Cat Cuddles

Awwww, the cat likes me being home because I'm around to give him cuddles whenever he wants during the day. It does usually mean I have to stop doing whatever it is I am working on and just stroke him (he knows if you cheat and only use one hand, you have to use two!). He wasn't particularly happy when I decided to take some photos of him. That's a very un-amused expression he's got going there.

 

Even the hamsters have been having their share of cuddles. Milo managed to stop my brother from playing on his computer when he decided to take a nap on his chest.

 



 

We've got a lovely orchid in the kitchen and this is it's second year of blooming which is quite exciting. I just love the colours that are in the petals.

 



 

I put the family's Easter tree up this afternoon with the eggs that we painted last year and added Mum's new wooden ornaments. Lots of bizarrely shaped rabbits with a few random chickens (or are they ducks?) scattered around. Sadly though I will have to rebuild it once more as Dad knocked the whole thing over and it is now a forlorn bundle of twigs and decorations on the kitchen table. Tsk.

 



 I went shopping this afternoon and found a new (to me anyway) magazine called Homemaker. It is full of interesting tit bits to do with crafting, decorating the home, cooking, shopping....lots of fabby things! What caught my eye at first though was the carnival bird kit on the front. As soon as I got it home the needles and sewing cotton was out!

 

How cute is that?!

 



The creative juices have been flowing non stop recently, first my crochet blanket, then the little birdy and now my green ATCs, and a scrim fabric postcard, both to be sent away. Sad really, although I don't usually find it difficult to let my little creations go because I know they will go to a good home. The scrim (the coloured openweave fabric used as a background) is a really lovely material to use for creative backings. Mine was bought online from Stef Francis for £3. It has been hand dyed and has a variety of colours through it which makes it really interesting.

The colour isn't very good in the below photo, the scrim is actually much richer in colour and goes from a light pink through to a creamy yellow. I have added some commercial crochet flowers, very cute little buttons and French knots.

African Flower Crochet

The crochet blanket madness has begun once more!! I knew it was a bad idea to go looking at crochet blanket designs. You may remember I came across this African flower pattern and instantly fell in love with it- I even had a flash of inspiration for the colour theme, very simple, just using creamy/white and a multi colour wool. The colours range from light to dark green with blue and purple mixed in-between. I love the little pops of random colour that sometimes appear in the flowers.

I think I have done quite a lot in the last two days, I am on my third row along (am working with a 12 hexagon width) and have nearly finished the current row. I have to work quite systematically to keep the colours flowing together.
Now for those of you interested in making your own African flower blanket- I have been incredibly organised and already written up a tutorial for you as I struggled to find one I liked when I was searching the web. So as always you can find that on the left hand side or click here! I've also included the 'joining as you go' method for those who don't want to sew it all together at the end.

I am not the only one who has been busy crocheting. The Mother has been making creations of her own- look at these gorgeous owl doorstops!! I'm not sure where she got the original pattern from, a magazine I think (will have to ask and check so you lovely people can have a go at that too). They start out looking like pebbles in my opinion but then when you start putting on the little faces....

There has been a great debate in my house as to whether the flower eyed owl looks better than the circle eyed owl. Anyone who wants to join in this debate is welcome- I think the flower eyed owl is winning at the moment.

I also forgot to mention in the last post about the scrim fabric postcard I got in the mail. It's absolutely beautiful and I think that is Tyvek in the middle there. Really lovely.

(By Annie)

SAS Rescue Misson!

Hi Blogsters! I have had a very interesting last few days- especially with it being the last week of term. The Easter bunnies were a present from Lucy (thank you Lucy) and may possibly have all hopped their way into my tummy.
I was supposed to be going home today- although thanks to an SAS style rescue mission from my Aunt/Uncle/two Cousins who decided that because the weather in Leicester was predicted to be terrible and horrendously snowy this weekend they would rush up and get me- I have been home since Friday night. I was all very exciting, I got several calls during the day with will we/won't we conversations until eventually in the evening I got a call that said, 'we are coming, start packing'. So I rushed around packing various things in my room and sorting out the hamsters, then when they arrived, we packed the car and left! Pronto! It had been snowing on and off all day and we encountered some horrible snowy conditions on the motor ways so it sounds like I got out in the nick of time.
It did mean we got to The Aunt/Uncle's house at 3 in the morning and I had to sleep on the sofa with rain heavily pounding on the conservatory room and the hamsters going mad on their flying saucers having been cooped up in travel boxes for 4 hours, but it was worth it! And now I am home! Daffodils on the table, an unimpressed looking cat and the hamsters settled and tucked behind the kitchen table. So, henceforth, let the holiday and crafty times begin!!!

A Week Before Easter

Bubbles!! What could be better than bubbles? I like the above photo because I appear to be upside down but the houses are the right way up....

The household has been a bit stressed recently and things began to take their toll yesterday so the bubbles had to come out to calm people down. Such simple fun!

 

This morning I handed in a particularly gruelling essay so decided to treat myself with a walk to Abbey Park, haven't been there in AgEs (the last time was in November I think- oh but do you remember when I went there in May and saw all the gorgeous goslings?!)

 



I had forgotten how much I liked the Park, and this little section with it's carpet of snowdrops and crocuses was absolutely breathtaking!

There was barely anyone else there and the paths seemed to stretch on forever. It was like having my own country house garden!

 

I took with me the latest Mollie Makes and some buttered Mediterranean bread- I know, how posh is that??!- and sat at a bench just drinking in the sunshine and the sounds of the water birds.

Whilst there I also managed to find some suitable twigs for my Easter Tree and have spent the afternoon decorating and feeling Easter-y. I found some more felt rabbit kits in the pound shop and added them, my felt Easter Eggs, the little ornaments The Mother sent in one of her packages and her crochet stars.

As a base for my tree I used a large jar with ribbon wrapped round (another present from The Mother), and one of my crochet daffodils.

The photos are terrible for which I do apologise but you can hopefully see the overall effect. I'm very happy with it and have an inkling the twig-lets may become a more permanent feature in my room! How do you think it compares to last years one?

 

I would also like you to meet the newest member of the owl family that are roosting on my bed. I don't know where these owls come from! They just appear, like magic...

 

Cool Crochet Blankets

So having just finished one blanket, my thoughts turn to the next- there are two ideas floating around in this big ol' brain, one is a blanket liberally scattered with daffodils, and the other combines a flower hexagon pattern with multicoloured wool....Still, I thought I ought to have a browse for some inspiration and what inspiration I found!!! The above blanket is absolutely fabulous and made for the Olympics- just look at all those flags!!

Oh and I am totally in love with this circle one!! People are just so clever aren't they?

And this star one...it just goes on and on!!

 

The below one is kind of the one I have floating in my head, except that it would be using multicoloured wool rather than lots of different colours, surrounded by a soft creamy colour to tie it all together....hmmmmm. Thoughts?