Monday, August 28, 2017

Feeling determined!

It's been a crochet week.....I'm determined to finish off my crochet blanket! I finished the blanket to the length that I wanted and started to do a border round the edges. The pattern didn't call for an edging, it was a case of once you had reached your desired finished length, that was it....you were done. I felt though, that it looked a bit unfinished....and after all those hours of work on it, it seemed a shame not to put in a few extra hours to finish it off properly. Here's the first row of the border...


....and adding the second row of crochet in the middle shade of blue...


I was hoping to have all three colours of the border completed to show you today, but as always, I underestimated how long it would take me to do the borders. The blanket is 82 inches square, so it does take a long time to all four sides! It should definitely be finished for next weeks post :)

And since I was on a crochet binge, what better than a quick and easy project to have for on-the-go crocheting. A cute coaster pattern.....


...and one became two...


....two became three..


 ....yes, you've guessed it....four....

...and five!


A great little project for using up those odds and ends of yarn that we just can't throw out :)


These would make a great little gift ....maybe tied up with a ribbon.... a nice mug...and some flavoured teas....oooohh....I can start my Christmas gift making list now!

Hope you're having a great week....thanks for stopping by.

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Monday, August 21, 2017

Dragonflies!

Another week where there was very little crafting taking place. I did manage to get another few rows completed on my blanket....



It's really hard to photograph....I really must check out how other bloggers show off their crochet blankets! Hopefully next time, not only will I have completed it, but I just might be able to dazzle you with a great picture of it too!

Speaking of things that are hard to photograph, dragonflies are certainly near the top of the list. They never seem to stay still long enough to be able to get a good photograph of them, but every once in a while...



mother nature helps you out..










I can see that creating a dragonfly cross stitch design might just be on the cards! :)

Hope you're having a great week!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Monday, August 14, 2017

Butterflies and blankets!

I have a little finish to show you today and a blast form the past that has been languishing in my crochet basket for, well....I don't even want to think about how long!

Here's what I was stitching throughout the week...


What should have been a relatively quick to stitch design took far longer than it should have! First of all, I managed to mix up the thread colours and sorted what should have been a blue and labeled it as a purple....and if that wasn't bad enough, I picked up the wrong pink and started stitching with it (that's what happens when you're trying to watch Game of Thrones while stitching!) Needless to say the frog was firmly ensconced with me this week.

The end result was worth all the hassle and the muttering under my breath that I did...


Hopefully the frog will move on now and not hang around! If anyone would like him, just let me know....I can post worldwide! :)

I also decided that it was time to finally finish a crochet project that has been in my work basket for way too long. I can't even remember when I started this blanket or the last time I even worked on it! I could look back at this blog and find out, but I think it would be too embarrassing to say.


Anyhoo, when I took it out of the basket I was surprised that it as almost finished....why oh why did I ever abandon it?  Of course, I couldn't remember where I had found the pattern or what size of crochet hook I had used.....yet another reason to never abandon a project half way through. 


Luckily for me, in a rare moment of sensibility, I had purchased enough yarn (Caron Simply Soft) to complete the project so I don't have to worry about finding the right shade of yarn. I think that I have only about three repeats of the wave pattern to get to the length that I want and then find a suitable pattern for the edging. I might even just do a few rows of  just double crochet for the edging so that it doesn't take away from the wave pattern....watch this space!!! 

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona



Monday, August 7, 2017

Strawberries and shy garden visitors.

Summer seems to be flying by and I'm trying to make the most of the gorgeous weather and the time we have with our son before he moves away. Stitching has taken a back seat to sharing time and making memories!

Even on the few evenings that I have picked up my stitching, not much has been accomplished....but, it's not a race or a competition, so I'm not bothered about the lack of progress. 

Working on the strawberries design, I changed the q-snaps configuration as I was using a very large square shaped frame, and now that I'm working on the top right hand part of the design, it became rather cumbersome to work with. Oh, my....those cheaper imitation q-snaps from the craft store were a real pain to change! I was terrified that the fabric was going to rip just trying to get the clamp part off. It was so stiff that I had to ask my husband to help.....even he struggled to do it! Anyway, it's now on a smaller rectangular shaped frame which is much easier to work with....



Here's a closer look at the area I have been working on...



We are forecast rain for the next few evenings (I think) so maybe I'll be able to get some more stitches  done this week!

While we have been sitting in the garden, we have had some lovely visitors of the feathered variety...



 ...a rather shy hummingbird.......



...and an even more shy cardinal..... 



The sparrows, on the other hand, are not in the least bit shy!

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

P.S. August's stitching log can be found on the previous post :)

Friday, August 4, 2017

August stitching log

A few days late, I know (sorry!)......but here it is....August's stitching log...


Keep a record of all the stitching you have done this month! 

The block for each day has room for noting the project you have worked on (great for all of those who work on multiple projects!) and the number of stitches you accomplished each day. There's room for your stitching goals....they say that if you write them down you're more likely to achieve them! And also  room for any notes that you wish to record. 

It's really great at the end of the month to look back and see how much time etc you have spent on each project.

The log is actually in pale lilac, not grey as in the photograph, but you can print in either grey or colour depending on the settings on your printer

You can get your copy of the August stitching log by clicking here. Please feel free to share on your blog etc, but please link back to this page....thank you.

Some stitchers messaged me and helped me decide what to include in the log, so hopefully I have managed to make something that is useful/helpful...and when I say 'I have', I really mean my daughter as she's the wizard on illustrator, not me! If you want to see more of her work, check out her Instagram account  here. (I'm sure she'd appreciate some more followers ;)  ) If there's anything else that you think would be helpful to add, please let me know in the comments....I'd love to hear from you.

So now it's time for me to pick up my needle and get on with some stitching so that I can fill in this month's log :)

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona