{quilt} while you're ahead

* 78 * ** Tranquil **

My friend K and I agreed a swap a few months back.  She would knit me a jumper and I would crochet a cardigan.

She chose 'Tranquil' by Marie Wallin, in Rowan No 47

 

Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed, hook mm

It's a really interesting pattern.  Three equal frilly doily pieces joined at the end (although I'm sure that with a little bit of thinking they could have been joined 'on the go' so to speak.

 

K opted for the same shade as the one in the book and it was good choice... 

Such a light an airy garment, perfect for layering and adding texture to an outfit.

 

I might have to crochet another one for myself!

* 59 * ** tea towel **

Today's post not only is - again - random, but it is sponsored by the Italian Football team (soccer for you across the pond) after all the Football World Cup Final is coming up shortly and we wouldn't want you to start cheering for the wrong team, right? 

So lesson 1.  Let's looks at the colours of the Italian national Flag:

GREEN

 

green for the verdant grassy fields

 

WHITE

 

white for the snow capped Alps

 

RED

 

Red for the blood spilled by those who died defending their country.

BUT of course when it comes to sport Italy plays in 'sky blue'.  The colour of the  'Azzurri''s (the Blue Ones) distinctive shirt is enough to instil terror in the minds of football players all over the world - I'm playing a mind game here, stay with me.  It's kind of like a marketing campaign...)

 

plate weaving by No 2

 

and by me

(Idea 'taken' from here)

And there you go, geography, sport, food, crochet and weaving... have a good weekend!

* 56 *

I'm going to start by apologising for the 'randomness' I'm going to dump on you, but I need to 'clear' my head otherwise things will get ugly 'round here.

Our friends have gone back home and I seem to struggle to find my drumbeat again.  There seem to be too many things to do, to clean, to sort out, to tidy... to make.

So you, my friends, will help me and if my posts in the next couple of days won't make much sense... this is the reason why.

To start off: I received flowers in a box!  From S. as a thank you.  

 

The boys were really impressed with the packaging arrangements and speculated for ages about what kind of things you could potentially send in a box (I tried to explain that the flowers didn't actually come all the way from San Diego... but no... they know best.  As always)

 

I also discovered today that I was the runner up on Silverpebble's 100th post give-away... 

 

... I'm so 'out of it' at the moment I didn't even know I'd won!!

So it was a double surprise when this goodness popped through the letter box this morning

 

the sweetest earrings! gorgeous buttons! and the most wonderful lace doily!!

Thank you soooo sooo much Emma! 

One day I'll get it together enough to catch up with you all, in the meantime, amongst trips to the recycling centre, doctors, supermarket, in between sorting out summer clothes and summer uniforms, 3980344 loads of washing and walking the dog I managed a little bit of this 

 

(to keep me sane, you understand, don't you?)
 
 
 
 

 

* 53 *

It's raining again.  Life is slow and days go by at a lazy kind of pace.

Which is not bad... just not what we're used to!

 

The boys are playing Lego with ancient pieces, the same ones that me and my brother and sister used 30 years ago, and I'm making up more crochet hexagons for the blanket.

 

This slow life matches the empty skies... still no planes above our heads.  It's a really strange feeling knowing this mode of transport has been taken away from us.  By nature.  We're not so powerful after all are we?

We still don't know if we're going to leave on Monday or not, in the meantime, we're taking it slowly.

And it's good.

* 30 * * new old skirt *

" excuse me but do you know there's something that looks like a doily stuck to your skirt?"

"sorry to point that out, but wouldn't like to go out like that, you know, with a doily..."

"oh and actually... I hope you don't mind me saying this either... but, it seems that your 'underskirt' is showing too... just a little.. and it's pretty, very pretty... but you know... it's showing!!"

grey wool thrifted skirt, handmade crochet doily and vintage crochet lace.

is it silly to be giddy about a skirt?

 

* 20 * * quick cowl *

There are days when all I want is a quick and easy project I can start and finish in one session.  And not a very long session either.  I have all sorts of exciting things on the needles and on the hook and even on my sewing table, but they're all long term and today I feel the need to get the 'all-done' feeling.

I need to see I'm accomplishing something.  (Something that is not cleaning bathrooms and making beds, if you get my drift.  Oh those are done, but the satisfaction factor is small and short lived!)

Enter 'the quickest cowl in the west'.

A ball of Rowan big wool, a size 8mm crochet hook and three wooden buttons.

Nothing more.

Do you want to see it on? Be aware... bad photo coming up, it turns out that taking a selfportrait of oneself (obviously) wearing a cowl is virtually impossible unless you know how to use the selftimer option (which I haven't worked out yet) and have a tripod (which I don't). 

Quick and from the stash.

And now... it's me and the admin basket... wish me luck.

* 10 * * hexagon blanket *

About three years ago I learnt to knit socks.

A year later I taught my mum how to knit socks.

Both of us have been knitting socks ever since.  Not many, not obsessively and exclusively as you know, but I always have a pair on the needles for those time I need to take a project with me (car, doctor, kids sporting events etc.)

As a result I/we have lots of small balls of wool.  Lots.

Or I should say 'had'... because they're no more...

During the past few months I've been crocheting hexagons with them... letting the colours change when they wanted too and just concentrating on doing them the same size; they're all sock yarn of various make and brand and you'd think they'd be the same... I always knit sock with 2.5mm dpn afterall... well they're not. 

Most of them have been done with a size 3.5mm crochet hook, some with 3mm and some with 4mm... you go figure.

I then joined them with some cream sock yarn ('trekking sport' colour 1400), in a way that higlights the hexagon shapes a little... 

I haven't blocket it yet a I've still got some 70 hexagon ready to be joined up and my mum is under strict instructions to up her sock production a little... I need more!!!

(hey, do you folks have any remnants lying around in a draw somewhere? just a thought...)

* 5 * * garlands *

 
My intentions were good.

I was going to tidy up the study; fold fabric, sort out ufos, get rid of unwanted stuff...

but I knew it wasn't going to happen the moment I came across this bag full of small tapestry wool I'd picked up who knows when from who knows where. (Note to self... when tidying up a messy room leave the drawers till last, they can be awfully distracting).

... because next thing I know I'm grabbing a crochet hook and begin making circles.

Big and small.

And then I joined them, because they were calling for it.

And these sweet little garlands were made.

I have absolutely no idea of what to do with them...

but they make me happy.

 

(oh, and the study is still a mess)

* 3 * * pincushions *

Sometimes

 

 I feel

the need

to make

small

things.

Just

because.

 
 

technicolour Syd

  This rabbit has had a gestational period longer than a baby elephant, but now I'm proud to announce the birth of Psychedelic Syd...

Syd is a scrap rabbit - her genetic make up is 100% cotton, but in her DNA you can spot strands of handbags and potholders and a few brooches too.  She likes that.  It gives her an edge and an inner strength not commonly found amongst purer breeds.

She's extremely proud of her stripey legs

and although she's considering a lighter lipstick and eye surgery to reduce the bulging of her pupils, she's very confident in her appearance.

Go Syd, go.

(pattern found in 'Vintage Crochet' by Susan Cropper, errata on the Loop website)

(like any bona fide UFO Syd balanced legless on my shelf for a good three months;  her final stage of development only took two more evenings.  Doh.)