it's that delicious time of the year again

aah, Autumn... i've said it before and i'll say it again, it's by far my favourite season of the year.

it's the time for exploring and rummaging

it's the time for running through lovely fallen leaves

it's the time for cosy handmade mitts

it's the time to create an inspiring new knitting bag from recycled and felted scraps

it's the time to fairly stuff that knitting bag full to bursting with last years UFO's, ambitious new projects and yummy, scrummy new yarn. mmmm delicious!

acting like a granny

when i was younger, well quite a bit younger, being called a "granny" was the ultimate insult. it meant you were poking your nose into things you had no business poking your nose into! secretly i've always rather liked grannies, even the scary ones in fairy tales, and i especially like all the stuff they have crammed into their  homes.

granny china

my own grannies always had nick knacks on display, colourful blankets and highly coloured paintings in ornate frames. their homes smelt of potatoes cooking on a kerosene stove, wood polish and coffee, such a comforting blend to all the kids. even the whiff of an old book can transport me back there now.

granny painting

all this nostalgia goes some way to explaining my love of second hand shops. i can always find some granny goodness there like the dinner set and the painting, and like all grannies i love to save a few pennies while i'm shopping!

the honorary granny - dottie angel

the next best thing to finding original granny gear, is creating it yourself. i love nothing more than making piles of crocheted blankets, hand knitted jumpers and bags to stuff all those projects into. strangely though, all this activity never seems to reduce the yarn stash, another granny habit i'm happy to adopt...

granny string bag

wrapped up

it seems summer is on the way with the lovely weather we've been having. luckily the heat is a way off still, especially at night, because there's nothing worse than trying to work with sticky needles and sweaty yarn! i needed a light wrap to throw over those summery dresses that have been on high rotation lately, so spent a few happy hours trawling my favourite free pattern site lion brand.

sea shell shawl

this shawl is an easy shell crochet stitch and with a big hook i made it in an evening. i used some stash yarn called Moda Vera "Amanda", a lightly brushed wool/acrylic blend which is very lofty, resulting in a lightweight but warm wrap. i tweaked the pattern to finish at a better length, and added a fringe for a bit of granny glamour. now i can finally use my shawl pin that i bought in Broome a few years ago!

shawl back

seashell stitch

i know many people find blogging to be a lot of work, for me it's the fear of a blank page. i just thought i'd show you one of the many hindrances i face, a cat with her own ideas of what a keyboard and mouse are for!

could i get any closer??

crochet love

i love free patterns from lion brand

i love granny square patterns

granny squares throw

i love clashing and mashing colours together like kids do

i love how white tones it all down

vibrant colour

i love a throw that matches the couch

i love a cosy finished project!

back to school and back to crafting!

after an enjoyable two weeks of sun and surf, the kids are back to school today and well, it's a bit of a relief. i do love the holidays for the outdoor fun we have together, but the whole time my fingers have been itching to get stuck into making something.

middleton beach

i did finish off some knitting (details on Ravelry) and swatch some new summer yarns in between all the holiday activities, but i really want to start some new stuff! i hear Christmas bells around the corner and the shops are stuffed with all manner of tinsel and sparkly decorations, so it might be an idea to trawl through my magazines and blogs for some gifty ideas? i will be begging for some wish lists soon because there are a lot of birthdays coming up as well, five family members between now and Christmas!

wintergrass cardigan

middleton pine sweater

last week Abby and i converted a corner of the "playroom" into a small studio space for us to share. it's right near some big windows so its full of light and i can look out at the garden while crafting (not a good idea when the weather is so lovely!). so far its been great because i'm right there to help her thread needles and show her how to do all those amazing things she has in her head. i crocheted a little garland to inspire us based on one that dottie angel made for her sweet liitle dog Olive. i think we are all set for back to crafting now!

crafty corner

crochet garland

the winds of change

it's funny how the weather can affect the choice of crafty activity and with Spring's changeable conditions it's even more noticeable. lately we've been having all four seasons in a day, but i'm not complaining because it suits my short attention span very well!

on Saturday i was busy making a summery sundress, perfectly suited to the mild sunny day and all the gallivanting around in the garden. the last few days have been blustery with light lashings of hail and sudden downpours of icy rain which had me running back to the comfort of yarn and needles.

silkroad cardi

tea and warm cake

fresh grannies

four seasons in one day? bah! that doesn't get me down. i'm going to do some spring cleaning next, well sort through my UFOs actually, i've heard the weather's fining up by the weekend...

in the pink!

i did some disastrous sewing on the weekend that i just can't bear to show on this blog. i've converted some lovely Japanese voile into a totally unwearable top and i'm not taking the blame! suffice to say, if you have a bust, don't use a Japanese pattern book to make a sleeveless top, get the picture? rather than sink into doldrums, i got out my crochet hooks and worked on my BAMCAL squares instead. mmm, much better.

crocodile flower

shape shifting

i can't say that these squares were easy, there was a bit of ripping out involved, but crochet is such a forgiving craft and the finished blocks are really nice. each month i just use whatever colours i'm in the mood for, so i hope it's all going to look good together when finished!

 i did do a sneaky layout of all my finished squares so far and i was surprised to see how much pink i've been using lately. i always think that i don't like pink much, but the next project i'll hopefully be able to show tomorrow is also pink. i must be becoming more girly in my old age!

the dependable expandable bag

wow another finished project to show you today. it's another atttic 24 number and the free pattern is on Lucy's site. this crochet bag is all over the net with roughly 1000 on Ravelry alone and i can see why.

stripey goodness

the stripey pattern is addictive; you know how it is "just one more colour and i'll... do the washing, make dinner, pick up the kids from school" etc! Lucy's pattern writing is clear and simple and i followed her colour choices fairly closely for a bit of mindless tv crochet.

closeup of strap

 i made i few changes: the yarn is a lighter weight (acrylics leftover from the granny stripe), smaller hook and i made the handles from some heavy twill tape. i chose not to line this bag so it could keep its 'stuffability' (yes blogger i know that's not a real word). i fit all 17 balls for the next project into this bag complete with pattern diary, scissors and hook. i would love to make more of these bags because i can see so many colour combinations that it would look nice in. i would also like to tweak the pattern slightly for a more streamlined shape. in the meantime i am granny squaring with all those lovely 17 colours for a new afghan.

excellent stuffability

help! i can't stop crocheting!

this is serious everyone, no sooner do i get close to the end of a crochet project, i'm planning to start the next. piles of colourful yarn are being organised into baskets, bags or just clumped on the couch all ready to start. the agony of sewing in all the ends is hard to endure but then i sew in the last one, throw the FO aside and speedily make a chain for the next project. and who to blame? well, at the moment its Lucy from the attic24 blog. her colourful world has me hook, line and sinker. i love the colour combos in rainbows, boiled sweets and kids plastic beads so no surprises that i already had most of the yarn colours she uses in my stash!

sunshiny candy stripes

Lucy kindly provides a tutorial for this granny stripe blanket on her blog, but i warn you, if you love colour and crochet you may find yourself chaining for a new project before you know it! i used acrylic yarn from my stash, supplemented with some "moda vera" from Spotlight and some vintage acrylic from Mum's stash (a treasure trove of yarn with retro labels and prices!)

my little helper

granny stripes

i made my blanket narrower and longer than the pattern, it's about 116cm wide by 123cm long. i made my own edging as well, just 2 rows of trebles (UK) and 1 row of a simple picot to finish. more details are on my Ravelry page as usual. i started this project in March and have worked on it off and on, but because it's TV crochet it's been pretty quick and fun to make. and have i started a new project yet? you betcha! here's a sneak peek of it, and don't be surprised if it shows up later this week...

new project

dithering

 today's crafting has been all about decisions; raiding the stash for colours, playing with different fibres and yarns, and paging through patterns.

natural or black?

knit or crochet?

plain or variegated yarn?

i never thought i would say it, but its actually fun to make tension swatches! i've learnt the hard way in the past, it's a good idea to see how the yarn looks and feels before committing to a big project.
one thing i haven't needed to think too much about colourwise, is my BAMCAL squares. yay! i've finally caught up with the last two squares for July.

eight pointed flower

stained glass

these squares were so much fun to make and look quite spring-like. just look at the inspiration in my garden...

early spring blooms

new blocks and a bit of a brag

crown jewels

i've finally got my crochet bug back and have been whipping through the BAMCAL blocks, only two more to catch up. what i love about doing this crochet-along, is that i've been learning lots of new techniques and stitches without it being an overwhelming challenge. i'm normally a granny square king of girl, probably due to laziness more than anything, although i do love the retro look!

schoharie spring

eyelet lace

some of these blocks would be lovely in an afghan if repeated in the same or matching colours, i would love to make a throw using the crown jewels block in a dark gypsy colourway. others would be great as washcloths like the eyelet lace one above; it has a nice squishy texture due to the double stitching. i'm saving all these patterns for future use when i've run out of things to do!

birthday pressies

now i just need to have a little brag about the beautiful cowl Di made me for my birthday. it's made from a yarn i have eyed off for years - Noro wool and silk. now i know why there's all these Noro addicts and knitting groups, this yarn is supremely comfortable to wear, and the dyes are amazing. i love this a lot, it's a tie with my Dottie Angel book that Di also sent me. i was very lucky this year! hop over to Di's blog if you want to know more.

BAMCAL catchup

i can't believe its already August, as usual the year is flying by. i've started thinking about warmer days and summery projects to plan for outdoor crafting at barbecues, the beach and watching the kids cricket matches. of all the crafts i love to do, crochet is one of the most portable and it's easy to keep track of during all those welcome interruptions you get on summer days!

backyard palms

thoughts of crochet reminded me of my temporarily abandoned 2012BAMCAL project and how nice it will be when finished at the end of the year; a lovely colourful cotton blanket for hot nights. i hopped onto Ravelry quick smart to download the next lot of blocks. i'm a bit behind so those hooks will be flashing madly this week before the August blocks are posted. here are the three i made yesterday.

windowpane

moroccan tile

lions mane

by the way, if you spied the delicious bag charm on the denim bag in yesterday's post, it was made by my other very talented sister Barb who does fabulous things with beads as well as beautifully made clothes. thanks Barb!

sunshine, lollipops and rainbows everywhere

we are having a run of beautiful sunny weather at the moment, it almost feels like spring already. the daffodils are out in the garden and the warm sun turns my thoughts to...spring cleaning! well, short bursts of spring cleaning that is because it takes time to warm up in the frosty mornings and the night draws in quite early as well.

thrifted sweetie jar

that fits in well with my new philosophy of making smaller projects with quicker results. no longer will i try to whip up a crocheted afghan in 24 hours or a mini wardrobe in a day, but instead make a cushion, pot up some plants or rearrange one room with the small snippets of time i have.

rainbow crochet

i can't go past Mollie Makes magazine for inspiring and simple projects to spruce up the house. i don't just read it for the articles, it has beautiful interiors and heaps of info on new blogs and websites to visit as well. issue thirteen had this crocheted jar cover from love the bluebird that i had to make because i love rainbows. i customised the pattern by leaving off the base so that it would stand more securely and it was done in an hour, perfect for my vintage knitting needles.

technicolour crochet bag

i also finished off this crochet bag from Better Homes and Gardens magazine July 2012. i am debating on adding a lining to it, but i just love how the late afternoon sun shines through the crochet and it makes me think of lazy summer days at the beach (all that sand can just fall through the holes).
comments and suggestions please!