A finished blanket!

Hi everyone. For the firs time in a long time, I have completed a big project. Well, ok, I haven't actually fastened off all the ends yet, but it's basically complete.

I started this blanket last October, so it's taken me nearly a year to finish. I've only worked on it on and off. It came with me during my house move last year, and was the first think I worked on after I moved in. I remember sitting on the floor of my empty new flat (I had no furniture!) the day after I moved in making little circles and squares for this.

I hope it's going to grace my current and future homes for years to come providing cosyness.

The pattern is from The Gentle Art of Knitting. I used DK yarn. The blanket size is just big enough to cover my double bed. I made 272 little squares altogether, and then finished it off with a few rounds of granny crochet all around the edge, followed by one round in double crochet in yellow for trim.

Finished just in time for the cold weather here - lets hope it saves me some money on my heating bills!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Slowly getting back to normal

It feels like life is slowly settling down again this week (though perhaps I shouldn't speak too soon!). Problems seem to be resolving themselves one by one - I hope it lasts! Thank you so much to the people who commented on my last post - it's nice to see that some of you feel the same sometimes.

I had some time today to play with my new camera - I'm still figuring out all the settings!

I loved photographing these - I think they are Gerberas? I always gravitate towards them at my local supermarket - love the colours.

I also remembered to photograph one of my recent completed projects - a shawl!

Sorry the photos don't give much idea of what the shawl is like - I don't have anyone to photograph me actually wearing it! It's the Cameo shawl - you can find the pattern here.

I feel good that I have managed to finish something. I really must be more disciplined about my makes...I just get frustrated with all the half finished projects lying around...it doesn't make me feel any better!

Easing back to blogging

Hi everyone.

It feels like it has been a very long time since I was here last. I can't even remember what the last thing I posted about was. I haven't looked at this blog for over a month I think. I've thought about it, but I just haven't had the energy for anything.

August was super-stressful and busy, and it looks like September is going to be the same. Hopefully October will be better.

So, I'm easing back into blogging with a short post, just a few photos from my weekend. Nothing crafty I'm afraid, as that takes more time and thought than I have at the moment.

Some of you may find this a bit of a weird subject for photography. S and I went for a wander through Borough Market yesterday, and I thought it would be a chance to practice my photography.

I love looking at the food stalls and the old signage at Borough. I never buy much, but I like to take snaps. I hope it doesn't annoy the stallholders too much!

I find the fish stalls particularly fascinating, with their rows and rows of geaming scales and glassy stares - apologies to any vegetarians reading this!

The cakes and bread are great fun to look at too!

I've just ended up wishing I was a better photographer though!

 **************************************************************************

Do you ever feel like life is trying to fight with you, putting so much pressure on you to try and get you to give up doing things you love? I've felt like that the last six weeks. But I'm determined not to give up. I won't give up this blog, I won't give up crafting or any of the other things I like doing in my spare time.

Sorry about the slightly weird post this time around. I need to get my equilibrium back, but it's proving to be difficult. I read a magazine article over the weekend about trying to live a more simple life, de-cluttering, having a less materialistic approach to life. I think I need a dose of that. Not so much in the way of de-cluttering (I did a lot of that last year, pre-move) or being less materialistic (can't afford to be these days anyway!), but I think there's something I need to do in terms of slowing myself down, and taking things a step at a time. Not stressing about the stuff I can't control. I never seem to learn this, it's a problem that I seem to come back to over and over, like I just keep going in circles.

Oh well, must keep trying.


I will be back again soon I hope!