Block a Week Friday

Block 8

Little Blocks

A very easy block, but even so I still managed to make a mistake can you spot it? This is made in cream believe it or not but the weather is so dull here today it looks grey.
 A blanket would be lovely in this stitch or even a little jacket.

More colourful examples of this block made by the ladies from Loving Hands

Rating - easy

Curl - 0

size - 6" x 6 1/4"
ends - 2

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 22

Numbers - 8, 14, 17, 24, 30,31,34, 40, 41, 42,43, 45,48, 52, 56, 67,70  98, 113,153, 200, 209

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Linking with

Have a great weekend!

The Cutest Chevron Jacket

Hello all you lovely people and a big thank you for all the lovely comments I'm so glad that you enjoyed my Sunday Smiles post but more about that later.
A couple of weeks ago I made this little chevron dress and promised to show you the jacket so here it is.....

The pattern has long sleeves and I'm sure I will make one with long sleeves one day but my yarn was running out and I knew that I wouldn't have enough but I think it's cute like this too.
Made with DK yarn and it takes 100 grams.  

Back view.

If you would like the pattern please send me an email with your email address.

Sorry that this is such a short post but I have just got back after having a lovely time in Cambridge.  I promise to tell you all about that later and try to catch up with all your posts.  

For those who have left me comments and haven't had an answer it's because either you are a noreply blogger or it has gone into my spam folder, I have just realised that so much of my mail is going into my spam folder now and it makes me wonder just how many emails I have missed! 

So just to let you all know I love getting your comments and appreciate each and every one!

The end of the month is almost upon us so stashaholics please link up your May projects if you haven't already, and for those who are counting leave me your totals here.

Hope you all having a great week :)

Sunday Smiles

I have enjoyed reading everyones happy posts this week, it is nice to look back on the week and reflect on the things that made you smile. I have realised it's like a kind of diary, it means that when you are feeling down you can look back on your happy days and feel happy all over again.

This week I have made Barbara's Little Spring Mandala and it really was fun to make.  I particularly loved rows 6a and 6b, thats the yellow and green round so simple to do but very effective, it's the first time I've tried something like that.  It's just a small mandala but I love it.

The star in my garden this week

 This beautiful Ceanothus

I was particularly happy to see this blooming this year because it was severely damaged by frost three years ago and half of it died off, these are the first flowers it has produced since then.

It's a Bank Holiday Weekend! and I'm going away for a couple of days with my daughter to see my son who is doing a phd at Cambridge, in fact we are catching the train in just two hours.  I have never visited cambridge before so I'm really looking forward to it even though rain is forecast.  I will tell you all about it and hopefully have lot's of photo's when I get back.

saw this on facebook and had to share :)

Last but by no means least.....I have reached 500 followers this week! I can't believe it I'm so happy that so many of you enjoy visiting and reading my blog, so a big welcome to all newcomers it's lovely to have you here and I hope you will leave me lots of comments so that I can get to know you and follow you too.

Have a great week! 

Block a Week Friday

Block 200 Morse Code

A very easy block, that is if you remember to carry your wool on the wrong side, especially on the purl rows, I made the mistake of carrying it on the knit side and had to pull it back.
I love the effect of this block it reminds me of the sea.  I can imagine a little boys cardigan or sweater with this pattern along the bottom and a yacht sailing on top of the waves, it might just happen one day. 

Rating - easy

Curl - 2 

size - 6" x 6"
ends - 4

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 21

Numbers - 14, 17, 24, 30,31,34, 40, 41, 42,43, 45,48, 52, 56, 67,70  98, 113,153, 200, 209

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Liking with

Have a great weekend!

Butterfly Collection

I love making butterflies and I don't really need that much of an excuse to make some.

I have made them for yarn bombing, for embellishments and for little gifts, the reasons for making them are just endless.

Just lately my interest in making butterflies was sparked again by Sue from SIBOL who asked for butterflies to accompany the blankets and shawls she delivers to Nursing Homes in her area.

So I made some to accompany the 

Luana shawl

The gentle ripple shawl

and then these cuties for

The Nola Shawl

You can actually see Sue delivering the items here.

as for this one

I made it just for fun in girly pink cotton

 This one flew away and landed right on my fence

Made in no 20 cotton

and captured to be sent in this card for my Aunts Birthday.
You can find the video of how to make them here
and a written pattern here.

Once I got started on the making of butterflies there was no stopping me, so I decided to make a little collection.

These were lovely to make too, there is a tutorial on this  link

I think this one is so sweet and would look lovely as an embellishment, alter it's size by changing hook sizes and thickness of yarn.

 link
There is another one from the same website it's the pink one in the first picture above it's similar to the others but has a picot at the top outer edge of the wings you can find that one here

I made these lovely quick and simple butterflies to embellish this poncho and they can be found here

Then these are from this book I haven't made many from it yet there are so many to choose from.

I thought it would be nice to have this little collection here in one place so that anyone can refer to it at any time and of course I will add to it if any other flutterbys happen to catch my eye :)

Butterflies make great stash-busters for all the little bit's of yarn you are loath to throw away.

linking with

I'm glad you enjoyed my Sunday Smiles post and thank you for all your lovely comments, I've already collected more smiles for next Sunday and doing so helps me remember those special moments that would otherwise be immediately forgotten, try it it's fun. Hope you are all having a great week. :)

Sunday Smiles

I know what you are thinking ..hang on what happened to The Monday Smile, well the thing is I find blogging on a Sunday easier and after seeing lots of 'what makes you happy post's' I thought I would do a similar one but on a Sunday at the end of the week.

Sunday Smiles will be a round up of random things that have made me smile during the week.  Do feel free to join me if you wish if something makes you smile just jot it down and share it on Sunday Smiles. 

So the things that made me smile this week are...

Making a mandala! 
Everyone is making them and they are highly addictive, I have been collecting patterns for a while now and have wondered what yarn to make them with and have decided that cotton is best but my stash of cotton isn't huge so my colour choices will be governed by what I have in my stash.  
This lovely mandala pattern can be found on Nata's blog here and if you can't be bothered to make one and would like to win one instead Nata is having a giveaway do pop over to her blog and check it out.

Seeing this picture of my sons girlfriends cat, this cat lives in Hong Kong and I just had to smile when I saw it.

Blossoms on my Apple tree could this mean I might actually have some apples to harvest this year? in my experience blossoms don't always mean fruit and I haven't had an apple off  this tree for two years.  It's a patio apple tree and lives in a pot and getting the nutrient balance right is a bit of a nightmare so fingers crossed.

I won on the premium bonds!!!  Guess how much.....a huge £25!  should I use it to replenish my cotton stash..mmm temptation haha

I bought this today in my local Aldi, it was only £2 99 the pot is worth more than that.  Pammy Sue has resurrected my love of succulents, I love this one it has a variegated leaf, my daughter bought one too with a plain shiny leaf, i'm standing mine on my kitchen window sill for now.

I am going to start a new project with this wool.  It has been in my stash for years, I can't wait to get started on it, don't you just love starting a new project.  It's going to be another blanket made in granny squares but nowhere as big as my Violet Meadow Blanket. I will show you how it progresses.

and last but by no means least we have had sunshine all weekend! I'm off to weed the flower beds so have a great week and don't forget to gather your smiles and share them with us so that we can all smile along with you. :)