Busy, busy, busy ...

Tonight we had a very busy and full house (9 of us in total) and by far the biggest gathering since our party night in June.  We also had a busy, bustling conversation crossing back and forth across the coffee table covering weddings, cruises in The Med, our next party night, a creative spiritual day out to Corrymeela, book club, pot luck suppers, Victor Hugo's Les Mis, and village fairs.

Lots of busy crochet was going on as well:
Rosemary and Anne continue to churn out Innocent hats

Welcome back Karen, long time no see.  But Karen has been busy and has made this beautiful needle case in doubles

And is progressing into trebles for her next project ably guided by Guru Patricia who has been once again drawing her tried and tested pattern of 'woolly sheep'

Leigh assures us that this tangle will become a tea cosy by the end of the night

Ta dah!

Helena has been travelling far and wide in search of new wool and found this one in Dublin last weekend

Helena is also busy with two jumpers on needles, two throws at various stages of completion and a blanket for Hombolo - there's some more 'busy'

Cooking Catherine continues to kit her boys out in aran sweaters

 

Anne and Rosemary produced the ideal picture for Queen Niqi's next major project which will certainly keep her busy!  Apparently the pattern will be produced next week ....  Just in case you can't see it very well, it is a yarn-bombed train!

   

Apparently there has been some yarn-bombing of statues at the front of Belfast City Hall .....  And it wasn't us!

Absent friends

We were very small in number last night.  A few of our friends were missing - some for happy reasons and some for sad, but we missed them one and all.

As you can see the St Mungo charity bobble hat knit-in is progressing well.

Five hats have now been completed, although one is still minus its bobble, and Partricia has started another one with double strands of DK wool to make it nice and cosy.

Niqi and Heather have said that they could be persuaded to knit another one each ....  We will definitely exceed our pledged number of 6 hats.  Watch out over the next few weeks for the photo shoot of the hookery team wearing their creations :-)

Lottie has moved onto another project having completed last week's doll's outfit of dungarees, jumper and hat - photo will appear next week.  Lottie is showing an interest in re-learning crochet and trying her hand at the rosy posy tea cosy.

Shy Sheila is progresing well with her stitches and tension but resists attempts to photograph her work!  Countdown of 20 weeks until this baby blanket is required.

Lindsay was on a crochet go-slow last night but, along with Patricia, was designing (from scratch) a paw print square for a blanket.

Lindsay also brought along a craft book from the 70s.  Lindsay herself was not the owner of the book in the 70s.

We had great fun flicking through the pages looking at the styles and the colours and boy was it dated in some respects.  However, so many of the styles are back in fashion and Niqi has her eye on a beautiful winter wrap/jacket ....

The book has also prompted Sheila to think about taking up macrame again.  Our crochet group is certainly widening its yarn boundaries but that's OK - it's all about friendship and learning new skills.

Niqi who has almost completed her bag was instructing Heather how to professionally join the squares and after lots of tangled squares and strands of wool (thanks to Patricia who lent an extra pair of hands just at the right time) here is the finished first side.

Niqi's mum bought her our official course textbook for her birthday and Niqi has now completed a marvellous 6 projects from the book.  Niqi hopes to take the book and projects to show her mum on her next holiday.  Maybe her mum will place an order for a hat or scarf?

Niqi has mastered a most unusual technique of staying warm while crocheting - wear the scarf and then you always know when you have got the length just right.

See you next week at St Pat's.

Ta-Da moment, not quite like Attic 24

Mags would like to celebrate the fact that she has finished a project. I'll just let that sink in; I know it's a lot to take on board.

First completed task from set text, although admittedly not the first started task from set text. Niqi marched me to fabric yesterday, so there may be light at the end of that tunnel...

Item will form part of a mystery birthday giveaway soon on fraise. So let's say no more about it!

Core text

I have just ordered everyone's book. I even have this fabulous idea that I will have an all-but-finished tea cosy to bring on Wednesday night. But then, we know what comes of my fabulous ideas! Don't mention the poster...

Mags' corsage

Wanted something like this but in tastefully matching burgundy mix.
Heather Boss's book- they have this series in Craft World- but coudn't see yours. Resisted all temptation to buy the bunting one!
Rico Creative Filz Print 009- can't find an on-line link to it at all, Patricia.


I really loved putting this together- didn't take long at all, but it was worth doing the trial run first. I adored the wool- 100% Merino and just gorgeous to work with. Which was just as well, because the pattern is more construction than crochet- all slip stitches. So while the finished result makes me smile, the actual making doesn't feel a whole lot like crochet at all. The yarn can be felted, so I'm planning on making another one tomorrow to throw in the washing machine. And then, Heather, maybe I will buy some brooch pins!