made and yet to make

I never do what I say I'm going to, do I? The bunting in a box is still unmade and instead I have crocheted an egg cosy. But honestly, is it not ridiculously adorable?

And just look how cosy the previously naked egg looks. Eep! I'm making three of these (one down, two to go) for my nephew and nieces for Easter. Each one is going to be made with a different colour of wool and a different colour of duck. I'm loving them. As with the ripple blanket, it took me a great deal of head scratching and frustration before I got going, but once I had worked out how to make a loop and crochet into it (which, like the crochet blanket again, I think I did a bit wrong, but it worked so what the heck) it was the easiest thing ever. Bish bash bosh and the job was done. I used a very simple free pattern from The Sunroom, but I'm sure anyone with a bit more crochet know-how than I currently have could probably work it out for themselves. I'm not quite at that stage yet!

As promised earlier, here's some pictures of the gorgeous fabric I bought earlier. Mandors are selling bundles of Liberty fabric samples and they are just too nice to resist. You can get a bundle of 20 10cm x 15cm pieces for £2.

My £2 bundle included these beauties above...

... and these beauties.

You can also get a bundle of 25 15cm x 20cm pieces for £5. It took me a long time to select my £5 bundle. Some bundles had 25 pieces that I liked a lot, but none that I loved. The one I chose in the end had five pieces that I didn't really like at all, but it had so many that I really, really loved...

... like these four coastal scenes (which I am thinking I would like a bigger piece of to make a top from, but am I brave enough to use gorgeous Liberty fabric for my first attempt at seamstressing?)...

... these four lovely florals...

... and last but not least these frankly crazy rainbow '70s landscape type designs.

It was so restrained of me to get one £2 bundle and one £5 bundle, but I think I really do have to go back for more, so if you are based in Glasgow, please wipe this info from your mind and don't go buying these before I have a chance to! I am planning to share some of the fabric around (can't say who is going to be lucky enough to get some in case they read this and it spoils the surprise) so it's not totally indulgent/selfish really (right?!) and I am getting better at using up small and precious pieces of fabric. I'm not entirely sure what I'll use these ones for yet, but I'm happy enough just to drool over them for now.

Incidentally, why is it that things which look downright amazing in the outside world look a bit down at heel as soon as they enter my house and get their photograph taken? I fear I have not done this fabric justice at all. I think I might need to make some sort of a light box for photographing stuff (it would help with photos for my shop too) but then I think it's just one more thing to clutter up the place and I'm not convinced that it's just the light that's to blame really. Photography is not my strong point, but I'm just happy to be able to crochet an egg cosy :)

here comes the sun

Here Comes The Sun (gocco), by painter girl

Phew, it's a scorcher today! I went out with a light jacket on and had to take it off due to overheating. After a trip into town, I am sweating like the proverbial and fancy sitting on a park bench eating a fruit pastille ice lolly. Mmmm! What I am actually doing is eating a big grill-up (our healthier version of a weekend fry-up) and slaving over a hot iron, making more bunting in a box for a big order. Well, could be worse, I reckon. I got some very exciting fabric bundles in town just there. I swear Mandors is on a mission to bankrupt me by the time I'm 40 - so much gorgeous stuff! Once I've had my grill-up I'll take a photo and pop back to share. I managed to resist going too wild in the fabric aisles, but now I just want to go back and get more. I think perhaps I might...

letterpress lovelies

Neighborhood Detail, a photo by letterpressdelicacies on Flickr.

Mmm, there is is something about letterpress that is just so nice. I think it's the indentations. I wonder if there's a way to do DIY letterpressing on a small scale i.e. without a giant press that would take over your life and home. I shall have to investigate. I'm coming to accept that I am a crafty dabbler who is too easily distracted. Today I want to dabble in letterpress. Shame I have to go to work in 10 minutes then! Perhaps I should just treat myself to this very reasonably priced and gorgeous letterpress print from letterpress delicacies on etsy instead...

take out your false teeth, daddy

Since Graham started DJing again, I have a constant supply of great new-to-me music echoing around the flat as he tries to find new tunes to play. It's great. This is my favourite so far this morning - a real sleazy wee number that makes me smile... and want to brush my teeth again. Hope you enjoy!

Sorry for the distinct lack of news. I'm still laying off the crochet and slathering on hardcore hand cream, but it seems to be working and my hacked hands are healing up nicely. Phew! I'll be rippling away again by the weekend, I reckon. And on the plus side, taking a break from crocheting on a week of late shifts has given me the chance to go swimming again, which is where I am headed now for the second time this week. Hooray! I feel better just for doing it. Hopefully I keep it up this time.

bonjour

Wooden bonjour sign by William Dohman



I'm having (gulp!) to take a break from crochet as my fingers and thumbs are beginning to object quite angrily. Hopefully a few days off will do the trick, but what am I to blog about without a ripple blanket in my life? Well, for today, here is a pretty French song that I am loving this week, but the video is mega-cheese and not really up my street, so I thought you might like a nice bonjour sign to look at while you listen instead. Don't say I'm not good to you...

ripple blanket update

Ta-da! Told you I'd been rippling like a crochet maniac. The blanket's actually even bigger than this now as I had a marathon crochet session lasting most of today after taking this photo. I think I'm probably ten rows from completion at the most. The blanket is now too big to fit on the table to have its photo taken, so I had to put it on the floor and shoo the cats away as I took this. Some of the colours are not looking quite like real life (it's a bit cloudy today and the flash can't handle the near-fluorescent greens and oranges) such as the brown-looking stripe near the top, which is actually a really nice purple. Oh, I do love my ripple blanket. I've got to stop thinking of it as mine though...

Last night my friend Bernie came round and she learned to crochet too. Hooray! She is much better than I was on my first attempt, and accidentally did the thing I still have never managed to do (going through two bits on the foundation chain) but we'll put that down to her having a great teacher ;) She's not yet convinced that it will be as easy or as fast as I say it is, but she's already talking about making a black and white ripple blanket for her teenage son's bed.

I've had the house to myself today for the first time in ages, since Graham (who is a house husband at the moment, and a bloomin' good one who even bakes cakes while I'm out at work!) has gone to visit his mum for the day. I was going to be good and tidy up etc. but I have pretty much just crocheted the day away. Well, it is Sunday after all and to be fair to me, I have managed one or two other little jobs like de-fuzzing my legs so I can get back into swimming this week. I haven't updated my weight-loss thing down at the bottom there for a while, but let's just say my plane went into reverse and the pilot put his foot on the accelerator... I may have to put crochet on the back-burner this week, much as it pains me to say that. It's not exactly a great calorie burner and is hardly urgent, I suppose :( I've already got my next crochet project planned though. I downloaded a pattern for crocheted cowboy baby boots about four years ago, but had no idea how to make them. I think now could be the time. Hooray! Mind you, there is the small matter of 14 other crafts yet to tackle this year and it is only nine months until 2012. Perhaps the cowboy boots will need to stay on the to-do list for a while longer yet.

new ways to spend pennies

Oh, it's Friday. Thank crunchy Crunchies for that - I am pooped! And thank flaky Flakes I am off all weekend too. Yippee! This means I shall be able to take a daylight photo of the ripple blanket to share. I think you'll find it has grown a lot. I have crocheted through every single lunch break this week and the blanket's work-based fan base continues to grow almost as fast as the blanket itself. This baby blanket ain't no baby. But more about the crochet tomorrow.

Top crafty news of the day is the Made In The Shade have finally opened their online shop, so those of you not lucky enough to be based in the wonder that is Glasgow can share/buy/covet some of the wonderful items that are available in the bricks-and-mortar Maisonette. You can see my acorn brooches in the photo above (I don't think there's ever been a prettier picture of something I've made) although I'm not sure that any of my goods are listed in the shop just yet. There's loads of lovely stuff made by people who are not me though, like this lovely owl brooch that I sent to my sister at Christmas time. Go and check out the loveliness if you think your purse strings (or willpower) can take it.

Someone asked me today if my water was back and made me realise I never resolved that top/tragic story for you. I know you'll all have been waiting with bated breath, but in actual fact, our water returned just a couple of hours after I posted about it. I still don't know why the water was off in the first place, but I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that I have not been wandering around like the great unwashed all week (though my hair has been curiously grubby-looking) and the cats no longer look mournfully at dry taps. Sorted!