The Warr Effort

No - it's not a spelling mistake - my daughter's married name is Warr.  Led to some family fun, I can tell you...


For example, lots of names were suggested for the first baby - such as First World and Second World - a sign of a warped sense of humour I think.  And then there was a thought about a house name (before the babies) and I suggested Warr's Piece which, for some reason, was not adopted...


Anyway, I digress....


The Warr Effort is my irreverent name for the little blanket I am currently making for the baby.  To be honest I started it months ago (I was sure the baby was a boy) but then I got cold feet and put it on hold.  Today I got it out and continued.  It is the Willow square from Jan Eatons 200 crochet blocks book, and is my favourite crochet square design.

It is in pale blue organic cotton (Rowan Purelife) and a Phildar cotton in khaki, with a bit of white thrown as as the centres and edging.  It looks very pretty.

There is a drawback with the Purelife though.  I found that the outside of the yarn ball was faded and, inside the ball band it warns you that the yarn is dyed with natural dyes that can fade if exposed to strong light.  I have had it in a bag ever since I bought it, so can only assume it has faded while in the shop/warehouse/outlet where it came from (bought it on the Net).  As I am making squares this fading is not noticeable, but it would have made a HUGE difference in a little cardigan ....or anything you wore in the sun.

It's a Boy!

I'm a grandma again - the second time!  This time it's a boy!


I know he was born at 7.07 UK time this evening (28th July 2010) but They hadn't weighed him when I got the news.  Everything OK, mother and baby both fine.


More news as soon as I get it!

Granny's Pearls

As a slight variation on the triangles, I decided to try putting a pearl bead at the point...

and join the top edges as I went along.  

At the moment they don't look very level at the top, but maybe that'll even out when I go back along with a double crochet (UK terminology) edge...

Granny Bunting

Over the last few days, while sitting in the shop, I've been making Granny Triangles from this pattern.  Thank you Carina - they're lovely!


I made 21 (just happened to use 7 different colours and made 3 of each) and linked them together with chain and double crochet (UK terminology), then finished with a picot edging.  I think they're rather pretty!

I have an idea to do some in sparkly yarn for the Christmas window...

Magazine Monday

Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but I couldn't find an appropriate word beginning with T for an alliterative title today.


So - I've been sorting out the bottom shelf of a French armoire which holds a lot of my junk valuable sewing things.  I forgot to take a picture before, but here's what it looks like now...

This is what's inside the rest of the wardrobe ...

And now I have a pile of French Craft magazines to sell in the shop, a pile of British crochet magazines to put on the website maybe(?) and a pile of an English magazine called Inspirations, which I don't think is published any more.  Lots of interesting stuff in them, which is why I've kept them for so long.

Dog and Basket
Great title for a specialist shop, I think, but actually, I'm using it here because the other day, while unpacking more boxes from my dependances, I came across this old toy dog that was my daughter's (and I'm betting she'll want it back now)... and a plastic 'rattan' sewing box with some rather interesting contents.

The dog is stuffed with straw, I think, and is quite old.  I crocheted its blue collar years ago, to cheer it up.

He has a cute face...

...with little boot button eyes...

The sewing box dates from the 60s, I think 

and contains some interesting bits and pieces.

Anybody know what this is?

The oval hole with the raised border to the right of the picture has N3 2 in relief inside, and the one on the left has ASA in chevron brackets.  Any help?

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Today I am mostly lazing around...


Yesterday I cleaned these old pans.  They were filthy before and only just distinguishable as copper - but now they look like this...

...they're tinned inside, so perfectly serviceable...

...but really too pretty to use, I think


I particularly like the big frying pan...

...which, with its long, black handle, would look great hanging on the wall.

Theyre destined for the shop, where I hope they'll look really good!


I've also been unpicking a beautiful crochet edging from a cloth.  The cloth is prettily embroidered, but the cotton is very fragile now.

The edging had already been re-attached before, and the drawn threadwork border cobbled together where the threads had simply worn away.

The cotton used to make the crochet is very fine - probably about the thickness of sewing cotton!

Tiny Tea Leaves

This is the pattern sized down from the adult version, and I'm making it for my granddaughter, Molly, who's three.  I hope the size 4 will fit her!


http://www.madelinetosh.com/patterns-tiny-tea-leaves-cardigan.html


I started it yesterday at the knitting group but had to start all over again that evening!  This is as far as I've got...

I love top-down patterns, and I think it should grow quickly now.

Too hot to Vacuum

Thought I would vacuum the top floor of the shop when it cooled down this evening, but when I left, at 6.30, it was still boiling hot.  I did half of the room then decided that I was being rather silly, so I left the rest.

It's been about 34° today, which is quite hot enough for me!  I can't believe that, about 3 weeks ago, I was crossing the street outside the shop to warm up in the morning sunshine.  Now I stay in with the doors and windows open for a through breeze.

So - in this heat - what craft project am I looking at?  Hot water bottle covers, of course!  You didn't need to ask! I have been smitten by this, on Rachel Herron's blog, yarnagogo.  The striped version is a knitted version of the ISBN barcode of her book.

There is another version, with a cable, which ( I think) I like even more...

...but it is not now the weather for knitting these, so I am still knitting cotton baby hats on 4 needles.

Ooops...

Looks like trying to hatch an egg on the smooth top of a stack pipe, without benefit of a nest is NOT a good idea...

Nest Building

I am the chosen one!  Remember the pigeon that nested on the stack pipe from the septic tank?  Well she's not the only one.  


Today there was a bird making a LOT of noise on my bird table, so I thought it was probably asking where the food was.  

When I went out to put the seed round the table, I could plainly see that the inside had been filled with dried grass - a nest in the making!

Now I'm not sure which bird has made this, but I'm sure I'll see her going in and out soon - if I haven't frightened her off taking pictures!


Incidentally the pigeon's back - having made another nest!  I tried to discourage her - I brushed the nest off twice from the top of my ladder - but she insists and seems to be sitting straight on to the plastic surface now!  Ah well!

Hanging On

Have you seen this design before?  

It comes from a Japanese book, but is easy enough to copy.  I found an old wooden hanger amongst the ones in my wardrobe and crocheted a cover for it.  I made the teeny weeny flowers from my Ravelry pattern and am going to attach them to the hanger with a crochet chain. 

There is a tutorial on Marmalade Rose's blog for something similar.


Now I would like to make more, but that was the only hanger I had, so I thought I'd buy some more.  After several hours(!!!) on the Internet, I discovered buying more was not possible.  There were:




Kilt hangers...

Bendy, foam-covered hangers...

Flock-finish inflatable hangers...

Flat wooden topped hangers...

Cedar shirt hangers...

Accessory hangers...

Cedar belt hangers...

Clamp hangers with felt...

4-bar, non-slip, huggable trouser hangers...

Non-slip knitwear hangers...

Over-the-door hangers ( in this case specifically for a fire door 45mm thick)...

A tie-shaped tie hanger...

...but the plain, curved, wooden ones?

Only in children's hangers!

HELP! ! ! !