30 May 2016

Last Dance on the Beach Crochet Along Week 6

Hi Folks!
Eeeks! I'm really late with this post....sorry! 
Big inspection at work last week (how inconvenient!) and kitchen makeover has just sucked away any spare time I have had. 
My cushion update will just have to wait a little longer. 

So this week has been brought to you by the gorgeous Carmen from Crafty Queens.
You can read her blog post about making her square here.


Now before this CAL I had never tried c2c. I'm hooked! What a lovely relaxing to make :-)
No frantic counting and checking stitches....just a lovely rhythmic square. Perfect for watching TV and letting your mind go off on a tangent!


I love the subtle texture of this pattern.


My squares are starting to look fabulous when placed together....I must find time to take a photo of them all together. The subtle sheen of the Merino Soft really makes the texture sing.

I'm all caught up on my Dance Around the Beach Huts squares. Well they are made but only half have been blocked! I think I need to find the time to squeeze in a photo taking session pretty darn quickly!

Other stuff......

Today in the UK it is a Bank Holiday so no work for me! However I will be spending my time decorating the kitchen.....
It hasn't been decorated for 12 years (oh the shame....) and it's desperate! I have spent every spare minute over the last 2 weeks doing the dreaded prep and cleaning and today is painting day!
I'm a little nervous as I've chosen a fairly dark colour for a north facing kitchen!

It's a Fired Earth paint called Blue Grass.


I painted the hallway with it and fell in love! It's very warm in real life.
And while I was doing some online browsing for a new kitchen bin....


This just accidentally fell into my basket!!!!
BAD MARIA!!!!

Til next time x
post signature

19 May 2016

Last Dance on the Beach Crochet-Along Week 5

Yes! I Know!!! Week 5 already!
I really do hope you are all enjoying this journey as much as I am.
It's been wonderful seeing how you are all progressing.
Love seeing everyones squares.

So. Week 5.
This time it's Nerissa who is sharing her square design. 
You can read all about her square and her recent struggles here.
I love that she felt able to share her awful experiences. Sometimes I don't think we talk enough. 
We bottle things up.

Oh and I just love her square!


Footprints in the sand. Like that poem that always makes me cry!

I didn't have the easiest time mastering this square when I was pattern testing. 
I feared that my seagulls feet were so deformed he would never walk again ;-)
Mind you, I was working blind without even a photo!
But once I got hold of a photo I quickly worked out the placement for the toes and my seagull was able was able to walk once more!!!


I used a 4mm hook for my square and the gauge was pretty much spot on.


Once I had mastered the seagull stitch I was flying ;-) and quickly worked up my squares. 
I love how the merino soft with it's gentle sheen really makes all the stitches pop!

I have a little confession to make....I've been racing ahead making squares in the silver grey merino and they're all finished now! I have 8 more squares to block and then I'm ready to start joining :-)
I'm still playing catch up with my Dance Around the Beach Huts squares but am *nearly* up to date and hope to have progress pics to share soon!

Will share some Velvet cushion progress photos next time. 
Til then x

post signature

17 May 2016

Velvet Dreams....

Evening!
Fancy a little trip to the movies?
Obviously no self respecting cinema is without a velvet chair or two...

Cue Velvet


Scheepjes have designed Velvet to either work hand in hand with their gorgeous Colour Crafter range  or as a stand alone yarn. Named after famous film stars from a bygone era the yarn works up to give the effect of worn velvet. Typical of a much loved ageing cinema. 


100g gives you 300m of yarn that is 100% Premium Acrylic. Now I'm not talking squeaky nasty acrylic here. This is nice stuff! I'm very much a self confessed yarn snob and I love this yarn!
It's machine washable so perfect for projects that are likely to need frequent washing and the recommended hook size is 4mm. 
You can buy Velvet here.

So what to make with this lovely yarn???


I chose a colour palette inspired by this lovely hook I picked up while on holiday earlier in the year. 


And decided to make a colourful cushion!
I'm *almost* finished it. I'll keep you updated on my progress and there'll be a free pattern coming soon as it feels like ages since I shared a pattern :-)

Join me later in the week for a Last Dance on the Beach CAL update.
Til then x


post signature

11 May 2016

Last Dance on the Beach Crochet-Along Week 4

Hi Folks!
Wow! Can you believe we are at week 4 already???
How time is flying...

So this weeks beautiful design is by the amazingly talented Atty.
If you have never checked out her blog I really do urge you to do so and add it to your favourites ;-)



You can read Atty's thoughts and feelings behind her square design in this very moving post here!

I haven't had the chance to make a start on my second blanket yet (cannot wait to start hooking up those gorgeous bright colours!) but I've made my week 4 squares.


I used a 4.5mm hook for this square and you can see that I worked one less row at the top to make the right gauge. 


Also my 'waves' slope in the opposite direction on account that I'm left handed ;-)

I loved making this square...seeing those waves appear was magical! I'm loving that this blanket is purely about texture rather than colour. However, being the colour junkie that I am, I'm looking forward to working with my Dancing Around the Beach Huts colour palette.


Hopefully by next week I'll have had the chance to play catch up a bit and can show my colourful squares :-)

I've also got some new yarn/project news to share at the weekend. Seriously, there is no rest for this wicked lady!!!

Til next time x
post signature

4 May 2016

Last Dance on the Beach Crochet-Along Week 3


Hi folks!
Week 3 of the Scheepjes Last Dance on the Beach crochet-along (CAL) is upon is and this week the lovely and very talented Tatsiana from Lilla Bjorn Crochet. I've long been an admirer of Tatsiana's work so was really excited to see what her finished square would look like. I was not disappointed! It's seriously gorgeous!

You can read all about her inspiration for this square in her blog post here

I loved working on this square. I used a 4.5mm hook with my Scheepjes Merino Soft yarn.
I think each square too around 1 hour 15 mins to make.


Nice huh?


Ok, I have no idea why this photo is so blue!!! I took them all at the same time with the same lighting and the same camera on the same settings.....go figure! Anyways the squares look fabulous and I'm over the moon with them :-)

A few weeks back I was asked to choose a colour way for the luxury kit so I could make a CAL blanket. We Scheepjes bloggers wanted to make-along with everyone else too!
As I had decided to make a one colour blanket for my *soon to be very tidy and organised* living room (more about that project later!) I picked a colour way that would work with another room. Well!!! Everyone got soooo excited by this CAL they bought up all the kits!!!
So, I was asked to choose different colours to make a unique colour way :-)

I decided to go bright! Inspired by rows of brightly coloured beach huts I chose a colour scheme that I thought sure to make me smile every time I looked at it. 

Cue Dance Around the Beach Huts!!!


This blanket will live in my guest room....or maybe my bedroom. I haven't decided. So I'm playing catch up now! Hopefully I'll find some time to make the first 3 weeks squares before week 4 :-/
Not making life easy myself am I????

Til next time x
post signature

1 May 2016

Monsoon Stole Reveal

It's a lovely feeling. Finishing a project.
Especially if it's a project that you've adored making and the finished item looks even better than you thought it would!

So today I'm going to show you my finished Monsoon Stole.
The stole was designed by Alia Bland from The Little Bee blog and can be purchased here.

It's not very often I buy a pattern but when I saw this stole on ravelry I just knew I needed to make it! I also knew I had the perfect yarn......


Scheepjes Cotton 8 is one of my all time favourite yarns. 
I have a very healthy stash of it! 
Why do I like it so much? Well... it's a pure cotton that doesn't split for a kick off. Splitty yarn drives me insane! The twist in this yarn is just enough to keep it from splitting but not too much that the yarn is stiff. This yarn gets softer and softer the more you handle it. It's a 4ply weight yarn that you can throw in the washing machine without stressing (although I would recommend using a colour catcher if you have a wide range of colours in one item...just to be safe!). 50g gives you 170m of yarn at the bargain price of £1.99! (you can buy it here!) Recommended hook size is 3mm but I vary this according to the finish I want. 
Oh and the colours.....46 delightful shades! And that's not including the Sunkissed collection. 

For my Monsoon Stole I chose the following colours:

722 - Ochre x 50g
720 - Fuchsia x 50g
726 - Moors x 50g
669 - Olive x 50g
671 - Rust x 50g
717 - Bordeaux x 150g

I used a 4.5mm hook to give a lacy appearance.

The pattern was very easy to follow and beautifully written. There are lots and lots of photos to follow so know exactly what the pattern should look like when finished. 
Because of the mixture of stitches used in this design, blocking is essential!
I used my trusty play mats and some blocking wires to pin out after I had given it a good soak. 

Ok enough talking....let's take a look!


I love how these colours work together! I made the section worked in the Bordeaux colour longer.



Check out those different stitches... *swoons*



I just adore the lacy edge!


Some close ups!


And there you have it! My version of the Monsoon Stole. 
Whilst it looks like a complicated pattern, it was very quick and easy to make. 
I finished it in a weekend! I may have to make another!

If you've made this stole, I'd love to see it! Leave a link in the comments ;-)

Til next time x

post signature
TEMPLATE DESIGNED BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS