Autumn Workshop ...............................

After what seemed like weeks of planning and being surrounded by heaps of autumnal shades of yarn my workshops finally took place last Friday and Saturday. As usual I really enjoyed them and what could be better than sharing an afternoon or maybe two with a lovely group of "kindred spirits".

It was fun getting the table ready and making everything welcoming for the workshop - I thought I would have everything finished in plenty of time but ten minutes before the workshop started I was still running around doing last minute tweaks.

Table all set..............

Cakes and treats prepared............

Some I made earlier!

We all share a great love of crochet and yarn, and everyone experienced such a sense of achievement when they produced "the cutest sweetest tiny pumpkins" - it's quite hard to put into words the beauty of creating something, or managing to follow a tricky pattern, and the lovely warm feelings you get when people admire your work.

So many funny stories were shared, it's seems that partners don't always share the love and beauty of yarn, they don't understand the desire to buy that perfect ball of merino when you really don't know what you will do with it or where you will put it. Yarn is carefully stored ( hidden) under the bed, behind the sofa, in the boot! and sometimes it is cherished and stored in beautiful boxes all perfectly colour co-ordinated - I think you all know who you are!

At times you could hear a pin drop everyone was concentrating so hard, it wasn't a bit like our noisy chatty "Crochet Club" nights, some beautiful autumnal lovelies were produced and I can't wait to see the finished wreaths.

Just when I thought I could put my feet up everyone is talking about a Christmas Wreath workshop!

I'm so lucky to have  the beginnings of a little business that allows me to meet lots of lovely people, be creative and earn enough money to replenish my ever depleting yarn stash.

talk soon x

Autumn Workshop

I'm just planning another workshop, My theme is Autumn and I am busy collecting lots of lovely yarn in soft autumn hues. I want to make an "Autumnal Wreath" but my challenge is how much can be achieved in a 4 hour workshop. I have been researching lots of crochet blogs for ideas and inspiration and of course Lucy is famed for her crochet flower wreaths. Some wreaths are covered with yarn wrapped around them and some have a double crochet jacket. I much prefer the ones covered with a length of double crochet. They look so much more substantial, this method of course takes a lot longer. For a 25 cm ring using a 4 mm hook and 25 stitches you need to crochet a length of 75 cm as you can imagine I am busy making prototypes.

An important message to myself is "write everything down" I have a habit of making little patterns up and then forgetting how I made them. I made a teeny tiny crochet mouse to add to my wreath but have completely forgotten how I made it!

I have found some lovely beautiful free patterns for pumpkins and acorns, but if you use them please link back to the original source. Lovely pattern for a small pumpkin here and here and an amazing acorn pattern here.

My first ever covered wreath...............

Just a few little embellishments

Starting to pin into place

Starting another one !!!

Before I go back to my crochet wreath I must tell you some incredible news, I had quite a surprise yesterday I was looking at my blogger stats and couldn't believe that I had reached the amazing milestone of over 100,000 hits which is unbelievable. So a great big thank you to all the people that take the time to click onto my blog.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend xxx

time for a spot of fun.............

I've just finished tidying the house, washing dishes and putting laundry away so I think I deserve a little bit of me time. Comfy chair found and crochet hook at the ready, I have been trying to master colour change in crochet and have always loved the harlequin pattern written by Jules . This is my third attempt, my work is looking neater and I'm improving but still have away to go - what do you think.................

 back to concentrating - talk soon x

Join as you go

My Monday Night Crochet Club is getting busy and I'm worried that soon I will run out of chairs and I think I may need to invest in an extra kettle. Crochet is thirsty work or maybe it's all the chatting and laughter!

Most weeks we all bring something to work on but last week I did a mini tutorial on how to join granny squares as you go. I had always found joining granny squares daunting, I love making them but the finishing off was my least favourite part and I still have a few projects waiting to be completed. This changed when I stumbled upon Irene's blog last year, Irene had made a beautiful blanket and used the join as you go method, it was based on the technique that Lucy uses. I had tried following Lucy's pattern once before and couldn't get to grips with it but Irene's inspiration made me have another go. The pattern sounds really tricky but actually it is quite straight forward, just make sure you can sit quietly and concentrate the first time you try it.

I had a bag of small granny squares from an unfinished project so I split them into groups of four and shared them out and away we went. With very little help and guidance everyone picked the method up and we quickly had a pile of joined granny squares.

I didn't want to waste these lovely squares so I have joined them all together and made a small blanket which we are going to donate. The original small squares were green and pink but they have been joined with a multitude of vibrant colours.

Not quite my colour palette but the mini blankie has come together really well.

I've got to get my thinking cap on for next week's crochet club now.

Hope you all have a fab weekend x

Friday Happies

My Friday Happies are all photos taken on our lovely family holiday - 8 adults and 6 children what a crowd - such fun........................

When the sun shines family beach holidays in Anglesey can't be beaten.

talk soon x

Life goes on

It's a beautiful September morning, the sun is shining and I have just been sitting outside on my patio with a cup of coffee reminiscing about life. The funeral took place last week and so many lovely people, friends, family and neighbour's came. It was obviously a very sad day but the service was uplifting and a real celebration of my mother in laws life.

Laura did a reading and chose a beautiful poem

She is Gone

You can shed a tear that she is gone or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and wish that she'll come back or you can open your eyes and see all 

she 's left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she's gone or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what she would want: smile open your eyes, love and go on.

David Harkins 1981

Laura loved the sentiment of the poem and felt that her Grandma would have liked it too, when she researched the poem she found out that the Queen had included it at her own mothers funeral. This would have pleased my mother in law as she was a great fan of the Royal family.

Life does go on and we all have such rich and happy memories to keep us going. I really appreciated all your lovely comments on my last post, which had been quite difficult to write.

I promise that my future posts will be more uplifting and I have a few fun photos to share with you now before I go.

Monday was the last day of the school holidays, and Vicky was back at work so I looked after Alex, Finn and Daisy for the day.

We made dens

set up a shop

 did some writing

 and decorated buns

lots of fun and no time to be sad.

talk soon

Sue x