Tea for One...

Today is the day a new journey began in our humble home and family. Today is the day I became a military wife.

My husband packed his bags and sailed(well got on a train) into the distance to begin(again...he was in it for 6years when he was younger) his adventure in the Royal Navy.

It has been a bit of a strange day. People asking how I feel, how are the children etc. The truth is of course, that there is, at this minute, not much change. He has only been gone a few hours.

I did sit in the kitchen once I had waved him off(not literally as I had to get home and left him in the middle of town to fend for himself.) and looked at the two mugs from the morning cuppa sitting next to the sink, waiting for their morning bubble bath, and it did hit home a little that, that will not be happening very often. 

I washed the mugs and put his aside. It will hang with the others on the mug stand, but unlike the others it will not be used until its owner is home and enjoying a hot beverage.

I still get to enjoy mine though and in a very, VERY quiet house. I am going to have to get use to all this free time. I think I can actually manage it, even if I am forced to spend it all crocheting and reading...

Before he left though, he did make Mothers day a glorious day for me(unlike last year when not even a card was in sight!) 

Now I can sip my tea from some really exquisite porcelain.

I have been hankering after some Pip Studio china for sooo long but I just couldn't justify the spend, and as for the bag!!! LOVE IT! 

Hopefully I will have better luck with it than a few other CK bags purchased in the past and this one wont come apart!

 I also had a cake made, just for me. Nom, nom...

Stunning flowers. These were from little bug(via Daddys wallet)

 These were from middle bug(from his own pocket...used some of his birthday pennies)

I adore gerberras and roses. I think gerberras are really playful flowers, they are rising up simply to spread a smile and colour. 

Roses are grown up, complex. With a little time and care they open up layer by layer to reveal the ultimate beauty of all these layers combined...a bit like women ;)

Biggest bug has also ordered me a gift with his own pennies and I am so EXCITED for it to come. I will definitely share a pic when it arrives.

So today was tea for one but dinner for dozens it seems...Small bug LOVES dressing up in his chef outfit(just like Daddys...except Daddy didn't like putting it on so much!) and making us all yummy treats. The problem comes when imaginary meets reality...sticky and smelly plates and pots where real food has somehow managed to sneak into play...

It looks like every toy in his room could dine out with him...and Mummy gets left with the washing up!

So it has been a very surreal few days since the weekend. Positive for the most part but with some sentimental and sad moments thrown in.

Tomorrow is a new day and a day to embrace this new path we are travelling on, together, as a team. One step at a time.

Happy Tuesday xxx

A is for Attempt...

A is for Attempt

B is for Brave

C is for Colour.

This is my motto this week. I am scared by bold colours. I go from blog to blog and see so many gorgeous makes with so many bright and bold colours and when I go to my mountainous yarn storage I can never quite find the right green, the perfect shade of pink etc...

I have decided though that I can have no more excuses and I have to just bite the bullet and what will be will be. I need to get on the colour train!

So, I apprehensively and thoughtfully picked out the colours I am going to use for a new project. My Summer Patchwork Throw.

I deliberated for aaaaaages, I kept putting colours back, picking them up, putting them back until my basket was full. I am still not happy with them, especially the yellow, but we will see what it looks like when complete.

I think adding the red was fine but maybe not next to the yellow. I am not going to undo it now as I need to be braver. I need to stop being afraid of colour and recognise that the only way to master it is to practise and be bolder.

This is where I am up to. I have gone for large granny squares on a 4mm hook. I LOVE granny squares and as this throw is for me I wanted it to work up quickly, be very easy as I want it large enough to fill my bed. Fingers crossed it will have a nice patchwork feel to it.

I was so pleased that in less than 4hrs I managed to get the first row of squares finished(only another 9 to go!)

I think that was only because the children were taken swimming and were all gone until early evening.

Later on last night(around 10pm) I decided that I wanted to start something else...this is a curse for many crafters out there I know. Something I hadn't done before...A shawl. After seeing so many beautiful ones around blogland and on Pinterest I really felt inspired and my fingers were itching.

A the beginning of last year I did my usually trick of seeing pretty yarn and impulse buying, this is a really bad habit of mine. I saw this yarn on a totally unrelated shopping trip to John Lewis. I got distracted from Grandparent present buying and ended up, as I so often do, in the haberdashery section. I loved the soft feel of the balls and the stunning warm but lifting colours.

It is Rowan Kid Classic, a mixture of lambs wool and kid mohair, so you can imagine how lovely and soft and natural it feels.

Problem with it was, when I got home and looked at it some more and felt it and cuddled it, I had absolutely no idea what to make with it. It isn't the right weight for a blanket or cushion and I was in no way attempting clothing, so it got put away, out of site and I gave myself a smack on the hand for once again jumping head first into an unnecessary purchase.

Last night however, it became the PERFECT yarn for my shawl.

It says to use 5.5mm hooks...it has a weight more of a 4ply than a dk so I can only assume the large hook recommendation is to get a really lacy look.

I didn't want a lacy look. I want a light but warm shawl so I opted for 3.5mm and so far it is really working out well.

I have gone for a very basic granny stripe pattern. It is easy and as most of you know with my constant health moans easy is about all I can manage...

There is a superb tutorial at this lovely blog

You can see all those natural fibres bursting out. It is so perfect for warmth on Summer nights. 

I have again been quite brave I think with the layout of the colours. I was tempted to mix the light and dark colours but I actually really like the contrast. 

I could be making a huge mistake and kick myself later, but for now I am happily hooking with this sumptuous yarn.

I am hoping to have this finished for a dear friend. Fingers crossed.

What WIPs have you got on the go?

Happy Thursday xx

Busy Bees...

Buzzzzzzzz! 

We have been very busily buzzing here for the last 2 days. After the purchase of new furniture I was so excited I couldn't contain myself.

I looked around and I could see ALL that needed doing, RIGHT NOW!!!

The man rolled his eyes and I made a list.

2 new shelves for the kitchen(not included today as they are still drying)

The bookcase painted...Well whilst the paint is out we may as well re-paint the dresser?!? Makes sense right? This led to more eye rolling, this time followed by a sigh...

Oh definitely all white with the bookcase...3 coats later...No, the shelves would look better light grey...

Hmmmmm well where are we going to put the old bookcase? I know, you can haul ass it up the stairs and somehow make it fit into a space that is a fraction too small...you can do that right?

No eye rolling just a slow turn, shake of head and walk out of the room.

The man can be sooo dramatic at times!!!

Anyway even with all the dramatics from the man we managed to accomplish quite a lot.

The new table. We are not touching it atm. It goes nicely with the chairs and I want to be certain about what I want before we change it.

It is a bit battered and unloved but that will change. I love that it has a handy cupboard running through the centre :) It is perfect for all those floating things that somehow accumulate in the lounge.

The tight squeeze. I could hardly get a picture because our hallway isn't much wider than this! There are a few books at the bottom but I really think I am going to have to think of more suitable names for things. This is a Yarncase!

 This is the new addition. You can just see the contrast of the light grey. It looks so much better than what we had before and it is so bright. All the colours now look so cheerful and lovely. 

This is a Craftcase hehe!

Beautiful bright colours. I can't wait to add a finishing touch to this case. I think these colours are a little inspirational.

The two darker chairs are my bargain buys. Now, I did think I had a red tablecloth with white spots but it turns out it got binned somewhere along the line. I was a bit reluctant to use this green one as, at first it looked a little garish, but as I wiped it down and added the place mats, stepped back and looked, then looked again I changed my mind on it. I have to say I love its retro theme it is bringing. I was zoomed back in time to my Grandparents house of the 80s.

This is my dresser. Bought a few years ago. Started off like this. Just bare wood.

Then a little transformation later...

This green looked better in the old house in front of magnolia walls, but I got very tired of it and felt it most definitely needed another transformation. So whilst the paint was out...

TA DAH!

Phew! You can see our efforts have been well worth it. I couldn't be happier right now...Well maybe if I had a different home and everywhere was gleaming, but with children flying around the home and the 2 kitties using everything(including us!) as a scratch post that is a dream.

Happy Thursday xx

CK Granny LOVE...

In 2011 not long after my Sister passed away I started on a project that was to take me 2 years to complete. I didn't know when I started that it would be such a long journey, it was meant to be for our new home in Manchester.

Life got in the way. In those 2 years I must have made over 20 blankets, dozens of hats and scarves, toys, decorations etc but all for others.

Each time one of these projects came along my own was pushed aside.

Last year I made the decision to complete it, in time for our move back to Wales. My lovely CK inspired blanket. 

I have been in love with it since the very first granny square.

So bright and cheerful.

All gorgeous colours blending together.

Stacking up nicely.

Hooky Joining. Starting to come together...

Not enough yet...Keep hooking

Ta Dah!!!

All that hooking and I finally had a stunning finished product. It is absolutely and completely worth it. Every stitch had all my love in it. It has come on a long journey with me. The many thoughts I have had whilst hooking away one square at a time.

This is the biggest project I have done and I am really, deliriously happy that it is mine, ALLLLLL Mine!

It is really warm and soft too.

I used Stylecraft Special DK

Meadow

Cloud Blue

Lipstick

White 

Pale Rose

It has been my favourite acrylic yarn since I started crocheting. It is a really lovely yarn to work with, and feels a lot more luxurious than just a good value acrylic yarn. 

I hope you are all having a fab Friday. I will be cosying up under my CK blanket, resting the knee that decided to dislocate and crocheting away. 

Happy Friday(again!) x

Brother, Birthday, Crochet and Coffee...

Hello there. Well what a few days it has been for me. I was in Manchester over the weekend(well I say weekend I was there until yesterday...in fact I have spent more time in Manchester in the last 6 weeks than at home hehe!) I was there for my little Brothers 30th Birthday. We had a ball. I didn't actually get a chance to take many pics as we were laughing too much. He had a few nights and days(well it is a big birthday...)

Me and my little Brother, all poshed up to head out.

His official Birthday cake...I need to work on my piping skills :/

Happy Birthday. We went to a gorgeous Italian restaurant that is a regular eating hole for us. The food is so delicious. I let my diet fly out of the window that night :)

Birthday cake on the day.

My Brother LOVES lemon drizzle cake with lemon curd filling, so as a little Birthday breakfast treat I woke him up with this.

Safe to say he was very Happy indeed...

This picture makes me laugh as it looks like he is wearing a party hat haha!

Whilst there I did a teeny, tiny bit of shopping. I didn't intend to but I couldn't help myself. I made the mistake of going up there with no crochet. 

"I will be fine" I told myself, "I will read" I told myself. By the second day I couldn't cope so yarn had to be purchased. Not expensive yarn as there really was no point, but cheap, decent yarn to keep a girl happy.

Oh and I sorta purchased a few pretties too...

BUTTONS!!! I ADORE buttons. Don't ask me why but I do. I already have a huge collection and have no actual need for these whatsoever, but who cares? They make me smile

 

Don't they look all lovely and cosy(they feel awesome too when you put your hand in and let them fall through your fingers!)

I find in the craft world the smallest things make people so happy. Maybe that is just my crazy head telling me so, but that is how I see it. Reading many blogs throughout the years and I get so much pleasure from a photograph, a story. I find that when I look around I am cheered up by a bird diving to catch prey, my children concentrating with their tongues out, a smile, a button.

Oh and as for coffee and crochet? That was the journey home. I really prefer to get on a train at the starting station and Manchester picadilly is just that for my journey home on the ever so AWFUL Arriva Trains Wales. Yuk. I really don't like Arriva. 

Anywho, keeping me busy on the train was a little crochet, and by little I mean fast and simple. I made some little coasters. I really like how they turned out. I didn't have a pattern so kinda winged it. 

I will hopefully, once this house is all sorted out, be adding a pattern for a flat flower and these little coasters are roughly the first 3 rounds. I will definitely be making many more in different colours and designs.

I even made a smaller one for my coffee on the train :)

I actually found this yarn in a poundstore and they are the colours I have been looking for, for so long. It is awesome when that happens.

The pics are not great as, as I have mentioned I have a rubbish phone, but I am in love with these simple yet satisfying little things.

Happy Thursday x

Mandatory Crochet...

So crochet is awesome, well to me anyway. I love working with colour and different yarns. I love spending hours putting colours together and planning projects(projects that sometimes remain in the WIP pile for a long time) but sometimes there is what I call mandatory crochet. This is crochet that you HAVE to do whether you want to or not. Why? Because your children tell you so. 

Obviously I love the fact that I can create hats, scarves and toys to order for my children but having 3 boys, 3 boys who are all into the same things and who know what they want this crochet can be a little Meh :/

When it comes to their items I ALWAYS let them pic the designs and colours. It is them that has to wear it after all. When they are small you can get away with making cute things and they adore them...

Even some older kids stuff can be quite cool

But at the moment we are in just plain old colour stage and I have to say it bores me, but like I said at the start, it is mandatory lol. 

Yesterday was spent making biggest Bug his very basic scarf to order. I use Stylecraft special dk for nearly all my crochet these days unless I really can't get the colours I want(or they want)

Not the greatest pictures as I finished it at night, but you can see what I mean about yawnsville!

We are massive Harry Potter fans in this crazy house and recently went to Harry Potter studios. Biggest Bug got a knitted Gryffindor scarf(which took forever as I am the worlds slowest knitter) then at the last minute the middle one decides he wants a Hufflepuff scarf...THE DAY BEFORE...but it was done

I thought that middle bug only wanted the scarf so that he could wear it to this day out but he hasn't taken it off. It goes everywhere with him, and the consequence of that was...

 Thankfully with crochet you can easily just frog and replace, which, after completing boring blue scarf I did. I had two very happy Bugs this morning:)

But after all that boring boys stuff was out of the way I got to pick some colours out and because there are lots of baby girls heading my way with friends and family I get to make pretty things. YAY! 

Ready, Set, Crochet...

Happy Tuesday x