Jacob's Blanket

I've just finished a blanket for my Great Nephew Jacob.  It's a granny ripple like the one I made for my Grandmother before she died.

I think it looks pretty good.  I love the Granny Ripple, it's very simple yet very effective as a pattern and most importantly it grows at a very satisfying rate!

The pattern is very easy, if you can do a Granny Stripe and you know how to do a treble crochet (uk) decrease, you can do this.

Unlike the one I did for my Grandmother, this one has straight sides, I didn't do the modification that creates points on all sides.  Much easier to tuck him in with when the nights get cooler.

If they ever do!  It was announced today that Northland is suffering from a drought, I think we've known it for some time now.  There hasn't been any rain this month bar a light drizzle a couple of weeks ago for a few hours and there's no rain forecast till mid March at the earliest.

It's very hot, 27-30 degrees Celsius most days and dipping to the mid to low 20s in the evenings.  I've spent the better part of this week without my husband due to bush fires too.

This photo is a fire on Dept of Conservation land at Tapora.  I was with my husband when the call came in and ended up along for the ride, luckily we had been out taking night shots, so I had my camera with me.  It gave me something to do as well as keeping out of the way.

It's still burning as I write and my husband is at another large fire on the opposite coast between Warkworth and Matakana.

Spare a thought for the Fire Fighters during this dry season.  It's hot and dry everywhere, living in Auckland we are more used to rain and fire is not generally a big hazard, at the moment though? Well we have a fire ban for a reason.  Don't light fires, use solid fuel (wood/charcoal) bbq's, light fireworks or drop a match or cigarette butt.  Fire is scary destructive and we don't want someone getting hurt due to someone elses stupidity!

Canisters

I haven't blogged much because I'm making a blanket and there isn't much to show.  It's also been summer holidays here and the children have just gone back to school.  I've been driving children from Auckland to Northland, Northland to Auckland and Auckland to Tauranga and back!

I did make this though.  It started life as a tin of Evil Child drinking chocolate, I use it when I make mocha's in my Nespresso.

I like the tin and I even like the Evil Child label  it's pink and retro looking.  With that in mind and a build up of empty tins I decided to make some small canisters out of the empty tins.

I simply painted over the label with turquoise blue acrylic paint and then varnished it with a matt finish varnish from the art section of Warehouse Stationery.

I did another in a paler blue and I am thinking of getting some scrap images like the rose left, to make a kind of decoupaged tin.

I think it would look really nice and the shape of the lid just makes it so retro.  I could also glue a small silver knob to the lid to change the look.

Or labels, I could paint it white and decoupage vintage labels on it.

So many possibilities, so little time!

The bun cover

Here's a close up of the bun cover I made.  I made it all up as I went along so I am going to have to remake it and write it down.

The only stitches are chains, trebles (UK) and Double Trebles (UK).  

You will need a size 2mm steel hook, crochet cotton (I used milford) and a hair tie in the smaller range.  

I will be collating the pattern over the next few days.

Christmas is coming

That won't mean holidays for me until mid January but that's life!

I've been busily shopping for the offspring and crocheting when I am not working, doing house work or preparing.  The decorations have yet to appear, that will be this weeks days off.

On the right is a blanket I made for myself, to watch tv and snuggle with on top of my bed in the chilly days to come.  I got it finished before the crazy Auckland humidity hit thank goodness.  It's so stuffy here at the moment.

Since it warmed up I've been making smaller and cooler things like bun covers for the wee girl for next year at Intermediate school when she will have to wear her hair neatly put up and a uniform.  I will post a pic when I put her hair up, we did an experiment and they work really well.

I've also been experimenting with booties.


These wrist warmers are made from sock wool aka fingering weight and will keep me warm next winter.

I'm working on some patterns which I hope to get finished next week and display for the bun covers.  Right now I am seeing if I can make one with beads....

Creating a space

Well I am back and I have been busy!  Back at my last post I had my arm in plaster for a clinical scaphoid fracture.  Hated it!  The plaster made me incredibly claustrophobic, two weeks in I went to the doctor and begged them to find another way.  Where upon I was very reluctantly fitted with a splint but only because the ManChild had his own accident.  He was playing hockey and got smacked in the face with a ball causing two fractures to his cheek.

Eventually my x rays came back clear.  The MC is still having visits to the cranio facial dept but all is good.

We purchased a sleepout for the MC which was built during these shenanigans.  He's all moved into his fully lined, carpeted and painted room.  He's thrilled.  It's very cosy, he has a locking door and more space than he's ever had.

As a consequence his old room became errr vacant!  But not for long.

It is now an office for the Hubs and I.

This is my side.  Organised with a desk and shelves.  I have all my wool stash and photography stuff tidy and accessible.

I'm currently working on a blanket which is a little boring so when the mood takes me, I create some little things.

I have an old chair in the shed that belonged to my great grandmother that I am thinking of rejuvenating to add some character to my bedroom.

Lots and lots on the agenda with Christmas fast approaching though.  The MC has finished school and is on study leave for exams.

The WG had a marimba recital, then a choral concert at the town hall.  This is her last year at primary so they are preparing for their graduation assembly.  I have to buy a uniform for her for intermediate.

It's busy time!

The current hiatus explained

Can't really type and definitely can't crochet.  Back soon!

Stash busting

Recognise the colours?  This is left over yarn from the Zig Zag Granny throw I made for my Grandmother's 100th birthday.  Seeing as it is allegedly returning to me now that she has sadly passed on, I decided to use the left over yarn to make a hottie cover.

I haven't perfected my technique yet, the edges are too square and messey but it's quite warm and much nicer than  a rubber hot water bottle on my back.

I started with a foundation chain of 35 stitches.

1st row sc
2-end of front (a panel big enough to fit end to end minus the neck of the hot water bottle) alternating sc and trebles to make the textured stitch.

I then made two more panels for the back half the size of the front each.

I crocheted button holes on one by missing crochet through two stitches and just making two chains the same way I make basket handles basically.

I think I will have to decrease to shape the tops.  I'll keep you posted and when I get it right I will post the pattern.

Meanwhile in an effort to use up more yarn....

Here is the front of a cushion I am making.  I have wanted to make a granny square with a flower on it for ages and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to play.  I found the pattern on pintrest.  It's not very easy to understand though so I only made the one.   I am busy crocheting the back now.  Just plain alternating rows of trebles and singles.

Work has been busy as ever, Winter is usually a quieter time for us but this year it just doesn't quit.

Mt Tongariro erupted last week.  That meant writing an emergency plan in case it happens again.  Apparently it's not a matter of if but when.

We seem to be having more than our fair share of natural disasters lately.