Hello Twenty Thirteen

Happy New Year my lovelies :D It's good to be back but I can't tell you how much I wish it were still the holidays, even though I know it wouldn't be as special if it lasted forever. We spent a very long week down at my folks in London, although a week didn't seem long enough in the end!

Christmas Day was very chilled out and merry. I was up early to see my brother before he had to work (!!) which meant opening presents, followed by more presents when J got up (fair-isle slippers!), followed by party food for lunch, mulled wine, dinner making, a nap, plying my parents with alcohol while they were being busy, my brother coming home still in good spirits, more presents, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Crackers, Trivial Pursuit (my Dad lost) Christmas Pudding and then bed.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, or if that's not your thing a peaceful end to the year :)

I can't quite believe where the year has gone but looking back at my projects for the year sort of puts things into an order I can make sense of! I really enjoyed making little mosaics at the beginning of last year so I've done the same now, only this time I've discovered Pic Monkey which is a brilliant website for making collages, mosaics and editing photos - a huge time saver.

There are four projects from last year that I've finished which was one of my 2012 resolutions, but I've also started this year with more unfinished WIPs. Oh well!

1. Hexagon blanket - completed :)
2. A stockinette stitch cushion cover. I've cast on too many stitches for the cushion inner I have so I may start this again...
3. Spring Garden Granny Squares. These haven't worked out so well when joined, I'm wondering whether to make more squares in different colours and make a small lap blanket...!

4. Nanny throw. I don't think this is a project I've blogged about yet so more about this later!
5. Bubble Gum Ripple Blanket
6. Pomegrante snood.

7. Little Woolie Inspired Cushion. I should finish this soon, I've only got a few more rows to do!
8. Ribbed Phone Cover
9. Stripy Snood


1. Crochet hook handle, made from Fimo
2. Moss Stitch Scarf
3. Crochet owl

4. Crochet Father Christmas
5. Knitted bunting
6. Knitted cable hat

7. Bunting
8. Knitted cat mouse hat
9. Polka dot skirt


1. First pomegranate snood
2. Turquoise cable hat
3. Lingonberry biscuits :)

4. Winter striped scarf
5. Snowflake Christmas card
6. Chunky mustard snood

7. Pink fluffy scarf
8. Grass cable snood
9. Giveaway cactus

I've got loadssss of other things to show you that I started over the holidays too, lets cross our fingers for some good weather this weekend and I'll try to get some half decent photos to share :)

x x x x

Tuesdays Tallies: seven, done, finished!

I don't think I can keep you guys waiting anymore... I've been a bit mean by not posting *any* photos of the blanket in weeks but this big project is finally... Done.


There will be no more teasing posts about how many hexagons I've made this week...


Or about how many extra hexagons I need to complete...


No more posts about half hexagons either or how I might do the border...

Which incidentally is a round of trebles and a second round of half trebles. With a blanket this fussy a simple border seemed to work nicely.

So with this lot finished with...


Result!

It really is difficult to photograph something so big and the weather and therefore lighting hasn't been great either so this is the best I could manage.

The yarn I've been using is Stylecraft Special DK - it was the "Lucy Pack" with extra shades of yellow - Saffron & Lemon because I wanted a few more bright shades. Lemon turned out to be a fantastic "middle" as it started off most shades really well.

1061 *** Plum

1246 *** Lipstick

1083 *** Pomegranate

1084 *** Magenta

1132 *** Shrimp

1241 *** Fondant

1390 *** Clematis

1432 *** Wisteria

1188 *** Lavender

1034 *** Sherbet

1420 *** Camel

1114 *** Sunshine

1081 *** Saffron

1020 *** Lemon

1316 *** Spring Green

1065 *** Meadow

1422 *** Aspen

1068 *** Turquoise

1003 *** Aster

1019 *** Cloud Blue

The pattern is Lucy's as well and her very easy to follow Hexagon How To can be found on her blog.

I didn't join as you go because I really wanted white borders, but I didn't want the last round of the hexagon to be white (i.e. colourful circles edged in white) so each hexagon has been finished with a round of double crochet (US sc) and they're all sewn together.

The border was just a round of trebles and another round of half trebles. When it came to the "peaks" of the side I did 1 tr, 1 ch, 1 tr in the corner space, and for the "valleys" I just missed out two stitches in the very bottom (it was a bit made up / hit and miss!).



I'd heard that washing Stylecraft transformed it into magical soft stuff... I was a bit wary but almost as soon as I'd finished I chucked it in the machine on a quick wash and dry. Scariest 35 minutes of my life!

This is before...


And this is after! Well, after once I'd hidden all the ends!!!


Apart from being super super soft - much softer than I expected - it's also super floppy!! It's much more snuggly now but feels a lot more delicate too. I discovered my end weaving left something to be desired, 4-5 hexagons came apart but were easily repaired and I've pulled all the other ends that wriggled loose to the back & I'm sewing them back in to hide.

I can't give exact details on my washers temperature, all I know is the wash cycle was about 30 but the drying doesn't say. I think the coolest drying cycle on the quickest time would probably be fine.

I am super pleased with the results though!

I don't think I'm going to be attempting another blanket for a while. Now I can get on with finishing another snood, the Green Garden Grannies cushion and a few other bit's and bobs.

Bye bye One-A-Day project! Thank you for having me Carole & all the other crochet/knitters, and *thank you* for helping to get this one finished!!

x x x x

Tuesdays Tallies: six

The end of the hexagon blanket is almost here...! My cream wool arrived last week so I'm now onto the last bit before the border :)

Last week Deb from A World of Imagination asked how I was going to edge my blanket and I've finally got to the point where I can show you :)

I figured the easiest thing would be to draw it...

The sections I've coloured orange I decided to make half-hexagons to fill what would have been quite large gaps. I don't mind the sides too much (where the green triangles are) and I think it will look quite nice with a zig-zag edge.

I've since found a couple of tutorials and diagrams to make half-hexagons but I made it up as I went along and it was really quite easy. As I speak I'm trying to make a proper tutorial but it's going to take a lot longer than I thought so I'll probably post that later.

You begin as normal - I use a magic circle, chain 3 and then make 6 trebles (US dc) into the middle. Tighten the magic circle and fasten off.

For round two slip stitch into the first chain 3, chain 3 and treble 1 (US dc) into the same stitch (makes one bobble stitch). Make 6 more bobbles in each treble from round 1.

I love the way they look like rainbows :)

Round three. Chain 3 into the first bobble of round two and make 2 more trebles to make a cluster. Chain 1. Treble 3 into the next bobble, chain 1. Repeat til the end - you should have 7 clusters in total.

They look even more like rainbows now huh?

Round 4 is made up of two rounds really, you just can't see the first.

To make sure the last round is the right way round, you want to do this bit on the reverse.

Slip stitch into the top of chain 3, chain 3 and slip stitch into the gap between the trebles. Continue to the end of the round - I keep saying round but they're anything but round!

Turn the half-hex over and slip stitch into the first chain loop thing - Chain 3 and treble 2 into the same chain and treble three into the next loop.

Treble 3 into the next loop, chain 2 and then treble another 3 into the same loop. This makes a corner.

Treble 3 into the next chain, then do the corner again - treble 3, chain 2, treble 3 into the same loops.

In the next two loops make 3 more trebles and tie off

I edged mine with double crochet (US sc) in cream (!!) to finish.



These should fill in all the big gaps to make a straight edge. I really hope what I've just written makes sense - if not feel free to email me - nicoleandthebee at gmail.com :-)

As always you can visit Caroles blog for more Tuesdays Tallies by clicking the banner

x x x x