Slow progress

Where has this week gone?
I just don't seem to catch up with myself at all lately. Did manage to get flu jabs sorted though.
Joe, Steve and I all have them each year. We have to have them as Joe's carers, but strangely they don't give them to Tom, even though he could pass things onto Joe and us as well.

Anyhow ....
Not the best week for progress, but I do have a little to show you.

Steve's jumper is slowly growing:

I think the trouble I have with this is, I really want to be crocheting and I'm only doing this because Steve wants it. So although I'm wanting to get it done for him, I'm really dying to get back on with the crochet projects I have sitting here as well.  If only I was a faster knitter!

I have a few crochet wips of course, but the only one I have had a small go at here and there as I can this week, is my little wash cloth.

Wash cloth progress:

It's almost finished and I might just do an edging, not sure yet. 

The one I really want to get back to is the mystery blue project I showed you awhile back.  Debi guessed it was going to be a scarf, but that's not right. Any other idea's?

As soon as I get this wash cloth finished, I'm getting back to the mystery one as my side project to work alongside Steve's jumper. So I'm looking forward to that.  I've had to restart it a few times already as the sizing is all guesswork on my part and I haven't been very successful so far!

Anyhow, hopefully more on that next time.

Take care everyone!

:)

One thing and another ...

So with one thing and another, I haven't been able to blog since the 20th September!
Life caught up with me and there's been alot going on here both good and bad.


The saddest situation with some friends of ours. The husband recently died, we had his funeral last week. It was only 4 years ago same month that his wife died and they leave 3 children.  :(
Over the past 3 weeks, we got alot sorted out for the friend we had staying with us, Dave. Also, he bought a new car while he was here and so Steve and Tom took him home in it. 400 miles is too far for him to drive. They are back home and Dave passed his old car onto Tom, which was amazing of him. It is very old, but he should hopefully get a year or two out of it. It will really help him for getting around for some work now.

It was our 24th Wedding Anniversary, so Steve and I got treated to a meal out with the family, which was really lovely as it's something we rarely do, so that was special!
So much was going on around that time though, that neither of us even had chance to get each other so much as a card, so we just agreed to try and get one for next year now! Well, we've got a year to get it in, so hopefully we'll manage! haha.

I've had little time to do any crochet really, but I did make a start on a face wash cloth last night.  It's a peaches n creme cotton yarn. I already have one in this colour, but changed the stitch pattern myself, just to see what it looks like. I quite like it, but you can't really see it much with it being varigated yarn.  It feels more the 'consistancy' of the knitted one made previously, than the feel of the usual 'stiffer' crochet cloths.  So that surprised me.

I've also started to knit a jumper for Steve.  I would rather be crocheting, but he really wants this, so I will try and get it done for him as he'd be so pleased with it.  Just made a start really, so not alot to show just yet. Grey DK yarn.

I'm totally behind on my blog reading. I hope to catch up with you all over this week, but right now I'm off to take Joe for his piano lesson!
So hope things are good for you all. Take care!

:)

What a MONSTER!

Have you ever seen such a monster?
I was totally 'chin on the floor' when it arrived. I had no idea of the size it was when I ordered it off ebay. Well I knew it was 20mm of course, but having never seen anything larger than 10mm in either hook or needles, I was completely unprepared for the size of it 'in real life'.

Look at it in comparison to my smallest hook 0.75mm. I know I'm rambling on here, but I'm honestly SO shocked by it.

So let's get off that subject and back to crochet news ...

I've frogged the double chunky scarf and had a few tries with this monster. It took a bit of getting used to, but now I'm going to give it a go and see whether it makes a difference in how the yarn makes up.  I'll be back to report on that at some point.

Also, I have started on something else while I was waiting for the monster to arrive. I thought rather than tell you what it is or should I say what I HOPE it will be ... I'll see if you can guess.

Here's where I'm at so far.

I've had to restart this already, as once I tried the two sides, I could see the sizing was wrong. So had to frog and start both sides again.

Any idea's what it's going to be?

Also, as you can see, it's been just over a week since I was able to get on here. We've had so much going on this week. We've been sorting out alot of things for our friend Dave who is staying with us, as he is deaf and can't hear things well. So he needs a fair bit of help.  It will be alot easier to do that once he moves up.

I've been really busy trying to sort out with Tom getting him started with work as well. He wants to try and be self employed. It's so hard to get a job right now, so he and a friend are hoping to build some work up together doing painting and decorating (P&D). There's alot to sort with registering and tax etc, so I'm hoping to get that finished soon so they can be up and running next week!

While these things have been going on I've still been crocheting of course and have completed two scarves as gifts for friends.

This fringed one, which is like a chenille type yarn. Very nice to work with.

And this sort of mohair type with a sparkly ribbon through it.  The most difficult part with this one is sewing the ends in!  I just need to decide whether to make it a circle scarf or leave it as it is, a normal type of scarf, but unfringed.

I wanted to give these today, so I only have about an hour and a half to decide!  EEK! 

So I'm off to have a quick catch up on your blogs now and see what you've all been doing. I really enjoy looking and getting idea's from your work.

Take care everyone and have a great day!

:)

TA-DA!!

Well I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but .... my shawlette is FINISHED!!!!  And not only that, but I'm sat wearing it as I type! 

I just took a quick snap to show you, but it is 1am-ish in the morning and so the pictures are a little on the dark side.  I'm wondering whether I need to block it? The pattern says to block if needed.

TA-DA!!!



I enjoyed making this SO much.  I did find an error though, which cost me a little time I needn't have lost.  Somehow between row's 10 and 11 the stitch count is out.

I hadn't checked it for a couple of rows and just thought I'd better do so, only to find it didn't add up.  So I frogged a few rows.  Made sure it all matched up, redid it and still it was wrong. I tried again ... same result. So then I folded the shawlette in two, the sides matched up perfectly.

I checked on google and quite a few people have made this and seemed to get on fine with it. So it occured to me, that once they got going, most experienced crocheters probably wouldn't check the stitch count but would just follow the pattern (which by row 10 you've pretty much well got the hang of), so then if it was only an error in the count, they wouldn't have even noticed.

So with that thought in mind, I just carried on and my hunch must be right as it's worked out fine.

I just used a double knit, as I don't think we can get the recommended yarn here in the UK (Naturally Caron Country) and I have no idea what an equivilent would be.  But anyhow, it's come up fine and I still have alot of yarn left ... infact this is left still from a 100g ball!

So I don't think I've even used half.  My only thoughts are that with it being a fairly thinnish wool and a lacy pattern, you don't get a cosy, warm feeling, so I think I would like to try this again at some point with a heavier yarn.

I really enjoyed making this alot and feel I've really learnt from the challenge.

:)





Shawlette news.

Another completed wash cloth for the collection.  This one is going to my mum and also here's the knitted version.  The crocheted cloth is alot thicker. Both are the same yarn.

Crocheted face cloth:

Knitted face cloth:

Both together:

Remember the shawlette?
Well I went looking for an easier shawl to start with. I chose a triangle shaped one as that was the nearest I could get to the winged one I liked.

Triangle shawl:

Close up:

I worked on it a little but realised my heart just wasn't in it.  I wanted to do the wing shawl and nothing else would match up to it until I'd given it a good try.

So I went back and sat down to re-read the pattern.  I couldn't even understand the foundation row!
This didn't bode well for my chances of success.

I went back to the triangle shawl and set to, telling myself it would be fine if I just put a fringe or something on it and I'm only a new crocheter, no point getting myself tied up in knots with something I'm just not ready to do...  all these sort of things. 

But it was no use, I didn't get alot further before I just knew I HAD to try to crack the wing shawl.

So abandoning the poor triangle shawl mid row I sat down once more with the winged shawl pattern.
I must have done that foundation row quite a few times before it finally clicked what it was asking me to do and managed to get all the way through without frogging!

Row 1 went fairly smoothly.  Then came row 2! Fine until I got to the middle, then it just made no sense to me at all.
I tried and fiddled, but nothing looked right. So looked around the internet and found I wasn't the only one who had found this difficulty with that part, but the other person said that once she actually read the pattern correctly, it made sense.
So this meant it had to be me not thinking it through properly.  So back I go again, more fiddling.  After a few more trys it finally clicked into my brain and I was away!

Little wing shawlette, so far:

Here's where I'm at so far, just about to start row 9.   It's been a real challenge to me and I've really, really enjoyed it alot!   I'm just hoping I can get through the whole thing and it all works out correctly.

Closer view:

I never ever thought I could do things like this. It's weird to think that only a few months back I couldn't even crochet! I still can hardly believe it, it's kinda so surreal almost, that I'm actually able to crochet and try these things now. It's such fun!

:)

Wash cloths, bag and a shawlette request!

Thanks so much for the help with my yarn problem. I've been doing some research and it seems US 'bulky' is the same as our 'Chunky' yarn. So then as mine is double chunky, I think this is where the problem is.   I've been using a 10mm hook on it, so I have ordered a cheap 20mm hook off ebay to try and see if that solves my problem.  If it doesn't, then I'm going with Debi's suggestion to use a contrasting yarn with it and make it up that way.

So crochet wise, I've two more face cloth/ wash cloth's, which I'm pleased with. There's a second one for Steve to match the one I did for him previously and which he can use while the first one is in the wash, and a first one for me as well.

Steve's:

Mine:

 

I've finished crocheting the bag I was making. I just need to sew on the handles and sew the bottom of it.  I'm thinking it might be fun to try and line it, but as I'm a TOTAL newbie with the sewing machine, just wanted to ask if anyone knows whether you need a different needle to the standard one, to sew on yarn.

Just a quick snap of it put together to show how it will look when sewn. It's only small. but it's proved to me I am capable of making one, which I was pretty doubtful about before starting.
I also have some buttons which I might sew on where the handles go on the bag, depending how they look. It's quite hard to get much to match well with the bag being so 'loud' haha.
I'll try and get a picture to show.

It's been a busy few days. We've been house hunting for our friend and have found a nice bungalow, which he's very keen on. So he's coming up on the coach on Sunday and we're taking him to view it on Monday. We've got his bungalow on the market for him now, so it'll all very 'real' suddenly.

Oh, and I'm wondering if anyone can help.
I found a lovely little shawlette which I'd LOVE to make. I only have DK yarn though and I need an easy pattern to start on. This says it's intermediate.
Little wing shawlette

I do love it though and would love to make something as near to this as possible. So I wondered if any of you knew of a simplified version of this in DK yarn.
Really hope so!

Thanks so much.

Hope you are all ok. I'm settling down with another wash cloth I'm starting now and hope to get a look round at your blogs to see all the lovely things you've been busy with.

Take care everyone!

:)

Any idea's please?

We recently went to our city centre, which is about an hour away from me, so we tend to go now and again, rather than regularly. I won't be going back yet awhile.

Anyhow, while there I bought this yarn off the market. 'Scarab double chunky'.   I got 100g of it thinking it would be enough for a nice warm scarf.

I was shocked to see this was 50g worth!

That's half my yarn gone already!!!  I'm using a chunky hook, 10mm. The scarf I did for my mum, the green one was 100g, so I was expecting this to work out fine, especially as I was doing something much smaller, a scarfette.

So now I don't know what to make!  Any suggestions?  The yarn doesn't seem to go very far at all.

I suppose I'd best go get frogging now ....


:(

EDIT TO ADD:
Just adding a little extra information incase it helps any of you to see what I'm doing wrong or to give any ideas.

This small scarflette is 17ch wide and is all double crochet, so 15 DC in every row basically.  Also, there should be enough to fringe all one side along as well.
They used a size K hook (I'm using 10mm which I thought was the same?) and 3oz bulky weight yarn. I don't know what that converts to for us in the UK, but I thought 'double chunky' sounded quite bulky and I have 100g. :)
I thought 100g would be enough as they say you can get a couple of these from a skein and I made that big circle scarf from 100g.

Thanks so much for looking!

:)

AWOL and a quick catch up.

I've been AWOL for a few days recently with one thing and another, but how lovely to come and find I had some new followers!  Thank you so much and welcome to my blog. I hope you'll feel free to comment whenever you want to.
I was completely amazed today to find my blog had got a mention on Debi's blog . Thank you SO much Debi, it was a lovely surprise and cheered me up after an upsetting day.

So now for a quick catch up!

Took Joe to a local mine recently. His grandad and great grandad were both miners and his grandad was on the mines rescue team and has an award for bravery, so it was fun to go look at things and get it all explained to us.
I got a picture of him on one of the machines that would have pulled up the coal and cages that the miners decended into the mine in.
Not a very good picture really but anyhow, thought I'd show you.

It was a kind of winch machine I guess.  Anyhow we had fun.

We've had alot going on here. Steve's work situation is still hard, a few have now left as they couldn't stay there. Some have been on sick with nerve problems and he has been having to do alot of overtime and it isn't appreciated. He has been getting home at 10pm sometimes, having his tea, sit for half an hour and then bed, ready to get up at 5:30am again the next day.
He has put his overtime in and althought they wanted the work done, they are now complaining about paying him and saying about costs.   On the 15th though, there is meant to be an annoucement and we should know what is happening, one way or another. So not too long to go now and we hope things should sort out and settle more then.

We also decided to change my car to help us financially, so have been sorting that this past weekend. I had an upsetting phone call today though with one of the salesman we've dealt with for years, really giving me a hard time because we had decided not to go with him this time. It really made me feel like rubbish.

Then a friend of ours, who is more like family to us has decided he wants to move up near us. He is 77, so we are trying to sort as much as we can for him of course, to save him doing things, so that's took up time, especially the past few days.

However, I have still managed to get some crochet done.
The boys were laughing at me so much, because when we were running round I always had my crochet with me and was working on it at every spare moment where ever I was.  haha.

So anyhow, here we go.

I have finished the green scarf and made it into a circle scarf. I gave it to my mum as she loved it!

This was it completed and sewn together.

And this is it on it's new owner!

I have also made a dishcloth set ....

That was made from Sugar n cream twists.

And two face cloths (Wash cloths).

They were such fun to do. I've started another now and it's around a quarter complete so far.

I also did one handle for my tote bag and have started the second handle, but I forgot to take a picture of that!

So that's me all up to date now and hopefully it won't be too long before I can show you my completed bag and my 3rd face cloth.

Take care everyone and hope all is good with you.

:)

On the hook.

So I just thought I'd show you what's on my hook at the moment.

I decided to have a go at a tote bag. I've never made anything like this before and I'm really enjoying it, but I think I would prefer a larger one really.
So I'm using a totally in your face (colour wise) chunky yarn. It's blue with spots of colour all over.
I've completed the bag part which consists of a mesh like bag with single crochet (US terms) at the top.

So I still have to make handles for it and sew it up.  I tried to get a close up of the mesh and top parts, but my phone camera doesn't do macro very well, so it's a bit blurry I'm afraid.

The thing that made me smile with this a bit though, is that it's out of a british book, using UK terms and here's me from the UK, converting it to US terms to work it! haha. 

The other thing on my hook at the moment is a cowel type scarf, to go round the neck twice hopefully!

It's a lovely pattern, although I have no idea of the proper terms for the stitch pattern as it was from a youtube tutorial and the girl doesn't know stitches etc.

Anyhow, I'm really enjoying this pattern alot.  If anyone knows what it is, please can you tell me?  It's a double crochet stitch, but you go either in front or behind the the DC stitch in the row below.

Again I tried for a close up of it, but my phone doesn't have a great camera really.

I'm really enjoying both these right now and with using the larger hooks it seems to come together alot quicker than usual.

I can't wait to pick these up again and get going on them, but sadly the ironing is calling me right now. SIGH!

Hope to have more updates soon.

Take care everyone.

:)



Finished or frog it?

So the ripple is slowly growing.  I added a lilac and a burgandy after the green yarn.  I wanted to do 2 rounds of the burgandy and got almost to the end of the second one, but there just wasn't enough.
I guess that's the thing with just using your odd balls up, you can't be sure of whether there's enough for what you want to do or not.

Anyhow, I frogged the last round and have now added a black lurex chenille to finish the ripple. I quite like it.  I wasn't sure there'd be enough for two rounds of that either, but I JUST did it with only a tiny bit of yarn to spare.

Now I quite like the black chenille on there, Steve doesn't.  He thinks it all looks too dark now and that I needed to lighten it up a bit and keep things bright, colourful and cheery looking.

So here's where you come in. I would really appreciate HONEST opinions. 

I don't mind if you think it looks awful, I just want to know.  I don't get many comments generally, but I would really like it if you would please take the time to let me know your opinion on this.

Actually thinking back to not quite having enough of things, well that's been the story of my life today. I made a shepherds pie and a lasagne and it was so annoying.
I had got these two larger dishes than I normally use, to make them in for todays meals, but totally forgot this meant I had to make more than usual to fill them!  OOPS!

So the poor lasagne was somewhat lacking on the topping sauce and the poor shepherds pie didn't have the depth of mince it would usually.
Thankfully they taste ok ... But GRRR, how typical of me! 

 

Lasagne.

Looking a bit sparse in the sauce dept!

Shepherds pie.

 

So thin! Could have made double the depth if I'd only thought about what I was doing.

Ah well, at least I won't be making that mistake again.  Hoping to either do some more on the pink thread doily tonight, or I might even start something new ... unless of course I'm sat here frogging the chenille off the ripple!

:)