Summer.......

Summer......what can I say.  It's been incredibly hot here in Melbourne, well Australia all over for that matter.  We broke another weather record here in Melbourne last week....4 consecutive days over 41c.  I can't begin to tell you how awful it was.  Normally we get one 40+ day and then we drop down in temperature and we may get another one a month or so later....maybe 4 over the course of the whole Summer, not 4 in a row......this felt relentless. 

 Hopefully the remainder of the Summer will just stay balmy, sunny with the odd thunder storm and a little bit of rain, that would be nice....and maybe just moderate temperatures.

I've been doing some baby blankets again.  I don't know what it is that inspires me to crochet in hot weather.....I think it has something to do with the wool moving a little more quickly through my hands than what knitting would, therefore I don't feel it sticks as much.....sticky wool, sticky hands, not one of my favourite combinations.

Anyway I've just been moving through the days, back at work, walking, catching up with friends, seeing a few movies, going to the tennis and generally just being a little lazy.....oh and I had my hair cut off, that was a momentous moment, all 25cm of it.....I think the hot weather played a big part in that!

Anyway I'm going to sneak back and do another hour or so of crochet time, before I head out for the afternoon.

Warmest wishes,

Vx

Oddments, I have a few.......

What do you do with your oddments, scraps, bits of balls......you know what I mean.  I have a lot.  A real lot.....All this below is Baby Cashmerino leftovers.

Well most of it is. There is a couple of new balls in one bag that I have added to the stash for virtually a scrap stashing project that I came across yesterday by accident really!   I found this picture on Pinterest.

I loved it, I loved the colour, the gaps in the crochet, which is not something I generally like in crochet, I'm a bit more of a full compact square or hexagon person....anyway I pinned it to my board and moved on.

Yesterday I was leaving work and I had to nick into the newsagent, I'm not a big magazine buyer or browser, but the crochet and knit magazines just happened to be glaring back at me from the cartridge paper section.....I had a few minutes spare, so I started browsing.....and this magazine and its contents caught my eye.  Inside Crochet, Issue 47, Christmas 2013......The blanket, look at it, a perfect stash buster for Baby Cashmerino....the blanket and pattern recommend 4ply yarn and a 3.5mm hook....BC is 5ply, bingo!!

I'm sorry the picture is not the clearest, but the picture of this amazing blanket were not that big.....but last night.....late last night, I had a bit of a play around......I blocked these flowery circles before I went to bed, because they were very scrunchy, and this morning....beautiful, flat, soft and drapey.  What do you think?

I love it because it is a join as you go as well, so that is always a bonus. I guess the only downside if there is one, will be the amount of ends to sew in.....I did all of them last night apart from the outer edge.  Sew as you go....I can never stand the thought of tidying up the ends after finishing!!  Anyway this project is a biggin'  21 x 25 circles, and a lot of half ones to go around the edging.


I still haven't finished my other crochet projects.....but officially I'm dedicating the whole month of February to finishing WIP crochet blankets.....and I'm really looking forward to it.  Maybe wipe off one or two of those NY resolutions, the one about buying yarn and finishing woolly works in progress!!

Anyway I have a day off work today, a few more hats to finish and a cake to make, so better get going.


Enjoy your day and thinking of all of those with the awful wild weather in the Northern Hemisphere.




Vicki x


ps  This beautiful blanket pattern didn't have a Ravelry page so I've set one up....You'll find it here

New Year, New Quilt........

Welcome 2014, the year of happy I've named it......I think with 2013 having the number 13 in it, made that year a bit ho hum.  I think this year more than any other that I've seen, many people are saying good riddance to 2013 and looking forward to 2014.   It seems last year has not been a great year for many of us.....well in my circle anyway!

Quilt has been made....it's very bright, and with time, like my one I made last year here , it will mellow down, squish and soften up......I was looking at last years quilt this morning when I took it off the bed, it really is like an old vintage find now.  It is so unbelievably soft and mellow, and very well used and loved.

I have a few more quilts to make and or finish off....ran out of fabric for one, a bit of tidying up on another and one that doesn't have to be ready to mid year or so.....but one of my NY resolutions is to not leave things to the last minute.

I'm not normally a resolution maker, but this year I did decide to make a couple....well a few more than a couple, I just wanted to look back at the end of the year and see how far I got.  Not major things, but achievable I guess would be a good way to look at them.

1. No more Not so many yarn purchases.
2. Pilates twice a week.
3. Buy that damn bicycle I've been wanting to buy before Summer finishes.
4. Lose that last 10 or so kilos.....I managed to get 6.5 off before Christmas, so I'd like to have the remaining 10 off by December....slow and steady.
5. Finally learn to run and enjoy it.....Couch to 5K, here I come.
6. Finish all the woolly works in progress before I start any more.
7. Have at least 4 more knitted patterns completed before end of year.
8. Save more money.
9. Don't waste so much food.
10. Comment more on other peoples blogs, facebook pages and the like....I know it makes me so happy when someone leaves me a comment, so I'm going to make sure I do it more to others this year.
11. Smile randomly at someone in the street everyday.
12. Be HAPPY!

What do you think.....Achievable?


Anyway it's time to go, dinner to make, warmest wishes to all of you for 2014.  See you soon.


Vicki x


ps.  Softie comes from here.