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Learning cabling

This week we've spent a couple of days staying with Tom's Nan, Sue. Which means I've had a few craft lessons!

Lesson number one was learning how to cable knit. Sue did a quick sampler so she could show me what to do, and then this is what I came up with!

The pattern is hard to show up close but it was a simple cable pattern using cb4 on a repeat with purl stitches in between.

You can see a little peek of what I did next in the background too..

New arrivals: Easter chicks!

We've got some new arrivals. These gorgeous little knitted chicks..

These chirpy little things were an Easter present from my brother's gorgeous girlfriend. She knitted them herself and also sells them in her parents' shop, "Mike's" in Ilminster. She makes several little knitted toys available to buy throughout the year so worth a look if you're in the area :)

Finished project: Sail boats!

I have been wanting to make this pattern by Jacquie at Bunny Mummy every since I found it whilst "stumbling" the crochet interest nearly a year ago! In fact.. I think I found it just as I was starting to crochet and though "Help! I'll never be able to make something as pretty as that". Well... here we are and I've managed to follow the pattern and as Jacquie's tutorials are always so well illustrated with well-taken photographs it was nice and easy! In fact.. it only took me a couple of days and that includes drying time for the starch!

I didn't embellish these ships as much as Jacquie did but I'm glad I finally found a use for these little fish! They came with my second (?) crafty creatives subscription box and I adore them, I just never thought of anything to use them for until now. This decoration is actually a house-warming present for my parents, but I have an idea for these boats for the future for my own home :) May be a few months before I make them again though!

P.S. I'm attempting to be a bit more conversational in these posts now. I read one of my older posts the other day and realised it was all short statements. Not fun to read hey? Let me know if this is any better and I'll try to keep it up :)

Looking back...

After reading a blog post by Donah at Sweet Jelly Bean about spring cleaning your blog, I thought I'd have a go while I'm sat down on my lunch break. I looked back through my old blog posts and I found my first attempt at crochet! Whenever anyone asks how I got into crochet, I can never remember, but here it is, sat on my blog. It's not the most detailed blog post by any stretch, but it does at least tell me what inspired me to try the craft I find myself indulging in most nights.

It's quite fun to see how I've improved from that tiny 3cmx3cm square now too and to look at all the lovely things I've made since!

 

In July I started with this:

 

 

And by August I'd managed to crochet a whole teddy!

 

And a second one!

 

 

Thankfully my photography improved a little along the way too!

 

I've made a hat

 

And even some slippers..

 

 

I'm quite impressed with all the different things I've managed to try, and largely I'm happy with their success! I still try to wear my hat (although I made it a little bit big and I've had to try and shrink it with elastic!) and Hope is sat in my Mum's living room.

Of course I still like to try new things, and I'm still yet to complete my first blanket, but I hope I can continue to improve and maybe even design something myself one day...

Food post: Choco-mallow-pie

Yesterday I decided I wanted to do some baking. This doesn't happen very much anymore, due to the large amount of washing up it produces, but.. its a long weekend so who cares! Now, the recipe we decided on wasn't actually so much baking as putting together, but it was fun (and tasty) anyway!

The recipe came from a book my Mum bought my fiancé about a year ago, "Essential Student Cookbook" by Cas Clarke. Not really where you'd expect to find this recipe, but I think it was in the "entertaining" section. The recipe is relatively simple, with only 4 ingredients.. cream, chocolate, marshmallows and a pastry base. I guess that is cheating a bit, but even celeb chefs don't seem to make their own pastry anymore! So.. here it is!

It was yummy (I say was.. we still have a fair amount left!) and I would definitely make this again.. although maybe with the help of an electric whisk next time! Let's just say that beating cream 'til it holds its shape is difficult without one..

New yarn!

I treated myself to several small balls of yarn so I have plenty of colours for smaller projects.

Mostly, the yarn is the same as I've been using for my baby blanket.. with the addition of a lilac.

I didn't bother to buy black or white as I can pick those up easily in town :)

I've already used one of these on one of my current projects and can't wait to use the rest!