Country Living Spring Fair

I went to The Country Living Spring Fair with Rachel to help out on her stall. Sunflower fabrics and Beyond fabrics were there which was great. They had some lovely things there and a lot of things which all seemed to blur into one.

Wool

So I have been busy with my granny squares. I decided that I didn't like some of the colour combinations I had done with the very very bright pink, so I have been doing more of the purpley ones. This has set me back slightly but it's all good practice. I am started to get a little tired of the square though and am itching to start the next big crochet project. I think it's time to start planning for a more advanced square pattern and maybe something a little bigger than a cushion.





When Samara first taught me crochet in the pub I went out and bought this book. My dream being to make an Afgan for myself. I decided to that perhaps I might try the block on the cover now I feel confident enough so I went on a pilgrimage to Loop to get some wool for my project.



I got big wool rather than the thin wool they recommend partly because it was in the right colours and partly because I thought big might make it easier to see with at first and cover a greater area in the end. And to top it all off, I got a free bag, Can't be bad! Rainbow crochet here I come!

Quilt Haul

A little roundup of Chillford. I didn't really have anything specific to buy as I haven't really done much patchwork recently so I just got some small bits. I thought I might make some needle cases for Christmas presents with these. You can buy this material from Patchwork Corner



Other than that I bought some fat quarters just to add to the stash. More spots as usual, but this time I saw a lady with these in her hand and I thought they really went well together. I don't think I would have picked up the brown Lecien floral otherwise, but I think it goes well with the spots.



This is from the new Moda range: Rouenneries which I think is really lovely. I might just do something simple and small with these as they were quite expensive so I only got a few fat quarters.

Crochet Book

So I showed my granny squares to my mum who was rather underwhelmed by them. Turns out she can crochet but failed to mention it. She said she learnt it all from this book she gave me which she bought from the local wool shop in the 80s. I just love how retro it is. Check out that haircut!



It's a folder with cards for every stitch then project cards.



It even tells you how to make granny squares!

Hooks

So my hook collection is pretty poor. I feel it is high time to upgrade to a set of coloured ones like the green one I got from the course which I LOVE. I am going to buy a set from 'Purple Linda' just as soon as the fraud department at the bank sort out who spent £255.50 on nuts at 01.38 using my bank details! Until then I have no card, no bank account. Oh the frustration of not being able to expand my hook empire!



Of course when I do get them, I will have to make a pencil roll for them!

Granny Squares

So I went to the second crochet course run by Bee and Claire of 'Make Do Mend' and now I am an unstoppable granny square machine I tell you. I wish I could go somewhere lovely like the Tea Rooms every Thursday evening and just practice crochet. It's so nice to have tea and cake on tap in this lovely shop which quite frankly is always so full of people normally, I can never get in. They had a big basket of wool to select your choices from and I got a green hook which I am very enamored of.





It took us the whole session to makes these two squares but we really feel that we could do it on our own now.



Some people were storming ahead but it was great as they had quite a few patterns they gave you which varied in skill level.







I really feel that I am getting there with how to hold the yarn and get the tension right. The following day I had to get up at 4.45 and get a ridiculously early train to near Brighton. It was great as the time flew by and I didn't feel stupid when people watched what I was doing.



I think I am going to make the cushion I set out to make before I try any of the more advanced squares. Not long to go now!

Crochet course

Last Thursday I did a tea and cake crochet night with Makedoandmend which was great. Two hours of beginners crochet. Although I can crochet, I can really only do one stitch and go round and round and round. I just thought it would be a good way to learn the other basic stitches in a few hours and it was.

They had people there that had never knitted or crocheted in their lives which was fine as basically once they taught us all a stitch and started slowly making their way round to check everyone and help them, it gave me time to endlessly drill the actions into my head and really concentrate on holding the wool right. As with my knitting, I am beginning to really appreciate how learning good techniques early can go a long way when you advance but can't seem to speed up.

And let me just say that the ginger cake. Crikey, it was good. I am on a mission to make my own like that; almost black.

They gave us some lovely wool to choose from and I got a hook that I haven't already got so I was stoked. Next Thursday I have signed up for the granny square night which I am very excited about. I want to make this!


I am now going to go and organise my meagre collection of hooks and think about getting some more!