Ana Lucia shawl finished. Still circling

Posted on July 18, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

I left my Ana Lucia Shaw on the blocking mats when we went on holiday and actually have only just got round to unpinning it today!

The lengthy pinning hasn’t done it any harm luckily, and I’m really pleased with it. To be absolutely honest I started crocheting the shawl simply because I liked the pattern. I don’t wear triangular shawls, preferring cowls or scarves, and didn’t think that I would ever actually wear it. But it didn’t matter, it’s all about the crochet sometimes, isn’t it? You can easily gift or donate a make after all. To my surprise I can imagine it keeping me really warm and snuggly on a cold day. With a winter coat I think would look really nice.

It’s a keeper!

Started in 2019 I think it’s my longest ever project to complete (not counting the knitted stripy blanket which will probably take years to finish because it’s not interesting enough to pick up too often.) In the meantime the Katia silver paint yarn was discontinued, I think probably due to the sparkly plastic content. Whoops. I just had enough to crochet the pattern, although I probably would have repeated some rows if I had the yarn. Luckily it’s just right to wear.

If you fancy making one you can pay for the pattern, or access the free pattern on a link here on Ravelry. It’s designed by Wilma Westenberg, who has heaps and heaps of shawl patterns available.

I don’t think this is going to be the last triangular shawl I’ll crochet as there has been something really satisfying about the triangular start and lengthening rows of interesting stitches.

I’ve had an unusually social week. It’s always all at once, isn’t it?

Monday I went out for lunch with family. Well, technically I just had dessert (Eton Mess. I couldn’t resist the fresh summer fruits, meringue and cream) then met up with three friends for a drink and pizza at a pub, then we went to the theatre to see Uncanny: I know What I Saw. Have you heard the podcast? Seen the TV episodes? Read the book? I really recommend all, but suggest starting with the podcast. It’s best to listen to it in order because Danny refers to previous episodes and gives updates.

Tuesday I went back to a yarn group which I haven’t been to for ages. It was good to catch up. It’s one of those easy-going weekly groups where people come and go. You can just drop in whenever you want. There were six crocheters, two knitters and one drawing on fabric to make bunting for her rustic farm style wedding in August. I thought you might like to know the stats, I would.

Last night, Wednesday, I went to bookclub where we discussed Rebecca. I didn’t actually reread it because I’ve read it a couple of times, seen the play by Kneehigh Theatre Company and the Netflix film adaptation. Actually I realised I probably should have done, because I had forgotten crucial little bits and pieces of the story. But there’s so many books to read and you don’t necessarily want to reread something for the third time. Maybe I will in the winter when I fancy a slightly dark and atmospheric tale?

Later there are plans for a 3 mile field path walk and a tuna, butterbean and artichoke salad for dinner. Then more chapters of Sally Page’s forthcoming novel: The Secrets of Flowers. Tomorrow night I’ll be snoring in front of the tv!

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What about you? Any finished makes, have you been out and about lately? And, what’s for dinner?!

Blocking

Posted on June 26, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve been waiting for good weather to block my Ana Lucia shawl, and it’s finally, finally here! Today’s top temperature is going to be the highest so far this year.

We have had so much rain and unseasonably cool temperatures that apparently during June more soup has been sold than suncream. I know I’ve definitely never snuggled up with a hot water bottle at this time of year, or had such weedy looking tomato plants. They are catching up now. In fact the veggie garden’s looking good all round: there are flowers and pods on the broad beans, the kale, beetroot, mangetout, red pepper plants, salad leaves and French radishes are flourishing, but the carrots are still invisible. Maybe they’ll appear? Maybe I’ll be sowing some more in a week or two.

Next I thought I would finish joining my Coast blanket squares together and make a start on a border, but it’s not ideal to be covered with blanket squares in this weather. That task will wait until cosy autumn evenings arrive, unless our summer changes. Always a possibility in England…

This week I’m reading an advance copy of The Missing Family by Tim Weaver. It’s due to be published here next week if you read the blurb on GoodReads, linked to above, and fancy it. When I requested a copy from NetGalley I didn’t realise it’s 13th in a series about a detective who specialises in missing person cases, but it’s not proving an issue. The story is compelling; it’s twisty and jumps back in time to grisly findings in the USA and forward to the titular family here in Devon. I cannot yet work out how it’s all going to connect together, which is the hallmark of a good crime mystery thriller.

Also I’ve just started listening to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I’ve heard heaps about this book, and after yet another mention from someone at my bookclub last week thought I would try it. So far so good, although I’ve only heard a few chapters.

What are you up to at the moment? Is your garden flourishing? Are you busy making anything? Reading recommendations are always good too.

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Linking with Kat and the gang for Unravelled Wednesday to share what we’re making and reading.

Chicken or fish?

Posted on March 6, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

You know that thing in a restaurant? You can’t make up your mind, so you ask someone: “What shall I have?” they say “Have the chicken” and you instantly think “NO. I want the fish!” (Substitute mushrooms and aubergine if meat isn’t your thing.) I find that a really handy way of making a decision under pressure. Nothing focuses the mind like someone telling you what you instinctively realise you don’t want. Or, perhaps it’s my contrary nature? Someone will no doubt be nodding at this point. Well, I just sent two photos to him to choose which was best and he picked this one and I instantly thought “No! I prefer the other because the book isn’t covering over most of the crochet.” But there’s no picture limit is there? (Actually there is; I’ve got 91% of my blog space filled, even though I pay a yearly subscription. I’ve got to do something with my media library, but the very thought of it makes me wince.) So, here’s the other one. You decide which you prefer! Or maybe you love them both, wink wink!

The last two rows of the slightly marled grey yarn is a new ball I bought on Monday. I’m not entirely happy with it, although I tried hard to match the yarns. It’s also aran and has roughly 20% of wool like the Katia silver paint, now discontinued, that I used for the rest of the shawl, but it feels thicker. I think it’s going to be much bulkier when I start to crochet the shells. My plan is to search eBay, yet again, and then email Katia brand and throw myself on their mercy in hope of a stray ball, or a recommendation of another of their yarns which may be a better match. It can’t hurt, can it?

This week I’ve been to a crafty meet up. It’s always a gamble. l’ve joined several over the years and had mixed experiences. They can be cliquey, full of woman with children at the same school and it’s an hour or more of assassination of the teachers and staff, particularly awkward if I know any of them, or an older group who have been meeting for decades and don’t really welcome new younger ones. I once went to one with mostly university staff who were very snobby knitters: “Oh, you’ve never knit an X design?!” “You haven’t [even] heard of that designer?!” Or no other crocheters and so you can be viewed as an anomaly and rather pointedly (ha!) asked if you can knit? “Yes I can. I just prefer crochet as it’s easy and I can look at you and not make a complete mess of what I’m knitting.”

Actually I remember now that the university knit group was a long time ago, maybe my first crafty meet up and so I naïvely took some lace knitting. Of course when I looked at it in daylight the following day, there were multiple mistakes and dropped stitches. I’ve never made that error again. Of course it’s great to take something complicated and impress everyone, that’s if you’re a real lover of undoing it all the next day.

My longish lost absolutely lovely group are now too far away to meet up with really, unless it’s in the daytime but that’s tricky with work and children. Weekends seem to be ring fenced which is a shame.

I went to the coffee shop feeling curious to see whether I would be the youngest, the only crocheter and how many people there would be as few committed to attending on social media. I didn’t know whether to expect three or 30. The first surprise was someone I used to work with in the late 1990s, who said “Last time I saw you, you were engaged!” I went to her wedding and incredibly they’re not far from their 30th anniversary…. how did that happen?

There were quite a few connections; others recognised me and vice versa from local businesses, we think. A woman knows one of my parent’s cousins. She wore funky glasses, a nose stud and had a cool haircut. I see from looking at her social media that she does psychic readings. I shan’t mention knowing that, but I’m going to think of a long gone ancestor whom I never met, but would have liked to. I can picture her name as a couple of different items. I’m not going to say anything to her about psychic ability at all. I’m going to see if at the next group she tells me that someone called X is trying to contact you, or has a message for your family! You just never know…

There is also a relative whom I haven’t yet met who is in the FB group. And the Dil of a distant relative too. (My genealogy searches and greater understanding of the vastness of the family tree and remembering who is who is paying off.)

Apart from my ex-colleague, I also sat next to a lecturer who’s just written a book on swearing. l’ve reserved it from the library, so it will feature on another Wednesday. She was knitting a colour-work top down raglan jumper on circular needles, but I bet she doesn’t undo any at all.

Not a boring afternoon at all! And, I reckon there were slightly more crocheters than knitters, more than 3 but less than thirty attended and I wasn’t the youngest there. Not a boring afternoon! A perfect few hours.

And now the booky part: “…a family reunion that leads to murder. After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead.

And an hour later, the next family member follows… Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed. With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.” From GoodReads.

This is a book club read, we all voted online on about six choices and this won. I was pleased because it was my top choice, although I liked all the others, apart from one science fiction. I can’t make many of the bookclub meetings, but did go to one before Christmas and really enjoyed it. Sadly it clashes with another group I attend. Why is everything on a Wednesday? I’m going to carry on reading along with the books and join them on the months I can. There’s also a bit of WhatsApp chat after the meet up, so I can add my thoughts on the book there.

I suspect I know what’s going to happen and whodunit, while also suspecting the author is far cleverer than I. I won’t say anymore because of spoilers.

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I chatted about my seeds last week, if you want to see my beautiful peashoots and sunflower microgreens, mentioned here, then check out my Instagram stories today. Actually I’ve just had a lovely DM saying “Total peashoot envy.”

What are you making and reading (and growing) this week?

I’m joining in with Kat and the gang as usual for Unravelled Wednesday.

It’s not proper mocha without chocolate!

Posted on February 21, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hello from England on a VERY rainy day! Hope you’re all well and your week is going smoothly?

I’ve just had a fairly swift pitstop in a café while waiting for a friend to have her hair cut. While there I made a start on what should be the final block for my Coast blanket. I had already joined all the pieces together, but looked at it recently and wondered what an earth I had been thinking? It needs one more block so it’s wider, rather than being FAR too long and narrow. I know that I had planned to do a substantial border but even so… the blanket as it stands would cover my feet and go over my head, by a very long way! So I’m going to undo the continuous join and make it three blocks wide, instead of two. I don’t really mind because the joining was fairly fast to do and I enjoyed it. Plus, I’ve got more Hayfield Spirit yarn left, I don’t think it’s been discontinued (famous last words?!) So I shall enjoy some simple crochet for the next few weeks.

I managed to get a table in the busy cafe in a well-lit spot, put my coffee on the table, got out my glasses, hook and yarn and then realised there was no chocolate sprinkled on the top of the mocha. It’s just not a mocha without a sprinkle of chocolate! I feel like that about cappuccinos too, although rarely drink them. Mochas are an occasional treat. Although I realise that was my second this week and it’s only Wednesday. I won’t have another for a while. Oops, and I’ve just this minute had an alert from Costa to say that I’ve now got enough reward stamps that my next will be free. I’ll try for delayed gratification…

I’m now reading the latest in Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie series (amongst a few other books) and like it. It’s taken me a little while to get into the story, because the premise intially seemed a little strange, or maybe it was me? Reading two crime thrillers might be one too many at once. In this one there’s lots of strands and subplots going on, which I enjoy as they make for an interesting and complex read. It’s set during Lockdown in Edinburgh, Scotland and is reminding me of aspects of that time I’d already forgotten; particularly the only exercising for an hour rule (guideline?)

Thank you for your tips last week on trying to source another ball of Katia Silver Paint yarn for my shawl. I haven’t been successful so far. I will keep looking, but I think I’ve probably missed the boat. It’s shade 100, in case you’re reading this and you do have a stray ball tucked away in your stash. Fingers crossed!

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Joining in with Kat and the gang again, to share what I’m making and reading this week.

Oh no!

Posted on February 14, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

Oh no, oh no, oh no! Although I knew I was going to run out of yarn, a not so small part of me hoped that I wouldn’t; that it would carry on as if imbued with magical qualities. Not so. And of course because I bought the yarn and started the Crochet so long ago, it’s now discontinued. I suspect that’s because it’s got the golden thread running through it, which I’d say is a kind of plastic.

The only thing I could think of earlier was to take a photo and pop it up in my stories on Instagram and Facebook, to see if anyone has a ball tucked away in their stash, which I could buy from them. Please cross fingers and toes for me! It would be really good to be able to finish the full sized Ana Lucia shawl (free pattern on Ravelry, but make sure you’ve got enough yarn!)

I finished a paperback and e-book in the last couple of days and so was delighted to find that the latest Strike book was 99p on Kindle the other day. I’ve also got some audiobook listening hours left on Spotify, so am alternating reading and listening. It’s off to such a good start!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

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Linking again with Kat and the gang to share what I’m making and reading this week.

Paper & Yarn

Posted on January 17, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hello there, how are we all today? It’s 1° here and the ice I tipped out of the bird water dishes YESTERDAY is still frozen on the lawn. Brrrr!

Going by my blog stats which show the varying number of countries this is read, I bet someone reading this somewhere right now is wearing shorts and a T-shirt, has been fanning themselves or cranking up the A/C, and complaining that it’s too hot…tell me if that’s you so I can turn a light shade of green.

I’ve brightened this photo and it still looks really dark and grainy, doesn’t it? Sorry. It’s that kind of day.

My Ana Lucia shawl (free pattern by Wilma Westenberg) is going on nicely. I’ve crocheted a few times over the last few weekends and enjoyed it a lot. Taking it easy on my hands, as is usual these days, but loving making each stitch. I’ve enjoyed the variety in this pattern, especially after crocheting good ole granny squares for my Coast Blanket.

Katia Silver Paint yarn (discontinued now I believe)

I picked up Snowflake by Louise Nealon at Stowe Gardens National Trust truly excellent secondhand bookshop on Saturday. There are always good finds. Often I buy recipe books but I’ve found myself missing reading paperback fiction lately. I am very attached to my Kindle, but have decided I’m going to keep a paperback downstairs for evenings when the TV is off and it’s a reading night, or there’s chance to read a page or two while something’s cooking etc.

‘Debbie lives on a dairy farm with her mother Maeve and Billy her uncle. Billy sleeps out in a caravan in the garden with a bottle of whiskey and the stars overhead for company. Maeve spends her days recording her dreams, which she believes to be prophecies. This word is Debby’s normal, but she is about to step into life as a student at Trinity College Dublin…’

Nealon’s style is fresh and her writing does seem unique, as promised in the blurb. This is a debut novel. I’ll add it to a future book recommendation post if it ends up being as good as it promises.

I’ve finished a few books this week so will decide what to read next on my Kindle and whether I want to start a new audiobook, or maybe I’ll stick with podcasts until my Spotify premium hours are back.

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What are you making? Anything crafty going on? Any good books on the go?

Joining in with Kat’s Unravelled Wednesday, a weekly link up sharing making and reading. Whoop! I still miss Ginny’s Yarn Along at times and so am jumping in with Kat and gang.

Another bobble cowl

Posted on June 14, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

The garden is full of roses, they obviously approve of the weather

I finished the coastal cowl, hurray! I really loved this simple pattern when I made the first rainbow bobble cowl and without even really thinking about it, one day I picked up a ball of yarn and started another. I LOVE the texture of crochet bobbles, plus with so many it’s a really warm fabric. I wore the other a lot in the cold weather we had before it finally turned warm in late May. It was a really cool spring. I think the coolest on record, but now it’s pretty hot today we came close to 30 degrees. There had been large cracks appearing in the fields and flowers in the garden have been drooping. Last week, driving through Devon a local radio DJ said the reservoirs there are lower than they should be this time of year.

However, at the weekend we had torrents of rain, thunder and lightning storms. The kind where we had to stop a car journey because there was such a lack of visibility. It was so dramatic that I filmed it. Anyway, now I shall put my cowls away and know that I will appreciate them both in the autumn and winter. (Pattern is from Simply Crochet, issue 128. Designed by Sue Pearson. If you can download Libby or Pressreader, and have a library card, Simply Crochet magazine is there for free, at least here in the UK.)

Next I am going to get out all my half finished (or should I say half started?!) projects and decide what to do next. I don’t think there’s all *that* many actually, I was pretty ruthless at unravelling and donating bits and pieces to charity shops in the winter. I know there is a stripey knitted blanket to complete, a knitted cowl and a glittery shawl / scarf thing, plus crochet circles I was crocheting using up odds and ends of Hayfield Spirit yarn. I can’t wait to get to the point where I have absolutely nothing started and I just work on one thing at a time. It’s how I used to craft and I much prefer it. What do you do? Do you start lots and lots of things and enjoy the variety of picking up something new every time? Or, do you work on one thing until it’s finished and then start something new?

Hey, hey look what I found in a secondhand bookshop. It has an absolute wealth of craft and recipe books, it’s a good job I don’t go there very often. I’m going to be really cagey about where it is as I don’t want to advertise it here and lose a source of treasure! Let’s just hope the locals aren’t too crafty…(but spend lots of money on other genres, to keep the shop afloat.)

What are you making, have you found any charity shop treasure lately?

March

Posted on March 27, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making: Ummm I’m not sure how this happened, one minute it was a ball of Hayfield Spirit and the next it’s half a cowl! Addicted to bobbles still

Cooking: spicy chicken with tomatoes & peppers, lots of mixed spices

Sipping: water, tonic, lemonade, lime & soda (Dry Lent)

Washing on the line, cyclamen in lots of corners of the garden, mid-March

Reading: Landlines by Raynor Winn. Nearly finished. It’s her third walking book and I’ve loved spending time with her and Moth again

Waiting: for my parcel delivery

Spot the daffodil? A bit invisible and crunched up to the others, but the people coming through on the double deckers will be able to see!

Looking: at all the spring flowers in the garden. So many anemones this year and the heathers are really vibrantly pink

Listening: to Conversations from a Long Marriage (BBC Sounds) Hancock (ditto) my latest Radar playlist on Spotify

Wishing: I planted my chilies, peppers and tomato seeds earlier

The leaves have been munched, but the hellebore flowers are looking good. The garden needs a good spring clean and tidy up

Enjoying: sunny blue sky days which seem slightly more frequent. Today’s one of the best in ages

Appreciating: blossom, daffodils and the smell of flowers’ perfume on the breeze

Eating: an epic goats cheese, onion chutney & rocket sourdough toasty in a cafe on Friday. I earned it!

Liking: my bed, I’ve got into the habit of heading up about 9:30pm to have lots of reading time. Then I wake at 1200/0100/0200 (latest so far: 0215) glasses on and Kindle in sleep mode, bruised side of nose from glasses! A huge D’oh!

Loving: watching Lockwood and Co. On Netflix

I took this photo on the 14th, now the pot is absolutely brimful of viola again. Best autumn purchase I’ve ever made! It’s been a really nice sight from the kitchen window over winter

Buying: local free range eggs (as always.) I’m having another phase of fried and scrambled for lunch

Baking: (this morning) mixed seed sourdough, what a great crust! It’s always a much deeper colour and crunchier, from the oils in the seeds probably

Managing: to get out for more walks lately, dodging the rain storms. It’s been really good to get up to the fields again and not have to wade through ankle-deep mud. It’s a bit slip and slide, but so far I haven’t…

Watching: The latest series of: Unforgotten, Vera and planning to start the new David Attenborough soon

Hoping: for peace, easier financial times for all …so much… positives for the environment, the homeless and disenfranchised …the list seems endless at the moment

Watching: films…Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (or as I called it “A lot of Biff Boff”) Billy Elliot (a modern classic, so worth rewatching!) Brian & Charles (well worth renting via Prime, particularly for those who like quirky British films) Empire of Light (Sam Mendes latest. We really, really enjoyed this at the weekend.)

Saturday. It won’t be long before the trees are in leaf again

Wearing: one of my favourite Seasalt tops. It’s green

Noticing: leaf shadows on the curtain

Forsythia just coming out in flower at the beginning of March

Following: an arrow shaped cloud tracking across the blue sky

Sorting: bits for the charity shop

Getting: a list written for the next groceries order, it’s one of those big order weeks. Why do all the tissues etc all run out at once?

Coveting: Spotify premium, mine’s just run-out

Feeling: the need to move again shortly

Hearing: the clock tick, the birds chirp, someone on a call, the fridge click off

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The clocks went forward this weekend, that loss of an hour can be so discombobulating! I woke up Sunday morning, asked what the time was and when I heard 9 o’clock, I nearly fell out of bed! And then of course I realised that really it was eight. Or, so my body still thought. I wish we didn’t have to change the clocks, although I suppose the extra long hours of daylight until October are good. I’d like to have a year where we try not moving them, just to see what it’s like. I was going to ask if anyone remembered before British summertime began. Then googled it, thank goodness, otherwise I would’ve looked a right idiot! It began in 1916.

To save energy and help the war effort, the Summer Time Act 1916 advanced the clocks in the UK for 1 hour from May 21 until October 1 in the same year. Summer time, or DST, proved so popular that it was named British Summer Time (BST) and the seasonal practice kept

From TimeandDate.com this has some good nuggets of information, although I admit ‘Time Zone History of the United Kingdom’ isn’t exactly a catchy title.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Tell us a few things, what have you been up to during March? What are you making, enjoying eating, reading or watching on TV?

Bobble cowl – finished!

Posted on February 26, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve enjoyed crocheting this bobbly cowl. It’s definitely been a slow project as rows of mostly double crochet do not grow at all fast, but there was absolutely no rush to complete it. I took my time, I have to do that these days anyway.

I saw this pattern in Simply Crochet magazine issue 128, it was one of those challenges where they give two designers the same yarn and set them to make a blanket, an accessory, or a toy. And Sue Pearson’s bobble cowl jumped out at me. I’ve long enjoyed making bobbles, as I love the texture that they give to accessories in particular. Long-term readers might remember the bobble mitts (see here) which I made years ago. Cor, they were featured in Simply Crochet issue 10. I’ve read the mag since the beginning. (Nowadays through Press Reader or Libby library apps for FREE.) It made my day that those mitts later sold in a Cats Protection charity craft sale.

I’ve never done reverse double crochet before, also known as crab stitch. Have you? It’s perfect for a firm, attractive edging. That’s definitely going on my do-again list. If you wanted a simple edging for a blanket, it would work well.

For some reason it was taking me far too long to translate the instructions into leftie crochet terms. I realised part of the problem was I couldn’t think through how I do double crochet, going in the usual direction, let alone in reverse. Without actually doing some double crochet my brain couldn’t grasp it. If you get what I mean? So, I undid a few switches of the previous row, double crocheted them again and straight away it clicked. I realised what I had to do, only of course going backwards, from right to left as a left hander.

Happily I have quite a bit of Hayfield Spirit, autumn, leftover, so I can make some more granny circles (see my last post, here.) First I need to carry on crocheting my little flowery contribution to a spring yarn bomb. I’ll show you those very soon, as they need to be with the organiser by Wednesday the first. Next I’m off to make some stamens. (It’s not everyday I find myself typing that!)

Have you just, or nearly, finished making something? Or are you surrounded by too many half started projects?

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Post could also be titled ‘Reverse double crochet for a left handed custard brain’

Rainbowy

Posted on February 16, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

I was merrily bobbling along the other day and paused to check everything over, because occasionally one bobble will be out of step If I’ve lost concentration at any point listening to a podcast. Then while pausing I realised that it was probably long enough. A quick measure and it was over 60 cm. Suddenly it was done! Well, nearly. I’ve crocheted one row of doubles along the top edge and then I have to do a row of reverse doubles, aka crab stitch, to finish off. And then repeat on the other edge. I’m really pleased with this, mainly because of the beautiful Hayfield Spirit autumn yarn. But also because I love bobbles. It’s been so cool to see the lovely colours appear. Works really well with the pattern doesn’t it?

I’ve also been making granny circles out of some spare yarn, just when I fancy doing a little crochet, but nothing too tricky.

Very rainbowy aren’t they?

Time to read a little more of Ian Rankin’s Rebus (#22) before I seize the day.

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What are you making, listening to and reading?

Crochet! Crochet! Crochet!

Posted on November 16, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Here’s the eye catching postbox topper that my friend’s WI (Women’s Institute) put together for Remembrance Sunday.

Can you spot any of the crochet poppies that I sent her?

Offering to make some poppies was the best thing for me really. We had such a hot summer. I don’t usually do much crochet when it’s warm and even less so this year, as England had some of the highest temperatures since records began. But since I made some poppies I’ve got my crojo back again, with a vengeance. It’s probably the darker evenings and the cooler weather too.

I’ve been buzzing. I’ve looked through my crochet books, read the latest issues of Simply Crochet mag on the e-library site PressReader (it’s free! Great app. Really, really good) and dived into my storage cube to see what was in my yarn stash.

Making a resolution not to start anything new, but to finish off projects I’m already halfway through this year has not been that exciting. I’ve made some headway, but felt bored, so then ended up doing little.

I checked to see what yarn I already have, but of course I didn’t actually use any of it! I mean we don’t, do we?! That’s why we build up stashes in the first place. Mine’s modest because I’ve sent a friend some and donated other bits to a charity shop, so I reckoned I could buy a little something. I chose some brand-new Hayfield Spirit DK. I really like it. When there’s even 20% wool content it’s much nicer to work with than pure acrylic, and looks better as well. It should be warmer too. I never usually make wearables with 100% acrylic, but of course it’s far more affordable for big projects, such as blankets.

I started a virus shawl. Here’s a quick snap that I sent to a friend when we were sharing what we were making one night. It’s not a great photo, but it was enough for her to see what I was doing.

This is the autumn colour way, the people at Hayfield (Sirdar) must have been thinking of autumn flowers, such as dahlias and asters, because the colours don’t say autumn leaves to me.

Then although I was happy with how it looked, I realised I would probably never wear it. I’m more a scarf or cowl wearer. I unravelled it and started a virus blanket. I bought the pattern from Jonna Martinez. Here. There are lots of You Tubers whom you can crochet along with (fun thing to do) as you start your own Virus shawl or blanket. I did that to begin.

Jonna brought the Virus pattern back to the fore and made it famous – go viral. I have read that the Virus design is actually based on an old pattern from Rumania or Russia. This wouldn’t be a surprise; I don’t think there’s really much that’s original in crochet, we’re all replicating stitches and patterns that have been done over decades, maybe centuries.

Pretty colours, aren’t they? But you see the problem? You see what’s really, really, REALLY annoying me, that means I’m going to have to unravel it?

All I will say is that I am looking into the standing stitch and checking out various ways to do it. One crocheter made a video to demonstrate one and it really made me laugh, because she can hardly get her hook through the loop. I’m not sure about doing that version. Might give it a swerve and find another!

And then when I was reading Simply Crochet, issue 128, I found a Bobble Cowl design by Sue Pearson, that I really fancied making. Pattern available here too.

I remember how much I like crocheting bobbles. I started the cowl without really checking what size I would prefer, but happily it’s exactly the height of my favourite knitted Edenvale cowl. Here it is, I wear it all the time in the winter.

And that is what I’ve been making, making and unravelling, making and measuring, then sighing with relief when it’s right.

What about you? What are you making? Any unravelling going on? Any new yarn purchases?

I’ll be back soon with a new books post.

Sleep Under the Stars blanket – finished

Posted on April 18, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Started in May 2020 during Lockdown my star blanket, official show-name Sleep Under the Stars is finally complete. It’s not my first star shaped blanket, I’ve been drawn to them for a long time. I think it’s the novelty of making a non-rectangular or square thing once in a while. If you want to check out the three others you can see them here. Smaller sized star blankets make super car-seat or buggy blankets for littles. This is a snuggle on the sofa and read a book, or watch tv size for someone older.

It’s a weighty, soft and very snuggly blanket. This was my first time crocheting with Paintbox Simply Chunky yarn. I liked it so much I soon started to use it for other makes, including a couple of cowls. It’s really nice affordable acrylic yarn which both crochets and knits up well.

Here are the details in case you want to make a star blanket too:

Pattern: Free from Love Crafts site as you see I chose my own colour combo and no pom-poms! I finished emergency stop styley, brake hard and handbrake applied, when I felt it was the size I wanted. I didn’t do the back loops, or is it front loops only thing in the last round.

Yarn: Paintbox Simply Chunky

I used Misty Grey 303 / Slate Grey 305 / Mustard yellow 323

Hook: 6mm, I always use Clover Amour hooks

Size: 48 1/2” / 123cm

Weight: 816g

Tip: For self …don’t forget to write down which shade of yarns you’re using (I usually do but for some reason didn’t, let’s blame lockdown brain) so I’ve just spent about 10 minutes going to the window glasses on, glasses off to work out whether I used misty grey or stormy grey! They’re very, very similar.

For you…do start new rounds of colour by going into the pointy chain space and chaining 5, 3 of those chains equal 1 treble and 2 chains are for the 2 chain space which you do in between the treble(s) at every point. If it’s a row where you need 2 trebles in the point don’t worry, you add in the other right at the end of the round.

If you’re continuing in the same colour you simply slip stitch into the pointy chain space and carry on in the same way, with 5 chain stitches to begin. *If you don’t do this* and you slip stitch into a treble elsewhere it will look fine to begin with, but after a while you’ll find that you get a line of slip stitch joins. This spoils the look of the blanket. Believe me. I write from experience!

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And this is looking like a proper crochet blog again, at least for a moment. I shall have to try to finish something else which doesn’t have much left to do and then this will continue!

I’ve got lots of book recommendations, so I’ll be back soonish with another post. I’m having a fantastic reading year.

Hope you had a good Easter weekend? What have you been up to? Are you making anything at the moment, or having a break? TALK TO ME ;-)

Lots of yellow & grey

Posted on February 22, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Gah! And this is why I should never crochet while drinking cider.

I realised that the stitch count was really off in the section with the stitch marker, but in my tipsy wisdom did quite a few decrease stitches to get the it right. Then I carried on going around and around. In the morning I realised I’d have to rip it all back, in an acknowledgment that it’s not my way of doing things. I’m a perfectionist and those rogue stitches would forever bug me.

The blanket was pretty large, so it took A LOT of unraveling and winding yarn. I undid the whole yellow section. Once again…Gah!

I keep thinking I should be at expert level now, these kind of silly mistakes where I have 17 stitches in all other sections and find 22 in another should not be happening…it was definitely the cider.

The Chevron Cowl made it up to the NE coast, just in the nick of time! I offered it to friends and Safron jumped at it. Of course she’s perfect for it; she never shies away from wearing bright colours, plus always looks great in yellow. Doesn’t it match perfectly with her grey beanie too?

We’ve been battered by the weather since last week. We had Storm Dudley on Wednesday, followed by Eunice on Friday, with 75 mph winds and then Frank on Sunday with 60mph winds and very heavy rainfall. There are trees and branches down, but luckily nothing worse. I did wonder if the conservatory roof would lift off at one point. It’s still intact, thank goodness.

I think (and hope) that’s it now. The morning is calm and sunny, so far. It’s half term around here and parents are breathing a sigh of relief to be out and about again. I can hear the birds for the first time in days. They must be ravenous. How does a little robin or wren withstand 70+mph wind? They must go deep into foliage and hide?

Thursday really was the calm in between the storms, fortunately we managed to get out and do a new 6 mile circular walk. With an unplanned pub lunch in the middle. Anything more than a snack was probably a mistake. There were still steep hills to walk up, to loop back to the starting point, but I enjoyed being out for lunch very much. At least I could keep pausing to ‘take photos of the view’ while not fooling either of us.

Aren’t those aconites beautiful? The leaves are such an unusual shape, sort of rectangular. They were next to a huge clump of snowdrops near to where I parked the car.

I wonder what the aconites look like now? The garden here is full of croci and surprisingly they haven’t been flattened. The Christmas tree went over in it’s very heavy concrete pot early on when Storm Eunice arrived. A huge clonk and then bumps and bangs, as rolled back and forth whacking into the side of the house. We had to run out and rescue it, into the safety of the garage. It was wild out there. Scary, but exhilarating too. The rest of the time it’s felt like Lockdown, taking advice to stay indoors and stay safe, out of the risk of falling trees and flying debris.

I was on a FaceTime call during Storm Eunice and saw a fat pigeon being blown sideways in the wind. That was pretty funny.

The other week I swapped a novel for this Mollie Makes Crochet book at an exchange. It’s fairly basic, aimed at beginner crocheters, but it has some little things I might make.

My poinsettia lost 90% of it’s leaves, as I suspected it would, so now the cyclamen takes its place. Something red this time of year makes a darkish corner a bit brighter and cheerful.

Are you reading a good book? I’m gripped by the latest from Lisa Jewell. I’ve waited months for it from BorrowBox the library app and it’s not disappointing. I read about half in a day. Book details here on GoodReads.

If you’re in the UK did you come through the storms unscathed? Maybe you’ve got snow or floods, or are sweltering in heat?

And I finished it!

Posted on February 5, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

I finished the Granny Chevron Cowl last Sunday. There were lots of ends to darn, but I’ve always found the sewing bit quite relaxing. Such a nice achievement to start AND finish something in the same month.

You can just see the join-as-you-go row, where I’ve slip stitched along after each group of trebles, into the spaces. It’s a really neat and quick way to finish. Who wants to join by sewing, when you can crochet?

I hung it on a branch (or is it called a cane?) of fuchsia to photograph. It was really blowy last weekend as we had the tail end of Storm Malik, so it swung and forwards. I stood still capturing these two photos as it moved.

Details

Pattern On Ravelry from Zeens and Roger blog, by Rosina Northcott.

Yarn Paintbox chunky mustard yellow (323) & misty grey (303)

Hook 6mm

Height 24cm

Width 32cm

Circumference 64cm

Weight 135g, so used less than 2 balls of 100g chunky yarn

Tips

I did 8 pattern repeats, so 8 sections of colour, instead of the pattern’s 6 to get the required circumference. Remember you need to end on colour B rather than A; otherwise you’ll have one big one coloured section and it will ruin the pattern.

It’s worth watching Rosina’s You Tube video, linked to on the pattern’s blog post, for handy tips such as trebling around the first stitch of the previous row, instead of going into it at the end of each row. This saves a lot of fiddly stuff.

Before you do the join as you go row you could fix the beginning and end together with stitch marker rings (see below), it helped me to see how it was going to fit together. Finding the middle ensures you match it up accurately. I left the markers and took them out as I joined the two edges.

My poinsettia won’t be featured in every blog post for much longer, since it’s losing leaves quickly now

~~~~

And now I need to crack on with the finishing the Star Blanket, because I have a cunning plan for it. Except, I’ve just seen something that’s inspired me to try something else….oops!

What are you making at the moment? Are you feeling busy and productive, or are you in hibernation mode? I think either is good at this time of year. Here lately it’s mostly staying around 4° all day every day. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, what are you up to? Sunshine and warmth….lovely!

I started something new!

Posted on January 22, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

The latest copy of Inside Crochet plopped onto the doormat the other day. I haven’t really read much of it yet, but did read the interview with Rosina Northcott, better known to me as Zeens and Roger on Insta. When she named her two most popular designs I wanted to check them out on Ravelry. As soon as I saw the Granny Chevron Cowl pattern I found myself reaching for my hook and chunky yarn, even without really thinking. Next a part of my brain was shouting “NO, no, no! You’re not supposed to be starting anything new! You’re meant to be finishing the stuff you’ve started. It was doable, albeit slow. What are you doing?!” Ha! Too late brain, you need to speed up next time.

Here’s the Ravelry page which will take you to the original pattern blog post.

I’ve crocheted the required 29 rows, the 30th should be the joining round but my tension must be way tighter than Rosina’s. (It does lie flat, I just threw it down without due care and attention, for a quick snap in the photo above. A girl’s got to get back to her crochet, after all.) The only thing it will go around is my leg at the mo, and a leg-warmer was not really the plan. No matter, as I’ve got lots of this Paintbox chunky yarn. But just be aware of your tension and possible need to add extra rows, in case you’ve got limited chunky yarn.

I’m listening to Daisy May Cooper’s audio book as I crochet, she’s hilarious.

I’ve been to another community book exchange, this time an official Little Free Library, as I said I would a few weeks ago. This type of box on a pole book exchange is modelled on the original Little Free Library in Wisconsin, USA. Here’s some info about that first. I love the whole thing!

If you want to see some real handmade beauties, all over the world, just Google ‘Little Free Library’. People are so creative! I’ve just seen a house shaped one, which has origami in the attic and is beautifully decorated on the outside.

Some tempting things there, but the one I immediately swapped my book for was The Guest List. I’ve read Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party and her latest: The Paris Apartment. Both are good reads, but The Hunting Party (her debut) was my favourite of the two. The Guest List is a great find. It’s one of those books where you find yourself sighing and settling down into a more comfy position halfway through the first chapter.

And further along the same road, opposite the pub and along from the church in Freeland, Oxfordshire, there is another book exchange. A not-so-small Little Free Library. I’d already swapped my book and there wasn’t really anything else I wanted, but isn’t it well stocked? Lots for children too.

I absolutely love community projects like these and apparently the first LFL (the box on the pole) in the village was a roaring success when it was set up in 2016. It’s been estimated that more than 2,000 books passed through it in the first 12 months. Woah!

I’ve always been a huge advocate and supporter of our public libraries, but I do think there is a place for both those and community book exchanges. Especially in rural communities which are not well served by public transport, or at all. Community book and toy exchanges became lifelines and positive distractions during our months of Lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 when the libraries were closed. I remember we walked to a neighbouring village during that time, and saw numerous boxes left outside people’s garden gate. Sharing books, jigsaw puzzles and children’s games had sprung up. Did this happen where you live?

I’ve left books in book exchanges, cafés, holiday homes and telephone boxes for years and years. You never know where they’ll end up and also what you will find! Actually, for Sunday lunch tomorrow I’m making a dessert from the recipe book that I swapped for my Christmas novel. (Poached pears with blackberries.)

What are you making and reading? Or are you busy doing other stuff? Have you got book exchanges or games swaps? I’ve heard of bus shelter book and game exchanges which sprung up in Lockdown. Have you spotted one? Tell us…

No wonder I felt relieved!

Posted on November 24, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve got something to show you, something else I’ve finished. I’m on a roll! I’ve finished two things this month.

I thought I’d started this cowl maybe last autumn, then I checked on my Ravelry account and OH MY GOODNESS… that can’t be right can it?

I started it in November 2018?!?!

Ahhhh…but my issues with my hand had started that spring, and I would imagine this second Cozy Cowl was another hoping-for-a-miracle make which I could crochet pain free. I think we both know the answer to that one!

I wonder if I blogged about it way back then? Hang on I’ll just have a look…

…there’s a little mention on a post from 5th December Yearning Along It’s actually quite a sad reminder of how adrift I felt being told not to do any craft, this turned into months and months. I notice that I optimistically still tried, then accepted the situation, and so that’s why the cowl languished for a few years.

Anyway back to feeling buzzy and happy, because here we go:

It’s my second grey make of November, suits the weather perfectly.

I really like Stylecraft Life Aran; it’s a good mix of wool (25%) and acrylic (75%), which works up well with a 6mm hook. It’s definitely cosy when turned into a cowl.

Pattern details for the cowl are on my Ravelry project page above. I had borrowed the book from the library, when I made the first cowl for a friend way back in May 2016! It was to keep her neck warm when she rode her motorbike.

This time I still didn’t make it in one piece; because I really like the way the ribbing looks. I added a row of double crochet to each edge of the body of the cowl and one side of both ribbed strips, then crocheted them together. This was far more satisfying than sewing. I have a feeling it might be a stronger join too. I single crocheted into the inside loops only which made a smooth seam.

I wonder who will end up wearing it?

The Big Issue North recently requested knit and crochet hats, scarves and gloves on Twitter, to keep their magazine vendors warm. The Big Issue North is a well respected charity, have a look at what they’re about here. There’s some interesting articles on the website.

I usually buy the The Big Issue magazine if I come across a street vendor, I have done for years. It’s not pure altruism as although you know you’re helping someone, you’re also getting a good quality read. (Big Issue North is actually a separate organisation to The Big Issue down here, the same premise but BI North have been independent since 1996. It’s all good stuff.)

If you have any spare knit or crochet accessories I know they’ll be gratefully received. It’s cold now.

Send them to:

Big Issue North,

463 Stretford Road,

Manchester,

M16 9AB

Why I still love blogs

Posted on November 9, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

I was reading someone’s blog a few weeks ago and she said that although she uses and enjoys all the socials…Instagram, Twitter and Facebook…a lot, she will never ever stop reading and following blogs. This statement really resonated with me and I’ve been mulling it over.

Inspiration and pretty pictures are great on Instagram. I get a lot of that from IG, as well as exchanging quick, sometimes funny, messages with peeps. But blogging is different; to me it’s 3-D rather than 2-D. I think because the longer that you read, the more you get a sense of someone and what they’re about. You can feel you really have a relationship with them, sometimes it’s completely one sided. Often it’s mutual and becomes a source of warm friendly messages from the other side of the world, the other side of the country, or just a few miles away! There are a few bloggers who I’ve ended up meeting, a few have become very good friends.

Seeing what they’re making take shape from the first few stitches chained or cast on, to progress pics as time goes on and then the finished item is like watching a wonderful slow tv programme.

I haven’t even really mentioned all the tutorials, the patterns, useful tips and the sharing of links! A helpful blog will tell you the yarn they’ve used, link to the pattern or their Ravelry account etc where you can find out even more.

It’s not all craft – I tend to follow blogs which also post lifestyle content. I like to know what they’re cooking, what they’re reading, maybe see pictures of their garden or walks they’ve been on recently. A few pictures of their city, town or village maybe too and I’m hooked!

Later I read someone else saying about blog comments. She said she really values and appreciates the time and the effort it takes people to leave them. She was glad that they were still generous in writing to her. I had a feeling that there was a little bit more behind it, that she’d noticed the mega amounts of comments she used to receive had significantly gone down in the last few years. We exchanged messages about it. I suspect it’s mostly a time and immediacy thing. A quick double tap to ‘like’ a post on Instagram gives instant feedback. Perhaps people maybe don’t want to put long messages out there on public record. I know I’ve often privately messaged in response to heartfelt blog posts, or with a silly but friendly response.

Incidentally I sometimes find reading one blog post at a time as they’re published a bit lacking; I really want to read a whole batch of posts and settle down with a mug of tea and have a good read. Do you do this too?

Then I began to wonder why it was that I wasn’t advertising the blogs that I read on my own? A few years ago I remember taking the widget of links off when I reorganised things, and I’m not quite sure why I didn’t reinstate it. If I’m serious about loving blogs still, I wondered if I should be advertising the ones I follow? Then others might do the same and refresh their lists, so current blogs are still getting attention and a bit of publicity. After all, there’s no point having loads of links to non-existent or inactive sites. I needed to put a refreshed list up, so that’s what I’ve been working on.

I dip in and out of many more blogs than those I’ve linked to so far, but I wanted to share my must-reads. Even if it takes me six weeks or months to catch up, they are the ones that I read and have followed for years. It’s quality, not quantity for me.

I came across an old crochet blog the other day, I think I was following a link to a pattern on Pinterest, and it had not been updated for years. The blog list was amazing! It included all the people I followed in 2009/10 when I discovered craft blogs and blogging. I felt like I’d discovered a precious time capsule. Is it daft to feel kind of nostalgic for those days of sitting in front of a slow lap top, its noisy fan whirring as I caught up with what people were making, at the end of a busy day? Now (well, pre-March 2020) I’ll jump at speed from page to page while on a bus or train, waiting for an appointment to come up or when I’m on a break. Things have really changed now and nostalgia aside, I’m happy to have a fast little computer in my handbag or pocket, whenever I want it. Magical really isn’t it?!

It was sobering to realise, looking through my previous list of links, how many of my favourite blogs aren’t active anymore. Some still post once or twice a year (better than nothing) some have deleted their blogs completely, with handfuls of untethered pictures still floating around the Internet, others attempted to start new blogs to reflect where they were now (then) but if you search for them, they are just a blank page with a title. One domain has been taken over by a Korean handbag seller. The new blogs just never took off. The initial enthusiasm of blogging leached away over the years. They felt like they’d said the same things over and over again. The rhythms and routines of the seasons and years became a drag, not a comfort. They were bored with their own words and pictures. I get it. People move on, hobbies change, lifestyles change, relationships end and priorities shift. Work can leave little time for planning, photographing and writing something and sending it off into the ether. It takes time and energy. If blogging begins to feel like a task and work, it is far from fun. (I don’t feel like this. If I did, I’d be gone!)

Off the top of my head, these are some blogs that I used to love:

Pink Milk, Greedy for Colour, Cozy Made Things, Crochet with Raymond, Le Monde de Sucrette, According to Matt, Foxs Lane, Dottie Angel, Little Tin Bird and Rachelle Blondel’s that I think was named after her grandparents i.e. Ethel and Ernest or Olive and Stanley. I can’t remember their names! So many more, who will probably come to me as soon as I press publish.

I never sit down at my laptop to read blogs anymore. I never post mine from my laptop anymore. I usually dictate my posts because it saves my hands nowadays. I publish my posts mostly on my iPhone, and read others’ blogs on my iPad. Sitting back down at my laptop today reminded me of years ago when I started this blog; it felt old fashioned to type actual blog names into a search bar. I enjoyed seeing a full sized screen of pretty pictures, there are also the sidebars that you don’t really get to see on a mobile view. (My new blog links are at the bottom on the mobile site, by the way.) The lap top reminded me that dodgy ill lit photos you can get away with on an enhanced all singing all dancing iPhone or iPad, do not necessarily look so well on a laptop!

So what about you: Why do you still read blogs? Do you also think they offer something more than other social media? Have I missed something obvious? Which are your favourites, are your blog links up-to-date? Do you have any you want to recommend? I’m up for a bit of a blog tour, if you want to lead the way.

* Yes, I got a bit carried away in my own photo archive by the end. I forget what I’ve made!

Yarn Along – June

Posted on June 5, 2019 by The Little Room of Rachell

Sunday’s National Trust secondhand booksale find! £2:50, only published last year and in mint condition. By Lisa Cook – Lisasattik on Insta.

The day after I tried knitting again ( see here ) I went off to my favourite yarn shop to buy some yarn to celebrate. Someone was away on a 10 day fishing trip and had left me emergency money only to be used in case of emergency. Last time I went on a massive pub crawl with a friend until the early hours, this year I was very, very sensible and hadn’t touched any of it. A few days before his return I thought a little might be well spent on a couple of bottles of Cornish Orchards cider and a ball of new yarn. Solid plan?

I was thinking of buying something neutral, perhaps to crochet a motif at a time; as I’m trying to rehabilitate my hand after injury last year (as you already know.) Making small pieces to eventually turn into a blanket is doable in short bursts, especially as I reckon you-can-never-make-too-many-blankets. So, of course when I got home it was with variegated yarn with glittery thread through it….and a shawl pattern.

It’s Katia Silver Paint (100) and is a soft mix of acrylic and a little wool, the glittery thread is gold. It crochets up really nicely. I’m making an Ana Lucia shawl. It’s going to be slow, but slow progress is better than no progress. This has been my mantra for most of the last year.

I’m still reading Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, this is not being devoured at all, but I’m determined to finish it. I don’t dislike the book, but it’s rather dry and the telling feels slow. It doesn’t help that I often find I’ve nodded off while reading at bedtime (a new and slightly worrying development) and my Kindle has long gone into sleep mode too.

I also started to read Tracey Thorn’s memoir Another Planet: a Teenager in Suburbia She writes in an engaging style.

I have two audio books on the go too: Audible’s version of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road; I really like Matt Dillon’s performance of this, his accent and voice are good and finally Ruby Wax’s new one: No Brainer. She always makes me chuckle; I like her Sane New World: Taming the Mind.

What are you making and reading?

Joining in with Ginny’s monthly Yarn Along once again. Hurrah!

Five things

Posted on April 27, 2019 by The Little Room of Rachell

One: I can’t tell you how good it is to have made something. From beginning to end in about 10 days. Yes!

Less yes, and more noooo was experiencing the sewers equivalent of yarn chicken. I’d asked on Instagram for any suggestions and someone said tie the old and new thread together. That seemed a bit rubbish, so I undid it all and started again with a longer thread and, would you believe, it happened all over again! I Googled thread tying and it is a thing. Sorry to whoever suggested it – I was an unbeliever – but it worked. It was initially a bit tricky trying to get the knot to stay at the back and not pull around, but anchoring it behind a tuck of the gathered material worked perfectly. Looking at the back you wouldn’t know.

Two: As mentioned on my last post Corinne Lapierre sent me a thank you gift, and someone there wrote a really lovely note. It’s so lovely that it’s pinned on my noticeboard in the little room.

Three: Yes your eyes are not deceiving you… I have managed to do some crochet this week. The first picture was taken after my allotted ten minutes. The first time I’ve done any crochet since, I think in about November. I had the yarn and hook poised in my hands ready to go just before I started the ten minute timer. I wanted every second! I felt thoroughly relaxed even having just done a little. Crochet always feels like a tranquilliser!

Ahem… The second picture was a few days later and I completely blame Nikki and her lovely Nan for my going way, way, way past the ten minute timer.

I’ve never got into vlogs. Generally I find them full of umming and ahhing, repetitious and overly long without enough content the fill the time. (Say what you think, why don’t you?!) I think this is probably only the third one I’ve ever watched in full. I’ll definitely watch another. This is the episode.

Four: This fluffy lovely spent ten minutes sitting in one of our two balcony feeders, sun basking and occasionally pecking at the crumbs of mealworm. I was right next to the window chatting to him and he just blinked at me. Looking at the fluffy tummy feathers I would say this is a juvenile.

Five: And it’s bluebell season again, seems to come around fast doesn’t it? This isn’t even my official bluebell visit, but some that are filling my local woods. What a gorgeous sight.

The Woodland Trust has lots of general info about bluebells and a search box to find bluebell hotspots. I enjoyed reading the article about ancient woodlands too.

Here’s a guide to identifying native bluebells.

And if you’re in the UK The National Trust website is always a good place too to search for bluebell woods and walks.

Yarn Along – January

Posted on January 9, 2019 by The Little Room of Rachell

Today it’s a dark afternoon and steadily growing colder. I made spicy lentil and coconut vegetable soup for lunch and read some Yarn Along blog posts while it cooked. After taking this photo I swapped the peppermint tea for hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. That’s my treat.

I don’t know about you, but after Christmas I always want to eat more veggie food than usual. I think it’s an intuitive thing to find more of a balance after quite a few meals with turkey, sausage meat and ham. If you can recommend any recipes, please do. Hugh is off my bookshelf ready and waiting too.

I’m desperately trying to ignore the fact that I have Hotel Chocolat goodies calling me. Today is Day One post-Christmas and epiphany (which is when we take down all the decs.) Monday and Tuesday were also Day One but ended with ~~less success than planned~~ chocolate.

Ignoring the total craft ban I optimistically tried again for 10 minutes of crochet during the Crimbo Limbo week, that gorgeously lazy time between Christmas and New Year. Of course it turned into 30 minutes, because I’m desperate to be making again after months of nothing, so I had to admit to stupidity and run for an ice pack. I won’t tell the Hand Therapist when I see her at the end of the month. My hand is definitely improving, but it’s a painfully slow process. Still, the upside is I have a legitimate photo to share for Ginny’s monthly Yarn Along. Hurrah!

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton was ready to be collected from the library a few days ago. It’s an absolute brick of a hardback. Actually, hang on while I go and weigh it….blimey, it’s nearly a kilo, at 982g! This is not going to be a book to read in bed. I won’t be able to hold it. I’ll rest it on a cushion on my lap and read it downstairs instead.

I know, the plant above (a goose foot?) needs some R&R after being popped down somewhere inappropriate to make room for the tree at Christmas. Luckily it’s always very forgiving and seems to bounce back with glossy leaves and a perky demeanour. This poinsettia’s much happier…

What are you making and reading?

Happy New Year!

Yearning Along

Posted on December 5, 2018 by The Little Room of Rachell

Now don’t get all excited; this is something I started crocheting after the hot water bottle cosy, then my hand therapist told me I was forbidden to do any craft, as it is too intense for my injured hand.

I think I must be an addict because, even bringing it out to photograph today, I couldn’t help doing a row as they are very short. It couldn’t really hurt, surely? By the time I would have finished one teeny row my hand would barely even recognise that I’ve done anything, would it? Stupid! So I’ve got to put it back in the craft box and not even look at it. My post title is apt isn’t it? On the positive side my hand is definitely improving, it’s a really slow process but I’m gradually using it more, without lasting pain. Apparently it can take six months to one year to settle, so I’m now expecting to be able to crochet again next Easter…woohoo, bunnies and chicks here we come!

Ohh, but isn’t aran yarn great? That and a chunky hook and a project literally flies away, finished in about five minutes!

I had a look at the secondhand book area during our visit to Stowe on Sunday (I’ll do a separate post about this) where they had put together a seasonal shelf. They weren’t necessarily all Christmas themed books, but any with December, winter or snow in the title, or an appropriate cover. I love this type of thing, it’s just so thoughtful and creative. The shelf looked really appealing. I wish I’d taken some photos, but to be honest I was too busy browsing the books!

The Snow Rose is the book I chose, despite knowing nothing about the author, but I seem to have picked a goodie. A woman is running away from someone or somewhere, with her young daughter in tow. She has become the guardian of a very large dilapidated old country house in the middle of nowhere. Instantly you are alert as to why. Is she a reliable narrator, I keep wondering? Plus the house may hold some mysterious secrets of its own, and what about the two elderly sisters who live in a cottage nearby. What is their connection to the house? I’ve only read seven and a half chapters and I’m gripped!

Another crochet ~~lover~~ addict and I enjoy similar books, we often post pics of them on Instagram. The other day we both looked up each other’s current read, and commented that they looked good, so I suggested we do a book swap. She agreed, so I already have one of my next reads lined up. Isn’t that nice?

A good book, hot chocolate with as many mini pink and white mini marshmallows as I can sprinkle on top and there’s a pretty perfect winter evening.

Are you reading anything good at the moment? Anything you would recommend?

Joining in with Ginny’s December Yarn Along.

Ps: Are you watching / recording Kirsties Homemade Kitchen on C4? There are 15 sparkly episodes to enjoy, featuring some familiar crafty faces

Taking Stock – August

Posted on August 31, 2018 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making: my first sourdough loaf in over a month today, it’s a baking morning

Countryfile Live at the beginning of August

Cooking: chicken something later, for dinner

Drinking: jasmine tea, it’s cooler now (high teens to 20 degrees) so the kettle’s on more

Reading: Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes. Paris for One is a lovely novella

Wanting: to make cheese scones for Someone, but no butter and only just enough cheese!

Playing: the radio, good music on a Friday morning to bake to

An evening dinner and cruise trip from Stratford Upon Avon. This was my first time going through locks. It was great fun. I can’t persuade anyone to do a short narrow boat holiday however. When we met up this month I informed Patch and Mr P that they need to buy their own sharpish!

Deciding: to buy more new / old music soon

Wishing: the heating could just be on for a sneaky hour, but it doesn’t work like that with underfloor gadgetry

Enjoying: summer fruits still, especially for breakfast

Waiting: for the next series of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel

Liking: this year’s nectarines and peaches

Wondering: when my Whirl yarn will change colour

Loving: that I crocheted NINE rows the other day !!!!!!

Pondering: if it was wise to continue after two, but it was so good (ouch!) My appointment is next week

West Wycombe Park, National Trust a few weeks ago

The Music Temple on the island

Green walnuts

Music on Summer Sunday’s are such a nice idea. West Wycombe brass band sounded very good

Considering: listening to another film review Wittertainment podcast

Buying: tissues ready for autumn sniffles

Watching: Mamma Mia 2 for the fourth time (yesterday.) That has to stop also!

Hoping: my adaption of a milk bread sourdough recipe works. It uses discarded starter as I’m still looking for good ways to use it, which isn’t pancakes! I tried an overnight proof too and it’s worked out ok, I think, I hope. The loaves are cooling at the moment

Marvelling: at how happy some films can make you feel (MM2)

Cringing: at French & Saunders on Netflix, they were funny back in the day….

Needing: the guy opposite (I call him ‘the plonker’) to go with flow and put his wheelie bin out the night before, not at 05:55

Questioning: matters of inequality – News stories

It’s a bit further on now but I’ll show you again when the yarn has changed colour!

Smelling: freshly baked bread

Wearing: my dressing gown

Following: food trends

Knowing: food is food is food, whatever is fashionable

Thinking: I should fold my salt into my sourdough soon

Admiring: articulate people who express their emotions beautifully

Meeting nice people for cake, pots of tea and to share some books in Birmingham. Look at the bull all decked out for summer! Chest hair too…

Sorting: birthday cards

Getting: keen to make soup

Bookmarking: inspirational articles, then forgetting to read them

Coveting: beautiful hands and nails

Disliking: mine!

Opening: mail, it’s always official and boring these days

Giggling: at 1949 Ealing comedy Passport to Pimlico. It was partly filmed a mile away in Lambeth by a real WW2 bomb site. It was good rainy Sunday viewing (Free on Amazon Prime)

The 13th annual Festival of Transport at Blenheim Palace. The mod and his Vespa was my favourite, I hope he won a Best of category

Feeling: bakey! (If that’s a real word, if not I’ve invented it)

Snacking: carrots! Always carrots

Helping: buy a buddleia plant

Hearing: traffic

Mixing: my homemade curry powder blend, mayo and mango chutney for coronation chicken salads this summer, it’s been my latest fad

Worrying: at an annoying knot in my Scheepjes Whirl with a darning needle. I think I made it unravelling a row

Slicing: bread, later

Celebrating: the end of August, I’m ready for a new month and I like autumn, although September weather is looking good and sunny. Hurray!

The blackberries are over already and the horse chestnuts are losing their leaves earlier than usual

Forgetting: nothing, hopefully

Winning: £2:60 on the Euromillion draw last Friday

Pretending: tonight will be my so far elusive £22 + million win

Sneaking: cherries

Embracing: my own foibles

If you’re in the EU and would like win a ball of Scheepjes Whirl, see this post. You have until noon BST today!

All good things

Posted on August 24, 2018 by The Little Room of Rachell

I have a small stack of good books to read, and have found what turns out to be a really gripping audio book. You know when you enjoy reading, but sometimes you really love reading? That’s what’s happening to me at the moment. I’m never without a book and an audiobook on the go, but sometimes feel like they’re particularly ‘flowing’ and can’t wait to get to bed to read and find myself inventing reasons to take a long bus or train trip.

I popped into the library the other day and quickly grabbed a selection of books to share with Mum. Lately I’ve bought about five 99p Kindle Daily Deals and my favourite charity shop (remember my red treasure pot?) has an offer on. So I found myself picking up two books and searching for a third, as they’re currently three for £1. This is dangerous! I dislike having too many books stacked up to read. For me it can turn reading into a chore. If I have books too long it can take the sparkle out of what attracted me to them in the first place. I’m a pretty spontaneous person and while I like a little planning, I also love going with the flow; choosing what appeals to me at the time. So I put the two paperbacks down before I was tempted. I can always pop back there anytime.

I’ve had The Lost Art of Letter Writing on my bedside cabinet for a few weeks, but wanted to finish other books before I started it. I’d seen, or heard, about it somewhere and the title instantly grabbed me. When I was young I used to write letters all the time. I remember keeping a record one year and by Christmastime discovered I’d sent over 350 to friends and pen-friends! I miss getting handwritten letters, there was something really nice about the surprise of hearing the flap of the letter box ding and settling down somewhere comfy to read. You don’t get that joy with an email, or instant messages. It’s just not the same at all.

Anyway, if you fancy reading this then I have to warn you that the first chapter is really syrupy. I wasn’t sure if I could stomach the whole book if it was all going to be like that; but from the second chapter onwards it’s compelling. I’m enjoying the writing, there are magical elements and interesting characters.

The audio book is a delight. Juliet Stevenson is a superb actress, she brings books to life. The writing’s richly descriptive: you can see and hear the silk of the gown swishing on the floor, hair powder puffing over the room and settling over the furniture and the howls of the children as they are confronted by the mermaid (I laughed. I know I shouldn’t.) The late 18th century setting and original characters feel fresh after my recent reads set around WW1. These were The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Bernieres and The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.

Recently I’ve also read The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie, which was a decent enough story, but not brilliant. If you like interlinking stories with bits and pieces from multiple characters’ perspectives, then it’s maybe one for you. I was tempted to get my sewing machine out again, after a long time. I have not threaded it this year at all. Also I must talk to Mum about the family Singer Sewing Machines, she has a couple: one was my grandmother’s and the other my great grandmother’s. I want to know if I can do any research on where and exactly when they were made.

I’ve managed to do only a couple more rows of my Palmyra Diamond Wrap. Instead of procrastinating any longer, wishing to avoid the hassle of a hospital visit and resulting treatment, hoping for a magically non-sore hand, I have finally made myself call to make that referral hospital appointment with the wrist and hand consultant. It took all of 3 minutes and I’ll be going in early September, at the ridiculously late time of 17:50. Of course it might magically be better by then, mightn’t it?

If you are within the EU and you fancy the chance to win a ball of Scheepjes Whirl Slice O Cherry Pie colourway, like I’m using for my wrap, then feel free to enter my giveaway here.

I’m joining in with Ginny’s August Yarn Along.

Crochet & Scheepjes Whirl Giveaway!

Posted on August 13, 2018 by The Little Room of Rachell

A few weeks ago a representative of Rito Yarn and Hobby contacted me to ask if I would like to try any of their products. Rito Yarn and Hobby is a Danish online retailer, which recently opened in the UK. They sell over 15,000 products, so in theory I had my work cut out choosing what to try; except in my last post I had just mentioned

Coveting: one of those big colour change balls, you know; by that company that no one can spell or properly pronounce…..?

Ooh, do they stock Scheepjes yarns?

YES, THEY DO!

Sometimes things just feel serendipitous, don’t they?

I think Kasper from Rito was probably quite taken aback by the speed of my reply! I looked at the available shades and asked for Scheepjes Whirl Yarn Print 753 Slice O’ Cherry Pie, plus how about another one so that I could offer a giveaway to my readers?

I’d spotted this gorgeous diamond patterned crochet by Bella’s Crochet Corner on IG a while back, so when I received my Whirl I bought The Palmyra Diamond Wrap pattern by Daisy Boo Creations.

This was the first new crochet I’d done in over four months, since I injured my hand. Stupidly instead of setting my 10 minute timer on Friday, I got carried away. By the end of a thoroughly enjoyable time, getting to grips with the new pattern, I’d crocheted for over an hour. My hand is very sore…

I’m going to have to take it very gently, so don’t expect to see a finished wrap any time soon. But on the bright side; it’s going to be really good making something exciting and new while whenever I can pick up my hook again.

Scheepjes Whirl is a cotton and acrylic blend 4 ply yarn and I’ve found it very pleasant to crochet with, especially in our current warm summer weather. I love the colours and can’t wait for the change from pastry to the pinky cherry juice of the pie!

Rito Yarn and Hobby are offering a free ball of Scheepjes Whirl, Slice O’Cherry Pie to a lucky reader within an EU country. I’m really sorry this cannot be an international giveaway, but apparently they can only ship to EU countries.

So, for a chance to win please leave a comment below telling me what you’re currently crocheting or knitting.

For an extra *bonus entry* go to my The Little Room of Rachell Facebook page and leave a comment under the post about this giveaway and ‘like’ the page (the overall Facebook page, not the post.) For a *second bonus chance at winning*, follow my Instagram account and comment on my crochet pic.

I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner and will contact them to pass on their details to Rito Yarn and Hobby. By taking part in this giveaway you agree to being contacted by me via your email address. I will not use it for any other purpose or share it with anyone. If efforts to contact the winner have been unsuccessful after a week, an alternative winner will be randomly selected.

The giveaway is open now until Friday 31st August at noon (GMT.)

None of the links in this post are affiliate links and it has not been sponsored by Rito Yarn and Hobby, although they did send me a free ball of yarn.

**31/08/18 14:40 CONGRATULATIONS: Nana Cathy YOU ARE THE WINNER!**

I used this random number generator website and it picked number 1. Thank you to all who took part.

2017

Posted on December 31, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

This year’s makes were mainly small gifts and blankets. Every year I say that I’ll put blanket making on the back burner and concentrate on other things; but I’ve realised that’s not working at all. I simply enjoy making blankets, even more so when they keep popping up on friends’ Facebook feeds or when I visit family. Nothing beats seeing a blanket den or a blanket on the head picture, a snuggly sofa covering, at the end of a bed or a glimpse of one on a pram.

A mix of longer term and quick projects are so satisfying. So whatever 2018 brings will be fine, there’ll be no rules or resolutions this coming year, apart from one. (Can you guess?)

I have three things on the go right now: The garter stitch blanket which was planned for pub knitting at Knit Group and is definitely a longer term make. My first ever sock paused after the heel, but I’m definitely going to end next year with a pair of socks to show you. I hereby solemnly swear that you will see two handmade socks in my 2018 montage, unless death or imprisonment stop me. (Even then I imagine that in an open prison I might be able to do some craft therapy or activity, so socks could still happen. There’s no excuse really. Unless they make me give them away as part of my rehabilitation? I really don’t know how these things go. Now I’m wondering if any of you know?*) As for the lovely blue Hitchhiker which was Mum’s Christmas present, and finished in plenty of time** that now might be an Easter gift. Let’s not talk about that malarkey just yet, I can’t face it.

I’m not turning into a mad cat blogger, but I’m just so glad that the little kitten who slept in Mum’s garden, when he needed respite from the two young boys of his house next door, or in a chair in her kitchen when it rained, came to be adopted by her in the summer. His family ended up returning to their home country, a long, long way away and the cost of taking him was prohibitive. They told Mum she was the obvious person to take him. But I know he’s been missed because one of them called on Boxing Day to wish Mum a Happy Christmas, and asked how he is doing! So, there you have the full story of the little black cat with the powder puff tail. I’m taking him to the vet on 5th January for his booster jab. I hope he still likes me afterwards!***

Today it’s my blog’s SIXTH BIRTHDAY! Wooo! Where did the time go? Here’s my first post. So many metres of yarn and blankets later. Initially I planned this as an online diary while I carried on learning to crochet, without a plan in mind. Of course I wouldn’t have carried on without readers, so a big warm THANK YOU to you all for reading, for the comments, emails and messages. Welcome to all my new readers too, it’s great to have you along.

Have a lovely New Year’s Eve and Happy 2018.

* I’m not tempting fate am I? Now I’ve worried myself. Whatever happens please believe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I’m innocent Governor

**Well sort of – 24th December, apart from the ends

*** Not a mad cat blogger at all, apart from a longish paragraph about him on my end of year post….

This week

Posted on November 3, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

This week I’ve pottered about making-wise and haven’t really done much. It’s been brilliant to feel 100% well again after a rough few weeks. I was concerned there might be something quite wrong. When the GP pronounced my results, and therefore me, ‘normal’, I breathed a big sigh of relief. I’ve steadily gone back to being my usual active self, with a quite a bit of extra grinning. It’s just so good to get your bounce back after feeling awful, isn’t it?

On Wednesday I was out, wondering if I should try to rush home in daylight to take photos for my weekly Yarning post, but decided that was plain silly. It was far more fun to carry on with the five mile walk home I’d planned, in bouncy Tigger fashion as I felt full of beans again. Then I made the decision to have a break from it as I’ve posted YA updates non-stop since April without a week off, even on holidays. It’s time to pause. I let the regulars know there and then, and that happily was that. I’ll still show you what I’m reading regularly; as I like the return comments and links to your posts sharing what you’re making and reading. Do carry on adding yours whenever you feel like it.

So, this week I’ve made my friend that pot-holder for her new narrow boat, so she won’t burn her hand picking up the kettle. Its a nice pop of pink to go with her scarf curtains too. (Thinking ‘eh?!’ See here.) If you want to make one too click on the My Designs tab at the top of the page for the free pattern. If you do can you let me know, or better still show me your make please? I get regular messages from people saying they’re copying my colour combinations, checking details of patterns or asking for crochet advice etc but frequently I never have an acknowledgement of my reply, or get to see their version. If that’s you: Go on! Show me please! I’m on all the usual social media and Ravelry, so it’s dead easy.

I finished my bag at Sewing Club on Monday. I guess I don’t need to spell out that I’m not a fan of all the pressing when sewing, especially as the tutor doesn’t use water in her irons. I imagine it’s because she doesn’t want leaky irons in her car but it makes pressing tricky. Sometimes I have sprinkled water from my drinking bottle to steam out particularly irksome creases but this week I lost the will to ~~live~~ iron again, by the bag’s end! That crease line will drop out with use, won’t it? Perhaps if I go out in the rain it will definitely go. That’s maybe an extreme anti-iron solution.

I’m reading Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Laurence Durrell and I can’t believe how good it is (this to raised eyebrows from Someone who bought it for me in 2014.) It’s funny and written in such an engaging style. I laughed out loud at Frangos and his cattle coming home in the evening, though felt a bit sorry for the one whose tail was being corkscrewed as he ran home.

When adding a few more rows I realised I can’t really decide if the Garter Stitch Blanket is ugly. It’s a stash buster and probably destined to keep someone in need warm, but I don’t want to send a truly hideous offering.

Last night I cooked this Chicken and Orzo one-pot dish but subverted the recipe using a little rapeseed oil, as I refuse to use yucky Fry Light. It was very tasty, but next time I’ll substitute the suggested spices for smoked paprika, fresh oregano and thyme.

What’s your week been like? Whatcha making, reading and cooking at the mo?

The little black cat with the powder puff tail

Posted on October 11, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve knit some more of the washcloth I started last week. Doesn’t the stitch definition look fabulous with the cotton? On Thursday morning I did some train knitting, surrounded by suits, laptops and newspapers. I will not be intimidated. I shall craft.

And look! I’ve darned 3 1/2 ends in the Wave Blanket. I meant to do 10 last night; but had to put it down to concentrate on Who Do You Think You Are. It was Ruby Wax and her family’s story was making my eyes brim (then I kept gasping.) Maybe I’ll do 16 1/2 ends later to make up for it.

I’ve felt better about adding parchment into my garter stitch blanket. It does look better than I imagined, with the blended yarns. Thanks for the reassurance Vikki. Last night I restricted myself to six rows only so as to keep my elbow happy. It’s hard to put something you’re enjoying down, isn’t it?

This is my third and last, for a while, zippy bag which I made at Sewing Club on Monday night. Next week I’m trying something different. I’m a bit slack on the prep and lack confidence about what to make. I’d prefer it if the tutor came with all we needed, did a tutorial and we went off to make it. Lazy aren’t I?! But it’s like Knit & Crochet Groups where you take whatever you want to make. (Though she does do a quick tutorial for various things which you can try at home. This week it was lacy knickers! We naughty ones sniggered seeing how tiny medium was and decided we’d just get a multi-pack from M&S!) Shelly sits across from me and is a machine. She always sits right down and starts sewing what she’s prepped beforehand. No faff, or excess chatter until she’s made a start. She’s sewn so many different items this term that I tease her about her work ethic, while feeling fairly rubbish about mine. She’s only little and wears quite high heeled stompy boots. When I said about wanting to try something new next week but not sure what, she marched across to my table and wrote in my notebook saying very firmly: “Bring four pieces of material cut to these sizes. It’s easier than what you’ve been making tonight. Just do it!” O.M.G. Right then. I’m far to scared not to do it!

Mum’s dahlias. Perfection.

Well here he is – that little cat I mentioned a few weeks ago. And oh, you did make me laugh. Occasionally I’ll write that I’ve got a bad cold, a real stinker, or that my elbow is sore. Once I remember reporting that I got out of bed and fell over as my knee had gone kaput. I don’t remember many comments about any of these, but I casually end a Yarning Along post with ‘I must dash, as I’ve got to take a little black cat with a powder puff tail to the vets’ and you’d think I’d said the sky had fallen down! The comments, private messages, both sympathetic and worried, really amused me! He was only going for a dab of this and a tablet of that. He’s young and is in very fine fettle, but I realised I’d worried the cat ladies! (But thanks for all the sympathy when I’m poorly, no really you’re just so caring.) So I took his photo for you because as I walked into Mum’s garden yesterday, to photograph the dahlias I saw him sitting under the apple tree. He was next to the shed where she was potting up hyacinth and tulip bulbs. Maybe he was being a guard cat?

This week I’m reading Ruby Wax Sane New World on my Kindle, which is why I particularly wanted to see her episode of WDYTYA. It’s interesting learning about mindfulness. And I’m also listening to the rest of the Alan Bennett plays. I feel I might need to hear A Question of Attribution again. I was marching around the countryside when I heard it and think I missed some of the nuance.

Do you listen to audio books or prefer podcasts? What are you watching on TV at the mo?

Yarning Along

If you’d like to share what you’re making and reading every Wednesday too, leave a link to your post in the comments. Don’t forget to link back to this post on your blog, and use #yarningalong on social media, so others can find us and join us in Yarning Along.

Yarning Along = yarny stuff you’re making and what you’re reading (‘a good yarn’) but let’s not get too bogged down…if you’re reading mags, gardening or recipe books that counts, as does sewing, jewellery making or whatever. Just tell us about what you are making and reading.

Cotton knit and crochet, plus more vintage reading

Posted on October 4, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

This week I’ve sewn another little zipped bag, perfect for my knitting. I really like the lime lining. The outer fabric looks almost like it’s a vintage flower pattern, but with modern colours. I wish I knew where I got it from it, but it was when I was gathering fat quarters and that’s a few years ago.

I’m on a mission to make more washcloths after checking that my nieces still used them. Apparently they’re now using the last two, the green and the yellow ones. Which green and yellow ones you’re thinking? Well, these! I rarely look back at any posts I’ve published, but this made me go a little bit awww and oooh. They’re not wearing little silver shoes anymore, now they’re 9 and 10 ( nearly 11) and seem to be all arms and legs.

Pot holder mark II is done, must crochet around the edges…

How many ends of my wave blanket have I darned? Mmmm zero, but the intention is there. This week I’ve said: “I must do some darning, especially as Sophie’s just gone on maternity leave. I’ve just gotta start.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

I’ve knitted some more of my garter stitch blanket but the new colour isn’t right. It’s meant to be a stash buster, so I’ve added in parchment. I have plenty after all. But it’s not fitting with the rest. But I’m using up odd balls of yarn; so I can’t buy new, can I? Actually don’t answer that, because I’m really not. It’s going to be what it’s going to be… can you sense the determination?!

I’ve gone back to the audio version of The State We’re In as I wanted to find out what was going to happen next and had a few hours to listen while I travelled one day. The narrator is ok, especially if I alternate listening to some and read some. The Little House in the Big Woods was such a trip down memory lane that I’ve gone right on to the next in the series. Poor Jack though! How upsetting. As Laura wrote these books in her later years that memory must have surely still distressed her.

Have you reread any childhood favourites? What are you making? What’s your favourite drink at the moment? I’m on a bit of a peppermint tea jag again.

If you’d like to share what you’re making and reading every Wednesday too, leave a link in the comments. Don’t forget to link back to this post on your blog, and use #yarningalong on social media, so others can find us and join us in Yarning Along. I’m still looking out for a links tool that’s compatible with WordPress. Can you keep your eyes peeled too on your favourite WP blogs?

Making & Reading

Posted on September 27, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

This is the final row, now to settle down to tackle the ends. There are so many, but I don’t mind when I’m ready to do them. I’ll put on an audio book and settle to it. I find aiming to do a certain number works well, then I carry on making something else. It’s useful to leave the starting chain tail till all other ends are darned in; as it means you know which is the right side without any scrutiny. (For lefties the tail hangs on the right side, this is the right side of the crochet.) I started another little zippy bag at Sewing club on Monday. It’s basic, but a fast make. Google Debbie Shore for various You Tube tutorials. (Someone from Sewing Club just walked into the pub! I’m waiting for the man with the money, while I sip a lime and soda. I came out card rich, but cash poor….)

My garter stitch blanket might not look much further on but I have done quite a few rows. They take me about 8-10 minutes a row, it’s pretty big and I’m no whizzy knitter. Crocheting another pot holder. I really like the Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton. Zippy bag version one. Pretty fabrics aren’t they? Very Cath Kidson I think. I didn’t carry on with the Madeley book last week, I did read a few more chapters, then passed it on.

I wasn’t really enjoying the narrator so borrowed the hardback of The State We’re In from the library. And the other book, look! This is Vintage. Really it is because I can see the date a little hand wrote in the inside cover. Yes, it’s mine and I can’t tell you how lovely and also surreal it is to reread it again now. I do have many questions about the family I didn’t have then.

Are you making one thing or lots? All yarn or sewing or ? Given up on a book lately?

Yarning Along: a bit of this and that

Posted on September 20, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s definitely cooler and the urge to make lots of stuff has returned. This feeling is definitely seasonal. Although I crocheted my Wave Blanket during the summer, I didn’t feel that I wanted to do it every day. Now I’ve gone back to wanting to craft every day and am suggesting meet ups with crafty friends.

Mine you I needed to stop crocheting last night when I was watching Strike. When he hit someone with his prosthetic leg, I had to put my pot holder down and concentrate! Have you been watching? It completely passed me by in the summer and so I’ve just watched the first three episodes on catch up. Strike is responsible for my biting my nails off last night. For the first time since last July, when I had a competition with my nine year old niece to see who could stop biting and grow the longest ‘white bits’. Drat! Now I don’t have fingers, I have stumps. And they hurt. I’d forgotten that happens. If you see me with my fingers anywhere near my mouth, you have permission to HIT ME. (Not too hard.)

So, this week I’ve been making: another pot holder just because it’s great cotton to crochet. I think a pair might be handy for taking things out of the oven, or maybe I’ll give this one to someone. A little zipped bag which I started at sewing club on Monday night. I wrote about sewing club here. Looking at the pic, I just realised that pattern matching probably means the flowers should start in the same place after the zip, on both sides? I’m such a novice sewer. It was exciting enough that I managed to sew along a zip semi-straight, with a zip foot! Lastly, I was at Knit and Sip last week and decided it’s time to finish my Wave Blanket. Actually one of them said it’s plenty big enough for a two year old to snuggle under, which is what I wanted. I didn’t want to make a tiny baby blanket, as they grow so quickly and then it’s redundant. I’ve got to crochet one last finishing row, darn the ends then do a border. Then we wait for baby Winnie to appear. I think she’s due next month.

I started The Night Book at the weekend. I haven’t got terribly far into it, as I’m also reading the last few chapters of that Laurie Lee. Yes, the one I’ve mentioned for the last three weeks. I’m not entirely sure about The Night Book; I find myself cringing whenever Richard Madeley mentions sex or the main character getting naked. It’s not me, it’s Madeley. If you know who he is, you might understand?

What are you making? Is your book making you laugh, or cringe? Can you sew?

Hook and a Book – review

Posted on September 15, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hook and a Book is a monthly subscription box. Each month you get a new novel, full sized balls of yarn and a pattern(s) relating to the theme of the book, plus a little treat too.

It costs £21 a month, or you may also purchase a one-off box for £24. This seems like quite a hefty price, especially as a seasoned crocheter you’re unlikely to need a new hook each time, particularly a 4mm like I received. It is more expensive than other crochet subscription boxes, but you’re getting a brand new novel too. With these type of subscription boxes you don’t know what you’re getting in advance. I’ve never subscribed to anything similar, but imagine that the element of surprise and feeling like you’ve been given a present must be enjoyable. I certainly felt pleased when my box arrived last Friday. It was nicely presented; with co-ordinating tape, tissue and the font on the pattern cards all a pretty purple.

The little treat was two sachets of Beanies instant coffee, ok so it’s not Haribo, but that’s probably a good thing for my waistline! The Stylecraft aran yarn is going to be really handy for using on other makes as there is plenty left. I enjoyed practising my tapestry crochet skills on the cute paw print mug cozy again. There’s also one with a bone design to make.

I was surprised that there was no picture of the cup cozies in the box. I found out what they looked like after a day or two, by looking on Instagram as people showed their finished items. I’m not sure why this was omitted. I would definitely add one to each box as you naturally want to see what you’re going to be making.

I guess there is always the issue that you might have already read the book of the month, or it’s not a genre you enjoy, but as a frequent regifter I do not see this as being too much of a problem. I’ll give the cup cozy and book to my friend. As a new dog owner she’ll really appreciate both. I have seen on IG that others have paired up; with one reading the book and the other doing the crochet, which seems like a nice plan.

Subscribers receive a password to a Hints and Tips podcast on Vimeo. Maddie makes a cup holder, or maybe both, designed by Simply Hooked by Janet, I admit that I didn’t watch all of the tutorial. What I watched (about 30 minutes) is mostly in real time, apart from a few speeded up sections. I felt the process could have been edited to speed it up; as at nearly an hour it felt far too long. I just wanted to see Maddie demonstrating how-tos for tapestry crochet, rather than watch the whole process of chaining 30+ stitches and double crochet. This might be a personal preference, as others may enjoy crocheting along and need help with tapestry crochet. She did remind me of a neat trick I’d forgotten, where you can keep your chain from twisting before joining it into a round.

Vimeo do not, as yet, have the function to go back or forward for so many seconds at a time, like other online sites. This makes it tricky to skip parts, or go back to re-watch others; you end up watching the same sections. Maddie does endeavour to make it fun, telling cracker type jokes as she goes. This was my fave:

Why did the sheep stop going to bars? She didn’t like getting carded.

Boom-tish!

The background music though, oh the music! It gets really annoying which was the main reason why I couldn’t bring myself to crochet along any longer. It’s repetitive and seemed overly loud. But of course you’re not obliged to watch the podcast to do the crochet. I put my own music on and used the charted version of the pattern (both kinds of pattern are included) and really enjoyed the hooky, sitting in the autumn sun.

There are pro and cons to any subscription box; one month there might be one which really takes your fancy and another which misses. The yarn and pattern(s) in this one-off Hook and a Book box were good, the book is clearly brand new and arrived in excellent condition. If you’d like to subscribe here’s a link to Hook and a Book.

26/09/17 Maddie is offering readers 10% off your first box. If you’re interested click HERE.

**A one-off box was supplied by the creator for my review. All opinions are mine and completely honest.**

Cute make

Posted on September 13, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

This little paw print cosy for a take-away coffee mug has been occupying me the last few days, whenever I’ve sat down to take advantage of the bright sunny weather. I haven’t done any tapestry crochet for ages, so really enjoyed practising my rusty skills. More about where the pattern and kit came from very soon…. I have to take a little black cat, with a powder puff tail, to the vet shortly so this is a very quick post.
I’ve still got three more chapters of As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee to read! I’ve been out a lot recently, so no time for reading before lights out. I have started a new audio book though; The State We’re In by Adele Parks. This is ticking all the boxes so far, with time jumping all over the decades, seemingly unconnected characters and a dying man trying to connect with someone he’s neglected for 30 odd years. It’s my kind of book. Easy come, easy go and it’s always enjoyable trying to work out who’s who and why and what.

Cozy Autumn Sunday

Posted on September 10, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

About three years ago I made a pot holder by Cara Medus from Simply Crochet, issue 15. It’s been so well used it’s really looking tatty now. Tempted to photograph it as proof I talked myself out of this daft idea; you surely don’t need to see a faded and slightly grotty looking pot holder do you?

As I had a Hobbycraft birthday giftcard to use I bought two balls of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton the other day. I’ve never used this brand before. It must have earnt some air miles as it’s made from 100% USA cotton and was produced into yarn in Canada, then came here to England. It’s exciting to have USA cotton, this was definitely an incentive for me to buy. The label is really old fashioned: I reckon it hasn’t changed for years. I think I recognise it from other bloggers’ posts over the years. The cotton is worsted weight, which is somewhere between U.K. DK and aran weight yarn. It’s really soft and super to crochet. There were no splitty strands at all. It might be my new favourite cotton, in fact. It’s just right for pot holders and face cloths, although it hasn’t been through the wash yet so I can’t speak for the colour-fastness. (If in doubt, hyphenate!) I’m not writing this as an undercover review, sponsored by anyone by the way, it’s just me burbling on.I googled my own blog post to find the pot holder details. This always makes me grin a little. But it didn’t provide me with the actual pattern and I had taken my old issues to the charity shop before moving. Boo! I would have some time to kill the next day, while my car was serviced, and thought it would be a good little project, but without a pattern this was not going to happen. What to do? I put out a general request on IG before going to sleep last Thursday, as I’ve seen others do. In the morning I found that at 01:00 someone had messaged me. Sally, a lady who I’ve been in touch with over the years, had sent me a photo copy. People are so kind. I see little random acts of kindness all the time. If you look for them you’ll notice all sorts of things. I was the recipient of one yesterday: coming back from London I mentioned to a woman that I’d left my earbuds at home and so couldn’t start my new audio book. She promptly fished out a set of her own for me to borrow. They sit right in your ears, and so I thought this was a particularly kind thing to do for a stranger. I offered to share my bar of chocolate in thanks, but she’d just returned from Brussels and was still full from her late lunch of mussels and frites! Thank you again Chris, if you randomly happen to read crochet blogs. You never know, she might.

Today it’s one of those rainy Sundays. It wasn’t first thing (first thing on a Sunday here is often about 10:30…) and a walk was on the cards. Then it got greyer and greyer, so staying put to crochet and listen to music, and then an audio book, became the more appealing thing to do. It’s very cosy and feels like the first proper lazy Sunday of the new season.

Walking along with my cousin in Oxford the other day we saw these dancing to a busker’s music.

Have you ever seen dancing ducks?

What have you been doing today? Has it been a grey and rainy day for you too?

Star Ripple III & Slouch & Bobble Hat finished

Posted on May 17, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

I finished the hat on Monday and the blanket on Tuesday (yesterday) and today am in the odd position of not having anything woolly on the go. I did spend ages looking through pattern links I’ve saved, in the notes section on my iphone, and on Ravelry and looked through my favourite makers photos on Instagram, but can’t find anything that grabs me. I think the time has come to stop putting knitting my first pair of socks off. It’s just the thought of all the new stuff to read and try that makes me procrastinate. But I bought all the kit last year and Trish sent me a copy of Christine Perry’s (aka Winwick Mum) sock book. It’s time isn’t it?

They’re rather grim photos I know. I had planned lovely outside shots but it’s rained all night. I’m so glad as it hasn’t rained for a long time. Farmers say their seeds are just lying in dust in the fields. A hosepipe ban in many counties lies ahead, and apparently we need two months of solid rain to put enough water back into the water table. I did enjoy this in the sunshine on Sunday though…

I’m soon to finish If You Go Away by Adele Parks, and plan to listen to the last hour of my neglected comedy audio book Toast on Toast by Steven Toast too. This week it’s all endings isn’t it?

Actually there’s more… After several frustrating emails to inlinkz, where we were both typing the same language, but it seemed only one of us actually read what the other had written, it was finally stated (admitted?) that inlinkz is not compatible with WordPress. I was offered a refund. So, we’re back to no proper link up on a Wednesday. However please feel free to add a link to your Yarn Along / Yarning Along post here in the comments and I’ll add it to my post. We can still share what we’re making and reading every week.

1: Simply Summer Street

2: Vikki Bird Designs

3: Made by Patch

4: The Eclectic Stitch

May the Force be With You!

Posted on May 4, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hurray! Have yarn, can crochet!

I don’t know what it is at the moment but I’ve seen other people writing that they’ve also really caught the crochet bug again. I’ve seen some very prolific knitters saying they’re finding it boring and crochet is much more appealing. It’s something about Spring maybe, unless you’re in the Antipodes and are also feeling the same way?
When I went into the yarn shop to buy these two at lunchtime I told the woman how I’d felt unwell, stayed at home to be quiet and rest, but had run out of yarn on the two days when it was impossible to restock. She took a hard look at me and said “You don’t sound too clever now either!” Well, it’s Star Wars day today, (May the Fourth…get it?) so let’s just say my dodgy chest and resulting growly voice is part of my Darth Vader persona.

Someone is off on a road trip from today, visiting lots and lots of fisheries and catching up with old friends. I’ve come home to a pretty card, this lovely bouquet and a tip telling me where emergency money may be found. Does running out of gin count? A strong strong hankering for my first Chinese takeaway in a year? Household-wide chocolate famine?

The grey curse

Posted on May 3, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

There’s not been much crochet since Sunday since I, for some bizarre reason, only bought one ball of the main colour! So I can’t crochet any more of my beanie. Unbelievably I also ran out of grey when adding more to my Star Ripple on Monday! The curse of grey yarn… I know it’s not much of a Yarning Along post, but it’s entirely truthful.

The good news is that I’m near a yarn shop tomorrow. But I was very keen to do some crochet over the bank holiday weekend, feeling a little under par and needing distraction from the marathon snooker coverage on TV (anyone else suffer experience a lot of this too?!) but couldn’t do anything about it at all due to my local yarn shops being closed on Sundays and for the holiday. I’m better if I only have two things on the go at a time, so resisted the urge to start some knitting.

I enjoyed Love Nina, by Nina Stibbe so much that I’m now listening to Paradise Lodge, which is a semi-autobiographical account. I’ve found a good Guardian review if you fancy reading a bit more about her books. Do you remember the awful stereotypical character Emily, in Friends, played by Helen Baxendale? She’s narrating this book really well. Apparently a Leicestershire accent is hard to do but she’s doing a good job.

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I’m always making something and I never go a day without reading. I’m really missing Ginny’s Yarn Along as I always enjoyed seeing everyone’s posts, so I’ve decided to host my own version.

Come and share what you’re making and reading every Wednesday. Get inspired by others and motivated to finish your makes. You might even pick up some good book recommendations. Leave a current link here by clicking on the blue box below, and following the instructions. Don’t forget to include a link back to this post on your blog etc, so others can find us! Tell your followers about Yarning Along on your blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc using #yarningalong.

I was hoping your image thumbnails would magically appear here, rather than on an external page (I’ve paid for a subscription.) The issue seems to be with WordPress blogs, but one click on the blue box will take you to view them. If you’ve hosted a link up with a link-up provider, which does work well with WordPress, let me know!

Mark 2

Posted on April 26, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m always making something and I never go a day without reading. I’m really missing Ginny’s Yarn Along as I always enjoyed seeing everyone’s posts, so I’ve decided to host my own version.

Please feel welcome to share what you’re knitting or crocheting and reading every Wednesday. Leave a current link below to share your photo with us. Share your photo on your blog, Twitter, Instagram or on Flickr using #yarningalong. Include a link back to this post on your blog etc so others can find us!

It’s the Slouch and Bobble hat mark 2 here! My friend was wearing the first in December, at work in a Special School, and a child grabbed it from her head and threw it over the fence. It’s a bit complicated to explain but although she tried all sorts of ways to retrieve it, including calling the farmer whose field it fell into, she just couldn’t and nor could he. The look on her face was sheepish to say the least, but these things happen. I really don’t mind crocheting another and with something thicker than DK for a change.

My cousin has lent me The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham. I’ve seen the film and can recommend it, particularly for the scene with Liam Hemsworth. Just watch that bit if you’re in need of a cheeky smirk! It’s a bit of a kooky film and Kate’s costumes are fabulous!

I’m a bit nervous; let’s hope your image thumbnails magically appear here, now I’ve paid for a subscription. Please tell your followers about Yarning Along on your blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc! The link up will be up from noon on Wednesdays and open all week. Non-fiction books and craft books can be included, just share what you’re reading. There are no hard and fast rules.

2016

Posted on January 3, 2017 by The Little Room of Rachell

Here are my makes of last year, well most of them. There are quite a few other things that were started and unravelled, for various reasons. None of which I regret! Despite my intention to knit or crochet smaller makes (including socks) I seem to have hooked quite a few blankets again. Why does that keep happening?!

I’m not really sure what I want to concentrate on this year. I’m working on the Blackberry ripple and that’s not far off from being a good snuggly size. Then I’ve just got to do the darning and crochet a border.

Next I think (and don’t hold me to it) I might use a posh skein or two of wool and knit another sort of cowl. I think I’ve come round to them after wearing the Mira cowl a lot this year. I’ve always preferred wrapping scarves as tightly or as loosely as preferred, but this has been very cosy and you don’t have so much of it stuffed down the front of your coat! Hey-ho, hey-ho it’s off to Ravelry I go.

My friend has sort of lost her slouchy bobble hat (there’s obviously a story there) so I might be hooking one of those again, for her birthday in April. If only she knew someone with a fishing rod, who’s a dab hand at casting, I’m positive she could retrieve hers…

It’s Day 1 of the New Year, where normal non-festive life has resumed and no alcohol, mince pies, chocolate or twiglets have been consumed. I do fancy a hot chocolate though, that’s surely alright? It’s COLD out there.

16 for 2016 revisited

Posted on November 7, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

I decided to revisit my 16 for 2016 goals and see how I’ve got on. Here’s the original post.

1: Re-edge my Rhubarb Ripple blanket properly

Completed in February.

2: Learn how to tat lace.

Not done, as I have to say I’ve gone off this idea. The tatting shuttle only cost £1 in the sale at John Lewis, so it’s no great loss if it remains unopened!

3. Do something with my blocks from my 200 Blocks CAL

Done! After they had sat in The Little Room for far too long, I took action. Last month I thought of someone who would appreciate them and would whip them into shape. Oh my goodness; how right I was! The piles of blocks were received and in five minutes were sorted into three piles, crocheted together into blankets and are now just awaiting borders. I posted them up north to Nana Cathy whom we had the pleasure of meeting last Spring. Fantastic – I organised a Crochet Along, learnt new skills, met other crocheters through it (Cathy being one) and made some lovely blocks which will now be used and appreciated. I’m really pleased, if a little regretful that I didn’t pass them on sooner.

4: Knit socks, or have a go

Not knitted any yet, but I crocheted a sock pattern as a volunteer tester for designer Vicki Brown.

5: Dye some yarn

I have been ruthlessly dealing with my stash first, more about this later.

(For Christmas I received a dyeing kit and some extra undyed merino sock and DK yarns.)

6: Use my sewing machine again

Yes, but I can’t think what I sewed.

7: Attend a workshop or class (any)

I’ve just booked to do a drawing class. This needs many !!!!!! I always wanted to draw, but gave up at the kites and clouds stage. At school as part of a whole year-group assessment we had to draw some veg. It was a carrot and broocholi for me I think. Despite really trying hard my effort was labelled ‘a weak attempt’ and that was very much that. However, as part of my degree I read a book in which the author argued that in times past everyone was taught drawing, in the same way everyone was taught other skills. She believed it is not necessarily an innate talent, but one which can be taught. I’m not expecting to turn into Leonardo, but the fact I’m going to try something new gives me a buzzy feeling (and probably sweaty hands on the day…)

8: Join a Knit & Natter group for a session

Yep! When we met Trish and family in the summer, we noticed a narrow boat with a name relating to a TV programme we’d been discussing. It surprised us rather at the time as a freaky coincidence. A week later we were on a family walk by our local canal and I saw that boat again (miles away from before.) Not being a shy person I bounded up to the owner who was sitting on a bench on the tow-path, to ask if she’d been moored outside a certain country pub a week before? Soon we were inexplicably talking about knitting, yarn and spinning and I felt I’d possibly made a new friend in 8 minutes, or so. I’m off to knit and natter with her once again tonight. When crafty boater friends are in her neck of woods they will join us at the cosy pub.

9: Knit something with one or more of my new skeins of yarn

Mira Cowl
Mock Cable Mitts
Cozy Cowl

10: Finish the ‘My Designs’ link page I started a while ago

Look above… I’m never going to be a talented designer, but there are some nice and simple projects.

11: Turn the failed hexagon a day blanket project into something else

It turned into a Baby blanket.

12: Make another small cotton pot-holder

I did, in March. Have a go at one yourself too? Mine are used every day.
Saucepans with metal handles mean pot holders are necessary, not purely decorative. img_2489-2

13: Embroider something again

I cross-stitched instead, this summer

14: Make up the finished X stitch things

Umm no. It’s the making, but not the displaying I’m into, I’ve realised. I should maybe turn them into pin cushions or birthday cards. Or would you like them? I’m happy to send them to a good home.

15: Decide about the Yorkshire blanket….redo? Undo and recycle? Give away?

I gave it to a charity shop a few weeks ago. Some people urged me not to give away or undo my first ever crochet make, but it wasn’t being used. I talked about it here. Mum had taught me and so I ran it past her. I didn’t think she’d be sentimental about me keeping it. I was right and she suggested I give it to the shop rather than undo it and hand over lots of little balls of yarn. They can always sell it as it is, or undo it to sell or reuse the yarn.

16: Use up a good chunk of my yarn stash

Done. I’ve been ruthless sorting it out. This year’s Baby hexagons blanket, Annabell’s doll clothes and the Unnamed Ripple (coming to the knit and natter session at the pub tonight) has used up lots of Stylecraft yarn. I’ve given away a bundle of various wool and yarn to a friend for her charity craft group too. I’m going back to buying for specific projects and not willy nilly. By the time you get round to using it you do not necessarily like the colours anymore (the whole CAL blocks issue), or have quite enough.

My Stripes and Squares blanket, a total stash buster project, is not far off being finished. I’ve tried a new combination joining method; which is good for a change. img_1058-1

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That was a comprehensive list and looking back I’m pleased, and a bit surprised, with what I achieved. There’s still a month plus, of the year to go as well. My goal now is to finish the Unnamed Ripple and the Stripes & Squares blanket by the end of the year. Then my resolution for 2017 is No Resolutions!

Save

Cozy Cowl

Posted on May 1, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

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Happy May Day to you!

I’ve enjoyed making this cowl designed by Vickie Howell, which is featured in the book above. There’s nothing else I want to make from it but that’s the beauty of borrowing a library book; they’re free so there’s no feeling of obligation to get your money’s worth.

I feel a little as if my custard brain should have been able to figure how to make it all in one, with no sewing up, but I found making the ribbed border fiddly when slip stitching into the end of the main piece as I went. Having it dangling from the main body piece was just plain annoying too. So I went back to the instruction to make three separate pieces and sew them together. Whip stitching (we call this oversewing don’t we?) was novel as I usually choose to crochet everything together. Running out of yarn both times, halfway through the process wasn’t much fun. Isn’t there some useful tip about needing three times as much crochet yarn as you measure to the end of a row? Well, I figured sewing would take roughly double the quantity. Wrong!
To begin you crochet a fairly narrow v stitch body piece. Mine is 6″, each ribbed border piece is 2″ which adds up correctly to a 10″ cowl, though my swift tension check did not seem to correlate to the pattern at all. I’d anticipated needing to up-size my crochet hook so I’d already chosen to use a 6m, rather than 5.5mm and its worked out well, luckily. I probably need to learn to correctly check my tension, but when its 4.5 rows and 14 stitches etc it just seems far harder work to check than a pattern which states 10 x 10 = something easy like 10.

V Stitching into the front loops gives a pleasing texture when the piece is turned on its side. I like this pattern a lot, even with the slow putting together end stage and the cowl looks good on, only its not for me. I’m giving it to my friend as another birthday present, she’s going to wear in when she’s on her bike. It should keep her warm as the cowl is good and thick. I used the Red Heart Super Saver Worsted / Aran (Tea Leaf shade) which was sent to me from the USA for my Left Handed Crochet photographs for Red Heart Yarns blog. I thought this was a good use of some of the yarn. Now I’m on the look out for a really nicely coloured, soft wool blend Aran so I can make myself a Cozy Cowl too.

I’ve just had a sip of BrewDog’s ShipWreck beer which is 13.8%, matured in Speyside and Islay whisky casks, made with smoked agave. My lips and throat feel puckered from the inside out! I’m sticking with their IPA: Ace of Simcoe.

Just got this notification – 500 posts! How did that happen? That’s a lot of crochet isn’t it?!!

Annabell’s

Posted on April 15, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m not completely sure about the wisdom of giving a newly minted 3 year old the means to garrotte her baby brother, but know that if there’s any danger her Mum will take away the crochet chain! It’s probably unnecessary, but as its included in the pattern I thought I’d better include it in case Baby Annabell’s head stretches the poncho.

You know I was surprised at not being overwhelmed with woolly patterns for Annabell? Well if you have the slightly, it has to be said, chipmunky looking American Girl doll then you’re in business. There are reams of pages of patterns for them on Pinterest and Ravelry. Back to the baby hexagons. I’ve got to figure out how to crochet half hexagons, but how difficult can it be?

Baby Annabell’s clothes

Posted on April 13, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

Yesterday I made a little tunic top and am halfway through a poncho. The poncho is so cute! The owner of the Baby Annabell will be 3 next week, and so I shall pop these into the post in the next few days. I just need to sew on a couple of buttons and darn the ends.

Doll’s clothes are fun, I’m finding. I’m not one for toy making, but clothes are satisfyingly fast and so cute. I did think Baby Annabell (36cm) clothes patterns would be leaping out at me, but it took quite a lot of searching on Pinterest and Ravelry. I didn’t want to design any myself and preferred to find freebies this time. I’ll take another photo when they’re both finished. Links to the patterns are here on my Ravelry project page.

Joining with Ginny’s Yarn Along: I finished listening to the last of the enjoyable The Kasmir Shawl last night, as I made the tunic. I’ve been alternating it with Moranthology, which had me laughing far too loudly on a plane last Friday (the bit about how Keith Richards cooks sausages. I’d had a double gin…)

The Woman in White is nearing the end. My Kindle reading speed reckons it’s another 1hr 20m but I’m determined to finish faster. I feel like I’ve been reading it for years. It is surprisingly funny and this is my favourite line of the book, so far, it’s at the end of a letter which has been delivered to our hero:

‘You can have no possible cause to complain of these precautions, seeing that they do not affect the information I here communicate, in consideration of the special indulgence which you have deserved at my hands. My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.’

Good lady!

Yarn Along

Posted on January 27, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m not even going to check my 16 for 2016 list because I feel sure I said no more buying yarn, as I need to use what I have. But I shall blame today’s lapse entirely on my friend! It was so silly of us to meet at a yarn shop where there’s a sale on, with baskets and shelves laden with really lovely, good quality yarns at great prices. This Louisa Harding Orielle was originally £6.95 a skein, now it’s reduced to £4; well you would probably have found it difficult to resist too.

It’s lovely stuff that I used to knit my first pair of mock cable fingerless mitts. It’s such a lovely colour, with a pretty sparkle running through and is really soft and warm. They are my most favourite pair of mitts. Ok, lapse justification over..!

I’m still darning blanket ends, they’re nearly finished then I can start a new project, rather than post photos of skeins of yarn. I banned myself from starting anything new until the blanket was done. It all has be finished by tomorrow night, so I shall probably be darning the last ends and speed crocheting the border as you read! I’ve just started this audio book by J.K Rowling, it’s the third in the series. Robert Glenister is from TV’s Hustle and does such a good job narrating these audio books that I find myself totally transported to where the story is taking place. I’m gripped by what’s happening. Let’s hope it happens again as I plod on with the remaining ends tonight…

I’m joining in with Ginny’s Yarn Along once again.

2015

Posted on December 31, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s that time again; the last day of another year. Are they flying past, or is it just me?

I can’t believe that today is my blog’s fourth birthday! I didn’t have a long-term plan when I started this; it was simply to record my makes as I learnt to crochet. I haven’t had to make myself carry on, or set up a blogging timetable, it’s just happened organically. Admittedly joining in more regularly with the weekly Yarn Along and Taking Stock posts, every month, has helped to keep to keep the ball rolling lately; as I’ve had little new to show, with bigger projects taking time to complete.

2015 really did turn into the Year of the Blankets, despite the fact I’m sure I’d resolved not to make many. I wanted to learn some new skills, make some small things and get my sewing machine out again. I can see a 16 for 2016 list happening…

Here are some of my favourite makes and highlights of the year:

I’ve just had a little look at my previous end of year galleries in 2012 2013 and 2014. 2012 was a busy year for the country with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics. Looking back has reminded me of my 200 Blocks CAL. I was still very much a novice crocheter and learnt much more through organising and taking part in the CAL. If you’re fairly new to crochet then I’d really recommend working through a book of crochet blocks. It gave lots of us a really good grounding in reading patterns, trying new stitches and experimenting with colour combinations.

Thank you for reading and for your comments over the last year. Have a very Happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, wherever you are in the world.

Yarn Along

Posted on December 9, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m crocheting a second V Stitch scarf. I only started a few days ago and it’s now nearly half done; it grows so quickly. This is a very good thing as it’s a Christmas present. Here’s the link to my pattern. I had to find it myself to jog my memory for the initial chain and hook size! That green scarf is my favourite and I wear it more than anything else I own, or have made.
I loved the film ‘Brooklyn’ last week. It’s the story of a young girl from a rural area of Ireland in the 1950s, who is emigrating to America. The first thing Mum and I said as we left the cinema was “Oh, the clothes!” Although I have a few audio books ready to listen to I just knew the novel, by Colm Toibin, would be fuller than could fit into a film. It’s going to be so interesting to see what the screenwriter, author Nick Hornby, chose to include and what to leave out. Dissecting novels (auto correct wants this to be bowels!) into screenplays must be a challenging, but fascinating process.

I’m joining in with Ginny and co once again. Now around 100 others link to Ginny’s weekly Yarn Along posts. This is many more than when I added a few of mine several years ago. You can find some pearls of crochet and knitting inspiration there if you want to dip into new blogs.

All At Sea Shawl II: blocked, lacy & ready to wear

Posted on March 31, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

For years I’ve read about people blocking their crochet and knitting. They rhapsodise about how lacy it becomes, because it really opens up the stitches. From the way people write you would think blocking almost transforms things into mystical items.
I have never felt the need to do anything, apart from perhaps a quick steam block. Recently I felt quite adventurous leaving the Catherine Stitch Dolls’ blanket pinned out on the ironing board to thoroughly dry! But I could see that the thin mystery yarn of the All at Sea Shawl was going to need something a bit more professional to unscunch it into maybe a thing of lacy beauty.

Foam mats from The Early Learning Centre are, I was told by my crochet blocking guru, a good alternative to overpriced craft blocking boards. On reflection those purpose made with lines and measurements on them might be preferable, but my plain mats did the job well enough. It is actually quite enjoyable pinning and stretching the crochet, I was quite surprised how much I liked it. My knees weren’t so happy, but that’s too bad! Look how much it has opened out the stitches? I’m so pleased. Oops! A huge gust of wind carried it off sideways. I didn’t realise I’d captured the moment on my camera until later. It’s been so windy here that I had to close the bedroom window because of the noise last night. I heard things in the garden being blown over and got up to peer out the window a few times, then decided enough was enough. Time to sleep and I’d right it all in the morning. It is a triangular shawl but this was the only way I could get it to stay in one place, even then it flapped up into my face several times. The severely pruned buddleia looks bare and deadwood-like, but it will come back and the flowers will be covered in butterflies again in the summer.

In summary: proper grown-up professional type blocking really does work, although it gets boring to read posts like this (!) and I did enjoy it. Also, the mystery yarn is wool, or partly at least, because it definitely had that wet sheep smell.

Make it, Wear it

Posted on March 28, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

See, no look of an egg cosy here, I thought it would look gorgeous on my friend. The slouchy beanie with pom pom is a success. It’s a Birthday present and definitely lives up to the book’s name: Hook, Stitch and Give. It’s all come out of the marvellous brain of Kat Goldin. No, I’m not being paid to promote. I’m simply a happy reader / maker.

We’ve just had a day out at Excel, London at the Stitching, Sewing & HobbyCraft show.

It was too hot during the morning, before the air con was turned on, crowded and overall we felt it was crammed into too small a space. I don’t think the Knitting & Stitch show at Olympia has any serious competition, but we had free tickets, so didn’t feel we lost anything. We probably won’t be going back though.

I took a few photos….

Menai Bridge by Liesbeth Williams

Horizons

Layers of the Anglesey landscape, the colours, lines, details and the ever present skyline inspired this quilt. Liesbeth overlaid sections of strips, highlighted by deliberately messy black stitching. The fabrics were hand-dyed, mono and screen printed, then painted.

I love the colours of this quilt – as you can imagine, they look even better with the naked eye than in these photos. It’s also given me hope. Perhaps I could also overlay sections of strips and do ‘deliberately messy stitching’ with my sewing skills, that definitely seems doable!

Slouch & Bobble Hat: hooked, stitched & ready to give

Posted on March 26, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

The great thing about crocheting this Kat Goldin pattern, from Hook, Stitch and Give, is that it gave me a chance to practice foundation treble crochet (FTC). I admit I looked around for a few online tutorials just to check I was doing it right. Once I was reassured that I needed to have two loops on my hook after going into the chain, it was plain sailing. Sometimes it’s the basics which I find myself double checking.

FTC is basically a way of making a chainless foundation row, you start out with only three chains on the hook but end up with a length of bouncy springy trebles. It’s magic I tell you! FTC is perfect for when you need a stretchy edge. I’m keeping my eyes open for something else which uses this method as it’s cool to try something new.

Because I was making this for a friend I wanted to make sure my tension was a-ok; easier said than done I discovered. The recommended 5mm hook gave me a swatch of 8cm across and 4 cm high…NOT 10cm square. Ok, so change to a 6mm. This swatch was close to 10cm across but still only 4cm high. I chatted to one of my hooky IG friends who has made a couple of these beanies and had exactly the same height issue. I’d love to know if you have the same should you make the same, in the interests of curiosity. I’m not sure how you can correct the height thing unless you change to DTR? In the end I decided to use a 5.5mm hook which gave exactly the right circumference for the starting rib for the brim. I decided to wing it height-wise as I had plenty of yarn. I used Stylecraft Life Aran which is a wool blend (25% wool, 75% acrylic) in grey and fern. The wool content and texture of the yarn makes it pleasurable to use, aran weight works up so fast compared to DK. Oh, well would you look at that! I’m tilting again! Hannah of Not Your Average Crochet blog said she liked the pattern so much she was using it for a cushion cover, but hers also tilted quite badly. I don’t think it matters at all for a hat, it just amuses me. It happens because you’re crocheting around and around in one direction.

(ETA:) I missed out the chain between the trebles; as a hooky friend said they made her hat too slouchy/wide. I tried the pattern as written and found the same, so also missed them out.

I showed it to you pre-sewing up on my last post. Afterwards I decided to measure the height of the beanie. What a plonker….! To be anywhere near slouchy it needs to be much taller. I worked out I’d need to do 13 sets of the repeat rows, rather than the stated 8, then the crown decreases. Undoing really careful darning is painful. I just don’t quite know what happened as I had tried it on ~~lots~~ a few times and run off to check (tea cosy) in the mirror upstairs, but failed to spot it was normal beanie sized, not slouchy. It’s nicely slouchy and a perfect 27cm now. “Do you think it’s ok? Will she like it?”

“Well if it doesn’t suit her, she can always stick a strap on it and use it as a bag.”

Five things

Posted on March 23, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

This looks like pizza doesn’t it? I gave Nigella’s crustless pizza a try at the weekend. The recipe’s from her Kitchen book. It was revolting; basically cheesy Yorkshire pudding. I ate the topping and a bit of crispy edge then the food recycling bin had the rest.

Here’s my version of the Slouch and Bobble hat from Kat Goldin’s Hook, Stitch and Give book, sans bobble because I’m getting round to sewing it up. Same old story hey. On me it looks like a tea cosy, but on my friend it will probably look gorgeous! Anyone relate? I laughed aloud (20th C usage alive and kicking) yesterday to see that behind the garden centre/pick your own/farm shop/fishing lakes/carousel there are llamas in a small field, not the sheep (lambs?) I expected to see. Those llamas are getting everywhere these days! Hurray they sell smoked garlic; I’ve only bought it from the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm before. I love it though my fridge stinks for weeks. A few cloves were delicious in a chicken traybake I threw together last night. Like my fridge I also carried the garlic tang today but it was worth it.

Five Happy Things type of posts, to be frank, can set my teeth on edge as they are sometimes very syrupy reading, they’re also not the most interesting. Do you remember when the 52 Weeks of Happy blog posts appeared last January? So many gave up writing them by May, if not sooner, because I think people found they were not very interesting to write either. I do enjoy ‘ randoms’ though as they give a bit of snapshot. If you fancy posting your own Five Things add a link below please, so then I can read yours.

Yorkshire cowl …ready & warm

Posted on March 16, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

As you know I bought this yarn during my visit to Holmfirth last Monday. I’ve had my eye on it for ages as I just love the colours, especially the aqua blue and turquoise. As I wrote this title, following a discussion about farming, wool and the great wealth which came from wool in Yorkshire during decades gone by, it occurs to me that if this were one of those ‘big blogs’ there might be uproar from the wool purists. My Yorkshire cowl is made from 100% acrylic. It’s named because I crocheted it during a week there, and it’s always going to remind me of walks by the sea and the coastal path. The Storyboards site gives some information about the paths. Yorkshire Cowl

I chained until I was happy with the width (I hung it around my neck as I crocheted!) and then joined the chain to form a ring, no sewing up required!

James C. Brett Marble Chunky Yarn Shade MC44

I used 175g of the 200g ball

Width (circumference) 36″

Height 11″

6mm hook

>Chain until width desired, join into a ring making sure the chain is not twisted

>Crochet rounds of trebles or doubles or half trebles (UK terms)

Turning chains should be 1 for DC, 2 for HTR, 3 for TR, 5 for DTR. The turning chain for DC does not count as a stitch, all others do.

All doubles, trebles and half trebles go into the back loop of the stitch which creates nice ridges to the fabric.

>Crossed double trebles add a bit of texture and interest to the cowl: Chain 5, *miss a stitch and DTR into the next TR, DTR into the skipped TR* repeat from * to * . Make a single DTR into the last stitch, join with a SS to the top of the chain 5 from the beginning of the round.

Next time I might make the cowl slightly smaller in width, I think maybe 32-34″ but this is really warm and you can fold the excess at the front and tuck it under the rest. These are to show some the scrummy colours in the yarn. Some people are good at selfies, some are not; especially when in windswept Derbyshire visiting Hardwick Hall.

I took the photo below from the ruins of Hardwick Old Hall looking across to the New Hall. It’s ‘new’ as in built in the 16th Century. If you can visit both I recommend it, especially to see the Elizabethan embroidery and tapestries in the New Hall.What are you making at the moment?

Walmington on Sea

Posted on March 12, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

Today we parked at Bridlington’s North Beach and walked along looking for sea glass. We had a little bag of mostly green pieces by the end, but unusually I’d found zero! My sea glass spotting skills seem to have deserted me, mind you I’ve never thought my beanie would blow off before!

We decided to walk up to Bridlington Old Town after asking directions. When someone says it will take 15-20 minutes to walk, you often find it’s more like 10 as they’re drivers and it’s a guesstimate. This time she was definitely right, it might have even been 30, and it was uphill all the way.

What a nice old High Street, imagine it without cars and it’s perfect.

We knew that Dad’s Army has been filmed here recently, isn’t it perfect for the fictional Walmington on Sea High street? Look what’s been left…

For a fan of the oldie but goodie tv programmes this week is turning out to be a delight! But wait there’s more…

Initially I was horrified that they would remake such a classic but now after today’s sights, and hearing who is in the film I am looking forward to seeing it. The helpful lady also said there is a Facebook page with photos of the actors and the filming, if you’re interested.

After another day of lots of walking I’m going to carry on with some hooky now. I had a slow start this morning sitting in the sunshine…

Just look at those scrummy colours. It’s beautiful yarn isn’t it?

Yorkshire wins

Posted on March 11, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

On our way up to Yorkshire we met my cousin and family for Sunday lunch and she gave me this box of freshly laid eggs from her hens. Aren’t they pretty colours? The labelling on the box made me laugh. I think there might be a lucky rooster in the mansion!

On the way up I’d checked my emails and had that heart stopping email titled ‘We have news about your lottery ticket.’ It wasn’t a life changing amount, but £25 is good pocket money. I treated myself to a ball of Marble Chunky I’ve admired for ages because I love the colours, and the new Simply Crochet.

As a fan of Last of the Summer Wine I was delighted on Monday to see some of the haunts of Foggy, Compo and Clegg in Holmfirth, with Trish of Made by Patch. We’ve emailed and sent little packages to each other for over three years, since we began our blogs, so it was fab to finally meet.

The weather was very wet and gusty, to say the least, so it was good to have lunch and drip dry after our mini tour. This is my ‘Dirty Burger’ from The Old Bridge pub, it was delicious. Obviously you’ll see I went for the healthy option!

We mooched around a few yarn shops and both bought marble chunky. Then we browsed in a secondhand bookshop which is tucked away in one of the narrow lanes. Holmforth is built up the sides of the Holme valley so has many steps and winding alleys, it’s a great place to explore.

Meanwhile, the Mister was fishing at Scout Dike reservoir where a class of 8/9 year olds and 4 adults came upon him and watched him bring in a second rainbow trout with lots of wows. One little lad said “My Dad fishes up here but he never catches owt!”

Yesterday the weather couldn’t have been more different; it was around 15 degrees and so warm that we ended up taking off our coats for part of the circular costal walk we did from Flamborough to North Landing, to Flamborough Head and back around to the village.

After the 8.5 mile walk I really felt I deserved my pint mug of tea and chocolate. Today we’ve walked 5.5 miles. I’m keeping a record so I can see how far we’ve walked by the end of the week.

I had a brainwave about the trout on Monday night, and so today met up with someone else. That story is for next time…

All at Sea Shawl II

Posted on February 25, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s so sunny today! A really beautiful morning.

Aren’t the colours in this yarn lovely? I reckon it’s sock or lace weight as it feels quite a bit finer than the 4 ply I used for my Raspberry scarf.

I decided to crochet another All at Sea shawl as the first one I made was with DK and I fancied another go with (probably) the correct weight yarn. The pattern by Elisabeth Davis de Herraiz is available here on Ravelry, or in Simply Crochet 22, if you have a shelf of past issues like me.

I’m going to have to go back to print versions of crochet magazines I reckon; I’m behind with the last two issues of Inside Crochet. I just don’t pick up my ipad and stick to reading them on there; I get distracted by other sites, usually social media. Digital versions are good on the space shaving front, but I do like to see curly page markers poking out of back issues. It’s so much faster and easier somehow to grab one and just think ‘I’ll make that today!’ than to scroll through digital versions. Wow isn’t life hard these days?! It’s all the choice.

This is turning into a ramble when it was meant to be one of those sharp and to the point posts, but I’m re-reading The Thorn Birds and life in outback Australia in the early 20th century was so hard. It’s strange re-reading something I haven’t read since my teens. What I really remember is scenes from the tv series: that white shirt, the ashes of roses dress, Mary the dragon, Fee with the careworn face, the run from him on the beach, Luke/Bryan the b****** who ended up marrying Meggie/Rachel in real life afterwards, though at the time I couldn’t understand why…. Skipping the descriptive passages then to get ‘to the good parts’ means that it’s quite a different read this time around, especially as I’ve spent lots of time in Australia. It’s a good book actually, much better than I expected.

It’s noticeable that when an author dies their books leap up the bestseller lists. I bought Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (surprisingly humorous given the subject matter and the fact that it’s semi-autobiographical) and The Thorn Birds for this reason; seeing that they were suddenly in the eye-catching Kindle top ten sellers.

I’ve completely lost the flow of this crochet post now and am thinking about The Thorn Birds book, combined with mixed up memories of the tv series!
In summary: This is my new make and I’m re-reading a long-ago-read-book. I now need to decide what kind of pudding I’m making for family dinner at the weekend!

What are you making, reading, planning?

ETA: Apologies – Judith Kerr is still among us! See comments below.

Five things

Posted on February 25, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m making a few loaves of bread again at a time, one to eat and the other(s) to freeze. The freezer lately seems to be full of stewed apples from the glut last Autumn, and frozen trout because of my knowing a talented fly fisherman. No sooner had I baked two loaves on Sunday than 3 whopping fish were brought home; one brown and two rainbow trout. Luckily family and friends are more than happy to have them as they are or potted or smoked.

BBC radio 2 are broadcasting Sounds of the 20th Century, it’s ‘An audio journey through five decades, starting at 1951. Archive recordings include George VI overcoming his stammer to open the Festival of Britain.’ I’m going to try to listen to them on the iplayer because it’s fascinating; no commentaries or explanations, just music, news, programme clips etc from each year. I’m listening to the first from 1951 now.
“The average housewife works for 75 hours each week and does overtime at weekends….according to a Mass Observation study…”

“Coupons will continue to be required for meat, cheese….”

Poor little Princess Margaret “born into disappointment as the Nation longed for a little Prince.”

It is compelling listening for a social and economic history junkie.

On a Saturday jaunt to Marlborough it was lovely to see clumps of snowdrops under trees. It really feels as if Spring is on its way now; with blue skies and sunshine, albeit interspersed with showers. Washing has been hung on the line a few times this week already and partially dried in the gentle breeze, this is a very good thing.

Johnnie Ray is now being asked about why he cries as he sings and how long he’s worn hearing aids. We’ve just watched the three Rock and Chips specials on Netflix (an excellent prequel to Only Fools and Horses) and his music was featured in the first one…

I’m a terrible procrastinator where some things are concerned, like sewing up knitting. This little baby jumper was something I knitted it in 2013, just something I saw in a knitting mag and thought I could give to a friend. I also knitted a cat (recently sewn up by a Nana in my friend’s craft group, which sells items in aid of the Deaf Access charity) and a tank-top which I subsequently undid. I blogged about the sewing up then. Oops.

“Forty thousand feathers on a thrush!”

The silly thing is that I did the sewing while listening to my current audio book: The Minotaur by Barbara Vine (excellently narrated by Sian Thomas) and it was really painless. I guess in the interests of complete honesty I should admit that it took so long to finish because my cousin had it for ages, it was she who actually sewed it up. But I sewed on the buttons! This took several months, but it’s all done now.

“You are the lone ranger!”The next is better; I sewed up my headband. It only took 2 weeks or so after finishing it. Improvement, yes? Here it is with a little card, ready for posting. The P.O has put in self-service machines and for some reason I really got flustered trying to gauge the size of the packet, type in the address for a proof of posting certificate etc. It was all too much but the new cheese counter take-a-ticket-wait-for-the-number-to-be-called wait was far too long.

“…without cotton many mills in Lancashire would close down…”The friend who sent me Clara Parkes knitting book also popped in two balls of yarn. This one was bought in iknit, London, she was going to make an entrelac something or other but ended up unravelling it without keeping the yarn band. It feels like wool, or a good wool blend, and is sock or lace weight (are these really so similar in weight that they are virtually the same?) I like using a really fine thread, it’s different.

“There will be more houses to let, more houses to sell, more houses for everyone…..the Conservative pledge will be kept in full…”

“The time is now six fourteen and three quarters…” What an excellent programme, if distracting listening to it while writing here.

What are you enjoying listening to or reading at the moment?

If you write your own Five Things post then feel free to add a link in the comments below, then we can all see what you’ve been up to.

** I just had a text and selfie of the headband being worn, this was super fast delivery as I only grappled with the self-service machine yesterday! It looks really nice and will definitely be in use next week on the ski slopes. Hurrah!**

Homemade compliments

Posted on November 13, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve just read Sarah of Crafts from the Cwtch blog post about how her new knitted Colourblock Shawl has prompted compliments from strangers on the street. This reminded that when I wore my crocheted ribbed scarf to evening class on Tuesday I was complimented on the colours. It’s so gratifying to make something handmade and have it noticed. (For the right reasons!) Shop bought rarely gathers compliments; I guess the colours and designs can be too generic to stand out.

If you want to crochet a ribbed scarf the pattern’s here. Or, you could dig out your knitting sticks and make Sarah’s cosy shawl.

Currently I’m rippling away still, full speed ahead. The end is in sight, bar the darning and border. I have about 19 more stripes to crochet and I’m whizzing along to (don’t judge me) Glee: season 4. I gave up on Glee at the beginning of series 3 which was shown years ago here. It was so samey and they looked far, far too old to still be hanging around a High School music room! Series 4 was apparently broadcast two years ago, most of the originals have moved onwards and upwards which makes it fun seeing their next steps. It keeps me singing along as I fiercely hook, hook, hook on the sofa. To be honest I am absolutely dying to make some small fun makes, but I know I have to get the zesty raspberry ripple finished and then go back to the motif blanket. Both WILL be completed in time for Christmas.

What are you up to?

The gloves are on

Posted on November 8, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

What a change from the end of last week. The scarf, hat and glove box is live. Typical autumn weather has returned.

This week one of my new v stitch scarves had its first outing, and I wore my fingerless mitts. Only twice though, then I swapped them for proper gloves. Fingers and all as it’s now dropped 10-12 degrees. I had to laugh, as a lady at the bus stop saw me wearing the fingerless pair and said she’d been wondering about them, and if “they really work.”

It’s a rainy Saturday and the Wales v Australia rugby match is playing out on the TV. I’ve got Bose noise cancelling headphones on, catching up with Liza Tarbuck’s show from last Saturday on the BBC radio iplayer. The music’s so good that I’m sofa bopping as I ripple.

What are you up to?

Cosy crocheting

Posted on October 14, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

Because I’m fed up of having a really fluffy patch of carpet near my sofa I’ve come up with a cunning plan and fetched something from the kitchen for my ball of yarn. It’s a very stylish yarn bowl, don’t you agree? It’s working well and actually the ball unravels with ease, without constant tugging.

I shall have to get back on to my very good bloggy friend Trish of Made By Patch and see if her father is going to make me a super wooden yarn bowl like he made her. You’d think a lottery winner could buy anything she wanted wouldn’t you?

So, I finished Brian the v stitch scarf / cowl the other day (I had just 7″ left to do in the top pic) and decided to continue something which would keep me as toasty as possible while I hooked. As I sit writing this in the gloom, at 430pm, I realise that it’s never really become light today, it’s Britain’s infamous iron sky.

Still, there was porridge for breakfast, homemade butternut and sweet potato soup with crispy bacon pieces sprinkled on top. I may push the boat out and have a low cal chocolate coconut drink next. Comfort food and drinks along with cosy crochet are the benefits of autumn.

Are you warm or chilly? What is keeping you cosy?

I won £25 on the lottery Saturday night. Woo hoo!

Brian – V Stitch Scarf / Cowl

Posted on October 1, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

A couple of people have asked me what I’m crocheting at the moment. I should be concentrating on my motif blanket, and ripple, but I’m really enjoying simple crochet. I woke yesterday feeling really unwell and today don’t feel much better, and this is perfect. I watched my first Disney film, Tangled, in years yesterday afternoon. Maybe the first since the Little Mermaid? I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it, that’s a definite sign of my custard brain. The animation seems more like 3D than before, perhaps Disney have had to adapt their technology to keep up with Pixar type films? The characters, especially Rapunzel, looked just like Blythe dolls, all huge eyes and small faces.

I had some good news – Lang have NOT stopped making Tosca Light it’s just that for some reason I couldn’t find it on their website. I’m so pleased. If you look under Autumn / Winter on their website you’ll see the range of colours. (I know…they should make me a Tosca Light ambassador.) Lang is a Swiss company in case you’re wondering, TL is made in Italy.

I’ve been looking out for other types of v stitches in my Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches. I was lucky enough to find it in a charity shop for a song a few years ago. They call this one Three-and-Two Stitch, it’s descriptive but a bit dull…

I’ve run out of yarn as I had only one 100g ball left and my scarves tend to need 150-200g as I like them lonnnng. Time to find some more. If I won the lottery I’d just fill a room with it. Oh, why not a house actually?

I was really pleased to hear that Kate’s (Greedy for Colour) Mum; Mrs A in Australia (Rambling with me) is crocheting a V Stitch Scarf, using my last pattern which you can find HERE. The power of the internet eh – sharing what we’re making with others all over the world. I really love it. I should put pattern links on Ravelry. One day.

I asked what I could call this scarf and had “Brian” as the answer. Well, why not? I did ask!

Brian v stitch scarf / cowl

5mm hook – if you’d like a lazy, looser type of fabric, but try a swatch and see what you feel. I tried with a 4mm hook and it was nice too, although quite a firm fabric with far less drape.

150-200g DK yarn depending on the length of scarf or cowl you prefer
Lang Tosca Light is 100g/400m a ball 55% new wool, 45% acrylic.

Width: 22cm / 8 5/8ths ”
I’m aiming for – Length: 80″ / 203cm
Will probably be – Weight: 150g -200g

V stitch = 1 tr, 1ch, 1tr (UK)V stitch: 1 treble, 1 chain, 1 treble into same space (UK terms)
ch = chain
tr = treble
v st = v stitch
ss = slip stitch
st = stitch
tch = turning chain
sp = space

Foundation Row: Ch 50
Or a multiple of 6 st + 2 to get the width you want
R1: (Right side) Work a v st into 5th ch from hook. *Miss 2ch, 3tr into next ch, miss 2ch, work a v st into next ch; rep from * to last 5ch, miss 2ch, 3tr into next ch, miss 1ch, 1tr into last ch, turn
R2: 3 ch, *miss 2sts, work 3tr into centre tr of next 3tr, work a v st into ch sp at centre of next v st; rep from * ending 1tr into top of tch, turn
R3: 3ch, *v st into sp of next v st, 3tr into centre tr of next 3tr; rep from * ending 1tr into top of tch, turn

Rep R2 and R3 until desired length. I’m aiming for about 80″/203cm.

If making a cowl join short ends together using ss; bearing in mind before you join the ends that there is a right and wrong side to the fabric. Finish off and darn ends.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve been meaning to say this for a few years(!) when I get to the turning chain of the previous row I always find it easier to use a 3mm hook to go into and make the last stitch, aiming for the same tension as the rest which I’ve made with a 4-5mm hook. That might be a useful tip if you’re new to crochet and have trouble seeing or feel like you’re forcing the hook through the top of the chain, it depends on your tension and eyesight probably!

Also, when crocheting in rows after I turn I’ve always taken the hook out of the stitch, rather than twisted the stitch. Do you? I’ve always wondered if that’s correct, me being pernickety or just silly?

Happy v stitching your Brian scarf / cowl!

V Stitch Scarf / Cowl

Posted on September 16, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I finished this last night, while watching Birdsong. It was such a fast make and if you’re thinking of crocheting a C———- gift for someone this would be perfect, particularly if you’re a last minute crafter.

I prefer scarves because you can wear them lots of different ways, with a cowl it seems there’s really only tight or loose. You can easily crochet, or sew, the two short ends together before fastening off if you prefer a cowl.

V Stitch Scarf / Cowl

Yarn: Lang Tosca Light DK
55% new wool
45% acrylic
1.5 x 100g ball, 400 m

Hook: 5mm (You want to crochet a fairly loose and lacy fabric)

Length: 80″ / 203cm
Width: 9″ / 23cm
Weight: 150g

V stitch: 1 treble, 1 chain, 1 treble into same space (UK terms)
ch = chain
tr = treble
v st = v stitch
ss = slip stitch
st = stitch

Foundation row: Chain 48
Scarf / cowl can be made narrower or wider by adjusting starting chain by 3 stitch multiples
R1: Tr into 4th ch, tr into each ch to the end, turn
R2: Ch 3, (counts as a tr at beginning of every every row) tr into each tr to end of row, turn
R3: Ch 3, v st into 3rd tr (skip 2 tr, v st into next tr) to last tr, 1 tr into 3 ch of the previous row
R4: Ch 3, (v st into each space of v st of previous row) across row, 1 tr into 3 ch of the previous row
R5: Ch 3, (1 tr into first st of v st, 1 tr into space of v stitch, 1 tr into 2nd tr of v st) across row, 1 tr into 3 ch of previous row
R6: Ch3, (1 tr into 2nd tr and every tr) across row, 1 tr into 3 ch of previous row

Repeat R3-6 until scarf / cowl is desired length. (If making a cowl join short ends together using ss; bearing in mind before you join the ends that there is a right and wrong side to the fabric.) Finish off and darn ends.

Try on and flounce about in front of mirror/your significant other.

If you make one of these I’d love to see yours, please leave a link below or tag me on IG.

Relief

Posted on September 12, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

As soon as I finished my All at Sea shawl I started on another V stitch creation. I experienced another flare of enthusiasm where I found it hard to stop and go to bed at a sensible hour. But then….I … Continue reading →

All at Sea Shawl ….finished

Posted on September 3, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve really enjoyed crocheting this V stitch shawl, I haven’t felt this keen for a little while. You know that ‘I’ve got to do just one more row before bed’ thing?

The pattern’s by Elisabeth Davis de Herraiz and is in issue 22 of Simply Crochet.

I used Lang’s Tosca Light DK with a 4mm hook instead of the lace weight merino used in the mag. You could make a really chunky version too. That might be really snugly for freezing winter mornings, or maybe nights on the sofa when you feel a draft on your neck or shoulders?

My shawl is larger as I wanted it to be big enough to wear around your shoulders, granny/hippy style or like a scarf with the triangle part to the front and the long ends wrapped around the back of the neck. So for R50 I just repeated from R14 onwards until I ran out of yarn after R37 which was clusters. Boo! This was annoying with only 11 more to go to complete my repeat of R14 -49, but I quite like the frilled top edge so I fastened off, darned the few ends and it was over.

Look at what I noticed as I was unhooking the shawl from a tree…..

And last night on a very old episode of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads….

It doesn’t look Grannyish or exactly Hippyish, but I won’t be going out in a maxi dress and big cream shawl anytime soon!

All at Sea Shawl

Posted on August 30, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I haven’t crocheted, knitted or sewn (at all for the last) this summer. But as soon as the weather dropped ten degrees it was as if a switch in my brain had been flicked! Now I feel consumed with excitement … Continue reading →

Nine Random Things

Posted on August 22, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I stopped my subscription to Simply Crochet a few months ago because I was a bit bored, I reckon it’s stuck in a bit of a rut. When they asked readers to complete a questionnaire some months ago I requested more garment patterns. I know I’m not alone in feeling fed up of patterns for small items you don’t want or need. However ( a little positivity coming up now!) I really fancied crocheting the scarf pattern I’d seen Heather of The Patchwork Heart posting pics of on IG. So I picked up a copy last week, there was the added temptation of pretty pins too…but oh! They are mostly rusty – albeit silver coloured rust, not rust coloured, but it’s rust all the same. I can’t use them at all. Boo!

Ooh now this is a good magazine related bit of news – I’ve been given a year’s subscription to this beauty. I’ll turn into a green eyed monster at times (beautiful homes and expensive lovelies to buy) I know, but I am very pleased.

This is my catch up reading pile. I asked for my birthday subscription not to be continued for a third year to Mollie Makes, again it’s feeling in a bit of a rut. I really can’t face yet more patterns for felt animals and the target audience feels like it’s for young twenty somethings. That’s fair play especially if it’s encouraging them to develop or learn some crafty skills; I just realised that I hadn’t used any of the mini packs, let alone made any items from the magazine for ages and ages.

Just because I saw this in a gift shop in Broadway, in the Cotswolds, and it made me smile. It’s one of those things you’d love to say when someone’s being all one-sided me-me-me.

While I was wondering around Broadway I kept hearing yelping and barking. I ducked down an alley to pop into the Sue Ryder charity shop and saw two pens of hounds. They must belong to the local hunt. I’m a baby where dogs en masse are concerned so this is as close I got.

I’ve seen these chargers in airports etc before, but how handy to find one in John Lewis (High Wycombe) for free charging.

My friend gave me a bumper lot of thoughtful presents including this lovely tin. It’s my new things crochet tin as the other was bulging at the seams, especially with a new bigger notebook. Isn’t it similar in design to the Cath Kidson tape measure and needle book? It’s such a good match and right up my street.

Warning. Warning. Tomato talk incoming! I’m still cooking with my home-gown tomatoes, this time it’s a bacon and olive sauce. Yum. I usually halve the olives but this time left them whole. The house is full of bowlfuls in various stages of ripeness. I never imagined eight plants could produce so much fruit (or did QI state they are wrongly regarded as fruit, when in fact they are the vegetable we all grew up believing them to be? Or have I dreamt that?!)

I’ve been wincing at sightings of the C word; usually in relation to crafting for ………… but look at what fell out of the new issue of Country Living. With the change of weather and the end of the summer holidays looming it doesn’t feel too early to contemplate booking tickets. Are you going?

What have you been up to lately?

Did you see the ice cream debacle on The Great British Bake Off last night?

In my next post I’ll show you the shawl I’ve been crocheting from the current Simply Crochet. It’s sweet, though I do have a shawl related question: there are so many patterns for them at the moment, they seem to be on trend but……have you actually seen anyone wearing one out? Anyone?

My flower brooches in Simply Crochet!

Posted on March 1, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I came home late last night from London frozen to the bone after a three hour Jack the Ripper tour in the East End, a long wait for the bus then a frozen car windscreen which I needed to de-ice. My feet felt like two big ice cubes! But there in a prominent place propped up on the stairs was my new issue (16) of Simply Crochet. All thoughts of feeling cold vanished!

In January I was contacted by Tanya, the Commissioning Editor and asked if I would design a brooch for a Springtime feature in Simply Crochet. You can imagine my surprise and pleasure at being asked, especially as I’ve bought the magazine since it began. I was sent these lovely balls of cotton and given completely free rein to design whatever kind of brooch I fancied.

I really enjoyed sitting here in The Little Room playing with different stitches and colour combinations, it was a great way to banish any post-Christmas January blues.

I came up with a curly twirly flower brooch to pin on a bag, to add a bit of pretty.
They work well if you pin the petals out (dry) for a little while, as you release them they ping up and curl delightfully around. Alternatively you can block them and leave them flatter as the magazine have done.

As this would be my first ever published pattern (I’m beaming as I still can’t believe it, I’m sooo happy about this unexpected event) I was a bit nervous that it would be gobbledegook and asked Kate of Greedy for Colour to check it. The rush of having someone else, particularly such a crochet clever clogs, test your pattern and come back with a gorgeous version of their own (2 lots of delicate light pink petals on the top, a white set at the bottom and a pale primrose middle) and 100% positive feedback was immense.

I had thought I probably shouldn’t show what I designed until the magazine is in the shops or online but today see that others have shown photos and are talking on social media about the feature, so gave myself the go-ahead! It’s way too exciting not to!

Ooh on the front cover of the supplement!!!!!!!!!

Lovely styling. That’s MY crochet, crocheted here in this Little Room in my house! Wooooooo! Boom! (As Claudia says on GBSB.) The opposite page has the brooch pattern, a few other photos and bit about my crochet, thoughts on blogging and inspiration.

I was in stunningly good company as most of the other blogger designers are those I’ve followed for a few years. But you’ll have to buy the mag to see who they are, as I’m not spoiling any more surprises. Well, except one! I have to, I just do…

I met this blogger last Christmas, just over a year ago, as she was visiting England from the USA. We talked and talked, a coffee turned into a day of wandering, lunch and sight seeing. We discussed yarn, crochet, craft shops, blogging and our fave bloggers. I never expected us both to be featured in this top, top crochet maazine together! (I’m allowed to sprinkle !!!! liberally in this post. It’s my 15 seconds of crochet fame after all.)

It’s the lovely Hannah from Not Your Average Crochet. I’m so making this Springtime hat pincushion.
Now I’m off for a refreshing glass of wine!

Happy weekend all.

Simply Crochet (16)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

Next week, if you get a copy of Simply Crochet, you’ll see what I was doing with these beautiful cottons in January. It’s been hard not to mention anything – it goes against my nature not to talk about exciting things!

In progress

Posted on February 22, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

This second pair of mitts are still waiting to be sewn up, the first are being worn and appreciated during the chilly school run apparently. I’ve had a request by one of my little nieces asking me for “white pink with purple bits, like Mummy’s but…oh no I mean light pink with purple bits.” (Awwww, so sweet.) As I’m told they’re superb at losing gloves I’m heading in the direction of a good quality acrylic, not Rowan tweed like these!

The cabled yoke cardigan has been renamed ‘that stupid cardi’ I’m sorry to say. The time it took it took to figure out the cabled strip has rather soured the project. Well….I guess I have to be honest and admit that’s not absolutely it. Don’t start dipping rags in oil and sharpening your pitchforks but I’m not so sure about the actual look of it. Knitted clothes look so smooth and elegant, crocheted clothes particularly in chunky dcs like this just look coarse somehow. Know where I’m coming from? It needs to be edged, sleeves crocheted and button-band added so I might be more impressed after it’s finished. Maybe.It could be the yarn, I wonder if a different colour and quality of yarn would help too. I chose to use my Stylecraft meadow as I thought it would look lovely, and it’s washable so is practical for children’s clothing.

Oh and also I’m worried that the neckline is tiny. Overall I worry that it’s a bit small. I really, really should try a tension swatch before new projects.

I’m going to be knitting this feather and fan scarf until I die I fear. Last year I decided I’m going to live to be a hundred; so I’ve got a lot of time to carry on, but might die just after completion and so not get the benefit!

It’s probably far more practical to use a non-fluffy brand for lace knitting. It’s not tricky to undo or knit, but another would show the lacy holes and repeats making it easier to see mistakes and just act as a guide. I’ve tried using pony stitch markers but those little plastic rings are going to scratch my birch needles, they’re getting in the way a bit too. I’ll maybe have a try at placing yarn markers. I accept this scarf is going to be a long-term project and don’t mind really, not now I’m adding lifelines!

I must get on and darn some more of the ends of those granny squares. It’s actually not so bad once you get going, it just starting that’s the issue.

Also I’m knitting up something for a yarn review and that is another story…

What are you up to this weekend? Hopefully not splashing about in flood waters like these poor ponies were, gradually more green patches are appearing though as the water slowly drains away.

14:37 Mitts now sewn up & ready to wear. This post was a good motivator!

Getting knitty, again

Posted on January 9, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

The last week or so I’ve been whipping around my twelve huge Granny Squares in a bid to finish them and use up my leftovers of Stylecraft special DK. I’m rather bored with the same palate after a longtime using those colours and want to start afresh, which is exciting. The ironic thing is I can already see that I’m going to need to buy more to complete the blanket! My goal is to complete a square a day, they’re all at different stages and each needs to be twenty rounds. Sorry…I’m actually boring myself typing this detail! It’s more amusing to listen to the neighbour trying to coax his new (Christmas) dog out into the garden. The same dog that woke me up at 04:30 this morning barking to be let into the garden. Oh sheesh, dogs!

So last night to give my aching left thumb a crochet rest I started a new fast make from my new Christmas book, Cute and Easy Knitting (far superior to a barking present IMHO.)

This is as far as I got last night. It’s looking glove shaped which must be a good thing.

I’m using Rowan tweed which is a new yarn, though I’ve seen it many times I’ve never crocheted or knitted it. Although wool is touted as best for all sorts of reasons, which is undoubtably true in many cases, what is rarely mentioned is that, besides being expensive, it can be damned scratchy. Rowan tweed looks gorgeous, it’s the real deal in that it feels like it’s really been spun rather than composed of plastic. As you knit it goes from thin to thick which makes it an interestingly tactile experience, but I have to say that I wouldn’t want to wear it. Unless as a hat or gloves. I feel the same about Noro, but to a more extreme degree – yes it’s lovely colours but I don’t want to touch it. Do you relate?

Are you trying anything new?

First make of 2014

Posted on January 2, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

I had no inclination to make anything over the Christmas week. No crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery. Nada. Just much festive TV, iplayer radio progs and of course lots of catching up with family talking, eating, drinking and opening presents. A staggering amount of lovely things. I’m very, very lucky. Then yesterday I knitted this…

It’s such a clever pattern, it looks like it might be complicated but is just one lot of 4 stitches slipped onto a cable in every 10 rows! The raised effect is created by purling into the back loop. Cute and easy!

If I knit another iPhone cozy I’d play with doubling the stitches and make it all in one piece, rather than two separate rectangles. It would cut the fiddly sewing up by half.

The reason I wanted this book (“Can you buy it for me for Christmas please?” to my lovely friend who brought her copy to show me on a weekend away in November. I bought her Sew! After she’d admired mine, so we like ~~silly~~ cool things swapped books we both own.) was not because I’m at the level of easy knitting patterns, really it’s the opposite. After growing up knitting, and sticking with, basic patterns I should have long ago gone on to intarsia and fair isle to challenge myself. But I wanted Cute & Easy Knitting by Fiona Goble because it’s packed with patterns for quick makes. In the last year I’ve had that wiggly restless knitting fingers feeling lots, but by the time I’ve gone through various back issues of magazines, looked on Ravelry, Pinterest and blogs the urge has gone, I’ve run out of time or I don’t have the amount of yarn called for in the pattern. There are so many things I want to knit in this book! They don’t need much yarn, are fast to make and should quickly scratch that knitting itch.

I’ve just looked and Fiona Goble does have a blog though it’s not up to date. Perhaps it’s a case of all the better to be designing more lovely things for people knit, rather than writing about it?

What are you beginning the year making?

More importantly are you on a health kick now, or starting on Monday???? I need to know. I’ve had a healthy breakfast but am contemplating the chocolate mountain, last mince pie and brandy butter and……

Crocheted Raspberry Scarf

Posted on November 22, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

The pattern by Rebecca Jackson can be found on Ravelry: Claudia scarf. It’s been in the making for several months as it wasn’t a crochet project to spend long periods making. It’s crocheted in 4 ply using a 3mm hook, so takes a bit (a lot) of time as I found it to be a little fiddly. It might have something to do with the hook I used. Perhaps Father Christmas might bring me a Clover Armour 3mm hook?

Details
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style, 4 ply – a wool blend
Raspberry – shade number 0527.
Quantity yarn used: 100g – exactly 2 balls
Hook size 3mm
Length: 67″
Width: 8″

I didn’t follow the pattern exactly as I couldn’t really see the point of breaking off after 85 rows and joining to the initial chain, so I carried on crocheting until it was the length I wanted, or until I ran out of wool. Happily both of these happened at the same time!

I always thought the scarf might be a gift, but wasn’t entirely sure. When I tried it on I found it just slightly too scratchy. I think I’m sensitive to some wool or blends. A relative came to dinner earlier this week and tried it on. You know it’s meant to go to a person when she says “This will go really well with my black jacket, and my new coat.”

After a very chilly walk I’m dreaming of knitting a new hat next, chunky yarn here I come….!

Simply Crochet bobble mitts

Posted on September 27, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

We were heading off on holiday a few weekends ago when the postman arrived at the door with what looked like an armful of magazines, so of course I had to leap out of the car and take them with us…

One was the latest Simply Crochet, issue 10. I had packed my craft bag very carefully with things to carry on with, or complete. Not new projects to begin. These were the hot pink crochet scarf… and the sewing up that really needed to be done on the little red knitted jumper and that cat (I know, I’m bored of mentioning it – so am sure you’re bored of reading about it!)

The trouble was that the bobble mitts designed by Hannah Reed really caught my eye. I’ve never made fingerless mitts before, thinking that they looked a bit dull as most I’d seen are made with simple doubles or trebles, but Hannah’s lovely pair are in one of my favourite crochet stitches – bobbles. The only spare yarn I had was a ball of brown I’d packed for embroidering for the cat’s nose. I don’t wear brown, it’s just not my colour but I know a lot of people who do. So, before I knew it the Clover soft-touch hook was in my hand and I whipped up the mitts during spare moments in the apartment. It just had to be done.

I wrote some notes in my little book after I crocheted these which I’ll share in case you fancy making a pair…

:: Make sure that the stitch count is 33 still after making the 5 chain thumb-hole, otherwise it throws out the following bobbles

:: I adapted the pattern to make a longer piece of crochet so did 11 rows of bobbles then 2 rows of double crochet at each end

:: I also double crocheted around the thumbhole to finish them off. Don’t do this! Unless your thumb-hole is big and a bit gapy. Mine were perfectly sized and now are a little bit snug. They’re wearable but the dc row and darning tightened them up rather. I’ll have to give them to a friend with slim thumbs

Simply Crochet issue 10 has some nice items this month, I recommend you have a little look at a copy.

Have a good weekend! Maybe I’ll bump into you at Yarndale? :-D

Yarn Along

Posted on September 12, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

My current read is an audio book. I’ve stopped reading printed books so much in the last week or two. Hopefully buying a new bedside lamp will change this; I’ve broken so many of those glass Ikea lamps that this time we’ve gone for a metal type from elsewhere. Fingers crossed! (No, I’m not hurling them across the room, the leads just get tangled and a yank on the hair drier results in smashing glass. This still happened even when I changed things around. But if it’s breakable I’ll get it! Oops.)

It’s not quite the crime fiction, set in London, that I was expecting. In fact I gasped when the first unexpected thing first occurred. I’m enjoying the book, but during some chapters the reader swallows and licks his lips really loudly! Either other audiobooks edit this out, the recording technology is better, or they are more experienced readers but it’s really distracting and very irritating! Fortunately it doesn’t happen too often; it’s just when the character is being thoughtful and reflective so the pace of the narration is slower.

I’ve started using my new gift card yarn. This Sirdar Escape chunky wool blend is really nice to use, pretty too. I’m not too convinced about the Bergere de France poncho pattern right now, it might end up being undone and used for chunky ribbed hats and scarves, or whatever.

It’s one extreme to another with hook and needle sizes this week. I go from 6 mm needles to a 3 mm hook. I changed over to the Simply Crochet hook just because it’s a better grip than the thin metal one. I’m expecting this scarf to be a long term project because it’s not a whip-it-up-in-a-week-crochet-project. 4 ply and a smaller hook slows you down. That’s ok, there’s no race to win.

The changing light levels now autumn has arrived is affecting the colours in photos so much. Can you see the difference between the not-so hot pinkiness of the colour of the yarn today, and the photo I took when it arrived at the weekend?

I loved the high temps so much that the sudden onslaught of cooler weather, when I was expecting a bit of an Indian summer, has really taken me unawares. I’m amazed at how drastically I want to eat much more and just feel generally a bit fed up. I’ve banned myself from buying cheering up marshmallows because last winter they and hot chocolate were my absolute downfall. I was trying to see how many I could cram into my pint mug of hot chocolate, and it wasn’t far off a large packet – with a few extra to eat while I was making it of course.

What’s the weather doing where you are? Are you craving certain foods or drinks too?

I’m joining in again with Ginny. What are you crocheting / knitting and reading at the moment?

yarnalong_gsheller_green

My next project

Posted on August 29, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

Straight after winning the Blogger of the Month award I had an email from Coats Crafts with lots of lovely flattering compliments about my blog. They asked if I would like to receive a free kit to make a crochet necklace, and maybe mention it in my blog. Now I’m not into turning down a freebie, whatever it is, but when it’s crochet there’s going to be a definite YES!

I’ve been knitting a garment and feel as if I’m missing crochet, so this will be a nice change.

I want to write ‘watch this space’ but it’s pointless because you are already reading anyway so I won’t. ;-)

Ribbed scarf

Posted on July 21, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve enjoyed picking this crochet up at odd times and doing a (long) row accompanied by my audio book, or listening to Aggers and Vaughan gently mocking Henry’s threads of the day, the beery state – or not – of the watching fans and waiting to see if Mrs Aggers has been up on the roof again lately. Anything they say, apart from the actual cricket, is fascinating and strangely soothing. I admit to doing an air punch when we won last weekend. I even might have had a teary eye in fact, but I’ll cry at anything.

I’m so pleased with the yarn. I picked it on a spur of the moment – dashing away from the till while the shop assistant totted the total on the back of an old envelope, like they do there. It was reduced to half price-ish and seemed refreshingly different to my yarn choices so far.

Crochet rib is cunning isn’t it? Just like its knitted sister it’s springy and creates a thick cosy type of fabric, just perfect for a scarf. I really liked the ribbed square that we crocheted for the 200 crochet blocks CAL earlier in the year. I’m going to keep experimenting with different variations.

Do you want to make one too?

Ribbed Scarf

2 x 100g balls of King Cole ‘Wicked’ (shade – 728 – Dye lot – 67886) or any DK yarn

4mm hook

Scarf width 5 1/2″ – length 77″

The scarf is worked horizontally so I loosely chained approx 371 stitches to make the length I wanted. Periodically I stopped and draped the chain around my neck. I prefer long scarves that I can wrap around my neck once or twice but obviously you can make yours shorter by making fewer chains.

Foundation row: Half-treble (UK) into the 2nd chn from the hook. HTR into each chn to the end. Turn. (Sip a G&T – it’s been a fiddly job.)

Row 1: Ch 2, HTR into the back loop of each HTR from the previous round to the end of the row.

Row 2+: Repeat row 1 until the scarf is the desired width. (Or in my case until you run out of yarn!)

+++ If you HTR into the back loop the rib looks the same on both sides. You can also alternate rows: making a HTR into the front loop on row 1, then making a HTR into the BL on row 2. Repeat these two rows if you want ribbing on just one side.

Take it easy and crochet this in shortish bursts as it takes a while to do a whole row. I found it left my elbow a bit wincey if I did too many HTR at one sitting. If your hands are getting tired then stop and give them a good wiggle. Be prepared to be mocked though – I was standing over the sink (for some reason) “Why? Why are you practicing starfish shapes with your hands? Is it for casting spells at the witch Olympics?”
They just don’t get it, do they? So silly, just so silly.

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* I’m not tempting fate am I? Now I’ve worried myself. Whatever happens please believe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I’m innocent Governor

**Well sort of – 24th December, apart from the ends

*** Not a mad cat blogger at all, apart from a longish paragraph about him on my end of year post….

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