It’s so weird crocheting big things!

I got so used to making those little hats that all my crochet WIPs feel enormous. I’ve got three things on the go at the moment, and by ‘on the go’ I mean that I started them and abandoned them for other projects.

I’ve got lots of lovely things planned to crochet but I intend to finish these three items first and now that I’ve said it here, I’ll have to do it LOL

The oldest of the three is a ripple blanket designed by Lucy. I made a decent enough start on it but put it away for the summer as it was too hot on my legs. Yeah, and that decision had nothing to do with wanting to start a CAL…

This is what it looked like last time I saw it in April 2016.
After finishing the two CAL blankets and a temperature blanket, which slipped in there somehow, I started a new blanket instead of going back to the ripple. The new one is gorgeous and completely seduced me so I make no apologies for it.

I was getting on quite well with it but found it was too large and needed too much concentration to take along to Craft Club at work, so I started a smaller project and never went back to Arizona.

This is what Arizona looked like when it was abandoned in May 2018. I really do want to get back to it as I was loving learning all the different techniques and stitches. The colour scheme is so striking too.

First though, I’m going to finish the smaller project that Arizona was abandoned for. I’d decided that I really needed a poncho to wear around the house in the winter. I dislike wearing anything too bulky or close-fitting and a poncho is easy to fling off while still being cosy. I had a pattern and a huge stash of the perfect aran yarn, due to going a bit mad in Aldi whenever they have craft stuff in. It’s a simple granny stitch so is great for doing while chatting or watching TV.

This is what it looks like at the moment.

Once it’s long enough, it’s supposed to have a fringe but I’m thinking about going wild and putting pompoms on the bottom instead. Any thoughts? Too tempting for the kitties perhaps? LOL

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Arizona CAL #03

I’m still working on part three of Arizona at the moment but thought it was time for an update. I’m loving the texture of this part. This is where I’m up to at the moment but I’m hoping to finish part three soon. In between working on Arizona, I made a little holder for my tape measure. It was a kit on my crochet magazine and was a very quick make. Hopefully it’ll stop me from losing my measure again. A big jammy dodger doesn’t hide that well 😉 

Arizona CAL #02

I’ve just finished part two of the Arizona CAL and I’m really enjoying it. The pattern is interesting and there are some techniques that are new to me.

This is how it looked at the end of part one:
This is where it’s up to now. I’ve photographed it folded over a couple of times as it’s easier to see the detail.It’s difficult to see what the edges are like from the photo. It’s something that I haven’t done before and it was really fun to do. It’s a tall stitch that’s then folded over and secured with a row of double crochet. When I crochet the next row, the folded over stitches will form something that looks like a pleat.

A closer look – I loved doing that row in the red using all the different height stitches to fill in that triangle. Can’t wait to see what’s next in part three!

Design by Pippin Poppycock

Arizona CAL #01

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was starting a new CAL. I didn’t start it as soon as the first part was released as I was busy with other things but I’ve now made a start. The CAL is on the Pippin Poppycock blog and is quite gorgeous. I love the original colour palette so used that rather than one of the other ones that were suggested. Isn’t it striking?! 
I’m using Stylecraft Special DK. It’s such a soft, squishy yarn and it washes beautifully.

I’ve just finished part one, which was really interesting to do. First you make eight squares and then join them in a row. Once you’ve crocheted down the sides for a few rows, it looks like this. 
Here’s a close-up of one of the sections to give a better idea of how it looks. The bobble rows took forever but were worth it. This is going to be lovely and textured if the first part is anything to go by. Just look at how much the bobbles are raised! I’m well behind on this as part five has just been released so I’ve got plenty to do on this before I catch up. I don’t mind how long it takes though as I’m loving working on it.