made for you: dishcloths

With the school holidays here, and some beautiful winter days, it is easy to get the necessary work done in the morning knowing we don't have any pressures and can relax and enjoy family time. Thankfully the flu bug was limited to one child, and we can carry on with enjoying the second week together.

The first week I kept myself busy trying my hand at 100% cotton dishcloths.

the dishcloth above was from this blog.

We even fitted on a flying visit to see a new brand nephew and catchup with my aging grandparents in Albany. This requires sitting in the car for a total of 8hrs, so another two dishcloths were also completed.

 The white and cream ones were based on two squares from the krista throw. A good way to practice different techniques.

 I used double strand of 4ply crochet cotton.

All wrapped as a gift.

This second week we have a few things organised with a little-miss crochet group evening (post will follow after the event!), but mainly just staying home, and enjoying crafts, warm milos, the activity desk, lego and our new family companion, oh and some housework thrown in too...

L.

made for you: promised hat

Today I share with you a hat that was promised to a miss way back in September 2011. It slipped my mind, untill the other week, and seeing it is winter, I thought I had to get it made and passed on.

Fairly quick to make up and uses front post stitches. Not everyones choice of stitches, but I actually enjoyed practising this stitch and the knotty look it gives.

Finished this morning, and awaiting pick-up.

Pattern is purchased from Craftsy.com.

L.

made for you: jojo-bag

With the towel loads all done, house in order, and girls playing happily with playdough, I thought I would share this little bag that I have finished this past week, with you.

 It was a special order from a friend for her daughter, to match her sunday outfit

 a flower to make the bag extra girly

 I opted for these leather handles from a patchwork shop as the bag is intended to carry a Book and girly things, and I didn't want crochet handles to stretch from the weight.

I also lined it with a fat quarter to stop small things falling thru the holes and stop the crochet from stretching, and stitched to the top row of dc with invisible thread on the sewing machine.

An easy in and out bag, no fiddly buttons or zippers for little hands.

Time to enjoy a cofee with my 'dinner' that has been made for me with little hands and playdough.

L.

made for you: winter cowl

This beautiful winter cowl was made from a nice wool, following a very basic pattern, inspired by this warm and toasty cowl by Jo-Ellen. I modified it a bit, but I guess that is what I like most about crocheting, is that you can improvise. Change to suit. Add colour.

And this particular Cowl took no thinking along crocheting terms. So it left me plenty of time to think about other things. And think I did.

Thinking a lot actually, especially while I was busy with this project, and when it was quiet in the house.

I thought

...while I was hooking it over a morning coffee,

...over a milo at night,

...5 mins here while the veggies are boiling and all is quiet with busy readers in the lounge,

...in the school pickup carpark at the end of the day,

...and late in bed when sleep doesn't wish to come upon me

...for the lovely sister in Christ (who is the recipient of this Cowl) and her family

 ...and how trully blessed we really are...

...and for the individual personallity of the children we have been blessed with (even though they can be challenging)...

...for the good health that we have all been granted...

...and thinking how much we need to be thankful for, each day again...
and the list just grows!

Hoping this Cowl brings some warmth, these cooler winter days. Seeing this was such an easy one to make, I have purchased some more wool for one myself. (more thinking time with the holidays approaching I am going to need something for those quiet-time moments I can do with out following instructions with the extra voices in the house!)

Speaking of holidays, I am having a 'little-miss crochet group' session with my eldest and two friends that would love to learn. All three are 9. Should be fun.

Wishing you all a good week, and enjoyable school holidays.

L.

Happy Snap

Today I received a gorgeous photo of one happy little dolly with her Shell Stitch beanie and scarf from a couple of posts back.

Glad to see if fits well, the scarf is living up to its job

and being 2 is just as much fun as being 1!

As for some WIP, I am currently busy working on a granny stripe bag for her older sister. Post coming soon.

L.

books

The other week I was (unnecessarily) spoilt.

Apart from my favourite handcream and slimming chocolates, there were two great books included:

For a dog loving family, the ami ami dogs are too cute and favourite ones have been requested to be made. And then a crochet flowers book: from carnations to poppies, there is a nice selection of twenty different flowers, that can be added to any crochet project for a feminine touch.

And then the other week while I was at the post office (they often have good books on sale), I came across this handy book by DK, all 400 pages of it:

Detailed explanations of knitting, embroidery, needlecraft, quilting,crochet, applique and patchwork. Hopefully this book gets lots of use over the next years with the girls loving craft.

With my crochet book shelf growing and the internet also providing endless inspiration, I really don't have any excuse to have idle hands now do I?

I still have my eyes on the 200 crochet squares by Jan Eaton though...

For those of my readers that have been to our place, we love books. All our children thrive on books, if they are quiet they will be somewhere with a book.
Any book.
And yes, we are in need of more book space...

L.

bouncing balls

...another WIP...

thanks Ravelry

Krista Throw block catch-up:

Block 17:

 Block 18:

a nice improvisation to the granny square!

 Block 19:

Extra block titled:  Frustration Ended

Six more Fridays to go...

Looking foward to joining all these blocks together.

L.

made for you: playdough

winter weather outside.
groceries (and ingredients) bought and packed away.
promises made, must be kept.

with only one little pot in the house of playdough and when split between two children, it doesn'g go very far. this is what kept our six hands busy one morning last week.

following a simple recipe:

1 cup of plain flour
1/2 cup of salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup of boiling water
1 tablespoon oil
food colouring

combine all dry ingredients first. then add the water, oil and food colouring. stir well.

 

kept them amused all afternoon... 

while I got to clean up the mess :)

Oh, and one of the containers is for a gift.

Crochet post next time...

L.

shell stitch beanie

A gift for a two year old girl:

Shell stich beanie from dainty daisy, in 12ply with a flower from our Krist Block 2. The scarf is similar to the one I made a little while ago for Kimberley but with only one keyhole for easy-staying for an active toddler. 

The one above is my own version.

Click here for link to original scarf pattern.

Ready for these cold mornings we are having.

Hexagon Bag completed!

After many hours crocheting, and nearly as many sewing, the Hexagon bag from Craft Passion is completed, all ready for our Little Miss to turn 5.

All done! Now for some WIP photos:

All these loose ends... No end-burying-fairy around.

Hexagons being blocked.

Hexagons all blocked, nice and flat to work with for joining.

Hexagons joined together in rows. The fun part was the next bit of joining, all the hips and valleys.

Lining and quilting fabric all ready to go.

Machine quilted. Must say I missed my walking foot, which happened to break some months ago, and superglue just wouldn't hold it. :(

Quilted bag taken shape.

Quilted lining all complete.

RS together, ready to be stitched.

The right-side out of the lining. Even a pocket included in the lining!

I didn't take enough seam allowance off the lining bag so it was a little on the tall side for the crocheted bag once it was placed inside. A fellow crocheter suggested I do sc (dc) all the way around for a extra bit of height. I added on two rows of sc (dc) and now the lining fits snug inside the bag.

Two bags, ready to be joined together.

I added a snap-stud instead of magnets

Handstitching the two bags together with invisible-thread. Half way around.

As with all my crocheting, it is left next to my chair and worked on in the lounge with the family all around. They have sort of given up asking what I am making or who for. So it took for this long before just the otherday, she picked it up and said "Mum, this would make a nice Sunday bag for me"...

yay, all done and final bag shared with you!

Now to put away in cupboard till July.

I have more projects currently on the way. I will share these and my last few blocks for the krista throw shortly.

L.

block 16 - Krista Throw

And block 16, hot off the blocking board. Completed on a 4hour road trip after a long weekend spent away.

It really looks better now that it has been blocked and the lacey work has been pulled out a bit.

As for my Hexagon bag, it is coming along nicely. Updated WIP post coming soon.
Enjoy your week.
L.

block 15 - Krista Throw

Oops, a late post. I forgot to put up Block 15. So here it is. Another Flower block, so it follows the colouring of my previous Flower blocks.

L.