ADDICTIVE CHEVRON!

Here's an update of what I've been making in the last week or so.

This chevron crochet design is definitely addictive. I think that this blanket that I'm making for Kate will grow quicker than I first thought. The yarn that I'm using, Drops Merino Extra Fine has a great feel to it but it does have an annoying feature. Each colour block that I've completed so far has had varying amounts of usage for each ball. The off white and the light grey have been completed in one ball with some excess, the dark grey, I only managed just three rows out of the four and the mustard, well, I would have had enough to complete the whole block but a join in the middle of the 4th row, halted that.
So I seem to be collecting quite a lot of oddments which I suppose is one of those things. I did give it a try and joined the yarn mid row but it just didn't look right and I knew the join was there. For me there wasn't any point continuing down that road.
I like Kate's colour choice and think it will look a very striking blanket when she's got it draped over her black sofa.

I made one of these waistcoats in a pale blue colour for a teeny tiny Jack but now teeny tiny Jack has grown into a little man he needs a much bigger size. I just loved this pattern from the word go, it's a Drops pattern and knitted in Drops Baby Merino. I bought the yarn as part of my "new baby" stash when my daughter in law found out she was expecting. Knitted on a circular needle the waistcoat didn't take long to knit up and the only seams are the ones on the shoulder so not a lot of sewing involved.
I'm looking forward to seeing him wear it.

DOING THINGS ON IMPULSE!

On Monday morning when we woke there was a chill in the air and I thought perhaps it was time to put my knitted blanket over the bottom of the bed ready for the colder nights approaching.
I changed the bedding, laid the blanket which has spent all summer folded on the bedroom chair over the bed and then my brain had a sudden thought and on impulse I pulled it off the bed again, dragged it downstairs, opened the washing machine door and plunged it in. My all singing and all dancing washing machine hasn't got a cold wash so I set it to a 30 degree quick wash and left it to get on with it's work.

You might be thinking at this stage that that's not much of a drama but, when I tell you, the yarn I used was hand wash only and this was it's first ever contact with any water, hot or cold you will probably think that my impulsiveness could do with some reining in.

I was so pleased with this blanket when I finished making it and it does look lovely on the bed but it does shed fibre and I thought the wash might help with this problem and better to do it now while we still have warmth in the sun.

When the cycle was finished I don't know how I managed to stay quite calm, as soon as I opened the machine door there was so much fluff flying around the kitchen and one look at the blanket within, well it looked like i'd felted it.

Anyway, not panicking - much! I took it outdoors where the fibres just filled the air and I managed to pull and stretch the blanket back to shape and hang it on the line.

The blanket has thankfully made it back on the bed and looks good. However, the yarn fibres are still caught up in the grass and in every nook and cranny imaginable indoors.

So today, I thought I'd try and hoover them up before I go outside this afternoon to have an afternoon of crochet - the chevron blanket is totally addictive! (pictures next time)

So why I started to do something else on impulse I'll never know but I thought I'd just wipe the paint work here and there and do some bending and stretching getting down to areas where only the little people who visit this house ever see.

Well, all I can say is they must think granny never does any cleaning!

Honestly, how much tea and coffee do we actually drip over the paintwork?

Finally, the job is done, it's 1pm. Lunch time is beckoning and I'm heading outside with my chevron blanket and a seat in the sun.

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine where ever you are!

FINISHED PROJECTS AND NEW CHALLENGES!

My two models, one of them being rather a wriggler, love their new dresses. I have to say a huge thank you to my friend Diane who was so patient with me and helped me all along the way from cutting out  the fabric to finishing.

I'm very pleased with them and I am now feeling much more confident using my sewing machine.

 Jolly good job really because I have new projects to make in the pipe line.

I've also finished this baby blanket this week. It's been sitting there waiting for the border to be crocheted for quite a few days. I think this was because I really wasn't sure if the off white border would look right but now I've done it, I really like it.

I hope the new parents like it too!

I do try to have fresh flowers in the house throughout the year but since the beginning of summer have resisted buying any as I've been picking my own sweet peas and dahlias.

Last Friday I was tempted by some lovely asters in M&S that filled 2 vases.

Then on Saturday my son in law gave me a lovely bunch of flowers as a thank you for darning two jumpers. 

(I know, I'm becoming a sewing geek!)
All of these flowers are still looking good today!

So on Tuesday when there was a knock on the door I couldn't believe it, more beautiful flowers.

A re shuffle of vases was a necessity!

This lovely arrangement was sent to us because my husband has been at work for 40 years.
Unbelievable!
Sorry for the cliche, but where has all that time gone!

Also this week, having been reading Heldasland's blog I decided to have a play at making a collage for a new banner for my blog. For me, doing something like this is a time consuming event. I start off having a little dabble here and a little dabble there and then before I know it an hour or two has passed and I have a revamped blog with a partially completed banner and then a mad rush to get out of the house to go and do the food shopping.
I shall leave it as it is for a while, I do quite like it.


Now to reveal my new challenge. I have been patiently waiting for this yarn delivery
but today it has finally arrived.

I'm joining the chevron craze, can't wait to start.
I'm making a new blanket for Kate's soon to be decorated lounge.
She wants it finished by tomorrow but we've had a compromise and agreed I'll finish it by christmas.
I shall be getting underway later today after I've done some tidying in the garden, my sweet peas sadly have finally stopped flowering!

Have a great weekend everyone!

IT ALL STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 1963

I can remember it all so well, my first day at school. 

When I was 5 going to any pre-school, nursery or playgroup was unheard of.

On that day when my mum waved goodbye at the classroom door, it was a very new bewildering experience for me and it was on that very day that I found my first friend.

Throughout all of my primary education Gaye and I were inseparable. Sometimes we loved each other and other times we fell out big time. I remember once when we both had to go to the headmaster's office because we'd been fighting in the playground for something or other.

We were both horrified as by this time we'd made up again and so were quite distraught when he gave us 50 lines each, saying how sorry we were and we would not fight again.

Unfortunately for me I didn't have my listening ears with me and couldn't remember what I had to write so I wrote 50 lines saying - I'm sorry I fighted with my friend.

That got me into even more trouble and more lines, oh when I look back, it does make me laugh!

When I was 11 my family moved away and my friendship with Gaye continued through our teenage years but sadly since then we have just kept in contact on birthdays and at christmas.

So fast forwarding all those years until today, another day in September.

Venue RHS Hyde

The gardens looked stunning!

Some of the newer beds and borders looked amazing

the different shades of green and

the late flowering sedums and the grasses were at their best.

Lunch was long and lingering.

The conversation, non stop.

Two friends, who met one September

enjoyed such a perfect day.

I don't know what you fink but I fink my spelling has really come on over the years!