Yarn Along: Mosaic Crochet Lap Blanket

Stylecraft Special Double Knit and 4.5mm hook. Colours and quantities: 4 Parchment, 2 Copper, 1 Lincoln, 1 Silver, 1 and a bit (enough to do the last row of the border) Cypress

Measurements: 1m15cm x 1m3cm

Pattern by Moira of Daisyknots

I made this for my nephew (30), it was supposed to be longer, but I accidentally missed out a couple of sections in the middle. I was doing the border when I realised, so I had gone way too far to unpick. My nephew says he is happy with the size, which should look good as a throw on a chair or sofa and be the right size for a lap blanket. The colours are to go with his room, which is mainly greens, but he asked that I include a rust colour as he knows how much I love my rust and it would ‘add that Dondi touch’.

‘Dondi’ is the nickname all my nieces and nephews have for me. You might remember that another nephew even co-wrote a song “Singing this song for Dondi”.

I have just got the back border to complete. An envelope border to encase all the ends, as you only work on one side and start a new piece of yarn for each row. Cunning plan!

Joining in with Ginny for her Yarn Along

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I have finished the book!

This is the first novel I have read for years – I don’t know what happened, but at some point I just lost interest in reading fiction.

I enjoyed the almost poetic descriptions – there are some beautiful scenes that really give you a sense of place and I enjoyed the characters. I could have done without the whole ‘whodunnit’ aspect of the book, especially the tying up of the plot which seemed rushed at the end and I did not believe in it.

Maybe Delia Owens would not have found a publisher without it being a murder mystery, which is a shame, because I would have loved to have spent more time in the marshes and enjoyed a few chapters of a happy dreamy ending with the hero and heroine in their isolated cabin.

Have you read it? I know Laurie and Lynn have.

I am interested to know what others think of the book.

Rosslyn and Crochet Butterflies

Rosslyn variations.

I am making a Lap Blanket each for my twin granddaughters who have a birthday coming up.

It has been fun making them the same but different, and playing around with Helen Shrimpton’s excellent Rosslyn Pattern.

In order to make them rectangular instead of square I added a few rows and some butterflies at each end, before adding the edging.

Twig’s Lap Blanket

The first pattern for a butterfly border I found was this one by Debi Dearest

I left the antennae long until just before I was going to finish them off by snipping them and melting the ends next to the flame of a candle to seal them.

Debi’s method of making the bodies so that they do not move around can be found here

Then I found another pattern for Twiglet’s butterflies

Twiglet’s Lap blanket

 

Crochet Butterfly Stitch

 

To make the body and antennae I found that wrapping the yarn round twice on each side and then knotting the two ends together after the intial reef knot gave a slightly better finish, giving the butterfly a head and keeping the antennae in line rather than going off at odd angles.

The yellow one above is made as in the video and the pink body is made with my variation.

Next I seal the ends of the antennae by holding them near to a candle flame to melt them together so they don’t fray.

Washing and blocking these two blankets with all those butterflies and picots round the edge – as well as the roses took a whole day.

I still have some roses to sew on to Twiglet’s blanket before the blankets are ready for packing and posting.

Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK

Duck Egg, Cream, Storm, Raspberry, Buttermilk, Lincoln, Pale Rose, Soft Peach

Yarn Along: Rosslyns

The Rosslyns are coming along.

It is fun to make the same pattern in the same colours but in a different order.

I’m not totally sold on the pale pink (Soft peach) rows in the one on the left – what do you think?

It might look better when I have done a few more rounds.

I don’t like how the ‘roses’ turned out in the one on the right so I will be making some flowers to sew on for the other one.

This is Helen Shrimpton’s paid for pattern made in Stylecraft Special DK with a 4.5mm hook

8 colours:

Buttermilk, Duck Egg, Storm, Lincoln, Cream, Old Rose, Raspberry, Soft Peach

Joining Ginny’s Yarn Along

Ginny likes us to add the book we are currently reading, but as you may know I hardly ever read fiction nowadays. I do however love to listen to the Radio whilst crafting and am really enjoying the new comedy on BBC Radio 4, ‘Ground Control’, starring Tamsin Greig.

Yarn Along with Gudrun

I love Ginny’s Yarn Along – a chance to meet up with other yarn lovers and see what they are making and what they are reading.

Here is my progress report on the two Rosslyns so far

A paid for pattern by Helen Shrimpton.

This is a really lovely relaxing pattern to make and just the thing to be making alongside the current Cosmic Cal. I usually finish the rows given for the Cosmic Cal a few days before we are given our next set of instructions, so I then move to working on the Rosslyns.

As I have mentioned before I have made a few alterations to the pattern

and now I have also added some butterflies – pattern by Debbie Dearest.

My intention was to make a single bedspread, as a birthday present for each of my twin granddaughters (they will be 6 in October). The butterflies were there to make the finished bedspread rectangular rather than square.

Once I had done the butterflies and a bit of the border, it felt like the right time to stop.  Just to be sure I tried one out on Little Bro’s bed

Yes, that looked fine so I made the edging and finished one, with just the butterfly bodies to complete and ends to sew in.

This means they will be lap blankets instead of bedspreads but they can still go on their beds.

Also joining Ginx Craft.

Whilst crocheting I have been enjoying the

The Gudrun Saga by Lucy Catherine

I’ve listened to all of the Series and currently Series 4 is being serialised on BBC Radio 4

Overseas readers might be able to catch it on 4 Extra

Do you listen to the radio or podcasts whilst crafting? If so I’d love to know which ones.

 

Coastal Cosy: WiP Wednesday

This is so relaxing to make and I’m enjoying making up the colour order as I go.

I started from the top of the picture with sky:

Cloud Blue, Sherbert, Cream, Soft Peach, Sherbert, Cream, Buttermilk, Soft Peach, Silver, Cloud Blue.

Then the sea:

Denim, Petrol, Storm, Denim, Aster, Cloud Blue, Petrol, Aster, Cloud Blue, Sherbert.

Breaking waves in Cream, Sherbert, Cream

onto a sandy beach: Buttermilk, Camel, Buttermilk

and one row of pebbles in Silver.

All in Stylecraft Special DK (acrylic) and a 4.5mm hook.

Pattern: Cosy Stripe by Lucy at Attic24.

I have made this pattern before when I joined in with Lucy’s Crochet Along (Cal) and I’m loving making another.

Graphite rocks will come next and then some grassy cliffs, followed by more sky …………

and so to choose more pink for the sunrise/sunset

Soft Peach is in the first bit of sky. Do I keep it calm and soft and gentle by just adding Pale Rose

Or liven it up with the corals of Pomegranate and Blush

Or go wild and vibrant by adding Fushcia Purple and Pomegranate

Which I think would require a more colourful sea beneath it, so I would add Empire into the blues. That Empire blue is much more vibrant in reality – you can see all the colours on the Wool Warehouse website here. But even there it is difficult to see the true colour. Blush is much more peachy pink than it looks on the website.

Which pinks would you choose? I’d love to know!

As Miss E would say when she was about 2 “cany’elp me?”

Joining today’s Daily Post: Lines

 

Edgy Decisions

I have crocheted all these little daisy squares to go round the edge of the throw for Miss E.

Design Decision 1: I was intending for them all to have pale yellow centres. When I showed Miss E she requested that they had different colours for the centres.

Design Decision 2: When I lined them up around the blanket I wondered if they were a bit too much. With hindsight I think I would have crocheted another round of pale blue to give more space around the daisies. I did some plain squares to go in alternately.

Miss E had the choice, and she has chosen solid daisies.

Design Decision 3: We could have daisies scattered on the surface and sewn on, or leave the ripples as they are.

When I first suggested this Miss E put her head slightly on one side and said , “that might be a bit over-the-top Granny, let’s wait and see”, as if she has learnt that Granny needs reining in on her crazy ideas sometimes!!!

Having seen them as in the first picture she is now considering it, but still wants to wait and see what it looks like once the edge is on – wise girl – one step at a time!

Linking in with Ginny’s Yarn Along

What design decisions are you making today?

A Throw for Miss E

Seeing their Mum’s bedspread in progress, Miss E and Master R have both requested blankets for their beds. I like to have a portable project on the go, to pick up in odd moments, so I am happy to oblige. Miss E (aged 7) asked for turquoise, blue and yellow so I created this sample for her. But she said she would like it to be paler, and seeing the very pale and purply pink yarns she added them in as well. These colours, which look very Spring-like to me … She wants it to lie on top of her duvet and not to go over the sides of the bed as she is in a top bunk. She chose the ripples going lengthways. I have completed the main body of the throw and edged with a few rows of double crochet (US), And am now making the border of daisies that Miss E says she would likeI do like doing lots of little squares all the same – very relaxing

The pattern used is a free one on Ravelry.Making them into an edging is another matter. I know I said I was never going to do a border of squares again!!!! But I think I have found a way to make it easier to work out how many to do to get a good fit – I’ll let you know! And Miss E did ask so sweetly, I just could not resist, what a push-over!