The Antidote

Broken Rules

When I started my latest WIP, I made a few rules to adhere to.  One of them  was to both join the squares together and sew in the ends as I went along.  I have failed miserably.  Now I know that the UK postal strikes have been blamed for unpaid bills and forgotten birthdays, but I maintain that these strikes are the reason for these piles which are all over my house.

To explain further, this blanket is literally GUZZLING Rowan Pure New Wool in Enamel and Frost.  I source most of my yarns on line and it is just not arriving as quickly as I am hooking it.

Thankfully, my stash is replenished and at the moment, my wool supply can be maintained.  And, on the plus side, my other rule was to finish this project in three months and for once I seem to be on track....postal strikes permitting!

Pumpkin Time

Halloween is one of our favourite times of year.  Due to a slight discrepancy with my Abel and Cole Veggie Box this week, combined with The Husband bringing home an armful, we have wound up with seven pumpkins this year.

Seven pumpkins are never a problem.  Already Ivy and Oscar have scoured the internet, selected their design and performed artistic surgery.  I still have mine to do, and the Abel and Cole ones will adorn our spooky nature table, before their incarnation as curry/soup/pasta sauce.

Have a spooktastic weekend x

Time for a Nap

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my blanket.  You are so kind and encouraging and your praise is valued.

I have been hooking away hard on my latest project and hope to share some pictures of it later on in the week.  I love the way that memories are worked into crochet projects, often nothing momentous or otherwise memorable, maybe just repeatedly being asked who my favourite Batman baddie is, or of Ivy and Biba vying for the closest position to me on the sofa whilst watching "Strictly".

I have also been working far too hard and missing too much sleep, so I am going join Biba and catch up on a few Zzzzzz's this week.

The Reveal

Here it is, at last!

 

Six months of delicious work, and lots of lovely Rowan Wool/Cotton, I am soooooo proud!

Many of you have been so encouraging and enquiring about this project and it has taken me almost two weeks to take and post these pictures.

 
 

This is my first attempt at crochet, you may remember that I am self taught, from this book.  In addition to this I have also scrutinised other blogs to extend my knowledge and skills, and while I still have a way to go, I am rather pleased with my blanket.

I have affectionately nick named this my "Bauer Blankie", as I hooked away happily whilst watching the first six seasons of 24.  This was of course accompanied with a "Dexter" edge!  I am now enjoying Season 3 (Dexter) whilst snuggled under it, with Season 7 (24) on it's way this week, what a way to spend these cool October nights.

As I tidied my blanket up for these pics I noticed it is already smeared with chocolate (I am blaming the babies!) but then bunny cuddling and tea drinking is just what it is meant for!

Sneak Peak

Just a quick little hello today.  I know I promised a "show and tell" of my completed blanket in my last post, but I have been working like crazy this last week.  I think tonight will clock me up around 80 hours in the last week (poor me) in addition to that, they are all night shifts, and I sleep very little in the days in order to be around for the children.  I am sooooo tired!

In the meantime, just to whet your appetite, a little peak at my new project.  And of course a promise that I will very soon show my blanket, and give a little more detail of this new lovely hookiness.

All Finished

My beloved blanket is finally finished.  It took ages, but I am so pleased with it.  I have not yet taken any photos of it, because they have to be just right, but I will do a final "reveal" very soon.

In the meantime a little peak at my new yarn stash.  I have been collecting this slowly (wool is so expensive) over the last few weeks, and was quite suprised at how much I had when I looked last night.

My next project will definately have squares in circles, which are so popular at the moment and will have a lighter more bedroomy feel to it.  I will also be using Pure Wool (Rowan) instead of the Wool Cotton mix which I have used in the last blanket.

I am enjoying the planning of this project and am constantly scanning the "interweb" (my children and Stuart's term) for inspiration.  I am looking forward to my "reveal" and also to sharing my new project x

Blackberry Liqueur

I know I am probably a little late in the season with this post, but it is very nice so I have managed to snap it today and squeeze a little more blackberry goodness in before the end of the month.

Stuart and the children picked this lot of berries one Sunday a couple of weeks ago whilst I slept (post night shift you understand).  We had already made lots of jam the week before and I had the recipe for blackberry liquer in September's Country Living mag in my head so we thought we would give it a try.  Actually Stuart made it while I was working.  He called me just before midnight to say goodnight. 

S - "I made the liqueur"

L- "Are you drunk?"

S - "Don't be stupid, I have only had two glasses, Hic!"

If you decide to make it, it is pretty potent, but a dash works rather well in a cold Prosecco!

Chores and Afternoon Tea

Why is it that you spend only two nights away from home and the laundry pile is four times what it normally is?  Than goodness we are having such a glorious September and I have been able to get things dry.  I refuse a drier and prefer my long line.

While I glean perverse enjoyment from the sorting and pegging of laundry, I despise the pressing of it, and seem to have spent the last two days ironing continuously.

Having pegged my washing at 0630 this morning, I had these babies in the oven before 0700.  They were smothered in radioactive icing and nibbled with my Nan as we spent an enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine in her garden celebrating her 80th birthday.

I am now going to pic my jaw up from the floor having just watch Jamie Oliver's exploits with an alligator. Oh my.

The Last of the Season

On Friday we set of on an impromptu camping trip with the family.  The weather was warm and sunny and very Septemberish (in a good way) with a little nip in the evening, just enough to warrant a fire.

The campsite we visited had a great playground, but my two spent most of their time climbing trees. 

As you know, we are quite new to camping and this was our first out of season trip, the campsite was almost empty and we had so much space to ourselves.

It was a fairly low key weekend, the children spent lots of time with their grand parents and aunty.  We had some nice food and marshmallows and bottles of beer around the fire, we did however make time for a little boat trip.

 

We really wanted to do this trip when we visited North Norfolk in the summer, but ran out of time, so we made it our business to visit the seals at Blakney this trip.

Oh, it was so lovely.  Not only was it amazing to see the seals in the natural habitat like this, we were fortunate enough to visit at sunset (as the tides permitted) so the lighting and colours were beautiful.  I love how they lie on their sides whilst ignoring the boats.

So, our souls have been fed and our equipment stored.  Until lots of new camping adventures next year.

I'm on the edge!

Yay! at last, all of those wretched ends are sewn in, my little squares are pieced together and I am officially on the edge!

I am actually rather enjoying the repetitiveness of it, no starting and stopping or snipping and knotting, and I am finding it methodically soothing to treble round and round.  So over the weekend, The Husband and I cracked open a Dexter box set and indulged in a little hooking and sociopathic killing!  I feel like I am being slightly unfaithful to my beloved Jack Bauer, but what is a girl to do?!

I really have no idea where I am going with my edging, I am thinking a few rounds of trebles with a round or two of doubles.

In addition to snuggling under my blanket whilst finishing the edge (love that) this weekend saw the arrival (at last) of this.

 

I LOVE this lady's blog and have very patiently waited for this book to arrive in Blighty, and at last it is here, and it does not disappoint. It is so beautiful and inspiring and wonderful and Amanda writes as though she is speaking to you from a comfy arm chair in your sitting room.  I cannot wait to try some of the projects, Portrait Bookmarks will definately be in one or two stockings this Christmas.

I am now going to fit another Dexter and some more of the edge in before the school run, I hope I don't get blood splatter on it!