My Summer Shawl is finished and all about the South Bay Shawlette

Yesterday I finished my pretty Summer Shawl (from the book PUUR Haken)!

Well, the main part was finished thursday evening, including sewing in all the little ends. Friday I played about with adding a border in Purple. The pattern showed a border which went all the way around the 3 sides of the shawl, but I didn't like the idea.

This is what my finished Shawl looks like now:

Do the Butterfly!

Here you can see the pattern really well

Laid out flat (168 x 58 cm)

My own custom border in Purple

In fact, you could say for me this summer was the summer of shawls! 
Up to then, I had never tried to crochet a shawl before. (I made my own crochet Poncho in Primary school, but this is something else!)

Then I came across this pattern and I thought I would give it a go:
The South Bay Shawlette. (In fact, since then I started to collect their many free patterns!)

The South Bay Shawlette - this was my first attempt:

Made with Apilou Acrylic in Coral (164 x 80 cm)

Then came this:

The smallest - crocheted with a 1.5mm hook and turned into a necklace! (16 x 8 cm)

 And a Chunky version or two!

In Charcoal Chunky Merino Wool (92 x 40 cm)

In Deep Purple Chunky Merino Wool with added Border at the point and 2 little yoyos as ties (115 x 54cm)

Ok, I think I got it now, let's get serious! (The largest!)

With the most luxurious yarn: Silky Merino by Malabrigo in colour Indiecita (210 x 92 cm)

Each of the 8 balls of yarn was individually hand dyed and unique

 And one more with a different yarn - thick Cotton!

Yes, you saw this before! Here! (132 x 61 cm)

All together now!

Layering the shawls

All 7 close up

The blue one is my favourite, it feels so soft and I often shrug it on and off whenever I feel a bit cold. It lives on the back of my chair!

The two shorter chunky ones I will wear facing frontwards around my neck for the cold weather.

I also love the idea that you can use a pattern like this to make a necklace, because I love making necklaces from yarn. My upcycling idea is to use this as a piece of lace and sew it to a plain top or jumper, instantly adding new interest!

It has been fun making all of these! At the beginning of the year I decided that I wanted to learn and try out new things with my crafting, trying to push back some boundaries, and I believe that I am doing that. I also come to realize that a lot of being good at something is just practice, practice and more practice. Using one pattern and then trying it with different yarns, colours and ideas is so much fun! I know that I am not finished with this pattern, it has an easy going rhythm. If you have not tried it yet, download the free instructions and save it until you are in the mood for something new.

Do you have a favourite shawl pattern (preferably a free one), that you would like to share here?
(Please remember to link to the original site where it came from)

I hope I have given you all a bit of new inspiration here! It does not take long to make a shawl and soon you could be wearing it as the weather is getting cooler!

And hello to everyone who has recently started reading my blog, thanks for all your lovely comments, I enjoy reading them and hearing from you!

Wishing you all a relaxing weekend, and for my readers in the UK, enjoy your special Bank Holiday!

Crochet Cowl - Superfast Project

Hello, how are you all?

This afternoon I found 3 balls of Schachenmayr original Tacoma yarn (67% Acrylic, 27% Wool and 6% Polyamid) at Veritas, a type of craft shop here. I wished there had been more! Anyway, I quickly snapped it up. The colours in it are very varied! I also got myself a 9mm hook because this is seriously chunky yarn! (50g = 37m). On the bus journey home I decided to try it out and thought I could make a cowl. I didn't have a tape measure with me this time, I chained 60 stitches and then continued with groups of 3 in a granny treble stitch in the following rows. By the time I got off the bus (about 35 mins later), I had finished the first ball of yarn!

What can you do with 3 balls of yarn? The first one is already crocheted up!

So many colours!

After supper I went back to my crochet, continuing until I had nearly used up all the yarn. I tried to crochet my cowl together, however the remaining string was too short! So I quickly sewed it together and it worked out fine!

Almost done!

At 22.00 it was finished, yay! Here is a photo of me with my new cowl (please excuse the lack of make up and the tired eyes!)

Quick! Get the camera, it's finished!

I'm really pleased, such a superfast project and now ready to wear. It is big enough, but not too bulky, just right for the change of season. It measures 43 x 18 cm laid flat (double).

Today I could feel that it is almost turning to autumn. Everywhere in the shops I could see new knitwear, warm jumpers and cozy cardigans! And it rained several times today, it has been like that for about a week now. But I'm hoping we will have a little bit longer with more sunshine, that would be lovely!

A Summer Shawl's Tale

Hello again!

Remember I started this Summer Shawl on Thursday night? Well this is what it looked like after I spent quite a long time working on it during Friday. It didn't seem to grow much!!! I was using a fine yarn (Ezra) and my trusted 3mm hook.

Summer Shawl Version 1

Then I decided to try out a different yarn. I dug through my stash and came across this Flamingo Pink (!) Extra Soft Merino Cotton by SMC Select (70% Pure New Wool, 30% Cotton), recommended hook size: 3-4 mm. Ok, let's try this with a size 5mm hook! By Friday evening I had hooked up a similar size triangle with 4 pattern repeats (instead of 7).

Version 1 (Blue) vs Version 2 (Pink)

This close up shows the difference in stitch size better

And here's one I made earlier!

Well, I know, that is not a shawl! It is a WIP! I had started knitting a neckwarmer in Spring in 3 colours, but I lost interest due to the fact I got annoyed with winding the different colour yarn after each round. Well, I thanked my earlier self because this meant I could recover the 3 balls of yarn all in one long string, as it had not been cut! So I got busy with my wool winder...

Progress on Saturday morning

Saturday was busy. On our travels out we found the perfect little table for our balcony. Just big enough to put down a drink and my crochet. Purple and perfect!!

Sitting outside on the balcony enjoying the evening sunshine!

I also bought some bamboo sticks for my plants. My little sunflowers needed a bit of support! And Jasper is relaxing in his favourite spot!

Jasper loves sunflowers, too!

 Here are the bigger sunflowers, the front one had gotten bent and damaged, so I'm hoping now it might recover. Still waiting for them to start flowering. Nothing like a bit of (tiny) yarnbombing!

The larger sunflower plants - spot the yarn!

 This is what 2 x 50g yarn looks like!

Sunday morning Shawl

Meanwhile I am nearly finished with the 3rd ball of yarn. The pattern calls for a total of 4x50 g Crochet Cotton (1 of them for the contrast coloured border - you might just see this in the photo above with the book in the background). I have a feeling I will be using more. I am pondering the following questions: How large should I make this? How about using the Orange Mango coloured yarn for the top and the Blackcurrant one for the border? I only got one more ball of Pink left. It measures now 138 (of 155cm) wide and 85 of 95 cm measured on each side.

I showed you this to illustrate that sometimes, even if you are trying to follow a pattern, things do not always turn out as expected. And I am pleased with myself that I had the nerve to undo my knitting! There is no time like the present! (However, I can assure you, I still got plenty of WIP left) I don't regret it, the yarn I gained is really lovely, soft and squishy to the touch. Everything is a learning curve!

Enjoy the little things, PUUR haken and a visit to Gent

 Hello,

Hope you are having a good week? Sorry I have been a little quiet, some days are busier than others!

I have to warn you in advance: this post involves travelling back and then again forth in time!

This was happening today: Making a pair of large Hexagon Potholders in Mint Green and White (Catania Grande) with a 6mm hook, such easy pleasure on my hands! They measure 23cm from point to point!

This morning's crochet

Yesterday I spent time out and about in Antwerp. I had started another set of potholders before I left the house and finished them off whilst riding on buses and trams! Hooray! (Here I experimented with a reversing colour scheme!)

Potholders - Pastels and Neutrals (made on 13.08.14)

Tuesday we had a day out, trying to show our English visitor another city - Gent! The weather was mostly cloudy, with some short intense showers in the afternoon and later sunshine. All in all we were lucky.

Standing in the centre of Gent

This is me! Note the red floral fabric bag (sewn over a year ago by myself and a little Neon flower Brooch I also made! Always wear something self-made!)

Gent City Centre - where Old meets New

Here you can catch a glimpse of some of the lovely old buildings, but also note the brand new trams and buses. You cannot stop progress!
And - jumping in time - this is what I was trying out this evening.

This evening's crochet

It came from this book:

New book: PUUR haken by Maaike van Koert

I first read about it on Maaike's blog which I follow. I took over a week of searching unsuccessfully in Antwerp's bookshops. Then I went to Gent - and voila! I struck lucky in the 2nd bookshop that afternoon!
I was overjoyed!

Unfortunately (for English readers) the book has only just been published - in Dutch. Hopefully they might launch an English version later?! It is aimed at beginners and more advanced crocheteers alike, with a mix of projects. It has lovely illustrations and is very appealing.

Back to Gent where we explored; taking in old buildings, cafes, shops, lovely walks by the riverside. We have been there a few times before, but I always love going back. This time I noticed an English second hand book shop along the river. Although I try to restrict my purchase of 'real' books (I read lots and lots, for which I got a kindle, luckily this saves space in our home!) Well, I wasn't really going to buy anything, was I? Just browsing! Then I had the sudden inspiration to check out the Craft section. And yes, I found this:

Rowan - The Purelife recycled collection (Knitting)

Rowan - Some lovely patterns inside this booklet

Find more details here. As you can see, the booklet had to come home with me!!! And ever since seeing these lovely pictures a tiny seed has started to grow - a longing inside me to get back to knitting again! I think I have been doing crochet solidly for the last 4-5 months!

Standing in the centre of Gent

This is me! Note the fabric bag (sewn over a year ago by myself and a little Neon flower Brooch I also made! Always wear something self-made!)

Gent City Centre - where Old meets New

Here you can catch a glimpse of some of the lovely old buildings, but also note the brand new trams and buses. You cannot stop progress!

Enjoy the little things!!!

I leave you with this little picture of the inside cover of Maaike's book and the start of my own 'little thing'!

Enjoy the little things!

The finishing bug

Hello all!

I hope you all had a relaxing weekend? Managed to find some time to enjoy being with family and friends?

Things have been pretty busy here! Oh, and I caught the finishing bug! No, it's nothing serious! (I have a lot to show you now).

Friday I started this:

Crocheting some more potholders, consisting of 2 different layers. I made this with my favourite yarn of this summer, Scheepjeswol Stone Washed. As soon as I had seen the first post mentioning this yarn, I knew I had to try it! It is 78% Cotton with 22% Acrylic and is machine washable. I have been using a 3mm hook.
It gives a lovely textured look in my opinion.

Crochet Potholders

Close up of the front

Showing front and back before assembly

Saturday we had a busy day, driving to Brussels Charleroi airport to collect a friend coming to visit. This meant lots of crochet time in the car, yay! :)

I continued with the potholders and finished them on Saturday evening, with the help of our cat, Jasper!

Jasper crochets too!

The finished potholders

Sunday I finished a crochet Shawl, the South Bay Shawlette from Lion Brand, you will find the free pattern here.

I love this pattern! It is easier than I first thought, and I have already made several versions this summer, more of that another time!

This one is made with a thicker Cotton yarn (Catania Grande) - about 400g. I love the Orchid colour! I used a 6mm hook.

The lacy pattern is very eye catching and pretty

The weather on Sunday was terrible, we ended up having torrential rain, so not a chance of going for a walk anywhere. Luckily that meant everyone had time to follow their favourite hobbies. My daughter and her friend helped me greatly with winding some of the yarn! Then we had a nice round of card games. Later that day I returned to my crochet Baby Blanket (made with Apilou Acrylic Yarn from Veritas), crocheted the last row and then proceeded to do the border. This took way longer than anticipated. Around 1 am I had gotten as far as doing one side of the scalloped Shell edging which is the last row! Unfortunately I was too tired to stay up any longer to finish it off on Sunday night.

Scalloped edging

Monday: The weather had improved, the sun was shining! After visiting Hoboken (part of Antwerp) market and making some vital yarn purchases, my partner and I went for a leisurely long walk through the parks and then around Hoboken Fort (which is surrounded by water). We managed to see 3 herons in total, I was amazed! And 2 cute cats. But unfortunately I did not take a camera along!

The rest of the afternoon I spent finishing off the baby blanket! Woohoo! I was so pleased, because I had been putting it off due to the fact that it had close to 300 ends that needed sewing up!

Jasper testing the blanket immediately

The finished blanket lying flat on the floor

Jasper did not want to leave the blanket!

Soft and Squishy!

Update: This evening we drove to see our friends to deliver the blanket, they loved it! It was definitely worth all the hard work!

In summary: I spent the last 4 days concentrating on finishing projects, because I want to move on to some of the WIP I still got to do! Not to mention start lovely new things that I keep seeing elsewhere!

What have you all been working on? Do you have a favourite project you like best? What are your experiences with different yarns?

Hello and welcome to my blog - it is open now!

Hello,

Thanks for visiting my blog! Sorry it has taken a while to get it going! There were several reasons for this, one of them my recent trip to England to visit my two oldest grown up daughters who both recently graduated! It was precious to be there with the whole family and we had a lovely time together.

Another reason is the fact that I just love creating stuff so much, that I just carry on and don't seem to stop! Sometimes this can be counterproductive when trying to achieve other things!

It seems only a short while ago since I even started reading other people's blogs on a regular basis. And more recently still, that I started to comment! This blogging business can be scary stuff!

I am completely in awe of everyone who creates and loves to share what they do. I love looking at photos of new projects or pretty things including nature.

I want to be more involved on a personal level by contributing ideas, comments and sharing things that are important to me, but of course, I would love to hear from you all reading this blog! If you find something interesting, please don't be shy, but say so. Got any useful tips or hints (about blogging or crafting)? - let me know.

To start, here are some glimpses of recent projects: (more about these to follow)

In front of me now on my table

Doodling with yarn yesterday morning

Finished sewing up the ends of this Baby Blanket last night

It is ready! My new Crochet Bag (also completed yesterday)

Another little 'doodle' (done during the night when I could not sleep!)

Last not least I also want to make this a record of the many things that I have been making in the hope it will be useful!

So please be patient with me, as I am learning to blog! We all have to start at the beginning somewhere.

Please respect my ownership of  the photos and ideas etc that I am using. If you see something you like, please kindly link back to my blog here and let me know about it.

I declare this blog open now! Feel free to comment! And thank you for following me!