WINDING UP SEPTEMBER!

At the end of October….

No knitting or other woolly pursuits to report on.

Maro the menace is the reason why. He can hear a pair of needles from miles away 😥 No wool therapy for me!!!

He’s had all of his injections now so is allowed in the garden under supervision. Now our garden has been left to its own devices this summer, the bees have loved it. Maro enoys chasing bugs but has been known to get carried away. Currently I have had to rescue him from a tree and the shed roof 😉 And this morning he gave his hind quarters a dip in the frog pool, the toad who lives there was not happy 🐸

I’m hoping to lock myself away with my needles for a day or two as I finally have some time off work. With any luck I will have something to show and tell soon😊

Have missed you all ❤

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

BLANKET BULLETIN

now the heatwave’s over☔☔☔

The torrid temperatures of a couple of weeks ago have moved on and now we have lots of showers which have cooled everything down. AND more to the point I can get my knitting needles out!!!

It is fair to say that the baby blanket has progressed a lot more than the camper blanket! Baby is due in November, camper is still at the garage having work done! But look at all those ends that are going to need weaving in😔 Why did I go for a stripey chevron? 🤔

On the bright side I managed to get a load of washing dried on the line in between showers today 😉

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

WINDING UP JULY

What a scorcha! !! !!

Not much to report on the crafting front for the month of July, it was just too hot to knit!

I have dabbled with crocheting little toys as not as hot and sweaty as knitting a blanket!

And I have been working on making a bunny. I started with Lockdown Lucy when we were isolating and have tweaked her a bit to make Bella. There will be more bunnies to follow me thinks until I am happy with Hoppy 🐰🐰🐰

August has started with rain and wind so I hope to get a bit more done on my blankets 🤔

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #21

Meet Isolation Isabella. ..

Or Bella Bunny which is a lot easier to say. I have used the remnants of some brown DK yarn which sadly was not enough to make a full rabbit so she has blue and white stripey leggings to go with her little dress. I have a pile of fat quarters that I have been hoarding over the years which is where I got the fabric for the dress. Still a very simple dress but slightly better than Lucy’s tabard 😉

And talking of Lockdown Lucy

we are saying goodbye to her on Monday when she is being posted to her new home.

Still room for improvement but these are definitely stash-busting bunnies!

Woolly wishes

Jane ♡♡♡

CUTE KITS

One from the hoard…

As I have confessed in the past I have a weakness for crochet/knit kits. I get drawn in by the cute picture on the box, buy it and then stash it🤔 I have a load of them hidden in the garage that I may or may not get round to completing!

The snail came in a crochet kit from Aldi. Everything that I needed to make 2 snails, including a horrible plastic hook. Less complaining Jane! I have made one snail and there is plenty of yarn left, might even be enough to make a third? So for £3.99 it was quite good value, not that I will be making another one any time soon. The pattern was quite straightforward and I have finally mastered crocheting in the round without too much swearing 😉

I might dig out another kit next month and see how I get on but in the meantime back to my blanket😊

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

MACRAME MONDAY

My kind of morning 😊

I took the day off work today and signed up for a macrame workshop. Some of you may remember my feeble attempt at macrame a couple of years ago… But I am quite proud of my efforts today and have a pretty bookmark to show for my efforts.

The workshop was run by Louise from Lilly Dilly’s and was held at Bodenham Arboretum. Louise talked us through making the bookmark and showed us how to do the individual knots against the backdrop of the lake and the sound of the ducks quacking. A very productive yet relaxing morning❤

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

WINDING UP JUNE!

Flaming and raining…

June seems to have flown by. All of my excitement at the end of May has waned. Work has been incredibly busy and I barely feel as if I survived the month but I have a few days off now to recharge and get back on track 😎

I have sold one item at the craft shop so a long way from making a profit but thrilled that someone liked it enough to pay for it.

I have started a baby blanket in white (a divine bamboo and cotton mix) which I am working on when I have the energy to focus but the rest of the time I am playing around with bits of yarn and a hook with the intent of making a blanket for Lucia N’s little camper.

And my nephew finally sent me a photo of him modelling the cable knit that I recently sent him. 😆

So bring on July, I’m looking for energy and inspiration! !!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

BAMBOO ON BAMBOO…

But what about the pandas 🐼🐼🐼

I have started a baby blanket in white for a friend who is going to be a grandma later this year. The pattern is an old Sublime pattern that I have used before and shown off on this space.

So difficult trying to prevent white from looking grubby.

I am using my bamboo needles and a bamboo and cotton mix yarn. It is sooo soft. I really feel the urge to work a shawl or a scarf in it in the future as it is doing a good job of draping so far.

More to follow I’m sure😉

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING IN 2021 #18

Swatching. ..

My next big project is going to be a crocheted throw for Lucia the camper. Now I’m not a natural hooker but I would much prefer to do something in one piece and I don’t think I have knitting needles long enough to hold all the stitches that I need 🤔

So I have been experimenting with stitch combos

As can be seen these haven’t been blocked but I’m just practising the hook movements. I quite like the trebles with the raised circles but think that might be a bit ambitious plus my maths may not be up to the task of working out the spacing evenly. I really got my knickers in a twist with the basket weave stitch but thought I could manage the chevron.

Obviously that is only a tiny chevron so ta dah

*A bee kindly obliged and visited the clematis while I was taking this snap. I returned the favour and waited until he had finished before removing my chevrons!*

I have done a few rows to give me an idea of stitches/width and blocked it. So my throw is going to be all ziggy and zaggy😉

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

WOOL THERAPY

Or Storage Wars…

I have taken to crocheting little baskets as a means of de-stressing. There is a bit of a history in basket making and the troubled mind. In the grim days of institutions for those suffering with their mental health a key therapy was basket weaving! Admittedly they were proper baskets made with willow not my woolly numbers.

*A single brown basket and a cluster of blue/yellow baskets*

The multi-colour jumble contains 3 storeage baskets.

If nothing else my double crochet stitches are improving and I have worked out counting for the round. I have used aran weight yarn from the stash and a 4mm hook to give a tighter weave.

Over the weeks I have made quite a few of these and now I am running out of things to put in them 😄

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡