Taking the Granny challenge

In the few quiet moments to be found at Whizzme central these days I wanted to be able to craft something that could be toteable, not too brain taxing but resulted in a finished item (sheepishly she looks at the list of wip's). So when I came across Pip's suggestion to join her Granny A Day, I knew I had found the answer. The grannies are progressing at the required rate which is something of a record for me and joining group things! Also I am slowly using up some of the beautiful but odd balls of cotton I have. I think I have spoken before about my preference for using cotton to wool when crocheting (but i can't be bothered to find that post in the archive), softer and cooler in our hot summer to work with.

I am surprised how much I have enjoyed picking up the hook again (although it has reminded me of these that are ambling along at what can only be described as an extremely sedate pace), how satisfying it is to have a finished square each day. It also reminded me to visit my favourite crochet inspiration blog MOONSTITCHES. Alex is a German girl who lives in Japan, you can read about Alex in her lovely words.

Over the years Alex has provided some beautiful photos of her projects and life in Japan, but it was when she first posted about hexagons that I was lured into the large crochet project.
She has even provided an excellent tutorial for joining hexagons as you go (see her side bar for the link). Beyond the call of duty, Alex came to my aid via email when I couldn't get my hexagons to look the same ( small problem reading instructions on my part- the down side of being self taught!). My personal favourite is her Rhubarb Scarf shown in one of her own beautiful photos below.
You can see more beautiful images at Alex's moonstitches Flickr account.

At this stage though my goal is just to stay on track with the grannies...famous last words!

nothing much

hmmm, time seems to really get away from me when it comes to this little blog. I have very slowly been catching up with posts in bloglines, but still have many more to read. I have also been doing some crafting, and there is progress finally happening on Lucy's Ripple Blanket (on ravelry). After telling Martine that I could quite happily randomly pull the next colour out of the basket and continue, I realised that in fact some colours were not making me feel comfortable. Martine you were right, I can't live with it, so it was frogged back and I have culled all the offending colours from the basket. Still a little bit of randomness albeit controlled randomness! 

Thankfully this week saw Miss Whizzme return to school. The poor little chicken is finding it hard to cope with all the changes at home, changes at her school (they are renovating) and continually being sick it is quite a lot for a 6 year old to handle. I have tried to remind myself of this fact, as sometimes the princess behaviour that is being dolled out is quite testing for a 38 year old mother!

This week has also seen the Whizzme clan camping out at a friend's place while she suns her butt in the north. It has been a joy to not have vacuum every day and pretend you live in a Vogue Living photo shoot. Lounging on the couch with champagne and chocolate watching foxtel is way more my style! Unfortunately though they come home tonight, so back to pretending we never make mess.

I guess really that's it. Not much of substance, but I can tell you there is a whole lot of emotion involved! And because I had no photo's of my own to share with you, the mosaic above is some favourites this week from flickr. Enjoy.

IF

If I was going to make a Babette blanket I would probably use colours something like this

and my squares would start to look something like this...

but I wouldn't be doing anything so silly as starting another project, so instead here (finally) is the progress I have made on the hexagon blanket:

This blanket is actually the reworking of a wip that was looking like this.

A gorgeous striped cardigan for Miss L in Rowan wool cotton.   Unfortunately, the completed back you see here is a size 2, and given that Miss L is now 5 I might have just left this project a little too late! (now there's an understatement).  There wasn't enough yarn to complete a bigger size so the perfect excuse to start some hexagons.  Miss L is monitoring the blanket's progress quite closely, including sizing it up to her bed!  Nothing like cracking that whip over your mother!!

When my little overseer has retired for the night, I have been trying to still work out a colour way I like for the chevron scarf.  I won't bore you with photo's of all the versions I have tried, but I think I finally like this one - I think!  

And I've also grown attached to this version - in 3 ply hand dyed cashmere (purchased from AK).

So you can see it is really very lucky that I haven't started any other projects this week (she says nudging the Babette blanket under the cushion).  But I know you are really here to find out if you won this month's giveaway.  My helpful little barrel bunny (or bowl bunny as the case may be), Pebble was very excited to be able to choose this month's winner.

The prize is this great book.

And the winner is

so Gwen email me your address - whizzme (at)bigpond(dot)net(au).

Finally, because so many of you have been so lovely about my knitting tote's, there are now 3 available in the shop - all sporting great Aunty Cookie fabric. (hey Jo, look, I finally made something for the shop?!)

Now I hear Miss L saying something about blankets....

hello spring

I know I promised hexagon's but I haven't managed any photo's yet, as once again I have succumbed to another infection - throat this time - no talking?  lucky I can still type!! so here is a little bit of the activity spring has brought.

A finished tote and crochet holdall for the back to school swap.  The swap also included a journal and photo album.  Once again I used my version of the tote from the simple gifts to stitch book - and I lined it. - so much better.

The crochet holdall was  based on an idea from this book.  

ISBN 978-4+415-30004-7

(Ok, a few more japanese craft books seem to have snuck into the house...)

I also added lining to the aunty cookie tote's.

 

doesn't that look better?! the one on the left is now on its way to a new home.

Miss L had a friend over to play so I fashioned the trampoline into a cubby.  This kept them out of my hair amused for hours.  Which meant I could get busy on my quilt for the Four Seasons Swap.  Here is a sneak peak at the fabric's I'm using.  

This is a very new colour way for me, and I'm quite enjoying it.

Meanwhile, I'll still be hexagoning, chevroning, sewing, dreaming, reading, oh wait it's school holidays - there goes all my free time - hmph!

Sorry this post is so short, but if you leave a comment you'll go into the draw for this month's giveaway - the prize will be announced with the winner. (mysterious!!) You have until Monday.