Crochet Roses Update

Dear Yarnlings,

I'm at it again.

Oh yes, dear friends. Those mounds of poor, wrinkled up pink are the result of my feverish midnight frogging and mind-changing after a whole year of neglect on my crochet roses blanket.

Crochet Roses

Happy New Year, Woollies!

I've been away for a long time, but not wasting time :D I have discovered a new obsession on my crocheting journey - roses! 

I found and fell in love with the beautiful Babushka Rose blanket by Sewing Daisies about four months ago, and I knew immediately that I wanted to have a go. Now, I'm one of those crafters who, when I see a colour combination that I really like, wants to copy it exactly, down to the last detail, to satisfy my inner control freak. But naturally, I would't be happy with a baby-sized project. Of course, I thought to myself - wow! imagine how beautiful that would be as a grown-up size blanket! (I seem to suffer from perennial eyes-bigger-than-my-hook syndrome). 

Well, I loved her use of colours in this blanket, but I didn't love the idea of making a big blanket on a 3.5mm hook (because who has time for that?!) and so my first attempt was to try to recreate her colours using my go-to bargain favourite, with Stylecraft special DK. I used Matador, Lipstick, Fiesta, Spring Green, Sunshine and as well as a few other balls of similar-weight yarn I picked up in the markets. I did like it (sorta), but something was niggling at me inside. It wasn't exactly right. 

Do you see what I mean? 

Tuesday Huesday

Hi again Woollies,

It's been a bit of a slow week or two around here. Not in real life though - at work we're manning the decks, so I haven't been able to craft as much as I'd like. I've been trying out some new things, while I'm working away on my blanket(s)...I did warn you I am a chronic never-finisher! It's just that the minute I have an idea or I see an inspiring project I have to start it immediately and the poor old project I'm currently working on just get laid to the wayside while I go on a joyous little deviation through crochet land. 

Since it's Tuesday Huesday today, I thought I'd get into the spirit of things and chat about all things colour!

I recently discovered the Color n' Cream blog by Jennifer Poort-Larche, and I love her colour combinations very much. So I wanted to attempt some squares inspired by her colours, just to see if they 'sit' with me. I am happy to report that I love them! 

Egg balls

Hi Woollies, 

now I know what you're thinking. This does not look like something Claire would either make or bake. And you'd be right. But if I didn't share this yummery-scrummery treat with you, I'd really be doing you a disservice. 

Egg-balls are my jam. These little beauties, pronounced 'gai daan jai' (鷄蛋仔) are unique to Hong Kong (as far as I know) and they taste just like Heaven in your mouth. Imagine waffles mixed with pancakes mixed with cake mixed with awesome - that's an egg ball. 

The island where I live makes the best egg balls in Hong Kong. They're only open when there are a lot of tourists around, so when I happened to see those shutters up last Tuesday, of course yours-truly made a bee-line straight for the counter! They're made with a special moulded industrial size waffle-iron that they pour the batter into. Wait a couple minutes and hey-presto! Delicious eggy-buttery-cakey dessert-time! 

I couldn't wait until I got home to gobble them all up, so I decided to get two bags - one to devour on the ten-minute walk back to my house, and the other to take some photographs of when I got home, just for your viewing pleasure :P 

Just look at those little puffs of goldenly goodness! The texture is kind of chewy (in the middle of the puff) but it's also crispy around the edges...it's pretty much all of the good things! 

Of course, the minute my camera was put aside, little puffs kept mysteriously disappearing until all of a sudden! There were no more left. Just like that - POUF! Imagine ;)

I'm going to attempt to make these some time soon in my tiny Asian kitchen. I cannot wait to see how those turn out! 

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Loom Weaving 101

Hi Woollies!

I've bought a loom! I saw some wonderful projects on Pinterest and I had to have one. Pinterest is amazing. I have straight-up spent hours and hours and hours just searching stuff for fun and pin, pin, pinning it. It has to be my favourite site - there's so much inspiration to be had on it. 

Anyway. Being helpful (and knowing what a yarn-aholic I am), my boss emailed me a link to a company  called Knit.Purl.Crochet that makes simple wooden looms and sometimes holds workshops for  weaving. Unfortunately, I missed the workshop (sad face), but the minute I clapped eyes on the loom, I knew I had to have it.

Summer Garden Granny Blanket

Hello woollies! 

Chronic unfinished-itis has struck again! Unable to contain herself, Claire has started yet another type of granny square. This time, it's the Summer Garden Granny by Lucy at Attic24 - but I was really inspired by According to Matt's interpretation with the white 4th rounds - I think it's a really sweet interpretation.

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.