiration from my new crochet borders book

here is a little dolls rainbow blanket headed to miss happy birthday.

Knowing how much enjoyment my young girls get from a zigzag crochet dolls blanket made by my grandmother a few years okay, I know her little dolly will be put to bed under a cozy blanket.

And consequently my Block 13 isn't finished, and Block 14 was released this morning...

L.

Afghan WIP

Remember I started the Afghan Ripple Blanket CAL?
Here are the WIP photos of those that joined in:

Renae:  Vernon,  BC, Canada:

Denise: Albany, WA,  Australia:

Natalie: Perth, WA, Australia:

Leanne: Perth, WA, Australia: 

They all look great! Amazing how just from using different coloured yarns, the Afghan can have a complete different look!

Well done girls, who is going to be finished first?

keyhole scarf

After finally being successful in finding a sunday outfit for my 9YOD, I have just finished a keyhole scarf to go with it for the winter months.

** not being modeled with her sunday outfit **

I searched Ravelry for one, and this one struck me. Its not too long and the keyhole helps the scarf stay in place. As the pattern was for a toddler, I did modify it to make it slightly longer and wider. The pattern called for the hdc to be worked in the back loops only to give it a ribbed look, but I opted just to do rows of normal hdc resulting in a flatter scarf. The picots on the edge just finish an otherwise plain scarf.

L.

Block 12

Last Friday's block 12 is completed:

If you look closely you can see the trebles going up and down and across. Another nice solid block to join in between the others. The photo below shows you how the rows are worked. Not around, not horizontal but on the diagonal!

Half way thru, my yarn ( I was getting to the end of my skein) was in a rather nasty mess. Wanting to just finish my block, I started using a new skein of the same colour, only to realise later when I was looking at the above photo that it was totally different! :( So I had a job to perservere and untangle the mess to finish off the square.

Thankfully this will be the only solid plum coloured square in the throw. I aim to have a solid block of each colour I am using in between the multlicoloured squares. I have kept this colour for highlights throughout the other squares. Hopefully we won't notice the slight colour change in the other squares.

**Since writing and posting this post I have managed to purchase some more of my original plum colour. At least now they will be all out of the same plum, and I won't be looking at that mistake, even if its only slightly noticable, for years to come.**
Putting that aside, I enjoyed this square, again learning a new stitch and can see myself one day making a baby blanket using this feature stitch. Also looks effective changing colours at the beginning of each diagonal row. Check out Becs Krista Throw block 12 here.

L

a new book

Friday night we were treated to in-house babysitters for dinner time with the children, and we were able to go out to Perth City for dinner and walk through (late night trading) while dodging the raindrops. Bookstores are always a good place to stop, and after looking for a book on crocheted squares and coming across nothing, I did find this little treasure, which I am sure I will get plenty of use out of.

Crochet Borders. 150 of them!

All written in patterns and charts. Each round is done in a different colour to help see the various rounds.

Just a sneak peak at some of them

Now to find a suitable one for the Krista Throw and the afghan when they are finished!

Wishing you a good and enjoyable week. Back with more crocheting later.

L.

ends

What do you do with all the ends that you cut off? Someone in our crochet group shared this photo the other day, for birds to come and gather and make a colourful nest.

While I think this would be a nice idea and would certainly add colour and softness to their nests, my kids also have ideas of their own:

All mine go into a jar on the craft shelf,

even a haircut to make the hair the same length :)

the end result:

...with our native plants thriving and bringing birdlife to our suburban backyard, I am still tempted to get a hanging wire cage for the birds too. I'm sure the kids will share.

L.