Blanket Making and Fingerless Gloves

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Well as it has turned out I am not doing the Liverpool fair I thought I’d b etter get my items on my Folksy shop! Gosh it’s a lot of work! First trying to set up a bright space for taking the pics, editing them. then writing all the product details up, measuring the items etc! I’ve only managed to add a couple of new one so far! It’s not doing my ~~tennis~~ crochet elbow any good either 🙁 I couldn’t mange to write a post last week ‘cos my arm is so sore, but on the bright side, my sciatica has finally gone 🙂

I did manage to make myself another pair of fingerless gloves/arm warmers!

pink, purple, teal and green crocheted fingerless gloves

Fingerless Gloves / Arm Warmers

I am hoping my arm improves soon though as I was so taken with the warm autumnal colours in the Attic 24 Cosy Blanket I ordered the pack! It arrived in a couple of days in a lovely organza bag and I can’t wait to start it. As yet I am not sure whether to make the actual Cosy Blanket which Lucy is doing as a CAL from next week, or whether to finally make the ‘As we go stripey blanket’ by Not Your Average Crochet which lots of people were making a few months ago?

Wool Warehouse delivery in Organza bag!

Woolly Goodness!

Hopefully by next week I will have made a start one way or the other! Now over to Handmade Monday!

Outlander Style Arm Warmers/Fingerless Gloves!

Posted on 28 September, 2014 by patchworkfairy

So, firstly let me apologise if you haven’t heard of Outlander! Fans of Outlander will enjoy looking at/talking about anything remotely Outlander related, but for the rest of you, well – what you are about to see are just crochet arm warmers. But, these are not just any arm warmers though, these are Outlander Style Arm Warmers / Fingerless Gloves!!

Outlander is the title of a series of books by Diana Gabaldon, of which the first UK edition was called Crosstitch, while in the US it was called Outlander. However the use of that name has now widened to encompass the whole 9 book series and the recent US made TV series. There are worldwide Outlander fans – the books have been going for over 20 years – they are big long stories and each is a satisfyingly very good read. I never re-read any books, yet I am currently re-reading the whole Outlander series and enjoying it as much as the first time.

I won’t describe the story except to say it starts in 1940s Scotland and moves into 1743 Scotland. It is a story of an amazing relationship and is packed with Scottish and US history. It is not a ‘romance’ novel nor a ‘science fiction novel’ although it includes love, passion and time travel! So if you feel like a good read for the autumn and winter you could actually have it downloaded from Amazon onto your Kindle or E reader app in seconds! If you do try it I’d love to hear how you found it. One thing I would say is, don’t join the FB groups or any of the other Outlander groups until you’ve read at least the first book or you’re bound to read spoilers.

And now for the actual handmade crafty bit of the post! In the mini-series which started 8 week’s ago in US some of the female characters in 1743 Scottish Highlands have been seen wearing arm warmers and cowls to keep out the Scottish chill – hence the book fans are making/buying these with gusto! Here are mine – made from appropriately named Highland Tweed yarn!

Outlander-style arm warmers!

Mine are based on the pattern from Hopeful Honey although I have altered her pattern somewhat, to make my own version.

using fingerless gloves holding red flowers

fingerless gloves – hold things easily whilst keeping warm!

I love wearing these type of gloves as they make it so easy to pick things up when you’re busy, whilst still keeping warm. I can’t wait for it to get a teeny bit more autumnal so I can wear my new outlander style arm warmer/fingerless gloves!

Now I’m off to Handmade harbour and later I’ll be starting to crochet my chocolate brown Claire-style cowl in highlander chunky yarn!!

Another Road Trip Scarf

Posted on 7 September, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Hello!

Did I mention Road Trip Scarves are addictive? I made my first Road Trip Scarf a couple of week’s ago and displayed it in this blog post. Now I have just finished my second Road Trip Scarf (RTS) in a different yarn. The first one was in Bernat Mosaic Ambrosia and is quite a thick yarn. The second RTS is a lighter weight lovely red variegated yarn by King Cole.

Second Road Trip Scarf

This second one is for sale stock – for the Christmas markets, hopefully. I still haven’t heard either way about Liverpool!

My next makes are going to be some fingerless mittens and a cowl in chunky highland tweed yarn but I also have some beautifully soft, bouncy and strokeable mohair. I adore the look and feel of it but can’t decide what to make with it. It’s very thin and so I think I’ll need to use two strands together. I bought this during my visit to the new Abakhan shop at Flint last week. I only had a short visit because of my ongoing back pain but I can’t wait to go back!

Any suggestions?

5 balls of mohair

Of course I could always make another RTS!! The Road Trip Scarf is by Zooty Owl and the pattern is free on her blog here – I recommend trying it as it’s a very easy pattern if you can crochet and the end result is very satisfying.

So now it’s almost time for Sunday dinner (yum) and that means it’s also time for Handmade Monday linky party 🙂

Crochet Bag Becomes Crochet Cushion!

Posted on 31 August, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Gosh a summer’s day here in Wirral – we’ve had autumn weather all week so this warm and dry day is very welcome! Hope your day is as pleasant!

Remember this?

this is the bag base with all the colours to use

Well this was going to be my oceanic coloured crochet bag but things didn’t go to plan! I followed the attic 24 pattern completely but I used cotton whereas Lucy used a chunky merino and I think that maybe the problem as mine turned out huge!

It was when the bag area was this big that I started to think it just wouldn’t work as a bag !!

cotton bag keeps expanding

I decided I couldn’t face unpicking so it’s now become a rather comfy cushion for the couch!! Luckily my made -up pattern turned out ok!

crochet cushion for the couch

first side – originally bag base!

Oh well I have a nice cushion – just have to find some chunkier wool for that bag!! Now there’s a project to keep me happy!!

What projects are you doing? Let’s pop over to Handmade Monday and find out!

Simple Wavy Crochet Edging for a Blanket and finished my Road Trip Scarf!

Posted on 20 August, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Wow – I finished some WiPs! – my Ripple Blanket and my Road Trip Scarf!

My blanket is a Ripple Blanket – pattern is from Attic 24 Neat Ripple but I decided I wanted a simple wavy crochet edging on mine! First I used this tutorial to do a round of different sized stitches to make the 4 edges straight. (raspberry row) then I added 2 rows of double crochet all round.(purple and grey rows)

edging the ripple blanket

You could add as many straight rows as you like but I kept mine just to the two after the ‘straightening out’ row. For the wavy effect I couldn’t find anything anywhere that was simple – I didn’t want pom poms or holes or shells or drop posts or anything other than a simple wave!

So I decided to make my own simple wavy crochet edging as in the picture below! (see here for the pattern)

multi coloured blanket with patchwork fairy edging

simple wavy crochet edging

This week has been pretty similar to last week health wise and craft wise as I still have a very painful back and so still can’t get into my craft room to work! I can still crochet though, so after finishing my lovely Road Trip Scarf last week I immediately started another one in fiery red as I am really hoping I am selected for the xmas fair in Liverpool and so need some stock to sell! They have 100 more applicants than places though so some of us are going to be disappointed!

I did manage to finish my ‘Road Trip Scarf’ and add on the embellishments which make it look really pretty I think!

Finished Road Trip Scarf

Friday this week I was awake from half 4 and so I made a little bag for keeping my mobile ‘phone and glasses in as I can’t carry a big handbag at the moment – any kind of weight causes terrible pain – I can’t even the kettle unless there is only a tiny amount of liquid in it!

Here is one I made a while ago and the one I made on Friday!

crochet-small-bag

I do have a thing about bags – I love making them and owning them so I find it difficult to make them for selling! these were just practice ones with a made up pattern though so won’t be going anywhere! 🙂

Anyhoo, it’s time to meet up with Handmade Monday again! See you there?

Road Trip Scarf!

Posted on 17 August, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Wow I’ve been having much fun this week chatting in facebook groups where I came across the ‘Road Trip Scarf’ pattern on Zootyowl’s blog Now almost everyone in my facebook crochet group has made one, or is making one! Fortunately that means lots of help with the pattern! I am almost finished – I have to finish the top edge yet and do the flower trimmings but I am pleased with the way it’s looking already.

Road Trip Scarf – not quite finished

I’m having a bit of trouble following the last row of the pattern but other than that it’s been a lovely quick make! I’d recommend it if you enjoy crochet as once you get going it’s easy to do whilst watching TV or chatting! If you wonder why it’s called that just read her blog post about the pattern via the link above!

I also decided my ripple blanket wasn’t looking quite right and so made up a wavy edging to finish it off – I have one and a half sides to go yet!

wavy edging on ripple blanket

Whilst I was browsing all the other road trip scarves I fell in love with some purple King Cole splash yarn which just happened to be on sale!! Well couldn’t pass that up could I?

my latest delivery 🙂

So now I have to make a few more RTSs!!!

I am enjoying all this crochet as I am still incapacitated with back pain although it is slightly better after my GP prescribed some more drugs. I have my MRI date – 3rd September – not looking forward to that as I don’t like confined spaces 🙁 but at least I might then know what the problem is and what can be done to help it.

Finally I had to show you the lovely plant and card which my aunties and uncle sent for me to ‘cheer me up’ – and it did – immensely!

get well plant and card

So that’s my week – crochet, crochet, crochet and the road trip scarf! Now over to see the peeps at Handmade Monday, wonder what’s been going on in your world?

Ripple Blanket Progress

Posted on 10 August, 2014 by patchworkfairy

I’ve not made as much ripple blanket progress as I originally imagined and have decided that after 60 ripply rows that I have had enough! It is now going to be a lap blanket/shawl!

Although I am fed up of rippling I have decided to make a few double crochet edging rounds to finish it off nicely and then leave it at this smaller size. So far I am on my second dc round in lavender, the first being in raspberry.

edging the ripple blanket

I haven’t much crafty stuff to share this week as I have been away camping in Aberdaron and the packing up process has done me a mischief. I am in agony, unable to walk properly with acute lower back pain. I am managing a bit of crochet wherever I can get comfy (not easy) but anything else is out of the question.

After a week of pain and still no improvement it’s so frustrating not to be able to get in my craft room as I have two projects waiting to be finished which are for presents and are now not going to be made on time 🙁

Hopefully I will be able to link up with Handmade Monday and catch up on everyone’s lives as I’ve really missed my blog fix the last couple of weeks, being away without internet access.

Rag Quilt and Crochet Bag

Posted on 7 July, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Well after a lot of thinking I decided my crochet circle would be a bag! However it isn’t really looking like one and is more like a sombrero! I am following an Attic 24 pattern so it should turn out ok but I am wondering if floppy cotton was not the right yarn as the original pattern is in merino. Oh well – perhaps an interfaced fabric lining will be required to give it some form!

bag base and 12 rows on

The other thing I decided to make this week was a quilt for me to take on holiday in a couple of weeks – it’s using up lots of the stash I recently received and as it’s a rag quilt it was fairly easy to make compared with making a quilt top and then quilting it to a base.

I made some quilt ‘sandwiches’ first, then quilted each ‘sandwich’ with a cross of stitching. These were then sewed together in long lines and then the lines joined up – all had a half inch seam allowance for fraying later.

quilt sandwich showing the wadding / batting

diagonal stitching to quilt the ‘sandwiches’

using the walking foot to quilt the edges

After sewing all the quilted squares together I made some long sashing strips in bright purple and made long rectangular ‘sandwiches’ to sew right round each edge. I quilted these separately with long diagonal lines and then finally a line right round the egde of the quilt leaving a half an inch seam allowance for fraying.

The hardest part if snipping all the seams for the fraying but it’s worth is when you take the quilt out of the tumble drier and it’s all soft and lovely! It’ll certainly keep me cosy of the cross channel ferry!

pastel shades of floral fabric rag quilt

finished quilt

I’m rather late for Handmade Monday as I was at a Boyzone concert in beautiful Delamere forest yesterday but that’s another story!

Boyzone in Delamere Forest

Ocean and Coral Crochet in the Garden

Posted on 29 June, 2014 by patchworkfairy

What a lovely day today after torrential rain yesterday! I am sitting in the garden with my new crochet project, writing my blog post and drinking a cup of tea on the swingy seat! I am using cool oceanic and coral crochet colours which is quite restful on the eyes in the glare of the sun! I think I may have mentioned before how much I love sitting in my little hideaway at the bottom of the garden 🙂 There are birds on the grass right by me, eating the cherries from our tree!!! Every year they eat them before we do and I swear they reccy the tree for weeks leading up to them ripening and then sit on the fence squawking out the information to their cronies! On the day most cherries turn purple and yummy, if we are not at home, we will come back to a bare tree!

this is a small selection of the tree!

This is my crochet – I am using a lovely soft cotton and acrylic mix by Cygnet. It is going to be a holiday bag but it’s so soft and comfy while I am making it I feel I should turn it into a summer blanket! We are going on the ferry to France and an oceanic and coral coloured bag seemed just the thing, but then so would a cosy blanket for snoozing under on the journey!

this is the bag base with all the colours to use

Oh well decisions! I will have a think whilst watching Dolly Parton at Glastonbury! Later I’ll be popping over to Handmade Monday for a catch up with the other blogs. Hope everyone is having a lovely Glasto-watching weekend too!

Granny Squares and Granny Naps!

Posted on 20 April, 2014 by patchworkfairy

Ooh I am feeling rather full and sleepy after a big family dinner at my sisters this weekend! I think I may need a nap! My DS’ are home too so it’s a busier household here from normal when it’s just me and my DH rattling round here! Not much time for making granny squares!

This week has been very exciting though, as my new sewing machine arrived! I am in the process of writing about it and will have pics and a review next week! I am already loving the extras on it and spending time getting to know all the new features is very enjoyable.

I’ve done quite a bit of crochet squares towards a new blanket!

getting the squares ready!

and I bought two new books! Both of these seem to be very, very good at first glance!

my new books

I can’t wait to start adding some granny square variations to the blanket and start making some more bags! Of all the sewing I do, I think I love making bags the most!

Well that’s it for now – I am full of pie and cupcakes and I need a granny nap, never mind a granny square!

best wishes to all the handmade mondayers celebrating Easter!

See you next week.

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