crochet projects

We are nearly three weeks into the new year and I haven't had the sewing machine out once yet! Ive been itching to get into some sewing, but the days seem a little full to squeeze it in at the moment.

Its still school holidays, and I seem to be swamped with tidying and washing and feeding kids - all day every day. Only a week and a half left until life returns to some sort or nice quiet and predictable school term routine. I'm looking forward to that part of it, but not the whole uniforms, lunches and out the door by 8.30am routine! Oh and then there is the covering and naming of three (yes, we will have three of the four kidlets at school this year!) sets of school books and stationary before then, and the larger than expected list of school uniforms and shoes that need to be purchased as well!

Thankfully to keep me sane I have still been getting some crafting time. Ive just had to move to something a little more portable and suitable for picking up for a few minutes here and there. In one of the craft books I got for Christmas, there is a lovely crocheted blanket pictured in the background of one of the project photos. It caught my eye as soon as I saw it. I wanted to make one! I had a little play around with some crochet last year and lets just say I realised I needed more practice! I got my yarn, and made this little test piece. It started off a bit wobbly on the ends, but straightened up about halfway through. I worked out what I was doing wrong and kept on practicing.


Now Ethel has a little rug in matching colours to what Jacinta's will be. I haven't blocked it or anything as its just for a doll (sorry Ethel!) so it looks even wonkier than it is. There are quite a few mistakes in it - it was a good learning curve for me. I also made the little vest for Isaac's Teddy - although I keep on finding Ethel wearing it as a dress! Considering I didn't have a pattern of anything and just winged it, it came out pretty well for a beginner!

Once I was confident I could actually pull this full single sized blanket off, I made a start.


I took this photo a few days ago, after another couple of hours, the pink strip is about double that size now. It was going to be totally random width stripes, but that will do my head in, so I'm thinking that it will follow a nice predictable pattern, which I will make up as I get to each colour. I will add in another white stripe next, before the blue to lighten it up a bit. I though the green and blue were a little too heavy in the test piece. I was looking for more of an teal or aqua, but this is all I could get form the local spotlight. Its an easy project to pick up here and there during the day, or sit and work on in front of the TV on my computer free nights. It is a slow process, but I'm finally starting to get the rhythm and find it quite relaxing. I'm already mentally planning boys colourways to go in Isaac's room!