What a ravelation!

I’ve been trying to learn to crochet for quite some time, with mixed success. Very mixed!

Over the last couple of holidays, I’ve packed a big stack of learn to crochet books, a 4mm hook and a bag of nasty yarn from the local pound store to practice with, and got myself in a terrible cranky squeaky tangle. 

Recently though it has all come together, as I seem to have invited the right people to the party. 

First to arrive was Claires Bojczuk with her marvellous wee book Crochet unravelled. Not only does it use UK terminology, but she incudes illustrations for both left- and right-handed learners. (Cue tears of relief from the lefty in the corner).

Next up was The Scarlet Peacock’s Crochet courses taken by the charming and talented Catherine Hirst  (Hope the term is getting better Catherine…)

All of which means that last week,  I finally felt confident enough to buy some proper yarn. 

Yarn that doesn’t split or squeak. Yarn that is not plastic.  I went for Rowan’s Siena 4-ply,  100% mercerised cotton joy.

It arrived last night (in record time – thanks Deramores!), and I started to use it on the train this morning. What a revelation! 

It slips sensuously through my fingers, sits demurely on the hook, sashays perfectly into stitches with no unseemly splits, and shows beautiful stitch definition.  I may have been wearing a slightly lecherous look on yesterdays commute, which may explain why I got a seat on the tube…

Birthday fun!

We've just had a birthday in our house - the little one turned one!

This is a big felt badge I made for the special little boy. It attaches with magnets, sewn into the big felt discs - safe to chew but too big to swallow.

Happy birthday boy!

This shows the backing disc better

It was easy to make and came together in an evening Once I'd faffed about with the sketchbook, and i think it translated pretty faithfully.

There's a project sheet here:Birthday badge tutorial

Long evenings

Daylight savings is rubbish when I'm still at my desk at work at nightfall, but pretty darn cosy when I'm at home snuggled up in my pyjamas... or with my pyjamas.

I've dug out a cushion cover I made last summer from our old flannel pyjamas. Its super-snuggly, and has a handy pocket for love notes, the tv remote, or, in my case, thread trimmings to keep safe and out of the mouths of babes.

It was a really good beginning project. I learned machine basics – how to wind bobbins, thread up, change feet and needles (oh, and not to sew over pins) and i also designed it myself.

And then had to trim the pieced squares because i got the maths wrong. (I mean, really! How difficult can squares be?) And restitch  the piecing so i could ease it in properly to make the corners (nearly) match up.  I hadn’t accounted for the fact that the fabrics are all different, and have worn differently. I had blithely and naively assumed that if I line up the edges, my magic new machine would sort out the middle bits, Actually, it needed some input from me. Who’d a thunk it?

Anyway, here’s the method, complete with seam allowances, and some piecing diagrams that would have saved me having to puzzle it all out on the bed and disturb the cat.

Tutorial here: Upcycled snuggle cushion