A Crocheted Cowl

I've ticked another item off my Christmas making list this week.
 I've finished crocheting this cowl which I've made especially for my mother-in-law. I hope she likes it. It's been an easy and fun make and
the yarn, Drops Cotton Merino, is always a pleasure to crochet with.

 The pattern is based on the Stars Cowl from issue 57 of Inside 
Crochet magazine. I started off with the first two rows from the pattern. The third row has 'deep double treble crochet' stitches or ddtr in a different yarn colour to create the stars effect but I decided to just keep
 going with the first two rows. The cowl turned out much simpler and
not at all like the original but I prefer it like this. I like the fan-like
 pattern and the texture that had been created by the stitches and
 I'm pleased with it. The muted shade (it's beige) will go with various colours and outfits so hopefully she'll be able to wear this often.
 It measures about 98cm in circumference, not wide or long enough
 to wind round the neck twice but I know she likes to wear cowls
 draped down like in the photos here and I think it's just the right
 length for her - hopefully!

I'm currently making a very colourful cowl for Markie and I'm going
to start on the bunting soon.

 How's your Christmas making going?

 Take care and have a great week!

Sunshine

Monday afternoon, around one o'clock, the sun came out from
behind dark grey clouds and for the first time in days there was
bright sunshine. Even though it was still wet outside it didn't look
or feel as dreary and it felt the same inside the house. The light
created shadows but also lit up spaces and corners I'd normally
not notice. I went into every room in the house just to see which
spot or corner was bright with sunlight. I've been lighting candles
and putting lamps on but nothing beats natural light at banishing greyness and gloom. It's brilliant and wonderful and I wish we have
more of it especially at this time of year. I miss it a lot - having grown
 up in a tropical country, warm, sunny weather is where I really feel
 most at home - and appreciate it so much particularly after what
feels like weeks of rain and grey skies.

 Today it's sunny but cold. We woke up with a light dusting of snow
 on the ground which got the girls very excited. I'm glad for the
sunshine. I don't mind the chill so much when the sky is blue and
 there is lots of sunshine. It's not quite the warming, comforting sort
 that I prefer but as long as it's bright and clear and the world doesn't look or feel miserable, I'll take it.


Hope you have sunshine where you are this weekend. Enjoy!

Granny Flower Square Pot Holder

I have finished one of the gifts I'm making for Christmas. It's a

 crocheted pot holder and it's for my mother-in-law. She really liked 

the pot holder I made for our kitchen last spring and I thought it will be nice to make one for her too and give it as a present this Christmas. 

I started making this while waiting for a doctor's appointment. I had
a feeling that the clinic will be running late and brought along
 my crochet hook, some yarn and my copy of Melody Griffiths' 201 Crochet motifs, blocks, projects & ideas. I really like the granny flower square in the book and wanted to see if it will make a nice pot holder.
Sure enough I had to wait some time before I was seen and by then

 I had finished the flower and was working on the first round of yellow trebles. I love a portable craft project and I'm so glad I had this to
keep me busy in the waiting room!

Back at home I carried on with the outer yellow rounds until I had

an 8 inch square. For the back I made the treble square, also from

the same book, then joined the front and back pieces with double

crochets and slip stitches.

 I also made a loop, sewed the yarn ends and it was done! An easy, 

quick but very satisfying project. I used a 4mm hook and Drops Muskat
yarn, a lovely mercerised cotton, that were leftover from other projects.
 I have to say I'm really liking 201 Crochet motifs, blocks, projects & ideas. It's a great resource for crochet projects; the shapes for my bear

 and (soon-to be finished) fox bags were from here. 

I really hope my mother-in-law likes this. She appreciates handmade

 presents and I always like making things for her so fingers crossed
this pot holder will be well received on Christmas Day.

Thank you for your lovely comments about my blanket and
 my other projects. Hope your Christmas making are going well.
 Have a good week, everyone!


.........................


We're going to have our second pop up restaurant next Saturday,
November 28th. We have a new menu, including mushroom
arancinis for starters - Yum! We now have a blog too. Hope you
can visit when you get the chance. Thanks!

Winter Project Update

Joining in again with Jennifer's Winter Project Link Party.

My crochet blanket here which I started making sometime in September
has grown over the past month. I think it's now twice as long since my
last link up post. I'm quite surprised actually but also very pleased about this. It's still very much in the making process but at least it's growing
despite the other projects that have lately been occupying most of my
crafting time.

A few weeks ago I couldn't resist making this crochet bear bag
which was a hit with my girls and of course I had to make another one.

 I've chosen a fox this time and I've made all the bag pieces now. They're just waiting to be sewn together and the handle made and it's done.

I've also started making gifts for Christmas. This one's
for my mother-in-law. I'll show you the finished item soon.

Also for my mother-in-law, a crocheted cowl. Well, hopefully. I'm still
not sure about the pattern so I'll see how how this goes. I also have
 a bunting to make for a friend's baby and maybe crocheted slippers
 for my girls

With all these it does look like I won't be able to make as much progress with my blanket in the coming weeks with me even busier with present making. But I'll try and pick it up whenever I can. I have a feeling it will
be my little refuge when all the festive making, decorating and other goings on get a bit too much. A cup of tea, quiet time in a corner with
 my blanket......now that's a happy thought!


Hope it's been a good week for you all. Enjoy the weekend!

Late Half-term Report

So here we are in November and it's Bonfire Night. I hope you're 

having a great time if you're doing anything Bonfire Night related 

this evening. The girls and I watched fireworks from their bedroom

window earlier. It was pretty exciting but we're definitely happy to

just spectate. It's been raining all day and it's also quite cold and

foggy. Certainly glad to be warm, dry and cosy indoors tonight.

Half term is done and dusted now and we're back to our usual

 school day routines. The school break, all eleven days of it, had

 been really good. We all feel rested and better for it.

 We mostly stayed at home and pottered about doing this and that.

The girls did a lot of drawing, colouring, cutting and gluing and I did

 a lot of tidying up everyday. There was also a fair bit of arguing and

 'she did this, she did that' but on the whole they played well together which was nice.

I worked on my blanket throughout the week and crocheted a little
flower for Lulu's new cardigan. We also made a fox head mount

 (from a kit), baked and went out for walks when it wasn't raining.

Crochet in the autumn sunshine- yay!

On a lovely, sunny morning when my husband was off work, we 

all went to the botanical gardens and had a brilliant time just

walking around and seeing all the colours on the trees and finding

flowers that are still in bloom. And of course we had to see Mr. Bear. 

A visit here is never complete without going to the old bear pit and

saying hello to the resident bear. I love the plants and trees but for

the girls the bear is always their favourite thing in the gardens.

The highlight of the whole half term - for them and for us - was their
sleepover at Nanny and Granddad's. They got to stay up much later
and watch all of Strictly while us two had a lovely night in as well,
also with Strictly and some lovely grown up food (wine and steak)
plus Spectre at the cinema the next day. We didn't mind not doing
anything for Halloween. It might be less scary for the girls next year.
Maybe they might be lured by the prospect of getting lots of sweets
with trick or treating. Maybe. It's really not their thing at the moment.


I think the fireworks are still going, Bonfire Night is still on!
Hope you've had a good one.

Enjoy your weekend!