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.

Finished Object: Knitted iPhone Cover

As my marathon effort to make a crochet blanket continues in the background, I thought I'd reveal how my iphone cover ended up. And here it is! My iphone and earphones fit snugly inside and I've wrapped the knitted square around one side again to form a separate pocket for the earphones, preventing the handset from getting scratched.

It's my first finished object completed using an acrylic mix yarn - Patons Beehive soft blend four ply, colour 02 (jade green). I originally intended to button it closed but, not wishing to 'guild the lilly', I think I like it as it is. As you can see, I chose to stitch it with the wrong side facing out to give it a less predictable look. Ad-libbing, this is my own design, not even a design really; I just adapted a practise square I knitted last year, et voila, an iphone cosy!

Afghan Hound

To my surprise, for the Commuter Crochet Challenge I completed two granny squares going to from work on a packed commuter train this week. It is not something I plan to repeat as it's a struggle to even get a seat on the train and even if you do, you barely have any elbow room for 'hooking'.

This afternoon I frogged the granny squares as I've decided that rather than make lots of itty bitty squares, I will instead just keep spiralling round to make a huge multi coloured rainbow blanket/ afghan. The plan is to change colours on each row and blend the colours from light in the centre, to dark around the edge. I'm calling this post Afghan Hound as I think this project will take me a while!

So what else has been happening? Well, spring has most definitely sprung now so yesterday hubby and I enjoyed a lovely evening in Brighton. If you've never had the pleasure of visiting Brighton yourself it's arguably the UK's most fashionable seaside town and has a kind of arty bohemian vibe. It's also a melting pot of youth sub cultures and was a popular haunt for Mods on Vespa scooters in the 1960s. If you're visiting the UK from overseas any time soon I recommend you visit Brighton, it's less than an hour from London and is very cool. True to form, Amazon promptly delivered my new Nikon point and shoot within two days and I managed to pap this crimson vision - the sun setting behind the Victorian pier that once was.

For the record, the other pier (not pictured but located behind me when I took this photo) remains a big attraction in Brighton; a hive of activity, it was teaming with visitors on Saturday.

My First Crocheted Granny Square

So here it is, my first crocheted granny square! I've completed the first three rounds and it's a little untidy, but the basic shape is there. Remember to check my previous post for the Crochet Geek free pattern YouTube clip if you would like to learn how to crochet one yourself. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to create something as nice as the finished objects featured on Meme Rose and Planet Penny's blog spots...

How to Crochet a Granny Square

Juggling my new job with seeing friends and all the usual stuff, I finally managed to snatch an hour yesterday to attempt some proper crochet. I really wanted to have a go at a gorgeous hexagon three round pattern I found online but couldn't find the exact same pattern as a You Tube tutorial. Instead, I had a stab at a basic crochet granny square. Using the video clip from Crochet Geek (see right), I got through the first round in just a few minutes. It's not quite right yet but I know that after a couple more attempts I will confidently have cracked it. Of course, mastering simple granny squares and crocheted hexagons will mean I can learn how to produce crocheted afghans, blankets and much more. You only have to look at my Meme Rose kaleidoscope blanket post to see just how far you can go with this simple crocheted block.  

Here's my humble first attempt at a crochet granny square

Essential Amigurumi How to - Making Arms and Legs

From time to time you come across some real gems when travelling through the twittersphere. Yesterday I spotted a tweet from Erich containing a link to their helpful blog post on making amigurumi toys. Joining limbs and other body parts to knitted or crocheted toys can be tricky the first few times; it may sound obvious to seasoned knitters and crocheters, but pinning limbs in place before stitching them on is also essential for getting that rounded shape where the limb meets the body. Rosie here (see below) was my first knitting project. I had trouble putting her legs on evenly; however, I still adore her! I intend to check Erich's blog more regularly as I found the way they pinpointed and addressed a specific crochet technique like this really handy.

At time of posting, the Roman Sock blog which I featured in my top 10 crochet sites list last week  published a useful video tutorial on amigurumi tips. Video clips are so accessible and have helped me with many techniques since I started knitting. Check it out, Brie knows what she's talking about.

Top 10 Inspirational Crochet Websites

I do love a top 10 and thought that other beginner crocheters would find it handy to have a list of inspirational blogs and websites for learning how to crochet.

In no particular order, here's my top 10 and why...


1. Ravelry - The mother of all yarn craft websites, not-for-profit community social media site Ravelry is an Aladdin's Cave of patterns, forums and news used by 'craftivists' across the globe.

2. Spontaneous Joy - Taking amigurumi bears to a whole new level, Gurumi 'O' Rama will melt even the iciest of hearts.

3. Crafty is Cool - A website containing Alison's quirky collection of amigurumi characters based on real people and familiar TV and film characters such as Wonder Woman and Michael Jackson.

4. Ana Paula's Amigurumi Patterns & Random Cuteness - It is difficult not to raise a smile when you see these itty bitty cutie creations. Ana Paula's crocheted toys are really lovely.

5. Isamo Crochet - Super stylist lacy gloves and modern crochet accessories abound.

6. MemeRose - Easy on the eye, Meme Rose’s blog features blanket projects that will make you seethe with envy wishing you'd created them yourself!

7. Crochet with Raymond - In a class of its own, Alice's 'Kiwi Experience' is a heady mix of yarn dying endeavours, insider tips on spinning wheels and colourful knitting and crochet projects, all presented by her creative director, Raymond the handsome siamese cat.

8. Roman Sock - Showcasing iguanas and many of the adorable animals from Brigitte's best-selling book, Roman Sock also includes a helpful Must Have Crochet List to point novice crocheters in the right direction.

9. Planet Penny - Combining craft projects with pet news and tasty recipes, this new blog is like a great night in with all your favourite home comforts.

10. Amigurumi Today - I always check it for the adorable animated amigurumi clips which are occasionally featured.

Pictured: my tea cosy, inspired by Alice’s Spring Explosion tea cosy on Crochet with Raymond.