Monday 31 December 2012

Crochet Ikea chair cover...

.....only 6 broad stripes to go now.
6 for the seat and 9 for the back with an opening at the bend.
ran out of the darker blue mix base Marble Chunky so I tried a similar but lighter one that RKM had in stock, it works.
Although ABARKAN have a sale on. The Marble chunky is only £3.98 for a 200grm ball
So I will be ordering the next few from them.
SEAT COVER OPENING
Decided to make the opening at the bend, as I made the chain stich opening of 75 stitches, I thought the first 3 rows would make a great briad.....mmmm another idea to try out later!
6 STRIPES of 12 rows each left to do to finish the cover....can't see me getting them all done today, but I should finish it tomorrow at the latest.
NEXT...
I will make a foot stool cover next I think, in another colourway of the marble, plus plain colours.
A CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO PLAY WITH
A kit to make some stamped washer jewellery...I will have some fun with this soon.
Hugs to all xx
HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR TOMORROW.

Saturday 29 December 2012

Brupbrup off to the vets again.....

The boys all seem to love the new blanket....Brupbrup pulling out his fur again!!!!
On my new blanket too.
 
 
Not pulling your fur out hey?....
so what's that hanging out of your mouth?...doesn't he look guilty?
 
New colour way to old design
 
about half way down the back of the chair so far..

Friday 28 December 2012

More Crochet Moss Stitch Stripes....

I said I might make a hat next........although not felted.
It's a hat at the moment, soon to be a jacket but for a chair and I'm afraid its more Moss stitch....
stripes the same pattern as the bolster.
two chairs to do but I might change the pattern for the second not sure yet.
Worked in the round in Marble Chunky for the main back ground rows and two strands of plain colour DK......
 44 Stitches in the round, so down one side of the chain and up the other to make 88stitches in total. Crochet alternate rows with a 5mm hook and the stripes just appear.

. I'm doing 6 rows of each plain colour (thats 12 rows all together to make the broad stripes) before changing the plain colour to make broad strips exactly like the bolster cushion

He didn't want his picture taken but I took it anyway lol....thanks James for all the ipad help another lesson today, can't wait
and you were very patient with me this time.....xx

I've had the SAD LIGHT on here for the last 3 days been so grim and grey although the sun did try to appear yesterday afternoon.

Our flood barriers seem to be holding in town at the moment, although the Severn has flooded the fields so it looks more like a lake just down the road, we aren't in any danger but I do feel for those in the UK that had Christmas spoilt because of floods, so many having a second flood in weeks, don't know how they are coping.

SO FED UP WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS 
I am having with my blog so I have gone back to the 'simple version' and hope all the problems solve themselves...fingers crossed!

Hugs to all x

Wednesday 26 December 2012

FIRST CROCHET, FELTED HAT....

....and my crochet moss stitch lap blanket is fiished....
started out as pot bag but wondered if it would make a hat.....and it turned out a perfect fit, although it is real easy to change the size slightly as you dry it.
Lap blanket was finished this morning really really pleased with it.....another felted hat to make next for a friend.
Ipad....
Slowly getting to grips with the new Ipad but no idea yet how to add pictures to this blog from it. Considering it takes a split second to add them to Facebook I might do a crochet Facebook page, or maybe a crochet group as there are so many on the waiting list for the FLOWER BED.
Do hope you all had a great Christmas and Santa brought you at least one present
that you really wanted.
hugs to all xx

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Hope your Christmas Day was a great day

Hope you all had a great Christmas, quiet here except for all the screaming and shouting at the new iPad....because we couldn't work out how to use it, going to be a while before it is easy I can tell you. Something's are really simple and others so very hard to work out lol No idea how to add a picture yet, although it was as simple as pie and took seconds to add one to Facebook. Oh! Well time will tell Hugs to all xx

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Run out of Marble but almost half way...

Thanks for all the get wells, feeling lots better but still not my old self yet, can't seem to shake it off.
Managed to do a few rows of the lap blanket before running out of background Marble yarn.
 
Made the lap blanket with a spot Moss st.
2 rows moss st. as the back ground, base colour and one row between creating the spot effect
when the centre is finished I will add a border of Moss st. stripes,same as the bolster.
My laptop is playing up so badly I am going to wish you all a wonderful and
 
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
now,
 I may not get back on again until we have our ipad for Christmas...see if apple can improve on things!
 
With the way I feel and the laptop really being a pain, just making me feel even more miserable.
I hate Windows and Internet Explorer, nothing works properly at the moment and we think they are interfering so you have to buy the new set up!
 
Have a wondeful Christmas and catch you all soon
hugs to everyone xx
 
 
 

Monday 17 December 2012

Bit poorly over last week...

Sorry I haven't posted for a while or answered any mail, been real poorly with a bad cold that drained me completely, and my laptop is sick too the charger won't work so not having a great week and I haven't felt like playing hooky at all this week so nothing to share feeling a bit better this morning so I might manage a few rows today sometime.
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS XX

Sunday 9 December 2012

Shelved the red moss st. blanket for now and I started a new smaller lap blanket to match the blue cushions and bolster, finished another cushion, Splodge is sitting on it on my lap in the collage.
 
Looking very grumpy because I kept moving.
Moss Stitch Spot
2 rows of background colour and one for the spots
5mm hook and 120 chain to make about a 3' width and it needs to be about 4' long.
 
It's about a 3' by 1' at the moment and I would like it to be about 3'x4' with an additional 6" border when it is finished.
It goes real well with all the blue green purple cushions and the striped bolster, I will make the border in the same moss st. stripe as the bolster
 
have a fun filled day hugs x
 

Friday 7 December 2012

HOW CHRISTMAS AND LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE i STARTED BLOGGING

As you know I love colour but every now and then I feel drawn to one colour or another right now it seems to be the blue and purple ranges.

 
CHRISTMAS CHANGES SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2008
Thinking turquoise/silver and a slash of red for Christmas 2012.
 
I looked at the past 4 Christmases yesterday, didn't make the party last night wasn't feeling too good.

Been a few changes in my life since 2008......changed my crafting direction, moved house and written a crochet book....how has your Christmas time changed?
 

 
December 2011 we still had the same inside tree but added an outside one too..

Click the dates to see December for each blogging year if you are interested.

I wonder what changes this Christmas will see and what 2013 will bring?

Have your Christmas decorations changed each year or are you a traditionalist and love the
Red and Green?

Have a fun filled weekend xx

Thursday 6 December 2012

Everything seems back to normal again today...

My first Christmas Party today...fun
 
Two more cushion covers almost finished...
 
Have a great day everyone xx

Tuesday 4 December 2012

CROCHET MOSS ST. STRIPED BOLSTER....

I had a bolster waiting for a cover too, felt the striped Moss stitch would be perfect for the job with spiral ends.
 
Yarn and Hook
I used James C Brett Marble chunky from begining to end and a 5mm hook.
Spiral ends bit random an increase when I thought it needed it.
 
Moss Stitch Striped body....
 
The broad stripes changed every 12 rows, 6 of marble chunky and alternate 6 x 2 strands of turquoise, teal and lime, repeat each colour twice.
 
The spiral ends matching the two outer stripes of turquoise and lime
Decided  I wanted a clean line so stitched it onto the bolster, one spiral end is stitched all the way around so reasonably easy to remove and wash
 
I will try again later but I am having problems uploading pictures for now.
still having problems so if you want to see more pictures try this link..
RAVELRY:MOSS STITCH STRIPED  BOLSTER
 
Have fun xx
 
 

Saturday 1 December 2012

Blanket almost chair width...

well almost...... bit of wallpapering today I think.

getting there slowly...
enjoy your weekend xx

Friday 30 November 2012

Found some blue buttons and the Crochet Moss St. blanket grows a little...



The blanket is almost 18" now, I am trying to do a couple of inches a day as I would like to have it finished by the end of 2012
The matching cushion just needs the buttons, one of the sets I bought from Harrogate Show
 one of these I think....
almost finished the third blue cushion might have it complete by tomorrow morning.

have fun xx

Monday 26 November 2012

SHOPPING AT HARROGATE KNIT AND STITCH SHOW...

Splodge woke me at 5.45....puuuurfect timing Splodge.

The sky was a glorious colour as we left the Abbey at 8am,
the journey went quickly and my blanket grew a few inches on the 3 hour journey...
Love the crochet Moss st. easy to do and a lovely firm fabric, but progress is slow, not a quick blanket to make.
KNITTING AND STITCHING SHOW..
....has always seemed more stitch than knit but I was very pleased to find this seems to be changing, lots of yarn suppliers and plenty to choose from. 

I needed to restock with cotton yarns and settled on pure random dyed cotton and bamboo/cotton in 20 colours, all 100grm balls
 I haven't been to this show for about 5 years and was surprised and pleased to see there seemed an equal share of knit to stitch this time, always seemed more stitch in the past.

Bought myself a few buttons too..so pretty and a £1 a pack half the price of many stalls for the same buttons
Buttons from an Irish company....Fiddlesticks Fabrics, just bout to add the buttons to their web site for now though just fabrics.
Cottons from bev@kniting4fun.com, aren't their stripy bags lovely? 
click the link for her story.
Bev's  Hubby served me and said the business had all started because there was wool every where in their house lol....tell me about it?

Lots of lovely pins about too, I picked a black and white one from Lang yarns £10
about 2.5/3 inches square, Lang Yarns are  German company but lots of UK stockists.

A Long and tiring day but I really, really enjoyed it all.

A cup of tea and a quick nap when I got home but I managed a few samples before turning the lights out for the night
A FEW MORE SPOTS.
A different pattern form the basic moss stitch spot wanted it to be  more rounded 'spot', from a distance it looks very spotty. lol

Have a great week everyone x

Saturday 24 November 2012

WHAT'S IN YOUR CROCHET BUCKET?

 Lot's of Moss stitch stripe samples
I'm totally addicted to this stitch lol
HOW TOO LINK

Enjoy your weekend

PHIL HAD AN ACCIDENT...

At work on Thursday night about 10.30
bit gruesome I'm afraid so don't open this post if you don't want to see the cut.

4 hours at the hospital in the middle of the night poor love, getting spoilt now
6 stitches
the gash...oouch!
he isn't in pain at all and I get him home for a week.

......for me tomorrow, hope the weather holds up, rain and high winds forecast 
I will be taking my trolly and the moss stitch blanket to work on while on the coach, a 3.5 hours journey there and back, so I should manage a few rows unless I fall asleep.
Going to be a long day pick up at 8 and return pick up at 5 so I should get back about 8.30 with all the walking around the show as well.

Hugs to all xx

Wednesday 21 November 2012

CROCHET:Moss Stitch and Variations

PATTERN HOW TOO:
US Terms in black, UK Terms in red brackets

NOTES: Moss stitch has a tendency to tighten up a little so please i know no one likes doing a tension sample but with this stitch its a good idea...or just use a bigger hook size than you normally would,
 especially when adding moss stitch as a border to a throw.

Adding Moss st, as a border to a throw then you don't need the base chain and sc row.

Base chain as long as you need, an even number of stitches plus one if you are working it with a turn each end.
Working in the round then an even number of stitches only.

Base ch.
Row 1: sc [dc], in every st. turn
Row 2: ch1, sc [dc], in first st, ch1, miss a st, sc [dc], ch1, miss a st, sc [dc], in next st, ch1,miss a st, repeat to end of row.

Row 3: Turn ch1, sc [dc], in the chain space, ch 1, sc [dc], in the next ch sp repeat to end of row, finish with a sc.
Row 4 +: Cont. with rows 1 and 2 


To get the tweedy look use a different colour for each row
So many variations....how to do Moss Stitch here
SPOTS:
2ROWS IN ONE COLOUR 1 ROW IN SECOND COLOUR


 Tweed moss stitch:
every row a different colour


An easy stitch with lots of variations
 HAPPY HOOKING xx