How Do They Manage It?

Hello!

When I restarted this blog, I completely promised myself I would blog at least once a week, and I would become super organised like some of the other lovely crafty/etsy selling/bloggers out there (see claireabellemakes.com for instance). However, I appear to have failed so far. Oops!

I'm completely in awe of the people who manage to find time to network, craft, be a mum & blog. I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day :-)

My last fortnight in pictures goes a little something like this...

1. I made a very purple stripey blanket to match an equally purple pram.

2. We enjoyed the sunshine, I discovered loom bands, my youngest celebrated her birthday, and I enjoyed a week off from work :-)

3. A dolls blanket from my Etsy shop went on a mammoth journey across the Atlantic, so I made a new one to list there :-)

And Finally! Inspired by the sunny weather I made a Sunshiney stripey blanket.

I feel like I've packed lots into the last few weeks, but all this loveliness has meant no extra time for blogging (boo-hiss).

This week I'm making yet another blanket, a lovely sunburst blanket someone has ordered for their new baby, I've even brought a sneaky bit of crochet to do a lunchtime to break up the monotony.

I'd love to see what's been keeping all of you busy in blogland!

L

Xx

One of a kind

Normally I try to restrict my postings to being about Crochet, as its my only outlet to talk about it (other than twitter), as hubby just thinks I'm a bit of a nerd for enjoying it so much.

 

But yesterday I just marvelled at how cute and lovely Mr Bean is :-) I love the way he's still at an age (2), where he is entertained by the simplest of things. Yesterday he was busying himself with the incredibly important job of sticking clothes pegs on every available handle. (See Below)

He loves to potter, doing things that mean so much to him, but to an adult mind simply don't make sense at all!

 

He also loves clocks. Big ones, small ones, digital, analogue.. You name it, he's enthralled with it & he's regularly to be found pottering around with watches all up his arms. (See below).

 

 

It just shows that even from when we're teeny, we all have our little quirks. He likes watches & pegs, I like crochet and picking lovely squishy thread. I'm going to embrace the weirdness individuality of my children!

 

Back to crochet... (I knew I couldn't write a whole post without including some crochet!

 

I'm currently in a conundrum about picking threads for a baby blanket for a friend. As far as I'm aware, they don't plan to find out what they're having and I find Apricot/Peach/Lemon/Mint a horrible cliche and I don't think I could bring myself to crochet in these colours AT ALL.

 

Luckily, twitter exists, as my little fledgeling blog has maybe 3 readers (on a good day), so unfortunately a plea for help will probably go unanswered. Thanks to the lovely fellow crocheters in the twittersphere,  I think I have decided on this yarn in White, Silver & Pistachio and I think I am going to do a ripple. I would love to add arctic blue or smokey rose, but I think gender specific colours are a no-no (I made Mr Bean a blanket when pregnant, and I think the pink I added with the blue makes it look too girly).

 

I'm itching to click the order button, but unfortunately (or fortunately), I really must finish Mrs Snufflebottom's blanket & the blue/grey blanket for my friend before I let myself start another.

 

Oooo is that nearly wine-o-clock?!

 

*Potters off to fridge*

Who Knew Grey Could Be So Colourful...

Although I only just posted about falling in love with mini-blankets, I decided I really must finally make Mrs Snufflebottom the blanket I've been meaning to make since before she was born. On one hand I feel guilty, as I lovingly spent weeks making Mr Bean a blanket before he was born, and I attempted to make her one, and yep you guessed it, Mr Bean lay claim to it as his "Boing Boing Blanket" See this post.

However, I think it might have been fate, as last week I stumbled across the loveliest colour combination, and I knew it was destined to be her blanket colours! So off I tootled and ordered some new Stylecraft (Does anyone else get excited like Christmas for new yarn?!)*

And here it is... Pinks, purples & greys, so subtle and calming, can't wait until its finished!

 

And so it started... (Again, you'll have to excuse the shocking lighting in these photos, they're just iPhone snaps as I didn't have the energy to the the camera out)

 

..And it grew...

 

 

...and then I noticed this...

 

 

..Yuck!! I'd done 9 more rows since the mistake, otherwise I would have unpicked it all and started again, I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my crochet.

 

Anyway, back to the point, I tweeted a picture of it growing and one of my friends asked me to make one for her little man, and now suddenly I have 2 Blankets on the go, I've decided to have a "day blanket" and an "evening blanket". You know what they say about variety... (and yes, I am completely aware I am a little bit strange).

 

Here is the second one.. this time I'm using my own colour choices (soo excited that I didn't steal someone elses colours for once). I'm hoping it works as it grows, we'll see...

Phew i'm up to date with my blogging! Special thanks have to go to Mrs Snufflebottom who had a daytime sleep for the first time in days and to Mr Bean who has sat next to me colouring and made an impromptu appearance in a photo. :-)

Off to make a warm cup of tea, the one I made has gone ice cold and even I have my standards!

Huglettes

xx

 

*Does anyone else feel like a wannabe American when they say Yarn... It just doesn't feel right. :-S

Better Late Than Never...

Well, this post was supposed to be written about a week ago when I finished my "circles in squares" mini blanket, however, my children have had other ideas, Mrs Snufflebean is currently struggling to cut a tooth which means I am thin on the ground for time to do anything (and yes, that includes sleeping. *yawn*)

 

Anyhoo, I started this blanked with the intention of making it into a big blanket for Mr Bean, but somewhere along the line, I fell out of love with Crochet Squares, I just can't get them to sit right when I crochet them together, and I'm a bit finickity which means I always hate how I can never quite get the border square. So... That meant that halfway through making it, the blanket got downsized (heavily), and will now make a lovely dolls blanket for someone. Here is it in all its teeny weeny glory... (P.S apologies that my pictures are a bit pants compared to others in blogland, but I've discovered we have rubbish lighting for photos in our house. I think I'm going to have to resort to outdoor photography when the weather improves)

 

 

 

And here is a perfect example of what I mean about the borders... I just dont think they ever look right...

 

And here it is in a little squidgy curly swiss-roll type thingy... (You have no idea how hard it was to get this photo so the light was right and so that it was in a location that was nice and plain and didn't include family-related mess clutter!)

Right, I'm off to immediately write the second post I've been inteding to write for a week, apologies for the splurge of posts but I must get up to date with my news!!

 

TTFN

 

xx

Its Been A Long Time...

Ooo hello,

I just realised life has taken over and I haven't posted anything in a long time (not that I'm actually sure anyone even reads this!). I have been busy keeping the tiddlers happy and contented and have been crocheting away like a little busy bee, but as yet I don't have another finished item to show you.

I'm still plodding along with this blogging lark, even though I'm beginning to lose a little faith in it. So many other people seem to have such lovely photos and stories, and it makes my rambles seem, well, rather mundane!

 

Anyway, on a more positive note, here is a little photo bomb of bits I've been up to since I last blogged...

 

 

 

 

 

1. A potholder I made it a fit of restlessness for a friend. I used the pattern from Color 'n' Cream, but used up old thread.

 

2. Port - Yummy. Don't need to say anymore really!

 

3. Cut myself on a wine glass, but the consolation was I got to use one of my Hello Kitty plasters!

 

4. I bought this fab Stylecraft Special DK shade card from Masons. It means I don't have to try and guess the colours from my computer screen!

 

Back to the present. This week I have mainly been battling with an endless amount of washing and cleaning. I often fail, much to the despair of my husband! (I am not one of lifes naturally tidy people). I have also been working simultaneously on 2 new blankets, one for Mr Bean and one for a friends daughter using up the lilac tones from my Lucy pack that just aren't "me". I will try and take some photos, but currently time is at a premium and my tiddlers win out every time.

 

Toodle Pip! xx

Um...

In the dim and distant past that was my years at uni, I used to write a blog. Its long since been deleted and no doubt would have been completely cringeworthy to read back. Back then, I was adamant I'd never write one again, as they seemed to just be avenues to pour out self-pity and depression.

Here I am 10 years later, and after discovering that actually, blogs can be happy and silly and filled with colour and fun, I've decided that I might just give it another go...

I like to tweet, but sometimes 140 characters just isn't enough. I don't actually know what I want to blog about, I know I don't want to be a "mummy blogger" (theres nothing wrong with them, its just not my style) and my crochet isn't really established enough to write a blog of the likes of Attic24 (Totally amazing... go have a read). I do know that I want this blog to be filled with silliness, rambliness and colourfullness, I'm just not sure how I'm going to do that yet...

I had it all planned out in my head last night, I was going to write a fantastically entertaining first post but my eldest tiddler Mr Bean* (age 2), decided 4.52am was an acceptable time for "Downnnn" & "Cbeeeebies", and that put an end to everything witty stored up in my head, (or thats my excuse anyway)

Hmm off to ponder...

*Not his real name, obviously