C2C

My latest craze on the crochet front - the corner to corner blanket. Had so much fun doing these and another huge one on the hook at the moment.

Creepers and Ocelots

I had always tried to keep in touch with what I suppose is called youth culture but as music and language started to baffle me some time ago I rather lost the plot. When I hear the words -"listen to this, you will like it" I immediately doubt if I will and it is often a surprise when it is tolerable and sometimes rather good and enjoyable. Computer or console games are another matter. I really do not like the violent, shooting games and I just don't understand the fantasy. I was never that into The Lord of the Rings or even The Hobbit - although I did sit through the film a couple of weeks ago and it was alright, just not my taste. I am reliably informed that I will not like Game of Thrones so I will believe that and not bother. So when's heard that the latest craze amongst younger children was a game called Minecraft I was prepared to be confused. I still am. I think I understand the concept but, well I haven't actually played it so I can't really comment. However, having a six year old in our midst has meant that some vague knowledge is required, if only to know what to look for when the cry rings out - "Has anyone seen my Ocelot?" A visit from the said six year old led to a discussion about the various characters and a desire to make him something relevant. Searches online brought forward some knitting charts for some of the characters and discussions and bits of graph paper produced some more. I started to knit and here is the result. Needless to say it went down well.

The turtles on the sleeves totally the design of the young recipient.

Baby boys

Are a joy!!

Hence some knitting for boys:

More star blankets

I have stopped for a while - after 12 I think - and trying out a new pattern. I can't quite believe just how much time I must have spent in the past few weeks crocheting.

Star blankets and Spider-Man

This is definitely my latest addiction. I am loving making star blankets. Some are coming out better than others but they are coming out at a fantastic rate. No wonder people like to crochet blankets - you can make them in record time, especially if you go for chunky yarn and a larger hook too.

A delicate one:

A chunky one:

 A special one for a little boy:

Learning how to crochet

My great grandmother could crochet. She made the most intricate and delicate doilies and mats and dressed tiny dolls in beautiful outfits. She taught me how to do a chain, a double and a treble crochet but I never really picked up the skill.

I inherited all her old crochet patterns, needles, cottons and works in progress but they have been sitting in a box with no prospect of ever being even looked at. The fine work she did will, I fear, always be beyond me but, this past week or so I have finally given crochet a go.

To begin with I found a couple of needles and some cotton yarn and had a go at a granny square. I tried following patterns in a book, online tutorials and YouTube tutorials. Many squares were made and abandoned. I despaired of ever getting it right but then I made something that was reasonably presentable. I still hadn't mastered the pattern correctly but it looked ok.

I gained confidence and decided to try something a little more complex. Needless to say I have done little else over the past 2 weeks. I saw some star patterned blankets online and decided to have a go. I started and unravelled so many times but again, eventually, came up with something presentable.

Not prepared to cut my losses and run back to knitting I was determined to master something slightly more complex. A 12 point star blanket. I think it was probably a whole morning before I could get to the stage when I believed that it was going to work. Crochet could well become the new addiction and I read today in the newspaper that a crochet dress is the thing to have. Maybe not for me but I am clearly "on trend" as they say.

A batch of baby blankets

Go to wool shop, buy 5 balls of yarn from the sale basket, cast on 10 stitches, garter stitch 10 ridges, cast off, turn, pick up, repeat until wool runs out. Result:

Go to wool stash and select double knitting yarn in colours vaguely resembling Elmer the elephant. Make 20 mini log cabin squares. Join with 3 needle cast offs. Make borders. Result: