A Yarn to tell.....

I am having a ball getting back into knitting and crocheting. One of my Grandmothers taught me to knit when I was about eleven and I managed to produce a neat little summer top, but I never really got into it.
Only years later, with little ones of my own do I now understand the importance of the craftwork skills and not only have I begun knitting again but I have been to a local wool shop for crochet classes and am in seventh heaven looking for beautiful yarns with which to practice.
I am now working on a crochet cardigan for myself after crocheting hats for my wee ones and flowers for embellishments. I have, though, fallen in love with granny squares and the multitude of patterns and projects that can be born from this simple square.

One of my first easy to do and quick to finish projects was a hot water bottle cover.

All I did was crochet 8 granny squares of varying designs, from a lovely little book for beginners - stitched them together (with simple double crochet, although now I have come across 10 different ways to join granny squares I shall be experimenting) and crocheted a slight collar with treble crochet - magic!

I highly recommend you get to a local crochet class, we must not let these wonderful craft skills die out.

Yarns - kid in a candy store, me!

Out of no-where..................2013

I blinked....................and I almost missed it. 2012 ran by like it was competing with Mo Farah!
I shall endeavour to catch up on all the things I mentioned in my last post (sooooo long ago!!), recipes, knitting, preserving and more.

First of all let me say the knitted stars are a real hit with the cherubs. They have them hanging on their bedroom walls now, but for a while they were squeezed to within a inch of their life :)

I managed to get some of the most delicious wool from Red Riding Hood Yarns . Hannah makes simply spectacular hand-dyed boutique yarns......I was lucky enough to get hold of a Delux Rainbow Petite Collection and used a knit star pattern from Ravelry (a truly fantastic knitting and crocheting community site). It was a free pattern by Kirsten Hipsky, although I actually put some stuffing in mine to 'plump' them up for the cherubs.



Starry starry night.......

The colours really are just gorgeous, my photos can't do them justice. I knitted mine on straight needles as Kirsten showed the adaptation for that in addition to knitting them on the round. As a fairly novice knitter (I have done blankets, teddy clothing and am in the middle of a knitted Labrador) they were super easy and in fact I managed to get a set done for each cherub whilst getting mini-cherub down to sleep each night.
After stories and kisses, I would sit on my chair just across from her bed and she would (and does) say 'knitting mamma' and I smile and say 'Yes, knitting' as I try to quietly click-clack away as she falls asleep. Precious moments.