September – Crochet Along With Me

You never can tell…

It’s been a funny old month so far. I won’t go into details, but it didn’t start the way we expected. Never mind! Things can only improve.

Crochet has taken a back seat. I decided to make the Spirit of September blanket wait until next month, but the colours called to me as I continued with the Temperature Blanket. Consequently I hooked a few squares, but this collage won’t give much away at all

Making them has helped me decide on the sequence and layout, so that was a good thing. I will also need to order more yarn! I’m holding out for a while, though, as I have enough to finish my main current work in progress and may not be around to take delivery. (There’s currently 30% off with code YARN30 – so worth investigating if you are in need of some)

If you have been following along on Instagram you will o doubt have seen the odd Square or two

And maybe even this progress shot

It’s still progressing! I want it finished by mid October at the latest. More updates will follow.

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More grannies

While it’s exciting to start a new project, there comes a point when everything begins to come together. I’m not quite at that point with this little project, but maybe it won’t be long.

This is just a collage, don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s anywhere near being finished – but maybe it won’t be too long.

What is it? Well, it’s a blanket, of course, but I’ll say no more than that.

Watch this space!

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August is done!

I would not have chosen these colours, but I’m pleased with the result

It’s a scary feeling to be unable to control colours! Just for a change I have made this blanket using the colours of each day during August – and reversed some of them to make enough blocks.

I finished the border, using the colours representing the most frequent temperatures of the month as contrast to the Summer joining colour for the Temperature Blanket, which was Camel. (I’ll be posting an update on that blanket tomorrow.) I have to admit that if I had chosen to work with these colours on another project I wouldn’t have considered Camel to join, but it ‘sort of’ works!

The next blanket, Spirit of September, really will have to wait, possibly even until into October. I already know that I need more yarn in certain colours, but first I have other priorities including a blanket edged with white. The yarn for this blanket was all purchased from Deramores. Details of the square I’ve used can be found here.

I’ll tell you more another day.

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Five Colour Friday

Five colours can be used in a number of ways…..

For a change I thought I’d try making blocks in alternate colours and use a unifying colour for the border. Here’s the result:

For this experiment I used the Posy Square that I’ve written about previously.

Alternating blocks becomes more effective as the size grows

And it can become as large, or stay as small, as you wish

So, which colours have I used?

Stylecraft Special DK in Tomato, Cypress, Sage and Copper. They are joined with Camel

I have to admit that Stylecraft have a very good range of colours in their Special DK range. It’s an acrylic yarn – but a good quality acrylic that washes well. Deramores sell the whole range – including the new colours that I have yet to use. Use the link and take a look around – I’m sure you’ll find something of interest.

I hope you enjoy this series, and that you find it useful. You can follow me on Instagram as CrochetalongwithNuvofelt, and I’m here on Ravelry. Find me on Facebook via the link in the sidebar. Drop in and say ‘Hi’.

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Stressbuster

You may have glimpsed this on Instagram. It will hopefully be finished in a day or so. A small project to carry around that is larger than granny squares

I’m trying out a ‘new to me’ yarn. Scheepjes Colour Crafter. Have you used it? I like it. Sadly I can only buy it via the Internet.

What are you working on? I’d love to see. Leave a link in the comments if you have blogged about it.

Ups and downs

Life really has a habit of keeping one on their toes. It’s easy to be seduced into thinking that all is fine, and then to be shocked to find that it isn’t. Keeping on an even keel when things are not going to ‘plan’ isn’t easy, but thanks to my faith in the Lord Jesus I can do this!

Yes, life has taken another turn, but I will not be beaten – I’m here for the duration and will gently plod on. Sadly I’m going to have to withdraw from leading the crochetalong which was intended to start next week, instead I’ll leave it until the beginning of the year or so, when hopefully things will have calmed down again. I know you will all understand, and better not to start than to start and then….. not complete!

So, what’s been happening?

Well you don’t want to read all the gory details, so I’ll stick with crochet. Here are some glimpses of what I’ve been up to.

Firstly, do you remember this? It started life as a blanket, but due to a chance remark by someone I love dearly it was transformed and has become something else.

Not something I was expecting to make – but it looks lovely now that it’s finished.

I’m going away for a rest in a couple of weeks, so I have started something fairly mindless to take away with me.

I’m really looking forward to working on it. It’s Cygnet Yarns Boho Spirit – and the colourway is Chic. It’s for someone special – and I know she will like it.

My next project is made with a new (to me) yarn. It’s another Cygnet yarn – their DK. My first task when I start a new yarn or colourway is to make a sample square. These are useful for designing etc, and I use them often. This habit formed early on when I began to dye threads and fabrics for stitching – they now fill many files and folders, and some are in boxes too. These squares are quick and easy to make. I previously made all my square using the c2c method – but a different yarn requires a different stitch – how else will I know which is which?

Soft Coral

Barley

Mocha

So far I’m really pleased with the results of my labours. I have this vision in my head – and partly charted on paper. I’m getting there….

I’ll share more with you next time. I bought my yarn from Mrs Snufflebean. The one shown here in the middle is Barley – it’s gorgeous and I think you need some 😉

Back soon, with the promise that I will continue to move onwards and upwards regardless of circumstances.

Packages in the post

It’s always good to receive packages in the post, isn’t it? Well, I’ve had two lovely ones this week. I indulged myself!

When I was a child I would often stay with my grandmother in Northumberland. It was she who taught me to crochet umpteen years ago. Her home was full of functional crocheted objects – and there was a crocheted blanket on the bed in which I slept. However, underneath the blanket was an Indian block-printed throw. It was in beautiful shades of rich red, blue and yellow. I loved it – and would spend hours looking at all the various designs, trying to work out how it could have been coloured. Of course, that mystery was unravelled once I began working with textiles, but my love the cover has never left me – and I now have it safely tucked away in a drawer.

It won’t always be tucked away, however, because it has a new destiny – but that has yet to be revealed. In the meantime I am collecting items that will compliment it – and making some too. The latter will be discussed at another time, but this week I added to my little ‘collection’.

First to arrive was an item that will keep me warm and toasty in the winter. Made by Heather you may already have seen it (if you follow her Instagram account, that is). This morning I received a second package – this time from Faye – and once again you may have had a glimpse from Instagram.

The colours (which I chose some time ago as I’m also working on something that is still secret) match the cover perfectly. I’m really looking forward to putting them all together. In the meantime I can open the draw and just enjoy them all in secret 😉

Thank you both. They are beautifully made – and seemed to take no time at all in their making. What a joy to open these packages!