Hookery in my dining room

I had Hookery show up at my front door tonight- which was very lovely indeed. The full story here.  Suffice to say that there was no hooking but lots of Herman...

Autumnal afghan

Crochet work at The Hookery has been progressing quite slowly recently but I have some work underway on another big project.  Here are some initial photos taken at home on a lovely bright Saturday morning posed using autumnal items from the garden. 

 I have about half of the blanket crocheted together and this is what it looks like so far.  The colours are a tad washed out in this next photo - maybe I should go back out into the conservatory and re-take the picture on a sunny day?

 Mags, I do admit that my creative photography isn't a patch on yours.

What gives?

Hey, you guys? What are you all making? Christmas presents, hats and scarves to stave off the cold for you alone, blankets, bags or bootees? Car cosies? What, what, what?  I've lost a chain somewhere in the latest ripple rows and can't find it.  Must try to rejoin the fold sooooon. xx

Gail Blanket #2

This is Gail's second blanket.  Gorgeous, I know! I will confess to having been initially distracted by the gorgeous bed, but the blanket is fabulous too!

I think that the colours just sing.  I imagine it's the sort of blanket that makes you want to live in your bedroom.  Just absolutely what you want at this time of the darkening year.

The squares are worked together so that you can see the joins on one side, but not on the other. I think that this is very clever.  But then, this is Gail. Of course it's clever!

Thank you ....

09 November 2012
Dear Hookery in the Bookery,
A Big Thank You from St Mungo's
Thank you so much for showing your support for St Mungo's Woolly Hat Day by responding to our call to knit hats. We had an amazing response from knitters all over the UK (and a few from abroad!) making our Woolly Hat Day a huge success.
At the Woolly Hat Day bus in Broadgate Circle, Liverpool Street we sold an incredible 250 of your hats to the very appreciative general public in one day (luckily enough it was the first very cold day of winter!). We have also sold a number of hats on eBay alongside our celebrity hat auction and the hats continue to be sold on eBay up until Christmas - perfect as an additional stocking filler.
We will ensure that any hats left over are given to our outreach teams to offer to people who are sleeping rough.
The money that is raised through hat sales allows us to do so much more than just provide a roof. Our specialist healthcare, training and employment teams are dedicated to helping homeless people recover from their experiences and really turn their lives around for good. Last year our Skills and Employment team supported over 1,000 people to find work, training, further education or take part in a range of other activities. We also supported just under 2,000 people with their mental health and substance use problems.
Thank you so much for helping us bring hope to homeless men and women.
Best wishes
Alice
Alice Eastwood
Community and Events

Poppies

Apparently there is a shortage of red wool to knit poppies this year .....

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/business-consumer/shortage-of-red-yarn-as-craze-for-crochet-1403896

Patricia, it must be your fault - after all you did translate that Russian pattern!

Help Hombolo

Ladies, on the back of our successful St Mungo charity hat appeal, I have a personal request.

My son, Matthew, has just come back from a trip to Tanzania where he was building houses for two weeks.  He was out with The Leprosy Mission Northern Ireland. 

The group took out with them many gifts for the villagers including sports equipment, footballs, clothes, blankets, toys, tools and grow bags.  I noticed that some of the blankets had been crocheted - the lady in the red blouse is holding one.

The team hope to go back out again next year and I would like to send out some crocheted blankets.  Could I ask my 'hooker friends' for some assitance in this?  I think that this would be a very personal gift and we could use up our leftover wools.  Ladies, you have a year to get hooking and any number of contributions would be very welcome. 

Many thanks
Heather

Spookery hookery in the bookery

Well we survived our first night at hookery in the bookery with one less founding member.  Life was dull without you Mags but we invited some other equally adventurous characters to join us in the staff room .....

This is Patricia's latest project complete with her little helpers.  Note, someone has given her a hand!

The little paper pumpkin sweet holder was made by a Brownie leader Rachel from St Patrick's Church where The Dock is based.  Don't you think he looks much better close up?

And this is a glimpse of Heather's winter throw which isn't progressing just quite as quickly as she would like.

I have to tell you that the ghosts and pumpkin bag were made by Deirdre who works in the bookery place during the day.  The pumpkin bag was also made with some leftover St Mungo wool.  I didn't realise until now that we are also recyclers because Mags also mentioned in yesterday's blog that her autumn garland had St Mungo wool in it too.

Come on ladies at The Dock, some posts please ......

Bookery's End (for Mags!)



I'm typing this on my first official night as a non-Bookery worker. I am not adjusting well to the transition!  I have not, contrary to my usual aspirational declarations, got the dinner dishes cleared, nor have I been spending quality time with my family. I have been adding the final final touches to my Autumn Garland!

 

I started it somewhere around mid-October, on a Thursday night in the Bookery- last piece of Hookery that I did in the Bookery, as it transpired.  Guru Patricia, obviously, sorted out the best technique for my chain.  This is a 4mm hook working its way through my unknitted St Mungo's hat!





 

Ah but then, here's the Patrickia.  Then I used a 6.5mm hook and simultaneously worked on a chain using the original thin chain as yarn.  But as this still hung a bit too limp I also started working with an 8mm hook and made a really chunky chain from the medium chain that sat patiently in the middle.  Great result if you're looking for a heavy rope-like chain from which to hang things.  Also great entertainment for a morning in bed after Book Club with a husband in Glasgow and two children reasonably occupied about the house...

So here is the finished result- well, minus the final final touches of two more pieces for each end tonight.

I used four yarns- St Mungo's, a ball of red from the Afghan sampler box, a small ball that I suppose I stole from the Aran we worked Lorna's fiftieth birthday cafetiere cosies from, and an amazing thick felting wool that I bought ages ago in Craftworld.

The felting wool made two gorgeous leaves and one huge flower that hangs right in the middle.  By far my favourite pieces.

 

The flower pattern came from the set text- it's the flower that sits on the Peaked Toddler Hat. Patricia found me the two leaf patterns, saving me my nearly first Etsy purchase!  This open leaf I didn't like in the wools I had, though you could say that it curls in a very spider-like way which could be appropriate enough for the spooky season.  However, the maples I loved.  All three were very easy to work, even for me!

So there we go. I will be looking forward to visiting the Bookery soon, and counting on being back at Hookery at the Dockery or wherever. Much, much love to Heather Boss and Patricia- I am very proud of this group that we formed, and am amazed at how it has taken on its own impetus and form.  Happy Hooking  from Pumpkin Land x