Liverpool Crochet; Tuesday Tallies (12 June 2012)

Whilst away in Liverpool over the Jubilee weekend I took my Cashmerino Ripple with me. 

Its lovely to snuggle under but I think I may need to put it away for a while if the weather does warm up at some point.  Can wish, can't I?  The blanket is King Size bed size and is taking forever.  The blanket looked like this with 13 stripes when we left Liverpool:

Since coming home I have completed a further 3 stripes.  As you can see I have a very long way to go until it reaches the top of the bed.  I would like to say I will get it done this year but that may not happen especially as it takes me nearly 1 1/2 hours to do a stripe.  I have estimated I need to do 76 rows.....just another 60 to go! 

Tuesday Tallies (24 April 2012)

Well we have had progress! 

Car Seat Blanket

Finished!!!!!!

Pink Pram Ripple

Is now 12 1/2 stripes.

Cotton Wool Squares Pram Blanket

No different.

However, there has now been an update.  Last week the hospital saw my Sister in Law and have booked her next appointment for Monday, 5 days before her due date.  They have also said if there is no sign of things moving naturally they are likely to induce her on Tuesday!!!!!!  This is theory gives me a maximum of 7 days.

Perhaps I should stop blogging and get crocheting.

Wish me luck.....

Tuesday Tallies (17 April 2012) On A Friday

Things went a little pear shaped this week.  I wrote this post on Monday, took my photos then never got wrong to editing and uploading the photos until today.  Due date should now read 2 weeks today not 17 days.  There has been no progress on any of the blankets all week since the photos were taken.  

So this is what I wanted to say on Tuesday:

Although Carole has not posted a link for a few months I am finding that without this weekly post about my crochet progress I am not completing as much as I would like to.  I have a very fast approaching deadline to complete 3 baby blankets that I have started.  You see baby Hyde is due in 17 days time! (insert 2 weeks today now)

I have finished the large cot blanket but I have the car seat blanket and the 2 pram blankets to finish.  This is how they look today:

Car Seat Blanket.


2 more cream/coloured stripes to add and then the boarder. This is my project to complete today, no matter what happens I WILL finish this today.

Cotton Wool Squares Pram Blanket.  

This is a light weight summer blanket and as you can see there is plenty more to do.  Another 36 squares to make, sew ends in, stitch together and boarder.  Leaving this one till last now.

Pink Pram Ripple

And finally one that I started 2 weeks ago.  My Sister In Law didn't want to know the sex of the baby to start with which is why the blankets are neutral.  However, she changed her mind at 30 weeks.  Couldn't resist not making a pink one once we knew.  Ten rows completed with another 22 to do.  Probably going to leave this without a boarder as this is made with the left over yarn from my Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK ripple.  I can get 1 stripe in my blanket and 2 in this out of a ball.  If I put a boarder on I am having to go and buy more wool and will end up with more expense and left over wool I won't know what to do with.  Having said that Freya has taken a liking to this and has commented how it would be nice if her new cousin and her had matching blankets!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend, even if it is going to be a very wet one in the UK (and the rain is forecast to continue for quite a while).

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (27 December 2011)

Despite all the madness of the past week I have managed to complete 12 rows this week on my Rico Cot blanket.  I have completed the 6 stripes from the denim blue. I have now done 17 stripes and  I think I need to do another 20 stripes (40 rows) to complete the blanket.

Really should start sewing those ends in soon!

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (22 November 2011)

Had a busy and sort of topsy turvy week as I had to change my none working day which is always Friday to Wednesday.  However, I was still determined to go to Knit and Chat in Birmingham on Thursday afternoon (weekly) and Sticks and String in Stourbridge on Friday (every other week).  


I worked my usual 7 hours from Wednesday on Thursday and had a late lunch meaning all I did in my lunch break was go to Knit and Chat for an hour but an enjoyable hour it was, even considering I missed lunch.  Much better than sat eating my lunch during a half hour lunch break but still having to answer the phone, being asked work related things etc etc.  Sometimes I wish I could magically produce a little soundproof pod for me to sit in and have a break.  But sadly I can't and I put up with being interrupted day after day and not really getting a break apart from each bite of my sandwich!  


Friday morning I worked my 4 hours from Thursday and left just after 11.30, went to the warfarin clinic (less than 3 weeks to go now until I stop the DVT treatment yay!) and then went straight to Sticks & String with a second day of missing lunch!  I should be like a stick insect with the missed meals and all the running here there and every where I am doing at the moment.  But in reality we all know that is not going to happen.  For me, the mere thought of food makes me put weight on.


As usual I digress and must get back to the purpose of this post.....I have got a little bored with the repetitive crocheting of my Heather and Lucy Ripple Along and the pram blanket that I seemed to have worked on none stop for the past few weeks.  I like to mix things up as I lose interest in projects if I am constantly working on the same item all the time.  This goes some way to explain why I always have so many WIP's.  There is also the fact I like to hoard stash and am too impatient to not use some of it!  


I started the real work on Freya's Rowan Pure Wool 4ply Ripple.  It's made using a 3mm hook and at single bed size is taking considerable work to see any progress but as I explained at Sticks and String on Friday it is seeing more progress than the turquoise/gold version I am making for my king sized bed.  Now that project really is slow to increase in size!  I had done the chain for Freya's blanket about 6 weeks ago and then put it away with my other WIPs.  


This is how it looked on Sunday evening:

Seven stripes completed this week; 3 raspberry (that's what the pink is called but its a very muted, maybe even 'dirty' pink), 1 white and 3 framboise (purple). I am now starting the repeat of colour choices with three rows of the raspberry and framboise colours to give some impact which are separated by only 1 porcelain as it is a very slight off white and Freya and white just really don't mix.  I did start just using the framboise and raspberry but frogged the half row of framboise and added the porcelain.  It looks much better with the third colour.   Admittedly I have not crocheted one row a day but an average of one a day over the week.

I am happy with my progress on all crochet projects since I started joining in with the one a day group.  There are some days when I haven't completed a full square or whole stripe but I have crocheted everyday working on projects that need to get moving instead of just sitting there.

I am known for getting bored with the same project which is why I do have a large number on the go at once but I really do want to finish some, well get the WIPs down to single figures before I start anything else.  I have yarn put aside for another ripple, the exact yarn (Rowan Cashmerino DK) that Heather is using for her Ripple along.  I love the yarn Lucy is using just as much but this requires a 3mm hook and it really does make a difference in stitch size when you change from a 4mm to 3mm hook.  Using a 1mm smaller hook does make a huge difference in the size of a treble stitch which most of my projects are.  It really is quite more than you would image.  I have Lucy's yarn on my wish list but the final decision as to whether I purchase it will be made in the New Year when I get the final bill from Santa.  You know that Santa is a funny old chap promising kids all this lovely gifts then sending the bill to their parents.  He really does get in the way of my stash buying!


Then there is all the other yarn that I have purchased that does not have a specific project allocated to it.  I also inherited a huge pile of yarn when my Mom passed away nearly 5 years ago which has laid untouched apart from the few balls I knew I wouldn't use which were donated to school, brownies and some went to the charity shop.  I really didn't need 42 balls of bottle green which I had my primary school jumpers knitted from!

If you look at the top of this blog I have set the target of 30 stripes or squares this month i.e. one a day.  On the 22nd of the month I have completed 21 rows which I am really happy with.  I would like to say a big thank you to Heather, Lucy and Carole who have all got my crocheting again on a regular basis and I hope to get some of these projects finished in the next few months.  


I also state here that no more projects will be started before I get the WIPs down to under 10 and I'm not stashing any more yarn either.  I know you all believe me, don't you? lol

Pop on over to Gingerbread Girl's Blog to see lots more one a day projects all of which I am totally jealous off and want to copy and would do if I didn't have a new project/stash buying self imposed ban!

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (15 November 2011)

Another week has gone and my one a day ripple along blanket is 5 rows bigger with the addition of 2 rows of purple, 2 rows of grass green and 1 & 2 mountain rows of red:  

I was hoping to get the red and the petrol done by Sunday evening but it just did not happen.  Having said that I am really happy with the progress I am making on this project.  Carole has certainly got me motivated to crochet every day and I am hoping to have some finished projects in the New Year.

In addition to this project I am actively working on another blanket.  Pop back Thursday when I make the big reveal!

Hope that you can pop on over to Gingerbread Girl to see some really pretty one a day makes that are progressing nicely thanks to this wonderful challenge.

10 Things (November 2011)

Can't believe the 10th of the month has rolled round again so quickly!  Really is not long to a brand new sparkly year begins....scary how time flies as you get older, a quick blink and its gone.  This month I am going to be  unashamed and show you 10 crochet WIP's, but I am not going to admit the total number of WIP's!  How on earth I can have so many projects on the go at once I really don't know, but here goes:

#1 - Red, White and Blue Granny Square Blanket.

This is for Liam.  Project came to a halt as my LYS had run out of the blue yarn and I then went in to panic mode when they said they thought it was discontinued.  Luckily they managed to get some and I brought an extra two balls just in case I have miscalculated.  The thought of having to frog the last 2 rounds on the squares I had made to date really did not appeal.  I now have 12 squares and should start sewing in ends and attaching them together.  That's on my crochet to do list:

# 2 - Attic24 Granny Strike

This one came to a halt a long time ago.  Its for a large 3 seater sofa and I got a little bored of seeing no progress as the blanket is so wide.  Really must get it out and get working on it.  I have considered frogging and then starting again much smaller as I am concerned I don't have enough yarn (Kool Kotton) to complete the project and I know one of the chosen colours has been discontinued.  But at this stage I could always do random stripes when I have used all the colours:

#3 - Vintage Stripe Snuggle Blanket

Just big enough for the kids to snuggle under without being swamped.  About 2/3's finished and if I wasn't concentrating on my Heather and Lucy Ripple along (#10) I would get this completed in no time.  Perhaps I may see if I can squeeze 1 or 2 stripes in a week and get this finished.  So close.....yet so far:

#4 - Rowan Granny Squares

This is the most lovely suggley yarn and to be honest was not on the cheap side either but I found packs of 10 reduced to half price in House Of Frazer in their Christmas sale 2 years ago and at £4 a ball it just felt so rude to say no.  I only purchased the 3 'square' colours in bulk then the dark turquoise/petrol colour after when I wanted an extra colour to tie it all in.  But I'm not sure if I like that colour which is why it has come to a halt.  It's one of those projects that needs a little love and attention to get it kick started again. 

#5 - Baby Rico Bright Giant Granny Squares

Another snuggle blanket, just big enough to pop on your lap in the car on a cold night or early morning or wrap round you in front of the tv.  I am making 6 of these big squares for this.  I have lots of little squares made at various points, ie first round, second round.  Its was a nice project to work on the train as I just took 1 ball of wool and worked on lots of squares at the same time.  Is likely to get more of an outing as my current one a day project gets too  big to carry to work.

#6 - Rowan Giant 4ply Ripple

This fits a king size bed and again you can sit for some considerable amount of time and see little progress but I am plodding on slowly.  Going to make this my stitch group project.  Three hours every other week will see this coming along nicely and I love the colours.  Can't wait to snuggle under this on a cold winter's night.  But most likely to be Winter 2012/13!

#7 - Rowan Little 4ply Ripple

This just consists of a single bed sized chain.  Nothing special to look at so I'll show you the chosen colours.  Super soft but using a 3.5 mm hook will take some time.  Again another Winter 2012/13 finish.  Not sure yet if I want to add the porcelain colour in (very off white) especially as it is for Freya and she really does not mix with whites.  Follows her Mother on that one!

#8 - Baby Rico Treble Stitch Scarf

A little cheeky project to list here as this is actually what Freya is making but at 8 she can do a treble stitch no problem but needs me to do the first few stitches of each row.  She can chain no problem in one straight line but just can't do the chain 3 at the start of each row and then its 'Mommy can you do the first 2 trebles as well please?' 

It is about 4 times longer than this picture now but I couldn't find where she had put it to take an up to date photo.  I will point out that this is one of the balls of yarn I brought to make her a blanket out of and she helped herself and did the slip knot and chain all by herself without me knowing and I didn't have the heart to say she couldn't have the yarn by this stage.  Luckily LYS came to the rescue and had a ball of the same shade in stock, so no harm done.  But I think as she gets older the more expensive yarns may be 'borrowed' just like my scrapping stash is now! lol  

All I can say is I am one proud Mommy of this 8 year old's work:

#9 'New Project' Little Sneak

I hope to reveal this 'new proect' to you all next week but for now you can only get a sneek.  Like I needed a 'new project'!!!!!  But loving this yet another ripple and its working up so quick:

#10 Lucy And Heather Ripple Along Project

This is my current one a day project.  Think perhaps it is about 1 mountain too wide.  Just so so close to getting all the way to the end of the stripe done on the train journey to and from work.  Two rows a day would be fantastic especially when I would normally be sitting there doing nothing.  Those 28 fewer stitches would have made all the difference.  Hindsight eh?  But loving it just the same.  

As you can see it has grown another 2 stripes since my One A Day weekly post on Tuesday.  I count stripes, squares, ripples etc from Monday to Sunday evening as I find it easier that way to get photos in what we are currently referring to as daylight!

Hope to get the red and petrol stripes finished by Sunday night but will be seeing the recipients this weekend and its a surprise gift.  They don't read my blog, so you can all see without fear of the surprised being spoiled.

Well that is my 10 things for this month.  Already have December's list firmly sorted in my head.  Pop on over to Shimelle for lots of other 10 things on the 10th posts.  The diversity of projects, loves, hates and facts etc is great and I find it a great inspiration and insight into people lives; their loves, their hates; their obsession, well just them.  Well we all love people watching don't we.

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (8 November 2011)

Quick short and sweet post tonight I am afraid as I have tons of stuff do catch up on after my weekend away in Warrington at Sarah's Cards retreat.

I did take my ripple with me and apart from the Thursday night did not get as much done as I would have liked and I then worked on my 'new project' the other evenings.  As if I need another 'new project' before all the others are completed.

Well this is what my one a day ripple along looks like now:

No further on that it did Friday morning.  If you fancy looking at some other one a day projects pop on over to Gingerbread Girl's blog and follow Mr Linky.

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (1 November 2011)

A little less productive week this week but pleased with my progress all the same.  My ripple along now looks like this:

Three and a half rows of ripples this week which makes the pram blanket now 5 stripes (10 rows) long.  Also have my eye on another little project which I may be tempted to start in the next few weeks but want to get some more of this blanket finished first.


Didn't get as much done over half term as I would have liked but this is due to an emergency operation and a 4 day stay in hospital.  Have got another 3 rows completed since Sunday (my end of week) so really happy with my progress and I have an hour train journey tomorrow afternoon to ripple away then an evening with no kids and just ripples and tv for company!


Please visit Gingerbread Girl and click on the links from her blog to see all the other wonderful one a day projects.

Enjoy your week and hope to be back next week with lots done.

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (25 Oct 2011)

A little bit more productive week this time around.  The big life issue that was causing me stress has been dealt with this week and to be honest I have used crochet as a way to de-stress and have rippled away pretty much none stop during my spare time.  I have also managed to make a whopping 5 scrapbook LO's.  This is very unheard of for me, especially during a working week.

This week my Lucy & Heather's Ripple Along looks like this:

Another 4 rows!

But I have also been working on my Rowan Giant 4ply Ripple which is to fit a king size bed and now looks like this:

I have made this from scratch this week and is 3 rows long.  This gives me a total of 7 rows made this week with 3 being extra long.  I am really really pleased with what I have achieved and hope with it being half term I can make good progress on these two projects again.  Sadly I am still waiting for the mid blue for Liam's Red, White & Blue Granny blanket.  I am thinking I may have to try and match another mid blue from another manufacturer even if that means I have to frog the last 2 rounds on the 6 I have completed so far.  Fingers crossed the shop can get some in over the next 2 weeks or frogging it is.

Please visit Gingerbread Girl and click on the links from her blog to see all the other wonderful one a day projects.

Enjoy your week and hope to be back next week with lots done.

One A Day Tuesday Tallies (18 Oct 2011)

MMMMMM, one a day!!!!  Gone for a little holiday this week me thinks.  Since not having any blue yarn I have taken up my ripple again and decided to take part in Lucy & Heather's ripple along.  And yes I have decided to stash the yarn after seeing their choices to make a copy of their ripples.  But can you guess which set of yarns I am stashing, Lucy or Heather's?


I am not for one momment saying this is my one a day project until it gets finished as there will come a point when it won't fit in my bag and I will have to work on something else on my journey to and from work but for now the ripple it is.


It started like this after sitting in a cupboard for many many months and now 4 days later looks like this:

It is beginning to look like a ripple now I have started the second colour:

It just seemed to look like a crinkly mess before:

Sorry but that's all there is from me this week.  Two and 1/3 stripes, about a single bed width.  I had started with about 1/3 of a stripe so I would say I have done 2 this week.  Now I am not a quick rippler and I am going to count from one end to the other a stripe; with this blanket I am doing two stripes in each colour.

Life got in the way and I'm sorry I didn't manage to get round everyone last week but I promise to this week.  Can't guarantee it will be before the weekend but I'll find time Saturday and Sunday to make sure I catch up with you all.

I am also changing my end of week to a Sunday.  I work 7 hours on Monday and Tuesdays and with a 3 hour travel each day (1 1/2 hours each way) I am a little pooped on a Tuesday night to get this post up.  What I intend to do is schedule the post on a Sunday and then when I come home Tuesday I will link to Gingerbread Girls Tuesday Tally post.  This will mean I will have a bit of time on a Tuesday to look at some of your lovely projects.

Pop on over to Gingerbread Girl (if there is no link here, I'm not home yet!) and take a look at plenty of pretty one a day projects; all sizes, patterns and varied colours of the rainbow.


Enjoy your week x

Oh My Oh My Oh My

Let me introduce you to my new 'current' crochet project.  On Monday night I read two wonderful posts by two fabulous crocheting ladies called Lucy and Heather and just thought I MUST join in.

Last year I started a ripple and after a number of stitches followed by frogging and then more stitches and more frogging and so on and so on I got this far:

Oh swoon at my lovely Cath Kidson project bag.  I <3 thee so much.

I didn't say I'd done much!  But the hours and hours it has taken me to get to this point is unbelievable.  This is my colour selection, with cream:

Without cream:

Not quite sure yet whether to use the cream but the length of time it will take to finish the petrol stripe I will probably have months to decide.  This ripple pattern is really the first time I have struggled with crochet and I find I am constantly looking at the pattern which means pretty slow progress.

Well, my yarn choice, rico baby dk, is not as gorgeous as what Heather of Little Tin Bird and Lucy of Attic24 have chosen to make their next ripples with but I am going to take part in their ripple along.  The idea of lots of ladies round the world all rippling along together, helping and encouraging each other truly inspires me.   I'm quite sure I will NEVER keep up with them all but if it get me motivated then all the better.  

These is Heather's lovely choice, Debbie Bliss DK Cashmerino (about £4 per ball):

And Lucy's, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (about £5 per ball):

Don't they just look fabulous.  Words can't express how much I am in love with the quality of yarn and their colour choices:

Both ladies have such an amazing talent for picking colours that work, contrast and complement each other so well.  I just don't have the confidence or the 'eye' to pick out colours of yarn as well as these ladies do.

Mmmmm, question is can I build up a stash of their choices to repeat their ripple blankets at a later date?  

It will certainly be buy a couple of balls at a time with the price of these yarns especially if I want to make a decent sized blanket (will need about 36 balls by Lucy's estimation).  But one thing I know for sure they will be so super scrummy and cosy to snuggle under as their choice of yarn is so fantasticly soft and yummy to the touch.


Heather has set up a flickr group for the ripple along which can be found here.  Over the weekend I will add my paltry effort to the group. Oh how disappointing it will look compared to the lovely ripples that are already there! Well I've got until May to get it finished for the new arrival, surely even I can manage that lol.

Thanks ladies for the inspiration x

Photo credits for Debbie Bliss yarn to Lucy and Heather.