Off the hook :: granny square cushion cover

The cushion cover made from granny square bunting is finished. I made the back on Friday while watching the film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go'. I'm always a bit dubious about watching film adaptations of books I've read and enjoyed, but I thought this was actually quite good. Anyhow, here's the cushion front...

and the back...

This will live in #1's newly decorated room. She chose a lavender colour for the walls. I wasn't convinced, but actually I think it's quite nice.

I now have an custom order for a granny cushion for #2's room. In blues and greens. Watch this space.

Cushion details...

Hook :: 4mm for the front and 4.5mm for the back

Yarn :: Rowan Handknit cotton dk

Size :: 35cm x 35cm

Pattern :: the motif on the cushion front is 'Grandma's All Square' by Michelle Kludas at The Royal Sisters. The back is a standard Old American granny square

Saturday outing :: Yorkshire Sculpture Park

One of our New Year resolutions was to get out more at the weekends. So, today we headed out to Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It was a bit bracing in Yorkshire (the road over was closed to high sided vehicles), but the main reason I wanted to go was to see the indoor exhibition by Donna Wilson. It didn't disappoint...

Look at all that knitted goodness...

full of hidden gems like this snail...

This was #2's favourite. It's called 'Ginge'. #2 said it looks sad and he wants to bring it home to look after it...

We did have a bit of a wander around the grounds, mainly to let #2 run of some of his boundless energy.


We found some tree-huggers...

Jaume Plensa

Barbara Hepworth

#1 declared that the sculpture below was "half goat, half rabbit and half human". It seems she hasn't got the hang of fractions yet!

Sophie Ryder

Jaume Plensa

Brian Fell

Then we headed back inside the galleries to get out of the wind...

Jaume Plensa

Jaume Plensa

If you're ever near enough to visit YSP I'd highly recommend it.  

This week...

on my hook...

joining some squares that used to be a garland. They're being turned into a cushion.

Pattern: 'Grandma's All Square' by The Royal Sisters

in my kitchen...


a cranberry bakewell tart (from 'Feast' by Nigella Lawson). I try to find an excuse to make this every Winter. As if an excuse were needed. 

and marmalade making - Seville orange and tangerine this year. It could have done with more tangerine and less orange but it's good all the same. And such a beautiful colour.

in a vase...


colourful tulips.

elsewhere...


the lebkuchen addiction continues.

Happy Friday!

This week I have been mostly...

wishing the plaster would hurry up and dry. I am more than a little fed up of the disruption/mess everywhere caused by the contents of #1's bedroom being in our room and on the landing.  Also, you wouldn't believe the trouble it caused when #2 discovered that #1 was sleeping in Mummy's room - they are now having to take it in turns.

So there's been very little in the way of crafting going on as I've made a start on the decorating and, in the evenings, we've been watching 'The Killing'. It's impossible to crochet while watching a subtitled Danish thriller, so the crochet will have to wait until we find out whodunnit!

Oh, and for those of you that are interested, there's a great tutorial for making snap frame purses at u-handbag.

Made by me :: Snap frame purse

I attended a 'how to make a snap frame purse' workshop on Saturday and came away with this...

I am so, so proud of myself. I absolutely love it. 


It's fully lined with co-ordinating striped fabric...

and just look at these perfectly matched seams...

My MIL came too and she made a bag using some bird print fabric from Ikea...

I think we both did a good job and I can see many more of these being made. In fact I made another the same evening using a thrifted tablecloth...

This bag is lined with some ditzy floral fabric and I included a small pocket...

I have plans to make one with a doily on, something like this...

Source: Tuuni on Etsy

or this...

Source: Sew Lola

But until I find some suitable fabric I'll just enjoying admiring these...

The trouble with a kindle...

I was lucky enough to be given a kindle for Christmas, but, due to a very bad reading habit of mine, I'm finding it very frustrating.


Turns out it's not easy to skim read ahead/read the ending first!  

I'm sure it's possible...

Maybe I should read the user instructions?

Currently reading 'The Thousand Autums of Jacob de Zoet'. 

Autumn blanket pattern notes

I've had a couple of people ask for details on the border I added to my Autumn blanket. The original pattern didn't feature a border at all.  If you're interested, I've edited the original post.  Scroll down to the bottom for details.

On the hook

Happy New Year to you all!  

Phew, it feels good to be back to some kind of routine today. The children went back to school today (feels like they were off forever as they broke up on the 16th Dec), and, to be honest, I think they were both ready for it.  'Come on, Mummy!' #2 exclaimed as I was loitering in the big playground waiting for #1 to go into school. He couldn't get to nursery fast enough! 


Having said that, I've only had a mornings worth of peace and quiet as the plasterers have arrived at lunchtime to skim the walls in one of the bedrooms...


So, currently on the hook...

a very, very pink Hello Kitty scarf for #1. Much too much pink, but I think that's practically compulsory when it comes to Hello Kitty...

pattern available here

a granny square blanket inspired (to the point of almost blatant copying) by Vanessa's beautiful Evening Sun blanket. Well, it's different yarn and a slightly different square, but I have used a very similar colour palette and a circle-in-a-square type granny square...

and a couple of granny squares for Stocki's 'Beautiful Blogger Blanket'. A genius idea where you contribute a granny square to a blanket that you're then in with a chance of winning. Both squares come from Jan Eaton's '200 crochet blocks'.  The first is #94, the Gothic square (camera has struggled to accurately capture the greens) and the second is #197, Fretwork...

What are you making?