This is what happens when......

You put yourself on a yarn diet....

It had to happen after all I am a stashaholic I have admitted it several times.  Why did I fall off the wagon you may ask...

1. Yarndale is on this weekend and I can't go because I have had a cyst removed on my face and the stitches are still in so not a good idea to be around crowds. I'm thinking of all the yarny goodness I'm missing and feeling sorry for myself.
2. It was on sale in my local garden centre just 99p a ball WHO COULD RESIST!
3. I love, love the colours and soft squishiness of it.
4. I was having serious withdrawal symptoms, it's sooo long since I bought a substantial amount of yarn.
5. I didn't even go to the garden centre for yarn, I went for something else, but there it was screaming out to me, it just had to be!
6. The stash-busting has gone great I have done some serious stash-busting in the past two years a girl deserves a treat now and then doesn't she??!!

Negatives

1. I bought this without a project in mind.
2. There may not be enough yarn for the project when I do decide.

I'm fancying a cardigan but need a pattern, I'm thinking the variegated appearance will look better knitted but I'm open to idea's knitted or crocheted, please show me your favourite cardigan/jacket patterns.

I thought these would be great for christmas gifts, a scarf maybe or fingerless gloves or even a hat.

but that's not all!....

Yes I have have fallen off the wagon big style but I have to say I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about buying this particular yarn.  It's Hayfield bonus which I've used several times, it comes in lots of lovely shades and is hardwearing, soft and lovely to work with. 

and I have added this from my stash, to make a throw for my daughter.  She will soon be moving into her first home and I thought it would be a nice housewarming gift for her and her hubby.  

Her chairs are navy and I thought a bright coloured throw would look good against them, some bright yarny goodness to welcome them into their new home.

All ready to go...

I can't wait to get started :)

Stash-busting

Thank you for linking your September projects, the end of the month is almost upon us,the new stash link party will start on Wednesday when I will be revealing your Summer party favourites.  There is still time to link up with this months party and visit your favourites. For those who are counting please leave me your totals. :)

See you Wednesday!

Block a Week Friday

Block 78

Lattice

A lovely easy block with lots of plain knit and purl rows alternating with blocks of 3 purl stitches and 3 knit, it results in a lovely textured finish.  I will definitely be trying to incorporate this pattern into some of my projects.

Rating - easy

Curl - 1

size - 6"x 6"
ends - 2

More examples of this block

Made by Una

Made by Triccia

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 39

Numbers - 1, 8, 14, 17, 19,24,30,31,34,36 40, 41, 42,43,44, 45,48, 52, 56,58,62, 

67,69,70,78, 90,92,96,97, 98,100, 113,133,153,165,177, 200, 209

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Linking with

All the blocks in the Block a Week Friday feature are blocks made from the book 200 Knitted Blocks by Jan Eaton. You can read all about the challenge here and here, the challenge is on going and it's never too late to join in!

Hope you all have a great weekend. :)

Are we Being Invaded?

I'm talking about spiders! I have never seen so many spiders as there are this year.  Usually spiders don't really bother me, I can pick them up in a tissue and gently release them outside, but these are no ordinary spiders they are huge!

I don't mean this sweet little chap I have only put him there for effect.  I am talking about these huge bodied creatures with long legs that are invading my home at the moment.

They say it's because the weather has been warmer and so the spiders have had plenty of prey and have therefore gotten larger, have you noticed more spiders in your home? do you love them or hate them? how do you get rid of them? 

The only fear I have is of them getting into bed with me at night can you imagine it! ahhhhh

I hope they aren't taking over take a look at what I found in my garden just last week....

Now do you believe me!

Warning! make sure you pull your covers right back before you get into bed at night you never know what might lurk beneath :) 


The crochet spider at the top was made using a pattern from the book Crochet Finger Puppets by Gina Alton. 

Hoping you are all having a great spider free week! 

Block a Week Friday

Block 69

Twin Triangles

Knitting this was easy and fun, I made it my way because increasing in the way described in the book leave holes up the sides so if anyone would like to try it.

Cast on 3 sts
First row - inc in 1st and last st = 5 sts (right side)
Second row - Knit 
Third row - k1, inc in next st, k to last 2 sts, inc in next st, k1
Fourth row - Knit 
repeat last two rows until you have 43 sts then..
Knit one row
Change yarn colour
K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1. (right side)
Knit one row
Repeat the last 2 rows until there are 3 sts remaining
k3tog

This a great beginners block, also good for using up your yarn scraps, you could join your blocks to make all sorts of variations. 
I had to make four just for the fun of it...

I love that big blue square in the center :) 

Rating - easy

Curl - 0

size - 6"x 6"
ends - 4

Another example of this block

Made by Paula you can read about it here

Progress -  number of different blocks made = 38

Numbers - 1, 8, 14, 17, 19,24,30,31,34,36 40, 41, 42,43,44, 45,48, 52, 56,58,62, 

67,69,70,90,92,96,97, 98,100, 113,133,153,165,177, 200, 209

(Click on the number to see the block.)

Linking with

All the blocks in the Block a Week Friday feature are blocks made from the book 200 Knitted Blocks by Jan Eaton. You can read all about the challenge here and here, the challenge is on going and it's never too late to join in!

Hope you all have a great weekend. :)

So What Did I do With All Those Flowers? Part 2

Thank you for all your lovely comments about part one, I'm hoping you will like what I did with my lovely flowers and scraps of yarn, I think some of you may have guessed already but please indulge me for just a little while longer..


Firstly I gathered my ingredients...

I took them all outside because I rightly thought there could be a bit of a mess in the making of this masterpiece.

I placed all the ingredients on the table then..

I emptied the scraps out of the jar leaving just a few in the bottom...WARNING!!

Do not do this on a windy day! I nearly lost all my vital scraps of yarn that I had been gathering for months, however order restored...

I began to  place flowers into the jar using the scraps to keep them in place

I added more scraps and slowly built up the flowers around the jar bit by bit,

you have to have a bit of patience, but it's fun filling in all the gaps to hide the scraps, not that it would matter if you could see a few here and there. See how it's taking shape, I kept adding more scraps and the placing flowers all around and right to the top until.....

Tadaaaaa!!!             Introducing....Flowers in a jar

What do you think? did you guess right?

Here it is placed in a natural setting

looking down onto the top

And sitting on the dining table, I think it looks lovely everywhere.

Think of the possibilities, you could use just one type of flower or maybe just one colour to suit your decor, you could use hearts or butterflies or a mix of all.. small jars or large jars my head is spinning. 

How about Halloween in a jar filled with ghosts and bats with a big spider on the top!

One thing is for sure I will never throw away any scraps again, be they yarn, thread or fabric they can all be put to good use.

I have another jar just like this one which is nearly full of scraps so I'm on the look out for more pretty flowers, why don't you join me and make one too, I would love to see your scrap jar idea's. :)