Tuesday 12 July 2011

Hooked Up








Just a quick "show and tell" regarding some crochet that I started a few weeks ago, when I felt the urge to hook after finding a large mixed bag of wool and wool/acrylic mixes at the Boot Fair for £1!





In the bag was a huge unused 400g ball of cream Aran (60% wool) together with a started one with probably still about 300g left; some dark grey wool; some very pale pink; and a few other bits and bobs.

So I had to start something new of course!




After a quick flick through one of my favourite standby crochet books, I decided to have a go at this Gothic Square design with a view to making a cushion cover for the bedroom.



This crochet book is a must for any crocheter to my mind, offering a huge variety of granny sqaures, as well as edgings, and even for a beginner the instructions are easy to follow, with clear illustrations on how to do different stitches.

The patterns are graded into levels of difficulty which is useful.




I have worked each centre in dark flecked grey, then pink, then white, then the outer rows are worked in the cream aran.

As I'm using a combination of weights of wool here, some aran, some DK amd some 4 ply, I have switched hook sizes to allow for this - my usual ad hoc approach!






 Using pale colours in crochet is new to me, and I'm quite pleased with how its looking, although until the magic has been worked by blocking the squares, they will look a bit raggedy.










I usually prefer to use brighter colours.

The first thing and the brightest thing I ever crocheted after making a few granny squares, was a bag from Attic 24.

The first weekend after my Mum taught me to crochet, I jumped straight in the deep end and crocheted like crazy for a whole weekend until I had finished this bag.



It started out looking like the biggest rastafarian hat you have ever seen, and as i was pretty poor at keeping track of the number of stitches I had done in this vast bag, it is very higgledy piggledy, and baggy, but very capacious and excellent for storing wool!



i had no wool other than the scraps and odds and ends that my Mumhad bought with her, and after sorting through all my craft bags and coming up with a few more odds and ends i just crocheted away for England.

I had a ball!

And I was so thrilled at my new found skill!



Making this particular pattern also meant that I attempted flowers, made straps and added edges, as well as working a huge circle, changing colours and increasing and decreasing (supposedly!!).









Logan also likes messing around with wool.

Twice in the last few weeks I have found him having great fun with a ball of wool, which he sneakily steals from the lowest shelf in the sewing room then takes onto the landing to "play" with.

A couple of weeks ago he managed to completely unravel a ball, and I am still in the process of untangling and re-winding it.

Then again, yesterday afternoon he found a small ball of wool and managed to get it all tangled all round his legs so he could only hobble!



Logan just being de-tangled!


Well, on that note I'm just off to do a bit of crochet before I pick Bella up I think - too late to start any painting, and that's one of the joys of crochet - you can just pick  it up and do a bit whenever you get a spare moment!

Oh!! And please don't forget to enter my Giveaway !!!
See the previous post dated 11July!!



20 comments:

  1. Poor Logan! You may teach him to crochet Gill so he makes better use of his yarn!! :)
    Vivienne x

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  2. Surely getting tangled up in knitting is a CAT'S job? What a lovely little bundle of fluff he is!

    I've never really had the patience for knitting and crocheting, so I so admire such pretty finished pieces!

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  3. I think your ad hoc approach is just fine, it's mine too especially with crochet, I can never stick to a pattern or haven't quite got the correct wool. But for me, that's part of the joy of hooky. Look forward to seeing the end result. Logan is so adorable and sweet but he should read the dog manual, wool is in the cats job description!!!!!!! Lesley x

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  4. I've recently started to crochet and am totally addicted, I'd had my eye on that bag pattern, but I think it may be too much for me so I'm starting with a granny blanket. If I haven't perfected a granny square by the time I've finished there's no hope. The book looks good.Your sqaures are gorgeous the stitching looks so neat and the colours work well together.

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  5. wow that was a bargain find.Love that design you have chosen for the squares. I keep looking at that book but haven't bought it yet.
    If I loose my hooky mojo I always seek out some inspiration from Lucy at Attic 24. Soon gets you in the mood again :)
    Love
    Tickety-boo
    xxxx

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  6. Your cushion is going to look gorgeous in your bedroom. I wouldn't have chosen those pale colours, but they look really good crocheted together. I love your bag too, I may attempt one in the future, though I'm still on with my granny blanket at the moment. Archie loves wool too, he stole a part completed granny square the other day, hook and all. It's a good job Archie and Logan don't live together, they'd be partners in crime.

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  7. That book looks really interesting x

    I like the colour combination you have used for your new cushion - pale and interesting, they work well together.

    Nice seeing your first crochet project you ever did too x

    Leah x

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  8. I typed you a whole lovely comment and blogger managed to lose it so I will try again!
    Thanks for the recommendation on the crochet blocks book - I'll look out for that one on amazon.
    I love your crochet bag. Beautiful colours.
    I am a fan of the lovely Lucy's crochet over at attic 24 too, but I love the delicate colours of your granny squares. I am very impressed that you have mixed yard weights so expertly, I could never pull that off.
    I missed your giveaway post so I'm off now to have a good read!
    Becky x

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  9. Very nice squares Gill, and your bag of wool was a great find! Can't wait to see it as a cushion.
    xo Susan

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  10. It is going to look fab! I must get this book

    I love the square colours

    Claire

    http://www.hearthandmade.co.uk

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  11. I'm enjoying your blog and all of the pretty things you make! I'm a new follower...hope you'll visit me soon, too! ♥

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  12. Hi Gill, thank you for the tips on applique. Your absolutely right about the gingham fabric, it's poly cotton and thin!! I'll give the double sided vilene a go next time and a better quality gingham too. Have a great day. Lesley x

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  13. Hi Gill,
    I love your bag and flowers, I am amazed that was the FIRST thing you ever made! The gothic squares look really lacy and pretty, I am looking forward to seeing the finished cushion. I'm glad you mentioned and recommended Jan Eaton's book, I wondered about buying it as I have got the hang of the basic granny squares now and I need to learn how to attach them together. Seeing all the lovely things you can make once you get the hang of crochet is inspiring me to keep on going.
    Have a lovely weekend.xx

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  14. I have that book and would agree tht it is a must! I have often fantasised about doing a blanket made up of all of the grannies in the book! Have a lovely weekend Gill xxx

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  15. I love the pale colours, refreshing like ice cream.
    x

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  16. The colours in that bag are 'to die for'... all my favourites! I love your new header, it looks fabulous.

    Linda. xx

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  17. I love your bag and your pretty squares, Gill! Very inspiring crochet! I'm still enjoying making my grannie squares for a blanket, but a big bag for my wool like yours would be nice next, maybe! Have a happy week ahead.
    Helen x

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  18. It's going to be beautiful and with Logans help along the way perfect!

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  19. I love to crochet and have my yarn out to attempt some flowers! Your patterns look very pretty! ♥

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  20. Your squares are very pretty and the bag is groovy baby! Love Linda x

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x