New Things! and some Good News

I am very much in baby mode at the moment. I have another grandchild to look forward to, yippee. I am so loving my new role as a Nanna.
Not that I need any excuse to make baby goodies. Just listed today is this lovely fabric edged crochet blanket in delicious ice cream shades. You can snap it up right here!!  I love the corner to corner crochet process and have another two to finish off and show you.

Other baby blankies in the shop are these

Crisp feminine colours that would tone beautifully with Cath Kidston fabricstion

   

Blue and yellow for a boy or a girl

Perfect Purple Granny Squares

More to come as I say and I know I have some patchwork bibs to finish and list and some super cute booties.  So off to finish some things to show you next time.

P.S would love to know which baby blanket is your favaourite. 

Tuesday Tallies (on a Thursday)

Ooops! Bit late but better late than never. I seem to have been so busy this week and its not showing any signs of letting up. So any way this is my tally as of Tuesday evening. Please excuse rather dull picture. We are at 68 hexagons now. That's way more than I ever achieved with those knitted hexipuffs, I can tell you. I am a good knitter even if I am blowing my own trumpet but those things didn't seem to progress the way I would like, so I have donated them to my daughters bag full. Crochets hexagons are the hexies for me. I may not have many more to show next week as I have lots of other knitting and sewing that has priority over my own projects. Never mind. it is good to be busy.

I do like to show off my floral exploits too (sorry) and with the nasty days of weather imminent, I rescued a few roses from the garden that would have been obliterated by the rain and have a small arrangement on the kitchen table. I really love the way the flowers are different all through the year.

Tuesday Tallies

I thought this week I would take the photos in the afternoon when the sun is actually out. So, my tallies are now going to be what I have completed up to Monday evening. This does show the colours a bit better. I realised my dark taupey brown was not all that great in quantity so have rummaged in the stash and added another caramelly brown into the mix. Quite pleased with them so far.  So my current tally of complete hexagons is.......ta da da daaaa!
                                                      42
Plus 10 more middles. I like to do five a night if I can so got loads of middles done at the weekend.

So yesterday, I decided that it was high time the grass was cut. I havent done it for weeks. Its not my favourite gardening task so I put it off.  In the front garden, I managed to convince myself to trim back the manic bushes, grasses and have a general tidy up. I ended up with 4 more bin bags full of garden waste to take to the tip. This I can add to the four and a tv I hauled up there at the weekend following another impetuous tidying session behind the oil tank. I have been meaning to do that in so long it got to the point it looked like it couldn't be done. However with the wind in my sails on Sunday I have it licked in about an hour. Whilst I was manically clearing yesterday, I discovered a hypericum which is actually my neighbours, but such as the borders are on our properties, its more on mine. Cue, more flower arranging. A few stems of the delectable hypericum 'berries', three strong stems of sedum and the last remaining flowers of lady's mantle, made a delightful autmnal display.

Here are links to more Tuesday Tallies
Deb at 'A World Of Imagination'

Shelley at All4meggymoo

KnitKnatKnotUK

Wannabe Scrapbook Addict

Tangled SweetPea

A tale From Toadstool House

mareelovescolour

Ruffs Adventures

Big thanks to Carole at Gingerbread Girl who inspired me in the first place.

Tuesday Tallies

So, last week I started a new project and decided to log my progress each week in the Tuesday Tallies.  In case you missed my last post (why!!!???), I am crocheting a blanket in autumnal colours.  Anyway, here is this weeks tally as of last night which was Tuesday. Bit dull photo but it was nearly midnight again. A grand total of 23 completed hexagons and 5 part ones, but they don't count do they?

Maybe you would like to take part in the Tuesday Tallies. Pop on over to Carol's Blog, The Gingerbread Girl  to find out what its all about.

A Turning Point

Summer of Contentment

Well its been a little while since my last post. I have been working hard on custom items and samples for possibly wholesale orders. The end of the summer does bring with it both a return to the day job (I really haven't minded this time) and the start of my favourite season, autumn! Its lovely and warm still and I am still hopeful that my lovely green tomatoes will turn red and yellow after all.  There has been long walks, garden pottering, blackberry picking, jam and jelly and cake production and little time for blogging. So there's my excuse folks and I am sticking with it.

I am also at a bit of a crossroads with my critters. I am taking a break from making them for the time being and potentially there will not be any more. Many of the ones in my shop are dramatically reduced as I could do with the space and a clean sheet with whatever direction I decide to take. Will keep you posted on that.  One thing is for certain. I shall  not be disappearing, just altering course potentially.

So, I find it damn near impossible to sit of an evening (or a Sunday afternoon for that matter) and just look at that box in the corner. I do have to do something. So as I was catching up on my favourite blogs on Tuesday, I found this delectable post. Well, eureka moment for me!  I love this blanket and knew right away I had to make one. I only learned to crochet last year but I absolutely love it!  I have been through the 'stash' and have the intention to try and use up all the acrylic I have accrued over the bunny knitting years. There is probably enough for at least three!  As it is autumn, I have picked out some lovely rusts, yellows, greys and browns.

So, this was my first Tuesday Tallie when I went to bed at smidgeon into Wednesday, but that's allowed isn't it? I have done more since but will pop that on next Tuesdays tally. I do hope my enthusiasm doesn't wane like autumn inevitably will as I have some lovely brights I want to do next. Not to mention the nautical cotton which I anticipate being nicer to crochet than it was to knit.  Hurt my hands as it didn't give a piggin inch!

Some New Quilts in the Shop

I have been finishing things up this past week. I don't know about you guys, I start off guns blazing on things and then nearing the end I get bored/distracted by new ideas and then end up in the infamous UFO section. My UFO's where getting silly so I made it my mission to get some if not all of them sorted. I am not done by any means but some progress has been made. I have finished 2 bunnies (no pics yet but the sun holds promise today). That means actually sewn them up! They were knitted ages ago but as usual, I shied away from the finishing. I use all sorts of excuses to my myself. The stuffing bag will make too much noise whilst the family are watching telly, the ends will go all over the floor and I hoovered, I need to start that idea I had or I will forget! These are ridiculous reasons, but I have a feeling there are folks reading this will empathise quietly if not admit to it. There is one more rather large quilt and I don't think I have a backing piece  large enough so that one will have to wait.

For now, I sorted these 2 and the first pic of each will take them miraculously to my shop where I have actually managed to list them too! Don't fall off your chairs people!

Zig zag quilt (started about 18months ago) finished and laundered on Tuesday

Also this purple pink crochet lap blanket which I made last winter I think but never quite got around to weaving in the ends (still have a few to do TBH but they will get done before someone receives it. I am getting the crochet urge again now. Mind you, I have all manner of creative urges and not enough time to do them all. This is how the UFO's occur isn't it.

I also updated this patchwork blanket's pictures as the old ones were not really doing it much justice. These fleece backed blankets are a joy to make and to own. You may remember this one I made some time ago. I never listed it. I loved it so much it became mine. It comes out as soon as the weather gets cold and I snuggle under it whilst I knit in front of the TV. Really cosy. The buttons look so cute too. I have thought it would be quicker than quilting. Its not you know. 70 buttons take a while to sew on I can tell you.

Now, that sun is breaking through so I off to find my camera and get those bunnies ready for their publicity shots.

Shop of The Week, Twink Knits

This weeks lovely shop is Twink Knits.  As the name suggests, it is owned and run by a fellow knitting addict. Not animals, this time but delicious knitted cakes and and useful things such as mug cosies, teacosies and ear warmers to name but a few.  There is a lovely interview with her, over on the CraftBritannia Blog  If you knit yourself, you may be interested in one of her patterns instead.

I have chosen a few of my faves as I usually do, but do have a look in her whole shop as there is so much more.

I finished The Crochet.....and started another...oops!

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I finally after umpteen years have mastered crochet! I used a tutorial on you-tube and stayed up far too late, and it all suddenly made sense. I think this may be a bad thing in some ways as I am, if you will pardon the pun, totally hooked. It grows so fast. My hubby thinks its hilarious an just another addition to what he sees as my quirky pastimes. I don't think he would have me normal, so neither of us are really complaining. Little Mango loves it. She is so interested in it all its quite amusing. Here is a pictorial story of its evolution.

This was the 'Eureka' moment and the first of many



My little pile grows  larger (can you spot my reading material?)




Mango helps while I decide on lines or randomness



She cant quite wait for me to finish sewing all the squares together and commandeered some of the squares.

The 'Ta-dar' moment!

There has to be lots of shots as its going in the etsy shop.  I have started another now and I really cant keep everything I make.

So, its been a wonderful journey and I am so proud to have finally gotten to grips with something that has confounded me for so long. Though a little ashamed now I now how easy it is.  Its half term now and I intend (remind if I don't manage it) to have at least 2 new critters finished by this time next week.  Christmas is coming you know.

If you were looking for the giveaway, you need to be quick as it ends Monday 24th October at around 3 pm.  Its the next post down or just hit the highlighted word.