The monday smile

I hope you have all had a great weekend and all you mums had a fabulous  Mothers Day.  Mine was lovely it started with a thud on the mat when I went to look my daughter had posted a card through the letter  box on her way to work.  The most beautiful card and the sentiments made me cry so did this...

Aww so sweet.

My lovely son and daughter in law then took me to buy some tropical fish for my tank...much better than chocolates I think.  In the evening my daughter arrived after work laden with all sorts of lovely eats, this along with phone calls from my two sons who couldn't be there made it a perfect day for me. :)

Many of you have probably seen this before but I saw it on Facebook and thought it was hilarious hope you do too

This dog is not allowed on the bed, this is what he does when his owners are away.

Have a great week! 

All you stashaholics it's the end of the month already please tot up your totals for the month if you are counting and look out for the new link party tomorrow. :)

Block a week Friday

Block 153

Speckled Bands

This Block is made in Moss Stitch and I love how it's turned out.  A very easy stitch and great to knit when watching TV or even reading a book.  I find this a very decorative stitch with a lovely texture and I have used it many times before. I like the stripe sequence but as usual where there are stripes you have ends and a lot of ends in this case 17!

Rating - Easy

Curl - 0

size - 6"
ends - 17

More examples of this block

This time I am featuring a beautiful Blanket made by Puglets another lovely member of Loving Hands

By Puglets 

Can you spot block 153? she has also used Blocks 5,8,18,24

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 15

Numbers - 14, 17, 24, 30,34, 40, 41, 42, 45, 52, 56, 67  98, 113,153

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Number of blocks altogether = 19

Linking with

Have a great weekend and for those mums who are celebrating Mothers Day this weekend Happy Mothers Day!

Spring Time Cardigan

When you are making something like a huge blanket you need to make something small in between so I really enjoyed making this little cardigan

 The pattern is for a Newborn but mine has turned out as a preemie size which is what I wanted anyway, I adapted the pattern by leaving off the collar and adding a little flower, it is Spring after all. :)

I used Baby Double knit yarn and a 3.75 hook
it took just 36 grams of yarn.

You can find this pattern and many more charity makes here


Another one for....

Linking with 

The Monday Smile

Hope you all had a great weekend and your weather did what it was supposed to do for Spring.  We had rain, wind and hailstones such variety but I know it can't stay cold for much longer Spring is just a breath away just like the completion of my blanket! I am so pleased to say I am now down to......

The last 30!

I thought I would never get there but at last I can say after making 44 motifs and joining 75 last week I have only 30 more motifs to join onto the blanket. Then there will just be the border to do and the great big mood/never ending blanket can be revealed.  I'm planning a giveaway for all my followers to celebrate so stay tuned. :)


Now to keep you busy this week and get your week off to a smile, this is for those of you who want to learn how to knit. For those of you who can knit you may pick up some tips. :)

Well maybe not  

Have a great week!

Block a week Friday

Block 14 Troika

A fair-isle pattern which is worked from a chart...I needed a magnifying glass to see it! I think that you need to be a dedicated knitter to work in fair-isle.  

I really love the finished result but not the making of it, carrying the wool across the back and the counting of stitches does take a lot of dedication to get it right. My finished block was wider at the top than at the bottom, which means I must have carried the wool too tightly across the back.

It would be fun to use it on a small project like a hat or a border for a little sweater or cardigan.  It's not really a difficult pattern but I would say it was fiddly and you are left with 14 ends to weave in.

Rating - intermediate

Curl - 2

size - 6"
ends - 14

More examples of this block

by Appledumpling Loving Hands

by Ftm Loving hands

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 14

Numbers - 14, 17, 24, 30,34, 40, 41, 42, 45, 52, 56, 67  98, 113,

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Number of blocks altogether = 18

Linking with

Have a great weekend. :)

Lisha Baby Hat

This a simple crochet baby hat in preemie and new born sizes, beginning with the same basic crown pattern which I first made for the Pompom hat.  Once you have the basic crown pattern it's very easy to add your own touches and use any pattern stitch you wish.

For the Lisha hat I have used a variation on Paris stitch, to use Paris stitch for a hat you have to turn at the end of each round, for this variation I have worked the stitch in the round so I'm calling this reversed Paris stitch

Sizes

For a small Preemie work to round 3 of  Basic Crown and then pattern until hat measures 3 1/2 inches from top of crown to bottom of hat.

For larger preemie work to round 4 then pattern until hat measures 4 to 4 1/2 inches.

For Newborn work to round 5 then pattern until hat measure 6 inches

Pattern

Written in English crochet terms
Abbreviations
ch = chain
dc = double crochet (sc/us)
tr = treble (dc/us)
ss slip stitch.

Double Knit yarn 
Small preemie 9 grams
Larger preemie 11 grams
Newborn 19 grams 

4.50 mm Hook

Basic Crown

Make an Adjustable/magic ring

Round one - ch3 and 15tr into ring, ss to ch3 at beg of round. (here and throughout ch3 counts as 1tr) =16tr

Round two - ch3, *2tr into next tr, 1tr in next tr* rep from * to * around, ss to top of ch3 =24 tr

Round three - ch3, 1tr in next tr, *2tr in next tr, 1tr into next 2tr* around, ss to top of ch3 = 32 tr

Round four - ch3, 1tr in next 2 tr, *2tr in next tr, 1tr in next 3tr* around ss to top of ch3  = 40 tr
Round five - ch3 then 1tr in next 3tr, *2tr in next tr, 1tr in next 4 tr* around ss to top of ch3 = 48 tr

Begin pattern rounds
Foundation row
Ch 3,1tr,2ch,1dc in same st,* miss 2tr, (2tr,2ch,1dc) in next tr*, miss 2tr, (2tr,2ch,1dc) in next tr* rep from * to* until last 2 tr, ss to top of 3ch at beg of round.

Pattern Rounds
Ch1, (2tr,2ch,1dc) in each 2ch space of each (2tr,2ch,1dc) around, ss to first ch1 of round.
Repeat this row until hat is the length you desire, see sizes above.

Why Lisha? because Lisha means sweet and happy.... all little babies are sweet and if you want to make them happy just hook them a Lisha Hat :)

© Linda Solaiman 2014

find a print friendly version here

You may also like ...

Aimee Baby Hat

Aiden Baby Hat

Baby Pixie Hat

Pompom Baby Hat

The Monday Smile

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.
Here are some beautiful birds to make you smile this week

 Green Jay

Golden Pheasant

Formosan Magpie

Himalayan Monal

 Nicobar Pigeon

Quetzal

Winson's Bird Of Paradise

Bird of Paradise

 Peacock

Sup, Polish Chicken

Thank you to Bob for sending me these lovely pictures


I know you will have heard them before but they still make me smile :)

Bird jokes

Q: When should you buy a bird?
A: When it’s going cheep!

Did you hear the one about the crow and the telephone pole?
He wanted to make a long distance caw.

Q: How does a bird with a broken wing manage to land safely?
A: With its sparrowchute.

Q: Why did the little bird get in trouble at school?
A: Because he was caught tweeting on a test.

Q: What do you give a sick bird?
A: Tweetment.

Q: How does a bird with a broken wing manage to land safely?
A: With its sparrowchute.

Q: Why did the little bird get in trouble at school?
A: Because he was caught tweeting on a test.

Q: What do you give a sick bird?
A: Tweetment.

Mood Blanket Progress

I'm still making and joining and the blanket is getting bigger and bigger.

This week I made 58 motifs which means 44 more to make

And I joined 77 motifs to the blanket, which means more 105 more to join.

This week I am going to make the 44 motifs to bring the total to 105 first, so that I will have enough to complete the blanket then I can concentrate on joining them to the blanket, then I just have to do the border and it's done.  

I'm now searching for suitable border patterns I want it to be simple quick and effective about two inches deep any idea's?

Have a great week

Block a Week Friday

Block 67 Chevron

This was another block where each row had to be meticulously ticked off as I went until I got into the swing of the pattern. I love the zigzag effect.

Rating - intermediate

Curl - 2

size - 6"
ends - 2

Another example of this block

Made by Una

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 13

Numbers -17, 24, 30,34, 40, 41, 42, 45, 52, 56, 67  98, 113,

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Number of blocks altogether = 17

Linking with

Have a great weekend!

Scarf in Bloom and a Walk on The Beach

I'm so glad that I am not alone in the business of saving shoe boxes and other equally important things,  I loved reading your comments they put a huge smile on my face. :) 

Remember my challenge at the beginning of the month? It involved using up at least 100 grams of your least favourite yarn. 

This was the yarn that I pulled out from under the bed and I have turned it...... 

Into this scarf

 It's an easy project to do when you want a bit of mindless crochet... when watching TV or even when you have company, do you crochet when you have company?
(some people think it's rude)

I used two strands of yarn together and a 6 mm hook, made a chain to the width I wanted and then I worked one row in trebles (dc,US) and one row in dc (sc,US) and I just kept going until the yarn was used up, it measures just over 5 foot and it took 165 grams of yarn. 

I was quite pleasantly surprised when I worked with this yarn because it was bumpy and bobbly I thought that it would be difficult to crochet with but it wasn't too bad at all and the completed scarf is nice and soft and has a lovely texture.

Then just to cheer it up a bit, after all Spring is nearly here and flowers are starting to bloom, the scarf in bloom was born.

Just by adding those three little flowers at each end, it makes all the difference. 

Magic ring, (chain 2, 1tr into ring, ch2, ss into ring,) (ch2, 1tr into ring, ch2, ss into ring) until you have 5 petals or 6 if you like.
I always make these because they are easy and I never forget how to make them.  They are also great for beginner crocheters. I usually add a little French knot in the middle after I have sewn them on. 

So I'm feeling quite happy because I have met my challenge already in the first half of the month, I may do it again next month because I do have a lot of stash yarn that I don't really love.
Have you risen to the challenge yet?

A Walk On The Beach
I have been so lazy during the winter just sitting around playing on my laptop, crocheting and getting fatter and very unfit, because the weather has been so beautiful this week and because I had a day off from work, I had no excuse not to get out and walk and so I jumped into the car and went to the beach. 

I live on the North East coast of England and have my choice of beaches just a ten minute drive away.  The beach I chose to visit was Seaham Beach

I just love to walk by the sea, it's possible to walk 11 miles along the Durham coast Path but that's for another day.

It's a long walk down but it seems even longer on the way back up.

Although it is a sandy beach there is a great deal of shingle too I love these pebbles, I like to sit amongst them and play with them and let the smaller ones run through my fingers, they feel lovely, heated with the warm sunshine.

Still too cold for a paddle.

 I know it looks pretty deserted but there were quite a few people enjoying the sunshine and lots of dog owners having fun with their pets but you know what I saw the most?... grandparents with their grand children, obviously mum and dad are at work so the grandparents are looking after the little ones and having a lot of fun into the bargain.

 I walked for just over an hour and when I climbed up those steps to get back to the top I was puffing and panting and my heart was pounding I am definitely out of condition and I suppose I am still recovering from the flu.  

I really enjoyed my walk it blew the cobwebs away and everyone I encountered was smiling and friendly so happy to see the sunshine, it quite lifted my spirits, so I think more of the same is in order and when I can run up those steps and not collapse in a heap then I know I'm on the right track. 


Enjoy the rest of your week and make the most of the sunshine.