Category Archives: crochet

Who has the songs to sing to me when I am blue?

Posted by Rose on

Who has the tenderness of a mother?
Who has the wisdom of a schoolteacher?
Who has the tricks of the magician?
Who has the ability to see the world through a child’s eye?
Who has the stories about Mum and Dad?
Who has always loved me no matter what I do?
Who has the songs to sing to me when I am blue?
Of course, it is my Grandma,
And I love you and you blessed my life!
(Catherine Pulsifer)

I’m constantly being called a granny because I crochet. But if all granny’s warm hearts like my granny sure did, I don’t mind being called a granny at all.

My great gran was the most exceptional lady I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Her warm heartfelt hugs as I snuggled into lap as she read me poems, story’s and sang the most enchanting Irish songs, in her sweet Irish accent, there was no place I would rather have been.
Her sweetie pot filled with humbugs next to her comfy armchair always filled so that her grandchildren could have that sweet treat that our parents would only allow on pocket-money day.
She would sit and listen to every word we spoke no matter the rubbish that would pour out as mouths.
She truly listened and even though she was a Victorian child at heart and the world had changed in front of her eyes, she would do her up most to try to understand the modern world and help to put life’s troubles into prospective, she would put the world to rights just by being her and opening her arm to give us the hug that protected us from the monsters under our beds.
She loved with her whole heart, her time was solely ours, her love unconditional.
There is truly no one like a granny.
She was my first ever heartbreak and I miss her terribly, her smile, her wisdom, her voice, her hugs.

While people take the piss that I make crochet blankets, hats or what ever they ask for, I do it out of love, friendship and respect for the person I’m gifting it to. With every piece I create, a sense of pride fills my soul and I feel as though I have actually achieved something.
Since life grow extremely hard, I feel I really don’t have a purpose, I have this humongous hole in my life, that can only be filled by the love of my life, with that emptiness eating away at me I have to try to do anything to give myself a little peace, a little sense of achievement, a little pride. Creating a keepsake, an heirloom that I call, a hug in a box, I feel I’m giving out a little love, that in person, I struggle to give. So even though people tease me, call me granny, I really don’t mind because granny’s give the best hugs.👵🏻

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Goals, goals, goals

Posted by Rose on

We are more than half way through the year, time has no mercy and the year is fading fast.
I thought it was a good time to revisit my crafting goals, not really the best idea as even though I have accomplished quite a lot, I’m nowhere near completing my always growing list of goals. It may just be the fact that I keep getting side tracked and adding to it.

Maybe lists are not the best thing when it comes to creating, isn’t it all about the freedom of art, doing what takes your fancy, doing what makes your creative energy flow.
Well I’m pretty good at giving in to a pattern that jumps off the page, calling my name, over and over until my willpower crumbles as I rush to find the perfect yarn, the right size hook and a little time to make the instructions come alive in front of my eyes. 👀

You maybe able to see that I’ve been rather good at letting those intriguing patterns win.
In turn my goal list has doubled in size and I’m nowhere near completing my goals, I’m giving it a good shot though. 😝

Will I get all ticked off?

What do think, will I crack it or will I fail miserably?

🌹🌹🌹

My crafting goals for 2017.

Faith’s blanket – Aster. 👍🏻

Cassie – black and white Aster 👍🏻

Mint coffee Mandala cushion for my room 👍🏻

Sam’s blanket – Carousel Blanket. (Wip)

Marly-Kate’s blanket – Nuts about squares (wip) 👍🏻

Two Aster blankets which are orders.

Cable blanket (wip)

Finish mum’s two blankets – granny squares 👍🏻 and mandala madness.

Sophie loves Lillia Bjorn winter blanket – Scheepjes garnet, moon stone, Corundum Rudy, Crystal Quartz, Enstatite, Tourmaline and smokey quartz. (Wip)

Sophie Universe with a twist – Scheepjes crystal quartz.

Sunny Mandala cushion – mixed colours 👍🏻

Stardust Melodies cal Afghan – scheepjes softfun in Ecru – for Rich. 👍🏻

A day at the grand bazaar (black and white). 👍🏻

Atlanticus- greens and blues . 👍🏻

Labyinth Mandala Pillow – Scheepjes stonewashed in Black Onyx and Crystal Quartz.

4 cushions – Spanish Mandala (one side), Mint coffee Mandala extended (other side) – (wip)

Mandala number 5 wall hanging. For hoggers 👍🏻

Celtic cushions – for Rich 👍🏻

A splash of colour to this increasingly grey world.

Posted by Rose on

When it comes to creating afghan’s I tend to stick to what I’m use to and use colours from my safety zone, I think everyone is good at staying safely inside the lines of comfort.
Last week I came across an Afghan pattern that I’ve wanted to make for a while now but just haven’t got around to ordering the yarn pack and making it. The colour palette was based on a black background which makes the other colours pop making a striking blanket.
Working with black has to be one of my favourites but boy its a pain in the ass especially if you are crafting in low light, lately I have been trying to stay away from it for that reason alone.
I decide to bite the bullet and buy this gorgeous yarn pack until I noticed a new colour combo had been brought out.
It’s totally different from what I’m use to, the colours are far from my comfort zone but it somehow just called to me, with one click its was in my basket, a few clicks later, it was brought and paid for, not yet received or even dispatched but soon I will have happy mail at my door and a challenge at my fingertips.
I’m really excited if I’m honest but a little nervous about learning if my mindset of habit will take over the unusual will to use lots of colour. Time will tell.
Yesterday I decided to test myself and I picked 6 colours, some that I haven’t used before, mainly pastels from my stash of favourite yarn and started a new project, I know, I know I shouldn’t have, I have so many works in progress which I have promised myself that I would solely work on in August, not the best start hey, lol 😂
It’s funny how colour can change the simplest of patterns, making it stand tall against the norm.
I’m not sure how long this mindset or adventure with colour will last, if I’ll be happy with the outcome or if I will ever finish the projects but for now I’m pretty happy that I’m opening up my mind to the possibilities of colour. And maybe just maybe, colour may flood my life in other ways.

Crojo

Posted by Rose on

So the last few weeks have been about family, chilling out and just staying as stress free as possible.
I have stepped away from my goals, finally got my crojo back and started a secret project. I know I shouldn’t be taking on any more projects but if it works out which I’m not sure it will, in ways I will have ticked off one thing from my goals list, just in a different way.

I picked up my favourite yarn, opened one of my favourite patterns by my all time favourite designer and have spent time creating a piece that I think maybe it hasn’t been done before.
Even though it’s really not looking very special at the moment and I’m in two minds about if it will work, every second of hooking away, has been a pleasure.
Finally yesterday it started to take shape and it could just work.🤔
I’ve only got about 10 rounds to go on this pattern and then I will need to wing it to get to a certain stitch count and if all goes well and I achieve what I’m hoping for, I’ll then incorporate it into one of the most famous patterns to date.
It’s going to be huge, thick, heavy and so very warm and I can’t wait to snuggle up under it, put on Outlander and just take some me time, which really doesn’t happen enough.

For those of you that have watched Outlander, it’s pretty damn good, horrific in parts but well worth a watch and as my bud Brett informs me constantly, it’s full of boobs and sex.
I’ve watched the box set twice already and still feel as I could watch it over and over again. With season three out in September it’s a good time to catch up. Be warned though, there is a very nasty rape scene in it.

Anyway I’m pretty pleased that I’ve managed to have some crafting time and that I’m letting my creativity flow. Even though I create everyday with work, it’s just become the norm and as I am not as involved as much as I was with the overall finished project it’s somehow not the same. So when I’m making a blanket I’m creating my own little masterpiece, my own spin on a beautiful designed, written, tested masterpiece that’s taken months of work to give to us the canvas to create our own.
Hopefully soon I may just have something worth sharing with you, watch this space.
Have an awesome day guys, enjoy the sunshine and let your creativity flow.
See ya 🌹

A hug in a box 🎁

Posted by Rose on

Quite simply, crochet feeds the human need for balance in our lives. Making something with our hands reflects something basic about ourselves. We want to work hard without losing touch with our creative selves; we want to earn money without losing our souls; and we want to be part of a larger picture of human progression while still maintaining our individuality.” – Vickie Howell

I hate the word crochet or is it just the mental picture of what the word represents.
People assume that crochet is for old people, sitting in a rocking chair wasting their time making Christmas jumpers, the same is said for knitters.
I find that to be rather sad and very untrue.
Ok I’m as small/short as a granny and I’m getting on a bit, safely sat in the 30’s 😩 but I’m far from claiming my pension.
I try to pick up my hook at least everyday if not I don’t like to leave it for more than two.
Sadly lately I haven’t been able to and I find that very hard.
Crochet to me is therapeutic, it calms my soul and gives me a purpose. It also helps my hands from seizing up.
It let’s my imagination run ride, it lets me create an individual piece of art, that will warp someone in love and warmth. To me that pretty special.
Crochet challenges me daily and keeps my brain in some kind of functioning order, which right now I need.
Most importantly though, it let’s me give a little something extra special to my family and friends.
Every stitch, every loop, every knot has been hooked with love especially for the person I am making it for.
To see their eyes alight when they pull open the wrapping and lift the lid of the specially picked box, peel back the handmade tissue paper and reveal the blanket that is a hug in a box. That moment melts you.

The only trouble is there is so many beautiful designs, patterns, masterpieces out there, how do you pick your next project, your next hug. And then when you finally decide on the perfect pattern, what yarn to use, and what colours?
I’m a self-confessed yarn addict, I have more than enough to keep me going for at least two life times 😝, but still I never seem to have the perfect yarn in the right shades so of course I have to buy more.
Every gift I make is unique in that way, hours of thought and love has been spent, planning that very individual special gift, then hours upon hours, days, weeks even months of hooking to make it.
No shop brought give can match that in my eyes,👀 well unless it’s been given as much love and attention as what a home-made gift has. I’ll admit I’ve brought a few gifts that I’ve spent weeks researching and tracking down so I give the gift that I believed that person wanted.

So do you still feel crochet or knitting as something that only old people do or can you see it for the precious, heartfelt, caring, loving hug it really is?

👵🏻👵🏻👵🏻👵🏻👵🏻