SOFT NEON COLOUR BLOCK CROCHET

I'm feeling a bit experimental these days. I'm not sure if it's been done before, but I was really inspired by this pattern on a pair of pants that I have and love.

MAY YARN HAUL

Yaaayyyy! My new woollies have arrived in the post. This is my second big yarn haul. I usually buy from Dermores, and they're pretty fast to ship...but it honestly still feels like f-o-r-e-v-e-r when you're as impatient as me! 

Aren't they scrumptious? This time, I stocked up on some more Stylecraft Special DK (that hasn't arrived yet) and some Rico Cotton DK. It will be my first time working with Rico yarn, but I can see already it has a completely different texture to the Stylecraft.

ELMER SQUARES

It's been only a few weeks since I first discovered Stylecraft Special DK - but already I am head over heels in love. It is acrylic but I still feel that it's a lovely quality. It doesn't separate or thin easily, and it makes a lovely soft fabric. It comes in so many beautiful colours. So inexpensive. I can make anything I like and not feel guilty about how many projects I have half-finished waiting for me in my basket.

Yes, dear friends. I am a compulsive project-beginner and never-finisher. Unless it is very short and relatively quick to finish,  I've always had difficulty in maintaining my interest right through to the end of a project. **hangs head in shame**

This time, I promised myself - this time it will be different.

STRIPEY "AS-WE-GO" BLANKET

When I recently picked up a crochet hook again for the first time after many years, I was rearing to go. On one of my trawls through my favourite blogs I came across this M-A-R-V-E-L-L-O-U-S pattern by Hanah Davis on Not-Your-Average Crochet. (Julie at Little Woollie also has her pattern). Lots of different colours? Check! Lots of different stitches? Check! No chance I'll get bored with this one. I was hopping with excitement to begin. 

Imagine, I thought to myself, what my stripey blanket would look like? I have never before attempted a project so large, nor more complicated than a simple granny pattern. Could I do it? Could I make the most glorious stripey pink and red and mint and turquoise blue blanket the world has ever seen? Of COURSE I could!

This was my first time ever crocheting from a base chain in a line (I always worked in rounds), and it took me several false starts to finally figure out the gauge and tension I needed to not swear blue murder as I did my first HDC's into my foundation chain (sorry Mom). So it took me a few goes to really get the hang of things. Here is one of my first sad attempts :P

But eventually, I cracked it.