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Tuesday 15 February 2011

Mirasol Magic Blanket

This blanket has been a while in the making but the end is in sight but …………………. I’ve run out of yarn. So here are some progress pictures.

This magic blanket has been made using the wonderful and ethical Mirasol Hacho yarn. For those of you who haven’t discovered Mirasol yet learn more about the project here.

I will be publishing the pattern in March, 2011.

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Saturday 12 February 2011

A Biscuit Too Far

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100 little crochet biscuits ready for ends to be sewn in.

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A basket full of 100 biscuits needing ends sewn in again after round 3. I’ve had enough of sewing ends in this week and feel as if I’ve sewn 10,000 ends.

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This little beauty from earlier in the week had end upon ends to be sewn in.

And so it’s time to rag rug again.

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This time it’s going to be a large rectangular rug at the moment it’s 70” wide and about 14” long and hopefully growing soon.

Fancy making a rag rug then check out my tutorial click here.

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You can get other rag rug patterns in my Etsy store.

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And also over at my Ravelry Pattern store.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Multi-coloured Magic Granny Square Scarf Wrap

After sewing in what seems like 10,000 ends my mini granny squares are now a fabulous fun scarf. You can find this scarf in my Etsy store.

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90 little granny squares.

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Wednesday 9 February 2011

The Hand That First Held Mine

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The Hand That First Held Mine – Maggie O’Farrell

Oh dear I just got my copy of this book and am so tempted to drop all yarn and hooks and dive in and devour. However when glancing over the back cover of the book I saw the warning – ‘Genuinely unputdownable’ Literary Review.

I have read and loved all of Maggie O’Farrell’s previous books but I also remember the unputdownable bit.

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I have 100 crocheted biscuits all with 2 ends to be sewn in. I’m working on a new granny square scarf that necessitates the darning in of 180 ends. So if I pick up the book will these projects become temporary work’s in progress until the last page is read?

Ever since her early novels After You'd Gone and My Lover's Lover, Maggie O'Farrell's fiction has been touched by the otherworldly. Here she exchanges the more febrile expressions of romantic love for a haunting tale of the baby blues.

Told over two time frames, The Hand That First Held Mine opens as Lexie Sinclair, a bored young graduate, runs away from home to start a new life in 1950s Soho. Taken under the wing of Innes Kent, a magazine editor 13 years her senior, she finds herself at the heart of the post-war art scene, trading witticisms with the barflies of Dean Street and discovering the pleasures of Jackson Pollock and pink gin.

In present-day London, a Finnish artist, Elina, is recovering from the difficult birth of her first child. As Elina struggles to recall the details of a botched Caesarean, her partner Ted is hit by a series of blackouts. Memories from his own childhood seem to be crowding his vision, leaving him little time to shop for baby wipes or take care of the people who need him most. Just as Elina starts to surface from her post-partum nightmare and get back to her paints, Ted takes to lying down in a darkened room.

O'Farrell is an accomplished storyteller who keeps us guessing until the end. Read more here at The Independent.

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Tuesday 8 February 2011

Magazine Time

 

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My vintage Style granny Blanket is featured in this months Making Gifts magazine. More information click here.

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I finally got my copy of Inside Crochet Issue 13 which I had written an article about freeform crochet. Above you can also see my Pandora’s cushion tutorial which is also in Issue 13. For further details and digital subscriptions click here.

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Friday 4 February 2011

Crochet Poncho Pattern Inspiration

I’ve been thinking about making a poncho for quite a while now. The other night I was watching an old episode of Sex in The City when Carrie Bradshaw popped up wearing a poncho. So I thought I would do a little research and have a blog about various poncho crochet patterns that are available for free.

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Coats Granny Poncho

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Berroco - Famous Poncho

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Lionbrand’s - Mitered Man's Poncho

Craft Yarn Council Poncho

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1970's Practical Poncho

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Lionbrand’s - Child Poncho

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Tuesday 1 February 2011

Ray of Sunshine Granny Square Blanket

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Sometimes there’s only one cure for dark mornings, short days and low light levels. Crochet some sunshine instead of waiting patiently for it to arrive.

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