Bamboo Granny Ripple

This was a fairly quick make, although not as quick as the chunky one lol

I have now used up nearly every last scrap of the Baby Bamboo that i got from Lisa!
I really love doing this pattern, it is very easy going and i can slip into a good rhythm with it, very zen!

Three more done!

Today i have finished another three squares! Well actually i've done 4 because i had another go at block#17 "Old Vienna" but i still couldn't get it to work right, so it was frogged again and i did "Victorian Lace" instead.
Block #18 is "Edwardian Fancy" in shade #138 - "Waterbaby" and Block #19 is "Sunray" in shade #139 "Ming"
So, just two more squares to go and they'll all be ready for end tidying and then joining. If the "Webbed Lace" had come out right then i would only have one block left to do but still, i'm making good progress with it i think.



So, here are the 18 completed blocks layed out together, i'm not sure if this will be the final layout though, i'll have another play when i get the last two done and then i have to decide which colour to join them all with. I have 2 skeins of "Cream" and 2 of "Minky" and will be joining them with a "running braid" i think it's called, whatever it is, the joining thread will be visible so it's got to look "right"

Monday's Blocks

I got another four blocks done today, so theoretically i only have three left to do and i can start joining... BUT!

My tension for blocks done in the round and back and forth are WAY different and "webbed lace" will need redoing with less trebles on each edge to make it the right size. I also have a size issue with "Old Vienna" (the lilac one at the top of the first picture) but i think i can fix that with some tweaking. It seems to be the last two rounds that are the problem, there are too many stitches and it's making it too "floppy" (can't think of the right word, it's almost ruffled it's so full!)

I'm really enjoying working on these blocks again though, did i say that already?? :oD

new squares!!

new squares!!
Originally uploaded by franneyk

Today i have mostly been making some progress on the Bamboo Blankie.
I have decided that it will be 5x4 squares and there will be 10 multi-colour blocks and 10 single colour blocks - one in each shade. Today i have made 4 blocks - the multi-colour block is "Gothic Square" and the three single colour blocks are: Alhambra, Lacy Cross and Queen Anne's Lace in shades 131, 132 and 133 respectively.
I never did find the bone hook that i used last year but i have found a 3.5mm that makes the right size square so i am going with that!

I'm really pleased with how the squares have come out and hope that my arthritic hands will last out long enough that i can finish this in the next week - i don't remember crochet hurting this much before :o(

Log Cabinning is fun!

Bamboo Log Cabin
Originally uploaded by franneyk

I'm just taking a break from knitting to post a progress photo.
Unfortunately i hadn't been able to knit since we arrived in Newquay cos of the Flueything but i picked it back up last night and have just finished another two blocks of pale blue this morning. It currently measures 22" from edge to edge when it's lying flat but it stretches out to bigger than that when it's picked up ;o)

Bamboo Log Cabin

Bamboo Log Cabin
Originally uploaded by franneyk

Progress so far!

I am really loving this project and i am so glad to finally scratch the log cabin itch! The bamboo gives a wonderful fabric, really soft and drapey, just perfect for a babies blankie :o)

All is well!

YAY! I am doing a happy dance! My computer is working again and our internet is fantastic!
Daft isn't it, how reliant we become on all this technology lark! There seems to be some problem with the Windows installation on my old hard drive, luckily i had a SATA drive that i hadn't installed so that's now in and being used as my main hard drive - the old IDE hard drive is now my backup drive :o)
As well as fixing my pc, Bloke has now changed our ISP and we have ditched AOL and our broadband is now being provided by O2 and it's marvelous! We've got the standard 8mg package but our download speeds are reaching up to 18mg!! It's like webpages open before the link is even clicked! ::lol::


Annnnnnnnnyway! In yarny news... both my secret projects have reached their new homes and they were both very well received - it's always a relief to me when i make somebody a present and they like it! I don't want lying at my feet gratitude, just knowing that it's liked is enough for me thankyouverymuch :oD
(See 1st May entry for photos - more on Flickr)
This morning the Lavender Blankie was cast off, just a couple of ends to sew in now and it's ready to be delivered to Trout for her 20th birthday. Where's the time gone! I remember looking after her when she was born, she was so tiny, so cute... and then she grew up! We've been through some tough times, had some very harsh words with each other but all is now well and she's really getting her life together - as far as i know anyway! I must stop being so paranoid and believe what people tell me!! So, next week, she's 20 and at the end of the month my entire family (i only have Mum's family, never known my Dad's) will be meeting up for our family day and both my neices will be meeting family they've never met before! It'll be weird, especially as i haven't seen my other neice since she was two years old and she's now 18!! I am SO looking forward to it though - a HAPPY ocassion for us, for once!
So, what's left? One baby hat has been finished so one to do, and i need to find a cute bootee/shoe pattern for both sets. I also need to get my arse in gear with the Babmoo blankie and get it finished. Now that the other things are done i know i will be able to get on with it all and i still have at least two weeks until Lisa drops her sprogs ;o)
Luv you Lise *hugs*

oh dear

i may have just finished the most gorgeous thing i have ever crocheted, and i don't get to keep it! I'm not sure i can let it go to it's new home, i am totally in love with it and i really hope that it will be just as loved when it reaches it's new home next week.

I'm being a good girl, it's currently soaking in some wool wash stuff and then i will be blocking it to show off it's beauty even more!

Ahhhhh, i love it when a plan comes together! ;o)

My "current" project list is now:
SKP2008 Jacobean socks - must be fhinished by the end of April
Lavender Blankie - must be finished by the 13th May
Crochet Block blankie - must be finished by the time the babies arrive! Anytime after the 20th May if i remember rightly?
2 baby hats to match BSJs and possibly booties too if there's enough wool left - ditto 20th May?

Blankies and babies!

So that's the last of the multi-colour sqaures finished. I'm going to do the last 4 in a single colour (if i can decide which ones to use that is!!) and then decide after that about joining them all together - i have all those ends to sew in first!!
Hopefully the single colour blocks will be quicker to do and i'll finish them by tonight, then decide on joining tomorrow. I want to set myself a fairly strict timetable for it as i'd like to do another one - there will be two babies after all - but i want to do other things too so if i set myself a time limit to do it in then hopefully i'll finish it, unlike the poor hexagon blankie which is still sitting in it's project bag waiting to be finished for a baby that was born last year!! Bad franney!
Mum and Dad are coming up tomorrow, they're staying overnight and then we're all going down to Portsmouth (Southampton??) for my Uncle's dedication. I think that's what it is called. He served in the Navy and as such he is entitled to a burial at sea, so on Wednesday his ashes will be cast into the waves. Let's hope the weather calms down by then!

In baby news - especially for Lise ;o)
They're home, they're gorgeous and they're MINE! So hands off ;o)
This is soooo going to sound like a cop-out but i have been trying to take photos of them and unfortunately they don't sit still long enough to get anything more than a tip of a tail or a whisker! I shall persevere though as they are so cute and i want to share them with you all :o)
Ratty updates don't necessarily qualify as crafting so there will only be the odd update here, the majority of them will be over on my "normal" blog ;o)

Two more blocks finished!

But no pictures as yet i'm afraid.
We had a friend over to visit and spent a lot of yesterday in the local WEtherspoons sampling their beverages ;o) we decided we rather liked the raspberry sambucca so we went to Sainsbury's on the way home for some supplies :oD
One bottle of Sambucca later, along with lemonade and raspberry cordial we made our way home and spent the evening mixing cocktails :oD
I had done a block yesterday morning before she got here and this morning while we watched Primeval i finished number 8. I'm immensly pleased with them despite my inability to count correctly which has resulted in rather a lot of uncrocheting but the extra effort is worth it as they look so pretty. Of course, i am spoilt with the Baby Bamboo, the range of clours just tones so well with each other, even i couldn't get the colour combinations wrong on the blocks :o)
So, photos will appear at some stage but i am going to be busy oohing and ahhing over some babies of my own for a while as in about half an hour i am off to pick up my babies! :oD
I am so excitied! I just can't wait! :oD

Here's hoping you've had as nice a weekend as i have, i do like it when things go right :o)

Block #5 - Willow

Block #5 - Willow
Originally uploaded by franneyk

This is possibly my favourite square so far, and i was in fact thinking of doing a WIllow only blankie but i am really glad i didn't now as i am enjoying doing the different squares :o)
This was a bit of a bugger this square, luckily Ms. Eaton had specified how many trebles i should have on the second round or else i would have gone wrong! In fact i think that is my only very slight gripe with the book - i would like to know how many stitches i should have per round at a glance. I know i can count and work it out myself but sometimes it helps ;o)
I kept getting my count wrong on the third round and ending up with wonky corners but once i paid proper attention i got it sorted.

I have my next 6 blocks worked out already - it's such fun!
That'll bring me up to (does quick bit of maffs) 14 squares though so i shall pause at 12 and see how it's looking and how much yarn i have left etc etc but then that means decideding which squares not to do!

Block #4 - Framed Flower

Block #4 - Framed Flower
Originally uploaded by franneyk

Only two squares today, we had company this afternoon :oD

200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

Is a fabulous book!! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make squares that are all the same size and wants patterns that are easy to follow and produce prettiness :o)
Below are the first three squares for the blankie/s - i think it will be 3 squares by 4 squares and if i have enough for two i shall be every so happy :oD

I was full of good intentions to finish the Hexagon blankie but the lure of pastel bamboo and a pattern book was too much for me and i picked up the hook and got stuck in and here's today's progress :oD

I'm going to go for a patchwork effect with different squares and no real colour theme, just use up all the colours and make as many squares as possible - it's only a pram blankie really so does it really matter if it has pink in and she has boys? DON'T ANSWER THAT! :oD

Block #3 - Centred Square

Block #3 - Centred Square
Originally uploaded by franneyk

This is Block #55 found on page 61 and i have used shades133, 139 and 138 :o)

Block #2 - Tricolour Square

Block #2 - Tricolour Square
Originally uploaded by franneyk

This is Block # 35 found on page 51 and i have used shades 139, 132, and 138 :o)

Block # 1 - Fretwork

Block #1 - Fretwork
Originally uploaded by franneyk

This is block #197 found on page 108 and i have used shades134, 136, 133, 137 from the centre out ;o)