Week 28: CAL Blocks #82 #83 #84

Posted on March 18, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#82 Webbed Lace

This is the runty one of the litter this week, I’ve crocheted it with a 4mm and 3.5mm hook. Both are rectangular, nowhere near square. Guess what I’m going to say about this pattern? (Prizes if you get it.)

This would make a nice Springtime scarf in the right kind of yarn! (Did you win?)

4mm=6″W x 5″ H

3.5mm=5 3/4″W x 4 1/4″H

#83 Diamond in a Square

3.5mm=5 1/4″ but then I added two more R8 to enlarge the block so it’s 5 3/4″. I just fancied using my pink 3.5mm hook for a change from the blue 4mm, so I did.

Now tell me is there a mistake in the instructions for R6? There don’t seem to be enough instructions before the corner space stitches. I just trebled along until the last 3htr, surely it should specify 14tr then 3htr? There’s always the photo in the book to check; but I think of how confused I’d have been if this particular block was the first I tried as a newbie.

#84 Combination Stripes

5 3/4″ – 5 1/2″ depending on if you’re measuring the fat or thinner end!

I thought this was less wonky than my usual (unblocked) corner squares, but looking at this photo I’m not so sure. Generally the corners where you increase, rather than decrease, come out less wibbly for me. It’s probably all about the tension.

Week 28! Wow I can’t believe we’ve been going since 1st September crocheting and posting pics! WELL DONE if you’ve been with me since the beginning and are still crocheting along. I could post a list of links to current block-makers’ blogs in my CAL week 29 post to make it easy for readers to click to yours so they can have a peep. Just send me a link to your last CAL post here if you fancy.

I’ve heard from Jen of The Eclectic Stitch to say she’s rejoining the CAL which is cool. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her blocks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m thinking of taking part in A Mile of Mice which according to the Make & Craft website involves: ‘knitting a mile of knitted mice to raise funds for The Alzheimer’s Society. 7600 mice need to be joined nose to tail and measured at Altrincham Football Ground in October 2013 to gain a Guinness World Record and gain publicity for The Alzheimer Society. Knitters can be sponsored and the mice will be sold off after the Big Measure to raise more money for them. Donations of money, wool or stuffing most welcome from people who don’t want to knit themselves.’

I thought I could make a pink alpaca mouse, or two, from my Knitting and Stitching Show workshop wool. Every mile of mice needs a pink alpaca family.

Shall we get involved and do a mini KAL? (Knit-along) but with no fixed schedule? I’m happy to post links to blogs/photos showing completed mice. It could be squeaking good fun. What do you reckon?

The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show, London

Posted on March 16, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

016

I’ve had a very good day. Very good indeed. I tried not to take hundreds of photos but did bear in mind that quite a few readers have said they are looking forward to hearing about the day.

On the tube journeys to Kensington Olympia I played a little game to guess who would be going to the knitting and stitch show. It wasn’t too hard. Do they have a: knitted/crocheted hat? Knitted/crocheted scarf? Handmade item(s) of clothing? Colourful bag? Flowery rucsac? Anything Cath Kidson? All were complete give-aways. I followed a couple of women for two parts of the journey and then bumped into them by the ribbon and button stall where we had a chat, as you do. I tend to chat to people wherever I am, whatever I’m doing and there were some very friendly people at the show.

In case you’re wondering; I wore my knitted lacy purple scarf, it’s warm but I also had a feeling it’s de rigueur at crafty events to wear something handmade. I was right. I saw a divine cabled top, really nice chunky wool, it just fit and suited the wearer so well. I had to stop myself from rushing up to ask for the yarn details, pattern and needle size. 019 021

The lady in purple is Lara (mid cough, oops) the editor of Mollie Makes who was later running a VERY popular crochet flower workshop throughout the day. I tried to find a spare chair, but each time I passed they were all occupied, with spectators standing around too! I’m so glad crochet is so popular. When I said I really like MM Lara seemed genuinely delighted, she seems very sweet. 024 Wow. Just wow! A lady and I joked that you’d have one very muscly arm from using these hooks!

025 Perhaps knitting would give you an equally balanced upper arm workout? 027 This is where I made my resolution, yet again, to relearn to sew. Aren’t the fabrics beautiful?

028 029 The next two photos really, really made me want to visit the Mrs Moon shop which speaks volumes for the beautiful layout of the wools, patterns and samples. The women looked so elegant as well.

032

Rowan Big Wool. Mmmmm I feel a snood or scarf coming on sometime, in a berry red or grey perhaps. 033

The next two pictures were part of an area with a table of free-form crocheters who, I think, were making pieces to decorate costumes. There were some women in huge dresses, painted faces and high-high-high-up hair, or wigs, like the aristocrats during the French Revolution. The area was labelled The Garden of England Royal Museums Greenwich.The show is turning into a good way to check out new places and visit other exhibitions, rather like following a trail of bread crumbs. 035 039

I was forbidden to take a photograph of the felting and silk artist Yulia Badian in her Woodland Boudoir fetchingly dressed as a woodland fairy, but drinking a can of red bull. She was quite attention grabbing I can tell you. 041 042

Deebie Hall’s ‘Lady Spring‘

I’m always partial to willow art. 044

Sue Stratford’s The Knitting Hut was also one of my favourites. Just look at those chicken kits! Several were purchased as I browsed. I took a photo of her knitted meerkats but sadly it’s a fuzzy one. 047

Just when I was beginning to flag I spotted a spare chair at The Knitter/Simply Knitting table, opposite the full to bursting MM crochet area. Half an hour knitting alongside friendly people felt equal to a session of meditation. I can’t describe how relaxed I felt after that pit-stop. I liked that you could take the whole ball of wool, needles and pattern away all for free.

Something funny happened during the session. Eight of us knitters sat around a circular table and I noticed that seven were ‘throwing’ the wool. The eighth was an older woman who knit sliding her hand up and along the needle. The rest not. One of the magazine editor demonstrators complimented the neatness of mine which led to discussing techniques and the feeling that persists which says I’m ‘not doing it right’. All agreed it’s an individual thing; there are many ways to accomplish the same end. All good, all rosy. I’m feeling pretty confident showing off my technique in public while hoards flow around the area, some taking photos of us (eek!) THEN a group of Grannies come along and make quite a deal of the throwing technique and actually take one woman’s knitting away to show her how to ‘do it properly.’

“Look, you wrap the wool round your fingers like this, see? You hold the needle under and do NOT take your hand off…blah blah.” The lady took it quite well but I’m just so glad it wasn’t me.

050

This was my favourite quilt from the exhibition, it’s so country home in style. 052

On the tube home I heard fragments of people’s conversation:

‘I spend my limit then I stop. Do you remember last year when I didn’t have enough money left for a cup of coffee?”

“He’s expecting me home later than this but will come to get us when I tell him what time the train gets in. Umm NO! I haven’t told him how much I’ve spent!”

“Next time I’m gonna take a wheelie bag to fill, and probably get right in people’s way.”

“Bugger! I’ve got me wool stuck in my zip aint I?!”

053

I’m very pleased with my Clover crochet hook, bought from Jane Crowfoot. She’d sold out of 4mm but this was one that was lurking in an under the counter box. She did say she might be in trouble with her Mr for selling too many and not having enough for online customers, but they’ll just have to wait eh? Lucky me!

I’m off to drink a large glass of red wine, finish my bunting with my beautiful alpaca wool, or maybe unravel it to crochet something with my NEW HOOK!

Happy weekend everyone.

Tunisian Crochet

Posted on March 14, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s a beautifully sunny and warm Spring morning. I’ve been sorting out a stack of mostly new crafty inspiration.

So many books, so much to try!The Knitting Answer book is brand new, the other two are library books. I want to learn to knit different types of cables after my first try the other week. But then I also want to learn how to do lace knitting. Apart from a couple of wool scarves I designed a few years ago, one purple for me and a green for my sis-in-law, I haven’t done any lace patterns. In the Knitted Homestyle book there are three lacy sachets designs for lavender bags, I thought they might be a good start. purple scarf

I also want to work my way through the knitted effects section, maybe making a selection of blocks to make into a throw. A collection of knitted leaves appeal too, for some reason. I’ve no idea what I’d do with them.

The new Mollie Makes arrived yesterday. Cute bunnies but I’d prefer to find a pattern rather than cutting up old jumpers. There must be knitted bunny patterns by the million online.

I always save MM till I have the perfect time to read it, preferably cover to cover without stopping or speaking. Someone else loves the oasis of silence craft magazines create.

The Cath Kidson Stitch book was for my birthday and the Sublime transfer books were Christmas presents. I must find things to embroider on, more linen t-towels perhaps. Maybe I should be going to the Sewing for Pleasure show the weekend after next? But it’s the Spring Knitting & Stitch show on Saturday and then I’m going to the Wool House with Natasja next week. AND I’ve just heard of a new yarn shop which must be checked out.

It’s sooo funny to remember that when I learnt how to crochet a few years ago, because of a childhood ambition, I accidentally discovered the world of crochet blogs when googling crochet techniques. I found Attic 24 along with a host of other craft blogs but still felt pretty solitary during my crafty adventures. Then over the last year or so there’s been an explosion of magazines, new craft shops both on the high street and online, craft shows, knit, crochet & natter groups (did you see what I did there?!) I’m hearing many ‘I think I’m going to become more crafty’ resolutions from friends too. Hurray! I hope this trend for all-things-craft lasts a long, long time and doesn’t fade away again.

I didn’t get on very far with my plan to embroider this cushion,as you see, before going to a workshop at the Make Lounge in Islington, London with my cat mad friend last September. Crochet and other yarny projects have taken over. I must use the Sublime books for inspiration and sew.

Ok, enough of the chatter and stop linking to everything PLeeaAsE….

Last night I dug out the 5mm Tunisian crochet hook I bought last month along with Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Tunisian Crochet and some left-over wool from the jewel baby blanket I’m currently finishing (Stylecraft Special DK.) I’ve been busy with other things but -LAST ONE I PROMISE- Matt’s last blog post prompted me to get on and try crochet Tunisian styley.

My cousin and I often send photos of what we’re up to, here was mine last night at the beginning of my first Tunisian Crochet lesson. (In case you’re wondering hers were of various cats peering into the lap top webcam and pics of her really long Tunisian Crochet hooks. Apparently she had lessons at school and crocheted a stripy neck-tie! I didn’t know.)

So, here are the four little stitch swatches I made last night. Tunisian Simple Stitch

Easy! Easy and fun. I like making all the stitches so it looks like a knitting needle full, then reversing down to one stitch again. Ingenious. If you can crochet you can do it Tunisian style. Kim Guzman puts instructions for lefties into each pattern. Kudos to Kim Guzman I say! The book is a goodie. I contacted her to say so and straightaway had a nice reply.

It felt more natural to hold the hook on top, then when I came to this paragraph: ‘When working in Tunisian Crochet, you will always use an overhand hold. Imagine yourself holding a bicycle handlebar” I felt a real flush of pleasure; it’s fab when you just guess a technique and it’s right. Sorry. Getting all giddy again, more photos less chat ahead.

Tunisian Knit Stitch

Easy and it makes such a thick fabric. It would be excellent scarf material apart from the curliness. There is a scarf pattern in the book where you fold it in half lengthwise and sew the seam end of rows, that might be the solution.Tunisian Purl Stitch

I did go to YouTube for extra tips with this one, searching for ‘Tunisian Crochet left handed purl stitch’. There’s a video on there by a woman with a really nice American accent but the filthiest fingernails! Yuck! She was too fast for me to gather how to do her technique of putting the yarn in front of the hook, but I developed my own thing. Not my favourite stitch because of the yarn in front thing.

Tunisian Reverse Stitch

This is basically the Tunisian Simple Stitch but going into the vertical bar from behind. It’s fiddly but I was tired; it was nearly 11pm and I need to try again. It’s probably very easy.

The next lessons are to increase, decrease and change colours. It’s like starting with crochet all over again. Learning those skills are going to have to wait because I’ve got very achey shoulders this morning. Ooops, but when I’m enthusiastic I tend to go at a million miles an hour.

Overall holding the hook overhand doesn’t feel as comfortable and speedy-easy as crochet but like everything you get faster the more you practice. I’m not sure TC will replace crochet for me, though I like the smooth knit-like look, but it’s nice to have a new skill.

Tempted to try Tunisian Crochet too?

Are you going?

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

K&S show Olympia

To The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show which is this week 14th-17th March at London’s Olympia?

I’ll be there on Saturday and can’t wait since it’s years since I went to a big crafty type of exhibition event. Maybe we’ll see each there? :-)

Week 27: CAL Blocks #79 #80 #81

Posted on March 9, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#79 Baltic Square

5 1/4″ square

Urgh! I dislike popcorns in baby cashmerino. I just think they look better in a proper DK thickness of yarn. I used a 3.5mm hook to see if they’d look tighter and sexier etc, but not. Alternatively, it might just be me and my inability to do them properly?

#80 Blocks and Shells

6 1/2″ W with my usual 4mm hook, so I changed to a 3.5mm hook (refreshing change actually) but it’s still a widey at 6″ w x 5 1/2″ h like the previous blocks #76 and #75.

This would be another good scarf pattern though there’s something a bit irritating about the multiple trebling into one treble, you might find it fiddly and not very fast to whip-up like scarves often can be (should this be re-christened MAL-CAL today? Moan along crochet along?! Sorry. I will pep it up with the next block.)#81 Sunshine and Showers

5 3/4″ (4mm hook)

My favourite in a long time, I like the flowery middle and it’s a sturdy block because you go around previous treble rounds in double crochet. This would be an excellent blanket block. A little darnarama and not speedy to crochet, but overall well worth the effort of making. Sometimes the things that take the longest time to create are the things most worth having.

S was working in Oslo for a week, came home for the equivalent of a long weekend and then shot off on a ten day trip to work in Hong Kong. He came home last night – hurray! (Though I really hate it when he texts me before take-off showing a photo of his two windows with a wooden windowsill with a pretake-off glass of Krug, from the First class cabin, and the ottoman that has room for someone else to sit at the table for dinner opposite and which later converts to a bed. Plus knowing there are only 5 other passengers in the cabin when I’m used to being packed into economy on long flights. It might be time for me to consider a career change? These messages are especially galling when I’m sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea and a ham sandwich feeling a bit lil Orphan Annie!!!!!)

Anyway, I had to show you this Japanese ‘delicacy’ that he takes great glee in buying as a gift for my poor brother. S instructs me that you have use the Banzai voice to say its name. If you’re not familiar then don’t worry, it’s really not that funny!

Here are a couple of gifts S gave me after last year’s business trip to HK. At the time I was definitely a beginner crocheter but now I reckon I could dust them off and follow the symbol patterns.

What are you doing this weekend? Any fun plans for Mothers’ Day?

Knitty gritty

Posted on March 4, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

As you see The Fibreworks in Chipping Norton is crammed full of goodies. They offer a good selection of yarn and haberdashery as well as books and finished items to buy. Check out the workshops and knitting/crochet tuition, they have a lot going on all year round. You’ll get a friendly welcome and good advice as I found when I asked a few knitting questions recently.

So, the knitty gritty now; I’ve knitted the four pieces of my cabled bag but before I sew them together (what’s the best stitch? mattress? Back?) I need some technical advice please. A woolly bag is no good without a fabric lining, but how to make one? I’m so unconfident about sewing these days. I haven’t done any since I made skirts etc at school and that was – ahem – quite a while ago! The bag is very small so isn’t going to be in daily use or anything, but it helped me to learn how to do my first cables and I can’t see the point of making something that can’t be used.

Help please! (Any cheats tips received, always happy to mail it to someone who can do the finishing for me too ;-P)

While I’m asking for advice – can anyone suggest a new header photo, or theme to bear in mind which goes with the blog name that I can use? I need some inspiration. It’s definitely time to have a spruce up and take down the photo of my notice board, especially as I’m having a surge of new followers this year.

What are you making during these early days of Spring. Knitting, crochet, sewing or….?

Week 26: CAL BLocks #76 #77 #78

Posted on March 2, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#76 Granny Stripes

6 1/4″ W 5 1/4″ H with a 3.5mm hook. AND I added an extra stripe at the top. So, that concludes the brief experiment using a different sized hook. I also redid #75 with a 3.5mm hook and it was still rectangular (6″ W 5 1/4″ H) So I’m going back to my original plan of using the same 4mm hook and just crocheting the patterns. If I change them by adding rows or extra stitches then it’s not Jan Eaton’s 200 Blocks, they’re mine. I know I’m probably going to be struggling with the fixing them together but that’s for later, not stressing at the moment.

The good thing about doing this CAL is that in the future I can look back to my weekly posts, when planning blankets etc, and choose my favourite similar sized blocks.

#77 Raspberries and Cream

Hmmm, as usual for a corner square it’s very squiffy measuring between 5 1/4″ – 5 3/4″ at various points of the block.

I enjoy these decrease to 3 stitches blocks, they’re very relaxing to crochet because you’re not staring at the pattern every row.

#78 Briar Rose

5 1/2″ square

Very bright and Spring-like with the yellow and green. I like the colour combo this week.

I’ve been slack about my darning this week but I will keep up with my CAL resolution and do the ends before I crochet the next set.

This week we have another new block maker, check out her first CAL blog post here. It really made me grin to have someone so enthused about the project, especially when we’re now 6 months into the Crochet Along and I was definitely feeling a bit jaded last week (about the blog posting, not the crochet!) Admittedly that might have been down to lethargy from a cake overload?!

Check out the Ravelry group too, we are still gaining members, there are now 100+ which surprises me as the forum is practically silent. It’s great that newbies are still signing up to the CAL. If you fancy playing the TPBM game pop in to the forum. I love silly games!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news: I dropped my iphone into a cup of coffee this week! It slid straight down out of my hand and plopped into my mug. It all works apart from the wifi, which is pretty vital.

Wahhh!

It’s going away by post to my mobile operator –Y’know, the company who I pay a lot of pounds to every month — and is guaranteed to be back within 4 working days. In the meantime what will I do without a mobile?!

Cable knitting

Posted on February 26, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve wanted to learn to cable to for a very long time, but have been concentrating on crochet so obsessively for the last 18 months (had you noticed?) that I put it off. I’ve also always felt that my yarn holding technique was inferior because I hold my right needle from above and take my hand off the needle to wrap the yarn. Do you know what I mean? Lately I’ve seen You Tube knitters, John Lewis demonstrators, a Mollie Makes ‘How to knit’ demonstrator on video and a knitting teacher do the same!

I learnt to knit when I was a child and found it the easiest method despite Mum telling me it was wrong (she still says I should learn to hold the right needle underneath and wrap the yarn ‘properly’.) Admittedly I do think that my Mum and Gran’s method of holding the needle underneath, sliding the hand along to wrap the yarn in a fluid movement is faster and more efficient but it seems nearly impossible to change an ingrained habit. However the knitting teacher said my method is fine, very common and is called ‘throwing’!

My tension looks fine to me, would you know which method was used?

(Upside down pic!)

Last week I bought the latest Let’s Get Knitting and Crochet mag, which I haven’t bought for a while because I’m subscribed to Mollie Makes and Simply Crochet, but there is a really sweet cabled bag in issue 48. The problem is that you only get very sketchy instructions with LGK&C so I just couldn’t work it out.

Last night I learnt to cable with a little help from the book that I heard thud onto the door mat as I typed yesterday: Knitty Gritty. This is my first attempt and you can see I didn’t have an issue with the technique. I’m so surprised! I always thought that cables would be very hard and beyond my skill level.

Next I want to master intarsia. Watch this space.

What new skill are you determined to master?

Week 25: CAL BLocks #73 #74 #75

Posted on February 25, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#73 Catherine Wheel

5 3/4″ square

R4 has a missing instruction. It should say ch3 at the beginning (which counts as a tr) If you picked up the book as a beginner, or not so experienced, this is the detail you need to know.

I’m not sure about the colour combo, but then I’ve said this quite often. I’d probably choose different colour combinations, and not all in a rush just before the shop closed next time! Or, maybe the yellow was a mistake and the colours were sound before I added more?

#74 Seville

5 3/4″ square

Another editing issue: R7 should say [1 tr into next tr, 1 ch] lazy proofing, or like many companies perhaps they’ve sacked the proof editors thinking that computer programmes alone can pick up errors. When you read have you noticed how many mistakes have crept into contemporary novels? But, having said this please don’t judge me by all my mistakes; this is just another little crochet blog.

This needs blocking sooo badly, I know.

#75 Half and Half

6 x 5 1/2 ” rectangular! If I want to use this (and I do, it’s posh wool £££) I’ll have to redo it, but for now it’s shoved in one of my block boxes. It needs either fewer trebles or a smaller hook. I haven’t gone down the using different sized hooks route for different blocks because frankly I don’t want to fanny about here essentially making samples checking for measurements. Yah-boo for number 75!

The lateness of my posting (it’s usually around Friday/Saturday at the end of the CAL week) is due to having FUN! A girlies long weekend in Cardiff, Wales stalking the places where Gavin and Stacey was filmed (look it up and watch!!!) and generally mooching, talking and eating a lot of cakey type things.

I must admit that the CAL is beginning now to feel a bit like homework, or at least after a very fun weekend away when I know I’ve got to unpack, do washing and write this update. I’m also starting to wonder how the hell I can fix together blocks which differ in size as much as 3/4″. You might be sat smugly reading this thinking you’re not surprised and you expected a similar comment sooner or later, but it’s not really surprising to me either. I knew all along I’d feel like this at some point.

This is the plan: I’m finishing the blocks and then will sort out blocking, sizing, coordinating and joining issues…….later!

~~~~~~~~

I’ve just heard a huge thump as my new knitting and Tunisian crochet books land on the door mat. YAY!

Have a good week blogettes.

A long weekend

Posted on February 19, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

A long weekend away, the other week, in Lincolnshire meant that we were able to do the seaside hat-trick: Skegness, Mablethorpe and (very rainy and blustery so no photos) Cleethorpes.

There was something so forlorn and run-down about Skegness which is basically shut for the winter that I wished I’d taken the posh big camera to capture more. I really like books like Roundabouts of Great Britain and Goats in Trees and….I can’t find it but it’s a series of books of photos you often see in gallery and museum bookshops. They are called something like Unseen Britain, The other side of England or similar though I can’t find them on Amazon. Anyway, isn’t a rundown seaside town in the winter wonderful for these type of photographs?

I was chatting to the owner of M&G Designs in Louth with my cousin wondering how they clean the water slide in the Spring, and apparently children are sent down with sponges attached to their bottoms. Ingenious. ;-0

M&G Designs is definitely worth a visit if you’re anywhere near Louth. It’s owned by a husband and wife and is crammed with needlework, knitting, crochet and many crafty treasures. I found it hard not to spend all my pocket money in one go!

A few doors along is Chilli Peppers a delightful cook shop with pretty home-wares in a further room at the back of the shop. The new owner is the former Saturday Girl who decided to buy the business, with the help of her parents, when the owner put it up for sale last Autumn. I love this story!

A lovely bonus of visiting Chilli Pepper is that you’re offered a cup of Nespresso coffee to drink while you browse. This friendly welcome is what marks independent shops from chains. When was the last time you went to Cargo and were given a cup of coffee and had a friendly chat?

I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to Louth, go on a Saturday and stroll around the small market, go to Millie May’s for lunch (Bacon, brie and cranberry panini yum!) pop into the charity shop with rows and rows of books upstairs, Serendipity which is a home-ware and gift shop and many, many more independent shops. Unlike most English towns now you don’t see the same chain shops everywhere, it’s so refreshing. Louth is also an attractive looking market town. I didn’t take photos – too busy shopping and chatting! In the evening go for a big curry accompanied by lots of Indian lager, or another option as there’s a fair range of restaurants.

We love a good walk at Mablethorpe and admired the beach huts from the Bathing Beauties Festival (see the gin and tonic hut which is my fave?) Next we always go and play in the arcades. You too could win teddy brooches, a hUgE emerald (yes, I have a jewel….sort of) and lots of tickets for prizes like we did.

On the way home we saw a little snow! Leading up to the weekend there had been so many severe weather warnings I admit I wondered if we were wise to visit. In the end the little snow that fell didn’t settle at all. We drove across the county to Lincoln on the way to the M1 and saw only a bare sprinkling on the Lincolnshire wolds. The most was in Northants as far as we could see, but still nowhere near the amount predicted. Jolly good!

Inspired by my cousin reminding me about my round and round Granny ‘square’ Yorkshire blanket I came home to do something about my odd and ends of Stylecraft. I started this while watching tv (one eye on the hook and stitch and the other on the prog anyway.) After I saw this photo I undid it all and the odds and ends are back in a stash. Asymmetric just looks a mess!

I’m back to working on the jewel baby blanket again. What are you making this week?

Week 24: CAL Blocks #70 #71 #72

Posted on February 17, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#70 Zigzag
5 3/4″ square
Yes well I’m really not sure what went wrong with this one, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you! I was initially 99.9% sure my colour changes were to blame for the wiggly look (I did them my usual way ending the last stitch before the change with the new colour) rather than wrongly following the pattern. If I cover the changes with my finger the zigzags show clearly which seems to back this theory, but there are not 3 pointy zigs and the zags are dodgy so…..

Ah well, this is abstract art.

#71 Starflower
6″ square
Pretty but a bit holey for a blanket?!

#72 Ribbed square
I crocheted this at the beginning of the year when keen to choose and make random blocks that were left.

My plan was to crochet 2-3 blocks a week and actually I’m bang on target with three a week working out perfectly 24×3=72. :-)

PS: We’ve nearly done six months crocheting along together! 6 months!?! SIX MONTHS?*!Z*!? That’s amazing.

Week 23: CAL Blocks #67 #68 #69

Posted on February 7, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#67 American Beauty

I really like all of this week’s blocks, isn’t this lovely?

6″ square – A big one!

It lies beautifully flat and even when pinned, it just needs blocking.

#68 Red, White and Blue (Pink, Blue and Green!)
5 1/4″-5 3/4″ ho hum. These corner blocks are really uneven though I do like the way you make them; either increasing from bottom to top, or decreasing from the top to bottom.

#69 Fudge
5 1/2 “square
I didn’t like the brown colour combo in the book and think this is prettier. :-)

I’m not looking forward to the zig zag block which is next. I just don’t think the colour changes will look very good in thinner baby cashmerino than as it would using ‘proper’ DK. We’ll see how it turns out next week.

Which is your favourite this week? Mine’s the first.

Simply Crochet

Posted on February 7, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

For ages now I’ve wanted to learn the join-as-you-go technique to see how effective it is, and if it can decrease the potential number of ends which will no doubt end up poking out of the back of my blankets in the future.

I used this tutorial. It surprised me that it took several tries to get it right. There are reasons for this:

1. Wine.

2. I had to reverse it in my mind as I’m a leftie so had to imagine everything the other way around. I’m used to this but reason #1 influenced the process I admit.

3. I finally realised that my joins were messy V shapes rather than neat single lines because I was going into the chain space (I did 3 tr, 2 ch, 3tr for corners and 1ch in between the tr clusters) from underneath rather down through the top. It’s a tad awkward to do but results in a neat join.

4. Also I was trying to watch a vintage episode of Open All Hours.

It’s a good thing this, I shall practice with all my brightly hued scraps of Stylecraft SDK.

On Saturday you remember, while I was writing the week’s CAL post, my new crochet magazine arrived? I’ve taken advantage of a subscriber offer and ordered the three copies for £5. I missed issue 1 so have issues 2-4 coming.

As you see there’s a fair range of items to make, articles and general crafty crochet chit chat also oodles of inspiration. It’s great to have a purely crochet magazine from the publishers of Mollie Makes. I adore MM but don’t usually make anything, especially as crochet is thin on the ground. I love it for giving general inspiration and for the crafty events listings.

I like the crochet items for the kitchen, particularly the candy colours. The patterns would be suitable for newbies who’ve mastered basic stitches and would be a good way to practice skills.

The notebook pages are interesting. I’ve asked my sis in law to look out for the Ikea metalwork range, isn’t it pretty?

I’ve included this page in case you fancy taking advantage of the subscriber offer too (especially US readers.)

There’s a spread of instructions for beginners. I didn’t think the bamboo hook and white yarn showed up very clearly and the instructions maybe don’t read as plainly as I would have needed. But I need a beginner crocheter to respond and say how they actually found these instructions to be fair.

Oh this is pretty and reminded me of a similar flower garland I made last Spring.

Natasja just used this idea! It looks better on her top than in the magazine, but I’m biased as I really like her blog.

When I said I might crochet these bobble slippers (bobbles!!!!) S’s eye-brows went up two inches. Ha! Definitely got to make them now the gauntlet has been thrown down.

I’d recommend this magazine, it kept me silent for over an hour on Saturday which as S said is total value for money when the rugby’s on. ;-)

Blogalicious #4

Posted on February 5, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

This blog is GORGEOUS.

But I’m afraid that Posie Gets Cozy comes with some warnings……

You may feel deeply inspired/ineffective and far less talented after reading, it could go either way
You may want another house
….or camera
to sign up for photography classes
to buy bucket-loads of posh wool and beautiful fabrics
a little weep that this isn’t your blog, house, talent….

;-)

It’s a bit like when I Googled ‘crochet’ in the Autumn of 2011, because I wanted to learn all about it, and stumbled on Lucy’s Attic24 blog. I spent days reading her blog from the first post to last. I commented on so many that Lucy emailed me a few times to remark on how my comments were bringing memories of the crochet/holiday/whatevers back. I feel like that about this blog; I want to settle down and read from the start (maybe without the stalky commenting element?!)

Of course it would be so much easier with an ipad and I did share an email I received last week that said: ‘Show someone you love them by buying them an ipad’ for Valentine’s Day’.

The reply?

“Go on then!”

Bah! :-D

Lucy’s right

Posted on February 4, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

…the roses are very addictive! So easy and so effective. Now I need to buy a ring to make a garland or something because I feel some more coming on.

PS: I can’t WAIT for Spring brightness and lightness, none of my photos lately are looking anything but fuzzy. Sorry.

Rosy hearts

Posted on February 3, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’m having such a nice play with colours and yarn. This has to be the one of easiest rose patterns. Thank you Lucy! And thanks to BeaG for the lovely heart pattern.

Next I’m going to try adapting it to make larger roses.

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend too.

Week 22: CAL Blocks #64 #65 #66

Posted on February 2, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#64 Sunshine Lace
5 1/2 ” square

#65 Patriotic Sunburst
Nearly 5 1/2″ square
I’m not sure about the rounded corners on this one, perhaps it just needs stretching out flat…

#66 Abstract
5 1/2″ square
I laughed a bit when I read that one blogger has decided she mustn’t watch tv and crochet at the same time. It made me think that I must be way more accomplished and had really mastered this crochet thing. Ha ha ha Rachel…

I crocheted these blocks last weekend during writing breaks. This one was ‘completed’ during Saturday Morning Kitchen, then half undone and re-crocheted during the week when watching The Gilmore Girls. Then, finally half redone this morning during Saturday Morning Kitchen (very, very gritted teeth.) I just kept making the section above the splodge too wide. I don’t know why really; I blame the gorgeous James Martin (A Yorkshire chef & presenter on SMK. Phoar!!!)
The splodge looks like a splodge in the book too. This one’s darnarama also. Needless to say I WILL NOT be making this one again.

Curly twirly corners ;-)

Just after I posted here yesters a beautiful bouquet arrived! :-D
I’ve had such lovely messages from friends and family too. My favourite text was from my friend Sarah when she saw my two bound dissertations – ‘Holy Sh**!!! Well Done!!!!!!!’ She’s working hard on hers at the moment and I know exactly how she’s feeling. It’s so good to be at the end of a lot of hard work. I’ve got that school’s out for summer feeling now.

The icing on the cake is while I’ve been writing this the postie has just brought me:

I took advantage of the first 3 issues for £5 offer. I did the same with The Simple Things mag, but really didn’t like it much. I have high hopes for this one…I’ll let you know my thoughts if you like?

What are your plans this lovely weekend? Tell me what you’re up to. :-)

Afterwards

Posted on February 1, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s finished. All over!

The feeling that I should always be doing something else and not really crocheting, or watching The Gilmore Girls, or wandering around shops or meeting up with the girls; drinking, eating and chatting or or… or… or… or…. is over! I can do it all at once if I choose to from now on.
I have handed in two bound copies of my research dissertation, and at some point this year I’ll (hopefully) once again be wearing a silly cap and gown. It’s odd but you’d think today I’d be out there looking for a hill so I can fling my arms around in the air singing loudly, a la The Sound of Music, but actually I’ve got that massive sense of anti-climax.

I’m in the Little Room typing this properly (two fingers and all) instead of on my iPhone which is how I’ve been posting lately during this very, very busy last month. I actually missed the sitting here at my desk, in front of the window doing my daily surveillance of the neighbourhood. It’s only been a morning (!) but I’ve missed seeing my elderly neighbour go out to meet her friends. I haven’t seen the 3 year old opposite, who is the size of a pin-head, come back from nursery on her teeny scooter wearing her teeny helmet with her Dad at lunchtime. I haven’t spotted the lady who looks like Jilly Cooper either. Around this time she usually walks past wearing her welly boots with a little terrier at her heels. I also haven’t noted who’s got their Ocado/Sainsbury’s/Tesco food delivery today or how many courier parcel deliveries have arrived. But after such a non-stop 7 day a week routine writing this month it’s bound to take a bit of adjustment huh. It feels a bit like it’s the first week of January because really the whole month passed me by, apart from a few walks in the snow.

First things first:

1. Make some hot chocolate with as many marshmallows as I can fit on the top (it’s a pint mug)

2. Finish the third CAL block of the week (new wool, new wool!!!)

3. Go and find some flowers to celebrate The End

(Liberty of London when we visited in December.)

PS: It should be noted that setting up the CAL was in no way to distract myself from all the work I should have been doing. In no way. At. All.

It should also be noted that when we enjoyed a bottle of Taittinger last night S did not toast The End saying ‘TF it’s over” :-D

I have a question for you

Posted on January 31, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

Week 21: CAL Blocks #61 #62 #63

Posted on January 26, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#61 Nine Patch Granny
5 1/2″ square
To join I slip stitched into the 2 outer loops so the edges sat side by side, this was rather than ss through all four loops as the book instructs. I chained 2 over the first seam when going across the first set of seams. I always use a smaller hook when joining crochet (3mm hook instead of the usual 4mm.)
Oh and for the final round the book says to 1ch, 1 dc into each tr and ch round edge; I ignored this and just did 1 ch to begin then dcs around. There was a similar mistake for one of the previous blocks I think?

#62 Edged Square
5 – 5 1/2″ ‘square’ urgh! This puts me off the corner blocks.

#63 Random Patches
5 1/2″ square
Oh gawd! On the last colour change I realised I was working with 26 stitches not 28. Oh la! (But I was never starting again.)
Darnarama too!

I love my curly edged group pictures, there’s something that appeals to me maybe because they’re non-conformist?! ;-)

I think my fave is the Random Patches block this week.

How are you getting on? Which block are you working on?

A winter walk

Posted on January 20, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

After a very big Sunday brunch sandwich we just went for a walk on the meadow, avoiding deep icy patches which are still full of flood water. It’s steadily snowing again today.

It amused me to see so many sledges in use, not only for pulling along children, but shopping too!

There were lots of lovely waggy, springy dogs frolicking in the snow too, including a very funny border collie called Mogsie who ran full tilt up to S then lay down for a tickle. Dogs are so stupid. :-D

If you want to see larger versions of these photos click on one, and you can view them in a larger gallery setting. (I just found this out myself!)

What have you been doing today?

Snow brings UK to a halt….

Posted on January 18, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

Emailed to me, so true I had to share!

Warming

Posted on January 18, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

It’s -2 0c today, it’s snowing steadily (The blobs on the top photo are snowflakes sailing down close to the camera lens) and we’re expected to have 6″ inches by the end of the day, with it continuing to snow over the weekend. 60 schools, and counting, are closed with announcements that many are to finish at lunchtime. I love the drama!

I also love the warming winter food. This is today’s menu so far:

Porridge with apricots for breakfast

Carluccio’s Florentine hot chocolate for elevensies

Bacon sandwiches later for lunch. YUM.

What’s the weather doing where you are?

Jewel baby blanket

Posted on January 15, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

I started this after Christmas. The plan after making four full-sized blankets was to have a lonnnng blanket-making holiday. But you probably know better than me how it happens; you look at the amount of yarn you’ve managed to accrue over a year, someone you know announces she’s preggers and you’re off!

It’s my own design. I’m doing a random mix of rows of trebles, half trebles and double crochet (sometimes single rows, sometimes more.) Mostly I’m turning at the end of rows, sometimes I don’t as I like the variety of textures and height of stitches this gives. It will have a border around it. There’s no huge hurry to complete this as the baby’s not due for a few more months.

The Mum-to-be doesn’t know if the baby is a boy or girl but is quite rightly in my opinion “all for colour equality” so there’s my favourite Stylecraft Special DK pomegranate in the mix. I’ve used a few yarns which aren’t jewel colours (meadow and sherbert) and love the combination. :-D

What are you making at the moment? Did you get sucked into a project when you’d planned another?

Weeks 19 & 20 CAL Blocks #55 #56 #57 #58 #59 #60 #72

Posted on January 13, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#55 Centred square
5 1/2 ” square

#56 Plain Granny
5 3/4″ square

#57 Arrowhead bobbles
5 1/2″ square. These blocks used to be all around 5 3/4″ on average, as I’m using baby cashmerino, but seem to be getting smaller….

And, because I was in a go get ’em mood at the very beginning of a new year (and if I’m honest avoiding work) and the first two blocks were so straightforward to crochet; I then crocheted four more blocks. I won’t post next week, it’s going to be a very busy one anyway.

#58 Peach Rose
5 1/2″ square (but wibbily at the moment obviously!)

#59 Coral quartet (or not!)
5 1/2 x 5 3/4″ oh dear. These kind of blocks always seem to come out narrower than the length. I’ve been speculating that this is why the book is called 200 Blocks not Squares again! Unless it’s me and yours come out perfectly….

Oops it’s upside down, I must have rotated the photo without thinking.

#60 Popcorn corners
5 3/4″ square (but a bit rounded not pointy as in square. I’ll have to see if others’ come out similarly.)
One of the middle pc looks a bit flat, it’s got squashed in the pile of blocks I reckon. We thought this “alright” nothing special after I made it, but it’s quite pretty I suppose.

It took 2 hours from beginning to darning the ends in! I know because the morning news was on, then the whole of Saturday Morning Kitchen yesterday. S made the spiced lamb shanks with pomegranate tubbouleh for dinner after seeing it made on the programme. Yum yum yum. The recipe is online, it’s one of James Martin’s recipes.

#72 Ribbed square
5 1/2″ square
I know this is way ahead…
This and #52 Lemon peel were the two blocks I tried a long time ago when I bought the book. The other day I just fancied randomly picking any block to make. I told you I felt keen!

The colours have come out looking so different in the shifting light this morning, but you know what they really look like by now. I’m still thinking about making two items with my blocks since my initial Cottage Garden colour scheme really feels like it’s evolved into two sets, but I’m not making any firm decisions till I stop making blocks.

How many unique designs are there? I count 126 but my maths can be pretty unpredictable.

Week 18: CAL Blocks #53 #54

Posted on January 6, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

#53 Mesh Fantasy
5 1/2″ square

#54 Framed Flower

Getting the hook into the 7ch from the hook (ie: the last) and making a treble without the whole thing twisting around and around is the initial challenge of this block. From then on it’s pretty straightforward, even when you think it’s curly and pulled up in all directions, after R4, it does end up flat and quite square.

5 3/4″ square

I’m looking forward to the next two blocks which both have a 1 hook ‘beginner’ rating, it will be nice to whizz around without too much thought.

How are you getting on with the CAL? Are you still with me? If you are please put up your hand now. (Trish aka Made by Patch & Jane aka Rainbow Junkie, I know you are so you can relax and wear your gold star stickers with pride.)

The Good Things

Posted on January 1, 2013 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve just seen this on Facebook and thought it too good not to share. Thank you to whoever had this great idea/posted the photo.

I’m going to do this but might use a notebook with post-its stuck in randomly so I don’t read them as I go.
On 31st December I’m going to enjoy reading about all The Good Things that happened. :-D

Here’s to 2013!

🌹💐☀☔❤🌟🔥👍😃

2012

Posted on December 31, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

HWB cover end

It’s my blog birthday today !

A year of crochet, a little knitting and embroidery, people, places, food and quite a lot of chat. I’ve enjoyed making bloggy contacts, having a peep at what you’re making, reading about your favourite things and getting to know your part of the world.

I look forward to maybe meeting some more of you in person next year for some social crochet-knitting-sewing-whatever get togethers. :-D

birthday cake

HaPpy NEw YEaR EvERyOnE!

Week 17: CAL Blocks #49 #50 #51 #52

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

Otherwise known as the week of wonky photographed blocks! Honestly now I look at the uploaded photos I think they look like kids who’ve had to run for the school bus with shirts hanging out, hair unbrushed and clutching pieces of toast. Ah well, you get a rough idea of what they look like….

#49 Rainbow stripes
These corner blocks are quite fun to do especially when you start with 58 ch and decrease down to 3st, but they are going to take some straightening out. I think I’m beginning to repeat myself as I have a feeling of deja vu!
5 1/4″ – 5 3/4″ ‘square’

#50 Seminole
I got really engrossed in an audio book on Boxing Day, and as you see the maroon stripe carries on for another row. Due to being a leftie and not ;reversing the instructions the stripes are the other side, but it’s quite effective either way so I’m not worried.
5 3/4″ square

#51 Bright flower
I probably need to do this one again practising crocheting the initial stitches tighter behind the petals, or maybe just easing them around the foundation ring as I go; they’re a little uneven in shape.
You can see who’s a leftie and who is a rightie if you look at the way the petals lie over each other, I just noticed when comparing mine to the book. When righties go round to the left, we go round to the right! Confused?
This would make a really nice blanket, mixed with plain blocks for the contrast.
5 3/4″ square

#52 Lemon peel
I crocheted this when I first got the book ; (last year?) ; and found it quite challenging as I was a crochet newbie. Now? Easy peasy lemon squeezy! I think it’s pictured WS up but I like both sides of this block.
6″ square

I’m only going to crochet blocks #53 and #54 next week to give others who are crocheting along with me a chance to catch up.

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

It’s that funny limbo time of the season where home is still decked out for Christmas, you’re full of food and drink playing with new presents and the New Year is looming. This is usually when I feel I should go back to being productive and busy, but don’t. I have started a new crochet project though, under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree with the films Pretty Woman then Bombay Beach playing on the tv. Lazy days!

I must have been a good girl at some point as Father Christmas gave me a dozen balls of Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino!

What have you been doing during the last few days?

The shrinking world

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

The world has become smaller since the internet has given us the opportunity to instantly link with people everywhere. Today I experienced the effect of this first-hand.

When I read that blogger Hannah was going to be in England over the Christmas break I suggested we maybe meet up for a cup of coffee somewhere. We did, today, and had a relaxed time wandering around some nice spots in Oxford. Sadly two of the three craft shops I wanted to show Hannah are closed between Christmas and New Year, however my favourite independent cafe, one of the oldest pubs in the city and a yummy (100% British beef) burger place were open. So we managed to achieve a good mix of culture, a bit of craft and plenty to eat and drink!

I’m chatty (are you surprised?) and so it turns out is Hannah, so there was no struggle to find topics, I think we covered a pretty wide range in the time we shared. As we already have the common interest of crochet (& knitting) we indulged in a tiny bit of yarn chat, compared craft shops (or lack of in Hannah’s case) and talked about the blogs we have in common. I wonder if the ears of Trish Jill Lucy or Heather were burning as we talked about them and their blogs a little?

When you meet someone who is wearing a scarf, hat and pair of gloves you recognise, because you’ve already seen them (and read all about their conception) online, you understand again how small the world has become.

Merry Christmas everyone! Xx

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

Blooming Flower cushion #2 finished

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

I finished this on Saturday. I took the next two photos when it was dark so they’re not the sharpest, sorry.

Here’s the first Blooming Flower cushion I made back in the summer.

They’re really quite fast to crochet and you can use up lots of odds and ends of yarn. The pattern is one that Lucy adapted, if you fancy making one too you can find the pattern here on her Attic 24 blog.

Week 16: CAL Blocks #46 #47 #48

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

Today it’s very grey and damp again after a beautifully bright and lovely day yesterday. I don’t use a flash because it makes the colours look odd, so put the blocks in the brightest space I could find near the kitchen window.

#46 Meadow

There was a bit of counting to check this one was on track.
Nearly 6″ square

#47 Queen Anne’s Lace

I like the middle of this, it’s quite a pretty block. refreshing not to have to change colour and only two ends to darn.
The disadvantage is it’s one of the smallest blocks at 5 1/4 ” squarish. I think nearer the time to making up the blanket(s) this one might need an extra border or two to increase the overall size. I don’t think blocking will quite do it this time. I’m interested to see how this comes out size-wise for other Crochet Along (CAL)ers!

#48 Danish square

R2: I didn’t ss into the first of 9ch as I thought it too wibbly looking, I went into a dc I think.
R5: the pattern’s not specific about where to join yarn c, I went into the first of the 2dc of R4
I had to alter the yarn combination as I’m low on some colours now. I hope Father Christmas thinks I’ve been good this year. ;-)
6″ squarish

See the difference in size?
The Danish square is my favourite this week. I like the petal shape of the 4 middle holes.

I’m planning to carry on and do my usual 3 blocks next week, but will have to see how it pans out. My motivation is to get to the end of the CAL in good time and not stretch it out to next Christmas. Also I’m still enjoying the pattern reading and stitch practise, and when I look back to the crochet I was doing, very unconfidently as a beginner, this time last year it’s a great boost to my crochet confidence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

This afternoon I have more presents to wrap, fruit to soak in Armagnac, baubles to thread with gold ribbon and some reading/notes to do as I’m steadily plodding on with my studies.

I’m looking forward to King prawns in garlic and chilli with a crunchy winter salad and a baguette from the local French bakery for dinner tonight. Yum.

Where are you up to with your Christmas prep and what are you looking forward to eating this weekend?

Rainbow Granny Stripe #2 finished!

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

It’s finished! I did the final round of the picot edging on Sunday. That’s the fourth and final blanket of the year. Phew! I think I’m going to have a break from blanket making for a bit.
Apart from one row in the middle somewhere (where I’d run out of yarn and so had to substitute another colour) the colours are in the same order as for the first blanket. They were randomly chosen and seemed to work, so I just worked from the list I made in the summer.

Have a look here if you want to see the first blanket. As before the colours for the edging were chosen by the future birthday girl.

The yarn is the Stylecraft Special DK pack that Deramores and Masons sell, there are 17 colours. It’s nice to work with and apparently washes well. I used a 4mm hook. It’s a single bed size , shown folded in half here in my pics.

If you fancy making a Granny Stripe blanket too you can find the pattern here on Lucy’s blog: Attic 24

Now I’m working on Blooming Flower cushion #2. A certain little someone has asked me a few times “Are you making my blanket and flower now?” and I’ve grinned at her. Next week she’ll get to put it on her bed, then both little girls will have rainbow brightness.

Little Christmas Stockings

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

Hello again,

I’ve been crocheting these sweet sparkly little Christmas stockings for a while, filling them with mini candy canes to give as little gifts and maybe I’ll hang some on the Christmas tree next weekend too. When they catch the light they’re all glinty and pretty.

You can find the pattern on Le monde de Sucrette’s blog.

It’s a really easy pattern and I can whip up a stocking from start to finish in less than an hour.

Week 15: CAL Blocks #43 #44 #45 & #42 reworked

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

#43 Four Patch Granny

Retro crochet! This one is fiddly; all those ends to darn! Imagine making a whole blanket and all the joining you’d need to do. This block took me far longer than any of the others (apart from the hideous block #11)

6″ square

#44 Subtle Stripes

‘The turning chain in a row of dc is not counted’ I chanted to myself at the beginning of this block. For some reason I needed to remind myself.

This looks like cottage garden in the Autumn. I like it.

6″ square

#45 Steps

This could make an interesting design if the blocks were turned different ways, so the steps were going in various directions on a blanket. Maybe?

5 3/4″ square

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After reading good ole Rainbow Junkie’s CAL post I realised that I hadn’t been thinking, and of course there is a mistake in the pattern for rounds 6 & 7 namely that it should be trebles and not doubles around the edges of the block. No wonder my #42 block looked all pulled in at the sides.

Gah!

I undid those rounds and re-crocheted them. Isn’t it typical that you realise your mistake (with RJ’s help) after the one week you diligently darned in those blighty little ends?! (And darned in very well, so in the end I snipped in the middle of the outer round and wasted a length of posh wool. Double gah!)

Here it is reworked:#42 Lacy Wheel

Now 5 1/2 ” square, will be larger with blocking.

NB: If you’re using the USA version of the 200 blocks book check here for a correction to the patterns for #47 & #48 on the interweave website

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I hope your Christmas prep is going well. I’ve bought 95% of my presents, wrapped 20% and have been crocheting little sparkly Christmas things. Fun, fun, fun.

Today I’m going to crochet the picot edge of the granny stripe #2 and that’s finished too. Yay!

I’ve also got to write and post Christmas cards. I’d better do them next…

Stay warm and have some mulled wine! (Or ice-cream if you’re in a hot place!) :-)

Ed’s Easy Diner

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

This is Ed’s Easy Diner Rupert Street, Central London. We’ve been going to this one and the Soho diner for years. The burger are yumalicious and ohhhh the shakes! I just can’t remember if mine (pictured) was pnb or banana & pnb, but whatever it was mmmmmm.

If you go I defy you not to end up singing along to the classics and bet you (also) end up doing a bit of chair dancing!

Blenheim Palace at Christmas

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

It’s the final week to see the Palace decorated with a Three Kings Christmas theme before it closes to visitors next weekend until the New Year. Sadly photos are not allowed inside, but before I realised (ish) I took a … Continue reading →

Week 14: CAL Blocks #40 #41 #42

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

#40 Granny with a Twist
5 3/4 ” square

#41 Bobble Triangle
5 3/4″ square

#42 Lacy Wheel
Can be blocked to 5 3/4″ square
As I’ve said before – these lacy blocks are not my faves but this has a very pretty centre.

~~~~~~

This week, apart from the 3 blocks above, I’ve finished the main body of Granny Stripe #2 and have (much) darning of ends to do before starting on the edging. uh-oh.

I’ve crocheted another dishcloth too. My cousin’s been buying and sending me the dishcloth string for ages but when I checked that I’d made her one, she said “Ironically, no.” Ooops! (Actually, WoW, look at this post it’s staggering that it’s nearly a year ago! It’s my 1 year blog birthday on 31st December.)

What have you completed this week?

I’m glad I made this chunky seashell scarf during warmer weather, it’s needed now!

Have a good weekend, stay warm! :-D

Week 13: CAL Blocks #37 #38 #39

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

#37 Pin Stripes
What a nifty way to make a circle into a square in just two rounds!
5 3/4″ square
The mid-row joins are untidy but they look about the same in the book, I must be improving. Hurrah!

#38 Dahlia
I’m not too keen on the look of this one though S said it’s ‘sweet’. Good popcorn practice, I think I’m getting better at them.
Also 5 3/4″ square

#39 Gavin’s Stripes
Who the hell is Gavin? Maybe Mr Eaton?
I really like the texture of the stitches but wouldn’t want to make a big item as the repetition would get boring.
6″ square

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ll lay out the blocks I’ve made so far one day, and take a piccy, it just needs to be a bright and sunny day.

I’ve asked for more baby cashmerino in the brighter colours for Christmas. I’ve run out of apricot, am low on sienna, hot pink, rusty red and purple. I’m glad I chose to use posh wool for the CAL; it would be extremely expensive to buy all the wool in one hit for a project, but a few balls as you go are not going to break the bank (especially if you ask others to buy it for you!)

I can’t show you what else I’m crocheting, it’s Christmas themed but I’m not saying any more because certain people pop here and read. Other than that I’m on the last 6 stripes of the Granny Stripe #2 blanket, and carrying on with these CAL blocks week by week. I tend to make them over a few days then leave them so it doesn’t feel like the CAL is taking over, it’s a doable pace and I’m not bored.

What are you making at the moment?

Have a relaxing weekend and stay warm if you’re in the UK. It’s a few degrees here today with a hard white frost everywhere. Brrrrr!!!!!

:-D

All the fun of the fair

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

All the Fun of the Fair is a delightful little haberdashery and yarn store on Carnaby street, Soho. It’s great to discover somewhere new in central London. Friendly, chatty service and lots of pretty things to look at, what’s not to like?

London sparkle

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

…Clearly the weather is less than sparkly at the moment, but the Christmas lights and window displays really cheer everything up.

Inside Liberty

Week 12: CAL Blocks #34 #35 #36

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

#34 Band of Bobbles
6″ square
“I’m not sure about this one”
“Yeah, why does it stop?”

#35 Tricolour Square
5 1/2″ square but it needs flattening out
Another version of this using only trebles would be interesting (still not bothered about dtr to be honest)

#36 ‘Pink’ Stripe
5 3/4″ square
Using htr made a refreshing change, plus it’s fast growing which made it one of the speediest blocks to crochet.

~~~~~~

Reading Patch’s blog post this week made me laugh because its not CAL posts that makes you a geek; it’s blogging about crochet in the first place! As a crochet blogger and the instigator of the CAL I totally accept my inner geek ;-)

What are you making at the moment? Full on with Christmas crafts or ?

Playing with new stitches

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

S: “It’s a fine example of skill, I’m just not sure it’s a fine example of scarf”

M: “That’s really different, I like it! The green is lovely”

R: “But is it a bit court jester?”

M: “No!”

S: “A bit”

Court jester and lack of style aside, this is actually not the softest scarf you would want against your face, especially when it’s mostly double crochet as it makes a dense fabric. It feels slightly scratchy. Stylecraft works well for blankets, hats and probably gloves too but perhaps not scarves? (Shame as I have another Stylecraft scarf on the go, but it’s not a dc heavy pattern so might be ok.) I need a gorgeously soft merino type wool to make another version of this bobble scarf. I’ve written down what I did so that’s not a problem, but the purse jangling with coppers might hold the making back a while.

In the meantime I made a cover for my iphone yesterday, using my new found knowledge of spike stitch. It’s my own pattern, which means that it might be a bit dodgy, but for me it’s very early days of designing my own things and you have to start somewhere. Let me know if you try it and if you find a glitch.

Gadget cover

(DC Spike stitch: put the hook into the row below the next dc, yo and pull through, yo and pull through the two loops on the hook. Easy!)

>Chain 13
>Dc into the 2nd ch from the hook and to the end of the chain. (12 dc)
>Ch1 then dc into each dc – repeat this row three times
>Change colour (I didn’t cut off the yarn, I just carried it up the side and picked up the colour as I figured the strands carried up the side wouldn’t show when it was made, and they don’t, so there wouldn’t be huge lots of darning) and work alternating spike stitch then a dc along the row
>Dc into each st of the previous row – repeat this row three times
>Change colour and do another row of spikes, I alternated mine so they are staggered with the previous row’s spikes but you could do them above the others
Carry on the pattern until the strip is long enough to fold over your gadget, I did 14 stripes
>SS across one top edge to make it a bit thicker then dc the sides together with the ws together (I like the dcs on the outside, but you could sew yours up inside out or, or dc it rs together if you don’t want to see them)
>Turn the cover inside out, cut the wool to leave a long tail to use to dc the other sides together, thread a needle and weave the end through stitches at the bottom of the cover
>Turn it back the right side out and dc the other two edges together
>SS along the other top edge, fasten off and darn the ends in.

Finito!

~~~~
What are you making this weekend? Crochet, sewing, knitting, cooking etc etc? I love to know as I’m basically a very nosy person.

Week 11: CAL Blocks #31 #32 #33

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

#31 Primrose Square
Another of my favourites so far. This would look really pretty in pinks (doesn’t have to be called a primrose square, could be a ‘dog rose’?)
6″ square

#32 Oblique Stripe
This took me back to block #1 with all the counting at the end of each row to make sure I’d gone into all the right stitches, there was no redoing this time so things must have improved!
I have to admit that even I’m half closing my eyes and sucking my breath in when I look at the colour combination I chose, so don’t worry if you are too!
This is a big un – 6 1/4″ square

#33 Pretty in Pink
Not so much pink, but I do think this is pretty.
5 3/4″ square – in my CAL notebook I’ve written ‘not very (square) ish’!

I’m sticking to my CAl Resolution and darning the ends of the blocks before starting the next set each time. I couldn’t bear to leave it until the end. What a job that would be!

The weather is so overcast that I’ve been taking photos of the blocks on one of our back doorsteps each Friday morning. Flash photos inside make the colours look odd.

~~~~~~~~~~

*~*~*Which are your favourite blocks so far? *~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~

PS:: If you have an American copy of the 200 blocks book then check the interweave site for a correction to the pattern for #35 Tricolour Square

Blogalicious #3

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

Here’s another blog you really need to check out….

I loved this blog post (spot the bobbles?!) the other day. It made me want to walk in the woods, drink hot chocolate with marshmallows (I did) and create another hat.

I really do like the beautifully clear photos, style of writing, the purpley blog background (it’s just a bit different to the usual) and the crochet projects, of course. Check out Em’s Granny Square Snood the colours are so autumnal and gorgeous.

Check out Lulu Loves and add it to your blog list as it’s just so damn good looking!

Week 10: CAL Blocks #28 #29 #30

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

#28 Christmas Rose
6″ square – Hurray!
Easy enough to make, but when I got to round 7 the note at the end saying it should be 9 tr along each side of the sqaure threw me as it was hard to see this and mine looked like more petals. I undid the round and tried again to the same result; so I carried on with round 8 and it was fine. If you’re also finding this carry on, it all comes together although at the time you can’t see how it will end up being square.
#29 Bobble Stripe
I love, love, love this one! I’ve been rummaging in my stash cube this morning and have found a nice combination of colours of Stylecraft special DK so I can get busy making something with bobbles. It’s my favourite tip top block of CAL so far.

#30 Shell Lace
Super easy and satisfying to crochet as it grows so fast. Another 6″ square block! (I’m not sure about the bobbley one as I didn’t note a measurement down.)
~~~~~~~

There are now 100 members in my Ravelry CAL group! The ironic thing is that although there are now many more members the threads are quieter than they’ve ever been…. tee hee. It doesn’t matter, the threads are there if people want to share an SOS moment or have a chat.

~~~~~~~

I’ve had a trying couple of weeks as I’m not well and have been told to rest by the Doctor. I can crochet (hurrah!) read and watch TV but I have so much work to do that it’s really frustrating. I’ve also developed an (un?)healthy addiction to Loose Women and The Gilmore Girls. Uh-oh, but the plus side is I’m up on Rod Stewart’s new album, what all his children are up to, Sienna Miller’s controversial photo portrait, the goings on of Ken and Deidre, who is going into the jungle on Sunday and that Stars Hollow is now clear of rotten Easter eggs.

Anyone got the Gilmore Girls 7 series box-set I can borrow so I can watch from the beginning???? Please. PlEAsE… ;-)

I hope you’re well and getting on with whatever it is you have to do, as well as the other stuff that you enjoy. Have a good weekend!

Knitted

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

I’ve been knitting again. Just a basic pattern, but fun and very fast to make. However it’s not fun trying to sew them up when you’ve run out of (magazine) yarn and have ends everywhere. I might make some more instead but with chunky I have in my stash; then I can dc them together at the end. Any excuse to crochet!

The weather’s cooled and feels proper autumnal so I’m going to make a beef in beer casserole later.

What are you planning to make and cook this weekend?

Week 9: CAL Blocks #24 #25 #26 #27

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

#24 Italian Cross

Baby cashmerino (being slightly thinner than dk) is just a bit too thin to show off this stitch, like I thought for the popcorn stitch it needs a bulkier wool to show it off. I probably should have pulled the chain a bit tighter as the top of the stitches look a bit loose. But it’s my first ever go at the puff stitch. Darning the ends will make it a bit less saggy looking in places.

In my CAL notebook I’ve written that the Harmony Guide to Crochet says ” A puff stitch is a cluster of half treble stitches (usually 3-5) worked in the same place to make a soft lump.” Ha! I’ve created soft lumps.

#25 Tannenbaumn

I used the new colour to finish off the last stitch in the background colour when starting the tree stitches each time, and swapped to the background colour to finish off the last stitch of the tree design. It seems to work.

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t think of using two balls of background colour instead of carrying all that yarn, but I wanted to avoid darning and didn’t think of the third way. D’oh!

At 5 3/4 ” square this is turning out to be the average size of my blocks.

#26 Snowflake

This, of course, needs blocking to straighten it out but it’s ok. I’m not a fan of very holey blocks but it’s good to try new stitches.

One of the rare blocks that is 6″ square

#27 Snowy Stripes

I think there’s a mistake in the notes for spike stitch at the top of the pattern. I checked the notes at the back of the book, then went to my trusty Harmony Guide to check too. Basically don’t go into the top of the next stitch after going below the next stitch, yo and pulling through, just yo again and draw through the stitch as you would a normal dc. I tried it the way the note said and the spikes were almost diagonal.

6 1/4 ” wide 5 1/4″ high. Oh!

Lots of darning too, would it work to carry yarn up the sides? What did you do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m definitely learning new skills and picking up tips from other people doing this CAL, it’s good learning new techniques. It’s made me want to move my knitting on and try something new (harder!) sometime.

Did you see what a commenter wrote on my last CAL post?

”…….I met Jan Eaton a couple of weeks ago and she said every block in the book is blocked and steamed to within an inch of its life!” I think this is regarding the different sized blocks (which is why I reckon the book is not called 200 Crochet Squares, there would be too much hassle from crocheters!)

Puff Stitch

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

Argh!!!!!!!

I keep losing the working loop when pulling it through the 1000 loops on the hook. Bring back the bobble stitch I say…

Whose idea was this stupid CAL anyway?!

A quadruple rainbow

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

I had a lovely day out yesterday with friends, it was one of those perfect days where everything works really well. Drinks, lunch, books to swap and talk about, pudding (chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce and cream, I can’t imagine ever going off this dessert!) a sunny walk by the river in chill crisp air and then hot chocolate (cream and marshmallows too, of course) in my favourite cafe.

Someone else had a successful day too. This is what I found in the sink…..

17lbs of rainbow trout!

Embroidery

Posted on October 26, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

The embroidery workshop last month was fun. It was a good refresher as I haven’t done any for years. We concentrated on these stitches mainly: running, back, blanket, French knots, satin and chain. There was one stitch I’ve never come across before; split stitch which is what I used for the orange thread. I really like its plaited appearance.

Here’s the t-towel I embroidered during the session.

For some on the workshop it was all completely new, others were at a similar level to me. I’m hoping they will run a follow-on workshop in the New Year, my friend and I are very keen to go.

Week 8: CAL Blocks #21 #22 #23

Posted on October 26, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

#21 ‘Blue Shades’
Garish shades actually, knowingly made bright and a bit clashing, but it’s an antidote to the grey roof outside. I like it actually, though wasn’t sure at the time of making.
This is an ingenious pattern; I assumed we’d be increasing from the bottom up and out, like other corner squares, but it’s decreasing top down. I say ‘square’ but this is going to take some blocking to achieve that!

#22 St Petersburg
I’ve read on a Ravelry forum that front post crochet can often pull the work inwards, this was a relief to read. This is my first time doing front and back post crochet and it’s quite fun. I like the warmth of the block as this technique makes a thicker fabric than other stitches.
The colour combo in the book is not the best in my opinion as it makes it look like the maker used a variegated yarn and the stitches and texture don’t show up very well, completely different colours ie: red and green and a charcoal grey might have been more effective?
I’ve added an extra round of dcs to bring it up to a 6″ square – well it is when it’s pinned out. This is the first time I’ve added another round to a block and think it’s a nice band of border.

#23 Bars and Diamonds
Not a nice one to make. Horrid! I hated crocheting trebles into the side of another; it was fiddly and annoying. I did enjoy listening to the last part of this audio book during the process, it’s superbly read by the author and made me laugh and cry. (Trying not to sob over the death of a horse when in the smart business class section on the flight home from Lisbon was not a good look.) I like the look of the pattern but will avoid repeating this technique numerous times in one design in the future!

Terrible photos I know, all taken at the same space of time but the light is so variable (poor mainly!) that the table looks different in every shot!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think we’ve lost some block makers on the CAL now, or at least they’ve completely disappeared out of view since the first few blocks. It is a bit of a big project and easy to get behind on, that’s not a problem as anyone can join or rejoin whenever they’re ready. I’m enjoying it still but the thought that at 2-3 blocks a week it will be going on till June is a bit daunting!

How are you getting on?

If not crocheting along with us what are you up to at the moment?

Another vintage haul

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

I’m back! Isn’t it grey here? We’ve been wearing t-shirts and sandals, drinking wine/beer and eating freshly caught grilled sardines/sea bream/bass with salad and new potatoes outside in sun-filled squares in Lisbon. It feels like I’ve been dropped straight back into a wad of cold grey cotton wool.

But I’ve had another great haul of crochet magazines (with a few cross stitch and embroidery mags thrown in for good measure) sent to me by a friend whose Mum is still having a major sort out. There are some classic pictures that I just have to show you.

I think this might be past it’s best as there’s a very solid little lump in the packet where there should be granules, but it’s good to know you can get shampoo for needlework

This could be a nice throw or shawl in modern colour(s) and yarn, what do you think?

Well, look at that…

“Hey babe…come back to my place and see my crochet”
Notice anything particularly wrong with the photo? (Apart from all of it.)

This is not my lighting making shiny reflections on the photo, this is what it looks like! Do we think the peppers are real or plastic?

And another! You never see these as a setting for crochet now, to give scale or as decoration.

It’s just occurred to me that I should do some Googling to see if Crochet Monthly still exists.

How are you? What are your days like at the moment?

Week 7: CAL Blocks #19 #20

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

#19 Lacy Cross
I counted each corner section at the end of a round because I’d missed out a stitch on one and had a hanging hook with nothing to crochet into for the following round! So, I wrote this stitch count for the corners as the pattern increases by 4st each time:
R2:3tr
R3:7tr
R4:11tr
R5:15tr
R6:19tr

This is a really pretty square and I can imagine a whole lightweight throw made of them.

#20 Colourful Bobbles
Oh well, this picture says it all….42 ends to darn is a wasteful shame of such lovely posh wool, plus it’s a real pain and takes any enjoyment out of making the block away. As the organiser of the CAL I feel I have to do the blocks as they are, but did laugh at one CALer’s thinking (see athlyn’s photo on this Ravelry thread.)

I used the finish-the-last-stitch-with-the-new-colour method which usually works well, but in this block you can see a spot of colour to the left of each bobble.

I’m glad I wasn’t trying to replicate Jan Eaton’s exact colours as her a,b,c method doesn’t work so well when you’re a leftie. Basically if you look at the bottom right bobble that was my first as I work from L-R on the FR, turn and the bottom right bobble ends up being the first. If you’re a rightie and are furrowing your brow; don’t worry, it’s ok. I can say confidently that I’ll never make this again!

As anticipated the round block is smaller than the rows one. That’s fine I’m not worrying till it’s time to decide how to use them all. I had a message from someone who had given up the CAL after the first two blocks; when she realised they were all going to be different sizes. Oh dear.

I’m off to a (fingers crossed) sunny place today so will crochet #21 when I’m back next week. I’m going cold turkey – NO CROCHET! A knitting fiction book that I’m halfway through will be my sort-of substitute. I need a bit of a crochet holiday after completing those blankets and that bobble block!
I haven’t read the crochet mystery yet. I need brainless, easy reading at the moment as I plod on with academic reading and writing for my research dissertation. (Don’t ask.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How are you finding this crochet along? Is it still fun and enjoyable, or feeling like homework yet? Any blocks you’re dreading making?

Have a good end of the week and relaxing weekend :-D

Rhubarb Ripple blanket

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

It’s finished! Two blankets finished in a week feels very good.

To edge or not to edge? It just looked raw as it was, the edges appear very uneven in the photo but it’s just that I didn’t straighten it out on the carpet very well.

In the end after a fair bit of thought, and Googling others’ finished ripples, I decided that less is more. I really like the rippled top and bottom edges so just crocheted 3 rows of dc along the sides.

As everyone does, here are lots and lots of photos. I did try for a whole blanket shot but it’s so tricky and the light was bad in the bedrooms. If Summertime I could have laid it on the grass and stood on a step-ladder, but it would probably have flown away today! The thing to do is get your tape measure out, squint at the photos and visualise the finished blanket. :-)

Pattern: Attic 24

Measurements: 125cm x 180cm

Weight of finished blanket: 1.236g

80 stripes: 2 rows = 1 stripe

Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK

Hook: 4mm

10 colours:

1188 Lavender

1084 Magenta

1065 Meadow

1241 Fondant

1083 Pomegranate

1390 Clematis

1061 Plum

1432 Wisteria

1019 Cloud Blue

1003 Aster

I’ve now crocheted 4 complete blankets, with a 5th in progress at the moment. The Rhubarb Ripple is my favourite which is funny as I just grabbed a few colours out of my pack of Stylecraft to try the ripple stitch for the first time. I liked it so much I just carried on and it evolved into a blanket!

It’s Blog Law that you photograph blankets you’ve made folded up together, so here you are:

Besides the blocks

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

I’m busy crocheting a stripe or two at a sitting in the evenings on Rainbow Granny Stripe blanket #2 at the moment for Sunflower-head’s 6th birthday in December.

The first Rainbow Granny Stripe has been on red spotty sunflower-head’s bed, along with the Blooming Flower cushion, since they were given to her for her 4th birthday at the end of August.

I had a really sweet surprise parcel in the post yesterday, from New Hampshire in the USA. It was my first crochet murder mystery (!) and lots of bookmarks, labels, crochet and knitting patterns. Nice post is always, always, wecome!

::No sunflowers were exactly harmed in the making of this blog post, although sawn off, the heads are being carefully dried and the seeds kept for next summer.

WAtchThiS spACE foR aNOthER FINisheD BLANkeT soON!

Week 6: CAL Blocks #16 #17 #18

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

Week 6 already!

#16 Waterlily
I have to say that the entire pattern for the Blooming Flower cushion is better than the one for this single block. It just makes sense with Lucy’s adaption of an old pot-holder pattern.

I chained 6 for the foundation row, not 8 as specified because the resulting hole was too big on my first try.

Row 5: I chained 6 not 7 and that may be why the petals are slightly frilly. I quite like the look, but I might do another version of this block sometime.

#17 Alternate Bobbles
The other bobble blocks were curly too and needed pinning for the CAL photographs. I will try blocking for the first time soon. This morning I grabbed what was to hand!

Another one of the blocks which has turned out to be 6″ square – always pleasing!

#18 Traditional Granny

Can you tell I grabbed a small corner of sunshine this morning?!

Paintbox blanket

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

It’s finished!

99 squares single crocheted together (right sides together so little ridges on the back of the blanket) with a few alternating rows of trebles and doubles for edging. I could’ve gone on going around and around for a long time but it felt time to stop!

Choosing where to put each colour was quite a fun process and involved me crawling around the floor moving squares while S called out “move that yellow one left…. NO…to the right of the purple one I mean…now put the purple at the top….and the orange needs to go down a row…” We then looked at it for a day or so until it really was getting difficult to move around it without the risk of spilling coffee (the horror!) I decided it was ok, took a photo on my iPhone and then used that as a reference when I crocheted the squares together.

9 x 11 squares
Blanket measures: 110cm x 140cm ish
Weighs: 900g
Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK
Hook: 4mm

This is a surprisingly heavy weight and cosy blanket when you’re snuggled underneath it.

The light’s not so good at the moment as we have very grey skies and rainy weather so sorry about the darkish photos!

The back….

The End

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

A hot water bottle cover for Vikki, as requested.

Saturday morning: Bake 2 Devil’s Food cakes

Saturday afternoon: Darn the ends in (lots of them!) and crochet the two HWBC pieces together. Find buttons. Arghh! I have mainly white, black and navy from old shirts etc. Nothing funky or bright. Use little transparent flower shaped Mollie Makes giveaway buttons. Write ‘buttons’ on my Christmas wishlist.

Saturday evening: Drop off the cover (plus the hot water bottle I’d borrowed from Vikki last weekend, so it fit perfectly) at the stage door of a West End Theatre in London making my best ‘It’s a VERY cool thing in a jiffy bag actually’ face. Three minutes later get a call from V saying thank you, she loves it. Phew! Very bright stripes may not be for everyone so I’m relieved.

Run to the tube with S. to meet friends and go to the Hammersmith Apollo for a charity comedy gig for tigers with ZSL .

That was a very good day. :-D

Posted on Facebook this morning with the caption “So, Rachel crocheted me this yummy water bottle cover, and it was immediately stolen by the cat. Predictable.”

If you want to check out V’s blog I recommend it. It’s a mix of writing and craft. Not the usual ‘everyone’s making X and so I am too’ stuff, most are unique creations. It’s cool. Very cool. Well, what do you expect from someone who works on one of the hottest London shows doing pyrotechnics and stuff?

The Middle

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

Week 5: CAL Blocks #11 #13 #14 #15

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

#11 Baby Blocks front

#11 Baby Blocks back

It irritated me seeing the strand of light green that I haven’t worked in properly but I made myself not unravel what I’d done. I found this block not tricky as in making my head swirl with complex instructions, but because of changing the yarn over so frequently. (I finished off the fourth stitch in the other colour shade ready for the following block.) When I crocheted the #169 Interlocking Squares block you snip and start a fresh colour each time which is much more relaxing. Give me more darning, than swapping colours every few stitches, anytime!

#13 Circle in a Square

This is one of my favourite block designs so far, along with #4 Bobble Diamond and #7 Corner Granny which were both crocheted during week 2 of the CAL.

I used the magic ring method for this block instead of the chain and not chain stitches as the pattern called for, and I think it’s probably a much tighter centre circle. I was really careful to darn in the end firmly as MCs may not be so secure as starting with a slip stitched chain.

#14 Alhambra

I started this with a magic ring too.

Is there a typo in this pattern? I tried the instructions for round 6 where it says to do 2 tr into the next 2 tr but it doesn’t look like there are 4 stitches in the block photo in the book and it looked a little top heavy, so I just did 1 tr in each of the next 2 tr and it looks right to me.

#15 Corner square

I do like these corner blocks, but if my blocks are going to become one or two blankets some are going to have to be part of the main body as I’ll have too many.

This square is very easy and quick to make, though the blocking might take a while. I’m putting that part off till….next year?!

Five weeks worth of blocks! This is a good pile already.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the last few weeks I’ve had enquiries from new readers here, or members of Ravelry, about joining this 200 Blocks CAL (crochet along) which is great. There are now 92 members signed up to the Ravelry CAL group and other block makers who are following along through this blog. I reckon there are over 100 people crocheting along with us. :-) If you want to join in then please do! I keep saying the more, the merrier.

You can start from the beginning with block #1 and send me a link to your blog which I’ll include in the CAL blog list or just comment here and let us know you’re coming along too. Alternatively start week 6 which begins tomorrow, the next set of blocks are #16 #17 and #18 (if you have time and choose to make 2-3 blocks in a week.)

NB: The Interweave site has a list of corrections for some of the block patterns #16 #35 #47 #48 #58 #79 #100 and a correction to the technique instructions for working in rounds on p.120. I think this is just for the USA publication. My book is the UK edition published in 2004 by David and Charles.

Happy crocheting!

The owl & the pussycat

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

Owl #3 for Emily. Here are #1 #2 and they all look unique in their own way I see! I must crochet more owls as they can be made into really sweet magnets as well as sewn onto bags etc.

And a cross-stitched tortoiseshell cat for Gill which I put into a keyring case. It’s teeny really, only about 1″ x 2″. This little pressie is for a cat-obsessed friend who generously gives up her Saturdays to raise money for a cat charity. She has about a dozen of her own who share her and her Mr’s bed! She also talks about them as her ‘babies.’ You get the picture. At least I’ll never be stuck for a theme for presents!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you created any handmade gifts lately?

Week 4: CAL Blocks #10 #12

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

#10 Openwork Square
It’s vital to check there are 33 dc at the end of your foundation row and I also found counting at the end of each row 2 a good check to make sure you aren’t missing/adding a stitch. Wibbly wobbly patterns like this are easy in lots of senses – they grow fast and aren’t tricky to do – but they can funnel out or in if you’re not careful.
I wasn’t sure about this after I’d crocheted it, S thought it “looks particularly 70’s crochet” and I reckoned it was a bit string bag. After a weekend away and looking at it with fresh eyes I think it might work well as a scarf design, if you turn it on its side and squint a bit.

#11 Baby Blocks
I stopped halfway and spotted a few places where I hadn’t crocheted the yarn in properly and so decided to unravel this block. I’ve just been away for a fab long weekend with a group of friends in the oldest recorded city in Britain (guess before you click?) and so I’ll do another version this week.

#12 Fine Lines
I really like this! It’s also one of the few perfectly 6″ square blocks so far.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are now a month into the Crochet Along! It’s incredible how fast time has flown.

How are you getting on? Is 2-3 blocks a week feeling do-able?

Am I going to get (another) urge to knit?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I borrowed the Friday Night Knitting Club from my cousin and read it last weekend, but it left me so wanting more of the characters and shop that I immediately ordered the next in the series and it’s just arrived.

Grin

Cosy rainy day reading.

It’s the embroidery workshop tomorrow and I’m meeting my friend for lunch and a mooch around the shops too. Exciting girly day ahead.

I’ve just had a message from the friend who is redecorating: her Mum has more crochet patterns to give away, including more vintage ones, and would I like them? With bells on!

And the birthday present that keeps on giving (every month for a whole year, until the next birthday!) has just arrived. I’m hibernating for the rest of the day.

The Beginning

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

Questions I’m pondering

What bright and cheerful yarn have I got stashed away?
Which colours would make nice stripes?
Can I make this surprise thingymabob for a friend in a few ~~days~~ weeks?

Guess?

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

I made the stitch exactly as before apart from a chain after each popcorn as advised by a You Tube vid (why are these mostly American women who shout?!)

The other tiny, but effective, change was to start with a magic ring as advised by Lynne on my Grrrr post yesterday. If a published crochet and knitting designer gives you advice you’d be a fool to ignore it heh?

I have satisfying pile of blocks, growing at a steady rate. I’m going to tackle another now. How are you getting on?

If you’re not crocheting along what are you making this (rainy) Sunday?

#8 Popcorn Flower GRRRRRR

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

Yesterday after my last post I had an email from someone saying they didn’t like to comment publicly, but did my popcorns look a bit odd??
After affectionately calling her a nasty biatch or similar, to which S said “it’s only crochet”, I had another closer look at the block this morning.
Apart from the centre looking square rather than drawn into a circle the popcorns are a bit flat somehow, maybe just not pulled quite tight enough on the finish?

Have another look too and see what you think?

I also realised that I’ve obviously missed out a row because there aren’t enough holes. I’ve only done three – if you look from the middle outwards -rather than the block in the book which has four.

Yes it is ‘only crochet’ but the point of working my way through Jan Eaton’s 200 Crochet Block book was to learn new skills, techniques and become better, not perfect but improved.

So now you see it, now you don’t…

I’ll be back with a third time lucky #8 shortly. Grrrrr.

;-)

Week 3: CAL Blocks #7 #8 #9

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

#7 Corner Granny
I like this pattern so much I made two! It’s my favourite so far in fact. I might have to try blocking for the first time so these are at their future best.

#8 Popcorn Flower
Not my favourite so far. Fiddly stitch and not that impressive for the yarn that goes into making these popcorns. Is it just plain wrong to say that getting the popcorns ready for photographing felt like XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (completely inappropriate for a crochet blog so have censored myself, but it did.)
I dislike the mid row joins too. This is not going to be a pattern which is doubled, eh?

#9 Arcadia
(Introducing my new colour – yellow.) Easily made but I’m not so keen on very holey patterns though the colours are pretty. It needs block-blockety-blocking of course.

Really looking forward to #12 Fine Lines next week, it’s pretty and has an easy rating in the book.

Come and join me on the CAL (crochet along) it’s not too late, and it’s fun but not too demanding crocheting 2-3 blocks a week :-)

Truly Vintage Crochet Patterns

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

I’ve just had a surprise parcel delivered, it’s incredible and I wanted to share my haul with you.
A friend who sent me sewing magazines, patterns and books recently has now sent me a whole bundle of crochet patterns. She’s having a major clear-out before decorating and has been giving piles of these away, I think they belonged to her Mother.

The term vintage is currently used so often that it’s becoming an almost meaningless term. Dictionary.com offers these definitions:

vin·tage

[vin-tij] Show noun, adjective, verb, vin·taged, vin·tag·ing.

noun

1.the wine from a particular harvest or crop

2.the annual produce of the grape harvest, especially with reference to the wine obtained

3.an exceptionally fine wine from the crop of a good year

4.the time of gathering grapes, or of winemaking

5.the act or process of producing wine; winemaking

adjective

6.the class of a dated object with reference to era of production or use: a hat of last year’s vintage

7.of or pertaining to wines or winemaking

8.being of a specified vintage: Vintage wines are usually more expensive than nonvintage wines

9.representing the high quality of a past time: vintage cars; vintage movies

10.old-fashioned or obsolete: vintage jokes

11.being the best of its kind: They praised the play as vintage O’Neill.

Origin:

1400–50; late Middle English (noun) < Anglo-French, equivalent to vint ( er ) vintner + -age -age; replacing Middle English vindage, vendage < Anglo-French; Old French vendange < Latin vīndēmia grape-gathering, equivalent to vīn ( um ) grape, wine + -dēmia a taking away ( dēm ( ere ) to take from ( see redeem) + -ia -y³)

Related forms

non·vin·tage, adjective, noun

un·vin·taged, adjective

In my surprise haul I believe I truly have a collection of vintage crochet patterns, but you can see a few of them and judge for yourself. This only a selection, including a few adverts I thought might make you smile:

Fishy popcorn

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

Rainbow trout

Aren’t they beauties? We’ll be eating part of one (they’re big beauties) tonight – new potatoes, trout and salad here we come!

S has had such a good year for fly fishing that I suspect family and friends are beginning to smile with decidedly fixed ‘oh-my-goodness-here-they-come-with-more-bloody-fish’ expressions when we visit. There are several in the freezer now, so if you fancy one let me know ;-)

Practice block in Stylecraft Special DK, 3.5 mm hook.

Ok so Popcorns are not tricky exactly, just a little fiddly, but I’m just not a fan at this point. They don’t look very special to me, but I do love a good bobble stitch I’ve decided!

What are you making at the moment?

More importantly: what are you having for dinner?

Week 2: CAL Blocks #4 #5 #6 #169(!)

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

#4 Bobble Diamond
I’m pleased that I found bobbles so easy after my concern that I’d struggle. They are a piece of cake! As I said before; I checked The Harmony Guide and did a chain after each bobble to secure them.

So easy in fact that I made another! (They curl a bit at the top right and bottom left corners so I pinned them to the carpet to photograph. Anyone else have curly bobble diamond blocks?!

#5 Twin Stripes
It’s crucial to get the very end stitches of the foundation row right otherwise row 1 is completely off-kilter!

#6 Textured Bluebells
I like this one a lot, I think the DBBC colour fits the name and pattern perfectly.

And uh-hum *cough cough*

#169 Interlocking Stripes
I just wanted to see how my Debbie Bliss colours, well 8/9 of them anyway, look together. I decided there’s something missing and bought number 10 yesterday. All will be revealed soon!

A word for the future – this is a ‘darn heavy’ block (whichever method you prefer, mine’s sewing at the end of the block.)

Have you noticed that I’ve stuck to my CAL Resolution? So far so good anyway…..

I’m going for a little wander round blogland now to see how others are getting on, there are also some fab pictures on Ravelry and more being being added to the group’s projects page all the time.

This is fun! Week 3 here we come. :-D

Blogalicious! #2

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

I have to share this blog with you, just in case you don’t know about its fabulous-ness!

Cassie is an art teacher in the USA, she is also a stunningly talented sewer with a vintage dress addiction. This is a lady with a great sense of humour, she must surprise and amaze the kids with her outfits on a daily basis. If you think I exaggerate or you don’t believe me take a look at her 1970s Dorky Teacher skirt

Or see the I-See-London-I-See-France dress!

I can’t wait to read her promised future post on her closet space since she admits she never throws away anything, and has clothes she bought and wore in high school!

I think I have a girl crush! :-D

PS: I forgot to mention that Cassie will also introduce you to designers and artists, you will learn lots!

Bit of practice

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

Pre-workshop embroidery practice! I saw this Ikea cushion for £7.00, the cover is made of linen and cotton. It’s perfect for trying out stitches. So far I’ve embroidered some back stitches and chains.

It’s very very soothing apart from someone getting irate with tv related questions “What did she see?” “Did he recognise the baddies?” or “Can we rewind so I can watch that bit again? I was going round a corner.”

I’m bobbling!!!!

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

My first attempt at the dreaded bobble stitch. They’re easy!

The tops of my stitches lie the other way to those pictured in Jan Eaton’s 200 block book I note. I think that’s because I’m left-handed so crochet in the opposite direction (left-right along a row) if you know what I mean?!

The Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches advises that with bulkier bobble clusters it’s a good idea to work an extra chain stitch to close them firmly, so I have.

How are you getting on with this block?

PS: S said “You could crochet a snooker table”…I don’t think my eyes can possibly roll any more vigorously than they did.

Crochet OFSTED?

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

I’ve undone and re-crocheted block #1 (of the Stylecraft practice set) because I had a message yesterday saying that the reason it was smaller in size than the babycashmerino block was it had 12 rows in the first half, as opposed to -the correct- 13. Oops! Once I know there’s a mistake or something wrong, it will bug and bug me until I have to do something about it.

The funny thing is that the new and improved block is the same size as the version before, and still the same (smaller!) compared to the other DBBC block. I think it’s due to the fact that although the yarns are both DK one is definitely thinner and more wiggly than the other, plus I’m using a 4mm hook with the babycashmerino, versus a 3.5 mm hook for the acrylic. I’m honestly not at all worried about the differing sizes and I wouldn’t mix the two types of blocks anyway; it would be like using margarine and butter in the same sandwich. ;-)

Oh well, maybe I will get a ‘satisfactory’ rating from The School of Crochet OFSTED team but I don’t care. This is a fun project to practise and improve my skills, while learning new techniques.

Sorry for writing the most boring blog post ever! Xx

Week 1: CAL Blocks #1 #2 #3

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

I was really keen to start crocheting something new, so I crocheted the first 3 blocks last week. I was feeling a little apprehensive about how long they would take me to accomplish, since I am probably only at an intermediate crochet level at this stage. Will I understand the patterns? Will I master bobble stitch (block #4 uh-oh) spike stitches and the dreaded popcorn which always makes me nervous for some reason, although I’ve never actually tried making one. They’re probably a cinch? I’m also between projects because I’m meant to be darning in all those pesky ends of the Rhubarb Ripple and the Target Squares blankets, but my fingers get itchy if I don’t do any crochet for a day or so.

CAL Resolution: I’m going to darn in every single end when I’ve finished a block before I begin another. Darning is fine, but not 1000 ends at once which holds up the exciting final stage of joining or edging.

Have you made any CAL resolutions? Go on, spill if you have – I’m so nosy.

Here goes then….

#1 Triangle Stripes

#2 Tiny Textures

#3 Square Target

It was all going so well with #1 until the decreasing rows

If the paper can stay this is fine!

Redo – carefully! Counting is the answer.

Stylecraft special DK (SSDK) 6″ square-ish!

Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino (DBBC) Bliss indeed! My first posh wool, it’s so soft to work with and the stitch definition is amazing. Compare block #2 SSDK & DBBC
This is 6.5″ square using a 4mm hook

Oh fudge! I thought this was a perfect first attempt. The needle highlights where the error began

Second try. Ohhh! Spot what I’ve done? (Ignore the tape measure) I added an extra row for this block to try to square it up, then decided to stick with the written pattern for the next attempt (I swear there is one more row in the pictured block in the book…)

HURRAY! Third time lucky
SSDK 3.5mm hook 5.5″ square

Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino: 4mm hook 5.5″ high & 5.7″ wide
This is my patch of marigolds

SSDK 5.5″ square

The outer pink is darker than shown – photo taken under the apple tree so the sunlight was dappled

Pleased and a bit proud of myself, mistakes and all it’s been good fun

The plan so far:
>I’m going to carry on using the two hook sizes for the two yarns.
>I’m not going to stress about the differing sizes as there’s blocking, which I’ve never tried but is meant to work like magic, also some clever soul suggested using the larger blocks for one project, the smaller ones for another.
>I’m just going to enjoy the challenge of crocheting the blocks and decide what to make out of them later.

:-D

PS:: I’ve found out a mug of earl grey tea on a lap-top does not reach a happy conclusion. Just to let you know in case you’re breezily sitting with your drink right there…. DON’T!

Rosy bookmark

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

I just finished sewing the felt back on this cross stitch bookmark. I thoroughly enjoyed sewing again and so a friend and I have booked a place on an embroidery course. :-)

Yesterday a courier delivered 14 cross stitch magazines (1 with a free fruit and flowers kit still intact) 4 needlework pattern booklets and 2 hard-backed sewing books – a surprise from a friend who is clearing her spare bedrooms ready for decorating. A fantastic surprise gift!

CAL bloggers

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

Here’s a list of bloggers who are doing my 200 Blocks Crochet Along with Rachell (CAL)

Aan Die Haak

A Little Patch of Heaven

Another Little Crafty Creation

Crochetime

Hannah Ackroyd

HIJinKs Crochet

Life and Thyme

Made by Patch

Making it Count

Nice Piece of Work

Rainbow Junkie

The Eclectic Stitch

**If you want your blog to be included on this list please send me the link to your first CAL post here

CAL photos

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

Hello :-)

I’m aware that my CAL block makers (Rachell and the block-heads?!) are spread online: through the blogging world, Ravelry, Twitter, Flickr and some are email followers, so I thought I might do a little poll to see where the majority of you are going to show off your finished blocks. I’ve been dying to find another excuse to host a poll. I don’t know why, but I love them!

Now only vote if you’re doing the CAL with us please, don’t be norty ;-)

Naughty wool shopping

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

Tuesday: I’m a terrible shopper, a classic browser who can spend hours in shops looking, touching and picking things up, even restacking and neatening displays, but I’m not actually any good at buying most of the time. Often when I go clothes shoppping I return home with multi-packs of socks. At least now they’re stripey or spotty colourful socks; not the terminal black packs I always, always bought during my non-craft decade.

This afternoon I deliberately left my yarn shopping at Mason’s till the last ten minutes before the shop closed so I would be forced to make a decision under serious time pressure. Well technically it was that, and leaving home late due to the fact that I wanted to finish last month’s Mollie Makes in the bath before moving on to the new issue. The first of my year’s birthday subscription plopped onto the doormat this morning. Ya-hoo! I know I’m very easily pleased: Mollie Makes, a hook and some socks and I’m happy.

There is a LOT more wool/yarn than this, plus fabrics and haberdashery (and two more shops in the town) but I still take very surreptitious photos in shops. It is a tad embarrassing but I thought some of you might want to see what the shop looks like since I know they send international orders.

So what I’m leading up to is that I’ve bought yarn. Better than that I’ve bought wool, proper grown up sophisticated posh wool, Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino. If it’s good enough for the Queen of Crochet Blogs (you know….) then it’s more than good enough for me. I’ve really only ever crocheted with 100% acrylic. I am a fan of the Stylecraft Special DK but seriously wanted to try something different.

It is pricey but it’s gorgeous. I adore the range of colours. I want to put it on my face and leave it there it’s so soft. I also think it’s going to produce a nice sized block for my CAL though unlike serious, sensible crocheters I haven’t been swatching. My approach is to crochet and accept whatever block appears. I’m definitely not working out yarn quantities ahead either, yikes that could end up being scary given I’ve spent lots of pennies. “Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves” I’m choosing to think about the pennies and not the pounds in this case.

I’ve chosen a starter range of colours for my initial blocks that are inspired by my memories of our cottage garden style flower beds which were in my childhood garden here in England. I remember red-hot pokers, lupins and delphiniams, plus marigolds, little flowers called pinks, moon-daisies and iris and….

I might add some light pink and maybe a splash of yellow, but I know that I want oranges, purples, some deep dark and bright colours. So that’s everything I suppose, but no neutrals.

I’ve started putting a Cottage Garden board together on Pinterest if you need any pretty pictures to look at for inspiration. It’s a work in progress as I’m still finding my way round the site.

Thursday: I could say I’ve done a swatch, deciding to make a sample and be a sensible crocheter, or I could say I couldn’t wait and I crocheted the first two blocks. (More about that later.) Either way I’ve made a decision about the yarn I’m going to use….

…Any ideas for what I can make with softer than clouds DB baby cashmerino?

DoNT sAy a BlaNKet!!!

200 Blocks Crochet Along with Rachell: the THEME!

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

The final votes for the theme for my CAL have been coming in all weekend. Yesterday one theme (Sea & Sand) began to gather more and more votes, but it didn’t quite make it.

Just to refresh your memory the possible themes were:

Moonlight & Stars
Sea & Sand
Autumn Leaves
Summer Fruits
Cottage Garden

Are you yelling at the screen yet? “Just stop waffling and tell us what it is!!*>!*”

Ok, ok here’s a little clue to the winner…

For people who like stats here are the final votes in percentages:

Cottage Garden: 33%
Autumn Leaves: 22%
Sea & Sand: 19%
Summer Fruits: 15%
Moonlight & Stars: 11%

Yes! The winning theme is Cottage Garden.

And it’s not too late to join us, everyone welcome.

Originally I was going to link to everyone’s blog. I thought there would be around a dozen people doing this CAL with me, but there are currently 71 people in the Ravelry group I started alone, and more here, so it’s hard to tell exactly how many. Judging by the number of messages/votes I’ve had it’s LOTS!

Fantastic! :-D

Just to clarify these are the first blocks we’ll be doing from 1st September when we’ve got our yarn sorted and fingers flexed:

I’ll be adding a linky image thing for you in a post soon, so if you want to add it to your blog etc you can paste the code in. If there’s anyone who wants to volunteer to try it for me please let me know. :-)

Come and add your Cottage Garden inspired blocks as we go week by week to the group I’ve set up on Flickr It’ll be fun to see everyone’s yarn choices. We start on 1st September with blocks #1 & #2 and pics can be added from then.

If you get stuck there are some super experienced and friendly crocheters on the Ravelry 200 Blocks Crochet Along with Rachell group who will help. I’ll definitely be there asking for help!

——

I’m off now to buy some wool/yarn. I’m still debating how extravagant I want to be, but I am a little fed up with Stylecraft and fancy trying something posh for the first time, but posh don’t come cheap…

:-D

New crochet books

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

My books have arrived! I won them in a blog giveaway by Erin Bassett

I never usually win when I enter prize draws, raffles or lotteries but I’ve received two prizes in a week! Woo hoo!

It was hard trying to pick my favourite patterns to show you but I narrowed it down to the sunflower from the crochet flowers book, and the log cabin block (love this!) and paisley motif from the Vogue crochet stitchionary.

What is immediately impressive about both books is that they have written and diagram patterns; so although the stitches are in USA crochet terms they are easy to use whatever you are used to. Plus it should get me used to the symbols as well. I still have my Japanese and Chinese crochet books to play with at some point.

I’ll be back on Tuesday with the results of the CAL theme vote (still getting votes every day!) and a link you can put on your blog if I sort out the technology.

Happy (bank holiday) weekend everyone!

Safron’s flowers

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

My friend Safron’s favourite colour is green, and when I offered to crochet her something she asked for flowers in different shades of green that she could play with; to make into brooches etc.

I turned to my crochet magazine archive for pattern inspiration, and also made up another few simple flowers…

I’m looking forward to seeing what Safron makes with her flowers.

(Did you spot the one that looks like a cauliflower?!)

In other news: Guess what?

Prachi’s bag has arrived and she was delighted with it!

“Let me start with a big big HUG and THANK YOU for the lovely, lovely bag you made for me…it’s so beautiful, and already the envy of my colleagues! My apologies that you had to wait for so long and get worried about it not turning up…I guess it did take a while to reach, but due to some last-moment work plans I too have been out of the area for about 10 days now……Been very swamped with work lately, so this present has not only made my day but my week and month! It’ll hold my everyday items nicely and will be ideal for walks around town…love that I can knot up the strap and adjust it according to my need, very funky touch that is…and the colours are gorgeous…Rachel, you’re one talented lady, and prompt and super-thoughtful on top of that :) :) :).”

*Blush*

SOoOo glad it finally got to Prachi and most importantly that she liked it. :-D

Winner!

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

I had a delivery at lunchtime and assumed it was a belated birthday present but no – I had won a raffle type competition with Let’s Get Crafting magazine!

When we were away I had an email telling me I had won a blog giveaway. I rarely win anything so the fact that now I have won twice in a fortnight is amazing!

I’m still waiting for my other prize to arrive so I’ll show you my goodies from that another time.

Here’s today’s lovely surprise…

Little star

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

Having a little play with a pattern in Mollie Makes magazine, issue seventeen. It’s from Cute and Easy Crocheted Baby Clothes by Nicki Trench, though I sense possibilities for the huge festival beginning with C (or X for some!)

Crafty treats & birthday presents

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

>A wander around a new craft superstore

> This is a little different but each to their own! It’s probably more comfortable than being carried in a little handbag…> A few treats > A surprise in the post. But this was a disappointment for the one who collected it from the post office and thought he’d won a fishing reel in a competition! The look was priceless when it turned out to be a subscriber gift from Mollie Makes magazine. So, I get the magazine for a year of birthday present that keeps on giving, and the Amy Butler fabric! Win, win.

>Stopping to admire my doorstep> Greek salad for lunch, not craft or a birthday present but a very tasty meal sitting in the sun listening the Best of David Bowie…..Let’s Dance! We could be Heroes….Little China Girl…..Fashion!….Ashes to Ashes…..> Trying out one of last week’s birthday pressies – my new slow cooker. I had to use pliers to turn the knob round on my last one and like this red model very much. I’m cooking Malaysian beef and aubergine curry for dinner (smelling good!)

The recipe’s from Ultimate Slow Cooker by Sara Lewis if you fancy trying it.

Rippling closer to the end

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

I’m doing a row or a two now and then, and am getting near to the end of the Rhubarb Ripple!

DoNT MenTIoN tHe eNDs!!!!!

200 Blocks Crochet Along with Rachell

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

Introduction to my CAL:

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned starting a CAL – a crochet along – as I’ve owned this

superb book: 200 Crochet Blocks for blankets, throws and afghans by Jan Eaton for a while now but haven’t used it apart from referencing stitches and techniques. (See here if you’re interested.) I asked if anyone would be interested in making 2-3 squares a week and had an enthusiastic response.

Which block will we begin with?:

We will start from block number one and take them as they come in order (2-3 blocks a week) otherwise I just know I’ll choose all the easy ones first. The CAL would become a bit of a trial, I’d stop and I’d have to leave the blogging country!

You’ll need to get hold of a copy of the book:

If you have decided you want to join this CAL you’ll need to get hold of a copy of the book, since I can’t post patterns here as I would be infringing copyright.

This is a popular book that many crochet fans already own, and it should be easy to get hold of a copy. I have a link to it on Amazon on my sidebar to the right under ‘Books!’ If you are trying not to buy anymore books at moment you could try looking in your local library for a copy.

Themes for the CAL:

Patch suggested having a colour theme for the CAL such as:

Sea and Sand

Moonlight and Stars

Autumn Leaves.

I loved it!

I’ve added a few ideas of my own too:

Cottage Garden

Summer Fruits

If the theme fits with my yarn collection I’m initially going to use that up, but we’ll see. ~~I’m hovering between themes and so am going to vote last, because I can!~~ I’ve made myself choose a theme because I could dither for days otherwise!

So do we all need to use the same colours and type of yarn?:

NO! :-)

Once the broad theme is decided we would use our own choice of yarn, shades, colours and hook size, then compare notes as we go. It will make the CAL much more interesting especially at the end; seeing everyone’s choices.

Voting for a theme:

If you want to join us please vote on one of the following themes, via my contact me form on the ‘Hello’ page above by Tuesday 28th August

Here they are:

Sea and Sand

Moonlight and Stars

Autumn Leaves

Summer Fruits

A Cottage Garden

Sharing our progress:

I will post links to your blog as well as photos of my completed squares as we go on a weekly basis, ideally at the beginning of the following week.

Announcing the winning theme:

I’ll announce the winning theme on Tuesday 28th August here in a new blog post, then we can get our yarn together and fingers flexed ready to start the CAL.

When will the CAL start?:

From the 1st of September onwards

I’ve only just seen this post, can I still join?:

YES! At any time, the more the merrier.

:-D

It’s going to be fun!

Scenic loveliness

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

I have some scenic piccys of North Wales for you to, hopefully, enjoy. What a stunning country!

I’ve put them into a gallery setting, so click on the first picture and view them at your own pace.

: Barmouth

: Spot the missing letter? Missing for at least 3 years I might add. I think they’ve decided to go with it!

: The view from our cottage of lake Trawsfyndd and Snowdonia national park

: Do you think I resisted, or bought this crochet pattern?

: Llandudno Victorian pier which is half a mile long. I could have stared at it for hours, I certainly took a lot of photographs of it!

: Boat trips, singing and tug of war on the beach for the children, drippy ice creams and independent shops to browse, not to mention drinks and a delicious meal with our lovely friend Lucy in a gorgeous pub called The Cottage Loaf – this is a seaside town to revisit.

: At the end of pier

: Typical view, shame about the wire but I didn’t want to cut the turbulent sky by editing the photo

: Castles everywhere! This is at Criccieth

: Some Welsh for you on a cafe board in Pwllheli

: Treats for me!

: Pecan pie batter cheesecake with a pot of earl grey. Simply yum.

: The lake at the beginning of sunset

: A walk on Barmouth beach the same evening, it was funny watching waggy tailed small dogs swim with big sticks!

: Birthday presents to open! I LOVED the knitted design.

: Progress report on my holiday cross stitch. It’s very relaxing especially with a G&T!

: Slightly closer up. It’s completed now, apart from adding the tassell and felt backing. This was a bargain charity shop find last year for 95p. I’ve bought my next cross stitch project today….

We had such a lovely relaxing time away that it’s hard not to wander about in a daze now I’m home.

As it was my birthday I was treated to a night at a nice hotel in Cardiff at the end of the holiday. There we saw plenty of purple and orange clad London 2012 volunteers who had stayed in the hotel to help at the last Olympic football match in Cardiff Stadium. There was a real festive air in the city with a big screen showing live events. The only visible security was X-ray machines at the hotel entrance which was presumably to check the players’ bags and equipment.

I’m glad the Olympics went so well and were enjoyed by so many. I was glued to lots of the events and found that I cried when athletes won, when they lost, at the reactions of their supporters and the audience. A fortnight of teary eyes is enough for anyone and I can stop for a few weeks now, until the Paralympics anyway.

I’ll be back to show you some crafty purchases I treated myself to today and a surprise I received in the mail. I hope to show you my winnings shortly too, when they arrive, as I entered a giveaway last weekend and WON!

HURRAY!!!!

What have you been up to lately? Any trips planned?

::Thank you for all your encouraging comments about Prachi’s bag, it hasn’t arrived yet but I’ll keep you posted.

It’s happened again???

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

I’ve been merrily crocheting the edges of each coloured alternative granny target square in cream, in groups of 5 at a time. I’ve completed the last today and now have 100. Hurray! Gold medal in crochet for Team GB please :-D

But how can it have happened that I now have 100 squares worth of ends to darn? Oh how can this have happened again??? I thought I’d learnt back in May that to darn as you go is the very best thing….

Sorry Brits, I think I might have put us out of the medal category. Boo!

Prachi’s bag

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

Backdated crochet post for good reason, it was a surprise for Prachi:

In the first week of July, or so, I made this little crocheted bag using Planet Penny cotton because I have a contact, Prachi, who is a trainee lawyer. She had recently moved to a remote, tribal district in Gujarat, India as part of a new job. The place she moved to lacks basic facilities (apparently running water is a luxury) and it’s very different from the city life to which she is used. Prachi had found a small, cosy place in which to live but was feeling very lonely. She was trying to make her new accommodation a home and really likes handmade items; and so I offered to crochet something of her choice.

After having a look at some of my crochet here she asked for a bag with a few specific requests:

::Could it be ‘holey look’ crochet

::A bag about the size of a kindle would be perfect

::Something she could sling across her on walks

::A bag to carry her wallet, mobile phone and keys (so not too holey then, I thought!)

::A bright stripey bag

I looked around at patterns but none were quite what she described. I decided to make my own design. My first ever off-the-cuff crocheted item. It’s pretty basic and was easy as anything to make in a granny stripe of clusters of trebles (I’ve really come on with this crochet lark I realise, I’ve definitely got the basics now!) but it’s still my work.

Here it is:

I toyed with the idea of lining it, but frankly I’m so unconfident about that kind of sewing that I decided it would be ok without. It’s sturdy and doesn’t have that much ‘give’ being cotton and is a fairly dense material as I used a 3.5 hook, so should be ok and not saggy.

To make the (very pink!) strap I made a lengthy chain, then double crocheted back along the row – very, very fiddly stuff. For strength I crocheted one end of the strap to the bag, then double crocheted all along the strap again until it could be crocheted to the other end.I have some nice buttons in my collection but decided that it might spoil the look of the front and the flap’s heavy enough to stay flapped over. A button can always be added. I’m happy to post a little chain for the loop.

But here’s the thing: I posted this on 9th July. I’ve waited and waited to hear from Prachi and just know she’d be super fast in getting in touch to say she’s received it. There’s maybe still time for it to arrive I guess. I’ll be sooo disappointed if it never turns up in India and am beginning to feel it might not, so have written this blog post so at least Prachi can see her bag, know she was thought of and the promise was promptly kept.

Fingers crossed it arrives please! :-D

Sleeping beauty and the kiss of crochet

Posted on July 30, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve started doing some cross stitching for the first time in a very, very long time and am enjoying it. It’s funny though because I was always a bit down on cross stitching because I thought it relatively skill-less when I was younger. I used to do tapestry and embroidery more in those days. I’m working up to more sewing but have lost confidence through lack of practice and have forgotten lots of techniques. I also need to take a refresher on using a sewing machine since I have forgotten the teeny leetle bit I used to know.

I had to drive cross-country to work for about eight years and all the gear changes really aggravated my elbow, and so I actually gave up everything crafty. I just packed my hoops, frames, wools, threads, needles and books away. Then I got into study and stuff which left no time. I feel like sleeping beauty in lots of ways where craft is concerned as I didn’t do any for most of a decade. It seems extreme now, but I really was in pain at the time and used to find that even stirring cooking and cutting out with scissors aggravated it.

It’s much better nowadays and learning to crochet, then discovering the world of craft blogs, has awakened a gradual desire to try my hand at different skills again. It’s really exciting!

I’d forgotten I had so many threads, fabrics and books tucked away. These books are now on the shelf here in the Little Room with my crochet and knitting ones, it’s becoming a bit of a library. S saw these and exclaimed ‘Una Stubbs?!!’ Well…yes….Una Stubbs. Now playing Mrs Hudson in Sherlock

And there she is going strong playing his landlady, bless her. I originally knew her from Aunt Sally in Worzel Gummidge. I wonder if she’s still sewing in between filming?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m not sure whether there’s a law of cross stitching (or, x stitching as it’s now known as in the 21st C version of kool crafts) as in all the stitches must universally go in a particular direction, but figure as I’m a leftie the top stitch goes L-R diagonally and as long as all stitches are in the same direction it’s ok. You see; I really have lost my mojo….!

…Obviously quite a close-up! The holes aren’t this big I promise…

Back to Crochet

On another tack; I was wondering about starting a CAL – a crochet along – here as I’ve owned this superb book for a while now but haven’t used it apart from for referencing stitches and techniques. Would you be interested in making 2-3 squares (or fewer? Is that too many?) with me a week?

Obviously you will need to get hold of a copy of the book since I can’t post patterns here as I would be infringing copyright. It seems to be a book that many crochet fans already own, and is very easy to get hold of too. See the book link to the right of this page>>>>

I thought I could post links to your blog and photos of the completed squares as we go on a weekly basis, maybe at the beginning of the following week?

I’ve run the idea by (clever) Patch who has suggested having a colour theme such as: Sea and Sand, Moonlight and Stars or Autumn Leaves. I love it! I’m drawn to Autumn Leaves since I wanted to make a blanket for my living room which ties in with my favourite rug there. It’s reddy, brownie, yellowy-goldy coours. BUT I can set up a poll for votes and alternative suggestions. I’m all for democracy. Once the theme is decided we would buy our own choice of colours, according to the theme, and type of yarns then compare notes.

Would you be interested in doing a CAL with me? I’m enthused by the idea since I haven’t got a social crochet group together yet, and this is a step in the right direction, albeit online. I’ve also never taken part in a CAL before either. pLeAsE sAy YES!

It’s holiday season so I reckon the best time to begin would be the first week of September, but that depends on you. It’s a busy going back to school week for many, but then you’ll probably need the meditative power of crochet and the sharing of progress in a social crochet kind of way won’t you?

To finish I wanted to show you this beautiful creature. I opened the curtains the other morning and there he was sitting on ‘his’ shed roof enjoying the morning sun. He’s either Ziggy or Spike, I can never remember and can’t ask my neighbour again!

A bit of crochet, a bit of baking

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

We’ve been having lovely weather here in the south of England after what was weeks and weeks and weeks of rain. There’s a bit of a festive looking forward to the Olympic opening ceremony vibe in the air at the moment too.

I had a request to crochet another dishcloth since the one I made in January has now come to the end of its useful life. So, I sat in the garden and whipped up a new one with my stash of dishcloth string. This time it’s rows of alternating doubles and trebles for extra strength and scrubability (new word invented?)

I’ve been making banana bread too….

….Nearly ate the first slice before remembering to take a piccy! Ooops.

Banana bread

300g ripe bananas, 15ml lemon juice, 125g shelled chopped walnuts, 75g unsalted butter, 175g dark soft brown sugar, 50ml walnut oil (I don’t have any so used olive oil) 1tsp mixed spice, 3 medium eggs (I used 2 large since it’s what I had) 325g wholemeal bread flour, 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda, demerara sugar

Line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick paper, heat oven to 180 oc (160 fan assisted) 350 of / Gas mark 4.

Peel the bananas and mash with the lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the walnuts and leave to one side.

Gently melt the butter in a pan, tip into a mixing bowl with the sugar, oil and spice. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until everything is evenly combined.

Sift the flour and bicarb into a bowl, adding the bran caught in the sieve to the flour in the bowl. Beat half the flour into the egg mixture, fold in the banana and walnut mixture, then fold in the remaining flour gently.

Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle some demerara over the top and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Dan Lepard recipe: taken from The Guardian…oh ages ago.

This is substancial but surprisingly light in texture.

End of year

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

It is so nice to be appreciated.

Happy days

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

Ooooh a lovely day today; flowers and thank you cards from school as its the end of the academic year tomorrow, and one of my lottery winnings (£10!) gift to myself has arrived.
It is good to give, but even better to receive!
It’s been one of those super weeks in all kinds of ways. Hope it has been a satisfying one for you too.
Have a good Friday and a lovely weekend. I’m off ooop north ish to catch up with friends and check out the shops.

Sunshine & raspberries

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

Yesterday we had a properly sunny day; it felt like summer with blue skies and fluffy white clouds and not a raindrop in sight. So Mum and I set off to the local pick-your-own farm (with we’ve-picked-some-for-you farm shop and cafe complete with bouncy castle) to plunder the fruit.

We picked raspberries and black-currants but gave up on the strawberries. To be honest lots were moudy or unripe from too much rain and they are sitting on soggy straw. When I got home I whipped out a couple of bags of sugar from my pantry, weighed them had just enough for a batch of jam. My first ever batch of raspberry jam. It’s incredibly quick to make and very, very easy. I’ve always made various chutneys: apple & orange, spiced apple, apple apricot & peach, apple & rhubarb, marrow chutney etc etc in the autumn because we’ve been lucky enough to have gardens with apple trees. I’ve also made jellies: chilli & apple jelly, mint jelly, rosemary jelly etc but never jam – apart from helping Mum when I was growing up – mainly because I’ve never eaten much. This seems to have changed in recent years and we get through a steady supply of Bonne Maman preserves. Now it’s going to be Bonne Rachell! *cheesy but pleased with self*

Raspberry jam

900g raspberries – wash and put in a heavy based pan, they need to gently cook in their own juice for about 10 minutes until soft

Take off the heat, stir in 900g sugar until dissolved

Add a knob of butter and bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until setting point has been reached. Tip: put a few saucers in the freezer, to test SP put a small spoonful of jam onto the saucer, if it winkles when pushed with your finger a minute or two later it’s ready.

Remove scum. Pot in sterilised jars, cover. Lick spoons/fingers. Clean up. (I also found a splash of jam on my foot last night!)

This recipe made 4 pots of jam though only 3 are shown.

Colourful

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

A work in progress which I laid out last night to decide the number of squares left to crochet, so please don’t judge me by the number of yellows clumped together! They were edged while I watched tv. The answer to the how many more question is probably LOTS since there’s no one who needs a baby blanket at the moment.
I don’t really need another blanket myself with the Yorkshire blanket, which I already snuggle under, and the Rhubarb Ripple which I’m taking away to finish in August (19 stripes left! Woo hoo!) So don’t really know what to do with the alternative granny square/target square one when it’s completed…..

And I’ve photographed fly fishing flies; some home-made, some new which have just arrived by post because I like looking at the intricate workmanship of them, plus it’s a celebration since I’m enjoying having trout for dinner. I always think you could make some pretty earrings out of the more feathery colourful flies!

Sorry that the above photo is a bit fuzzy, the iphone only takes good indoor pictures when the light is very bright I think.

Chilli & Lentil soupyness

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

It’s grey and rainy today. In the middle of our wonderful summer! Yes. This is irony.
I wondered about salad for lunch and then decided what I really craved was lentil and chilli soup. I just felt the need for something warming. It’s a BBC Good Food recipe that I’ve used time and time again, usually in the winter months!
It’s been a good chance to fill up my new masala tin while the soup gently bubbles away.

Do you fancy making this too?

Lentil & tomato soup

Heat a pan and dry-fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and a good pinch of chilli flakes until they smell nice and pungent.
Add a tablespoon of oil and chopped red onion, cook for five minutes.
Stir in 140 g of split red lentils with 850ml of vegetable stock and 400 g can tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes until lentils have softened.
Whizz in a liquidiser or use a stick blender until its chunky. Put back into the pan and add a few tablespoons of chick-peas. Makes 4 portions. Serve garnished with chopped coriander and a swirl of yoghurt/creme fraiche/double cream.

Yum!

iknit London

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

iknit London

iknit on Lower Marsh street, Waterloo, London is one of my favourite yarn shops to pop into when I’m in the area. Come out of Waterloo underground station onto Waterloo road, turn right and walk along to the cheap bookshop on the corner. They sell a huge variety of books, including a nice shelf-full of craft books. Then walk along to iknit on Lower Marsh street for a browse, knit/crochet and shop. I recommend The Camel and Artichoke pub afterwards. It’s just 2 minutes along the street. Buy a drink, order something to eat (recommend: the steak & onion baguette, chilli/cheese nachos/The Big Ben burger – if very hungry!) and go upstairs to hopefully bagsie one of the ultra comfy squashy leather sofas. Browse the Bookcrossing.com bookshelf for a free book or two. All this will keep you happy for an hour or two or…..

Pros: iknit London sell a large selection of wool/yarn in a variety of prices, brands and types. There are some sample pieces knitted up to give you an idea of the texture, thickness and general project inspiration.

Apart from wool/yarn there is an extensive library of books to browse and buy, a rack of knitting and crochet magazines, haberdashery and little gifts, including cards and toys.

iknit London offer classes and have regular knitting group meetings, although I haven’t attended any….yet. They are licensed to serve alcohol so i imagine some of the gatherings get fairly jolly!

You are welcome to take your current project into the shop and work on it while resting on the sofa for a while.

Cons: Be prepared to share the sofa with a very small dog, the kind you might see a celeb carry around in a handbag!

Drink Shop Do

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

Drink Shop Do, London

Pros:: (sorry I snigger a little as there’s a sex shop downstairs) Sweets in old fashioned jars available per quarter, cards, stationery, Rowan wool (ya hoo I can legitimately use wool) tiered plates to buy, a teeny bit of crochet on display, candles on cafe tables upstairs, fresh flowers, random tables and chairs, fab homemade cakes including yummy looking battenburg.

Cons: Apart from eclectic ‘craft’ classes/activities -look up the programme on their site- this isn’t really a craft shop. If you’re looking for serious yarn choices or haberdashery items go elsewhere.
Cooler than cool reception from staff, it is London I guess but smiles cost nothing. I’d accept a fake one!
Expect to wait to be served in the cafe, busy or not. I’ve heard this and now have first-hand experience.

Off to Liberty now while dodging raindrops.

Practice

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

I wanted to crochet something quick and bright using the recent Let’s Get Crafting Knitting & Crochet yarn the other evening, so I dug out an older edition and made this bag. This was the -almost- finished version with two identical sides double crocheted together. (I obviously also did another row compared to the pattern.)

It was good to practise because all the the stitches are double trebles, which I haven’t really used since making the chunky seashell scarf, and a few for the garland (which I’m told is now hanging in baby Alice May’s bedroom along with one of the crocheted birds, see 14th January post – sorry but the linking thingy here is not working today.)

It was fun to use the bright colours and practise ‘that’ stitch again, which incidentally is dead easy, but I baulked at actually crocheting a handle and making it up. Recently I’ve been thinking about what to do with what I make much more. I started the 100 ch then frogged it. The ‘bag’ is now a bunch of small balls of brightly coloured yarn on the bed in here; The Little Room.

I told you it was practise. ;-p

EDT: I realise that my widgets have slipped – oh the horror! – but I’m waiting for WordPress Support to get back to me on the issue. I think I have gremlins!

Knitting at Wimbledon

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

Did you see the woman knitting during the coverage of Andy Murray’s match? I did and heard the commentator mention it. At the time I wondered what she was knitting in that bright pink yarn. I was actually impressed at the good use of her time multi-tasking.

Then surprisingly on Radio 2 yesterday lunchtime there was a whole discussion on the resulting Twitter exchange of pro/anti views on knitting while watching a Centre Court match: A waste of a ticket? An insult to the players; what if one of them had looked up and seen her knitting? Is there a safety issue to the players? Is the noise distracting to others? Can knitters concentrate fully while they knit?

Jeremy Vine interviewed a woman while she knitted a scarf; to see if she could maintain eye contact, concentration and hold a conversation. Unsurprisingly she could do all three. He also talked to a student who knit in lectures as the Christmas holiday loomed and her presents were still being created, and a woman who teaches knitting and takes hers on the train. The only negative comments were read out and seemed largely to be from men!

If you can access the BBC iplayer the discussion was on Radio 2, Jeremy Vine 02/07/12 around 141 minutes into the programme. This link will only last for about a week.

Newspapers have asked ‘Are you the woman who was knitting at Wimbledon? Do you know this woman?’ Here’s one article from The Telegraph.

And here are a few pro-knitting at Wimbledon tweets, predictably from a couple of Knitting magazines:

Knitting Magazine‏@KnittingMag

Woman in ‘knitting whilst watching tennis’ shocker. It’s called multi-tasking…. http://fb.me/28oVNbBXi

Let’s Knit magazine‏@Letsknitmag

We love this woman who #knitted at Wimbledon! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167281/Wimbledon-2012-All-eyes-Andy-Murray-interested-knitting.html

Knitting Magazine‏@KnittingMag

Katie here! After the Wimbledon debacle I think we should all go for some public knitting to increase awareness… http://fb.me/1igLEV6JT

~~~~~~~~~~~

So, what do you think about public knitting, particularly at a sporting event like Wimbledon?

A Winning Sunday

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

There’s nothing like going out for lunch on a Sunday, admittedly I went out for lunch on Saturday too with a group of friends, but Sunday is different somehow. It just feels more relaxed, there aren’t hordes of people rushing around, the pace is leisurely and well, frankly rather lovely.

I haven’t had Peroni for ages and doubt I’ve ever had an egg on a pizza! It was all good and if you’re Oxford way I’d recommend this pizzeria for a spot of lunch.

~~~~~~~

This morning I had an alert saying ‘We have news about your lottery ticket’ and in the time it took to log on to The National Lottery website I’d gone from buying a Penthouse by the Thames in London, to an apartment in New York and one in Sydney. My whole life had changed, in my imagination, and I was about to tell S to leave the shopping and just come home now!

It wasn’t quite a life changing amount (£10) in the event, but I have ordered another crochet book. Woo hoo! It’s one I browsed in the library a few weeks ago. It had the most appealing patterns and the colours are well thought out.

I’m excitedly looking forward to owning my own copy.

I’m not allowing myself to start any big new projects as the Rhubarb Ripple and other items are well in progress still. (You know the ones: the Alternative Granny Squares and, probably, the Spring Flower Squares. I say probably to the last because I’m having an iffy doubting feeling about those at the mo, but that’s another story…)

Only 20 more stripes until the ripple’s completed. I’m planning on 80 I think, rather than 85. It’s feeling like a ripple marathon to be honest and I’m ticking off stripes in a notebook as I go! Seems like a good thing to do to break the psychological barrier to finishing a rather massive project ;-p)

Hope you’re having a good weekend too.

Blooming Flower Cushion: Completed!

Posted on June 26, 2012 by The Little Room of Rachell

A little crochet and Royal Cake

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

I finshed this book earlier. It’s an extremely easy read and described as a ‘cosy mystery’ in the States apparently. I’ve never sampled a knitting murder before, as gruesome as that sounds….!

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Co-Op, Martin’s Newsagents, a little Post office/general store – no magazine joy. Superstore Sainsbury’s further afield – BINGO! I was so happy I took this photo to mark the occasion. I need to subscribe; since I really would miss making fun of some of the patterns and miss out on the good ones. I’m not about to highlight the funnier ones now. Well, apart from to ask: would you like woolly gnomes in your garden or to create woolly ice-creams? If the answer contains a yes this is definitely the buy for you this week. Grin.

Thank you for all your lovely, lovely comments about the wonky-middled Blooming Flower cushion back. It’s not that I didn’t take any notice but I can be a bit of a perfectionist. Knowing I am capable of making something much better, and giving a wonky one as a present to a little sweetheart for her 4th birthday would have made me feel rather uncomfortable. It’s all good crochet practice too. The colours are better in my second version of the cushion back too. I just need to dc it together with the front.

We’ve just had a delivery of ROYAL CAKES. Yes! Properly ROYAL CAKES.

For the Diamond Jubilee the Queen and Prince Philip are holding celebratory tea-parties around the country. People were invited to take part in a free lottery to attend. S’s parents were successful and have been to Henley upon Thames this afternoon to have tea ‘in the presence of the Queen.’ They were very close to both, about 4 feet away apparently at one point, and dropped in on the way home to give us two Royal Brownies (seems fitting to use capitals somehow) that my MiL sneaked out in a paper cup. So sweet!

Apparently the steam powered barge the Royals travelled upon down the Thames, during the main Jubilee celebratory weekend, was moored on the river and there were a number of other boats. It sounds like the tea was quite a spread too. Jealous! But sneezing and wheezing all over the Royals is pretty uncool I imagine.

Sorry folks, I can’t hang about. I have a ROYAL Brownie to consume. :-D

PS: I bet it’s calorie-free being Royal and everything too.

Blooming thing

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

I have finished my blooming flower cushion, well thought I had anyway…
After I’d dc-ed the edges together at the beginning of the week, around the sumptuous feather cushion pad I bought from a seller on Ebay, I realised that the joins of the red rounds in the middle are quite not very good. B****r!!!!
I’m going to have re-do it I think. It’s going to be a present along with the Rainbow Granny Stripe blanket but even if it wasn’t I don’t like knowing its not very good.

I have yet another cold this year, I haven’t had so many for years. I can’t believe it. The new Let’s Get Crafting Knitting & Crochet magazine was going to help operation cheer-up Rachel this morning, but wasn’t in Sainsbury’s this morning. Boo.

Sunday

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

We had a lovely day out yesterday, to a pottery then a pub where we sat by the river in the sunshine (yes! we’ve had some more sunshine!)

Then we took some nutty oat and raisin cookies I baked on Saturday to a friend. That was quite funny. We arrived and were saying what we’d been up to for the day, but honestly it was like seeing Scooby Doo in action; the nose went up, the eyes were fixed on the tin in my hand. “Cake? Is that cake? I haven’t had CAKE for ages!”

I’ve used a gallery setting for these photos, click on the first one to view in a slideshow setting at your own pace….

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.

Martha’s school dinners

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

Have you heard about Martha (aka ‘Veg’) Payne’s blog NeverSeconds?

There was an item about it on the Radio2 news this afternoon and intrigued I logged on to look at Martha’s blog (along with hundreds of others; I’ve never seen a blog counter increase as fast!) You must look too. Read and look at the pics from her first post at the end of April to today…. and beyond….

If you are also impressed with what this clever girl has accomplished then make a donation to Mary’s Meals.

What a girl!

Knitted

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

It’s finished. I’ve used a wooden flower bead as a button. This was from a bracelet bought in Pakistan by a colleague a few years ago. The bracelet was lovely but sadly broke not long ago so I kept the beads to use sometime.

There’s a couple of rows of pink at the bottom of the cover, why not make it really bright, I decided. I almost want to buy an ereader now!

An urge to knit

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

I haven’t knit anything since the purple and green scarves I made last winter, but I’ve had such an urge to pick up the knitting sticks that I’ve started a little project.

The pattern is in issue 41 of Let’s Get Crafting magazine. It looks like a simple rib but it’s a bit more interesting to knit than that; it’s fisherman’s rib and you go into the space below the stitch for the knit part of the rib. It’s a knit one below (k1b) stitch and makes a very ‘springy’ fabric.

I’ve never used bamboo needles before and it makes me think that if I was stranded with wool and only a pair of japanese chopsticks (pointier ends than their Chinese counterparts) then I could knit up a scarf…

I don’t actually own an ereader, I’m an old fashioned paper and ink sort of girl. I’ll have to offer the finished item to someone who does.

I prefer the green in the magazine but I used it all on the summer flower garland, so I’ve used the other green in the pack. Not so nice but the Stylecraft DK I have isn’t as thick, even though both are technically DK.

I have to admit that this superb little fruity item might have inspired my urge to knit. Have a look if you haven’t ever seen Meredith’s One Sheepish Girl blog.

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

Oooh!

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

Hmmmm this is what happens when you’re preparing a melon, to eat, and unthinkingly poke one of the seeds into a pot of earth where little chilli seeds are resting prior to growth…..!

English seaside

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

Sorry if you’re feeling Jubileed out now, but there are only one or two Union Jacks in these I promise!

We walked miles and miles at the weekend along the sea front! The weather was very good and coming home I noticed inches of rainwater in flowerpots in the garden, seems like home has had a huge thunder storm and plenty of rain. It was a good decision to go away and escape it all. I’ve just realised how typically English I’m being typing at length about the weather, especially as it was a good few days ago. Sorry but I suppose it’s ok to conform to the national stereotype sometimes eh?!

I’ve put these in a gallery so click on whichever photo you want to begin with and then you can view all the pics in a slideshow at your own pace. If you’re a bit bored of seaside pics come back at the weekend for my latest new crochet project!

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

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

This gallery contains 15 photos.

Over the bank holiday weekend we’ve been to the south coast to enjoy some Jubilee celebrations and see the sea. I love days at the seaside; it’s one of my all-time favourite things to do (as you might already have guessed?!) Everywhere … Continue reading →

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.

Red White & Blue London

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

Yesterday I met a group of friends to share some books, have a few drinks, some lunch and a wander by the Thames.

It was a perfectly sunny day as you’ll see, so I walked from Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes lived there you know, at least in lots of our imaginations!) grabbed some breakfast from M&S in Oxford street and walked down to Trafalgar Square to sit by a fountain to picnic and watch the world go by (and the minutes tick down to the Olympics) until a friend, G, came to meet me…

A perfect day full of laughing and fun.

Happy weekend to you all wherever you are. :-D

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

Come for a walk?

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

This gallery contains 35 photos.

Blenheim Palace has gorgeous grounds, with a lake to circle, a butterfly house to steam within (nice on a frosty day) and a maze to wander. Thank goodness there’s a viewing platform to climb if you need a bit of … Continue reading →

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!!!!!

Technical hitch!

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

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for your email, I’m not at all sure what’s happened to the voting for our Little Blog Awards but it’s definitely not working! I’ve passed it on to our web team who will hopefully find the problem and fix it quite soon, so I would try again in a day or so and fingers crossed all will be working again.

Good luck in the awards!

Best wishes,

Dorset Cereals Ltd

Oh well, it was lovely to be nominated and thank you for all your messages saying voting wasn’t possible :-)

Squeal !

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

Would you like to vote for this little blog for the Dorset Cereals Little Blog Awards? It is a lovely and very unexpected surprise to see it has been nominated. I’ll quietly crochet on with The Rhubarb Ripple and Spring Flower Blankets in the meantime

:-D

http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/fun-stuff/little-blog-awards/nomination/6628

( or click the image at the top of the sidebar >>>>)

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.

Saltburn, North Yorkshire

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

It seems ages since I last posted. Life has been very busy, but the fun kind of busy. No work!

I really wanted to post my pictures of the Olympic yarn bombing since they show the amazing knitting in detail. To be honest when we went to Saltburn (my first ever visit) I had forgotten that was where it was. I suppose if I had remembered I would have imagined none of was still there. Sadly during the time we walked from one end of the pier to the other the caneoist had been taken…I wonder how much is left a week and a half on?

I have many photos to share; you might want to make a cup of tea or a G&T!

Aren’t they amazing? Sooo much work and skill went into making this collection. Now you can see why I just found it hard to select a couple!

After lots of looking, exclaiming and photographing we went for a long walk and found more of this for my collection….

I really thought there might be a message in it. S thought the message was “…buy more whisky!”

…he stayed on for a while after this, it was impressive.

I have pictures from Scarborough and Whitby, and then there’s trip #2 which was Dublin, that was a really, really good week. Suffice to say I slept for 9.5 hrs when I came home after all the shenanigans!

BUT I’ll probably get back to the crochet focus soon instead. :-)

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

Happy Friday

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

What a beautiful colour.

Should I change my blog name?

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

I’ve wondered for a while if it sounds like ‘the little room’ as in the euphemism for toilet.

And then someone commented upon the same thing last night :-D

Please vote even if you don’t care either way. I’ve had over 3000 hits on this since it started on 31st Dec and if I’m going to change I’d better do it fast!

If you think YES! Please leave a new name suggestion, the only one I’ve come up with is Rachell’s World and that might be a bit yakky. It doesn’t actually have to include the name ‘Rachell’ at all.

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.

The Spring flowers I posted this morning

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

Oh, apparently my ‘fuzzy’ blue flowers are these….

Thank you to my cousin for the link! :-)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: