crochet owl ......

a little owl ...

 

after completing the little fairy's blanket, i decided to stick to small scale crochet projects ...

i found the tutorial for the owl on pinterest ... it is from the Bunny Mummy blog ... you can find it here ...

the tutorial was really helpful and i managed to follow it until i had finished the pink ... a minor miracle, you understand ...

i got muddled with the darker pink whilst shaping the head ... but i sort of made it up as i went along ... and i think i've managed to salvage it ...

i changed the eyes slightly too ... making them smaller and stitching the pupils rather than adding beads ...

all in all ... i am pleased with this little offering ... it would make a lovely gift for a little one ...

but i am determined to master the head shaping ... so will definitely be having another go ...


playing hooky

My granny square blanket started in the summer and then flung aside to make way for other projects.  And now finally finished. A cosy blanket for the little fairy to snuggle under as the temperatures plummet and the sky is full of snow.

I loved making it whilst learning the basics of crochet.  I still have so much to learn but I am pleased to have completed my first crochet project.

The blanket is a large granny square edged with a simple chain stitch. Not the most impressive pattern or stitch, but I like how the little edging finishes it. 

It is far from perfect and more than a little wonky but the little fairy has given the blanket her seal of approval and loves snuggling under it for storytime.

So, I'm off now to plan my next crochet adventure.

not so lazy daisy

Just before Christmas my postman arrived with a parcel and inside all wrapped up so prettily.

Gorgeous gifts from my lovely friend, Lazy Daisy Jones.

Cue squeals of sheer delight as I opened parcel after parcel of beautiful handmade goodies.

How amazing are they? I am in love.  I am a little ashamed to say that the lovely doll was intended for my little fairy but I don't think I can part with her.  Can you blame me.  But I feel bad.

So after discussions with Miss Daisy it has been arranged that I can be her guardian until the little fairy is old enough to really appreciate her.  I think it's safer that way.

And those crochet toadstools, the cherry brooch and snowflake.  I love, love, love my gifts and if that wasn't enough in the parcel was some of the most amazing fabric tape.  I have been properly spoilt.

So to my wonderful blogging friend, thank you lovely Daisy for really spoiling me.  Isn't blog land wonderful?

 

This exchange of gifts was part of the Snowflake Swap organised by Kate.  Thank you so very much.

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Thanks so much to everyone for their comments over the festive season and welcome to all my lovely new readers.  I hope you enjoy it here.

Happy New Year. x

september weekend

This weekend, we enjoyed the sunny weather and went for a walk at our local national trust property Florence Court House and Gardens.

It's one of our all time favourite places to go.  The wee ones know every path, tree and stream in the grounds.

And they have an absolute ball running through the garden and forest walks.

We stopped off at a little stream to make a wish,

and said hello to the gargoyle.

After some time in the playground it was off home for tea, a bath and stories before bed.

Heaven, three little ones cuddled into bed.  Relaxed and happy for the week to come.

I have been getting crafty over the weekend too, adding a few more rounds to my granny square blanket. Very slowly I must admit owing to a sore elbow which is limiting me to short bursts now and again.  It's seriously messing up my hooking time.

Oh and on the subject of time, I can't quite believe how long it takes to complete a single round of my blanket at the minute.  I am in awe of the giant crochet throws and blankets I have been drooling over in blogland.

I've also started on my Mollie Makes project for this month and will reveal all here soon.

And I have been reading The Simple Things magazine.  It seems like my kind of magazine with some lovely crafts, food, homes and gardening articles.  It also has the bonus that Mr F has been enjoying it as well. There seems to be enough content to satisfy both genders.

I'm off now to catch up on a mountain of housework.  I never seem to get anything done at the weekend. Does anyone else have the same problem?

mollie makes: august

Well here goes.  My first Mollie Makes project reveal.  Teeny tiny bunting on a top for my little fairy.

After flicking through the August issue of Mollie Makes I decided to try the mini bunting.  As you can see I used the tutorial as inspiration, choosing triangular bunting and a little top instead of the skirt.  

I won't even attempt to regurgitate the tutorial but here is a little of the process.  I chose the fabric and decided on template size for the little triangles.

I cut them, stacked up with my rotary cutter and sewed them up.  I added bias binding, a narrow satin type I had in my stash.

I decided to hand sew this part as the bunting is so small it was a bit of a faff with the sewing machine.  I also liked that you could have invisible stitches along the tape.  Then I stitched it onto the top, a basic little long sleeved cotton t-shirt.

And now the before and after.

I enjoyed completing this project although i'm not really sure if i would do it again.  The bunting was a little fiddly.  I will sticking to larger scale versions for draping gaily around the house.

I have ear-marked a few other projects I would like to give a whirl.  When my crochet skills improve I wouldn't mind trying the star garland.  It would make a cute festive decoration.

And I will definitely be giving stamp carving a go.  It's been on my to-do list for quite a while.

Did any of you make anything lovely from issue seventeen? 

granny

I wanted to take a little moment to remember my lovely granny who passed away three years ago today.

My granny Margaret, was a wonderful woman, much loved by her large family.  She had the most amazing stories to tell about her life and has left a lovely legacy behind through her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Granny was very special and she has without doubt inspired me today in my love of creating and making.

She was an amazing cook and baker and there was very little she couldn't do with a crochet hook.

Granny was ninety-five when she passed away but I feel so lucky to have spent so much wonderful time with her.

The photograph above was taken at our wedding.  Didn't she look beautiful?

lovely new wool

Friday again.  I do love the weekend.  I'm planning to flex my crafting mojo tomorrow and catch up on a few projects which seem like they have been forever in the pipeline.

The weather has been lovely for the last few days and happiness abounds.

I had a little splurge during the week on some new wool including, the perfect pink wool for my granny blanket and I got some other lovely colours too.

We're going to Dublin Flea Market on Sunday.  I've never been before but I can't wait to see what it's like. We will be making a day of it with the wee ones, fingers crossed for some lovely sunshine.

Hope you all have a lovely Friday and a fun filled weekend.

the elusive monster softie

Apologies to all of you who are waiting with bated breath for the unveiling of the elusive monster softie ... I jest, of course!  But I am currently awaiting a delivery of some gorgeous red fleece, so the softie is on the back burner for a while.

On a happier note, I have been trying and failing to embark on a crochet adventure.  I have attempted without much success to complete a granny square under the guidance of a lovely old lady at my upholstery class. I may have tried her patience as she kept doing it for me!

I have since found a brilliant tutorial from little tin bird for granny squares and have managed over the last few evenings to create a reasonable, if I do say so myself, granny square.  I intend to continue until my wool runs out and hopefully I'll have a pretty blanket at the end.  Here's hoping, anyway.