Tag Archives: Crochet

Crochet Baby Comforters

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At Bury Show the other week I had some very positive comments to the crochet comforter that I entered into the craft competition, so I decided I should maybe look at making some more. I posted the picture on my facebook page and had even more comments which has sealed the deal and I have been working on a couple more of them, one for an order and one to look at some different colour combinations.

My original blankie was yellow with alternate blue and pink shapes in the granny squares and edging.

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My first order for one, is for a baby girl, so it’s in yellow again, but this time with two shades of pink for the shapes and edging.

Baby blankie 2

I’m currently working on a pink blanket and rabbit, with darker pink shapes on the granny squares. I love the flower motifs best and I think I will try one with just flowers on.

I would really love some feedback on these, just leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Happy crafting
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End of Term

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I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. My daughter is almost at the end of her Reception year at primary school and it doesn’t seem like five minutes since she was starting nursery. She is very much looking forward to going into year one in September, but we have the long six week summer holidays to fill before that.

We have a couple of weeks of the school term left and my mind has turned to the end of year gift for her teacher. I have decided to work through this school with knitted apple keyrings for the teachers. I wanted to have something personal and not chocolatey! Every year the teachers seem to be bombarded with chocolates and biscuits. Although some handmade biscuits could also be a good idea, I may need to work on that one, maybe apple shaped cookies?

Anyway, I’m going with the little knitted apple again. It’s so cute and with a split ring, it makes a great keyring (or handbag) charm. I have one on my keys as it makes them very easy to find when I’m rooting through my handbag.

Apple keyring

Apple keyring

I’m also working on some paper-pieced and drawn apple thank you cards. I shall post a picture when they are finished. I’d love to know what you think. You can message me on facebook or e-mail me to place an order too.

Happy crafting
x

Bury Show Entries…..

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Well, I’ve been busy making for the 71st Bury Show tomorrow. I’m going to enter two categories this year, the handmade greeting card, and the knitted or crochet item for a baby or toddler.

I enjoyed making the handbag card so much the other day that I thought I’d make another for my entry.

Bury Show Card Entry

I thought I’d try something a bit different with the knitted or crochet item. I didn’t have time to make a full blanket, so I made four different granny squares in yellow acrylic baby yarn with blue and pink shapes in the centres. I joined them together and then crocheted a border using alternate rows of yellow, blue and pink, followed by a frilly edge. It was the perfect size to make into a blankie / comforter, so I added a crocheted rabbit to the centre.

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I hope to do better than the two third places from last year.

Happy crafting
x

More crochet…..

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I’ve really got hooked (no pun intended, honest) on crochet.  It’s so much easier to transport about than knitting.  In particular I  love making granny squares.  It’s mad really as I make them and then don’t know what I’m going to make with them.  So I’ve found making the baby blankets quite a useful way of combining my love of granny squares and also then having something to make with them.

Over recent weeks I’ve been making two blankets, one for an order and another just for fun.

Close up of flower square

I’ve also trialled a frilly edge to the combined squares.

Blanket edge

I’m experimenting with treble crochet, to make the frill. I quite like the effect using 6 treble crochet in each space. I’ve also used a seven stitch ‘frill’ with 1 double crochet, 1 half-treble, 3 treble, 1 half-treble and 1 double crochet. I can’t make up my mind which I like best.

My next blanket is sat in a pile of blue and white squares at the moment, so I need to get sewing them together and then working on a edge. I might try the other frill edge this time.

Happy crafting
x

New Favourite Magazine

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I think I’ve rambled before about my love of crafting magazines. I don’t think I’m alone in this and in that I have generally chosen the magazine based on the whether I want the free gift on the cover or not! Sometime last year I rediscovered my passion for knitting and wanted to find some new patterns, and it was this that lead me to the newsagents and a really good browse of the shelves. Here I found Let’s Get Crafting: Knitting and Crochet. What a great find. Appealing totally to my need to make something immediately, it comes with a pack of yarn, knitting needles and a crochet hook. And the magazine itself is packed with patterns, both knitting and crochet, to make with the free gift. There are also a few patterns to make with your own yarn too. There a loads of quick and simple ideas and some more involved makes, like items of clothing. What I also love is the guide at the back with diagrams and instructions on how to do some of the stitches used in the makes.

I think it is well worth the £8.99 price tag. I will have to look into a subscription!

I bought the latest issue to take on my holiday, but I was not allowed to take the knitting needles or crochet hook on the plane unfortunately. So I spent my journey reading through all the article, lovely patterns and deciding what to have a go at. I was also thrilled to see that I had been published on the letters page.

Hop and Chirp

My little ‘Hop and Chirp’ that I made for my daughter and nephew for Easter were made using patterns in the magazine, and it was a lovely surprise to see them in the magazine.

As a thank you for sending in my photo, they have sent me a gift of stitch makers and pattern bookmarks! A very nice touch.

It is definitely worth having a look at this magazine, whether you are new to knitting and crochet or an old hand. And if you do make something from their patterns, then send them a photo on their facebook page, you never know, you could be in the next issue too!

Happy crafting
x

Crafting in the Sun

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Well, I’ve taken the plunge and had a weeks holiday in Portugal, leaving Hubby, daughter and the crafting at home!

It’s so lovely to completely chill out in the sunshine, without sneezing from hayfever.  I haven’t completely left all the crafting at home though.  I was hoping to be able to crochet on the plane, but I was told I couldn’t take a crochet hook in the my hand luggage.  So I had to make do with reading my latest issue of ‘LGC Knitting and Crochet’ instead.

Anyway,  I have been doing some crochet practice and have made a couple of small items using new stitches.  So here’s my first doily.

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It was lovely to use some new techniques and to practice changing yarns.

Next is my first little bowl, with a lacy base! My daughter has now claimed this for her bedroom.

Crochet bowl

It’s been such a lovely relaxing break and I have really recharged my batteries, ready for Half term when I get home!

Happy crafting
x

New crochet blanket

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I’m working on another crochet blanket, blue this time.  I posted a snap of the first part a week or so ago and I thought I’d show a bit more.

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I have eight completed squares with the white rows at different points in each square.  I plan to do 2 of each square and then sew them all together with a white border.

I shall post more pictures as I progress.

Happy crafting
x

Charity Hearts

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In the latest issue of Craftseller magazine, there was a lovely little pattern for crochet hearts. I’ve wanted to make hearts for a while so it was lovely to see the pattern. I have had a go and made a few, so I am looking to sell them to raise some money for physio for my former work colleague.

Each heart will cost £2 with £1.50 going to fund some further physio and speech therapy sessions.

I can make them in any colour you would like and I will add them to a keyring or attach a brooch back.

Crochet Hearts Order yours now. Send me an e-mail or a message on facebook.

Happy charity crafting
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A Tough Week

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I seem to have been away from crafting and my blog for quite while. What with two weeks of school holidays to entertain my daughter!

This week I’ve been heavily involved in my other role, as a governor at my daughter’s primary school. I took on the role last year, as a way to get involved in school and give something back. Little did I know how much I was going to have to do! I think it’s been an unusual few weeks though, as our head teacher is retiring due to ill-health and we have had a very quick turn-around to find a new head. To the credit of everyone involved, it’s been had work but we managed to get to interview stage. So that’s what I’ve been doing this week, observing practical demonstrations in school and interviewing.

So I’ve had little time to actually craft during the day, but I have found it very therapeutic in the evenings to unwind from the stresses of the day. I’m currently obsessed with crochet. Having discovered that I can actually read a pattern and do more than one stitch, it’s been great fun working on different projects. I managed to finish my granny square blanket which my daughter loves. I’m trying to keep it away from the cats too as they seem to be taking a shine to my work at the moment (they’re never that interested in my card making though!).

Pink Granny Square blanket

This has inspired me to make another blanket in blue this time, but I’m going to have larger squares I think, with some patterns running through. It’s going to be an evolving one this so I shall see where the mood takes me!

Crochet in progress

With the success of my amigurumi creatures over Easter, I thought I would have a go at some bunnies in different colours too. I have a couple in progress now, in beige and pink and I’ve also started a yellow chick.

Bunny in progress

Bunny and Chick in progress

I shall get stuffing soon and then will add to the range for sale.

It’s been great having such a lovely past-time to help unwind after such a busy week. I don’t know what I would have done if I couldn’t pick up some needles or a hook – probably eaten and drunk far too much.

Here’s to a relaxing bank holiday weekend.

Happy crafting
x

Crochet

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I’ve been working over the last few weeks, to improve my crochet skills. I have been doing basic treble crochet granny squares for over a year now and wanted to master some other stitches. Seeing pictures around the craft forums, blogs, magazines and facebook pages of such lovely crochet projects I felt it was time to overcome my fear of trying to read patterns and get my head around visualising in 3d!

So out came my hooks and yarns and the lovely craft magazine ‘Let’s Get Crafting: Knitting and Crochet’. They’ve been running a series on granny squares in the magazine and there is also a lovely set of stitch instructions at the end of each issue. I find reading stitch instructions quite difficult, even with pictures, but I kept trying until I had something that looked like the pictures.

Granny square practice

I don’t think I got all the stitches quite right when following the patterns as I have two squares that are much larger than the others!! Even so, I was confident to have a try at the squares with a smaller hook and thinner yarn.

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As I have been working on making a blanket using the basic treble crochet granny square principle, I needed something more interesting to finish it off. I wanted to add some smaller squares to the ends of the blanket, and worked three each of two designs to fit at the ends. Once I had the six additional squares completed I decided that the simplest way for me to connect them together was to sew them.

Crochet blanket

I’m quite pleased with my finished piece. My first significant crochet project.

Happy crafting
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