First FO's of 2014..........and I have a winner.

Good morning, at last, I've opened the curtains and it's not raining!!!!!! It's a beautiful, frosty, sunny morning, my favourite kind of winter weather. I've got three FO's to show you this week, the first of 2014.

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My first one is my second Fair Isle Style Crochet Cardigan, this was for a little girl's birthday so I needed it to finish by the 4th January. It is quite a quick project, compared to knitting, anyway. I used a 6mm hook with Drops Nepal yarn which is probably why it works up so quickly. I didn't start it until the 17th December but finished in plenty time. I love this pattern, it is by Ball, Hank and Skein and I'm sure I will end up making another one.

Technically, this is off my hook, not on but I was making this as part of Chrissie and Marrianne's,  Bloomin' Crochet Along, so I thought I would share it with them.

My second FO is my Henslowe Shawl and I love it!!!!! I think this is my favourite shawl to date, I'm not sure whether it is the yarn I've used or the beautiful lace pattern. I used Skein Queen Tickled Mink and it is as light as a feather and so very soft but is actually really warm on these cold winter days.

One last project that I forgot to show you, I finished my Lace Beret, back in the middle of December, using Malibrigo Sock in Ravelry Red, I love this colour. Sorry about the cheesy photo, hehe, it was a "selfie".

I blocked it, using a dinner plate but it is a little bit too big on me now, so I will try and re-block it using a smaller plate.

Check out more FO's over on Tami's blog, my Ravelry queue always gets longer when I've seen everybody's gorgeous projects.

Now to announce the winner of the Swatch Like You Mean It giveway, generously donated by Mel of Single Handed Knits. I did it a very technical way by writing everybody's name on a piece of paper, who wanted to enter and picked one out of a teacup.

Drum roll...............................the winner is Linda Tytko. Congratulations Linda, can you get in touch with me, please, so I can pass your details onto Mel.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend. I'm hoping the weather will stay dry and we'll have a trip over to the beautiful town of Stratford Upon Avon.

xxxxDebxxxx

Bloomin' Crochet Along.....a new project on my hook.

Good morning, I didn't post last week for Bloomin' Crochet Along but I have something to show you this week.

I've started another Fairly Isleish Fair Isle Style Cardigan., don't you love the name of this pattern!!!! I'm making this one for my friend's Granddaughter, who's birthday is at the beginning of January. 

I thought I would give myself plenty of time  but I forgot how quick it was to make. I started this at 6pm on Tuesday evening and worked on it until midnight, I'm half way through finishing it. It does help that it's worked in Aran on a 6mm hook.

I'm using Drops Nepal, which is lovely to crochet with but it will definitely need blocking as it looks quite small, it has loads of stretch though.I had some pinks leftover from my first one and went with grey for the main colour, this time. 

I'm linking up to Chrissie and Marrianne's Crochet Along, pop on over to see what everybody else has been up to, this week.

Lastly, I want to show you these gorgeous decorations, that were sent to me from Jules from the Little Woollie blog. Aren't they gorgeous, this was part of the Christmas Decoration Swap which was organised by Ladybird Diaries. Thank you for organising it, Marriane and thank you, Jules, for my fun, colourful decorations.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend.

xxxxDebxxxx

Bloomin CAL...........and a FO.

Good morning, I'm back today with this week's progress on my Pretty Pastel Hexagon Blanket for the Bloomin' CAL hosted by Chrissie and Marianne.

 

Unfortunately, there hasn't been a lot of crochet going on this week as I was concentrating on the Striped Baby Jacket and Hat which I wanted to finish before I went to see my friend and her new baby boy.

I've started adding the border around the centres, that I finished last week but have only managed six complete hexagons this week....................

but I have completed the Fair Isle Style Crochet Cardigan by Sarah Lora.

The buttons are sewn on, I used some wooden buttons that I had in my stash.

I've left it hanging in my craft room as I just get so much pleasure looking at it, is that sad??????? I can't wait to see Olivia in it, when I give it to her for Christmas. I hope to start another one soon in another colourway.

Talking about Christmas, my friend, Kerry came around my house, yesterday, for some Christmas crafting. I'm so glad she came round as I haven't done any papercrafting for three months and had lost all inspiration but Kerry has inspired me to create again!!!

Check out Chrissie Crafts and Ladybird Diaries for more projects on the Bloomin' Crochet-A-Long.

Thanks for popping by.

xxxxDebxxxx

Bloomin' CAL.............and a Fair Isle Style Cardigan

I can't believe it's Thursday again, where did the rest of the week go????? It's time to show you my progress this week for my Bloomin' CAL , hosted by Chrissie Crafts and Ladybird Diaries.

I'm crocheting a Pretty Pastel Hexagon Blanket, I'm not sure how many hexagons I will need so I will just carry on until I run out of yarn, the pattern is from the Attic 24 blog.

I had a couple of people on Instagram asking what colours I'm using, it's Drops Merino Extra Fine in these six colours......

Bottom Row-Left to Right......14 Steel Blue, 22 Medium Purple, 16 Light Pink.

Middle Row- Left to Right..........25 Pink, 01 Off White

Top Row................15 Light Greenish Grey

I've got a little system going, where I do all the centres first then add the Off White border, I find it quicker than keep changing colour.

I don't know about you but I love cosy, Autumn evenings, with just the lamps on and the candles lit with the fragrance of vanilla, filling the room. This was me last night working on my hexagon centres and watching Poirot, a perfect evening. 

 Do you remember me showing you a photo of this on my last post, well this is the other project on my hook.

It's a Fair Isle Style Kids Cardigan and I love it, you don't get many kids crochet patterns which is why I started doing more knitting. It's a pattern by Sarah Lora from Ball, Hank 'n' Skein, I first saw this pattern on Lulu Loves blog and instantly fell in love with it, you can find Emma's cardigan, here, the colours she choose are gorgeous.

It's a fairly quick project, I started it on Saturday and had this much finished by Sunday evening. I would have probably finished it, but I ran out of wool on the second sleeve. The pattern doesn't give you a brand, just the type of yarn and how many yards so I 'guesstimated'. I counted the pinks into the yardage but you don't actually use that much of the colours so as a guide, whatever yards is given, order that as your main colour, then one ball of each of the other  two colours. It's always better to have too much than too little.

I originally ordered 4 balls of Drops Nepal Beige Mix, 1 ball of Cerise and 1 ball of Medium Pink, it is an Aran weight wool/alpaca mix. I needed 5 of the beige which has arrived now arrived, so I can carry on, this is part of my niece's Christmas present. I also ordered some grey which I will use to make my friend's Grand-daughter one, too, I should have enough of the pink leftover to make the second cardigan.

Check out Chrissie and Marianne's blog and check out, everybody else's progress, this week.

Thanks for stopping by.

xxxxDebxxxx