Crochet Doodles

My Niece called today with the extra ball of wool, that I need to finish off her chunky jacket, and gave me permission to take some time off to crochet as she won't be picking her jacket up until next week. It is my Sister in Law's birthday tomorrow and so my Niece mainly called to pick up the beige cardigan that I have made for her Mum and the card. She thinks that her Mum will like it so that is a huge relief. I am really pleased with the RYC natural silk and as it took 15 balls I am pleased with Kemps for reducing it greatly as had I paid the full price then it would have cost me £75 for the yarn. My Sister in Law does appreciate quality so it was nice to be able to give it to her on this occasion.

I am going to get my niece to browse through my patterns and books and put stickers on styles that she likes and that she thinks that her Mum and Sister will like. That way I can be using up some of my stash and getting ready for the dreaded C nice and early this year instead of the mad gallop that I had last Christmas.

My niece has chosen her next garment. She likes one of Doris Chan's patterns and some Sirdar Silky Look DK that I got from Kemps in the sale. It is what I would call a Dusty Pink. I have accrued way too much yarn for my own personal use so it's nice to spread it around the family as they do appreciate the things that I make providing that they know the style and colour first.

Today I have been doodling about with a bit of black wool. I think that I mentioned before that the Islington Mill, Salford is having a festival with all sorts of things going on and I had promised to make some flowers for the lamposts which are being decorated around the Mill. I hadn't really started, even though I am going there tomorrow, so with my niece's permission I am going to crochet like mad tonight. I started with my rendition of crochet musical notes as we wanted some things not to be so girly. The idea is to put these crocheted things onto pins and so that they can be taken, worn and appreciated rather than just getting wet and dirty for weeks attached to the lamp posts. Roger, a fellow knit club member, is making loads of green stems for around the lamp posts with the idea of pinning flowers, butterflies, spiders, musical notes and other what nots to the stems. Nice idea for brightening up a corner of Salford.

I have lots of ideas of what I would like to make so my crochet hook is poised and ready for action tonight.

Yesterday I made some lovely stew from the leg bone of the lamb that I cooked earlier this week. There was quite a bit of meat on it so I boiled the bone, plus meat, along with some onions and garlic. When the meat was dropping off the bone I took it out and stripped the meat off and discarded the bone. I then added vegetables and it has made a lovely stew. I will eat the rest of it for my dinner tonight. I love to do the same with a chicken. Once it gets to the bits and pieces on the carcass then I boil it up and make stew with that. My Mother would be proud of me. She never wasted anything if she could help it. She would be horrified at the amount of food that gets thrown away these days. Even if there was no meat left on bones she would still boil them up to make stock.

All this food chat has made me hungry so I am off to heat up the rest of the stew and then it's feet up and crochet tonight ready for my trip to the Islington Mill tomorrow.

One More Birthday Present Finished

I finally finished off the Esmee Cardigan by Sarah Francis that was in the Inside Crochet magazine Issue 13. It is not a pattern that I would recommend as had I not been experienced at jiggling about with patterns this would never have been finished. It's not just me who has this opinion. I wish that I had read the comments on Ravelry before I started it. I think that I would have chosen a different pattern had I read them. Considering I made this cardigan in DK instead of 4ply I expected it to come out larger than the pattern and not smaller. Luckily with a lot of wet blocking I am hoping that it will fit my ever shrinking (dieting) niece.



I had to make a much wider button band in an attempt to salvage the too narrow shoulders and too wide back from constantly sliding off the shoulders which seems to be a problem with those crocheters who followed the pattern. The cardigan would have looked much better with a narrower delicate band but at least I have given it stability. The armholes are still tight despite my adding 2 extra rows to each of the body pieces. In hindsight I should have added 4 extra rows and omitted the UK double crochet stitch around the armhole before I started the sleeves, There would have been more stretch if I had done UK trebles or started the sleeve pattern from the very first pattern row. I still might have to dab the armholes with the steam iron for some extra stretch underarm.



I do like the shape of the waistline but had to heavily wet block it to get it to be large enough to fit around my niece.




This is a close up of the pattern stitch which despite blocking does not look as openwork as the photo in the magazine. I am a loose crocheter and was using thicker yarn so I just cannot understand why this has come out so small. I do hope that it fits my niece when she calls to collect it. Thankfully crochet usually does 'give' with a couple of wears and a wash.

Last night I went to the Kings Arms Knit Club. The members are getting involved with some street furniture decoration with the Islington Mill Salford. Roger is making some green i cords to represent the stems and we are going to make crochet or knitted flowers. One of the members is going to show us how she makes leaves with paper next week. It involves paper, wool and a wool needle so I will show you when I have learnt how to make one. I will be in my stash oddment boxes looking for flower colours this week. Thank goodness I sorted them all out into see through storage boxes. At least it will use up some of the small amounts.

Cozy Cover Ups

My third order from Purplelinda turned up today via the normal postman as it was a small package. The second order is still missing but as that is a larger parcel I will probably have to wait longer for that. I am glad that this order has arrived swiftly as it contained the extra balls of Black Diploma DK for my niece's cardigan. It is a different dye lot but very similar in colour so I will knit one sleeve and the collar in one dye lot and the last sleeve in the new dye lot. Differences, however slight, show up if the wool is joined int he middle of a piece of knitting. If the colour difference is slight then no-one notices if a whole sleeve is slightly different.

Along with my order I had chosen the Cozy Cover-Ups leaflet from Lion Brand Yarn. There are 4 crochet wraps and 2 knitted ones.

I like the Santa Fe Wrap on the front cover which is crocheted in a thick yarn. Although I probably would not wear it outdoors I am thinking that it would make a great winter cuddle up for in front of the TV when the temperature drops. I can definitely see myself crocheting that for myself.

The next is the Library Capelet which is knitted but once again in a thick wool. I am not sure if it is meant to be worn whilst reading or if you are posh enough to have your own library. I don't think it means the public library.

The Shaded triangles Wrap is another chunky knitted shawl that is worked in triangles. They are not separate triangles stitched together but stitches are picked up the side of one triangle to make another. Thus the fabric alternates in different directions.

The Perfect Pocketed Shawl is crocheted in chunky but is not a waistcoat as it appears. From reading the pattern it seems to be more of a long scarf with pockets and a collar. The one fault with this booklet is that there are no diagrams to clarify the actual shapes of the wraps.

The Painted Shawl is crocheted in chunky wool and looks like a very quick easy basic shawl pattern to make. Reads as though it is triangular in shape with a shell pattern edging.

The Belle Scarf is crocheted in chunky and it achieves it's curly wurly shape by increasing in every stitch to make it twirl. It is crocheted lengthwise. I have made a similar scarf once before but I gave it away to a raffle as it was too ruffly for me.

I have been to the Islington Mill today with Rachael (Artyarn), Roger and a few others for a Knit Out. There was also a lesson in screen printing T shirts going on in the same room. The Islington Mill is a converted mill (possibly an old cotton mill) that has been converted into separate artists studios but with a central meeting place/bar/cafe. Today I got a goats cheese, red onion and spinach sandwich. They also had leek and potato soup on the menu. All homemade stuff that's why it tastes so good. The Mill has been re-vamped lately and is a good meeting place. There is always something going on there. They have live bands and all kinds of different things.

I did some crochet on a jacket for one of my great grand daughters but I am not sure about the pattern or the wool that I chose. It is looking a bit like an overlarge matinee jacket. I will see what it looks like when finished as to whether I make the second jacket for the other great grand daughter.

The black knitting has now got a back and two fronts and I have stitched part of it together. I can't see to knit the dark colour in the evening even with my craft light and I make too many mistakes so I am knitting anther jacket for my friend Louise's younger boy in the evenings or carrying on with my crochet.It's all go in my house. The crafting never stops!

Hither And Thither

I have been hither and thither over the last couple of days.On Friday the weather was truly awful but I did have to get some shopping in. I took my yellow plastic cape with me and when the heavens opened I looked like a big yellow duck flying down the street on my scooter. Well a 4mph fly that is. One guy said to me isn't the cape supposed to be keeping you dry and not get wrapped around the scooter as well. I didn't want my shopping to get wet so I draped the cape over me and the handles and basket. It worked quite well as apart from the rain on my face I did get home nice and dry.

I was searching through my crochet and knit books and magazines on Friday to find some ornaments to make for the Kings Arms Christmas Tree. My books are a higgeldy piddeldy mess as you can see and really need sorting. I can never get the Crochet Calendars back in their boxes neatly so they finish up in a messy pile as you can see. I didn't even get to look through the 4 boxes of loose patterns and magazines that I have stored. I got fed up after searching every mag and book.

I knitted a Snowman and a Father Christmas but there are no photos as yet as I gave them to Rachael as I didn't have any wadding to stuff them with nor am I much good with a needle when stitching up and embroidering tiny things.

Yesterday I went with Rachael (Artyarn) to the Islington Mill Salford to a knit and crochet session and made a crochet snowflake in silver metallic that turned out more the size of a doily. I have started making some Christmas tree shapes and I will take a photo of them before I give them in at the Kings Arms on Monday night. Rachael is going to embroider some snow on the trees when they are done.

In between all of this I have managed to finish off the back of Eve's jacket and have cast on the first front. Another part of my wool order from Purplelinda arrived on Friday and the new copy of Crochet Today arrived yesterday. The Bamboo cotton is for my niece's mother in law for Christmas.I have another two orders outstanding as I am trying to buy all of my yarns for Christmas projects ready for when I want to start.The Christmas crochet ornament book that I ordered is out of stock so I will have a wait a few days for that to arrive. I was counting on that coming as I have ordered some more metallic yarns for ornaments. I know that there are lots of free patterns on the net but as I don't have a printer at the moment I don't want to have to write them all down or sit in front of the PC crocheting and miss the TV programmes.

Today started off quite sunny and I got my washing ready but by the time the bedding has finished it had gone too dull to hang it out so it's now in the dryer.

Time for a coffee then a quick hoover and dust before I start another crochet Christmas Tree. I want to make a couple more things before I go to the Knit Club tomorrow.

Islington Mill Knit Out

Today I went to the Islington Mill Knit Club. There were not many people there today . Perhaps they heard that I was going ;-) It was still nice to get out and about and near the cafe were some lovely flowers in tubs which I spent a while looking at. It was such a surprise to turn the corner of what is essentially a cobbled mill yard and find an oasis of colour. Hundreds of different coloured flowers in hanging basket and tubs. I wish that I had taken some photos for you to see. The mill is being done up and they have the builders in at the moment.

Some people who usually come to the Knit Club had to work and some were on holiday so I picked a quiet day to go down. I did take the bag of knitted and crocheted baby garments with me as Sylvia's daughter, Kath, was there and she can take them up to her Mum's for me. She will see her Mum next week whereas I won't see her unless I get a taxi up there. Some of the little cardigans I have made will fit the foster baby very soon as he is growing like mad and I didn't want to hold on to them any longer in case they were too small when he got them.

I gave Kath the faulty ball of Violet Green Gossamer and she is going to try to dye over the patches of white and perhaps ply it double as it is spider fine. I would never have made use of it and I don't like things languishing in my stash if I don't think that i am ever going to use them. I would rather pass them on.

I started a small slim crocheted scarf with some wool that Sylvia gave to me and will take a photo of it tomorrow. I think that I am stalling from starting the fine crochet. I am sure that if I get started then I will be OK. I might make a start on winding one of the skeins into a ball tonight so at least I will be part way ready to start crocheting.

I have put a photo of the old jacket pattern that I got the idea of the 3 coloured knitting for the baby jacket. I have also put the pattern stitch there so that you can see the method and perhaps add it to a pattern of your own sometime. It is a great way of using up those odd balls.

Funny sort of day today. One minute the sun comes out and the next minute it is raining. At least it doesn't seem as cold as it was yesterday. Whilst I was in the knit club a big wasp landed on my back and wouldn't fly away. Rachael had to try to bat it off my back when I went outside in the courtyard. It must have been attracted to the flowery top I was wearing and got confused thinking that I was part of the hanging and potted garden outside. Thank goodness I escaped unstung as I have a bad reaction to wasp and bee stings. Not bad enough to carry medication but one time I did finish up in A & E for an injection after a wasp stung my arm a few times. I was carrying washing in from drying outside and the wasp must have been in the folds of the garments.

3 Coloured Jacket Finished

I have finished off the little chunky 3 coloured jacket. It has turned out a bit smaller than the plain blue one that I made before.I think it is because of all the slipped stitches in the pattern. I have probably pulled my stitches tighter than I do with stocking stitch. This time I decided to put a neckband on instead of the hood. I hopefully have enough wool left to make a matching beanie hat tonight. I decided not to put the navy blue, or are they green, buttons on it and went for a pale blue button instead. The wool is very slightly fluffy but it is acrylic brushed so shouldn't irritate a baby's skin. I used 1 ball of each of denim, pale blue and white Wendy Monaco. I have another ball of the denim blue and hopefully enough bits of pale blue and white to make a beanie hat. I will eke it out by making a longer brim in the denim blue and possibly the crown decreases also.

Not sure what I will start tomorrow at the Knit Club. I do so much chatting, especially since I haven't been for a while, so something plain to crochet or knit is on the agenda. I can see another evening spent pattern browsing.I can spend far too long on leafing through my patterns. You would think that by now I know everyone of them off by heart but I do forget what is in the pattern books and magazines. I should have a mammoth browse and then catalogue on line which garments I have liked in which books and that would save me a lot of time. When I am browsing for something in particular I always see the patterns that I meant to make but at the time of browsing I am looking for an entirely different pattern and so I carry on looking and forget all about those patterns until I browse again. I am going to write a list and then it might jog my memory. Knowing me I will lose the list.

I am hopefully going to the Islington Mill, ,Salford tomorrow to the monthly knit/crochet meeting of the Kings Arms/Islington Mill knitters. My niece is otherwise occupied this weekend so I will taxi down there and back. She has promised not to forget me on Monday night to give me a lift to the Kings Arms knit club although she did tell me to remind her on Monday morning this time.

I am still bracing myself to start my fine crochet. I think that I might need a deep breath and a stern talking to myself before I launch myself into it. I have been rather spoiled of late by making baby clothes which are instant crochet fixes and I know that I will have to concentrate like mad on this fine crochet. That is why I am stalling so much from picking up the hook and diving in. It has been such a long time since I crocheted anything so fine so I might need a safety harness!

Back To Normal Again

The sun is shining today although it is a bit weak at times. I have taken the risk of pegging my washing outside on the washing lines so that is usually a guarantee of rain later. As long as I can get a bit of wet blown out from the washing before the rain starts then I will be happy.

Buster has gone home again. Hence all of the washing.I love that dog to bits but he is a rather moulty kind of dog despite his daily brushing. Everything that he touches has to be washed or hoovered. Even my knitting is covered in dog hairs although I do try so hard to keep him away from it. The hair must transfer from my trousers to my knitting. I must be the only person who has to hoover her knitting and crochet.

On Saturday I did manage an hour or so at the Islington Mill with the Kings Arms knitters. I took a taxi there as I had a few things to carry there but came back by public transport. I had a bit of excitement on the tram on the way home. It was packed worse than sardines in a can so it was hardly surprising that it broke down and left us on a station 4 stops from where I wanted to be. We all waited ages for another tram and when it arrived it was a new yellow tram that was as packed as the first tram had been. The new trams have more straps to hang on to but fewer seats. I had to stand all the way home but there was no danger of my falling over as I would have fallen against several people first. I know that I should have taken a taxi home but the first taxi was so expensive that I was trying to save a pound or nine!

I was in quite a bit of pain by the time I got home and didn't sleep well on Saturday night or last night so the knitting didn't progress much. I have managed to finish off a back of the chunky sweater. Mindless stocking stitch was all that I was in the mood for so I haven't even cast on the second piece of the striped sweater. It will get finished eventually. I ordered another ball of the James C Brett chunky as I didn't think that I would have enough with the 3 x 200 gram balls in stash to make this sweater. The way that it is working up I don't think that I will need it now but I can always make a hat or a scarf with the left over ball if I don't need it.

I have included a few more photos from Crochet Today as you can see it has a lot of granny square items, and retro cushions. I have included a close up of the tiara and wand that I spoke about in my last post. I think that even if I don't manage the dress and fairy wings I am definitely going to make the tiara and wand for my great grand daughters.

The sun has gone in so I will have to keep an eye on my washing as I watch Loose Women and eat some lunch. I hope that I get more knitting done today.

Islington Mill

I had a great day out yesterday. I went to a Knit Out at the Islington Mill in Salford with some of the Kings Arms knitters. When we eventually found the mill and how to get into it we sat around on sofas knitting, crocheting and generally having a good old chit chat. Well come on - you know me - never short of a few words. The sun was streaming in through the mill windows and it was lovely and warm. The next project for the knitters, after the raffle, is a SHED jumper. Find out more about that by clicking on my blog title to take you to Artyarns blog.

It felt so good to be confronted with a couple of flights of stairs in the mill and to be able to walk up them without a problem. A few months ago they would have felt like climbing Everest. It is only at times like these that I realise how far I have come in the last couple of months since the op. It feels so good to be almost back to "normal" My knee is 90% better and my back is better with every day that passes. I feel so energised and positive most days.

Also on the Artyarn blog are photos of the finished knitted squares for blanket for the OXFAM appeal that some of the Knitting Noras also helped to work on showing it hanging in the Beluga Bar during the Labour Party conference. Plus photos of some of the knit and crochet street art that Rachael and Sarah have been involved with for the Islington Festival. These photos show the items draped around various signs in Germany whilst Sarah was there on a visit.

Rachael took photos of our Knit Out so no doubt they will appear either on their blog or on Kings Arms Facebook sometime soon.

I finished off a crochet baby cardigan in pink random whilst I was there but gave it to Rachael without taking a photo - typical me so that is one garment that will not be featuring on my Flickr or Ravelry.

The pink curly wurly scarf pictured on here is one that I made from a pattern that Sylvia got for me from Stockport. I didn't have a picture on the pattern so it was a make it and see. It's very nice but not me at all so I will be donating it for the breast Cancer raffle. It took 200 grams of aran and is very easy to make.

Today I am going to try to crochet the squares of Vicky's shawl together. It has languished on my spare bed for far too long. Once I stop in the middle of things I need a good kick to restart again. I have stopped having more than a couple of projects on the go at any one time. These days I usually like to work my way through an item until it is finished. I do admit to always having one knit and one crochet project on the go as it gives my hands a break. I had my carpal tunnel op a couple of years ago due to RSI and so am always conscious of trying to vary my hand and wrist movements if I can.

I am off now to make a coffee and wrestle my wobbly blocking boards downstairs.