Baby Comfort Blankets

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I’ve been working on a number of baby comfort blankets since Bury Show. I had such a lovely response to them that I couldn’t help myself but make up some more. I’m trying different patterns in the granny squares and trying out different ways to edge them together too.

I’ve combined different colours of yarn too. This one is yellow and two shade of pink, with a bunny in the centre. Each square has a different shape in the centre, heart, flower, square and circle.

Baby blankie 2

I then made one to match a blanket I made, using blue and white yarns. This time I added a birdie to the centre, and made plain squares with white square centres.

Blue Bird blankie

I like the birdie so made another in pink with yellow squares and pink borders.

Pink birdie blankie

I really enjoyed making crochet flowers and decided to make another blankie with just flower motifs. This one is white with pink flowers and borders.

PInk flower blankie

Finally I have another pink blanket, this time with alternate heart and flower centres to the squares and a bunny to cuddle.

Pink Bunny blankie

I don’t know which is my favourite. I love them all. They are fully machine washable on a cool wash and certainly kept my knees warm while I was making them.

Which is your favourite?

Happy crafting
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Christmas in September

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Yes, I’m starting to think about Christmas. I know fellow crafters will have started making already, and non-crafters will be thinking I’m crazy. I’ve had my first stocking tree decoration order and I’ve been thinking about adding some different things to my range this year.

With my new love of crochet, I thought I’d try some crochet stockings. I’ve made a few as a trial and I’m after some feedback now. They are a little larger than the knitted ones, so will hold a few sweets or a small gift.

Crochet stockings

They are lovely to make up and I’m going to try with other coloured yarns too. I’m working on one now to which I am going to add a little snowflake design and button. My next project is to try a stripy one.

I’m also going to look for some ‘Frozen’ beads and buttons to add to them as I know my daughter and her friends are crazy about that film.

Back to the needles!

Happy crafting
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Rest In Peace

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Today I have said goodbye to a beloved pet. Bob was 15 years old and a real character. He filled a hole for my Mum and Dad after my brother and I left home and he has been a loving companion.

Suffice it to say we are all very sad and will miss him greatly.

Bob

Rest in Peace Bob
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Great British Bake Off

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In homage to the Great British Bake Off, I decided to do some baking today.

The cupboards were well stocked with chocolate chips and raisins, so it was time to make some scones again.  I used my old recipe and made mixed fruit scones, chocolate and raisin scones and sultana scones.  Plenty to keep us going for while!

Chocolate Raisin Scones

Such a lovely treat after tea!

I can’t wait for bake off now.

Happy crafting
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New knitting shop

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I was driving home from a day out a couple of weeks ago and happened to notice we have a new knitting shop at the bottom of Walmersley Road. Hoorah! It’s so nice to see a new crafty shop not too far from home.

With the end of the holidays looming and my running out of things to do with my little one, I decided a trip down to ‘Debs Cable Knits’ would use up some time and give me the chance to have a browse at all the yarns in stock. We walked the mile and a half, on the promise that we would go to the park on the way home. I wasn’t disappointed. The shop is small, and packed with yarns and handmade soaps. It smells lovely when you walk in.

The owners are very welcoming. We bought a box of soaps and bath fizzers as a present for my friends daughter. We were encouraged to smell everything ( my daughter loved this) and we made up the box with items of our own choice. In addition I had a look at the yarns and could quite happily have spent a small fortune. Great quality. I bought a lovely lilac baby yarn and some cream cotton. I’ve also got my eye on a crochet pattern book.

They are also stocking local makers work, and have offered me the chance to sell some of my knitting and crochet as ell as some of my cards. So I’m going to work on a basket of goodies for them to stock. Hopefully when all are back in school I will be able to get back into some concentrated making.

Lets hope that this shop stays in business and we have a well visited local artisan shop.

Happy crafting
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Birthdays

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Like many families, I have a run of birthdays in certain times of the year. We have loads in January and February and then again in August and September. So the last few weeks I’ve been trying to fit in making some cards for my own use! It’s not always easy finding the time to make cards for us to use as a family, particularly in the Summer holidays. Every time I get some things out to use, my daughter wants to use all the same stuff! Typical I suppose, it doesn’t matter if I gave her some things for her to use, she just wants to do the same as me. It’s starting to get very expensive!!

Anyway, I have a few male birthdays in the family around this time of year and they all have their hobbies. Not all of them are easy to find relevant toppers for either. My brother turned 40 this year and he loves football, so I dug out some footballing paper. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of being 40, but I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. So I made this explosion card using lots of different papers and then cut out the numbers and added them on small paper springs, so that they popped out. I like the effect, not to sure he was as thrilled with it!! Ha ha.

Exploding 40th Birthday Card

Next was a friend that I used to work with, he’s fairly recently bought a small boat and likes to spend his weekends, messing about on it. Finding boats to add to cards is reasonably straightforward. I hope he liked it!

Sailing Birthday Card

Next week is my hubby’s birthday, but he’s off to the USA on a work trip. So this year , for one year only, he’s having his birthday early this weekend. He is a major cycle fiend and loves both watching track and road cycling, and road cycling himself. He’s been taking part in the Global Corporate Challenge this Summer and has been out on his bake even more than usual. Trying to find good quality road bike toppers and papers is really difficult. I found a small set a few years ago and that has come out again for his birthday card. This one was chosen by my daughter.

Cyclist Birthday Card

I hope they all liked their cards, as I had some fun making them. It’s good to have some card making time again. I have lots more ideas for some cards that I hope to be able to fit in over the holidays!

Happy birthday crafting
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Dinosaurs

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The other day I had a request for a card with a dinosaur theme! With a daughter that loves dinosaurs I thought this would be relatively easy to find something with dinosaurs on. Surely there would be baking papers and some pictures of dinosaurs somewhere in the house.

Alas I was wrong. I couldn’t find anything, so it was time to get the pens out and start drawing. I decided as the card was for a little girl starting school, that I would go with a cuter style dinosaur. My daughter certainly approved of the diplodocus. I thought instead of colouring the picture by hand, I would paper-piece the scene together. It was great to practice my cutting skills, although very time consuming.

It’s not quite finished as I’m either going to add a speech bubble with a personalised good luck message from the diplodocus, or a stegosaurus with a personalised leaf.

I’d love some feedback on this one, what do you think of the idea?

Dinosaur Card

Happy crafting
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Work-in-progress

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I’ve got so many projects on the go at the moment that I thought I’d share them. I think it’s the heat and humidity that’s been taking it’s toll on my ability to finish these (well that and the fact that it’s school holidays). I’ll get there though!

First of all I have my next baby comforter. It’s in shades of pink for a girl (obviously).

flower granny square

comforter pieces

I should finish the other 2 squares soon and then I can have this one finished. I’d like to make a blue one as well, although I have a lovely soft green yarn, so it might end up in blue and green!

Next is a present for my daughter. She asked for it quite a while ago and after her fabulous school report I decided I would get round to making her something.

Dinosaur body

It’s going to be a dinosaur, a stegosaurus I think. The pattern is from LGC: Knitting and Crochet issue 62. They have loads of free patterns on the website too and they knit up fairly quickly. My daughter has been bonkers about dinosaurs for ages, so this one seemed very appropriate.

Finally there’s my latest granny square blanket. This one has been in progress for some considerable time as I ran out of blue yarn. But I’m on the final lap of this now, just finishing off the frilly scalloped edging.

P1220907

blanket close up

This is my largest blanket to date and looks good for a cot, or as a small throw. It’s inspired me to make a more colourful blanket with different granny squares. I have a bag of other squares and a couple of half finished amigurumi rabbits and chicks too. I wish there were more hours in the day to do everything, but it’s hard finding the time when you’re entertaining a 5 year old!

Happy Summer Holidays
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Crafting in the sun

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I can’t believe how hot it’s been so far this Summer.  And it’s the school holidays too!  I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been struggling to do anything let alone any crafting.

My house has a South facing back garden with the patio is raised above the garden and it’s been like a sauna sitting out.  I’ve been hiding inside as much as I can but that hasn’t been easy either.

I struggle to knit in the summer as my hands get very hot which often makes my needles stick or worse, squeak.  But this year I’ve been using my bamboo knitting needles and I’ve managed to start a new knitting project as a well done present for my daughters’ brilliant school report.

I have also managed to do a little crochet, but I’ve found using yarn a very hot business, so I’ve been making some cards ready for personalisation and orders.

Card insert

I’ve taken a liking to ripping paper!

I’m looking forward to some slightly cooler, or at least less humid weather so I can get on with some more crafts.

Happy crafting
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Summer Reading Challenge

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The first week of the school summer holidays and we’re at the local library to look at the summer reading challenge.  We found a flyer in the school reception area and it’s all about myths and legends this year.  It seems there is a challenge every year to encourage children of all ages to read even though they aren’t in school.  My daughter is a very keen reader and the theme has really captured her imagination as she loves dinosaurs and dragons!

Mythical Maze

Having registered with the library staff, she’s been given a little pack of reading puzzles and accompanying activities to do in the library, at home and online. It’s a great use of different technologies, with an app and website as well as paper activities to do. So we’ve spotted Leprechauns and Minotaurs, Mermaids and Dragons, and Spiders and Medusa! She’s been colouring in loads of pictures and we’ve chosen 8 books for her to read, covering a variety of subjects. There are prizes along the way for the number of books read and she can’t wait to get to 6 and get a set of stickers! So keep an eye on the facebook page for what we get up to with those!

Happy Summer
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