Crochet-a-go-go

 

I am loving exploring my new sewing projects, however sometimes I wish it would be more of a sociable hobby. Aside from the gossiping and blogging side of sewing, it can be quite a solitary sport often being engrossed and squirreled away in the crafting corner.

I love listening to music (all kinds) and I love choosing some tunes to play during a sewing session.   Music influences my mood greatly.  In the cd player at the moment is the album “What Sound” by Lamb (my ultimate favourite – also my first gig as they were supporting Moby in Manchester). 

Sometimes though…I just want to chat.  My sister would agree with me I think.  I like to  talk.  I like company.

I have already contemplated the merits of planning sewing projects in order to have a couple on the go at one time so that I could do bulk cutting, bulk hand-sewing etc. which could be done in the living room.  I’m not sure this will work for me…well not yet.  I like to complete/finish one thing before moving onto the next so the idea of skipping here and there with projects is daunting.  There are also times where I am away on holiday and need a more sociable and portable hobby in order to stay productive, and enjoy the company of others.  My sister recommended Crochet, and she left me a 4.00mm hook (pretty pastel pink) and a small ball of yarn (also pink) in my Christmas gift hamper to get me started!

I did a bit of googling… crumbs Crocheting speak is a complete foreign language.  I made sure to stick with UK rules from the start so as not to get too muddled.

I looked at some tutorials for beginners at Crochet Hooks You. These made much more sense when I was following with my own yarn in hand.  My sister and mum have tried showing me before, I manage a chain and then everything goes down hill! I think the difficulty was understanding what the “holes” were…I just couldn’t see these “stitches”.  So I’ve been practicing and persevering and so far I have been able to follow tutorials to make a teeny tiny heart and a granny square following Attic 24’s tutorials which are quite easy to follow (with photographic steps also).  You can check out Attic 24’s tutorials and blog here – it’s full of colourful inspiration.

I picked up 3 coloured balls of wool at the shop the other day:  deep fuscia, a dark purple, and a lilac.  They are all DK (Double Knit), they are 100% acrylic and they are machine washable at 40 and cool tumble.  My granny squares look cute in these colours, so as I’m practicing, these first granny squares will go in my maiden blanket! They’re all slightly different size – I must have different tension or an extra stitch here and there…but I’m sure I can use them. A social project for the days I want company.

 

In amongst doing granny squares my eyes have drifted towards Amigurumi.  Just to keep me entertained, I managed to create this little fella….

“Flippit”- Bunny Amigurimi VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I followed this pattern, after discovering the treasures on ravelry.com.  He’s “Flippit”, a little bunny with a pom pom tail…  Timber did start to attack when he started to make himself comfy on the chair so he didn’t stay there for long.

I then started to make a kitten amigurimi to test myself, but within dashing in/out to check the cottage pie I was making, I rather lost count of my spirals and the head turned out massive in comparison to the body.  I was going to unravel…but then I slip stitched the bottom together and it kind of resembled ears…so I was going to transform it into an owl…but then I thought it could be a cat of sorts…. I messed up the whiskers on the right side, and the ears aren’t really big enough to be ears…and it is a bit weird to have made a cat head… but he’s made and he shall be called “Pickles”.

The beginnings of my crochet adventure…I have a long way to go… but I’ve made a start…

Love from me and my little man x