Another Crochet Jacket Finished.

My little furry visitors went home at lunchtime. Although they have been no trouble, apart from Poppy wanting to bark at her own shadow, I didn't get much sleep as they are used to their own house and I am not used to the little pitter patter of their toe nails as they wandered around during the night. Buster arrives tomorrow but he just sleeps when I go to bed apart from wakening me up for a wee around 4am. After that he goes back to sleep again until I get up.

It wasn't just the dogs that kept me awake. I had one of my itchy, restless leg episodes and that prevents me from falling into a deep sleep. It feels like I have ants crawling all over my legs and I just keep moving them involuntarily.

I managed to make this little jacket. It is my own design using the 3 coloured jacket as a guide size. This version if worked bottom edge to shoulders and is joined at the shoulders, the underarms and sides. I like combining lilac with pink and white.

As this jacket and the 3 coloured jacket have come out a bit larger than a young baby size and look a bit on the chunky side I am thinking of making matching turn back beanies to go with these little jackets. I think that they might be more saleable as a set.

I did start a pale coloured granny square last night but it was looking a bit wishy washy. I didn't want to make a strongly coloured blanket this time but the colours that I have are all rather on the pale side to make enough contrast between the colours.

Tonight I might make the beanie hats (if I can stay awake long enough) or start another jacket. I still have to finish off the other older garments that I made a couple of weeks ago. I might do that if I don't do any crochet tonight.

I am making some meatballs in tomato sauce with garlic and onions for my tea. I am going to cook some spaghetti to go with it. Pity that I don't have any mozzarella or Parmesan cheese to top it when it is all cooked.

Finished hats for B

These are the hats that I finished and sent to B. He got them yesterday so I can post them on here now he has seen them. See what I can make with 100 grams of Sirdar Country Style 4ply (plus a few oddments) I finished up with a ball of just a few yards as you can see.
I think that I misunderstood what he wanted though. My instructions were to make a hat that didn't cover his ears which I interpreted to mean a short beanie. He says these are too big so I think he meant more of a skull cap that just sits over the top of his head and not a small hat. He is going to send me a photo of what he means with measurements so I can make one the right size. I did think that the one he chose was a bit girly with the picot edge but made it anyway. I made the others more manly. His mum has finished up with the girly one (bottom photo) so all is not lost.

Last night I decided to make my friend Caroline a chunky mini cardigan as she was coming around today to touch up my roots. I finished it and managed to take photos before she took it home with her so will post those tomorrow. She liked the black crochet cardigan that I made for myself but would like one with shorter sleeves (as on the pattern). I might make her one later but at the moment I don't have any suitable wool to make it, as I think she probably wants it in black, and I have a few projects already in the pipeline that take priority.

Vicky also called around and brought some wool for a shawl. She took Perran's Sweet Pea shawl home and borrowed the way out Boho baby book as I won't be using it for quite a while (if ever). She brought with her the shawl that she has started crocheting ( see Vicky's blog) and the colours are lovely. I can see she is going to be a good crocheter very soon. She has already chosen a pattern from one of her knitting mags that she would like to start one day soon. I will teach the world to crochet one person at a time. I am infiltrating the knitters one at a time and converting them into crocheters! I don't know why crochet is considered to be second class craft by a lot of knitters as it is such a useful craft to learn even if it is only used as edgings and not whole garments. Today's crochet garments are nothing like the hippy granny square waistcoats of the 60's and 70's that gave crochet such a bad name.

I look at the "crochet" jewelry on Flickr. Some of the beaded bracelets and necklaces on there are just so lovely. Just take a look at this lady's work.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roshana29/2500638266/

I unfortunately don't have the manual dexterity ( I have arthritic fat banana carpal tunnel fingers) or the eyesight these days to try to learn anything like that. Big Sigh. I look at the quilts on Ailsa's blog (not Enough time to craft) and would love to make something like those also. If someone hoists the sewing machine on the table for me I can just about manage to sew a straight line these days.

I am still at the starting chain stage of my purple Doris Chan sweater so that may be my crochet for tonight but then again I might just start another shawl. It all depends on how riveting the TV is tonight as I have to really concentrate on the "raglan" start to Doris's patterns. One wrong move and it throws the whole balance of the "raglans" out. The stitch markers have a habit of springing out of thick crochet which doesn't help until the pattern is well established.

I love having company as it is such a nice change to spending the day alone as I usually do. My son and daughter in law may call around this afternoon and possibly walk Buster which will be great for him as he really doesn't get walked as often or as long as he should and he is tending to put a wee bit of weight on ( like me !)