It’s the weekend

Posted on June 16, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Today for lunch I made Spiced bulghar, chickpea and squash salad It’s scrummy. Absolutely delicious.

• 1 butternut squash, about 1kg/2lb 4oz peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks
• 2 red peppers, seeded and roughly sliced
• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 140g bulghar wheat
• 600ml hot vegetable stock
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• juice of ½ lemon
• 150g natural bio-yogurt
• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 180g bag baby leaf spinach

::Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6.

::Toss the squash and red pepper in the harissa paste and oil. Spread the chunks out on a large baking tray and roast for 20 mins until softened and the edges of the vegetables are starting to char.

::Meanwhile put the Bulghar wheat in a large bowl and pour over the hot stock, then cover tightly with cling film and leave to absorb the liquid for 15 mins until the grains are tender, but still have a little bite.

::In a separate bowl, mix the garlic and lemon juice into the yogurt and season to taste.

::Let the Bulghar wheat cool slightly then toss in the roasted vegetables, chickpeas and spinach – the leaves may wilt a little.

::Season, if you want, drizzle with the garlicky yogurt and serve warm.

Recipe from the BBC Good Food website

***The changes I’d make to the recipe are to roast the garlic with the butternut and peppers, but still have a yoghurt-lemon dressing as this works really well drizzled on top. I’d also recommend seasoning the vegetables before they go in the oven.***

And with the dressing….

This is a really tasty, healthy and filling lunch. Win win!

I’m going to crochet a few more of these over the weekend…

….while I wait for the feather cushion pad I ordered for the blooming flower cushion. The circle for the back is now complete too. It’s just a case of waiting patiently for it to arrive. I’ll post a picture when the cushion’s complete. The part I’m really looking forward to is dc-ing around the edges. Joining using dc stitches is my favourite joining method, so far.

Enjoy your weekend.

Blooming ripples

Posted on June 10, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

This weekend in free minutes I’ve been…

…working some more rows of the Rhubarb Ripple now my order from Deramores has arrived (a mere two days after ordering online)

…And trying my hand at Lucy’s blooming flower cushion. It’s very fast to make in all its gaudy loveliness. I thought it could be an accompaniment to the rainbow Granny Stripe blanket when it’s given as a fourth birthday present later in the summer.

The ripple is in an Orla Kiely designed bag sold to raise funds for a children’s cancer charity. It was sold in Tesco’s a year or so ago. There is another one of her designs for sale at the moment if you have a Tesco’s nearby. They’re only £4 and really sturdy strong bags for carrying shopping, storing large crochet blankets in progress (and wool), books or whatever. I admit I bought the newest bag a few days ago. It’s lovely.

I’ve been nominated recently for various blogger awards and would like to say that I take this as a real compliment, thank you very much. :-D

Crochet by the sea

Posted on June 2, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

A little cheeky crochet before going out to see some Jubilee celebrations, sightseeing and shopping near the sea!
I haven’t done any alternative granny squares for a long time and it’s very nice to crochet something different after lots of rippling and circles in squares!
I’ve come to a pause with the Rhubarb Ripple at the moment….I’ve run out of plum! I sense another Deramores order is about to happen.

Have a happy (Jubilee bank holiday) weekend!

Summer Flower Garland

Posted on May 28, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I planned to make this garland as a quick easy project, a break from crocheting the mega Rhubarb Ripple and Spring Flowers blankets. I saw the pattern in my crochet magazine last weekend, started it last week and finished it on Saturday, basically that was in two sittings. It’s fast, easy and satisfying to create.

I’m not entirely sure what to do with it. The Little Room already has bunting, a bird, three jars with crocheted jackets and Gilbert the owl, oh and the Yorkshire blanket. Less now is probably more; otherwise I might start having nightmares about waking up wrapped in crocheted strips, a big mummified crochet addict. I might send it to Alice May, I bet her creative Mummy could make a mobile or attach it somewhere to hang prettily.

If you like this and fancy a go at your own then grab a copy of Let’s Get Crafting Magazine for the pattern. I think it’s a goodie.

A shady spot

Posted on May 25, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

What a lovely spot to crochet a few more flowers for the stringy garland from last week’s Let Get Crafting magazine. I’m sitting under an apple tree with the gentle breeze ruffling the leaves overhead.
Happy days

Red White & Blue

Posted on May 23, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (60 years! What a woman!) and London 2012 Olympic Games are rushing towards us now. Currently the torch is travelling around the country, being passed from hand to hand. This morning I’ve heard that it’s in Wiltshire, and was being carried part of the way by a woman who has raised a lot of money for charity. It’s really good that non-celebs/sports-people are having a turn and are honoured for their service to the community or whose talents are recognised.

For the past while I’ve been taking a few of these types of pictures…

This is a road in Oxford in case you’re wondering.

And, the next one made me smile!

Creative display methods reflecting the times eh?

So the shops are getting well on board, selling anything and everything red, white and blue. With a fair few Jubilee biscuit tins etc. Good for them! I like to see it.

On another track, I walked (a 3.3m round trip – loving Endomondo sports tracker!) to a library on Monday and discovered they have a host of craft books on all sorts of the topics including: quilting, patchwork, jewellery, knitting, cake decorating….and crochet…a reallllly good selection of crochet books. So I grabbed five randomly and took them outside to sit in the sun (yes! we have sun now…hurrah!!!!!) in the quite beautiful library garden. Next time I go maybe I’ll take some photos, it’s full of clever planting, with benches placed at intervals in the quiet corners behind plants, trees and sculptures. The benches are painted a lovely blue, you can see the colour behind the books in the photos, which really works with the setting.

The Dudes book has some very nice jumpers in it with a variety of sizes. I ‘might’ have a try at something wearable later in the year. And no; I’m not ‘a dude’ but I did like the look of the solid, chunky clothes unlike lots of crocheted items for women which are often all holey and not really flattering to actually wear. Unless you’re a willowy model IMHO. The male models are pretty yummy too in this book – some of them – so that’s definitely a recommmeded ‘book to browse’ from me!

I made some notes on which patterns I liked in the books as I went, so I can go back and borrow a few at some point. There are even more to go and peruse some other time too.

Thanks to blogger Jill from Nice Piece of Work for commenting on my charity shop book at the weekend. She prompted me have a look for craft books when I was returning a novel (Lost Lady -Willa Cather, recommended read particularly if you like classic American fiction.)

I’m off to walk around the grounds of a Palace now, will post some pics soon.

Enjoy the sun, if you have some wherever you are. :-D

Chickens & an egg-cup

Posted on May 22, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Last week I had an email telling me I have been nominated for a Dorset cereals blog award. Basically all nominated blogs gather votes throughout the month, then the blog with the most votes wins the award for that month. The winner gets a super dooper goody bag from Dorset cereals, including the coveted Little Blog Awards egg cup which I would like very much. I go to work on an egg (remember that ad?!) regularly, plus it would be amazing to win something!

You also have a lovely badge to display on your blog. There’s someone very well in known in the crochet blogging world who already has this badge. Imagine following in her footsteps!!!!

Technical hitches around votiong have now been sorted, I’m told, and so if you are enjoying this blog please vote for me by clicking on the widget to the right >>>> or by following this this link

If I did win the goodie bag, and the coveted Blog Awards egg cup I might have to crochet another George or Henry!

Twit-too-woo

Posted on May 20, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve felt like crocheting something small again for a while as the bigger projects of blanket making have taken over recently. This owl purse pattern is one I’ve had in my folder for a while; so I decided to have a go at it this morning. I didn’t expect it to be so fast to make, so here is the finished item!

He measures 10 x 10.5cm, just to give you an idea of the dimensions. I used a 5mm hook – again for a change as I’m using a 4mm for both blankets and like a leetle variety in life. The yarn is pretty coloured acrylic from yesterday’s Let’s Get Crafting magazine pack.

For now Gilbert is in place on the board in The Little Room just so I can look at him when I’m in here. Sorry this is the best of several fuzzy photos, the light’s not good in here today.

Here’s the link to the pattern I used (you’ll spot the bits I left out!) by Mama G’s Big Crafty Blog

:-D

Happy Weekend Things

Posted on May 19, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

::Halfway through the Rhubarb Ripple blanket now::The first in the series of books. It’s predictable and easy, very comfy weekend reading in fact. The UK edition was originally called ‘Diva’s don’t Knit’…there are lots of not-so-happy comments on Amazon about this; disappointed buyers expecting this one to have been another in the series and finding they’d already read it…just to let you know.)

::A charity shop find for £1:50. It’s JAM-PACKED with patterns (charts as well as written patterns, so I ‘might’ crack charts soon – but I’m not concentrating on this until the blanket is finished.)

::And this page which makes my strange joining obsession happy!

::Some more Spring Flower circles completed (yes, yes I’m darning in the ends as I complete a batch. I’ve learnt my lesson now…:-D)

I’m watching episodes of the BBC’s Little Dorrit at the moment, my lovely friend N has lent me the box-set, today’s episode was when Mr X gets the news about X (no spoilers from The Little Room, oh no – not from me!) and I confess to having to put down my crochet and wipe my eyes…

::Loving my bucket still.

::OOoh a new edition. This magazine is improving all the time. Now with great shopping, craft courses, craft holidays(!) and blog and knitting/crochet fiction recommendations. I tend to ignore the knitting patterns and power on through to the crochet, but I might head back to knitting one day, so I have saved a stash of the magazines for then.::NO NEVER (remember my 1970s poodle wine bottle cover and Barbie toilet roll cover comment?) Susie Johns what were you thinking??!?…….This must have been a blip?

::Maybe! These are pretty.

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU ALL

HAVE A GOOD CRAFTY ONE

….maybe with a drop of something nice to drink…but please PleAsE don’t let it have come out of a knitted or crocheted bottle covered….ummm bottle. I implore you!!!!!

Crochet village

Posted on May 12, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Aren’t these beautiful? They really add a homely touch to a school setting, and made me feel v happy to see them being used and enjoyed.
There is a shop nearby which has started to sell old and new crochet blankets. They’re proving to be really popular with the resurgence of knitted and crocheted items.

Of course you can’t walk on the carpet!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m afraid it’s been undone again…I just can’t seem to decide the colour combination. Nothing seems to fit quite right. I’ve taken out all the squares with red in them and just kept the dark pink pomegranate colour.

On a positive note all the ends are now darned in!

I think the secret might be to carry on crocheting squares (and darning!) but without making any decisions about the final joining together of the squares.
This blanket is not going to be as random and easy as I thought it would
be; but maybe the finished product will be more satisfying because of all the thought that went into it?!

We can only hope!

Bank holiday

Posted on May 6, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Well, Plan B has happened this bank holiday weekend. Instead of being whisked away for a long weekend to the south coast, walking along beaches looking for messages in bottles washed up upon the sand, sea glass and interesting looking pebbles, I’ve had my leg up with ice packs on my knee and am going downstairs backwards. It seems that it is possible for your knee to go on holiday without you. You discover this when you try to get out of bed, but roll on the floor instead.

Ah well, the disappointment hasn’t lasted long since Plan A has been rebooked for another time. I’ve listened to hours of a fantastic new audio book and enjoyed the sunshine streaming into the house.

Here’s what I’ve been up to….

Now The Rainbow Granny Stripe is done and dusted its full steam ahead with The Rhubarb Ripple blanket.

Look what I’ve just bought, it stops the yarn rolling all over the place as I crochet. I might say that it also means less fluffy, bitty, velcro like yarn, but that would imply I haven’t hoovered for a while. So I won’t.

It’s a herb bucket, sooo pretty, and less than £5 from Aldi.

Then on to The Spring Flower blanket. Now this turned into a bit of a saga, enjoyable but a saga all the same today.

I’m going to start darning ends in as I go. I promise. I do like darning but it is a major faff when all you want to do is the end bit of a project as I found out last week!

Patch is right; I do have a new obsession about joining methods. If I’ve asked you 1000s of questions about your method, and you’ve answered patiently, then a big thank you to you. I’ve also watched lots of YouTube videos and scoured my magazines and crochet books. I just wanted to find the method that I enjoyed. Not necessarily the best, but the most fun. So, the above is Patch’s sewn whip-stitch method. Ho hum, the tension is bad and it was a real fiddle. I used to do lots of cross stitch, tapestry and pathwork but am out of practice and it shows.

Next I tried double crochet which I used before on the dolls blankets…

S has never been involved in my crochet endeavors so far, apart from nodding his head in a complimentary fashion (and using a piccy of The Rainbow GS on his desktop background. Now that must be high praise eh?!) but he didn’t like the green. It was just too green, he said. I tried white as I wasn’t too sure about the greenness either.

DC versus sewing is definitely the most satisfying and the tension is a perfect match too. I really like the ridge, it’s a bit different and adds a nice texture to the work. But I’m not sure about the white. It doesn’t quite make sense to me. Why would you suddenly have that white? Has it snowed in Spring?! S isn’t sure about all the random colour combinations either. I’m happy with them though. I think…

Not sure. Really not sure…

More comparison….

Bye, bye white. Zip! It’s gone!

How long should it be? I’ll see how it measures up against the RR. I’ll do some edging on it too. I’ve undone my original green joins and rearranged the colours into less random pairs. I think S was right and it is easier on the eye.

It’s been really satisfying deciding on a method of joining, rearranging the squares and realizing that my Dublin hotel crocheted squares are going to come together nicely to make a blanket.

PLeAse DONt TelL mE YoU PReferReD ThE WhItE.

:-D

Rainbow Granny Stripe – FINISHED!

Posted on May 5, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

After the first row of edging…

And this morning…

Folded in half…

The blanket is laid across a king-sized bed here, just to give you a sense of its size.

Just before Easter I asked a certain 3 year old what her favourite colours are, and without hesitation she told me ‘Yellow….pink…..and purple.’ That’s why I’ve used these particular colours for the edging.

Now I’ll put the surprise blanket away until August when she turns 4. I imagine I will be starting another Rainbow Granny Stripe in the Autumn for her sister’s 6th birthday!

Ok…now I get it

Posted on May 1, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m on the last leg of my Rainbow Granny Stripe blanket and my fingers are itching to complete the border. BUT I have to darn those pesky ends in! I still like darning in, it feels soothing and productive, but actually I just want them gone at this point so I can carry on crocheting! I understand why people advise to darn as you go…
As you see the hook is chasing the darning needle around the last edge!

Perspective

Posted on April 28, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Coming across this dishcloth at Mum’s house on Thursday I realise how far I’ve come on with crochet in a relatively short time. I crocheted it last year and was obviously having problems reaching the end of rows, in all sorts of ways!

This makes me smile when I think of my recent crochet-angst around the Rhubarb Ripple; I have to remind myself from time to time that this is still a fairly new hobby.

Alice May & the Rhubarb Ripple

Posted on April 25, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Such changeable weather here at the moment. It’s truly April showers season. (It is doubly ironic when this, and other regions, were given hose pipe bans because we have been experiencing a lack of rainfall after drier than usual seasons. The day they were imposed the rain began!)

Sometimes the best thing to do is hurry home and get busy. After a little crochet-angst around this project I’ve been really enjoying gently focusing on the Rhubarb Ripple blanket.

It was really bothering me that the stitches weren’t lying on top of each other, namely the increases and the decreases. Plus although I said here in a very cavelier fashion that I would not undo a section after a change of hook size, I have. Lots and lots of rows, but I’m feeling much happier with it overall and am really, really enjoying gently rippling along. The stitches are now aligning as I worked out what the issue had been. I’m back to using a 4mm hook as I started with, this is because the thought of beginning from scratch when the first rows were fine was far too much to contemplate!

*This is still mainly an online diary of a beginner-intermediate crocheter so I’d like to note for self: do not drink wine and crochet a ripple. This is why mistakes happen and future crochet-angst will occur.*

As I uploaded pictures for this blog post I received a picture text of a very sweet little face, and a message giving me the details of Alice May’s birth this afternoon. Congratulations to her Mum! x

Dublin #2

Posted on April 23, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

At Kilmainham Goal I noticed some crochet. Impressive given the conditions I saw in which the prisoners would have lived. Also, it just shows how versatile those little old granny squares can be.

Sorry for the poor quality, I was rushing to join the guided tour of the original cells where the political prisioners were held, but I thought as this is technically a crochet blog you might enjoy seeing this ‘blouse’.

Walking back to the hotel later I spotted all this. Is there no bin at this person’s house?! I can picture an arm extending from a window to throw an empty out with a vague promise to self to tidy up later. I have to admit that something about this scene made me laugh as well as recoil a little. I can’t justify myself.

You’ve seen Molly Malone and her assets, Oscar reclining in the park and now here’s Phil Lynott, outside a rather nice traditional Irish pub. The Dubliners do seem to like their statues, as well as their drinking holes. I viewed a few traditional pubs, inside and out. It has to be done as part of the full holiday experience.

This was outside another bar, I love it! It reminds me of Father Ted.

Yes; I did just follow the ‘Fine Food for Feck All’ poster with cherry blossom from Trinity College. It’s my blog and I’ll be random if I want to (singing the ‘It’s my party’ song in my mind as I type that)! :-)

The Book of Kells was great and the information about how the scribes made the colours was fascinating, but the best part by far is The Long Room. If you go then take a big breath in as you enter the room. The smell is incredible. If you have no idea what the Long Room is then Google is your friend. ;-)

The Liffey and some of its many, many bridges. I wandered across the Millennium bridge, that you see in the foreground, after snapping this picture and into The Temple Bar area….

….to hear some superb live Irish music at The Quays. Sunday is a good day for relaxing with a drink in hand and a tapping foot to the music.

A few strange looks were garnered as I photographed the floor, but I liked it.

And finally here is some street poetry I passed on my way back from the live music and foot tapping.

I hope you can read it.

Dublin is great city, with so much still left unseen and undone – I’ll have to go back for a third visit one day.

And in crochet news: I’m on the last 8 or so colours of the Rainbow Granny Stripe, so expect a reveal ta-dah thingy post any time within the next few weeks. It’s slow progress compared to other stripey blanket bloggers since I am also dipping into my Rhubarb Ripple Blanket, making more Spring Flower Squares and edging some Alternative Granny Squares. Then there’s the random little other crochet makes I am side-tracked by also.

But it’s all good fun and very relaxing.

Sunday afternoon

Posted on April 22, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

After a huge and absolutely delicious Persian lunch, to celebrate a birthday, there really isn’t anything better than snuggling under a crocheted blanket to read a good book. Happy weekend :-) Ps: I decided not to change the blog name … Continue reading →

Dublin. A little itty bit of crochet is featured.

Posted on April 21, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

A little indulgence early in the morning in a very comfortable hotel room in Dublin.

Ok, I lie. It was probably 8am or maybe 8:30am but that’s early on hols right?

Meeting an Irish friend in Bewleys, Grafton street for coffee at 12:30 turns into a fantastic mini walking tour of the centre of the city, a mooch around the National Gallery, a very, very late lunch and then a mini pub crawl. Her partner joins us after work at 6pm and happily joins in. Cheers! Lots of drink and a baby guiness (yummm! It’s not what you think. Look it up.) later I go back to the hotel and meet up with a large group of friends for more cheering rounds. Hurrah!

Not mentioning the paracetemol breakfast the following morning.

Now when they taught us the song at school they omitted to mention that sweet Molly Malone was ‘the dish with the fish’ or ‘the tart with the cart.’ By day a respectable fish seller and by night holding another profession altogether. But, as one of the Irish in my hotel said: it was hard enough to have one job, let alone two during those times.

These fantastic signs are everywhere. Protected apparently now. Quite right.

Not entirely sure about the Italian teen who clambered on poor Oscar’s leg to have her photo taken after I took this…

And that’s it for now, I’ll post a few more from Dublin’s fair city soon.

Staithes, North Yorkshire

Posted on April 10, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hope you had a good Easter weekend. Here’s a little (ish!) record of some of mine…

A little crochet time in the Leeds Marriott in the morning on Good Friday, before heading further oop north to Staithes

We’ve reached our 18th century fisherman’s cottage, it’s great. Look at the alley you walk down to get to it; better not eat toooo many Easter Eggs or I’ll be there an extra week!

I bet I can guess what these used to be before they were coal sheds!

The houses share walls and are crammed in higgledy-piggledy into a relatively small place. You can just feel the history and layers of the past as you wander in and out of the alley ways, along past the small shops, chapels and pubs (many closed now, though there’s still three in the village.)

Super cosy

What a hill to the car!

Stepping stones

One of my favourite views, I love all the colours.

After a LOT of walking and rock clambering and that vertical walk to the car!

Seeing this in the Cook Memorial Centre in Staithes felt a bit odd; I’d forgotten I came across this cottage a long time ago in a Melbourne park. I’d been living in Australia for a year by then, and found it really unsettling and a little bizarre to see Captain Cook’s Cottage!

Easter Sunday morning we lit the fire, opened the eggs, toasted some home-made walnut & cranberry bread and snuggled for a while before venturing out.

And that is enough for now. I’ve got some great pics from Saltburn and the yarn-bombing, but it will be next week before I post them. Trip #2 is about to happen. I’ve got today to turn my laundry around and re-pack and I’m off again early in the morning. It’s a very hard life.

:-D

This morning….

Posted on April 4, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I only called Deramores yesterday lunchtime and here’s the new order!

I hadn’t mentioned that I bought another stash of the multi-pack last week, the second of the year already! I’m now the yarn Queen of the South.

Here’s the original lot. I really do recommend Deramores; superb service and fast delivery. Plus Stylecraft Special DK is £1.79 at the moment. It’s soft and nice to work with, no it’s not wool but it’s not bad at all for 100% acrylic.

I tried out a new pattern I’d seen online. This will be my Spring Flower blanket eventually. I used up oddments from the wave patttern I tried (below) but disliked after I compared it to Lucy’s ripple pattern. I hate waste and so every scrap turns into something else.

I’ve enjoyed trying out my new cream to edge the Alternative Granny Squares. It seems soothing after all the brightness!

Did you know I’m a leftie by the way? If you’re new and want a leftie recommendation of a great ‘learn to crochet book’ then click on the books! link to the right >>>>> it’s called Crochet Unravelled and has diagrams for lefties and those odd rights ;-p I still look at it sometimes when a bit befuddled.

Hmmm, well this my plan ahead for Easter project which hasn’t happened since there’s a lack of fun in the making. Fiddly. Squeaky horrid cheapo yarn. But it might still get completed since:

a) I hate not finishing something, even if I dislike it. (Mum’s the same I once bought us both a lovely tin of what turned out to be horrid sweets. Owning the lovely tin was the object though we both ate the horrid sweets; because it’s not good to throw things away or waste them. S thinks us both to be nutters. Obviously he’s wrong.)

b) It’s VERY cute when completed

c) I don’t like failing.

Away for trip #1 and trip #2 from tomorrow, I’ll share some pics on my return. :-D

Have a lovely Easter.

Flower pincushion

Posted on April 3, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I decided that I needed a new upstairs (The Little Room!) pin-cushion so made this the other day.

The floating pincushion could carry on doing sterling work downstairs. I’m umm errr darning in the ends of the little pieces I’ve made for my *cough* *cough* 3rd/4th blanket at the moment.

I know…. “Hi, I’m Rachell and I’m addicted to starting multiple projects.”

See why it’s been christened the floating pc now?! (Here’s the original blog post)

The plan for the rainbow granny stripe is to take it, and only it, away on trip #1 soon.

Maybe for trip #2 I might take the alternative granny squares, the rhubarb ripple or the new spring flowers ‘squares,’ or maybe I will have some time off crochet?! Hmmm but bad shopping things may happen if I do the latter. I am remembering this earlier in the year.

Sunny Days

Posted on April 2, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve been taking advantage of the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately.

I even had to move into some shade, it became so hot!

And ironically I’ve finished the chunky seashell scarf! I’m sure I’ll need to use it soon enough though…

Details:

Pattern is from Nicki Trench: Cute & Easy Crochet (see books link on sidebar >>>>)

James C. Brett Marble Chunky acrylic yarn

Used 245g (Balls are 200g 341yards/312m each)

9″ wide

67″ long

Made 26 ch (inc turning chn) for 4 seashells width

54 seashells in length

6mm hook

————————————–

I’ve also made a few more of these…

Part of me sometimes wonders if crocheted jar covers are a 21st C) version of the 20th C) poodle bottle covers and Barbie doll dress toilet roll holders?! But I have an idea for another one so I’m carrying on crocheting.

I made this with Planet Penny Cotton and am really happy with the colours. It’s my Peach Melba jar cover.

It’s good to see that these little blankets are being put to good use!

Reuse, Recycle, Enjoy

Posted on March 27, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Recently I’ve read soooo many posts written by people saying they are darning in the ends as they go; so it’s not a horrid job waiting to be done. Or, they’re waiting till the end and dreading it. There’s even some who’ve put off finishing a blanket for a year(s) because of darning in those dratted ends.

I enjoy this part! It’s the finishing off of an enjoyable project. I’m actually looking forward to this restful, rather therapeutic, activity. I admit I’m actively saving it till the crochet is finished. By that time I’ll probably need a change from trebles, trebles and more trebles.

Those ‘dreaded ends’ have been known to end up serving another purpose….

Blogalicious!

Posted on March 25, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I discovered this blog According to Matt and I LOVE it!

the colours of the blog: the simple white background and the glorious photos
the straightforward writing style
also I admit it’s the fact that I’ve found male crocheters whose stuff I actually like (nice colours, designs, enthusiasm and inspiration plus plus plus, and aren’t they easy on the eye too? ;-p)

Have a look at this, this is the winner for me, a gorgeous blanket…though I also love this thick grey ripple blanket. There’s even a tutorial for learning how to crochet a jammy dodger! I grew up eating those yummy biscuits.

Do share some of the blogs you love with me below, I click on people’s side-bars but I think more current links are neglected to be added sometimes.

*************************

This week I’ve had some tea breaks, using my pint mug which says ‘the bigger the better’ around it (!) and worked on:

PS: I cleaned the tannin stains off my mug yesterday, in case you keen eyed clean-freaks noticed them :-D

Crochet as a meditation

Posted on March 21, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Bingo!!!

I was really hoping that the blogger who wrote the post I referred to yesterday, about how to turn crochet into a mindful meditative activity, would post a link. I’ve received quite a few comments expressing an interest in reading about the subject, but just couldn’t remember where I’d seen it….

Thanks Jess of JP’s Crochet Blog for reminding me it was yours.

Also, for my own interest I’m reminding myself of Jess’s useful page on reading reading charts.

:-)

Goldilocks and the Seashell Scarf

Posted on March 21, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve crocheted another few rows in the brightish light of the morning. The trebles of the Rainbow Granny Stripe blanket are far easier to do when it’s night-time. I’m even able to glance up at the tv now for a second or two. I’m not nearly as good as my friend whom I first met at a convention last autumn. She was looking at the speaker all the time, but her hands were busy beneath the table crocheting! I was in awe and definitely experienced a good measure of wonder too!

She’s clever with beads too, her pendant was featured on the cover of a UK jewellery magazine recently.

Anyway, I’m losing focus as usual, the main point of showing more Seashell Scarf pictures is I’ve hit a snag. A big one. I looked at the ten rows of seashells and realised it’s too wide. (14″) I’m not actually going to wear the scarf that thick!

I know; it’s like a soap opera now. First I can’t do the dtr and wail, then it’s too narrow with chunky yarn, and now it’s too wide. This is like a version of Goldilocks for beginner crocheters!

Before I undo it all (all those dtrs!!!!) I’m going to consider if it can be used for anything else. I wondered if I could make ten row ‘squares’ and fix them together to make a throw, but will the edges be too wibbly and fragile to do this? Meanwhile I will start another using the second skein of yarn. I’ll try either 26 or 32 ch to begin, since my advisor Caryn has worked out that you need 6 extra ch per shell. Four shells is probably the best width, three was too few, ten is too many. Fingers crossed.

A surprise in the post from V cheered me up in the midst of scarf trauma. There are some good stories about the mice in the cottage. I’ll tell you about the Christmas mice sometime.

These Woman’s Weekly pages look vintage don’t they? (We don’t seem able to say old these days, it’s all ‘vintage’. As I’m apparently a kool-crochet-kid according to Patch I’m going with the flow.)

In fact that the pages aren’t really that old at all. :-)

Thank you V for thinking of me. I love little surprises in the post.

First Day of Spring

Posted on March 20, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m never sure what these are, but they always look pretty at the end of the garden! I notice each year I photograph them that they’re never sharply in focus. I think they move deliberately, but I still think they’re pretty.

Nearly there. I’m still not sure what colour(s) they’ll be…

A food parcel sent as I had to cancel dinner plans yesterday. (I reasoned that sharing is fine; apart from when it’s nasty coldy germs.)

Coq au vin underneath, it will be yummy.

Lemon pudding with lemon sauce, and raspberries. Mmmm. Wonder if it’s ok to have for breakfast? Energy boost?

Earlyish morning meditation. I should have kept a note of the interesting blog I found on how to turn crochet into a mindful, meditative, activity. If I find it again I’ll share the link.

Oooh! These are my get-well-Rachell presents to myself, only ordered on Saturday.

I feel the need to say I don’t usually read chick-lit, but I’ve discovered JC and this is ~~the third~~ the fourth of hers I’ve read this year. They are so well written, entertaining and make me laugh out loud.

This Colgan book has obviously been through a few pairs of hands! I’ll google that hospice charity shop to see where it’s come from.

Happy Spring to you.

Now I’m off to do some proper work before the programme leader at Uni cuts my fingers off one by one. If that should occur please send me bars of ready broken-up chocolate. (Any sort apart from Galaxy.) Thanks very much. :-D

Flowers & Seashells

Posted on March 19, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Yesterday I was road-testing the flower key chain pattern for Adrianne of Teeny Weeny Design and trying to get over a streaming cold, so crochet in bed was in order.

Imagine my horror when I realised that the petals were made with a combination of dc (fine) tr (not an issue) htr (quite like them) and dtr (EEEEEK!)

The dreaded dtr and me have a bit of recent history as you might know. I even started a little dtr SOS thread on Ravelry. People there are sooo helpful and knowledgeable. If you want to ask anything crochet or knitting related there’s where you need to head right away.

I watched a very short and simple YouTube video, then got on with trying them again. They are not a problem with cotton! Not an issue at all!

I’m now waiting on the next set of instructions so I can carry on with the leaves and finishing off. I’ve taken my job seriously and emailed some suggestions for the clear translation of English terms etc. It’s been really fun!

*************************************************

Today I have mastered dtr with chunky yarn too.

:-D :-D :-D

I’ve had a quiet morning sitting in the sun having a second go at The Chunky Seashell Scarf that I tried a week or so ago. The dtr for some reason are not a problem now! This new found ease must be from yesterday’s petal practice. Perhaps doing them with cotton gave me confidence to try using the more bulky chunky yarn and big 6mm hook?

Want to see? (Sorry, I’m being a bit naff-twee…as if having a crochet blog wasn’t twee enough ;-))

I’m off to The Little Room now, back into the sunshine to practise a few more dtrs -my tension needs to be consistent – while I recoup some more energy for the rest of the week ahead. A friend has given me a couple of Bollywood music cds. Fab crochet-while-chair-dancing about to happen!

Feel free to tell me what you’re working on at the moment, I love a poke around online into others crafty blogs and websites.

Posted on March 19, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I came across this…..

I’ve been pinned!

:-)

A wealth of talent

Posted on March 18, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Morning!

Have a look at this little lot, there are some really interesting patterns. I favour the granny squares and triangles nearer the bottom of the page best.

However I need to learn how to read symbol diagram patterns before I can try any. In person with someone else pointing at the beginning place would be best. It’s far easier when you can ask questions and learn alongside another. Anyone in Southern England who fancies having a keen pupil?! Failing that can you recommend an instructive blog/website/book please?

I found the link for the above site on Aunty Mum’s blog by the way. :-)

Also I’ve been meaning to share the link to this blog for ages; purely for the name ….oh what an original name! It really made me look twice when I stumbled across it.

Thank you for your tweets and comments on my I’m-so-poorly post yesterday. I am beginning to feel a bit more human but still don’t feel like talking much today…that’s a sure sign I’m unwell!

I’ve got to perk up actually as I’ve got crochet homework to complete soon! I asked Adrianne of Teeny Weeny Designs if I could have the pattern for her flower key cover as I have a stash of cotton and want to use it on nice projects. Adrianne’s written it up and asked me to road-test it as an English crocheter…exciting! Then she will make the pattern available in her Etsy shop.

Here’s one Adrianne made earlier….

Beautiful isn’t it?

Rhubarbing & Rainbowing

Posted on March 17, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

So, this is how the newly christened Rhubarb Ripple blanket’s going. (Imagine you’ve gone to the end of the garden to cut some rhubarb for a Sunday crumble, and have taken your blue colander to place the sticks into. See? Everything needs a name.)

The Rainbow Granny Stripe is progressing in a very random fashion. It’s not at all challenging to make and so the ‘what next?’ element of choosing the colours keeps it interesting. Meanwhile I’ve planned the colours for the RR, but there’s no taping tufts of yarn to a card for me…that would be far too professional!

I’ve almost certainly broken the cardinal rule of crochet by changing from a 4mm hook to a 3.5mm as I go, but there was no way I was undoing it all. The tension was definitely going to be too loose with the larger hook. I can see where it changes, but if I hadn’t told you would you have guessed? Be honest if you spotted it – I’m interested, but not changing it now! :-)

The blankets are for small girls who like pretty, that’s why they’re so bright. The next one will probably be more sutble.

The little cotton strip on the top of the pile is for a jar cover.

Sadly I’ve got another streamer of a cold and so am not feeling very dynamic today. It’s particularly a shame when you’ve had a busy week and have plans to do fun stuff at the weekend.

I’ve instructed friends & family to hit me on the head with a large box of balm tissues if I crow about how many colds I used to have when I was younger and how much healthier I am these days….I’ve had two corkers of a cold since I said that last. What a wally.

I feel so blah that I’ve just text downstairs to ask for another cup of Lady Grey and a pint of water…well I’m ill….

A few drinks, and some chatty comments below would definitely cheer me up in fact. I seem to have a lot of visitors to The Little Room but few cheery hellos….go on…introduce yourself, I like meeting new people. :-)

Owl #2

Posted on March 15, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

This is Claire’s birthday owl.

She liked him :-D

Sunday shopping

Posted on March 11, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Tea, coffee & sugar?

Buttons, threads & ribbons!

One new sewing box?

Three new sewing boxes actually!

Sunny day today hey? ;-p

Well…you can never have too many owls, or too many tins in my opinion…

Download this free really useful guide if you are into making the occasional amigurumi crocheted toy (link to Stacey’s website fresh Stitches in my sidebar.)

Guess what I’m making…?

Made with cotton!

Posted on March 10, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

“At last!” I can hear Penny shouting :-)

You can buy the pattern for this cute little owl here. It requires a little bit of brain power to translate the pattern into UK terms. Also the translation is slightly eccentric at times. BUT I’ve made an owl and this is my first attempt, so it can’t be too tricky!

I enjoyed using the cotton to embroider the beak, it will work very well as thick sewing thread too.

Look at my gifts from Hong Kong! (One Chinese, one Japanese…)

Aren’t the gingerbread men gorgeous?!!!!

But oh my goodness; how do I read the charts?

Obviously I start at number 1….?

Then what do the in and out arrows mean?

The stitches are demonstrated in line drawings (very teeny at the back of the book) but with no English translation. However I do enjoy a challenge and am determined to learn how to read these tricky symbols. I actually have a suspicion they might not be as tricky once you get the hang of them either.

One page has a line of scissor motifs joined together in a line – super fiddly but very cute!

And finally, because it’s my blog and I can!

The pile is slowly growing. I’m doing an alternative granny square when I feel like it doing something small. It does seem to mean that I have to play back sections of DVDs again, because I can’t look up at the screen as much as when rippling or granny striping. I miss visual clues as to what’s happening! Life’s hard isn’t it?! ;-p

Those edges :-D

Foiled by dtr…

Posted on March 7, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I didn’t exactly plan to but yesterday I ended up wandering somewhere I hadn’t been for quite a while, after tootling along in my little car glancing at lush green fields and daffodils opening on the roadside verges. When I got to a quaint market town about 15 miles from here I made a beeline for the posh yarn shop, but got distracted by a kind of ‘everything you could want and plenty you don’t need’ shop. This is where lots of items are priced at £1-1.99 and you get lured in by the cheap, cheap prices then end up spending at least £10.00.

That might have been me….

BUT in my defence I have been wanting to make this scarf from the Cute and Easy Crochet book (see link in the sidebar) and it’s rapidly becoming Spring. So obviously I need to crochet it quickly, and for that I need yarn. (Still surpressing a shudder, but again I can’t in all honesty call it wool. It’s 100% man/woman made…)

I think it will be lovely in pink. Debbie Bliss Como isn’t made anymore and this pink marble chunky is 200g for £4.99. Of course I didn’t plan to end up in the market town or the ‘everything you could want and plenty you don’t need’ shop or buying yarn. So wasn’t sure how much the pattern called for. I bought two just in case, you understand?

Umm and also a ball of this….

…for an Easter thingy or two I’m planning to make.

Last night when I tried to start the scarf I found that Como is/was obviously even chunkier than chunky; so had to work out doubling the initial chain and pattern as it should have been about 10″ wide and mine was 5″!

The next pit-fall was dtr, what’s hard about trebles?

Nothing. I can confidently say.

But double trebles are a nightmare!

I had thought I’d progressed to intermediate, rather than a beginner crocheter – but oh my goodness those double trebly things have finished me off!

The 2yo thingy ended up all twirly around the hook; that’s when I could get 2 yos without one slipping off altogether!

I have asked about this dtr thingy on Ravelry and see I’ve helpfully been given some links to online videos.

Watch this space for progress…..

Aren’t these violas lovely? Such happy little faces when I return home. There are tulips coming up in amongst them and they were a complete surprise. I’m waiting to see what colour they are, when they open.

Have a nice evening/day/ now I’m off to see The Woman in Black at the cinema with friends. The book scared me, the play scared me, maybe I’ll be brave for the film?!

:-)

Alternative Granny

Posted on March 5, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I saw this blog post and absolutely loved it…. I especially like seeing the edges. I love the little Vs on the edge of crochet! I really do!

When I tried using Jan Eaton’s target square pattern in her book I came a cropper with the 7 ch bit, the square was a wibbly mess. (Practise makes perfect and all that, but the * and ** and repeats instructions for this square are really confusing to a bear with little brain like me.)

I saw this pattern on CrochetQueen’s blog.

Then I tried to crochet my own AG square using the pattern, but got really confused; mostly about what to do with the 5 ch. There were holes where there weren’t meant to be holes!

I wailed to CrochetQueen that I needed help. She added some tutorial pics to her pattern in about a day. What a star!

How helpful is that?

The generosity of other bloggers in giving patterns, advice and free tutorials is very much appreciated. Maybe one day when I’m more proficient I can do the same? It would be nice to pass it on….

So anyway, using CrochetQueen’s pattern and photo tutorial here’s what I’ve come up with so far…

I know I’ve basically posted the same photograph again and again and again, but I do LOVE those edges!

I used a 3.5 mm hook because I’ve realised my tension on granny squares is always a bit loose and they looked too wibbly using a 4mm.

The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK from my pack bought from here.

While I waited for these photos to load I’ve had a think about trying a slight variation on the number of trebles in each round. I’m going to have a little play again later.

Yesterday afternoon I looked out of the window to this, they really make me smile….

Can you see it? :-)

Rippling & Striping on a rainy weekend

Posted on March 4, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’d forgotten that there were tulips in this pot last year, what a lovely surprise!

There are signs of Spring everywhere…

Friday night I started a ripple blanket. It’s not such a good idea when you find that you’ve increased trebles four times instead of two, the following morning! Crochet after wine is probably not recommended. (Unless you love undoing crochet!)

I’m enjoying choosing the next colour for my rainbow granny stripe. I haven’t got a plan and that’s the way I like it.

Oops! The ripple is shorter than the granny stripe…but edging should sort that little issue.

I prefer Lucy’s ripple pattern (see her Attic 24 blog for pattern, link to the right), rather than the wave stitch I tried for the cushion cover featured in Nicki Trench’s Cute and Easy Crochet book (see link). My tension’s loose usually and Lucy’s ripple seems to suit it better. I do wonder if the rainbow granny stripe blanket will be more popular as it’s thicker, and probably warmer, than the ripple.

Finally look who surprised me…..

Ha! As I added these last two pics I heard this playing on my ipod:

“Tell her I’ll be waiting in the usual place….”

Hahaha!!

(Bryan Ferry’s Slave to Love)

A PINK parcel!

Posted on February 28, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

So exciting to come home to a large PINK PARCEL!

I opened it in a rush and quickly photographed it in the placky bag as I had to be somewhere fast, but here is my new cotton stash! I’ve never bought any yarn in bulk and now look at me, with my yarnalicious rows of DK below and now 13 balls of cotton!

Penny’s blog – Planet Penny – is listed in links somewhere to the right of this page, click if you too would be interested in buying a pack. I obviously can’t vouch for the cotton, yet, but the delivery was super fast! ( I think I only paid for this on Saturday.)

I’ll show some pics of what I create with the super bundle of bright cotton as I go along….

Having a ‘stash’ (this does sound very American to me, but I can’t think what else works so well in one neat word!) does mean that you can try any pattern out there and then, rather than wait to buy a ball of something.

I also am a bit excited about this….

I didn’t even know this magazine existed. The shops I tend to go to for a rummage around amongst their craft magazines don’t stock Mollie Makes. I’m looking forward to a good look at it tonight.

Can you recommend any other crochet / crafty mags?

!!!!!!!!!

Posted on February 25, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m tootling about online after my chocolate eating, crocheting, sunny Saturday afternoon and I check in to Twitterland to see this tweet and photo:

“Mr Scrappy dries his eyes after England lose to Wales at Twickenham.”

Well!!!

I didn’t realise I’d created an emotional sports fan when I crocheted Mr Scrappy…

… .or that he would be such supportive company to the 6 foot, beer drinking, peanut eating rugby watcher downstairs!

Powered by Cadbury’s

Posted on February 25, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve had a lovely hour or two this afternoon….

A little bit of sweetness with a few rows of wave

“Ta-dah! Here I am!”

Mr Scrappy is finally finished.

Want to make your own Mr Scrappy? Click here for the free pattern

Next it was nice to do a few more rows of granny stripes for the rainbow blanket…

Soooo relaxing. It’s getting cosy as it grows and keeps my legs warm as I work.

I hope you’re having a good weekend too? After a busy week I think there’s nothing better than sunshine streaming through the windows, a little bit of chocolate (or whatever makes you feel like you’re having a treat) and something relaxing to make or do.

Lovely!

Brightness!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s growing very fast, I find that I can’t do fewer than 2 stripes at a sitting, even if time is pressing and I need to do just half a row….addictive or what?!

I think the next bit is going to go into bluey greens and I’ll try the yacky green out too; but if it fails the audition it’s OUT!

I’m enjoying the trebling but wanted to try something new. I find that I can’t just concentrate on one project, I have to try a few alongside each other. It’s like me and books. I usually have a poem anthology, a non-fiction, a fiction and maybe something else I’m dipping in and out of. Variety is the spice of life, and all that. :-)

I’m using Nicki Trench’s pattern for the wave cushion (see link at the side for the book.) I suspect this is what everyone else is calling ripple pattern. It’s great. I enjoyed it last night, but if you’re wondering why I stopped in the middle…there was a bombshell in the middle of Roger and Val have just got in that required me to stop! and talk! Then it was time for bed Zebedee…

If, unlike me, you’re a crochet expert and notice a flaw in my waves tell me please. Gently!

PS: Sorry that the pics are a bit fuzzy but I wanted to show you how I’m getting on. The flash had to do the job as the sun is in bed now, and it’s never as good as natural sunlight.

Getting zingy!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

My instinct is to work through the colours gradually but this is not going to happen. I’m challenging my sense of colour comfort!

Sunday Crochet

Posted on February 19, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s growing!

I finished this beanie yesterday, it just needed a couple more rounds.

It’s mostly wool in this chunky yarn and feels really warm on the ears. Goodo, ready for any more icy weather we’re going to get.

I learnt what frogging means, in the crochet sense, yesters. The hat below was made last autumn from frogging a scarf I knitted a few years ago, but had never worn…

But when I asked for an honest opinion….”There’s just too much of it” T said on its first outing. I got a second opinion from B: ‘There’s a lot at the top” and so the big gathered hat was frogged too to make my beanie. I’m happy with it.

This wool is staying as it is now!

Rainy Saturday

Posted on February 18, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Today’s the perfect day for a bit of lounging on the sofa with my granny stripe blanket to keep me occupied.

Not that it resembles a blanket at all yet, I am a tiny bit tempted to make some edging and turn it into a scarf, it’s looking just like one I saw in M&S after Christmas. :-)

This is SO relaxing; it’s just simple repetitive trebles with a few chains thrown in, very very satisfying to make. Choosing the colours and watch it turn into a stripey colourful textile makes it really fun to make.

Recently I’ve made lots of small thingys which have meant following patterns and counting all the time. This Granny Stripe is refreshing crochet. No counting, no following a complex pattern (complex for me a novice, or intermediate, crocheter anyway.)

I’m a bit wary of when the time comes to add in the red (one of my favourite colours) with the PiNk! You can’t put pink and red together, it’s the LAW. I’ve grown up with this rule. I’m going to break the law. FOR THE FIRST TIME….

Then to make it worse there will also be BriGhT yellow and orange and that yacky green I showed you here…….it’s really going to challenge my sense of colour comfort.

BUT inspired by Lucy’s GS blanket (see Attic24) I’m going to use all the colours in the Stylecraft pack, in my own way. I’m not copying Lucy’s colour combinations, this is MY blanket though of course the colours are the same because they are unofficially called ‘The Lucy pack’ I’m told.

If you want the same pack click here or Google ‘Stylecraft special DK’. It’s lovely to work with and feels unepxectedly soft for 100% man-made yarn (or 100% people-made if we want to be 21st century about it.)

Back to the sofa where a cheeky bottle of English cider and a few snacks are waiting for my company. The GS might go a bit wiggly!

Happy weekend,

Rachel

Sunny morning hooky

Posted on February 17, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Lovely bright morning for a bit of hooky.

I’m experimenting with this word hooky; it does have overtones of dodgyness to my sweet innocent mind. Hooky though seems to be what the happening crochet kids on the block are saying, so if I wanna be kool I’ll give it a whirl…

The plan was to make wristwarmers now I’ve got the yarnalicious stash, but then I began wondering if I really, really wanted to wear rainbow coloured wristwarmers when I’ve got around four pairs of gloves already.

Let’s get Crafting magazine did a twitter poll the other day asking their “Question of the Week: do you still buy #knitted & #crocheted garments from shops or do you prefer to make everything yourself? #craft”

…and my reply was: “I’m not that talented and actually some machine made knitted items look far better than handmade. #honestopinion” and that really is how I feel about lots of home-made do-dahs.

Controversial?

So, I’ve decided to start a Granny stripe blanket for the little girls I love to be Aunty Rachel to. They apparently like to snuggle under a fleecy blanket sometimes to watch tv, but I think a GS snuggly soft (reliably machine washable I’m told) Stylecraft yarn blanket is the way forward for them. :-D

Deciding which colour comes next is the challenge at the moment. I’ve completed two colour stripes now and do I go purpley again or change to pink? Dark or light? I’m off to ponder one of life’s happier and easier choices.

PS: it’s been flowerarama this week so a pint glass had to suffice for my second bunch of daffs!

Made

Posted on February 16, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I couldn’t wait to get started using some of my new stash of ~~wool~~ yarn last night!

After I’d moved the scallop edging to the bottom of the jar I preferred it far more.

I hope Naomi likes it. I know crochet and hand-made isn’t everyone’s cup-of-tea and for some it’s all a bit hokey…but I wanted to make her something to say THANKYOU.

The Stylecraft yarn is really nice to work with, yes I’d prefer Rowan and Debbie Bliss with no acrylic at all but it’s far too ££££ for playing around with. Until I win the lottery!

Yarnalicious!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Oooh look what just arrived…

A big sack of yarn (I hate saying yarn, I grew up with a Mum who said wool as in ‘We’re going to walk to the wool shop’ and ‘Can you help wind my wool please?’ but there’s nothing of it in this huge parcel that’s ever seen a sheep, let alone come from one!)

It’s like a game of pass the parcel!

I can’t wait to see what’s inside! I’ve never bought more than 2 balls of yarn by mail before!

Wow! Looks good and feels very soft. Far softer than I imagined 100% acrylic would feel.

There’s one colour I really didn’t like when I saw it pictured in the online shop but it’s a pack so you take the urgh with the lovely colours! Can you tell which one it is?!

They’ve sold out of the pack I think as I type because it’s not on the page when I went there for the url thingy, but I know they’ll be putting more together, such is the power of Lucy of Attic24! This pack is exactly the same colours she used for one of her projects; the Granny Stripe blanket for her caravan.

Now I don’t know exactly what I’m going to make with this, apart from the jar cover for a very lovely friend Naomi. She’s been really helpful and, well, so lovely that I wanted to make her something useful. She can keep all her pens in it at school.

I originally ordered the pack so I could have a stash to use for all manner of little projects, but I am tempted to make a blanket. The little girls might like a blanket to snuggle under….I might like a blanket to snuggle under…..

All these exciting possibilities….

PS: S said when he saw the yucky green that “It looks like the dial has been turned to 11 for that one!” Spot on I reckon!!

Crochet news

Posted on February 14, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Yesterday I made myself not start any new projects until I’d a) darned in the ends on the dolls blanket b) sewed up Mr Scrappy c) ordered eyes for Mr S and d) sorted out the Hilton crochet

a) Done. Tick!

It’s finished, all ends darned in and ready to go to two little girls. I thought one blanket between the two of them for their dollies was a bit mean.

This is the other one when it was a WIP. I saw it being used in dolly covering mode last weekend….

Mr Scrappy being assembled

b) Done. Tick!

c) Done. Tick! Eyes ordered from a seller on ebay

and ummmm d) didn’t get done but I did start a new hat based on Stacey Trock’s FREE pattern available on Ravelry.

Stacey’s patterns are very clear and easy to follow. I can’t recommend her enough. Mr Scrappy is another of her free patterns on her great website ‘Fresh Stitches’

Happy Valentine’s Day! xx

London, Bookcrossing, Snow & Crochet

Posted on February 6, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

It was a beautiful start to Saturday for a day in London with friends

We enjoyed a bit of bookswapping, chat, drinks and a nice lunch

When we left the next pub, where we had another quick drink, half of the books we’d left on the Boris bikes had gone.

Eeek!

Home for a warming cider, the last slice of tea-loaf and some crochet before bed.

Rock and Roll!

The latest mini project

Posted on January 29, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Yesterday I thought I’d try making the little granny squares baby blanket from the new Let’s Get Crafting magazine which I got yesterday.

I get a bit bored with granny squares but the finished thing looks so nice.

The yarn kit has the nicest colours yet…

I crocheted the squares quickly and enjoyed using the yarn, as opposed to the cotton I’ve been using for the Hilton crochet. Yarn, even acrylic stuff, is so much softer and ‘moves’ nicely!

Lovely colours aren’t they?

I crocheted 3 more squares and that was it – the 9/9 complete.

Then I tried to crochet them together using slip stitches into the outer loops, rather than the matresses stitch recommended in the pattern.

And that is another story….

Waiting…

Posted on January 28, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s Saturday morning and I’m sitting up in bed checking out some of my favourite blogs, sipping from my pint mug of jasmine tea and waiting for the latest copy of Let’s Get Knitting and Crafting magazine.

I looked in three shops yesterday and none of them had the mag, so today is the day!

It’s baby focused which doesn’t really excite me but the magazine usually has some small and fairly mixed patterns, for beginners and intermediate crocheters and knitters. I’m looking forward to a new supply of yarn. It’s not the greatest quality but is good for practising new stitches and designs.

By the way; do check out the latest from Lucy of her fab Attic 24 blog and look at what she’s made now, she makes me laugh with her kooky designs.

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I love this subversion of the original.

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In other news: Mr Scrappy will be made up this weekend. Also the Hilton crochet is complete, that also needs to be crocheted together and the ends darned in…that is NOT going to be a fast job.

I can hear the front door opening. I’m off to grab my mag!

Happy weekend to you!

Crocheting in bed

Posted on January 24, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I really did go downhill yesterday, I thought that the streaming cold of Sunday would be better and probably nearly gone by yesterday but I woke up feeling really horrendous. I was even slightly tempted to take a photo to prove how hideous I looked and felt, but am truly glad I didn’t….it would be scarey viewing.

I’d read a tweet at the weekend which said something like ‘if all you want to do is sit up in bed and crochet – while watching a movie, then do’ (Or 140 characters worth of similar advice anyway!) I’ve never considered bed and crochet as being compatible; I have enough trouble with my hooks sliding down between the cushions, or onto the floor when I’m on the sofa. But as I was feeling so fragile, and bed was the cosiest place, I decided to try.

So far Mr Scrappy only had a body and one leg or arm which was all green when it was meant to be stripey.

(Here’s why it’s plain green, not colourful…)

I settled down against my pillows with my audio book of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and made another one.

Anything you notice about them?!

I sighed and decided to carry on making Mr Scrappy’s body….while laughing out loud and feeling a little teary as the book progressed…

Lynne’s advice about using a stitch marker when crocheting in the round is sooo helpful. It really works!

Ok, so after going back and making another arm or leg I could see that crocheting after 2 glasses of wine, while watching Red Dwarf, might not have been such a great idea the other night…

I’ll undo the freakishly big plain green one and save the wool for another section of Mr S.

Not bad crochet for a poorly Rachel – especially while choking and sobbing over Me Before You.

I can’t recommend the book enough, it’s amazing by the way. So amazing I might even be listening to it again from the beginning.

Crocheting more of Mr Scrappy took my mind off how terrible I was feeling and I might even crochet in bed again one lazy weekend. Hopefully without all the germs!

Mr Scrappy (and the Hilton crochet)

Posted on January 22, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve got a stinking cold but have enjoyed doing a bit more of my Hilton crochet for the bag I’m making…

I wanted a smaller thing to make so Mr Scrappy was the project I began yesterday…

I really really needed some advice about stitch markers, so tweeted and got some from the ever-helpful Lynne.

The method above works sooo well!

Mr Scrappy seemed like a great way to use up my odds and ends, though as you see I lost the plot a bit last night and used all green for one of his legs or arms! Blame it on watching/listening to Red Dwarf while counting the stitches in the round…

You can also get the pattern here….

Thanks Stacey!

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Finally, here’s what I’ll make for dinner tomorrow…

I love chicken

I love chickpeas

I love sweet and savoury together

So this recipe from my Good Food Magazine, also available on their excellent website will be perfect.

YUM.

Crochet wool yearnings

Posted on January 20, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve had a really busy week teaching and writing an assignment for my Masters degree, and it’s been a great week.

A+ or A* in fact!

10/10

I am itching to get my hands on some really nice wool (not yarn, wool – all soft and snuggly in beautiful colours) but

I need to finish The Hilton crocheted bag first really though before I buy anything else which is not going to be cheap….sigh…..

Anyway, just thought I’d pop into the little room before I enjoy my Friday night curry and wine :-D

Happy days.

Happy weekend to you!

Rachel

This morning…

Posted on January 17, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I love beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I just had to whip out my camera for this one at around 730am this morning.

Pins away!

Posted on January 15, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Green is the new red/blue/grey/black for me at the moment. I’ve never ever liked the colour, but something happened last summer (even I don’t know what. ) Come September and I found myself buying a bluey green jumper, plus using green yarns in crochet projects!

Me using lime green? I’m surprised, but I like it.

I had itchy fingers last night, even after all the birdie making, and so I made a little pin cushion. It fits perfectly in my crochet tin of tricks.

This photo makes it seem like it’s a floating pin cushion planet somehow…I’m not sure how I did that!

Happy Sunday to you!

Rachel

Birdies complete!

Posted on January 14, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Helloo,

Birdies complete! A nice way to spend an icy Saturday afternoon…

I used Nicki Trench’s pattern for the circles (who needs cushions anyway ;-p) Using DK and a size 4mm hook for one circle, then a 3.5mm for the other as I thought it could be tighter.

Beaks, legs and wings were inspired by Lucy of the Attic 24 blog. See the link at side of my blog if you’d like to see some really amazing crochet and projects she’s done over several years.

One of the birds is going to fly over to someone who shall remain nameless for now, in case she sees this little blogette.

As a beginner I really do enjoy little projects that are fast, and these were perfect. I really did enjoy putting the finishing touches on and sewing them up. In fact I have a feeling that I need to buy some felt and retrieve an old supply of embroidery threads I’ve had for years; to make something pretty and practise my very rusty sewing.

Anyway, enough waffle – here they are – here’s the reveal….!

A Happy Weekend to you!

Byeeee,

Rachel

Crochet doings

Posted on January 13, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Morning!

Here’s what I’m doing at the moment, though I’ve haven’t done much crochet this week as the work I’ve put off for so long has to be done by next Thursday. I’m going to be working next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday elsewhere so time is lacking. I can see a long weekend of sighing and a lot of Earl Grey being drunk next to a red-hot lap top! It’s my own fault, if we really need to talk blame… *smirk*

Here it is in all it’s-all-wibbly-needs-blocking-badly-‘glory’.

I’ve unravelled the first circle so far, it’s the larger one, and am going to make one of those folded circle birds everyone seems to making at the moment.

The other circle is new and improved with a smaller 3.5mm hook, and greater attention to detail…those stitches have to be counted and recounted as I go, there’s no getting away from it.

Lynne said that she goes into the back loop when ss into the 3rd chain at the end of a curcuit and she still has gappy bits, so not to worry. She is the master of knitting and crochet, so I’m not worrying about it.

These aren’t the colours I’d have chosen to put together, but I’m using scraps. The surprising thing is I’ve had many compliments on the colour combination! It’s made me like them more. I know. I’m a sucker for flattery…

This is what I call (I know; I sound like Miranda’s Mum!) The Hilton crochet. I stayed in the one in Nottingham last November without taking any crochet. I madly thought it would be good to have a break for a few days. My fingers started itching in an alarming way, so much so that there seemed only one thing to do – I had to go to the John Lewis, conveniently located next door to the hotel, and buy a hook and some cotton.

Experimenting with a different middle. I prefer this to the usual GS cross.

Those pesky ends!!! …Actually it’s not popular to say this but I don’t mind the darning at all. It makes a change and doesn’t take long at all.

Rowan HK cotton. It’s my first go with it. I like it but I’m not sure it works for clothing or a blanket, not for me anyway. Plus it’s mahoosively ££££££ for the 50g you get. They offer a nice range of colours though, I can imagine using it for decorative bits and pieces.

This is probably going to be a bag, only 25 more squares to go I reckon. Don’t hold your breath for a big reveal soon. It’s not going to happen too quickly!!!

My Boden catalogue arrived today. A littleish word caught my eye…..

It’s everywhere, isn’t it?

Fab.

Back to the grindstone. Have a good weekend!

Rachel

I never said this was a crochet blog from an expert, to inspire awe and wonder, did I?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I know I only really started to follow patterns and really learn to crochet last New Year; but I do get despondent if my item doesn’t look exactly the one in the picture which accompanies the pattern.

I’ve been really enthused about tackling the lovely circle cushion in Nicki’s Trench’s fab crochet book and have been holding out until I have a proper posh supply of yarn. Then last night I came to the realisation that what does it matter? I need to just have a go at it.

So, I’ve had a go at it. I’ve used scraps and oddments of yarn. Not necessarily the colours I’d have chosen if I’d bought yarn, or which go anywhere in my home, but whatever! Just crochet the thing.

Nicki Trench states that this is the easiest thing in the world, that she often starts beginner crocheters on circles since they grow fast and are rewarding (or something like that..) Well, they would be fast if I didn’t have to keep undoing the circle as I go…

The issue is knowing where to go in at the end of the circle and me disliking the look at the joiny part. I just HATE the gappy bit where you’ve chained 3 at the start, then slip-stitch the 3rd chain at the end. Do you go in one loop of the chain? If you do, or if you don’t and ss to into the whole gap in between the chain and first treble, there seems to be a gappy bit. Then you have the issue after another circle of knowing whether to go into that stitch or not. The answer’s probably no. Almost certainly since I seem to have an extra stitch at the end of each row.

I decided not to let it worry me, hey let’s be free and experimental with our crochet. We’ll call it ‘free-form-Rachel’. BUT that doesn’t work when you’ve got to make a matching circle for the other side of the cushion. Shall it be a bag instead???

No.

It needs to be a circle cushion.

Back I go to undo, undo, undo.

Grrrr.

Here’s some pics before I unravel it.

I never expected to say this….

Posted on January 9, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

…but in November I was crocheting robins!

They had come to a pause until I found toy stuffing in a local shop (Darn it and Stitch in Oxford.) Haberdashry shops are few and far between these days. The robin pattern was found in the Christmas makes editon of the excellent Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine. For the first robin I used the kit wool, and copied the instructions. Then I bought a cheapo ball of brown acrylic for the second; after all robins are not yellow and red! I tweeted the designer, Lynne Rowe, at the time and she said she had run out of other colours to use in the yarn kit, which is sold with the magazine. Fair enough, as the pattern is the most important thing.

I needed to think about what to use for his eyes and then sew up his bottom properly!

The ‘evil’ crocheted robins!

I will have to invest in some toy eyes if I make these again…

See you soon,

Rachel

Crocheted jar cover

Posted on January 8, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I spent my Friday evening crocheting this jar cover while sipping Lady Grey tea. I’d decided to give alcohol for January so was feeling very cleansed and virtuous. That was until, fast forward to Saturday lunch, The King’s Arms in Oxford when I finished my lovely cool pint of lager shandy and looked at my friend in horror; I’d totally forgotten I wasn’t meant to be drinking! After the 3 mile walk into town it had felt like the perfect drink. Oops.

I would really love a perfect bottom (hey, don’t we all?!) but it takes practice I guess. I am perfectionist and there are a few flaws if you look carefully.I made my own wiggly up and down pattern for the top: 3 trebles then 3 doubles repeated. The start of the design was from a Let’s Get Crafting pattern for a crocheted ‘jar’ by Lynne Rowe, but you can see where I carried on crocheting and got carried away from the white sticky outy row onwards, it’s meant to be where the last two rows of crochet fold over at the top. I kept the textured sticky outy bit (technical talk?!) because I liked it. I think I’ll do that again. You basically stop going around and around, turn the crocheted so you are now looking at the inside or the outside and go into the back loop only for the stitch. There are possibilities for more texture in dimensional projects me thinks….

The yarn, by the way, was horrendous to use as it kept splitting. It seemed more man-made than anything I’ve ever used before. But I like the colour combination. It’s very seasidey.

A present

Posted on January 7, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I knitted my friend a dishcloth last year and since it died, after constant use, I haven’t heard the last of her wanting another. So, this time when I got my special delivery of cotton from Lincolnshire I crocheted her one…

It only took me an hour or so. I must be getting a lot faster at the hooky stuff.

A foundation row of chains, a row of doubles and then trebles all the way.

I’ve never seen anyone look so excited, and this was after all the joy of Christmas and present opening. Maybe I could start a business selling hand-made dish-cloths?!

Crochet 2011

Posted on January 6, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

Here as promised are some of my very first crochet projects, all from last year.

I’m not pretending to be a crochet expert and this blog is really going to be a journal of my progress and keeness! I also might occasionally be having a temper tantrum when something goes wrong, or be asking for help of course…

A friend wanted an iphone case and LOVES bright green and orange. This was my first attempt…

And here’s the next…

She said it could be even BRIGHTER than the prototype…

It has visible flaws but I was fairly pleased with it at the beginning of the year; as one of my first projects.

Crocheted bowls which I filled with shredded tissue paper and added chickens with chocolate eggs for an easter gift.

George the egg cosy. He’s larger than your average egg cosy, but I love him. I’ve also crocheted Henry, his brother. They are now living in London and Oxfordshire.

Those are VERY bright squares eh? Not exactly the colours I’d usually choose but it was leftover Let’s Get Crafting mag yarn. I obviously needed to block these before doing the edging. Oops. I didn’t want to undo it and start again because by then I was on to the next project. I gave it to some little girls I know to cover their mini baby dolls with!

I still haven’t blocked anything yet, but will have to sort out how soon…

Even brighter crocheted bunting I made a week ago!

I used Nicki Trench’s pattern from her fab ‘Cute and Easy Crochet’ book (one of my favourite Christmas pressies this year), and the yarn is again from a LGC mag. I’m pleased with it and think it would be great to use personalised colours to make more as a gift, for a nursery or playroom.

Apart from that little lot I’ve crocheted cotton dishcloths, a bracelet (no, I don’t wear it!) ‘the evil robins’ as I call them, the stocking from my first blog post and many more bits and pieces that I’ve forgotten for now.

I’ve practised making granny squares and tried out quite a few stitches using this book: 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets Throws and Afghans

Next time you can see more of what I enjoy seeing and doing,

Rachel

Crochet dreams

Posted on January 1, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

When I was quite small I really, really wanted to learn how to crochet. My German Aunty and cousins had come over to visit us, bringing me a Sindy doll. They then sat and made crocheted clothes with scraps of wool, with no pattern! Very quickly Sindy had a huge wardrobe!

I was given a Ladybird Book of Crochet (I’d love to see another copy of this, but haven’t found one so far) and tried to master crochet, but it wasn’t to be. The drawings were all for right-handers. I have a Mum who is expert at sewing and knitting but not so much a crocheter. I did get the hang of chains but that was it. I went back to patchwork, embroidery and knitting.

The dream to learn to crochet must have been dormant for years because in 2008 I suddenly had a strong desire to conquer it once and for all. My helpful Mum went to her monthly Saturday craft group and asked a friend to show her how to make a Granny square. She then patiently showed me how to hold the hook, yarn and make them do what I wanted and I was off! I couldn’t get the hang of the fiddly central ring; so just carried on trebling and chaining from Mum’s original foundation circle. I took my growing crochet to Yorkshire for a farm cottage holiday Christmas where as I worked it grew and grew while keeping my legs warm.

I finished the rug happy; although the middle is a bit wiggly since it was just a scrap of maroon DK, and the rest was oddments of DK yarn with 2 strands put together since it seemed to suit the large (6mm?) hook I was using. But, it does keep me warm when I’m snuggled on the sofa and as it was my first attempt I was thrilled with it.

Would you like to see it?

I took this photo when I was trying to really get to grips with crochet again last January, 2011, using this fab little book (pictured in the middle of The Yorkshire Blanket) which I bought from Amazon. Buy this book if you are new to crochet, or want to practise after a long break. I can’t recommend it enough particularly if you are a leftie like me. The illustrations are for both left and right-handers with very concise instructions.

I’m really enjoying trying new stitches, honing my skills and can’t get enough of doing crochet, studying crochet books, websites, the super Let’s Get Crafting magazine (when it’s crochet) or crochet blogs like the inspirational Lucy of Attic 24.

I found that I didn’t want to crochet in the summertime; because of sweaty hands I reckon and it can be hard to crochet while drinking G&Ts too! Then when I was in Boston in September I came across a novel ‘The Knitting Circle’ by Ann Hood. It really, really inspired me to take up knitting and crochet again. It’s not the genre of book I normally read but I was hooked for a while on the Knitting novel genre.

What made you start to crochet? When did you begin?

Next time I’ll post some pictures of the first items I made after using the Crochet Unravelled book and Let’s Get Crafting magazines.

Very best wishes on the first day of 2012 to you!

Rachel

From The Little Room of Rachell

Posted on December 31, 2011 by The Little Room of Rachell

Hellooo!

I hope you’ve had a good Christmas!

Today is the last day of the year and I wanted to start something new, so hello to you! Happy New Year’s Eve. It’s going to be a good year, I can feel it in my toes.

My blog will feature:

Places, food, crochet, knitting, nature and especially crochet…..it may also have a bit of Cath Kidson as I LOVE her pretty things.

I’m newish to crochet and am super keen on it. So, expect a few photos and words about my efforts this coming year, as well as some pics of the crochet I’ve done this year in 2011.

The pattern is from Let’s Get Crafting Magazine and is one designed by the fab Lynne Rowe.

Next time I’ll tell you about when I started to crochet.

Until then,

Rachell

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