Rhododendron Cardi (Second Attempt)

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Crush DK

Composition: 100% Cotton
Pattern: my own design 
Hook: 4.5mm
Colour: Rhododendron

Amount used:  

Started: 29th June 2023

Finished:  

Yes!  Crochet is the way to go with this project.

Make a magic loop.  The squares start off with a standard Granny Square construction, four sets of three trebles separated by a couple of chains.

In the second, third and fourth rounds, the corners are two trebles, two chains, two trebles, and for the rest, work a treble into the space between the trebles of the previous rounds.

Four rounds in total for each square. These will later be joined using violet yarn.

Crocheted Sun Hat

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Baby Crush

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: Aquas

Pattern: my own design 

Hook: 4.5mm

Amount used:  100g

Started: 31st May 2023

Finished: 3rd June 2023

In the past, I've tried making crocheted hats, and they've always been too, too big. But this time, I've nailed it. I'm so impressed with my new hat.

It started out with a magic loop, with 12 half treble crochets into it. Then in each round the number of stitches was increased by 6. This grows the circles,in a bowl shape.

I measured my head, and then put the circumference of the crocheted disc. When the crochet was about 2cm smaller than my head I stopped increasing. This formed the sides of the hat.  When it reached the tops of my ears, increases started again. This time it was eight per round.

The increases stopped when the brim was wide enough. Then I crocheted 2 round without any increases. Narrow plastic boning was placed on the edge. It was sandwiched between the last two rounds, and sewn into place. 

A 15cm overlap was given to help the with the shape of the brim. This hold out the brim most beautifully. 

Crocheted Bag

I was on a high after the crocheted jacket and hat. I assumed I knew what I was doing, and could make anything my heart desired. And this has not happened. At 98% complete, I realised I did not like the bag at all, as in I hated it.

So, instead of completing this bag - just 6 more rounds of crochet, the plug has been pulled, and also the yarn. It's time to unravel and redesign. It's time to make the bag I actually want, that I will use. 

And Done!

The CottonSoft Baby Crush cardigan is done!

Oooh, it feels good to have finished another project, and a huge project for me!

Done, done, done, done, done! And in only two and a half weeks!

July Goals

My goals this month are to:

o finish my cotton cardigan

o finish the smocking sample

o exercise every day

The exercises consist of:

o tightening the muscles in my back to help with shoulder stability

o shoulder exercises

o squatting

o head twists

o body twists

o foot stretches

Smocking

On the Great British Sewing Bee this year one of the challenges was to created a smocked item of clothing for a child. They were using machine smocking. It created a little desire in me to try hand smocking, and today I started.  Oooh my!

The first step is either transferring dots to the fabric, or buying a fabric with regular spots on it. I chose the latter. It's simple enough, created a very regularly, tightly pleated piece of fabric by putting many lines of running stitch through the fabric. I am going into the fabric immediately before the dot, and coming out again immediately after it.

This is going to take some time!

Temperature Blanket May

Woo hoo! I'm back to the Temperature blanket, and I've started work on May. The little octopus created a bit of a diversion, but I'm back on track.  Although, I have no idea whether May and June will be finished by the end of June.

It's getting too hot to work on it as it grows larger. I'm ready to take the summer months off, and come back to it in the autumn.

Steam Mop Pad

Yarn: King Cole Cottonsoft Baby Crush

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: Aquas

Needles: 4mm

This mop pad was made using the twin triangle method I commonly use for shawls. The outside edge has a row of eyelets, and through this a cord has been woven. This keeps the pad firmly in place whilst the mop is being used.

After use, I soak the pad in warm, soapy water, and then toss it into the washing machine with a pile of clothes. This cleans it beautifully.

Temperture Blanket Chart May 2020

Gone are the lilacs of previous months, and only two days of aubergine! Look at the 31st, it's burnt orange! It's warming up, and I'm catching up.

Lemon Soap And Pattern Weights

So much for being a monogamous crafter! Two non-crochet projects have been started and completed today. 

I do like a nice little bit of lemon soap. It smells so fresh and clean.

Rose is another fragrance I rather love. Interestingly, it is not something the Beloved can smell! 

I've also made from pattern weights from some scraps of fabric I picked up last summer at the Quilters Guild.

Monogamy in Crafting

In the past, I have been a person with multiple projects on the go. This often resulted in multiple (many multiples) of UFOs waiting to be completed. But, this have appeared to change regarding the Temperature Blanket. Since starting on the 17th of April, I have put it aside once to finish a hat. Just the once, and only because I had set myself a goal of finishing two hats this month. Which reminds me, I have second hat waiting to be finished. I shall do that today, and get it out of the way, leaving tomorrow totally free.

It does feel odd being so monogamous though. I can't think of a time when I have been so focused on one project. There will be a concious uncoupling soon though. As soon as I've finished the rows for April I will put the blanket aside. It will be a third done, and even a third of a blanket is a bit much to be sitting under at this time of year. The blanket shall be set aside for colder days.

Temperature Blanket Charts

Chart for April

I've just realised it would be a huge deal easier to have an on-line pictorial guide for each month rather than a text list on one device.

I've no idea why I'm posting the previous charts as I don't actually need them, but they are here for completeness.

Chart for March

Chart for February

Chart for January

Temperature Blanket January To March 2020

At last! I am a quarter of the way through the Temperature Blanket. Two sections have been ripped back as my ability to make straight edges was rather wobbly. However, I'm a quarter done.

Temperature Blanket 2020

Yarn: Deramores Studio DK
Composition: 100% acrylic
Colour: Ruby (70006)
Colour: Burnt Orange (70059)
Colour: Citrine (70042
Colour: Fir (70012)
Colour: Lapis (70016)
Colour: Aubergine (70010)
Colour: Lavender (70008)
Pattern: double crochet
Size: single bed sized (135x200cm)
Hook: 5mm
Amount used:
Started: 17th Apr 2020
Finished:

I've been meaning to start a Temperature Blanket for ages, and now seems just the right time.

Each stripe on the blanket will record the highest temperature for that day. Looking at last year's statistics, there was a range of 6-24°C. So far this year, things have been a little warmer. My plan is to have the following temperature intervals:

6-8°C (lavender)

9-11°C (aubergine)

12-14°C (lapis)

15-17°C (fir)

18-20°C (citrine)

21-23°C (burnt orange)

24°C+ (ruby)

I am anticipating making a border in ruby to finish it all off.

Crochet is still pretty new to me. I haven't yet managed to acquire the skill of making a chain, measuring it, and the subsequent item being the same size as the starting chain. To combat this I make a long, long chain in aubergine, and starting at the very beginning of the chain working a row of double crochets into the chain. The excess chain was ripped back. From there it has been as simple as working a row of double crochet in the corresponding colour for each day.

I did toy with the idea of always working with the right side facing me. This would have created 2 ends of yarn for every single row. Weaving in, or crocheting over more than 700 ends is now my scene. Instead, my rule has been to always start new colours on the right hand side (with right side facing me). When there are multiple rows of the same colour, I turn the blanket at the end of the row and crochet back. This results in an interesting texture.

Spring UFO Challenge

I'm taking part in a UFO quarterly quilting challenge.  To join you need to have a minimum of five UFOs. My Ducky Duck Duck Duck quilt was the one I finished last quarter, and I have a couple of quilts I wish to attack. 

Some absolute idiot decided to hand quilt the Christmas tree one!  This person needs their head examining! No more hand quilting projects until this one has been done. I can't see how the quilt will be finished in this quarter, but it can be progressed.

Whilst talking with the Beloved, I said it would be great to have it done by Christmas. "Christmas 2024!" said he.

The chevrons are the start of my Self-Isolaton Quilt.