Little Cotton Rabbits

me old china, finished

 

 

In some ways I'm a little sad to have fastened off the last stitch in the edging of this blanket.

 

It has been a pleasure to make; rhythmic, undemanding and soothing.

 

After a bit of a false start (when I had a crisis in confidence about the colour choice and unpicked 20 squares) I started again and I'm now very pleased that I did take out that yellowy colour.

 

 

The colours to me are rich and comforting and it has turned out just as I had hoped.

 

In fact I am ridiculously pleased with it.

 

So here it is, all finished (though it's not easy to photograph)

 

 

And here are some stats:

:: Started on August 31st 2011 and finished on January 27th 2012

:: Worked with a 3.5mm crochet hook in 10 colours of DK yarn:

5 balls of Rich 911 (red) Rowan wool cotton (including 2 for the outer edge),

3 balls each of Geranium 976 (dark pink), Tender 951 (pale pink), Antique 900 (cream),  all in Rowan wool cotton, Basil (green) in Rowan Belle Organic DK and Mirage (pale blue) in Rowan Classic cashsoft DK

2 balls each of Cypress 968 (aqua), Clear 941 (silver grey), Blue Wash (dark blue) all in Rowan wool cotton,

9 balls for the main background Celandon 979 (pale green/aqua) in Rowan wool cotton

:: There are 99 squares (9 x 11) and it measures 133cm x 163cm

:: Each square is a traditional granny square (there are lots of tutorials on the internet such as this one) and each square has 6 rounds of different colours. There's a sort of checkerboard pattern, alternating between squares with red near the centre and those with it near the edge but it's fairly random.

:: Each square is surrounded by a round of the background colour and I worked 3 rows of this around the 99 squares.

:: The edging is worked as follows: 1 row of single crochet, 1 row of double crochet, another row of single crochet and a row of picot edging.

 

I've got used to working on a little crochet in the evening so now I'll have to ponder what to make next as my one a day project, though I think I'm a little blanketed out.

Any ideas?

(part of the one a day project)

making winter January

Part of the Making Winter series started by Silverpebble and Thriftyhousehold.

This month the Making Winter theme is cosiness and comfort. For me these are two words which conjure up images of warm woollen blankets, a mug of hot chocolate and a fire crackling in the grate. I've not made any hot chocolate today but the fire is lit and I do have a pile of snuggly blankets to make a little knitting nest from.

 

Over the last couple of years I've been a bit of a blanket collector. Starting off with this one which I bought in 2008 to commemorate my Grandparents following the death of my Gangan. I sewed on an embroidered a linen patch and I often think of them when I'm sitting snuggled in this blanket. It's a nice way of remembering what special people they were and how much they contributed to my happy childhood and my love of making and growing things.

 

 

More recently I've been making my own blankets. I like working on these one square a day (or thereabouts) and while I'm making my squares in the quiet of the evening I like to mull over the pleasurable bits of the day just passed. So far I've made two; a 'flowers in the snow' and I'm just finishing off my 'old china' granny square blanket.

 

 

 

I'll post some more pictures of it when it's completely finished. If you feel the need for a little cosiness & comfort then pop over and visit the January Making Winter Blog Hop at Silverpebble, there are lots of lovely ideas and some delicious recipes.

.......................................................................................

PS: if you are looking to buy a blanket for snuggling, these are my favourite blanket shops:

The Atlantic Blanket Company

Melin Tregwynt

Avoca

Hat

 

We've had quite a few cold and frosty mornings of late.

 

And since there is still a fair bit of yarn left over from my mitten knitting, I thought I'd put it to good use. So I now have a hat to match my mittens.

 

Considering how cleverly designed and gorgeous Kate Davies's pattern is, it would have been rude not to, but I think I've satisfied my fairisle fixation for now. I can feel a major bunny knitting phase approaching.

 

 

I shall be warm and toasty in the woods this weekend. Wishing you a warm and happy weekend wherever you are x

...recharging...

...by knitting,

more mittens (could be that there's a slight obsession going on here!)

 

 

 

I even like how they look in-side-out

 

and some bunnies in Orkney Angoras St magnus yarn, (50% angora, 50% lambswool) a truly delicious yarn from lovely people

 

...and by listening (and singing along loudly and very badly) to Polly Paulusma's Running with Scissors. She has such an enviable voice and I like her rather dark and quirky lyrics.

All in all it's been a quiet week of settling back into routines. Toby is much happier and I'm building up my energy reserves so I'm ready to plead, beg or battle with social services for an increase in our paltry 6 hours a month of respite care.

Thank you so much for all of the kind, supportive and encouraging comments recently. They mean so very much to me and I am deeply and truly grateful for them and for your visits here.

Thank you x

And breathe...

 

 

It's very wet and windy outside today, but I don't much mind because here in my little corner of the world all is quiet and cosy and peaceful.

 

Christmas this year was really tough going for Toby, and therefore for us too. Each year I think that it can't get worse and each year I am surprised to find that it can - you'd think I'd learn, but then I suppose I am an optimist. The change in routine means that Toby finds all school holidays incredibly stressful and coupled with the Christmas tree and decorations making the house look different we had a lot more hand-biting, meltdowns, screaming flinging fits and awful nights. He couldn't cope with some of the decorations so we had to take them down and as usual we didn't get to eat Christmas lunch all together - I spent most of it in the garden blowing bubbles for Toby while Amy & H ate.

'Special days' really accentuate the difference between how our family lives and how family life is for most and I know it's particularly hard for Amy despite the considerable effort H & I make to be upbeat and jolly. I do try to focus on all that I have to be grateful for, but deep down I wish with all my heart that Toby could experience a little of the magic of Christmas and as a consequence I felt tearful for much of Christmas day.

Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on all that could be better because, like many who deal with difficult circumstances, I'm aware of the deep well of despair and bitterness that it would be all to easy to fall into. I have seen it claim some that I know and that is not how I want to live my life. Instead I'm going to take up my knitting, enjoy my cup of tea and revel in the peace, quiet and calm that has returned here now that Toby is back at school. Thank goodness for familiar, comforting routines and the simple, quiet pleasures of knitting.

Time to recharge my batteries.

 

happy new year

Just popping in to wish everyone a happy new year.

I've been dipping into memories of 2011 by making a month-by-month mosaic of some of the things that made me happy ...

 

Mosaic making to start the year has become something of a little tradition for me ...

2010

2009

2008

It's good to have something to remember the good bits by (and to gloss over all the bad bits)

Anyway, here's wishing you a very happy, healthy and fulfilling 2012 xxx

Finished

Yay, I've finished my Peerie Flooers and am looking forward to wearing them on my next wood walk with Toby, which will definitely bring me a smile - I do love them!

 

 

No doubt there will be quite a few wood walks (weather permitting) over the next couple of weeks because here we are again at the last day of term. Toby went into school this morning laden down with homemade peppermint bark for all of the teachers (this is so easy to make and is really good, so it's now my first choice for teachers gifts).

 

Tomorrow is the start of 17 days of full-on Toby watching. Keeping him safe and entertained with the changes in routine and the added differences that Christmas brings will be a challenge but hopefully there will be some good times sprinkled in there too. I'm hoping for a quiet and calm Christmas with good food, plenty of sleep and some peaceful walks in the woods (with warm and pretty hands!)

All that remains is for me to wish you and those you love a very merry Christmas and a happy New year wherever you are xxx

 

Making Winter, December part 2

Like I said in the previous post, I think warm woolies are one of the very best things about winter and over the years I have built up quite a collection of mittens and scarves...

 

I do like to keep out draughts when I'm out and about, so chunky wool scarves are a big favourite on really cold days. My yarn of choice for a quick chunky scarf is Rowan's big wool. You only need 2 balls (160 metres) and a pair of size 8 or 9mm needles and within 2 or 3 evenings you can whip up a new scarf. Here's a simple tutorial:

Cast on 17 stitches and work the whole thing in moss stitch which is basically:

(K1, P1) 8 times, K1

repeat this for every row, joining in the second ball when you run out of the first and casting off in the same stitch pattern when you only have around 12 inches of yarn left. Weave in the cast on and cast off ends and you're all set for a windy winters day.

Of course I do have another one on the go at the moment...

 

 

This time I'm working in Misti Alpacas cloud-soft, hand-painted chunky baby alpaca yarn, this shade is called Swan Lake.

 

 

 

It's not quite as chunky as the Big Wool but works just as well and it really is super soft.

If you fancy grabbing your needles and casting on a scarf or a pair of mittens then pop over to ravelry where there are literally hundreds of wonderful free patterns to choose from.

Happy knitting xxx

 

making winter december

Part of the Making Winter series started by Silverpebble and Thriftyhousehold.

In my opinion one of the best things about winter is the woolies. I do like to be snuggly when it's cold and have a particular weakness for gloves and scarves so anytime I make anything for myself it usually ends up being either of these. Since winter is now well and truly here, it's inevitable that I'd have several such snuggly projects on the go...

The first is a pair of mittens from a beautiful fairisle pattern called Peerie Flooers by Kate Davies.

 

 

I'm knitting these flat because I find it much quicker and I really, really hate knitting in the round. I've made another few tweaks to suit what I like (all notes over on ravelry) but Kate's colour choices are so perfect so I'm working in those...

 

... Arncliffe, Bainbridge, Hubberholme, Leyburn, Muker, Nappa, Richmond in Rowan fine tweed.

I've also got 2 other pairs of fingerless mittens on the go, one that I started last year and never finished and another that I started a few weeks back. Both are worked in Madeline Tosh sock yarn. The yellow ones are from a free pattern called hedgerow by Amy Ripton and are worked in 'winter wheat'. The stripey ones are worked in 'thyme' and 'wash' and are based on my favourite ever mitten pattern Endpapers by Eunny Jang (which is also free) with lots of personal tweaks.

 

According to H, I have enough mittens to sink a battleship already but I reckon there's always room for a few more pairs (my ravelry queue is testament to this and has links to some great patterns).

And then there's my scarf collection, but we'll leave those for another day - I'll be back later in the week with a simple scarf tutorial.

just a bit excited!

These days it's not often that I feel feel full of childish excitement but today as I walked out of the newsagents I had to resist skipping back to the car, because clutched in my hand was a copy of Let's Knit magazine and it has a little bit about me and my knitting in it.

 

Thanks to Adrienne for the lovely write up and to H for taking a half decent picture of me - I truly hate having my picture taken!

Happy weekend all. I shall be trying to finish up some christmas knitting and snuggling by the fire as it's a cold one here!