Granny Crochet Blanket

Hi all,

It's been a little while since my last post; Christmas, birthdays, holidays and weddings all crammed in to a short three week period! Anywho, I was just posting some images to my Mum about my upcoming wedding, and realised I hadn't put anything up on here about the blanket I made my Mum for Christmas.

Last year, when just beginning to crochet I made a blanket for my sister. I'd told my Mum I'd started crocheting and she'd found it quite funny, quite 70's! But then she seemed to regret that when Claire got something not her! So this year, after several fairly big hints I started on this one.

Wool basket, full of wool!

This is my favourite blanket I've ever made, very sad to see it go - BUT I know it has gone to a good home and will be appreciated. Sadly no photos of it in it's new home, but I'll try update when I get some!

Ta da! All done, and below all packed ready to be wrapped :) One day, after this wedding business is all over i think I might make me one!

Love Ali

xx

Cowl-tastic!

Hi all, 

This weekend saw me ill and alone. Not a good combination, the boy was away on a stag do and I had picked up a virus from work which left me with a terrible headache and fever. After spending all of Friday, and a good part of Saturday sleeping I was feeling much better on Sunday and with time to spend whilst watching the entire first season of Downton Abbey!

A few weeks ago I bought myself a big chunky ball of wool from Hobbycraft, with a cowl pattern. They had one knitted up which was amazeballs and was just what I was looking for, so off I merrily skipped and payed my £5.

The brand I used

Sad times came when I got home and realised I don't really know how to knit. Yes, I've made scarves, long rectangles, generally full of holes, using the knit stitch and none of this new fangled 'purl' business. So, after a few very frustrating attempts to remember to k1, p1 and pick up a loop and drop a loop between each stitch (!) I gave up and made my own pattern instead!

I forgot to take any 'making of' photos - this was me checking that my phone was working, or something like that

Ta da! Last night, in one grey jumper...

And today, in another grey jumper!

From behind. Oh er missus.

Here it is:

200g of Fab Big #02350 delphinium - a lovely teal blue
10mm  knitting needles

Cast on 24 stitches
Knit 20 rows plain knit stitch
Next is slightly more complicated - knit a 'twisted drop stitch' pattern. This is really simple and even I managed to do it.

Insert needle in to back of stitch, wrap around 2 loops, not 1! pull through as in a normal knit stitch. Carry on all along the row. 
Next row, ONLY do the same, but only knit in to the first loop you made, and let the other stitch drop off your hook.

Keep going until you run out of wool, for the last two or three rows use normal knit stitch.

Crochet ends together using a basic slip stitch. I used a contrasting wool as I only had a much thinner hook than the chunky wool - a 5mm hook.

And that is it! Don't wear it to bed, your partner will laugh at you. Or if you're single, go nuts, make a giant one as a sleeping bag and live in it (now I want boy to go away for the weekend again...)

Love Ali

xx

Diary Cover

The boy is out tonight so I'm finally covering up my cheap, cheap, cheap diary. I bought it just after Christmas for only a few pennies from Wilkinsons as I badly needed it for work. It has been annoying me for 8 months now but now it is covered and looks much better!

I used the pattern from my newest crafting book by Chloe Owens all sewn up, which is billed as having '36 exquisite projects, using applique, embroidery and more'. It is a beautifully produced book, with Chloe's illustrations throughout. It's probably the best craft book I've bought in a while, the projects are all the right side of doable and cute without being too twee :)

It is a very simple project, basically just a rectangle of fabric, edged in the right way. What I quite like in this book is all the machine applique, which since making the blankets for Nat's babies, I've been wanting to do more of.

Here is the diary before hand:

Pretty boring, I am partial to polka dots but I'm sick of the sight of these ones!

And here is the final result! I used a heart applique rather than a little bird, much simpler and although I'm not usually a fan of covering things in hearts, I like it in this red polka dot!

And that is that! See y'all next time :) We have a craft night next week, so that will probably be the next post.

Love Ali

xx

Mr. Tortoise Tutorial

Hello all!

After helping Amy out with learning to crochet last week, I remembered how much I enjoy it. I've been on a sewing binge the last few months so was nice to be back with the wool.

For quite a while I have really, really, really wanted a tortoise. I've wanted one of my very own for ages, my mum had a tortoise, which was still around for much of my childhood (see me below!). 

Me, about two, trying to figure out how I can pester Humphrey, in my grandma's back garden  in Yorkshire.

I've finally managed to get one, a little bit fluffier than the original Humphrey tho! I've spent a while on pinterest looking at tortoise crochet patterns, but in the end decided to just wing it (with a little hexagon help from Lucy at Attic 24!).

Mr. Tortoise, the final cheeky little dude!

So, straight in to the pattern!

TOP

• Choose your yarn/wool. For mine I chose from my stash pale yellow, dusky pink, bright burnt orange and a beautiful light blue I love just a little bit. It's all acrylic double knit, the blue is a little thinner but worked just as well. Use a 3.75mm crochet hook to get a tortoise this size.
• You need to crochet 7 hexagons. I used this very helpful tutorial from Lucy at Attic 24 must take all credit for this, she has incredibly helpful descriptions that really helped me when I started crocheting - go check her blog out! For those who already have crochet ability, here is the pattern in basic form.
• WOOL A Chain 4 and join to make a ring.
• WOOL A Chain 2 and double crochet 11 in to ring and join.
• WOOL B Chain 3 and crochet 2 'bobble stitches' in to front post of previous round. 1 chain between each of these 2 stitches and join. 
• WOOL C Chain 3 and double crochet x 3 in to each chain link of previous round, spacing with one chain between each cluster, join.
• WOOL D Slip stitch in to chain link of previous round. Chain 3 and slip stitch in to each chain of previous round. Join.
• WOOL D Chain 3, double crochet x 2, chain 2, double crochet x 3, all in the 3 chain loop of previous round. Next loop, double crochet, x 3, repeat in this pattern all the way round. 
• Done! For this one anyway!

My finished hexagons.

Hexagons joined together

• Crochet all the hexagons together, starting with attaching to the central hexagon and then joining each along the sides. Or you can sew with a matching wool, but a simple slip stitch crochet I think makes it more secure.

HEAD AND LEGS

• Choose one colour, I went with the orange. This I made up and just kept checking the size with the final hexagons. Here is my pattern:
• HEAD Chain 28 and join to form a loop.
• Double crochet into each chain x 28. Join.
• Chain 2 and double crochet all round. Do this 3 more times so you have 5 rows.
• Chain 2, 2 double crochet and then 1 decrease stitch, repeat all round circle.
• Chain 2, 2 double crochet and then 1 decrease stitch, repeat all round circle. This should come to a point, and then slip stitch along top edge to complete.

Legs all piled up.

• LEGS Chain 20 and join.
• Chain 2 and double crochet all around, join. Repeat so you have 4 rows.
• Chain 2, 2 double crochet and 1 decrease stitch. Repeat til you come to a point and slip stitch closed.
• Nearly there! Now is definitely time for tea and a biscuit.

TORTOISE UNDERBELLY!

See how the belly matches up with the top?

• Right, back to it.
• Tortoise underbelly! This was a little bit tricky for me, as I was winging it and trying to smush it so it looked right. That saying, it is just a double crochet and chain stitch, with a few increases and decreases, so all in all was fairly quick.
• Make a chain, measure this against one of the sides of your hexagon to get the length and number of stitches. Double crochet in all chains. 
• Next row, increase by an extra stitch into each previous double crochet on either side of the row. Repeat until you have the same size as your hexagon edge, increasing each time for about 4 rows. Be careful to stretch and fiddle with it, to make sure it fits.
• At the end of your row, chain again! Again, measure against your hexagon top to see how many you need, then chain up and double crochet along the line. When you get to the last stitch, slip stitch down and chain along again. 
• Chain up to the next row, and double crochet along to meet the previous line. Fasten off and start again fresh.
• Repeat the same process from before, double crochet all along the line, increasing with an extra stitch on each edge, until you reach the right size, then start decreasing by 1 stitch on each edge.
• Repeat this whole process until you have a whole big piece!

INSIDE

• Almost done. Stuff each of your legs and head, and sew these in to the indents between the hexagons. See image above. Sew on the 'wrong' side, and check that it is really secure.
• Place your top over the bottom piece, and sew in either a whip stitch or blanket stitch all around. Be careful around the leg and head areas, sew only in to the top edge, and not all the way through.
• Use a contrasting thread and sew some eyes and a smile on the face of your tortoise :) Hide the ends of the wool in the stuffing inside the head.
• Leave a gap. Now is time for a very little bit of sewing. Using the tortoise as a guide, cut two pieces of plain fabric.
• 
• Sew these together along the edge, don't worry about being too neat as this will all be hidden. Leave a gap and stuff with some lovely soft pillow stuffing. Sew around the edge to close.
• 

• Put your little 'pillow' in to the tortoise skin, and finish sewing around the edge.

DONE! Now you have your very own little tortoise pal. I love him, although it might be that he is off to live with my niece when she comes to stay in a few weeks, we will see if she loves him as much as I do!

Love Ali

xx