Sunburst Squares

Hello everyone, I hope you're ok. I've heard it's going to be a stormy night here tonight - lots of wind and rain etc. So what better excuse for snuggling down with some crochet in a warm place?!

Since last time I have been working on these Sunburst Squares.

I see a lot of these around on Pinterest, and other blogs. I have sort of resisted making them so far, just because everyone seems to make them! However, I think I've been sort of cutting my nose off to spite my face.

The other week I was contemplating my big pile of colourful yarn, wondering what to do with it all. As you may remember I started making African Flowers. Then sort of lost momentum. They are quite time consuming to make, and I somehow couldn't see myself making anything very useful from them. Thanks to those of you who suggested various things to make from the little pile of squares I had though - your suggestions are duly noted, and perhaps when I have some time....

Well, anyway, back to the Sunburst Squares.

I think the thing that attracted me to them in the end was the 3d effect created by the puff stitch in the second round. It reminds me of the something pretty flower squares which I had so much fun making at the start of the year. 

The Sunburst pattern I'm using is from the book 'The Gentle Art of Knitting', which I love for it's laid back attitude towards craft.

I haven't managed to make many of my Sunburst Squares yet. Over the last 2 weeks I've managed to make about 40. I'm aiming for a blanket, but this is going to be a slow process. That doesn't bother me though. I'm taking my time, only working on the squares when I feel like it, rather than in a mad rush. I normally crochet or knit in every spare second I have, but lately I'm feeling ok with taking things at a slower pace. I think this will be a good thing for me. I still really enjoy my crafting, but it's about getting a balance with all the other important things in life right now, and that's healthy I think.

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There has been some more glorious autumn whether here this week. I know I've already shared so many autumn colour and leaf pictures already, but I can't stop myself showing you some more!

These leaves (above) look so perfect don't they? I almost stepped right over them one lunch time last week. They look like they've been deliberately arranged, and it tickled my fancy so I had to take a snap.

These other pictures are from a park nearby where I live - on a glorious day last week!

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Hope the rest of you are all doing ok. Happy Sunday all, hope you're enjoying some gentle crafting too!

Green cardigan

In my last post I mentioned that I had finished my green cardigan. So, here are the pictures!

The pattern is Kitten, from Kim Hargreaves' book Smoulder.

The pattern gives two options for yarns, you can use Rowan Angora Haze or Pure Wool 4 ply. I love angora but the fact that it fluffs everywhere drives me a little crazy. My clothes always seem to be covered in fluff as it is (I don't know where it all comes from). So, I choose to use Pure Wool 4 ply for this project.

Generally I'm pretty happy with how it worked out. I made a longer version of the cardigan than was directed in the pattern. I knitted until the back and sides were 39cm in length rather than the 28cm specified in the pattern, as I wanted a full length rather than a cropped cardigan. As there is no side shaping in this pattern, it was easy enough to increase the length.

I'm quite happy with the way the body of the cardigan fits. It's a bit roomier than the yellow cardigan I knitted recently, but the pattern is made that way. The only thing I was slightly unhappy with in my finished garment was the sleeves - they are a little more loose than I would have liked. If I were to make this pattern again, I think I would probably go down a needle size to 3mm, just to make the cardigan a little bit more snugly fitting.

I think it looks pretty nice next to my yellow cardigan!

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A new post....

....it's been a while since I've made one!

I've honestly been meaning to stop back in here and say hello for about two weeks now, but just haven't quite made it. I'm in the process of re-working my routine, you see. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I've just started a PhD (that's a doctoral research degree for those who may not know), which I'll be doing part-time alongside still working full-time. It's all been great so far, but it has meant a busy couple of weeks getting my head around the new demands on my time and how to fit them in.

Crafting is still going to be a big part of my life, as will this blog I hope!

By the way, a big welcome to the new readers and followers who I can see have popped up here since my last post!

So, what have I been up to the last couple of weeks?

Well, I promised to show you the results of my chair painting for my new flat (which I'm still waiting to move into - sigh), so here it is!

It was hard to get good pictures of this. I know it looks very pale, but the colour is actually a pastel blue. I will share before and after shots soon, when I've been able to take pictures in better light! I'm pleased with the results though, I'm sitting on it as I type!

I've also just been out and about enjoying the season as much as possible - I do love autumn! I think the best of the colour is still yet to come here. I don't know if I'm right, but I think the unusually warm September may have made the trees hang on to their leaves a little longer than usual, so they're still turning now.

Some gorgeous colours coming through now!

In crafting news, I have finished my lovely green cardigan, but I think I'll save that for next time!

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African flowers

As well as frantically knitting my mossy, zesty green cardigan for autumn, I've been making a few African Flower hexagons.

I have the back and both front pieces of my cardigan complete now - the shot above shows my placements for the buttons using pins (you can just about see) so that I know where to make corresponding button holes on the other front half.

These are the african flowers. I do love them, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I have about 20 at the moment, and I'm not sure I can summon up the motivation to make enough for a blanket. I'm also not sure I can summon up the motivation to figure out how to make half hexagons for these so that I can make squares for a cushion cover.

The thing is, all I seem to feel like doing at the moment is knitting, knitting, knitting! I think it is the change in seasons and feeling like I want to be able to surround myself in hand knitted sweaters! I don't know why, but there is something so much more comforting about wearing a sweater you have hand knitted yourself. It somehow feels like a coat of armor - and makes the day and the world a little easier to face!

I think I might finish my green cardigan soon - only the sleeves to go and they are 3/4 rather than full length, so I'm well away. I always feel like I'm in the home straights on knitting a jumper or cardi when I get to the sleeves!

I'm contemplating this pattern for my next knitty adventure. It's something I already made a few years ago and really love. Then I saw recently that Rowan have a gorgeous red shade of this yarn out now, and I think this jumper would look gorgeous in that colour.

Apart from that I have been painting chairs in preparation for my flat! But more on that next time....when the paint has dried!

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Autumn things

Although the weather still seems to be hanging on to summer right now, I've been determinedly autumnal with my crafting!

I'm making another cardigan, using moss green yarn.

Sadly it's been too warm to really start wearing my yellow cardigan yet!

I'm also thinking that I need an autumnal coloured granny blanket in my life. So far I have decided that it will definitely involve a lot of purple, burnt orange and yellow!

I think it also needs the same moss green colour as I'm using for my cardigan. Possibly with some reds and warm browns too. Hmm....perhaps I will see what I can find at the weekend!

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Vintage flower cushion

A while ago I decided to make a cushion using my vintage flower square pattern, and only 1 colour yarn.

I finally got around to finishing it this week. I've decided I really like the effect of making something using only 1 colour of yarn. It gives it a much more vintage, delicate feel in my eyes. 

I've realised after thinking that I have way too many cushions that actually I won't have enough for both the sofa and bedroom in my new flat after I've moved. So I think I'm going to make a few more of these lovelies!

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Mustard seed

Hello fellow bloggers and blog-readers! I'm back after a little bit of a break. I can't believe it's already halfway through September and this is only my second post of the month. There is no particular reason for my absence - I've just been busy. I was away, travelling for work last week which all in all meant a couple of nights away from home, and a late return on the third night. Also business related to my flat purchase has gobbled up some of the chunks of free time which I might normally have used for blogging.

There has also been a third reason for my not blogging. I've been knitting! Not in itself a reason, but I mentioned in my last post that I had started working on knitwear for Autumn. Well, seeing as I was so busy I decided that I would wait until I had completed my first project for the autumn before sharing anything about it with you. 

I've been stitching away on a lovely classic cardigan, with moss stitch edgings. I choose a mustard yellow yarn. I decided back in the summer that I really, really, really wanted a mustard yellow cardigan for autumn/winter. I duly scoured the shops and my favourite online retailers, but could find nothing that matched my mustard vision. "So", thought I, "I'll just have to make one myself". And that's what I did!

I finished it yesterday - it was a pretty quick knit really, and I was very faithful to this project. I haven't been doing any crochet in between, just focusing on getting this done because I so wanted to see if it would fit well, and have it ready to wear.

Yes, here it is below, with me in it. 

I love, love, love the finished result! Can you tell that from all the pictures?!

Also, it turned out I rather wildly over-estimated the amount of yarn that I would need for this project, and so now have 3 balls of gorgeous mustard yellow yarn left over to add to my stash!

Hmmm, I feel a granny blanket coming on! Seriously, I wouldn't normally consider having a large stash of yarn in the cupboard to be a problem, but I am thinking, with my move looming now would be a good time to start de-stashing! Simply because I know my soul will shrivel and die when I have to empty out said cupboard and am forced to confront the vast amount of unused yarn which has built up over the years - oh the shame!

And of course there's still the granny stripe blanket to be getting on with.... and my next cardigan project (already started - this one's green :o) ).... too much crafting and too little time!

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Oh, I nearly forgot - if anyone is interested the cardigan pattern I knitted was Alexi by Kim Hargreaves, from the book Winter Blooms. I used Rowan Pure Wool DK in colour 051 Gold, and 2.75 and 3mm needles

August

Hello everyone, and a big hello to my lovely new followers - I hope you will stop by often! 

 August has been a happy month.

There has been much snapping of pictures of flowers and other pretty (and yummy in the case of the choccies) things:

There has also, as always been much crafty crochet goodness:

I've had so much fun inventing some new patterns for myself and sharing them with you. Hopefully more of that soon! I've also enjoyed playing with varying colour moods - brights, pastels and one colour crochet, and I've loved all of them! I think the one colour theme will be something I will continue for some time - I still have those cushion covers to finish!

See you again soon

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Sunshine cushion

I can't believe it has been over a week since my last post. This week has gone so fast, and to be honest I have just been plain lazy about posting! In my last post I said that I might have a completed cushion cover to share with you - well, I do!

Here is the cushion made with my latest motif design. I'm calling this motif the sunshine motif. I'm quite pleased with the way this cushion turned out, and I loved working with all these colours!

I think this cushion has a South American feel to it. Something about all the colours together and the sunburst element of the motif. Can anyone else see that?

I also made a button closure for this cushion - I do love that on a crochet cushion, I think it gives such a nice finishing touch! 

I would love to share this pattern with you - I'm actually mulling over the purchase of crochet chart software. I think this would be much better than writing out patterns long-hand, which, let's face it, is a bit of a chore!

Well, I think you have probably had enough of the cushion for now! As Autumn is approaching here with the start of September I've been turning my thoughts to knitwear. More soon!

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Monochrome and colour crochet

Just a quick post tonight- I wanted to show you my latest crochet works in progress!

I've been having fun with 1 colour crochet. Not something I've done much of for a long time, but I do love the effect. It feels more early 20th century vintage style somehow than bright colours mixed together, which I think gives a more 1960s-70s vibe - both are great of course!

The pattern used in the above is my vintage flower square pattern, which I posted the other week. 

I have another new motif design too, which I've also been working in single colour. This is another of my own designs and I hope to post a tutorial in the next few weeks:

Just for fun and because I have a lot of colourful cotton at the moment, I thought I'd also try the second motif pattern in brights too. This is my stash of Rowan Cotton Glace:

Well, I hope you all enjoy the long weekend - I'm away at S's until Monday now, but who knows, perhaps by then I may have a finished cushion cover or two to share with you!

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