A crochet finish!

I’ve finally finished the Carousel blanket, thanks partly to taking it to craft club at work. I’m really chuffed as it’s such a pretty design and looks a lot more complicated than it actually was.

It’s a bit tricky to get a photo of it all but I managed by moving some furniture to make space on the floor.

It looks nice on the single bed but I think it’ll be put away for now as the cats would love it too!A few close-ups.
I didn’t have many finishes last year so I’m planning to make 2018 the year of getting things completed. I’m really happy to have the first finish just two weeks into the year. I’ve set myself the challenge of 5 crochet finishes on Ravelry, and hopefully will have several cross stitch projects joining those. No stash buying until I’ve made a considerable dent in the stuff that I already have.

Next on my list is the temperature blanket. I think that I’ll end it after the current round as I’m not loving as much as I did initially and it’s the right size now for a lap blanket.

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Carousel CAL – part four

I actually finished part four a few weeks ago but it’s taken me until now to get a photo of it. I had to move furniture around in the bedroom to get a large enough floor space where there’s enough light. Moving the bed means getting the vacuum out as it gets a bit fluffy under there from the cats.

I loved doing the hexagons. With more rounds to do, and most of them being different in some way, I found it easier to do all the round 1s first, then the round 2s etc. I didn’t have to keep referring to the pattern that way.

It definitely needs blocking as it doesn’t lie flat but I’m still not sure how I’m going to accomplish that. I’ve still got the border to do so I’ve got some time to think about it.

Carousel CAL – part three

I finished part three last weekend but have only just managed to get a photo of it. It’s getting a bit large to photograph now, especially if I want natural light. I had to spread it out on the bed and stand on the bed to get the shot. Can’t wait to take the next photo when it’s even bigger 😉

Part three was pentagons and again we used the join as you go method which I’m really liking. No assembly will be needed for this project – hooray! I loved the design of the pentagons with the raised ring in the centre and the colour mixes are so pretty.

Not the best photo as it does need blocking. I’m going to wait until it’s finished for that although I’ve no idea how. I may have to invest in some larger blocking mats, but it’s finding somewhere to block it where the cats can’t get at it.

I’m currently working on part four which is hexagons. They’re bigger than the pentagons but are just as lovely.

Carousel CAL – part two

Yesterday I finished part two of this CAL. It’s currently pinned out on my blocking board as it was a bit curly. The designer says that it’ll settle down once the other parts are attached but I thought a bit of blocking wouldn’t hurt. The rest will have to go unblocked though as my blocking board has reached its limit with part two.

I love the texture to this and have taken a close up of the centre for you to see.

The panels for part two were very simple to crochet. It only took as long as it did because there are sixteen of them. The joining gave me some trouble to start with. I quickly read the instructions and as I wasn’t sure of how to do it, I watched the video. After I’d joined half of the panels, I found out that the video was wrong so had to frog them and start again. They look a lot better now, although I’m still not convinced that they’re correct. I can’t see any other way to do them though, so I’m calling them done.

Part three is due out on Tuesday and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into it.

Carousel CAL – part one

The first part of the Carousel CAL was released yesterday and I’m afraid I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve nowhere near finished the Last dance on the beach CALs but that gorgeous Batik yarn was calling to me. I was just going to put the colours needed into a bag with the printed instructions, but somehow I found myself doing the centre as it’s a technique that I hadn’t come across before, and once I’d started…

You can’t tell from the quick snap but there’s a bit of a 3D effect going on with the centre section. The popcorn stitch in the Indigo really pops and I love the Cherry centre. I’ll definitely use that technique again.

The Batik is lovely to work with and the colours are beautiful. Part one didn’t take long to do at all, although I’m thinking that the other parts look as if they’ll take a lot, lot longer. The next part is released in a week, and then it’s every two weeks, I think.

While I’m waiting for part two, I’ll try to get some more done to Last dance on the beach. Can’t neglect it with just 14 squares left before I can start joining them.

Carousel CAL

At the moment, I’m nearing the end of the Dance on the beach CAL. I have a started ripple blanket and I have the yarn for a log cabin blanket. You’d think three projects would be enough, wouldn’t you.

Apparently not, as I’ve just signed up for the Carousel CAL by Stylecraft and Susan Pinner. It’s truly gorgeous and quite different to the others that I have on the go. There are two yarn packs for it. One is in the basic Stylecraft DK. It’s bright and cheerful and I was just about resisting it, despite the loveliness of the design.

Then I saw the other yarn pack in Stylecraft’s new yarn, Batik. The colours are more subtle and muted in this version and I completely fell in love with it.

The CAL starts in a few days and I’ve no chance of finishing the Dance on the Beach CAL by then. I’m still on week 11 and have only done two of the eight squares. That leave eight for week 12 plus joining and the border.

Do I abandon Dance on the beach to start the luscious new CAL, or be disciplined and finish it first?

This is the yummy yarn.

Just look at these colours!

Here’s a link to the designer’s blog with pics of the finished blankets – Susan Pinner

I can’t wait to get my hook into that yarn 🙂

Pretty yarn for another CAL

A couple of weeks ago I saw that Stylecraft were doing a CAL. It looked lovely but I didn’t look too closely as I’m still doing the Last dance on the beach CAL, plus I have the yarn for Lucy’s Log cabin and I’m partway through Lucy’s Ripple. I thought that was probably enough to be going on with, and not even taking into account all the yarn that seems to be accumulating under my desk.

A few days ago, I was chatting with Tree, via email, and she mentioned the CAL, which is called Carousel. I went back for another look and realised that there are two yarn options. There’s the basic version done in Stylecraft special DK. I’ve used that a lot and really like it, but the colours are very bright so that was one of the reasons that I didn’t look too closely. What I didn’t realise is that it also comes in the new Batik DK which is absolutely gorgeous. I know you don’t have to buy the packs, but I’m useless at putting colours together so I find that much easier.

Once I’d seen the Batik, I was hooked (pun intended) and I ordered my pack.

I love the way the yarn comes when you order from The Wool Warehouse. Those bags are great for storing the yarn in.

Just look at these gorgeous colours.

Isn’t that yummy? The CAL starts in about four weeks but I know I won’t be ready for it then as I really must finish Last dance on the beach first. I’m really looking forward to starting it though so maybe that’ll spur me on to get Last Dance finished more quickly 🙂