Ripple Done!

One thing I have learned, although it's a lesson that I try to deny - a week of intensive study with no escape, lasting for around ten hours a day including lots of driving, does not make for easy crochet time...or indeed for anything but taking notes and travelling.  Thoughts of sneaking projects in under the radar can be rejected when the lecture theatre is full of about 140 other people, and especially when the project in progress is a blanket at border stage (and I made that up myself, too.  I admire those who flatten the ends to create a full rectangle, but that's not for me.  I think the ripple effect throughout is the charm).

Weariness at the end of the day also does not make for effective border completion time.  However, it's beautiful and bright now, and only awaiting the birth of my niece in about seven weeks' time.  I also have a full range of the colours still remaining, having convinced myself that two balls of each colour would be needed.  Funnily enough, just one was required for all shades except the Ivory Pearl.  I'm quite tempted to replicate the whole project again.  Working with the Stylecraft WonderSoft Pearl was just lovely, and the end result is a substantial but not too warm blanket.

I hope the little one likes the final result - and that her mother (my sister) does too!

A blank canvas

There it is...a slightly crumpled, forgotten for a while, nearly finished, using the materials at hand.....twine bag.

It's one of 'those' projects - a combination of giving it a try, making it up, handy for hot weather, a spare moment, while chatting to visitors - you know the sort.

It can nearly be done without looking, except for the fact that the twine's hard on the hands and splits every third stitch - but that doesn't matter because it's cheap, natural, great texture and soft but structured overall.

It's round and round and how wide should I make the handles?  It's handbag size but could be a purse, does it need a fastening?  it definitely doesn't need a lining, how about a pocket?

It's almost an amigurumi bag in the making, nicely neutral like all those Ikea baskets and hanging pods that get Pinned, and then there's the questions of should I try a cross stitch on the perfectly suitable base?  maybe a rose or an initial or just a running stitch of randomness....or maybe it could spring with round flowers - crocheted and sewn - so that it's the background, not the feature, a solid garden bed to rainbow blooms.....

And it gets mulled over and nearly put away, but I know I want to make some more of these, because, like every just because project, it's the perfect food for thought, the inspiration, and even though slightly crumpled and tossed into the WIP collection of uncertain fate, it tempts me with every slightly clipped stitch - a blank canvas made of kitchen twine.

And finished!

Start...and finished!

There is no feeling of satisfaction greater than that of completing a project, and with a new baby landing in the family in just over two months' time, it has been urgent (to my way of thinking) to get as much as possible made before her arrival.

I made a little jacket, out of Rowan Pure Wool DK - which, I'll note, was lovely to work with in hot weather.  The pattern was a Cleckheaton number, and with all the seaming involved, reminded me why I love top down, no seam projects.  I don't mind sewing, but this was quite a test of patience and fortitude, and despite blocking, there are still slightly lumpy seams on the sleeves.  Then there was the incident of the third button down.

The third button down took half an hour and lots of blood (literally - I stabbed myself twice with the needle) to attach.  At one stage my younger brother was deployed to hold the jacket in place while I tried to get the button settled.  He gave up and I took a deep breath.  Finally, it worked, and the little jacket was finished.

I love these timber buttons with floral patterns, and have quite a selection now.  While actually attaching them is problematic, the result is worth the effort, and choosing which pattern to use is a fun exercise in itself.

Now it's back to the ripple blanket (part of which can be seen in the header) I'm also creating for my new niece.  I'm slowing down a bit on this one because of the need for new supplies, accompanied by extreme heat.  Working with a pearl acrylic is a bit slippery in such conditions.  It's quite intriguing to read of snow and rain....I find myself thinking wistfully of the need for a partial weather exchange.  We in Australia are dealing with the usual summer challenges - fires, cyclones up north - and simply facing the soaring temperatures each day as 40 beckons regularly is quite a test.  Just a few days of cool breezes would be most welcome.

However, I must admit that summer sunrises are a real highlight.  The one below comes from this morning, caught on my phone at around 6.30 am.

At least this is a nice way to start the day!