mistletoe kisses anytime!

:: As previously mentioned time has been rather on the scarce side of late, so I have been erring on the side of short and sweet projects, and in my mind you can’t get shorter or sweeter than this ::

:: The pattern is taken from this delectable book, which I have mentioned before now ::

:: I’ve also been indulging in some flower making, and when enough have been made then, they will inevitably be backed onto some felt and turned into brooches for friends presents :: They are lovely as embellishments, but I always find that if I go to add them onto my work they are always snipped off as I just find it all a bit too much for my tastes :: but as objects in themselves they are just divine ::

I’ve finally embarked on the making of this years Christmas Cards, and if any of them are ever to make their way across the other side of the globe, I had better buck my ideas up and get them finished…there’ll be more on that glittery festive little beauty later….I’ll share them with you when I’m good and ready thANKyou! The sheer simplicity of our cards this year almost makes me want to laugh out loud, and for those of you who know me – they’re not Christmas Trees or Stars either, which are two festive motifs that I have gotten rather a reputation for – hee hee ::

: The Tallest has arrived home from Nursery with a list of names, and the decision has been made that if she wants to send them she can make them in true Growing Things tradition, she’s got an eye for creating things, but when something is as repetitive as making cards can be we are after something that is simple but effective and can be done in a jiffy so that she doesn’t get bored :: Time for the potato printing to be outed me thinks! :: A weekend project for her so that she can give them out at the beginning of her last week of the term ::

:: It’s been a beautiful day today, the air has been crisp and dry, the sun low and dazzling, and in amongst all those things that have been troubling our little family of late today saw my much lax of late thankfulness of all the beauty around me return :: The winter sun has managed to rejuvenate and restore my enjoyment of my (formerly!) simple life and all the incidental things that make it my own ::

:: So on that strangely philosophical note, adieu, see you anon, and here’s hoping that the next two days (*work*) are as interesting and inspiring as the last two have been ::

GT xxxxx

Crocheting the days away…

I thought that I ought to offer up something by way of an explanation what I have been doing with my spare time of late:: The allotment has been rather neglected, as with the amount of rain that has fallen – the ground is saturated and anything more than going to pull some leeks and parsnips creates a mudslide. When things dry out a little it will be all hands to get as much of the ground tidy before the really cold weather sets in and makes the earth unworkable::

So in the mean time in between all the usual stuff that a parent to two small children fills their day with I have also been busy with the crochet hook. Which is currently my favourite over my usual knitting as I find it a bit more gratifying as things seem to work up so much quicker::

My very tiny local library has a fantastic selection of books, of which 5 out of the craft section are blessing my desk area, and rather than the usual::  look at them – find them inspiring – then realise they’re overdue and go back to the library before there’s any hideous fines to pay! I have actually making something from (one of!) them. Okay so they work up in two minutes, but I have got to make twenty eight of them:: and I’m beginning to think that the orange was a mistake: so that’s another six to remake, although on the plus side they do make rather good play money so the Tallest informs me!

They have a very tactile quality about them: almost stuffed. They are from the book Beautiful hand – stitched jewellery by Emi Iwakiri not everything in there is to my tastes, but there are a few things that really take my fancy.

Also I am no exception to a current trend in blog world to the phenomena that is the crocheted granny star, and I am in the process of using up my less desirable yarns in a garland to hang on the high shelf in my bedroom, as when they are way up there the synthetic mix is not too noticeable!

I’m using allsorts to make these up, wool, synthetic yarns and cottons, so they’re not working up in a uniform size:: but that’s not too much of a worry for me: I’m just glad to have found a project perfectly designed for all those yarn pieces that just aren’t big enough for anything else::

A satisfying stack indeed! Several more are to be made before they can be attached onto a long chain, but I’ve made eight so far, and looking at where I want to hang them I’ll only need 2-4 more::

I’m also working on a tweedy looking granny cushion cover, but because the colours are less vibrant than the other pieces I couldn’t get a decent picture so that’ll have to wait::

Enjoy your day, and if like the GrowingThings Gang, you’ll be braving the elements in mac and wellies have some fabulous fun splashing in the puddles! xxxx

Finished at last…biggest crochet project so far!

The Tallest sporting the play tunic that I have (at long last) finished for her, this was made through following a knitting pattern and then adapting this to fit for crochet.

I normally knit larger projects but have really enjoyed hooking this, although I think that the next few bits will be smaller things as I definately began to lose momentum with this one!

Button and cuff details, I used combinations of cotton and wool yarns for this, I inherited a very large collection of yarns in colours that are not necessarily to my tastes (the grey) but as you can see here in combination with the fushia and the red it has worked really well and I’ve managed to use up 3 balls of it so it’s all good!

Bottom hem and colour interest. The Tallest said that she wanted a rainbow and a rainbow she got. I love the way that this space dyed yarn crochets, as the colours block so much nicer than when knitted, and the colours stay so much more vibrant.

So there it is finished at last!

Good Gifts – Dishcloths

They might seem like rather strange little gifts to give, but crochet cotton dishcloths are fab to use, and quick and easy to make, so that’s a bonus on both counts. Once you’ve wiped down with one of these you’ll never go back to shop bought.

Just make sure that it’s 100% cotton, for the best absorbancy and washing, they are robust and hardwearing so well worth the effort.

I finished this one last night, and as well as the never ending pairs of sock ( I will, one day, find the pair I’ll want to make and make)

This one is just plain white with a space dyed yarn for the border just to add a bit of interest. Hopefully I’ll avail myself of some funkier yarns to make some more interesting ones.

You can also make them with plastic scubbers within them too – more on those later.