I’m crochet obsessed at the moment. Can’t stop making things, or researching the next project, or lusting over yarn and falling in to yarn shops (both bricks & mortar and clicks & mortar ones) and accidentally adding to the Stash of Shame. No matter how many projects I tackle the Stash of Shame just keeps growing. Puzzled face…

I have three projects on the go at the moment. A Japanese Flower Stole (pictured above), copied from inspired by Attic24 . I’ve worked like a fiend on this and it will be finished in less than a week. Can you tell that the Megaboys have taken a jaunt to Granny’s for a couple of days? I love the soft, silky yarn (Debbie Bliss Andes) but I’m not 100% smitten with the colours. I think the bright pink was a mistake, possibly. But without it the colours would have been very muted. The pattern is fantastic however, and I’ve already lined up yarn for the next two stoles it’s such a joy to make…even though it did involve deciphering complicated charts since the pattern book is Japanese.

A few weeks ago I decorated bottles of wine for the staff at the boys’ school and nursery as thank you gifts, pattern courtesy Mollie Makes magazine. Cards courtesy the Megaboys.

Also lurking in my To Be Finished pile is a huge chunky scarf which is a Christmas gift. It’s miserable to make. I hate using vast crochet hooks. Meh.

And then there is the baby ripple blanket, a gift for baby Merle (oh I LOVE the name) who was born last week. I really enjoyed making this, it’s taken months though as it’s surprisingly large for a baby blanket. I love the delicate ripple and the unusual colours. I think the deep purple scallop edging is absolutely lovely. Tricky to photograph however.

Yarn is Baby Rooster which comes in lovely colours, and I think it will be hardier than Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (my usual preference for baby blankets). However I’ve since discovered Millamia yarn which is my new Best Favourite, though I wish they did a wider range of colours.

The Pattern comes from Cute & Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench. I really like this book, I’ve made a few things from it now and there are plenty more on The List.

Oh look, there’s my first EVER crochet project sneaking in…the Granny Square…

Also sneaking in is yet another project On The Go, just seen…a pile of granny squares, a blanket for Digby to replace the first one I made for him. He was sick on it (weep) so I washed it on a delicate cycle in the washing machine. Alas the VERY expensive Mirasol Tupa yarn (50% silk, 50% merino) is handwash only so I ended up felting the blanket. It’s now the size of a small bathmat. I won’t make that mistake again.

Soon my attention will turn again to photography, reading, writing and blogging…all of which are burbling along too. But, for now, it’s all about the hooky. And the Stash of Shame…

I made these teeny tiny little baby hats…

…little pixie hats which crochet up in NO TIME at all … for newborn twins..one pink..one blue…from this pattern here on Ravelry. I made them to order for The Wife, Lyanne Wylde, for a newborn shoot. I made them … she snapped them .. the babies wore them. Whilst snoozing …

Made it. Quite proud of them. The hats, not the babies … though if they were mine I’d be BEAMING with pride. Photo credit to The Wife. Hooky credit to The Spud.

Breaking the rules to say….this is my 500th post…that is all.

Lucky me! Look what Postman Andy brought? A super gift from Kim at A Box of Chocolates, all the way from Australia. Can’t wait to get hooking a couple of these fine little fellows, although a trip to the craft shop is needed as they are embellished with all manner of lovely things.

I especially like the Catbot …

Alas so does someone else…

… and that was the end of the photoshoot as he wanted to sit on the book. Noooooo. Thanks Kim for a lovely and very unexpected gift. A little Crobot will be on its way to you soon…

Also on my hook this week was an Apple Jacket. Yes, a jacket…for an apple. I know, entirely pointless but sooooooo cute. See here, pattern from Mollie Makes:

See, so cute! Who could resist? Not me…so I quickly hooked one up from the very easy pattern. Or so I thought…um…umm…anyone see anything wrong?

Not much of a jacket, more a hat…a smurf hat I thought. Cry. Looks way better on Elsie…

Also in my mail this week…’Cambridge, Norfolk & Suffolk Unlocked’ from Unlocked Guides, a fantastic guide book written specifically for children.

This is NOT a sponsored post by the way, though I was sent the guide free of charge. They didn’t ask for a mention or a review, but I genuinely think it’s a super product. We’ll be testing it out over the weekend as we’re going on a trip. Watch this space…

It’s my Blogoversary tomorrow by the way – YIPPEE! And I’m having a giveaway to celebrate, and no it’s not that crappy Smurf Hat…swing by tomorrow for details.

Nothing like a bit of sewing to while away a wet afternoon. Alas my boys have some kind of thread seeking sensor and miraculously appear from all corners of the house when my sewing box comes out. I relish their enthusiasm for all things crafty and making but, you know, sometimes you just don’t want any ‘help’…you don’t want to get roped in to ‘helping’ with their projects…you don’t want someone to sort out the buttons/cotton/ribbon and you definitely don’t want anyone to take all your fancy coloured pins out of their wheels. But who I am to quash their creative spirit?

So my iphone cover took about twice as long as it should have done. And isn’t ‘quite’ as it should be as the kit (which came as part of issue 1 of Mollie Makes) didn’t actually contain enough felt to make it. No big deal, actually I ‘possibly’ prefer mine though the orange/hot pink combo isn’t my favourite.

Quick practice with my macro lens…no hiding some dodgy stitching with this kind of close scrutiny

Next on my Mollie Makes making list is those pointless apple jackets…

I just don’t think I can resist! Even though it will involve hours of wrestling with small boys and crochet hooks … ‘helping’. Meh.

There are no half measures with children, this much I know. You’re either doing something, or you’re not…and everything is to be done at 100mph and with 150% enthusiasm.

One minute I was vaguely mooting an Easter ‘tree’ to display various bits and pieces on…the next I was being frog marched around the garden searching out suitable branches and was gently trying to persuade the youngest of our number not to drag entire branches in to the house. They had to be talked out of ‘sticking the sticks together with parcel tape or I KNOW MUMMY what about blue tack?’ but would not be persuaded that ‘less is more’. Absolutely everything went on, with no time to lose, no time to add pretty ribbon to the crochet eggs..just ‘make a lassoo Mummy’ and shove them on.

Not content with eggs they then zipped about looking for other bits and pieces to go on. Tissue flowers made at school for Mother’s Day? Check, shove them on. Easter Chick and Easter Bonnet from nursery crafting? Check (phew, one of the few things not quietly shoved straight in the recycling bin). Then they found the other decorations and on they went too. Not seen (think it was on the floor) a kite that Bertie made at school. It’s in the Easter Tree because ‘kites get stuck in trees’ which is hard to argue with.

I think the whole thing took 20 minutes, if that. They were like crafting dervishes, whirling around in a spin of creativity. I wish I could be more like that, more impulsive. I don’t absolutely love what we came up with, but it was a joint effort and – apparently – it’s not just about me. Sheesh.

It’s fair to say that creativity has been in short supply around here in recent weeks. Work has been difficult, all consuming and anxious making…that kind of low grade, constant anxiety has been worming its way in to my head, pushing out all thoughts of anything creative or expressive. My camera is still broken and I’m really missing it, although I have a loan camera. It’s just not the same. So the the Photo A Day went off track. Blogging? Nothing to say and no photos for prompts. Crochet? Well, I’ve done a little but with little enthusiasm. Reading? I inched my way through The Book Thief and loved it, but ‘inched’ is the key word here. I’ve managed to keep up with the 30daysofbiking project, but that’s about it. I signed up to write a book, but I can’t see that happening any time soon.

As with all such things, the less I did…the less I wanted to do…and the more difficult it seemed to get back on track. Equally, the less I did the more miserable I felt about it. But how do you dig yourself out of the swamp of apathy?

Just one wordle, that’s all it took. I can’t show you it, because it wasn’t my Wordle – it was belonged to my client. I could barely believe my eyes when she produced it because I work with lawyers who, let’s face it, aren’t renowned for creativity. Lawyers are, intrinsically, risk managers…risk managers using the law and the legal framework as comfort blankets. Change is difficult for many lawyers, and marketing and promotion are uncomfortable concepts for most. So when my client produced a Wordle of various promotional literature she’d written about her area of expertise I couldn’t have been more surprised. She was wanting to try and get the nub of what her practice is about, to help shape and define how she wants to promote herself. Essentially she was using a Wordle as a tool to help define a brand proposition to be used to help differentiate her practice in the market. But that’s just fancy marketing speak.

I’ve only ever come across Wordles in the blogosphere before, but how short-sighted of me. It honestly wouldn’t have occurred to me to use Wordles at work, mostly because lawyers are so straightlaced about such things. And then, out of nowhere, in breezed a new lawyer with fresh ideas and buckets of creativity. And in that moment, the Creative Switched flicked on in my head again. Later the same day I was asked (again by lawyers) for some ‘splashy’ campaign ideas. I chucked a few around, and no one fainted/laughed/looked appalled. Actually they were very open to them. There must be something in the Spring air.

So I’ve sorted my photos, finished a crochet project, and here I am blogging….tidying up the loose ends. That’s what they are above, the loose ends from the crochet project, a blanket for my aunt’s birthday.

I learnt a lesson from that project, which is that it’s never fun to work with colours you don’t really like. It was a ‘stash buster’ project, to use up some yarn. What a joke the ‘stash buster’ term is…you always, always need more wool to finish to a ‘stash buster’ project, so what’s the point? I’ve spent months and months making a blanket I’m really not that keen. An energy and creativity sapper if ever I saw one. There’s little pleasure to be had making something you don’t love.

Just for fun, I Wordled my blog again.

‘Mother’…’Love’…’Think’…seem to be the dominant words. I like that.

Finally, on day 22, a photo in full colour. Thus far my 365 has been starkly mono with one or two deeply desaturated shots. Today I’m all about VIBRANT!

I’ve now make 9 granny squares for Sarah London’s granny blanket project for those affected by floods in Australia. I started last night and can’t seem to give it up. It’s a real measure of how far I’ve come in just under a year that I can crochet a 5 round granny square in under 10 minutes. Although, ahem, that doesn’t include the tedious sewing in of ends as you can see.

I’ve picked out 7-8 balls from my stash and I’ll keep going until they are all gone. I think I’ll end up with 30 or so squares. I’m quite afraid of colour, although I love it, because I have very little idea about how to manage it. But making these squares has been so liberating…no point trying to be a all ‘matchy’ because my squares will be added in to those made by hundreds of others. So I’m just pikcing up the nearest colour and going with it.

One day soon I’ll rediscover the skill of shots that are actually in focus. Totally RAD….

After an enforced break from crochet due to, ahem, crochet induced RSI….I’m now back crocheting again. Or I was. I’ve had to take a little break due to, yup, crochet induced RSI again. Clearly I’m going to have to learn that little and often and not dangerously obsessive is the way forward.

I’ve developed a love from Arigurumi figures and have been busy learning how to crochet ‘in the round’. I’ve got a number of finished ‘friends’ who need sewing together (my least favourite part) but I finished that little guy up there for a birthday present a few weeks ago. He was fun to make, apart from those stripey arms which were horribly fiddly. The legs were supposed to be stripey too but I’d given up the will to live by that point so I cheated.

There have been a few other little projects on the go, but the main one has been a baby ripple blanket for a friend’s newborn. I loved making this, so nice to finally do a ‘right’ ripple after my first attempt (the ‘wrong’ ripple).

I’m pleased with how it turned out. I wanted to stick with ‘boy colours’ but I really like the turquoise and seagreen in there, adds a bit of zing to it I hope. Made with Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and using Attic24′s ‘neat ripple’ pattern.

I think there must be some kind of knack to photographing crochet blankets which I definitely haven’t mastered yet.

I didn’t make this little guy but he’s sweet isn’t he? He just jumped on for a snuggle with the blanket before I parcelled it up and sent it off to Dubai…whilst wondering if a baby actually ‘needs’ a blanket in the desert?