Happy hookers

Back in February of 2014 I started up my own local 'Happy Hookers' group to get together all the wonderful ladies who have learnt to crochet with me. Janet started it really with getting me to teach in her craft room classes and then wholehearted supported doing a regular meet up to practice while eating cakes and drinking wine :-)

As a group we've also contributed to a few collaborative projects - these mandalas were sent out to Yarndale 2014 and it was great fun to try and spot our groups different crochet circles in amongst the hundreds of others that were up in the Skipton market hall.

Recently my crochet group as contributed to the 'Cwtch of comfort' project that my sister Liz has been working so hard to support. These squares meant a great deal to me as it was so nice that my new crochet friends were keen to spend their time supporting this charity with me.

Here they all are again - so busy concentrating on their stitches.

Space invaded

Over the years I have made a number of crochet covers for Rich's electronic gadgets. In recent years these seem to have started to take on quite a space invader theme...

The first of these space invader cases was for a laptop and used a nice chunky yarn that worked up lovely and quickly. The case was a very simple rectangle of single crochet with the front folded up and the sides sewing together leaving a flap at the top for the closure.

This much smaller case is for a kindle and is worked up in double knit yarn. The design on the front is slightly blurrer looking as each of the pixels was made up of 2x2 single crochet stitches.

The latest crochet case is for a new laptop that is wider and so the specification for it was that it was a thinner fabric so it would fit in Rich's rucksack. So this one uses double knit yarn and has the 'highest resolution' of the three covers as each pixel is made up of 4x4 single crochet stitches. The closure for this uses press studs which I think look lovely and neat.

Betchawawa

This was a quick costume make for a star wars themed Birthday party... the tunic hood was made from a cut up charity shop dress and the ears are of course crochet.

To make your own ewok ears then simply:

with brown yarn working in a continuous spiral

R1: 8 sc into a magic ring
R2: *2 sc into first stitch, sc* repeat around (12 sc)
R3: *2 sc into first stitch, 2 sc* repeat around (16 sc)
R4: *2 sc into first stitch, 3 sc* repeat around (20 sc)
R5: *2 sc into first stitch, 4 sc* repeat around (24 sc)
R6: *2 sc into first stitch, 5 sc* repeat around (28 sc)
R7: *2 sc into first stitch, 6 sc* repeat around (32 sc)
R8: *2 sc into first stitch, 7 sc* repeat around (36 sc)
R9 - R15: sc around
R16: *invisible decrease, 7 sc* repeat around (32 sc)
R17: *invisible decrease, 6 sc* repeat around (28 sc)

make two then attach them to a head band - hooray your ears are finished!

Over due blogging...

I've been sorting through the photos on the camera and found quite a few photos of things that I wanted to blog about... these two baby hats are from way back before Christmas - ooops!

This handsome little guy is wearing a variation of the stripped hat I made up for Sam 3 years ago.

The hat is so simple to make - it is straight across the top and then worked in rounds in a square shape. For each row you carry the yarn across so no need to rejoin yarn and barely any finishing up at the end. Once you have the size you want then just add two pom poms to each corner and you're done!

I also made another of these stripped baby hats for my little niece and though I really like the colours I much prefer the bold boy hats.

Cuddly blanket

I've finished my baby blanket for the Cwtch of comfort project that my wonderful sister Liz is collecting squares and blankets for.

My blanket is made using the lovely 'Circle of friends' square designed by Patrica Hewitt and because of the bobbles it is lovely and cuddly.

For the boarders I worked even more bobbles to match the squares and I'm so pleased with them.

My blanket is 4x4 6" squares boarded in white and then joined together with an extra board round the edge to bring the size up to 30".

Sam is here to help you see how large it actually is.

Good luck with collecting squares and making up blankets Liz - I hope you receive lots and have enough time (and wrist strength!) to make plenty of blankets :-)

Cwtch of comfort

After a couple of weeks of elbow trouble I am back to crocheting like my life depends on it. My sister Liz has started a drive for granny squares to make blankets for the 'Cwtch of comfort' project. The blankets made up will be used in bereavement boxes for the parents of babies/young children who have passed away.

For a parent to lose a child must be impossibly hard and trying to offer comfort at this time is what this project is about. My sister has done a wonderful blog post about it so go and find out more here askthespider.blogspot.co.uk.

Liz is asking for 6" crochet or knitted squares in white/cream or gender nonspecific pastel shades like lilac/mint green. Her deadline for receiving these is the end of May so if you also want to contribute a square or two then best get started!

I'm hoping to finish up my stack of lilac grannys (shown in the photo) and turn them into a completed blanket to send as well as working up some more squares as well. The pattern I've used for my squares is called 'Circle of Friends' designed by Priscilla Hewitt and you can find it here Circle of Friends square.

Simple sewing

Still working though the stack of Mollie Makes mini project kits that I've amassed. This little dachshund stuffed toy was super simple - perfect for a poorly elbow.

Mollie makes crafting

As a start back into crochet I've been digging through the masses of Mollie Makes free projects that have been building up over the last couple of years. I found the kit for this little cherry brooch and I'm so glad I did as I loved making it.

Easter time

Because I'm not supposed to be using my arm yet I've been unable to make anything to celebrate Easter this year. So with Sam's school Easter bonnet parade coming up this week I dusted off the impressively tall marching hat style bonnet I made him last year - restuck the daffodil centres and cut a slit up the back so he could just about jam the whole thing on his head again.

Now I love this hat - I had great fun making it last year and I was so proud of how it turned out. Sam however does not share my feelings for it - it has to fit very tightly to prevent the whole thing slipping off as it is very weighty, so every time he wears it he complains bitterly of how much it hurts...

Best do something more head friendly next year because if I get this hat out again Sam may well call the Childline on me.

Sorting through

Still unable to do any lovely crochet so instead have spent a few hours filtering through and sorting out various piles and boxes.

This collection of oddments is a box of bits that I've been meaning for years to put into my scrapbooks. I used to keep hold of all sorts of things from places I've visited and shows/films I've been to see. It was lovely to sort through all the piles and remember some of the great places I've visited and also some of the funny things my then boyfriend (now husband) wrote for me.

Sam & Emily also were keen to help me sort out my button collection - they spent over half an hour admiring, finding different colours and matching up buttons.

Gathering ideas

While out ice skating last week I managed to fracture my elbow - which has resulted in plenty of free time but only one usable hand. So to ease my craft cravings I've been busy over on Pinterest browsing lots of pretty things and gathering some ideas for my next project.

I'm hoping to do some small patchwork bits with a lovely pack of pretty small print fabrics that were a Christmas gift.

How cute is this hexagon Christmas bauble - would love to make up one of these! Image from a Polish blog here.

Love this mini hexagon pin cushion too - tutorial from weallsew

Also there are some super stunning patchwork purses like this little beauty (image by Brigitte Giblin)

To see more of my patchwork & other crafty pin boards then have a look at my Pinterest boards.

Yarny Kirby

My Sam's current Wii gaming obsession is called "Kirby's Epic Yarn". It is so pretty to look at with all the wool & felt detail the game has. You've also got to love a game where the main baddie has giant knitting needles with which he knits up all the other baddies in the game.

This yarn Kirby was made from the lovely free pattern from Nerdigurumi's lovely blog (pattern is here) and it works up quick and easily. For my Kirby's eyes I embroidered his felt eyes instead of painting them in the hopes they last all the love Sam gives them :-)

Spring time

The garden is starting to come back to life and it has been lovely to watch the bulbs start to wake up and peep out.

Our snowdrops are almost all done but there are a few pretty flowers left enjoying the sun shine.

I didn't even realise we had crocus in our garden so I was delighted to find a few pretty purple flowers.

These little narcissi cheer me up every year when they pop back up next to Totoro's tree stump.

This little daffodil is on it's way to my Mum for Mother's day - hope she likes it!

(pattern is from Attic24's blog here)

Crafty costume update

So much has happened here at Tea Towers over the last year - there has been plenty of playing, making and living. I've been meaning to get a post together for a very long time but can't seem to organise my time well enough.

My solution is going to have to be quick posts with lots of photos and to start my posting for 2015 I thought I would treat you to a few more costumes!

First up we have two very suspicious characters that look up to no good. Simple paper eye masks with black beanie crochet caps and stripy tops - robber costumes ready just in time for a party :-)

Sam was very keen to dress up as a pumpkin for Halloween last year so after a bit of panicking finally came up with the idea of a drawstring bag type arrangement with a hole for his legs to come out the bottom. We stuffed it with bubblewrap and balloons and he loved it (though did have a little difficulty getting through doors!

For the school play this year we had to dress Sam in a Christmas jumper and Santa hat, so I decided I wanted to make his light up. Rich helped me out with the circuit diagram to do this and then I sewed it all with exciting conductive thread and then added a crochet Christmas tree patch over the top.

Sam really loved it.

Last costume is for World Book Day tomorrow - Sam has been reading the "Faraway Tree" series by Enid Blyton and adores them - so here he is as the Faraway tree itself.