One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies

It's been a really busy week here so I haven't managed to add as many squares to my total as I would have liked.  Most of last week was spent on a marathon sprint to finish my giant Granny Square, which you can see here.  I started to catch up on my squares on Thursday and Friday but I had to work on Saturday and Sunday night, work really interferes with my hooky time, so I have only managed to add another 22 squares which now brings me up to 116.  I've added a couple of new colours to the pile this week, a purple and a teal colour.  The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cotton DK, which is a 100% cotton.  It's very soft and the colours are gorgeous.  It's a very thick DK so I don't think I'll be adding anymore of it to this blanket, but it will most certainly be going on  my list of ranges to invest in when I'm feeling flush.  This also opens up the possibility of more stash busting as I have a bagful of Stylecraft Cotton to use up too.

Please do come and join our Flickr Group if you haven't already and if you are new to my blog and wondering what on earth this post is all about hop over to our Raverly group for more details.

Time for the fun bit! If you would like to participate in 'Tuesday's Tallies' please add your details below, remembering to use your the link for your post rather than your blog. You don't have to leave a comment (although it's very lovely when you do!) and it would be great if you could visit some of the links too. If you are participating please could you link back to this post :)

Giant Granny Ta-Dah!

I'm not going to write much for this Ta-Dah, I think the photographs say it all really.  Yes, I finished my Giant Granny Blanket.  I started this way back in April, worked on it a lot and then it got cast aside in favour of other things - as is so often the case here.  I picked it back up last Saturday determined to finish it and yesterday I did.  I'll include some facts for you at the end of the post but for now, sit back and enjoy!  I had fun taking the photographs......

I did double rows of colours for the last few rounds which I love.

I added a funky filter to this photograph and love the retro feel

I am starting to love the twisting you get on crochet

Pattern - a basic granny square, I do mine with 2 chains in the corners and no chains in between the clusters. The border is from BunnyMummy and you can find it here.  I used a 3.75mm hook, but wish I had used a 4mm!
Yarn - James C Brett Cotton On, a DK cotton/acrylic blend.
Size - 110 cms
Weight - 784 grams

I've just realised it's Friday so I am going to link up with Tami for FO Friday - I haven't timed my Ta-Dah's with Tami for ages, do go and have a look here at Tami's blog for some more FO Friday posts.

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies

Yes it's Tuesday again and time for an update on my One a Day project.  It's still coming along nicely and my total is now 94 squares.  I thought I would lay them out this week so you can see how they all look - pretty aren't they?  It was a little bit of a wake up call laying them out as I realised I am going to need a whole load more of these to make a decent sized blanket.  I think I'll need a minimum of 400 squares possibly more if I want to put them on our bed.  They now weigh 250 grams so that's five balls of yarn! 

90 squares

Please do come and join our Flickr Group if you haven't already and if you are new to my blog and wondering what on earth this post is all about hop over to our Raverly group for more details.


Time for the fun bit! If you would like to participate in 'Tuesday's Tallies' please add your details below, remembering to use your the link for your post rather than your blog. You don't have to leave a comment (although it's very lovely when you do!) and it would be great if you could visit some of the links too. If you are participating please could you link back to this post :)

Nearing the End.....

Oh it was so lovely here on Saturday, warm but not too hot and the skies were that beautiful shade of blue we enjoy here in the UK dotted with fluffy white clouds.  We decided to take advantage of the good weather after weeks and weeks of rain and headed off for a few hours of much needed fresh air.  It was also the first time our puppy Deeks had had a proper walk other than in our local park.  Oh he did have fun, running around with the children in the long grass.  He wasn't so keen on the river and chose not to join Lucy for a swim.  Our other collie, Sally  (who died a couple of years ago) was exactly the same and would even walk around puddles to avoid getting wet!  Lucy, on the other hand loves the water and jumps in as soon as she sees it, much to the annoyance of the fisherman on the banks and anyone who happens to be in her shake zone when she comes out!

Yesterday we enjoyed a quiet day at home and as is so often the case on quiet days at home I indulged myself in lots and lots of hooky time.  I'm starting to feel a little bogged down, a little heavy in the mind about how many unfinished projects I have dotted around the house, so I picked up my Giant Granny Square and completed my goal of 50 rounds.  I was a little disappointed when I measured it to find it was still less than a metre square.  I had really hoped it would be a lot bigger but could not face doing another 10 rounds of the different colours.  Instead I have chosen to do a large border.  Okay, so it's still the same as doing another 10 rounds but in my head, because it's the border, it feels like I am nearing the end.  I think we could have a Ta-Dah this week, but have a sneaky peak for now!

My New Addiction!

My First 10 Hexipuffs

I know a lot of you that read my blog are also members of Ravelry and you can't possibly have missed the Beekeeper's Quilt that first appeared on there last year.  oh boy did I fall head over heels in love with it, but despite many attempts I just could not get to grips with the very simple pattern.  My puffs were bad and so I simply sat back and watched everyone else producing these gorgeous little puffs.  My interest in them was renewed recently, particularly seeing Sarah from Crafts from the Cwtch sharing her gorgeous collection of puffs. I decided it was time to tackle my inability to puff and spent a huge amount of time last week practising and practising and finally with some help from Sarah I can puff!  I totally get the addiction to making them, seriously it's so hard not to spend all day making them!  My practising has taught me to Magic Loop too, which I've never 'got' until now.  I've now reached my first Hexipuff goal and I reached 10 puffs yesterday.  Some of my first efforts didn't make the grade but these ones have.  I've got plenty of yarn to be getting on with for now, but I did treat myself to some lovely little mini skeins from Fivemoons.  I can highly recommend buying from there, the yarns are all beautiful and the service second to none.

I'm having a housework free day today and I imagine plenty of the day will be spent making Hexipuffs and trying to resist the temptation to buy more yarn to make them.  I really want to try some Koigu.......

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies

Yes, it really is that time again!  This week I am feeling so much better, still coughing but just so much better in myself than I was before.  I returned to work for one night last week but I am now on two weeks holiday and looking forward to the break immensely.  We've lots to do around the house and yesterday we blitzed Katherine's bedroom.  Pippa spent her first night in there, in her big girl's bed and not in our room.  She went straight to sleep and not a peep was heard from her until just after seven this morning, success!

A pile of grannies!

My granny production has slowed down a little this week.  I'm now up to 67 little grannies, which weigh in at a total of 168 grams.  That's just over three balls of yarn used in three weeks!  I have no idea how many I am going to make, I think I shall keep going until the balls start to run out.  I'd like to have an even mix of all 26 colours but I also don't want to be left with lots of straggly bits of yarn, decisions, decisions!  The pattern uses a crochet join on the top of the blanket but I think I will be using a join on the underneath.  I'd really like to start joining them now to see how they look altogether but for now I will settle for looking at them in a pile!

Please do come and join our Flickr Group if you haven't already and if you are new to my blog and wondering what on earth this post is all about hop over to our Raverly group for more details.


Time for the fun bit! If you would like to participate in 'Tuesday's Tallies' please add your details below, remembering to use your the link for your post rather than your blog. You don't have to leave a comment (although it's very lovely when you do!) and it would be great if you could visit some of the links too. If you are participating please could you link back to this post :)

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies

Welcome to Tuesday's Tallies again.  I haven't had a very good week since I last posted.  I ended up very poorly with a chest infection and bronchitis.  It's reluctant to leave and I'm still not 100% but at least I am on the mend now.

Despite the illness, I've managed to get quite a few more of my squares done and my total is now 48.  Some of the colours I started with have now been discarded and I've added a brighter pink.  I'm very happy with the colours now, they work really nicely together.  The photograph is terrible though, I've used my iPhone camera but I think the lens needs a little clean, it's all a bit foggy!

While I've got you here, I've started a group on Flickr as a central place to pool our One a Day photographs.  You can find the group here if you would like a look or to join in.

Time for the fun bit! If you would like to participate in 'Tuesday's Tallies' please add your details below, remembering to use your the link for your post rather than your blog. You don't have to leave a comment (although it's very lovely when you do!) and it would be great if you could visit some of the links too. If you are participating please could you link back to this post :)

One a Day Project - Tuesday's Tallies

Wow, Tuesday again already! I have to say this last week has not been the best. Whatever virus has chosen to come and stay has completely wiped me out and my energy levels are at an all time low. Most of my parenting has been done from the settee in a seating position as that's about all I have been able to manage! I'm hoping today might start to see me starting to feel better.

Week 1 - 23 squares complete

I've got more exciting things to talk about than feeling unwell.  Yes, after much, much deliberating last Tuesday I have picked my next project.  I wanted something small, one colour and something that would be easy to join together with a slip stitch at the end.  The pattern I have picked is from Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench and it's the Springtime Throw on page 24.  These squares work up really quickly, so I've been able to make a few everyday.  I'm slowly working my way through the pile of yarn.  My plan to weigh them has fallen by the wayside though as I realised I am still using some of the colours on another blanket.  Instead I can tell you that I have made 23 squares this week and they weigh 59 grams!

Time for the fun bit! If you would like to participate in 'Tuesday's Tallies' please add your details below, remembering to use your the link for your post rather than your blog. You don't have to leave a comment (although it's very lovely when you do!) and it would be great if you could visit some of the links too. If you are participating please could you link back to this post :)

My Sunny Spread Ta-Dah!

Oh it's been a while since I did a Ta-Dah.  I'm so excited to finally get to share with you my Sunny Spread blanket.  This was my One a Day Project for a long time but at some point I think I got bored with it and it got bagged up and put in the cupboard.  I fell in love with it again though when I got it back out of the cupboard, 48 bright colourful squares surrounded with a creamy border.  Are you ready to see it in all it's glory?  Okay then, here you go.....

Ta=Dah!

The Edge

Shall I tell you how I pieced it all together?  I joined four squares together with a slip stitch join and then added a border of UK double crochet to each set of four squares.  I then slip stitched all of these new sets of four to make one big display.  Once they were all joined together I started my border.  Don't you just love doing borders?  I do, it's really my favourite part and although my borders are always simple, I spent hours considering how many rounds will be just right, what colours to pick and what that final round will be.  I made four rounds of UK trebles using cream, red, blue and green, followed by Lucy's Bobble Trim in teal.

This took ages to dry after being washed (I washed it in the machine, but chose a delicate cycle with a low spin speed which probably didn't help) and I was going to pack it away for fear of repeating the whole three day drying dilemma but for now I've decided to let it live on our red dining room chair. I think it looks perfect there, surrounded by some of my favourite things.

A few details for you!

Pattern - Sunny Spread by Ellen Gormley
Yarn - King Cole Bamboo Cotton
Happiness - Very happy!

A 2nd Year of Projects - The Start!

I'll be honest, last year's attempt at taking part on a Year of Projects was an epic fail, but this year I feel a lot more positive that I can keep the momentum going for the next 12 months.  My aim for the year is to complete 12 knitted items and wherever possible the yarn will be from my stash.  I am not making myself a rigid list this year instead I am going to see where the year takes me on this stash busting journey!

I have already decided on my first project.  I recently made this cardigan for Katherine.  I really enjoyed the simple yet effective pattern and while I was still working on this pink version I purchased more yarn to make another one that she could wear when she starts school in September.

The yarn I have for it is King Cole Comfort Aran in a rich purple shade.  I went for acrylic/nylon as I imagine it will need washing very frequently!  I've used King Cole yarns before and always been happy with them so I am hoping I have made a good choice here.  I also think it will be nice for her to have something other than a thick heavy sweatshirt to wear when it's too cool for short sleeves but too warm for that thick heavy sweatshirt.

If you haven't heard of a Year of Projects do pop over to the Raverly group and have a look.  Perhaps you might like to join in the fun too!