Whoop! Whoop! I Won a Giveaway!!!!

Do you know people who often seem to win things, raffle prizes, lottery money, games of chance? I do, my son is one of them – it is a bit of a family joke. Me – no – it is not something that I’m familiar with – this winning thing – however maybe the tide has turned!

I am one to the lucky 4 winners 0f a Giveaway on Janette’s wonderful blog “the Green Dragonfly” in New Zealand.     Hurrrraaaayyyyy!!!!!

Janette (that is her picture below) made these House Slippers from a pattern by Tara at Mamachee

and wore them in a post – she got such a response that Tara was generous enough to offer not one but TWO patterns in a giveaway, to not one but FOUR lucky followers of Janette’s blog and Yippity-do-dah! It turns out I am one of the four – how happy am I!!!!!

I have chosen the pattern for the House Slippers, like Janette’s above AND the Fox Slippers, click on the links to see pictures and where you can buy the patterns.

I think my grandchildren will love the Fox Slippers – but Yikes! that means making 16!!! Hope the patterns arrive soon so that I can make a start to get them done before winter sets in. (Maybe winter 2016 is more realistic?!)

A huge thanks goes out to Janette for hosting the giveaway and to Tara for generously offering the prizes. Isn’t this blogging community ❤ GREAT! ❤

I am joining Ginny’s Yarn Along with this post, and she invites us to add a book that we are reading. Now I used to read avidly, but something happened, not sure what , and I just seemed to lose the concentration for reading. However Cathy mentioned a couple of books in our Photo Challenge, this week. The subject is ‘Wisdom’ which is a pretty tough subject to photograph, don’t you think! It is always fascinating to see the variety of interpretations within the challenge. One of the books Cathy mentioned as containing WISDOM is Charles Kingsley’s ‘The Water Babies’. I’ve never read it, and think that now might be a good time to do so. I was able to download it for free onto my iPad.

While I wait for the patterns to arrive I am still working on the edge of the Cosy Cal blanket – I think it will look great when it is finished, but oh boy – remind me never to edge a blanket in squares again – it really is demanding time and concentration to get them to work out.Are you enjoying any Yarn related fun this week? Click on the link below to join in with Ginny and all her many wonderful Yarny friends who also write great book reviews

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CAL5 decisions and choices

This is as far as I have got with the Cosy Stripe Blanket. I laid it across a double bed to see how much more to crochet. This is the way it will lie on my daughter’s bed.  I have 8 more colour stripes to do to complete Cal5. The colours do not come out so beautifully in the photo –  as in reality, they are just GORGEOUS!!!    Lucy’s blanket is for a single bed and has 15 more colour rows (Cal6) than I will be doing. As I am adding a border I will stop at the end of Cal5.                                                                 I am loving co-creating this project which has been a comfort and a joy these last 2 months.                                                                                                                          Miss E was looking through my pile of African Flower squares, I told her I was going to ask her Mum to choose her favourites so that I knew which to make most of, for the border. MissE set about working out which was her favourite. First she separated them into groups – most favourite to the right of this picture then in a row in order of preference, most favourite to the left of the picture above and….after much deliberation and discussion, (I just ❤ LOVE ❤  these creative chats, one of the highlights of Grannyhood for me) she came to decide her most favourite (on the right) and least favourite on the left. My daughter’s choice (above) is more akin to mine, and I will be making 2 or 3 copies of each African Flower above to go in the mix of squares for the edging. I’m really excited now to see how it is going to look when it’s finished.

Update: you can go to Cal7 to see how the edge is coming along

and then Cal8 for more progress.

CAL 4

Attic24’s Crochet-Along, is a joy! I’m way behind, but still enjoying being part of this project. I’m in Week 4. It is taking me a while as this blanket is the project I have on the go for taking with me to do in odd quiet moments, when looking after grandchildren, waiting for an appointment, chatting with a friend, or watching TV. I like to have something on the go that is pure relaxation and that I can do without having to think too much – and I’m thoroughly enjoying this one.Photographing in dull Winter light is a challenge, so outside I went to have a go. Lucy from Attic24 based her colour palette on Autumn flowers, so today I went out in search of some brave little winter blooms (antirrhinum above) peeping through in my garden.Lucy’s colours are a gorgeous mix. I have substituted some of her choices, simply because I have SO much Stylecraft Special DK yarn already and did not want to buy more. (I’m already wondering if I will live long enough to be able to use all the yarn I have stored away!) So there is no ‘Camel’,’Gold’, ‘Copper’, ‘Grape’, ‘Violet’, ‘Pale Rose’  or ‘Claret’ in mine. Instead, I have substituted ‘Saffron’, ‘Spice’, ‘Bluebell’, ‘Wisteria’, Clematis’, and ‘BrightPink’. My mix looks a little brighter and less Autumnal, but I’m still really pleased with its coziness!

The ‘Magenta’ chimes well with the berries on the, Symphoricarpos, (I think), also known as ‘Mother of Pearl’ or ‘Snowberry’ which you can read more about here. The shrub looks fairly ordinary for most of the year and then the honey bees go absolutely MAD for it in late summer, when it hums for weeks as they cluster round the almost invisible tiny flowers.There are just a few periwinkles around

I suppose I must be about half-way and Little Miss M is determined to help me alongAt 2 she is convinced that she is able to crochet and held the end of the hook as I crocheted slowly for a while and then demanded, “I do it myself!”. She sat there happily pushing the hook in and out for about 5 minutes before it became the perfect blanket for a game of ‘peepo’.

Added 12.Jan.15: I have just seen an African Flower square used as an edging for this blanket on Ravelry. This might be just the edging I need to turn it into a double bedspread. I like the reference to flowers, since flowers were the inspiration for the colour combo.                                                                                This is a free pattern on Barbara’s Blog, set out with helpful photos.

Further progress: Cal5, Cal5 decisions and choices, Cal6