More leeeetle blocks!

I'd like to start by saying hello to my new followers- thank you. I can't believe that I have 80 of you who enjoy being here.
And to the gals who comment on my stuff- a great big hug. You really make my day!

So not so much happening in my land of crochet (just some mundane finishing of WIPs). But here are some new blocks!







Thank you for all your lovely comments about the blocks and I know many of you would love a tutorial, but I have decided to sell! I've signed up for a table top sale this Saturday (may turn out to be more of a jumble sale than craft fair, but worth trying I guess) and am also toying with the whole Etsy/Folksy thing too.
Can I ask about your experiences of online selling? Does anyone sell much? Is it worth it?
I'd love to know!
I may be a bit absent from blogland this week as I try to get everything ready for my stall, but I look forward to catching up with all your blognews soon!

Wish me luck, and have a great week everyone.

Xx

Playing with words

This just about sums up how I feel about making these little blocks.
For a while now, I've been making them and just stashing them away, ready for gifts etc..

Really, they are very leeeetle- look, here's my Whimsie owl next to some.
He looks a bit overwhelmed, doesn't he?



The teeny-tiny blocks measure 2x2cms and are quite cute, I think. Here's some more:



I've also made some slightly bigger ones (3x3cm- ish) too:




And here's a pic of them all together.



They're not quite finished- a coat of matt varnish should do it.

Would love to know what you all think.

New arrivals ..

I have a new house guest:

Well behaved.
Quiet
Tidy.
A good listener, too.

Meet Betty:



Bless 'er.
She looks dead bored.
And a bit cold too.



That's better! Nice and snug now.
This wool is a Sirdar chunky something-or-other from a charity shop. It crocheted up quite nicely on 10mm hooks. It is verrrry chunky, but will keep someone warm in arctic climates, methinks.

It's official. I've gone a bit mental.
The weather here today has been a balmy 20+ degrees and me and Mister&kids have been to the local village fair and yet, I'm contemplating cowls.

I think it's something to do with it being the summer holidays, and needing an easy, mindless project (which doesn't involve counting stitches, or doing clever things of any sort) and which I can pick up for seven seconds and put down again. Regularly.

Sorry, Betty, what?
You have more cowls to show us?



If you've visited here before, then you will have read about my mahooooousive Noro stash from the local charity shop- I'm not kidding, 50p a ball and I must have grabbed about 20 balls ...
Anyhoo, this was my first attempt at making something with some Noro Iro.
Simple. Double crochet (US)around.
I have to admit, although I love the colours, it's still a bit clunky. I may frog this and start again, but I have to say, I have loved working with this yarn - just watching the colours and textures change through my fingers has been therapeutic.

Pardon, Betty?
More to show?



This one is just plain, cheap old chunky-ish acrylic (found in local hardware shop for a quid a go) still lovely, but quite dense in texture. Inspired here.

Next, Betty ...



The same wool, but Navy.
This time have solved the dense/clunkiness problem- use a bigger hook!!!
Genius.

This gives a little more air throughout the piece and gets a bit more from the ball of yarn too.

Last thing:
A couple of little roses from here, which are seasonal, at least.



Have a good weekend!
Xx

Let's get cosy

Well, eerrrrm, tea-cup cosy to be exact:



Not original, as I have seen this sort of thing on t'internet before, but hopefully, a bit different.

As with all my crochet projects, dead easy to do:
Chain the right number of stitches to nearly fit around the cup .....

....sorry, I have to interrupt myself here as I have, this week, stumbled upon the most amazing thing:
Now girls, please do bear in mind that I am still relatively new to this crochet-malarky, and so still struggle MASSIVELY with crocheting into the chain - (imagine wonky edges, dreadful tension and lots of swearing, and you'll be somewhere close).

Sooo, imagine my absolute joy to discover the art of chainless foundation- yes, it's a marvellous thing whereby you crochet the chain and the next row all in one! See here.
[I tried taking photos of the process, but you really need to see it in action- what did we do before the days of YouTube?]

Here's what it looks like:



Not bad, methinks- no more faffing around, trying to get the bloomin' hook or wool to behave.
Egad, it's a revelation (to me, at least).

Ok, back to where I left off with the cup cosies- once you've made your chain, you then just crochet your chosen stitch forwards and backwards until the correct height is reached.



From left to right:
The grey was the same version of the grit stitch that I used for my Vintage Phone case, in the middle, the granny stripe from here and the pink was a version of the pattern for Chloe's dress from here.

I then edged the pieces with single crochet to neaten them up, added a couple of buttons on one side and chain-stitched loops to fasten them on the other.



Job done.



Feeling cosy, with warm cuppa, but not burning hands on a freshly-poured cup?

Marvellous.

Enjoy your week.
Xx

Rainbow Korknisse

Oooo, a little toadstool house.
Who lives here, I wonder?



*knock knock*



Of course! It's the little Korknisse!
How lovely to see you.
How are you?
Are there any more of you in there?



Oh how super! Lots of Korknisse.
And rainbow colours, too.
Please can I have a nice photo of you?



Oh now, that's just silly.
Please behave.


Thank you, that's better.

Now, can I take a photo indoors, so we can see you in all your summer finery?

Right, in a line please.


Really. You are just being naughty now.
Stop buggering around and behave.


That's more like it. Thank you.



Well now, that's just plain showing off now, fellas.



"Nice butterfly."
"Ta."

Oh dear, I think the sun got to me today.

'Korknisse' means 'cork elf' in Norwegian. They are traditionally knitted Christmas ornaments, but I crochet mine Amigurumi-stylie and love 'em at any time of the year.

I've already made Spring Korknisse here and Royal Wedding Korknisse here too.
Mad, but true.

Some up-do action

The crochet's a bit slow this week- too many WIPs and not enough progress on any of them - probably because my creative juices have been running elsewhere.

Take this, unassuming 1930s bureau, minus the openy-top-thingy (woodworm, apparently).



Purchased from charity shop for a tenner.
Given a bit of a sanding (I'm a bit unenthusiastic about this stage and get bored easily, so am not thorough).
Holes and cracks filled with flexible filler (marvellous stuff).
Slapped about with 3 coats of eggshell (not carefully applied- managed to get it on the curtains and the sofa- don't tell the Mister).
Jooooshed up a bit with some lush paper from a nice arty shop.

Et voilà!



Lovely shelves for the little'un's room. I'm actually very surprised at how nicely they've turned out, as it goes.

Moving on..
Another up-do. A little table, given the same treatment as the shelves above (minus the pretty paper). Sorry, no 'before' photo, just an afters:



I love that knitting bag. Charity shop find, obviously. I thought the cats looked happy and they are wearing bow-ties, which is always a good thing in my book.

I digress. Yet another up-do in the form of some little shelvy-things (originally Ikea, mine from Charity shop, of course):



This time I went mad with spray paint. Two coats. Very quick and dried in no time.
Then glued the same paper I put on the shelves.

Bingo!



And here's some more shelves I had a go at, just different paper glued to the front.



Pretty and easy too.

Wishing you all a creative and crafty week (if the kids'll let you)

Happy Monday, all. Xxx