Crochet Hero

A late starter, I am joining Knitting and Crochet Blog Week three days in. Pictured here is Ruby, my crochet hero. With a passion for decorative one-off pieces, Ruby can often be spotted trading antiques in London's Portobello Road market. This little lady is a demon with a crochet hook, creating intricate and colourful shawls and clothing at breakneck speed. Sadly Rubes has cast her hooks aside for the time being but I hope she'll one day snap her fingers back into action and start 'hooking' again. Knowing my favourite colour is purple, she whisked up this cosy shawl for me last year. Check it out!

If you think Ruby should start crocheting again, leave a comment and maybe we'll get to see some more of her work in the near future.

Craft Geek

Having had a whale of a time, I've just got in after enjoying a few drinks in 'skinny jeans country', A.K.A. Shoreditch, east London. This neighbourhood is still very much trend centrale however, tonight I was there for the company, my gaggle of jovial ex colleagues.

Now slumped over my dining table, I've at last had a chance to swot up on the topics for Knitting and Crochet Blog Week (next week). As I have the attention span of a gnat, I am delighted the topics are pretty general so hope to tackle at least two or three of them. Colour, photography, talk about your craft skills... all easy peasy topics to blog around. I look forward to planning some knitting and crochet projects and getting stuck in.

Just Gabbin'

Well good evening or good morning, depending on where you are in the world! It's a couple of hours away from bedtime for me and as usual I'm shattered. I narrowly missed going to my gym class due to the heavy rain this evening (its lame I know). If the rain keeps on coming like it has for the past few days and I keep skipping the gym, I'll get so fat I'll have to be air-lifted into work.

So, what's been happening in the world of Micro G? I've been working away on the crochet blanket tonight and whilst at work today was quizzed about why I like to blog. People forget it's usually a personal thing and a hobby and often don't really understand bloggers' motivations. For me, well I enjoy meeting new people through blogs and Twitter, I also love learning about the technology behind it and like to keep friends and family up-to-date on my latest knitting and crochet projects, especially mum, "Hi mum!"
 
Mr brother takes a dim view of company Facebook sites and 'corporate' blogs and I have to admit, even though I'm not getting any younger myself, when I hear of men in their '50s gloating about how influential they are on Twitter, I can't help but smile wryly. Could social media be the new symptom of midlife crisis now that the banks have taken all our money and no one can afford to buy Porsches anymore?

I have plenty of other hobbies, too many really and I firmly believe blogging is way cooler than Facebook, or bragging about work or money (no one likes a bore).

Little by little I've been tinkering with my new blog site over the last couple of weeks and it's slowly starting to take shape now. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out but sometimes it's nice just to let your imagination run wild...

Wet Blanket

Only two posts this week as I've been a bit poorly. My crochet blanket is nearing completion but I may have to leave it for a week or two as I won't be home much.

To keep us cheery, here are two pictures I took last spring in Croyde, Devon, England. Spring lambs! Super cute!

I now need to take time out to read up on Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2012 as it's fast approaching. Will you be joining in?

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2012

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2012 

Check this out, it's the perfect blogger event for craftivists! Fingers crossed, I hope to get involved!
I haven't done anything quite like this since BlogtoberFest back in October.

Crochet Heaven

Well happy Easter!

As you can see, I've been a busy bee. It was lovely to visit Greenwich and see all the quirky buildings and the independent shops on the high street. Greenwich is of course steeped in history, what with the Royal Observatory, Planetarium and Cutty Sark all within spitting distance of each other. 'Cutty Sark' was once a Scottish term meaning short dress apparently, hence the scantily clad lady poised at the front of the boat. Bijou and with a village feel, I couldn't help wondering how we have allowed the rest of the UK to be blighted by chain store fever with the same coffee shops, clothes shops, pubs, restaurants and supermarkets in most of our towns and cities. Ok, so I do shop in many of these stores but I am always cheered by the sight of an indie store.

Here's my stack of crochet squares and a quick snap of the lovely colours I've chosen for the blanket I'm making. Next week I will be popping over to meet fellow blogger Anna from Anna's Creative Corner over on the other side of London. I very much look forward to catching up with her and marvelling at some of her latest luscious knitting projects.

Greenwich Me Time

Hello, hello! Just a few photographs from Greenwich, south London where we spent this afternoon and evening.

Seafood lunch including fresh crab

Canary Wharf by night

Party boat on the River Thames

The O2 Arena at night

I Heart Amazon

Yes, it's time I declared my feelings for online shopping Mecca, Amazon.

Amazon. I love you!

Until today I have been content with frivolously purchasing wool from my local department store at £4 or £5 a ball. I'm relatively new to knitting so it suited me to buy from a well known shop, benefit from their instore expertise and of course, be able to touch and see what I was about to buy. However, the cost quickly adds up so I thought to myself, as I just need some generic White DK wool, perhaps I should try to save a few bob and buy them online for a change.

It goes without saying that I will also consider increasing my stash by buying yarn from the blogosphere but I thought it was worth building up a small list of reasonably priced and reliable yarn Amazon sellers. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I know I should consider using EBay to source yarns but I'm still psychologically scarred from my first EBay experience. What happened? I was sold some fake Anchor embroidery floss, I consequently posted a bad review and was then hassled by the seller who tried to log a complaint against ME - the cheek! I took down my social media picture for fear of being stalked and breathed a sigh of relief that i chose to blog under my alias, Micro G.

I just don't want to go down that road again.

Anyway my new purchase will almost certainly be used to join my crocheted afghan blocks once they're completed. Let me know what Amazon sellers you favour and I'll pop your comments up on the blog.

A Vintage Dinner Party in Manchester

Despite my fatigue, I didn't want to miss my trip to Manchester this weekend for anything. So here I am, nestled cosily in the back bedroom at a friend's house with her cat Lula wandering in and out looking for someone to make a fuss of her. Having visited local pub the Pack Horse on Friday night, yesterday I woke up to the pleasant sound of birds singing in the trees outside.

Introducing... Lula and her pet human, Nellie

Didsbury bound, we attended a vintage dinner party last night. Hosted at a friend of a friend's, the evening was complemented with a full cocktail service, handmade sushi rolls and dancing. The gentlemen arrived in debonair 'The Talented Mr Ripley' style blazers, cravats and boating shoes, whilst the ladies resembled starlets from the '40s and '50s. Mancunians certainly rise to the occasion!

With my feet firmly back in the present, I can now look forward to a four day working week next week and being reunited with all my home comforts.


Vintage inspired shenanigans in Didsbury, Manchester