IntNatCroMo

So over in America it is National Crochet Month. On Ravelry, they have declated International Crochet Month, which makes me happy. I have been crocheting my little heart out. Well, when I am not digging and weeding my little heart out. And lactating my little heart out.

These are some things I have made. In addition to these.

We have also been planting and sowing seeds. Look, the Rocket (Arugula) is sprouting.

And the Babe and I are planting and digging and have been out loads on our new bike.

She has a little seat on the back, and off we go. We pootle along. That is my new favourite word...pootle. It is also my new favourite activity! Although I was out last night to see the Meister and the Boy perform in the Music Service Easter Extravaganza, and I ZOOMED home. So Zoom is a good word too. :-)

So let's see, knitting and crochet, planting and gardening, pootling and zooming. Occasional reading and cooking. That is life at moment. It has been a pretty good, IntNatCroMo.

This makes me happy!

I am going to do lots of pretty things from Attic24  like this  or this so when the Babe gets her own room, it will be lovely. I have a few months to prepare, after all, we have to wait for the Changeling to decide on a university or whatever, then we can swap bedrooms around again. :-) Or I maight do some things from this lovely blog. All I have to do, is finish about a dozen other things, then I can get started!

Distraction

So the weather is nicer, there are green shoots appearing, and I am being distracted by the garden and the allotment, and not getting a lot of crocheting done. I started all of these things for Crochet Month, and now I just want to dig and sow seeds. :-)

Today saw me get into the garden to  dig over last years potato and courgette patches. Since we have an allotment of our own now, that is going to be given over to fruit bushes and herbs, maybe some garlic and leeks later in the season.

Our garden is small, but I have planted in an L shape - up the left hand side is raspberries which are established. Then a goosberry, to the right is another gooseberry, a blueberry and my new baby bay bush. I have planted a couple of other blueberries in bigger pots there as well.

So far we haven't sown much, basil and courgettes and rocket, but I will get some more things sown soon and transplant a couple of other gooseberries down at the allotment. We are developing a perennial strip which will have an asparagus bed, maybe a strawberry bed, and some gooseberries and eventually some redcurrants, as well as some herbs.

That is the plan. Sorry no photos, but it does mean I have actually been busy in the real world!

PS, I am also reading a book. Never Let Me Go by by Kazuo Ishiguro which Martine has lent me.

Plans A and B for March

So I was gonna do the Fairisle mitts for the Changeling, and try one of the toy patterns I have bought (eek! paid for!)  as well as the Comfy Slipper pattern  (payed for again!) but since the weather is warming up and it is National Crochet month, I thought I would set them aside and concentrate on crocheting.

I am doing lots of squares as I have joined a block a month crochet along on Ravelry. I don't have a single project in mind for this though. I wish I had the money to buy some yarn to actually do something with my squares, but I will just try them out for now, and maybe do an actual project in the future with my favourites. 

I have been watching the Bernat mystery CAL as well. I wish again that I had the money to get some of the Bernat Waverly yarn sent over as it looks lovely. Or even to buy some Aran stuff here and take part, but I will try another time. I have never done a Mystery CAL and it looks like fun!

I am doing one of the CALs with Ravelry's Shoulder Wrappers Group. I was on the verge of giving up, as there were too many CALs to choose from, and then I had to find appropriate yarn in my stash. I was looking through my stash and found some packs that I want to use for Shawls later in the year, so it was a bit productive, but I didn't find anything I really wanted to do the Frosty Night Cowl CAL with.

And then I found it! The undyed yarn that Martine got for us a few years ago. We have done a couple of batches, but there was still some left! So I got it out, and managed to dye it and have it hanging to dry before the allotment society AGM on Saturday! I had wanted more orange than yellow, but what I got was more yellow than orange.

It is cheering me up though and I shall start crocheting today! 

The Babe is happy as well because she has yet another hat. Ok, so she doesn't like to wear hats often but I still keep making them, and this one she actually puts on her head herself and runs around the house going Toowhit Toowhoo!!

Just as an aside, that cardigan she is wearing was knitted for me when I was her age. So it is about 42 years old and still going. I think it is acrylic, because I just chuck it in the washing machine, but it still looks good, if a bit furry now and then. I hope some of my things will be around in 40 years!

I am working on some craft fair things in crochet as well. Here is the beginnings of a poncho...

And the beginnings of a cowl that I am making for myself in the lovely stuff Martine made for me...(It looks better in real life.) I had tried to do some shell patterned cowls from the Lion Brand website, but in the end they just didn't look right. This is a version of crocheted moss stitch which is making a fine texture and showing of the hand dyed yarn much better. :-)

So here I am at my last craft fair as well. It was the first time I was outside, and it was a bit of a cold day to be outside. Of course, when you are outside there is a lot more foot traffic, but this day was dire. 7 hours sitting in the cold, and I sold one hat, which paid for the stall. It was rather depressing. This is me at the beginning, naiveley smiling away. My display is a bit cluttered because I had left some of my acoutrements at home.

These are some of my children's hats. The weather is changing now so I will try to get some more spring and summer things ready.

In further honour of National Crochet Month, some things that make me happy are here and here. I have ordered some of this yarn so I can attempt to emulate those lovely and talented crocheters. (This is where I find out if my husband reads my blog as I am not supposed to be spending money on yarn!)  I want colour and cheer in my life right now and I can't wait to crochet with these colours! I will probably make a couple of baby blankets to sell at the craft fair I have booked at the end of March (after which I think I will give up.)

Another happy thing  is that we have an allotment, which means that I will be digging and planting and weeding and watering, while still trying to crochet and knit every minute that I get left alone to do so. (Not so many of those these days.) I am planning an asparagus bed and a strawberry bed and some other fruiting bushes, so not ambitious at all. :-)

And a very sad thing as well. This was my new teapot.

I got it from Oxfam for £4.99 and I loved it. For about a week. As you can see, it got its handle smashed, and we can't really glue it, because the handle is hollow and the glue would be exposed to the boiling water and  brewing tea. It was one of the few things I was excited about buying myself, and it is just sitting around reminding me why I don't buy myself nice things. :-(

So I will have to get back to making nice things. Happy Crochet Month everybody!