Ripple green baby cot blanket

Ripple green, originally uploaded by Aussie Maria.

Hi everyone

I have been working on this for a little while, trying new techniques. I am a self-taught crocheter and I worked this by going through the front loop and working dc/sc.

I do not like crocheting this way!!!! I was never able to let it flow, it was hard work for me. Never again will I do something this way. It means that I did not enjoy making the blanket.

The yarn also had something to do with not liking it. I bought the green from ebay, it is either a 3 or 4ply doubled, lots of knots and splits. The white is BWM 8ply cotton - yummy and soft. Will definitely be using that again, actually I am using the cotton for my DD3's flowergirls. I worked it with a 4mm hook.

It is also not wide enough for me, but I could not find a way to get around that. So I finally gave up and worked 3 rows of dc/sc down the edge to finish it off as the whole thing was starting to annoy me. It measures 80cm (31-1/2in) x 50cm (20in).

Wish I could find the love that other bloggers do for this type of blanket, so I may have to try again - doing it my way (tr/dc) and larger hook.

On the DH health front, he has completed his first chemo cycle and is doing very, very well - yeah!!! Only 7 to go now :-)

Bye for now

Hemispheres

Hi everyone
Last night I got to thinking before falling asleep - now that is dangerous for me, especially if it is something I am trying to work out. And last night it was colour!!!!

All through our winter I was craving, needing, wanting rainbow colours - Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Lavender & Purple and thus my rainbow Hex blanket started. Unfortunately I ran out of Yellow one row short, which leads to the possibility of Red & Orange going the same way, so will have to wait while I order the wool online from here.

So my mind is wandering - I have started my DD2's Rabbitohs blanket (which even better is Xmas colours!!!!!)

Now a lot of people love colour in cold, dull winters - so I am "normal".

But last night .........

The colours racing through my head were inspired by this and this.

So yes, I now feel the need for ....

deep, liquid Shiraz red
soft, pumpkin orange
liquid gold
dark, forest green
and lovely, chocolate, yummy brown

Am I in the wrong hemisphere ??????

The colours are autumn colours!!!!!! And I am going very shortly into summer.

Now I am NEVER, EVER, EVER ahead of fashion, trends etc. So then that means I must be a season out on the other side of the world!!!! :-))))))

And some of my most favourite flowers also match this - daffodils (which I have never managed to grow too well as the weather is always too warm) and tulips - I love them!!! Need to get to the Bowral Tulip festival or even better Tasmania.

Lucky DH found me some to watch open :-)
Bye for now

Pressies

Hi everyone
Look at the prettiness that came home with me on the weekend. No fancy plant, not even an Australian native. Just a humble pelargonium. But oh so pretty and so easy to take care of.

Then look what the mailman delivered today from The Yarn Cafe. It is Australian Organic Merino Wool 8ply/DK in the shade of Violet. It is so lovely and so soft. Can't wait to knit with it, but what????

Here is a close-up. The camera does not like doing that and goes slightly off focus, but you can see the colours.I really should admit - I am a Yarn Snob. I just find it too, far toooooooo difficult to knit/crochet with acrylics. And I was given 2 huge bags of acrylic yarn which I have been using for Charity Knits.

Thank goodness I can use the lovely soft merino (or cotton) for my projects.

Bye for now

Me & Xmas

Hi everyone
Firstly - I was one of those people who adamantly insisted on writing Christmas as such and not as Xmas. Then via the power of the web I discovered that XP was the old symbols for Christ. So in other words I am still saying "Christmas" when I write "Xmas". See here for more info if your interested.
I now have permanently adopted the word Xmas and celebrate with it.

We (DH & I) have always loved Xmas and love celebrating the time with the old basics - sharing, family, caring and the good old Xmas spirit. Slowly over the years (only about 8 or so) we have collected quite a few ornaments, moving figurines etc. We set up a display in the front room of our previous house filled with them (we don't seem to have taken photos, but I will continue looking). The children, young and old, loved coming around to see how we had set up our display and what was new. We had a constant turn-around of setting some of them into action. I loved their faces, young and old, they all seemed to be sharing the spirit. And our street, which was a cul-de-sac, would have the street Xmas party here and the display would be on ALL night.

Well, to cut a long story short - I/We lost the spirit last year and did not put a single decoration up!!! Very, very, sad. No spirit, no will to get into the spirit. Very bah, hum-bug!!!!

Well, this year I am determined to find some of that spirit and have been keeping my eyes open for new ideas. So when I say these ..... well, what could I do, but take them home!!! Especially as one of the cookie cutters is my favourite animal - penguins (especially the little fairy penguins) so here is hoping that our Xmas spirit returns this year with a vengeance
Bye for now

WIP's

Hi everyone
I have been busy, even if the blogs are not numerous. I have made 8 of these and posted them off.

In the good old days, I was a one project person (except when I had to make two or three of everything for my DD's). But now I seem to be restless and like to move between projects, although I do have one major one at a time, which must be finished first, then either smaller ones, or the next major one - like here

This is the start of the next major project. I won't identify it as it will be a gift. There are still 2 colours missing though - black & white

And here are 2 projects lying together - the top one is the start of 1 of 2 I need to make for DD3's wedding for her flower girls and just peeping through underneath is the ripple blanket which somehow got waylaid. I need to work out how I want to finish it off as I don't like the straight side edgings of it and want it a little bit wider, but ideas are there

And my major project - the Hex blanket. Working around the edgings now. To go around it once takes me 1-1/2 hours!!!!! 10 rows to go!! Bye for now