Mandala for Little Miss M

My celebratory TaDah! Moment

I started making this blanket back in July 2017 when I needed a break from working with the dark colours requested by Master R.

The pattern is Helen Shrimpton’s Mandala Madness with her Spiro Star at the centre.

It is for a single bed so I stopped at Round 88 in Part 14 .

I like the way the edge is shaped at this point, so I created the next few rows to keep that shape.

Edge

Little Miss M likes orange (Spice), so the edging had to be in orange.

I made small popcorns (3dcs instead of 5) at some of the points and the simple edging is 2scs, ch 2 repeat (US terms)

Blocking was done on an old blanket laid on the floor over a carpet.

I smooth the blanket out – take an overhead photo which shows up any lack of symmetry;

adjust;

pin with steel blocking pins right through the carpet;

spray mist the whole thing with water, then using a damp tea towel and the iron on its highest setting I VERY lightly press round the edges only of the blanket, reheating the iron when necessary (it has to be unplugged to reach);

I then lightly pressed the yellow and turquoise pointy bits so that they would lie flatter;

left it in situ over night to thoroughly dry.

Stylecraft SpecialDK and a 4.5mm hook – the blanket mearures 4’8″ across

List of colours (mostly chosen by Little Miss M):

Spiro Star Centre

Fondant, Saffron, Fondant, Cloud Blue, Bluebell, Bright Pink, Spice

Mandala Madness Part 2

Meadow, Turquoise, Fondant,

Part 3

Wisteria, Saffron, Wisteria, Sunshine,

Part 4

Spice

Part 5

Aspen, Pistachio, Cloud Blue, Bluebell

Part 6

Soft Peach, Duck Egg, Fondant

Part 7

Lobelia, Petrol, Bright Pink, Spice, Turquoise,

Part 8 

(My favourite part!)

Bright Pink, Cloud Blue, Saffron, Bright Pink,

Part 9

Meadow, Pistachio, Aspen, Sunshine

Part 10

Bluebell, Soft Peach, Meadow, Fondant, Bluebell, Cloud Blue

Part 11

Bright Pink, Spice, Turquoise, Fondant, Candy Floss, Bluebell

Part 12

Bright Pink, Spice, Saffron, Meadow

Part 13

Turquoise, Spice, Fondant

Part 14 

and Edge

Bluebell, Bright Pink, Petrol, Sunshine, Spice

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I could never have made this without the fabulous video tutorials by Esther at Its All in a Nutshell.

Huge thanks to Esther and Helen.

~~~~~~~~

Joining in with Ginny’s Yarn Along. She asks us to add a book that we are reading, but I rarely read books nowadays. I do however watch DVDs whilst crocheting or knitting and one I have thoroughly enjoyed recently is this documentary about Gauguin, which gives a fascinating account of his difficult and colourful life

 

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Photo Challenge: Yellow

Welcome!!! It’s the Monthly Meet-Up Photo Challenge, which happens on the first Tuesday of each Month.

I had a happy time looking through my files to find archive photos featuring

YELLOW

This is Miss E with her Dad enjoying a bouncy castle a few years ago

A friend in a yellow silk dress at my daughter’s wedding, 2006

A postcard made for iHanna’s Postcard Swap 2016Collage waiting to be turned into a greetings cardPainted garden potsCandlelight at a wonderful surprise party thrown for me by my lovely kids and their partnersBig Sis at playgroup when she was 3 (she will be 8 this month)Swiss chard stalks from the gardens at Esalen, California – such happy memories from November/December 2008I was there for 6 amazing life-changing weeks on a Workstudy Course, working in the gardens and doing Creative Expression and Process ArtHave you ever tattooed a banana? No – really? See here how to do it

A plasterer’s bucket from when I was having my fabulous new bedroom created

A happy sunny yellow trip down memory lane for me – I hope you enjoyed coming along.

If you would like to see last month’s entries you can see them in the Comments in this Post.

Couldn’t resist including another blast from the past

To join in please post a link to your photos of YELLOW in the Comments. Archive, or current, all are welcome.

You can see all the prompts for the year on my Photo Challenge Page

For May the prompt is

FLOWER

 

Mandala Monday

Happy Holiday Monday!

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her wonderfully heartwarming ‘In a Vase on Monday’. Pop over and visit her post and in the comments you can click on links to visit vases from gardens all over the world – and bathe in a flurry of flower petals.

I’m playing with primroses, hebe leaves and hyacinth pips to create a couple of mandalas

I’m caught up in a meditation of mandalas at the moment

This is a paid for pattern:  Illusion Mandala designed by Tatsiana of Lilla BjornCrochet.

It made my brain ache the first time I made it and it took me a week to make – but it is a fantastic pattern with very clear instructions and a photo tutorial.

So I started another

and another

All made with Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook

I do hope you are having a bright and happy weekend wherever you are

Also joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

 

 

Walking in West Dorset

My friend P and I went for a wonderful walk in West Dorset on Wednesday.

We drove through pouring rain to get to this magical land of pixies, fairies and dragons.

The sun came out to greet us

and light up portals into other worlds

…… and the incantations of fellow questers.

We were heading for yonder knoll ( Colmer’s Hill)

to commune with the seven pines,

enjoy the view

to the sea and the Isle of Portlandand marvel at the sky.

Then down into the village of Symondsbury, nestling at its feet

past ancient farmhouses, (joining in with Norm’s Thursday Doors)

and the wonderful sound of children playing on their lunch break in the local school

… then into the newly opened Symondsbury Kitchen for a warming lunch and a view of Colmer’s Hill from the windows.

A magical morning.

Joining in with Cee’s ‘Which Way’ challenge.

Primroses in a Vase on Monday

and in a crochet mandala celebrating our clocks Springing forward here in the UK.

Scheepjes Sweet Treat Cotton

Pattern: Mandala Madness by Helen Shrimpton with a plain centre

One of my granddaughters was born on Primrose Day so I will be using the one of these photos to decorate her birthday card.

 

Joining Cathy and her happy band of gardeners for In a Vase on Monday.

Squirrel Nutkin Woodland Blanket

Nearly finished!

All the motifs sewn on – I just need my Grandson to try out the finger-puppet to decide how long the cord needs to be.

Pattern for the blanket is by Lucy at Attic24:

Woodland Blanket CAL: Random Colour Order

With additions:

Patterns by Lucy: Autumn Leaves and Acorns 

Pattern by Charlotta for the larger Oak Leaves.

Pattern for the Larger Maple Leaves by Michelle

Pattern for the Squirrel Motif and Finger Puppet by me.

Pattern for Old Brown, sewn on as a pocket to hold Nutkin, is an adaptation of this cute little owl by Jacquie at Bunny Mummy. Jacquie has kindly given me permission to share my adaptation – coming soon!

I stopped after the 89th colour row (each colour is 2 rows) and this blanket measures.

1m19cm (3’11”) wide

1m 64cm (5’4″) long

Using Stylecraft Special DK, I mostly followed Lucy’s Random Colour Order, substituting Mocha with Walnut and changing the order a little here and there.

4.5mm hook

Foundation Row: Lime

Ch 239 to start.

1 – 18

Cypress, Meadow, Mustard, Tomato, Spice, Storm,

Duck Egg, Copper, Walnut, Gold, Pistachio, Grey,

Lincoln, Silver, Tomato, Gold, Lime, Lincoln

19 – 36

Grey, Walnut, Copper, Spice, Mustard, Pistachio,

Duck Egg, Meadow, Silver, Cypress, Gold, Tomato,

Meadow, Storm, Lime, Silver, Mustard, Pistachio

37 – 54

Spice, Copper, Walnut, Cypress, Duck Egg, Lincoln,

Mustard, Spice, Meadow, Silver, Linciln, Storm,

Walnut, Tomato, Gold, Lime, Cypress, Duck Egg,

55 – 73

Pistachio, Grey, Copper, Gold, Meadow, Cypress,

Tomato, Storm, Duck Egg, Mustard, Grey, Silver,

Lime, Copper, Spice, Walnut, Pistachio, Lincoln,

74 – 89

Cypress, Gold, Tomato, Copper, Walnut, Meadow,

Duck Egg, Pistachio, Mustard, Silver, Storm, Lincoln,

Spice, Gold, Meadow, Cypress

 

Edge

Lime, sc

Mustard, blsc

5mm hook, Walnut, bl slip st

5mm hook Tomato, bl sc

 

Wow! I have so enjoyed making this and am excited to show Little Bro (5) this weekend.

 

 

Spring Equinox