Bobbling along...

I have been a little bit busy (and absent from blogging) the last couple of weeks. After planning to move house for so long we suddenly did, with a week's notice. Rental houses are so hard to find, especially when there is a dog in the family. This one came up when S was in the US so I just paid the deposit and here we are. We still have our house to sell so this one is temporary. No more commuting to work for S, other than an 8km bike ride through Somerset countryside, and little S started 6th form here in September so now she is walking to school too.

We are now in Somerset, just south of Bristol and very nice it is. This is a sensible move. It is only an hour from our old house but still a new start in a new area after 15 very happy years in Gloucestershire. I can walk out the door with Rolo and walk him in the park, or into town, through the woods or go and see the swans and walk round the lake. The cycling is fabulous too, lots of off road Sustrans cycle paths. A much healthier, more economical and greener way to live!

I have been crocheting in between the moving ourselves, cleaning and unpacking, thank goodness for a portable hobby! I am trying to finish the large floor cushion for the student oop north, a companion to Aran Cushion 1. The blackberry stitch is very effective but uses a lot of yarn, 8 balls of Stylecraft Special Chunky 100g balls, I only bought 4 to start with and I have had to send off for more twice now, so I hope that is enough. It would be a lot more but the back is in plain trebles. I have to get it finished this week as it is her birthday soon! I'll be back soon with a "DONE!" post, hopefully.

Crochet Blackberry Stitch

I also finally got round to sorting my phone out (long out of contract and still paying £££s) and managed to get a superb deal on a Galaxy 3S that is far better than Martin's Money Saving Expert email could recommend  and cheaper than my old phone. So blogging on the go is now a possibility. I started this on my phone but after uploading the photos and saving I have resorted to PC blogging...hard to waffle on as much on a phone! My advice is  to order a phone with someone else, ring up and ask for the code so you can keep your number and, surprise surprise, they will then move heaven and earth to keep you even if you already asked for a price match. Take the offer there and then (I didn't, it took 10 days to get them to honour their verbal offer as I was cooking) and cancel the order for the first phone quick. The UK company in question starts with a "Vo"...I am saying no more!!

Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket - DONE!

Another Granny Square Blanket, but with a simple twist of a giant granny middle. However, it is my first granny square blanket, not just another one to me. Not very radical, but I disobeyed youngest daughter, whose blanket it is, and decided I wanted to work in a bit more interest. Starting with the intention of a 12x12 sqaure throw ie 144 six round solid granny squares. I thought I would try join-as-you--go or JAYG for the first time. Except I didn't mug up on the method before going away on holiday at the end of August. Six rounds because I am lazy, and it is quicker to make as you have fewer ends to sew in.

But I digress, the brief from my 16yo was a "Cath Kidston snuggly blanket for TV slobbing" so it didn't need to be big but it is big, plenty big enough for her double bed under the eaves in the attic! It covers two on the sofa too, we tried it out tonight as I am holding off on putting the heating on still.

The blanket has taken about 5 weeks, I got a move on the first week as we were on holiday so no PC and no guilt crocheting in the evening or a few squares over a morning cup of tea in bed...holidays are like Sunday every day.
I was using 8 colours of Stylecraft Special DK as commissioned by the customer: Candy Floss: Cloud Blue, Fondant, Lavender, Lemon, Lipstick, Spring Green and White. I tried to be random, but keeping the lights and darks spaced and fairly even in each row. The giant granny was not that giant, and replaced the centre 16 squares, so 24 rounds it was.

 The edging is 6 rounds of granny clusters, how easy is that?!

I officially love JAYG, it is a bit quicker than sewing up, as you are sewing in an end that still has to be fastened off if you JAYG. I just love the country blanket stitch effect. I found it easier to do on a table to get the tension even on the join.

 The patchwork teddy was made by my mum aka Granny when our smallest one was born 16 years ago, she also made our other two girls one in different colours at the same time.

Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket finished 3rd October 2012, it took me 5 weeks!

FINISHED SIZE: 190cm square
YARN: 2 balls each Stylecraft Special 100% acrylic Double Knit 100g in 8 colours, up to half a ball of each left
Candy Floss 1130
Cloud Blue 1019
Fondant 1241
Lavender 1188
Lemon 1020
Lipstick 1246
Spring Green 1316
White 1001

Hook: 4mm

Solid Granny Square Pattern (UK terminology)

Ch=Chain Tr=Treble SlSt = Slip Stitch, Sp=space
Start with 4Ch join to a loop
Round 1
6Ch then 3Tr into loop
(1Ch 3Tr 3Ch 3Tr) into loop, repeat 3 times in total.
2Tr and join to 3rd chain
Round 2
Sl st into corner chains 6ch
6Ch then 3Tr into same corner chains
(1Ch, 3Tr into 1 ch sp, 1Ch, 3Tr 3Ch 3Tr into corner chains) repeat 3 times as before and finish with 1 ch 2tr and join to 3rd ch.
Round 3-5
Continue as set
Round 6
Complete first side to corner chain, Ch1 (not 3) then follow JAYG instructions on Lucy's Attic 24 photo tutorial. I chain 1 when turning a JAYG corner.

I have no idea if this is the correct method, just how I did them. Often there are no1 ch spaces on granny squares and just 2 chains to turn the corner, do what you prefer! I am also sure this pattern will have been written down somewhere before, I am not claiming to be original.

Happy Hooky Index: 9/10

I enjoyed taking part in the One A Day and Tuesdays Tallies on Carole's blog
Here is how it came together
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies - Week 5 - Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket

It has been a bit of a topsy turvy week of potential change, but also there has been some knotting time. I almost don't want to "show and tell" yet as my Cath Kidston-y granny is so very very very very nearly finished.

So here is a teaser...I am on the last round of the border and will finish tonight whilst watching The Great British Bake Off or GBBO, the best programme on TV by a mile.

I got home with the smallest one after quite a long day of driving and hanging around, to two parcels on my doorstep. Happy dance.

Please forgive me because I have done something very very naughty and ordered Garnstudio Drops Merino Extra Fine,100% squishy double knitting merino yarn which is extra soft and super-washable and hopefully hypo-allergenic! I have been very happy working with acrylic but I really really wanted to try a posh yarn, and it may be a very long time before a sale comes round again. Now I have what I desire, I will share the fabulous prices and even more fabulous service from The Wool Shed all the way up in Aberdeenshire.

I phoned on Sunday afternoon and Irene was very very helpful and found more colours than were showing online. I emailed my order through on Sunday night, they phoned Monday morning for card details and confirmed that it was fine to split my order into 2 parcels so the total post was £5. I paid just £2.35 per 50g ball, the yarn is on a 25% Drops sale at present, even at full price it is a very reasonable £3.10. The very next day my order arrives from the other end of the country, all present and correct and packed with love by Barbara and/or Anne. Enough yarn for a throw still adds up to a lot, but this is my present for that occasion  at the end of December...too early to mention the "C" word!! it will be for our bed and all I have decided upon are the colours. Now I have to plot and plan the design and muse whilst finishing the "Not Just Another Granny Square Granny Blanket" and the Blackberry stitch cushion (I have said nothing about that yet), and the planned One A Day throw in more Stylecraft for my mum and dad for that event in December we do not talk about until November ;) I seem to have broken my rule of not more than one project at a time.

Any guesses as to the colour scheme?

Inspiration from other wonderful One a Day projects are on Carole's blog.

How much?!

It is quite flattering that my rainbow ripple has been admired, both in blogland and in real life, not that blogland isn't real life but you get my drift? I have had 3 enquiries as to "how much?" would I sell it for.

Rainbow Ripple

A lot of hard work, sweat and enjoyment went into my first proper throw. It wasn't made for sale, but then again everything has a value, whether it be the raw materials, labour involved or aesthetics or most usually a combination of all of the above. The value is only what one person is prepared to actually pay though, as all of us trying to sell a house at present know well!

So far a friend wanted me to make one if she bought the yarn, I refused that offer. At present it is in my local yarn shop window and two customers have enquired as to "how much?" So far the price I quoted has not been responded too. I suspect they want to pay cost of yarn & £10 as well! Oh well, I am happy, I don't particularly want to sell it unless someone pays quite a bit to fuel other projects.

I don't think I have ever been at the receiving end of a "if you have to ask you can't afford it" enquiry before, but if you are not prepared to give my time some value then it is not for sale.

It is flattering that people like it though. How much do you think?  I used about £35 worth of yarn, it took about 80 hours and fits the top of our king bed, so generous for a double. That was a rhetorical question, it's a silly amount even at half minimum wage!!  But then again, some things sell for silly amounts.

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies - Week 4 - Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket

Crumbs...doesn't time fly when you are enjoying yourself?  It's Tuesday again already. The Giant Granny is surrounded now...

117 squares....it was 83 last week, I didn't think I had done that much but there was a good push on Saturday and Sunday as Mr Knotty was hitting a lot of his little balls about in a monsoon. So that makes um...clunk whir calculate, about 34. I really wasn't going to post until this row was complete and the ends sewn in, but it would be dark by then. I am keeping up with my ends, honest!

It is lovely to see everyone else's progress every week on Carole's blog. Come and join us.

PS I am secretly hoping the 144 blocks are finished for next week and I can start on the border.....

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies - Week 3 - Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket

I spent three days last week driving 650 miles, the big round trip from Gloucestershire to Tyne and Wear via Cumbria both ways. I was returning the middle one back to uni in Newcastle and visiting my parents aka Granny and Granddad, in Penrith. So our house is quiet now only 3 + dog at home and not 5 like it used to be. Unfortunately the drive home from Penrith via the lovely M6 car park was not the best, it added "only" 3 extra hours to my 4 hour journey on Friday afternoon..sic.

I haven't got masses of progress to report this week but the Giant Granny has been finished and "joined-as-you-goed" and some more squares added and most of the ends are finished off too. The "Count" was 60 last week and 83 this week, actually not that bad considering. I've added over 3 a day, I count the giant as 16 squares. I am being very good with my ends.

I went to Knit and Natter at the brand new Bluestocking Wool & Gifts shop in Stroud this morning, and crocheted, they didn't throw me out! It's sad that Along Came Polly is now no more but great we still have a local yarn shop stocking my favourite Stylecraft as well as posh yarn like Rowan. I hope Sunie's shop grows and prospers as it should. I bought 3 more balls of the colours I am using, but three others I needed were out of stock. When I got home and read that the wonderful Get Knitted in Bristol are finally stocking Stylecraft too I whooped, just a £10 order for free post and great prices. So I have got the yarn winging its way to me that I need to finish; from my next most local shop, so I am happy to be able to support both. Even better the sun is out and photo taking is easy.

Cath Kidston inspired Granny Blanket

I have almost finished plotting the next crochet throw all chant together now "I must not start that one until this one is finished".....yeah right! Not too difficult as I am loving it!

Sun is out hurrah, and those really are the ONLY ends not sewn in!

See you next week and don't forget to check out all the other lovely "One a Day" projects via Gingerbread Girl's blog

Neat Granny Log Cabin Crochet Cushions

I cheated. My Log Cabin cushions...

Log Cabin Cushions

are also my Bullseye cushions I have just made... Just two cushions, not four!

Bullseye Cushions

Since I crocheted the double sided Gingham/Provencal cushion for my friend who lives in France, I have been smitten with double sided cushions. They have to have a back so why not make it different so you can have two looks for the effort and cost of one?  These cushions, including the pad, have cost less than £4 each, not counting my time.

Crochet Log Cabin Cushions on bed with Moroccan Throw

I wanted to try a crocheted log cabin patchwork effect, but the only pattern I found was a granny cluster style one and I wanted the blocks to be defined, so I risked life and limb and had a go at winging it! A brave thing to do for me, I like following patterns. I did ground myself and started off with a solid granny square, the same pattern as I used for the gingham cushion.

The colours were chosen to co-ordinate with the Bullseye side and the bedroom blinds and also the throw we bought in Morocco last summer that is on our bed at the moment. So in addition to Stylecraft Special DK in Parchment, Mocha and Walnut I added Claret 1123 Meadow 1065 and Teal 1062. Throws on bed are in the cushion category, they get kicked unceremoniously into a heap on the floor, but whilst the house is “up for sale” we are making an effort in the bedroom (that sounds totally wrong!) I’d like to think it may continue when we move, the way our bedroom looks that is.

The cushions being double-sided gives us added flexibility as they also look good on our leather sofas, we have some cushions on there that I ran up from another Moroccan throw but unfortunately the weave was too loose and they have disintegrated in just one year, even I acknowledge that, for once, it is not my sewing that is at fault.

Neat Granny Log Cabin v 1

The first cushion I changed colour every time I finished a block, I worked to the end of the row and turned so each block is 5 rows with the two granny cluster rows worked on the wrong side. I will write out the pattern when I find my little book with the notes in! When I turned I picked up 9 more stitches evenly from the end of the previous block, to keep the pattern correct throughout. I kept the browns as one half and colours as the other half.

Neat Granny Log Cabin v2

For the second cushion I had a brainwave and did two blocks at once keeping the pattern correct. I thought it would be far neater but the stitch count kept getting out and the finished result was quite distorted, I like the first attempt much better, so version 1 is the pattern I will go with.

To finish the cushions work a row or two of trebles around the last row to even out and make both sides the same size and to fit your pad. Then work front and back together (wrong sides together) in trebles with three chains at the corners leaving about two thirds of one side open. Treble down one side and treble with a one chain space evenly 4 times on the other side for the button holes.

Button Closure

The final round is 3 treble clusters miss 2 chains, on the second cushion I turned my work and the border lies much flatter.

Simple Granny Cluster Edging

Continue across the opening on the side without button holes. Sew on your buttons and there you go, four cushions for the price of two. So if the blinds stay here when we move, and cushions on the bed become too much of a pillow fight, both throw and cushions can go and reside the sofas...

How they are supposed to look...

...where they will be hoyed to the floor and the dog will think someone cares about him after all!

What really happens to throws and cushions on sofas, the unstyled version!

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies - Week 2 - Not Just Another Granny Square Blanket

I am enjoying this crochet throw. It is not difficult but I am glad I mastered the Join As You Go method, even if you still have to sew in ends separately. The fast progress inspires keeping up with the ends. Just 8 colours, how restrained?!

Cath Kidston inspired Granny Blanket

  Last week’s tally was 31

Solid Colour Granny Squares

Finished another 17, an average of over two a day but I also had to undo 3 sides of the remaining 17 squares I had not joined last week, joined them as I went and finished all ends off securely! The JAYG looks a bit like blanket stitch, I am liking the effect more and more.

So 48 in total, a nice tidy 4 rows of 12, the finished tally will be 12x12 rows so 144 but…

Week 2 - 48 squares!

Although very lovely, plain squares are not as interesting as can be. I have started a central oversized square to replace 16 solid squares, changing colour every round. Well I have nearly finished the big square so really another 12-14 squares.  My goodness there are lots of ends that I haven’t woven in yet.  The equivalent of 60 squares, nearly half way!

Crocheting simple granny squares gives me a lot of brain space to think, I am in danger of adding another “extra” to this blanket too.

How is everyone else doing with their One-a-Day?

Bulls Eye Cushions

A pair of Bullseye Cushions

More cushions! I finished this pair off this morning that have been "nearly" finished for 4 weeks. I took them away last week to finish and very nearly achieved my aim but I still had one last round of border, the buttonholes and buttons to sew on. As "the husband" said "who are these for?" They are for us! They will remind me of: our holiday last week in the lovely Llŷn (or Lleyn) Peninsular in North Wales

Close up of Bullseye Square

I am quite pleased with them. The idea was that they are to go on our bed and reflect the spotty London Blinds we have at the two windows.

The lighter spots on the blind are mocha not sage green!

Now cushions on the bed....what do you think? Every magazine, shop, holiday house, house moving programme on TV all have beautifully arranged cushions on the bed. Usually with runners, throws and not just a pair but several co-ordinating and carefully plumped pairs in different textures and sizes. Where do they go at bedtime, on a heap on the floor in this house. That's why we haven't had them up to now. The reason, we are trying to sell our house and have been for a few months now. It's soul destroying, but perhaps the new bulls eye cushions will make us look a bit less like chaotic family house and slightly more "with it" But still I don't have that "touch" they are very rustic but I like them. If anyone drives down our road and a cushion comes flying out of the window at midnight you will know why.

Definitely not designer...more rustic chic!

Bullseye Square Cushions finished 9th Sept 2012, they took me a few weeks around other projects.

FINISHED SIZE: 45cm square + edging, each square was 11cm

YARN: Stylecraft Special 100% acrylic Double Knit in 3 colours,

Parchment 1218

Mocha 1064

Walnut 1054

HOOK: 4mm

PATTERN: Bullseye squares pattern by Little Tin Bird with an extra round of trebles

HOOKY HAPPY INDEX: 9/10

How do you get that smart hotel look?!

PS The cushions hold a secret, coming to you via a blog post very soon, watch this space!