Happy Easter

Wishing you a lovely day with family and friends (and chocolate of course).

As it's the last day of the month I have collected my OPAM finishes here.

As always some things didn't get finished, nothing new about that. 

They'll still be waiting when the new month comes around as I'm off to see The old people and whoever else turns up today.

May your day be sweet.

Starting again

A whole week passed without a stitch being knitted.

Today was the day to remedy that.

I selected these two stash yarns - cream Bendigo woollen mills luxury and this very old Patons yarn in a deep burgundy colour to make the Sanquhar Socks from 'Knitting socks from around the world'.

These are knit from the cuff, so far I have completed the band. The coming Easter break, which is promising to be considerably cooler, should see good progress on these. I am eager to see this pattern grow in the fabric.

The hook has not been idle. I am currently working on the final round of the blanket but the rows are long and I need to concentrate so it may take a couple more days.

I recently started reading 'The Necessary Aptitude - A Memoir' by Pam Ayres. The title refers to the reason for being dismissed from her first job - as in 'lacks the necessary aptitude'. Guess her superiors didn't appreciate her humour?

While the book includes a lot of detail it is written in her easy to read style and is quite entertaining.

Joining all the talented participants who yarn along.

Hope there's some time to create in your week.

The bunnies

are ready for a little Easter fun.

They all have different expressions, I gave the middle one beady eyes, and cute fluffly tails.

Thanks Janette for the super tutorial and pattern from here.

The second last round on the blanket brings the design to life.

The Love and Liquor socks are finished - I squeezed my feet in for these photo's but they really are not my size.

Yarn : Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply in Wild Barley

Lucky for me there are still some people in the sock queue with smaller feet and ankles.

Hope the sun is shining on you today

FNSI - the Yarn edition

Friday evening was spent with the yarn and a hook in hand, just as I anticipated.

Another block

Another bunny

and a little more on the blanket border.

Today was perfect for the community festival.

Nobody's on the beach because all the activity was in the park opposite.

I got lots of exercise walking over to support some local community groups by buying my lunch there, to watch the parade late afternoon and then back again for the fireworks in the evening.

There was time for more crochet in between times - another bunny in the making.

Hope your Saturday was perfect too.

Hopping along

to FNSI with Heidi.

I'll be the one with the bag full of yarn.

The hooks have been given a work out this week. 

I'm still working on the border of the blanket when I'm not being distracted by other projects, like the pretty blocks from the Granny squares book or

a little rabbit or two getting ready for Easter.

These are great for using little bits of yarn and are very quick to make.

The super tutorial for this can be found over at The Green Drangonfly. I embroidered the eyes and nose with a charcoal grey yarn rather than floss for the nose and safety eyes.

He is a little 'stuck up' but I like him just the same.

Hope your weekend includes a little colourful fun.

Backwards and forwards

After a good amount of unravelling the border on the blanket started in a forward motion again before the yarn ran out! 

Now the whole purpose of finishing some of the previously resting projects is to use yarn from the stash but as I was not prepared to unravel again and change my border design, I thought about my options for all of five minutes before I decided to just get another ball of yarn to complete this blanket as I originally envisaged.

So new yarn has been purchased and the border is once again in forward motion.

As the socks were finished earlier this week there is currently nothing on the needles! I had not yet purchased above mentioned yarn so I was at a loose end when preparing to go to my craft gathering yesterday. 
I've been drooling over 'The Granny Square book' by Margaret Hubert all week, it proved to be the perfect solution to my loose end. 

More yarn from the stash, which was previously going to be knit into, oh who knows? 
Lincraft Fuzzy Wuzzy is an acrylic/Polyester blend, not to be confused with the vintage yarn by the same name, which is pure angora and extremely soft and certainly fluffy.
Now I am making granny's and enjoying the different styles so far.

The cover design showing all the blocks at the same size is some trick of photography!

Still working through the book from last week - 'Somebody Else's Kids' by Torey Hayden.

Joining all the talented Yarn along friends.

Wishing you all time to create today.

Crocheting along ... a little knitting too

Progress on the current blanket from the previously resting stash.

I've finished both the lemon and mint yarns and begun working on the white border.

Following an old pattern for the border, so far so good amazing considering the main part of the blanket was improvised to use the leftover colours.

I'm liking the open work of the border so far as a contrast to the density of the centre.

Reading has been mostly about inspiration for a new crochet project and work related.

'The Granny Square book' by Margaret Hubert certainly has lots of fun squares to try as well as some interesting uses for them. Patiently waiting until I am finished the current project before playing with any new squares.

'Somebody Else's Kids' by Torey Hayden may just make my work life a little easier as I currently have a couple of students who have some serious learning issues.

The second sock is progressing slowly, though that could change now that I'm up to the heel shaping.

Joining all the clever people knitting along over at Ginny's.

Hope it's cool where you are.

Lovely - thanks

A lovely package arrived from Katherine this week - I won her giveaway of the pattern which she has finished with, she made it not once but twice. Oh and she included some little extras to accompany the pattern - gorgeous red buttons, cute stitched note card, chocolate and a wooden handmade sew on.

Lovely thanks Katherine.

The first sock is complete. Nice if a little on the snug side!

The clever heel construction has the cable continue around each side of the ankle.

This month's previously 'resting' project - just happens to be another blanket using a 4 ply acrylic/nylon mix - lucky really or there could not be any progress while the sun continues to shine in this part of the world. This picture was taken when I pulled it out of the project bag and it is currently around 75cm square. The centre is a multicoloured yarn crocheted across and back in rows, then I am using complimentary colours for the outer rounds.

This will not be a big blanket but I have a wide border pattern chosen to finish it off, just a few more rounds before I start on that.

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.

Very Happy...

with this one that went together so smoothly.

 

Big hook, fat yarn, four squares and a circle, a little sewing and finishing.

 

The pattern is from 'Donna Kooler's encyclopedia of Crochet' Granny square beanie design by Lisa Gentry. 

Yarn from the stash - Sean Sheep Rockbank in pewter and a verigated blue odd ball, unknown brand. Nice shape and good size in Miss13's current favourite colours. Some people may even get presents before their birthday this year.

The latest socks starting at the toe again, looking a little like a lizard.

'Love and Liquor' design by General Hogbuffer

Hope all's good in your space on this sunny Sunday afternoon.

Flitting on Friday Night (with friends)

Lots of unravelling happening around here lately.

There was some progress and a finish - twice.

Yes, I finished this purple version of the Hermione hearts Ron hat twice. After I bound off the first time I noticed that I had dropped a stitch five rows back and now I had a big hole where three more rows had unravelled! Undone - picked up and finished again.

All done now.

This purple hat pattern has been calling out for some attention this week and I thought a little hooky action may be just what I needed considering how much unravelling of my knitting has been going on here this week.

Charleston Cloche by Kim Guzman

The blue yarn was the beginning of some knitting which Miss13 was doing when she was here last year - as it was the right weight for this pattern I thought I'd give it a try - totally unsuitable yarn! Unravel.

Moving right along - look another purple hat pattern.

This time some pretty grey and a little blue, oh the square worked just fine without any unravelling. Only three more to make.

Granny Square Beanie by Lisa Gentry

 Hope your Friday night was more successful.

Today it was off to my local knitting group where I worked on my new sock, but I don't have a picture of it yet because all the one's I have taken so far are really out of focus!! I started at the toe again and am up to the instep shaping and really liking the design. I promise I'll show a picture soon.

Have a wonderful Creative Sunday.