Battling

At the moment I seem to be spending a lot of my time battling with a 2 year old.  There is a lot of arguing and wrestling going on and it is beginning to get me down.  

The problem is lack of sleep - day time naps have suddenly become a thing of the past.  There is no napping going on even on the days he claims to be tired at 10.30am.  And no napping is seriously affecting his mood.  And mine.  On Monday morning, I could feel my temper rising fast whilst #2 and I were wrestling over getting dressed, so I put him in his cot and left the room only for him to scream until he was sick.  The sick made him slightly more biddable, but it's an experience both of us could have done without. 

I wonder what the neighbours think - it's so easy to forget your children ever behaved like this once you're through it.  I keep wondering if #1 ever tested my patience like this.  I think she did but as she was the only child it didn't matter if she wouldn't get dressed or leave the house as we weren't then driven by the school timetable.     

The loss of the 2 hours nap time means I have lost 2 hours cleaning (ahem), crocheting and blogging time as I'm having to spend more time assisting with this kind of thing...

I'll look to the positives - he's out like a light at 6.30/7pm every night, we have extra snuggling-on-the-sofa time and I have a good excuse not to clean.

Now, I am counting the hours until gin o'clock and the reinforcements arrive.  And I am reminding myself that it's only a phase.  Ot at least it'd better be.

Crochet books - the winners

The crochet book giveaway... I wrote the names on bits of paper, put 'em in a bowl, shut my eyes and picked a winner.  Twice...

The Amigurumi book is going to Ames and Tash - all the way to Melbourne.  How I wish I could deliver it in person.  

The 'I Love Crochet' book is going to Jacey.

So ladies, if you'd be so good as to send me your addresses, I'll send these books off to you as soon as I can.  I hope you enjoy them.

Off the hook: January Thaw

Another doily.   The aptly named 'January Thaw'.  I blocked it using the 20 point circular guide from the 'A stitch in time' website, some spray starch and a hot iron.

Yarn: Coats Eldorado No. 10

Hook: 1.5mm

Pattern: January Thaw by Denise Augostine

Crochet books - free to a good home

I have a couple of crochet books I no longer want and I thought I'd give my blog readers first refusal on them.  And talking of people who read my blog, I seem to have acquired some new followers recently, so a big welcome to you!  

The first book is 'Kyuuto! Amigurumi'...

This has 19 patterns for all the usual amigurumi suspects - teddy bears, cats, puppies, ducklings, elephants, rabbits.  You can 'look inside' this book on Amazon here.

The second book is 'I love crochet'...

This book has 20 patterns for accessories (scarves, bags, jewellery) and home accessories (tablemat, oven gloves, mug warmers, cushion cover, hot water bottle cover).  It also has a section on customising with crochet.  You can 'look inside' this book on Amazon here.


Both the books are in good condition.  I am very particular about how books are treated.  Creasing the spines and turning down corners is Not Allowed in my house.  Well, not to my books at any rate.

If you'd like either of these books leave a comment on this post letting me know which one.   If there's lots of demand I'll draw names out of a hat on Monday next week.


Edited to add: the amigurumi book uses US stitch names, 'I love crochet' is UK stitch names.  Info added a bit late, I know, sorry.

Edible sunshine

Today is one of those days where it's best to just Stay Indoors.  It is grim out there but, thankfully, there is nowhere I have to be and yesterday I made a big batch of marmalade - 12 jars.  I LoVe marmalade.  I could eat it straight from the jar with a spoon... but I'll try not to.

Isn't it cheering you up just to see that splash of orange? 

This year's batch is better than last years - I didn't include the lemon peel and took the time to cut the orange peel quite finely.  I kept it to a soft set too.  I'm not sure 12 jars is going to be enough.  Especially now I've discovered how good it is on toasted brioche.  

Here's the recipe that I use...

Seville Orange Marmalade

1 ½ lb Seville Oranges

1 lemon

3 lb sugar

2 pints water

Makes around 6 jars

• wash the fruit and put whole and unpeeled into a large saucepan.  Add 2 pints boiling water, cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours or until the oranges can be easily pierced with a fork
• remove the fruit from the pan, retaining the water
• when cool enough to handle, cut the fruit in half and scrape all the middle, including the pips, back into the saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes
• shred the peel, including the lemon peel if you like
• using a nylon sieve, sieve the water and pulp into a preserving pan.  Press hard with a wooden spoon to extract all the juice (you should be left with little more than pips)
• add the shredded peel and 3lb sugar to the preserving pan
• boil rapidly until setting point is reached
• pour into hot sterile jars and seal immediately

Go on, try it.  'Tis edible sunshine in a jar.  Just what you need in grim, rain-soaked January.

Off the hook: Small lacy motif

This is my interpretation of the motif found on the front two sachets in this photograph.

I just crocheted what I thought I saw and I think it came out pretty close.  It's only 6 rounds of crochet, so quite small at 7cm in diameter.  I've framed it and will hang it when I get round to banging a nail into the wall.

I can't give you details of the thread because I nicked it from my Mum's and it doesn't have a label - it's finer than a size 10 though.  The hook was a steel UK size 4 which translates to 1mm I think.  I'm loving this lacy crochet lark - why not give it a go?

Wire snowflake

This was an idea I had in my head before Christmas but never actually got round to because I'd tidied up all my boxes of yarn onto the top of my wardrobe (to make room for the Christmas tree) and just couldn't be bothered to get them down and look for the wire!  

It's Mary Jane Protus's snowflake pattern crocheted with a 3.5mm hook and some jewellery wire.  I think it came out quite well, but would be even better if beaded. Something to think about for next Christmas.

Doily Inspiration

I don't really know where the urge to make doilies has come from.  They're hardly fashionable are they?  But then, I don't want them to adorn my sideboard.  They look so much better on bags, cushions, hung on the wall or even wrapped around stones. Look at the inspiration to be had...

1. Linen lavender sachets, 2. Runner, 3. Hanging in there!!, 

4. jute & doily pouch, 5. dendrochronolgy - detail, 6. Vintage Doily Coin Purse, 

7. covered stone, 8. japanese doily, 9. Linen and Lace Pillow Covers

Aren't they beautiful?


There are plenty of free patterns to be had on the internet (Ravelry and Crochet Pattern Central are the best resources). I've made two doilies since finishing the rectangle granny.  

The 'petite pineapple doily'...

and a 'trinket' doily...

I've really enjoyed making these - I think I needed to do something a bit more challenging after the mindless repetition of the granny rectangle!  I found them quite easy and quick to make, but if you want to have a go at something like this you'll need to be confident in your ability to interpret written patterns.


As for me, I've got the doily bug, I just need more crochet cotton.   

Off the Hook: Granny Rectangle

First of all, a Happy New Year to you all!

Second of all, the granny rectangle I started in August 2010 is finished.  I have been on a crochet mission the last few days to get this finished.  I get like that with my big projects, all excited to start, get a bit bored in the middle, then some sort of grim determination takes over and I just get on and finish it.  I can't remember how I came out on the Belbin test, but there must have been some 'Completer Finisher' in there somewhere!

Several people have commented that they can't imagine sticking with a project that takes an hour or more just to finish one round, but honestly this was the perfect crochet to do whilst watching Christmas tv:  twice around to 'Miss Marple', 3.5 times around to 'The Return of the King'.  I could crochet these granny clusters with my eyes closed, so could even follow the plot lines!  Anyhow, I am glad it's finished.  I won't feel guilty about starting something else now.

The finished blanket has 93 rounds and measures approx 180cm x 200cm.  In truth what it measures seems to depend entirely on where you measure it - it is smallest if measured straight across the middle (where the above measurements were taken).   I've read that giant granny squares/rectangles tend to be bigger at the edges - has anyone else experienced this?


It's devilishly difficult to photograph the entire thing, but I've tried...

Do you notice that the blanket gets more square as it gets bigger. I can't say I'd expected that to happen.  
   
For the final round I did a simple block edging (working 1dc, 3ch, 3tr into each space around (1dc, 3ch, 5tr in each corner space)).

This blanket is intended for camping and I think it'll completely fill one of the tent's 'bedrooms'.  Until then the children can use it for snuggling.  It seems #2's favourite thing to do at the moment is to snuggle on the settee to read books.  'I'm freezing' he says as he pulls a blanket down, but I think that's just an excuse :-)

Yarn: dk acrylic, various brands

Hook: 4mm

Pattern: I made it up and posted about it here, but you can also find the pattern, with pictures to help, here


Edited to add:  if you want to make one of these and have it turn out more rectangular, just start with a longer foundation chain


So what next?  I'm not sure, but I have a mad urge to crochet a doily.  Watch this space!!