Key Chains

Made these for Easter gifts...owl & Minion key chains....

 

 

Bigger Project...

And yet again...I have not 'blogged' for ages, nearly six months..!!
...but still the crochet goes on.....

During the two winter months I spent in my 'Winter Abode' (we live in a mobile home and  spend the 'closed season' of January & February in a holiday cottage) I started making a blanket, my biggest project yet...!!

I found a fab pattern from Red Heart 'In Love with Color Throw' http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/love-color-throw

I wanted to use more subtle colours rather than 'brights', so these are the colours I chose (Stylecraft Special)...autumn shades...

As I've been finding out, my tension usually appears to be tighter than patterns say, and the yarn in the pattern is 'worsted' rather than 'double knit' which seams to be a bit thicker. So my squares and octagons came out smaller.

What did I do..?? Alter the pattern, that's what..! So my blanket has extra rows of octagons (2 extra octagons wide and 2 extra octagons long, then the corresponding no of squares to fill the gaps in the middle)...easy..!

I also spent rather a lot of time planning the colour scheme, trying to get each octagon & square to have a different colour combination, whilst using all the colour evenly across the rounds etc (my OCD coming into play..!)

Getting there.....

Here are all the main pieces nearly sewn together....and then there are just 36 (I think) triangles to make to fill the gaps.

I'm now at the point of adding the edging, but other projects seam to have taken over a the moment...so I think it's going to be one of those.....'I'll finish it one day"....projects.....I'll post the finished blanket when it's complete.

I just always want to start something new..........

2014..!!

2014 is here...! And yes I am still crocheting, even though I have not blogged since October 2013.

Well what have I been up to?

I happened upon some 'mesh yarn with pom pom trim'. So after watching several tutorial videos on 'You Tube' and after starting and re-starting half a dozen times, I eventually ended up with a new scarf

 'Selfie' of my new scarf...!

I also bought the wool in red/gold/cream, and have made Mum a scarf for her birthday, leaving enough for one for me too.

For Christmas I made snowflakes....

 

 

 

 Some as decorations, and some for presents.

I am now trying to finish an iPad case, which I had started before the Christmas snowflakes. Again, I have found a pattern but am adapting it slightly to fit my requirements...as you do..!!

Hats & Glasses

So....after crocheting several scarves now in 'straight lines', I thought I might attempt a little crocheting in 'round lines'. A colleague at work jokingly said about crocheting her a beanie, so I had a go....and here is the result....not 1, but 2 hats...! She was rather chuffed.

I've also just completed this rather pretty 'glasses case'. The pattern uses a much finer hook than I've been using so far and some simple alternative ways of working stitches (between stitches of the previous row and on top of rows) along with frequent colour changes to create the intricate looking effect.

I have also lined this with some spotty blue fabric, otherwise I thought the glasses might catch & snag on the inside, a bit fiddley but worth it.

Back at Work & Another Scarf...!

Well, being back at work has somewhat slowed my crocheting a little. However, another scarf has popped out from the hook..!

...a lacey pattern this time, but very easy. Hoping the colour might go with my new coat.

I have also found the bag pattern I've been searching for. Now I need to decide on colours.

..in the mean time, here's a little sneak preview to my next project in the making..! Can you guess what it might be..?

Another Scarf

Larger hook - check

Wool - check

Pattern - check ('One-Skein Scarf' designed by Denise Cozzitorto from Patons)

Completed scarf - check, here it is...

I made a few slight changes, ensured the foundation chain row was within a middle row as opposed to on the edge so that the shells didn't pull big loops, also made it a little shorter than the pattern, and used x6 double trebles in the end shells because x5 trebles pulled a bit tight across the width. I also used a larger hook & tried to keep the tension loose for a softer feel. 

Very pleased with the result...xx

I am now looking for a bag pattern as a bit more of a 'longer term' project, will search Ravelry..!

A colleague at work would like a 'phone cosy' so might whip one up this weekend, but now I'm back at work after the summer break will have to find time to get to a wool shop..!

Scarf & Wrist Warmers

The scarf I started is now finished along with a pair of wrist Warmers to match.

I had to make a few alterations, the tension around the wrist cuff was too tight to get the glove on my hand even after several attempts at restarting, so in the end I have left a little opening & added a loop and button (I think my hands are rather wide across the knuckles). I have also added the same picot edging from the wrist warmer pattern to the ends of the scarf, just to finish it off.

...and of course as soon as I finish one project I'm onto the next...so here's the phone cosy I made yesterday....

..and I just need to get a larger size hook to start my next scarf with some lovely wool I've been given.

(Scarf Pattern = 'Grid Lace Scarf Version 2' by Amy Solovay from About.com)

(Wrist Warmers = from book 'Crochet Step by Step' Sally Harding)

(Phone Cosy = 'Ultimate Universal Electronics Cosy' by Tamara Kelly mooglyblog.com or Ravelry)