Sunshine And A New Crochet Magazine

It's been a beautiful warm sunny day and the postman brought the latest copy of Inside Crochet so what more could I wish for. The housework got left as we get so few warm days that I was determined to make the best of this one. The cover sweater is Diamond Sweater by Claire Montgomerie and is a finely crocheted filet sweater.I can see it's appeal but it's not for me at my age. Plus the fact that working with a 2.50mm hook and fine thread is beyond the capabilities of my arthritic fingers. I can't get the tension right with fine hooks and yarn these days.



The inside cover shows all the things in the magazine. I have photographed a lot of the things in more detail but as usual have left some things out.



The Woodblocks Cardigan by Linda Permann is a variation of the granny square motif. Instead of being multi coloured these squares are lacy giving a fine summery openwork feel. The squares are quite small so I would have to make 64 squares plus 2 halves for my size.



The Herringbone Sweater by Janet Kuhlmann appeals to me as I do like an aran style sweater for the winter. This looks like it would be a nice warm chunky one for those cold winter days.



Although I rarely make toys I do think that Stan and Minty by Barbara Lawler are just so cute. Sheep with little scarves on. I can think of many children and a few adults who would fall in love with this duo.



Although at my size and age I would not normally consider a crochet dress I think that I could get away with wearing the Pewter Dress by Shannon Mullett Bowlsby. It has a slight bat wing which could be worn over a long sleeved sweater and a pair of trousers and worn as a tunic. It is done in a 4ply yarn with a 3.25mm hook but the stitch is very openwork.



The Hill of Tara shawl by Aoibhe Ni Shuilleabhain appeals to me partly for the colours and the 5 pointed shape. On her blog the designer shows how to make the willow shawl pin. The shawl is on a 4.50mm hook so I think that a variety of variegated wools could be used to make this shawl. This one has been done in Tivoli Ocean but one of the recommendations is Noro Silk Garden.



The Ryan Jacket by Robyn Chachula has an off set zip rather than a central one. The sleeves look a tad short on the child but I am sure that this could be amended although I think that I would put some sort of a rib on it if I were to make it.The body looks a bit short and chopped off to me.



The Tessera Cami by Aoibhe Ni Shuilleabhain is definitely one for the young and slender figured. It is actually laced up the side seams but that can't be seen from the photo.Once again it is done in lacy squares instead of in one piece. This might appeal to my niece if I crocheted slightly wider straps as ribbon soon looks very tatty after a couple of washes.

The sun has been out most of the day but has now gone in so I suppose that I should do some more housework. To be honest I am not big on housework and I soon get discouraged. When I was fit and younger I used to rip through the house like a whirling dervish but times change and I have to move with them. If I won the lottery one of the first things I would get is a weekly cleaner. I don't want a fancy house or a huge car just a few luxuries in life like a cleaner. I am not bothered about a fancy house as I would spend my time away on holiday in the sunshine. I could do a world tour of all of my online friends. Now that would be super. Getting to meet all the people that I exchange ideas with and general chit chat on Ravelry. Plus visiting different LYS all over the world. Now that would be my idea of a great holiday. I wonder if any travel company does a world wide tour of yarn shops, exhibitions, retreats and Craft fairs holiday? Somehow I doubt it.

Lovely Sunny Day

I awoke today to a beautiful sunny day. All thoughts of doing any chores went on hold and I decided that the day was so gorgeous I would spend it with my crochet out in the garden.

I sat there in the sunshine hearing nothing but birdsong and the occasional wuff from my next door neighbour Julie's dogs. Then from a couple of houses away I heard a newborn baby mewing and I thought back to when we first moved here 41 yrs ago as newlyweds. Then it was us who had the mewing baby and we were the young ones of the street. My older neighbours have either passed away, moved to bungalows or sheltered accommodation and now I am one of the oldies on the street. The houses have gradually changed hands and young couples have moved in. We have had 4 new babies born in the last 12 months and I have noticed that both of the new neighbours who moved in this year are expecting. Once again the street will be filled with young children.

When we moved here the couple who were selling the house told us that they were reluctant to sell the house as they loved the location, the sunshine and privacy of the back garden but needed to move to a bungalow. At the time we thought it was just a selling point but came to realise how right they were. After my marriage broke up I fought hard to keep the house even though it was a financial struggle as I love the location also. I am on a street of houses but as you can see from the views from my back and front I am surrounded with greenery and have a woodland just at the end of my street. Everyone who calls remarks on the view from my back rooms. People who have stayed with me have remarked how quiet it is and yet I am only 5 minutes away from a motorway.

Today as I did my crochet in the garden several birds visited me, a few cats and Julie's dogs who made their way through the hedge to visit me. The only raucous noise was a cheeky magpie who strutted his stuff up and down the garden.

I have now done quite a bit of the body of the black Haru and some of one sleeve which I am making full length. I am considering making the bottom of the jacket with bolero type shaping as in the Mei Mei illustrated on the Everyday Crochet book's front cover

Thanks Knitnurd for the tips about the cardboard box for my knee. I slept most of last night but I did waken up almost skewered on one of the legs of the bathroom tidy as I can only fit one leg inside the "cage" Talk about up close and personal it's a good job that the leg has a plastic knob on the end! I think I had better try to search out a box at the grocery store soon.

I love packages in the post

I love packages that come in the post. I was about to write today's blog when the doorbell went and there was 2 packages for me on the doormat. The first was the books I ordered from Amazon with the e vouchers that I earned filling in questionnaires online. I was going to read them in the garden but it seems to be blowing a gale outside even though the sun is shining. I hope this is not the end of the sunshine. I will let you know my thoughts about the books tomorrow.

The second package was not quite as exciting as you can see from the last photo. It is my new mask for my new CPAP machine that I got the other week. I go to bed wearing this every night so now you know why my single status is not about to change anytime soon. Not exactly alluring night time attire is it? I have asked for it in black leather but so far I have had no success and just get boring blue stretch fabric straps.

The other photos are of Charlie's little jacket. Although crochet I hope that it looks suitably boyish. I am going to make a matching beanie with the wool that I have left over. The pattern didn't have one, just odd looking huge mitts which I doubt any baby would ever wear, so I will have to wing him a hat to match.

I have been making some adult beanies for my friend in London and have almost finished them. I will photograph them later. I had intended to photograph my sock wool stash for Ravelry yesterday but the sun distracted me and I sat around crocheting instead. I knew the weather would change soon so I am glad that I didn't do it.

The housework continues to stay undone. I don't care if my house is a little messy. we have so little good weather that I intend to make the most of it. Chores can wait for a dull day. There is only me to please and Buster doesn't care if I don't hoover and dust for a few days.

The wind has dropped a little so I am off into the garden with a coffee to read my new baby books.

Duck billed sockypuss

I managed to finish one sock. Well I think it's a sock. I can't try it on as it's the right foot and I have a strange toe on my right foot. To me it looks like half a twisted sock with a bunch of fat small bananas hanging off the end! I do hope that it fits my niece and that I have the willpower to make the second sock. If these had been for me (never in a million years!) I would have rippppped ages ago but a promise is a promise and so I will persevere. I think it's important to keep a promise, I hate it when people break them to me. If I don't keep a promise it's usually because I have forgotten that I have made it (sign of old age) and not because I have ducked out of it. If I get reminded of said promise then I carry it out as soon as I get reminded.

The stye on my eye is much better, hardly swollen at all but these last 2 days I have got hay fever and now both eyes and my nose are streaming. Not a pretty sight. I only suffer from hay fever for short periods usually at the start of Summer so let's hope that this is a sign that the Summer is here at last. My poor son has horrendous hay fever and suffers the whole Summer, He disappears behind sunglasses and has a hankie permanently attached to his hand. He used to drive for a living and this made it hard as a lot of medication cannot be taken by a driver. He has changed jobs so hopefully this year he can use stronger medication.

I started to crochet a small jacket for Charlie. I found a pattern with a relief treble stitch jacket style with a collar so hopefully it will look suitably boyish. I made myself put it down as I was getting far too happy crocheting last night when I knew I had a sock to finish. I will sock knit for a while tonight with the dangling carrot of treating myself to a bit of Charlie crocheting later.

The house is in need of a good tidy but the sun is shining so I think it's time to say blow the house I am off to my lounger in the garden for an hour or so. The dog is already out there sunbathing on the grass. He is a sun worshipper like most animals and always finds the sunniest spot to recline in. My late cat was the same wherever the sun streamed in you would find Ollie stretched out no matter how bizarre the place.