Oran's Place

Happy day after Valentines Day!

I intended to post this yesterday, but the day just got away from me completely and in the end himself and I simply sat together to watch a few shows at the end of the day.  I was even gonna take the day off but I looked at my work calendar and realised that if I did that then all the conference calls arranged for Monday would simply be re-arranged for later on in the week which would simply increase the workload overall.  So in the end it was a normal day with the usual amounts of love and laughter but with extra cards and roses on top.

Above is a picture of my valentines day gift to himself, or part of it anyway.  I made a crochet heart for each day of the week.

In varying sizes and colours, different on each side...

Added the beaded tails.  Then crocheted different lengths of loops to make a

Bunch of Valentines Hearts

The credit for the hearts pattern goes to Art of Crochet by Teresa and the Youtube link to the on line tutorial is here.  There is a link to the written pattern under the Youtube video.

The idea for the bead decoration came from Lucy at Attic24 - her Christmas Bauble idea.

On a totally different topic the ladies on the Attic24 Ravelry group have been having a dicsussion about pattern copyright, pattern tweaking, pattern ownership etc which has been very interesting to follow.  On a personal note I do always try to give credit for patterns and yarn that I discuss on here and make it very clear that I am not passing patterns I have bought or found on line off as my own.  However, like all human beings I may forget sometimes and if its just a picture of something I made recently then I don't always see the need to go into details.

I was taught to knit, sew, crochet, embroider, cook, bake, wash and iron by my grandmother between the ages of four and eight.  She taught my two male cousins too.  I consider myself very fortunate in this and admit that I can look at a picture of finished item and usually work out how to make it pretty quickly.  However, personally I prefer to buy my patterns, where I can, because it saves time, and it keeps pattern makers employed so they come up with more lovely patterns for me to try. 

Like these from Gourmet Crochet  Aren't they just gorgeous and the two booklets cost me the grand sum of $16.  I am well thrilled with these little gems.

Of course the issue of vintage and out of print patterns is rather different and I am not sure where I stand on whether or not these patterns should be posted on the internet.  On the one hand it is great to make beautiful patterns available for people to try and to enjoy.  On the other hand are we stealing?  One assumes royalties on such patterns are no longer being paid so where is the harm?  Unlike reproducing a pattern from a book still in print from which the designer may be relying on royalty payments for their living.  Maybe I'm just over complicating the whole thing.  It was a very lively and interesting discussion that raised a lot of good points and tricky points and obvious points and points we folks just hadn't thought about at all. 

Well that's my Valentines Hearts and thinky thoughts entry for today!

Take care all.  Love O. xxx

Long time... no update

So it's half way through January 2011 and this is my first post of the year.  I intended to be so good this year and try to post at least once a week but it looks like I fell at the first hurdle.  Ah well, never mind.  the world won't end for lack of a blog update from me, that's for certain!

The picture above is one of my Christmas presents from himself.  I bought myself a swift in Autumn last year and for Christmas I was given the ball winder to accompany it.  I love love love love love it!  I gave himself a few links to try to get one but it was the lovely ladies at First 4 Yarns who helped him out and ensured that the winder was here in time to be in my stocking.  As you can see I have already put it to good use winding a dozen or so skeins of my gorgeous Natural Dye Studio Dazzle DK. A job that used to take hours is now done in a matter of minutes with no mess, tangling, swearing, and/or the general frustration that can accompany hand winding skein after skein for a blanket.

Another christmas present I received from himself was a 'Kindle.'  I had asked for it because holding bigger books, especially in bed, to read for any real length of time has become increasingly difficult.  However, a bit of investigating showed another splendid use for it.  All my dowloaded crochet patterns can be sent to the Kindle which means no more carrying around crumpled sheets of A4 that get torn and spilled on and lost.  Now I can send them to the Kindle and that's all I need to carry with me.

Splendid device!

Of course having gotten the Kindle I had to crochet myself a case for it didn't I...

Here it is on the sofa, along with my latest Cath Kidston catalogue.

In return for the above himself deserved something truly special and I think the completed blanket fitted the bill perfectly.

It's made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK in heathery colours suitable for a bloke!  And he loves it.  It has taken up permanent residence on the back of the sofa...

And gets used every day.  If you ever want to make a luxury blanket for a special person then this yarn is the one to do it in.  It's so thick and soft and makes for a very very snuggly blanket.

I made a selection of other Christmas gifts for various people and some of Lucy's Christmas Baubles.

This is the first collage I've ever done and it isn't very good, but you get the general idea.  Anyway, himself is away visiting his folks this weekend so I have loads of hooky time all to myself.  Hopefully I will manage to update faster next time.  O. xx

November

I can't believe it's November already!  Where did the year go?

Just a quick update because I haven't posted in so long.  So what have we been up to since the ages ago when I last posted?

Well the weather has turned colder, that's for certain.  I've started wearing polo necked sweaters under my smocks.  Time to get the sock needles out and start knitting lovely scrummy thick socks for the winter.  Speaking of thick socks, bonfire night was something of a wash out.  We had to keep Phaolin in last night but there was really very little to see.  I felt so sorry for all the families looking forward to a  bonfire and fireworks outside and now it's still raining and the wind is getting steadily stronger. 

After the shenanigins of last week end we still had our Samhain pumpkin sitting there unused so this morning I made pumpkin cake and pie, delicious.

I have to admit the batter tasted rather good - it's a guilty pleasure and I know I shouldn't indulge but it brings back all those memories of home baking with mother and nan and being allowed to 'lick the bowl!'

I think I must be the worlds messiest baker, mashed pumpkin everywhere. 

Once that was all done I sat down with my yarn and hook and watched the Brazilian grand prix while outside it slowly became one of those nights when it's good to be inside, all cosy and warm with a glass of good wine and some crochet.

Right now I'm back to crocheting but having gotten a head start on the Christmas presents I decided I needed to do something small and different so last week I turned to the knitting and made these...

I loved this pattern when I first saw it...

I looks even cuter when it's being worn!  I'm kinda pleased with the way it came out.  So tomorrow it's back to the Christmas presents.  Himself put in an order for one of my crochet flower wreaths for his mum so I have to get on with that soon and of course we will begin our usual pre Christmas clean up this week.  I am determined to get ahead of the game this year, in case we have a repeat of last weekend or one of use catches the usual winter cold.  I'll post pictures of the completed Christmas presents soon.  Love O. xx

Vacation...

This was the last rose in the garden, from an old old rose bush that really needs to be dug up, but I just can't bring myself to do it, when each year it produces a half a dozen beautiful, deep jewel toned, perfect roses.  *sigh*

So after the bank holiday health scare I am just over half way through my three week vacation and I have been thoroughly enjoying myself doing... very little.

 

This picture is of the nightdress case and coat hangers I made for my friend from Colombia.  She fell in love with the granny stripe blanket but there wasn't enough time to make a blanket and anyway it would have required a suitcase all to itself, so I made her a nightdress case and a couple of coverd coat hangers instead, using some left over yarn from the blanket so she still had all the pretty colours.

I lined it with some pale yellow cotton and used some of my polka dot buttons for the fastening.  Overall I was kinda pleased with the result.

I have also gotten a head start on the Christmas knitting and crochet... for which I am very pleased with myself.  One item is already completed and several others are well under way, including another granny stripe blanket but for himself this time in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK.  Stupidly expensive I know, and in shades that are not necessarily ones I would normally use but they are colours that himself likes, so that's all that matters.

 
I added a couple of mid-dark purple shades to the mix, to lift the colours a little and the result is exactly what I was looking for,  Lovely stripes in heathery shades that are not too bright and 'girly' and just right for a bloke!  :)

 
And of course being cashmerino the whole thing is lovely and soft and snuggly.

The hat is a Christmas present already completed for a friend of mine, knitted in some of the welsh mohair I got at Wonderwool there are some wrist warmers and a scarf to go with still to be finished.

I am planning to have the blanket and the hats and scarves done by the end of October if I can then I'm pretty much ahead of the game in terms of Christmas present stuff, which will please me immensely.

The weather here has been mixed over the first week and a half of the vacation and Phaolin has developed a limp again which means that adventuring out doors has been limited for both of us.  The sun is coming out now though and makes for lovely walking weather - except for the limp of course.  Not entirely sure quite what to do about it yet.  Instinct tells me to keep him quiet (yeah, try and keep him quiet) and let it get better of its own acoord, but the 'worried Mum' in me wants to rush to the vet, again.  *sigh*  He's a worrisome little monster in every way.  We're just getting over a series of broken nights, which we're putting down to teenage angst and insecurity.  I swear he has more moods and personality in two years than Callanish had in 13!

Yesterday we had a stroll up the lane...

 
In the sun... after the recent trauma it was a good for me as for the dogs... and I took pictures of a couple of the trees...

Because I liked them...

 
I've also had a couple of trips out to stock up on yarn.  I needed more Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for the Christmas presents so on Monday a friend of mine from the Stitch 'n' Bitch went off to Port Talbot to the yarn shop there.  We had a truly splendid time, finished off with lunch in the coffee shop where we normally meet on a Wednesday evening.

Besides stocking up on the Debbie Bliss I also bought some Noro - Silk Garden Lite.  I know opinions about Noro vary but I wanted to try it for myself and so far I'm reasonably happy.  No it isn't the softest yarn in the world by a long shot but I have it on good authoirty that there ways of softening it during blocking and the long colour runs are ideal for shawls like this one started below...

Not the best display background and the shadows don't help but I'm only about a quarter done and there'll be better pictures later.  I just love the colour runs and I love this particular pattern. Seraphina's Shawl It's versatile, not too hard and very quick.  Once you've got the beginning sorted and all the increases happening in the right places.

Then yesterday I went for lunch in Llandeilo with another S'n'B friend and after an excellent burger and chips for lunch we went to the yarn shop there where I bought a whole bunch of fat quarters to do some patchwork with and then treated myself to a 17 shade rainbow of Sublime DK merino and cashmerino silk.  A truly excellent afternoon, gossiping and yarn buying.  Oh! and I bought a new handbag too, which I love almost as much as the yarn.

The yarn stash is growing out of control.  I really do need to put a stop to the buying and get a whole load more things made.

Anyway, we have cleared up the leaves outside while it is dry and now I am going to go sit and crochet for a while. 

So I'll leave you with another picture of my fabulous 'last rose of Summer.'

Love O. xx

Done and Done!!!

The Granny Stripe Blanket a la Lucy is finally finished.  (Lucy has/will put the pattern in her side bar as usual, lovely generous person that she is as usual.)

And... I love it!

Here it is folded up on the rocking chair...

And again on the back of the couch...

And opened out on the bed.  Our bed is a king so it doesn't look quite as big as it seemed when I was crocheting that little piquet border!

And finally spread out over the couch in the big sitting room where it looks much bigger.

I made it as a car and picnic blanket because I thought, with it being acrylic, it would stand the washing better than the pure wool ones.  But... I think I may like it too much to just leave it in the 'dog wagon' all the time to get grubby.  Perhaps it will take up residence on one of the bean bags in the big sitting room.

So, I am very pleased with the way this one has come out, even if I do say so myself.

O. xxx

Alone...

Bought these to cheer myself up while himself is away.  He left early this morning to visit family.  By the time I sat down to start work at 9.30 I had a load in the washing machine, the dishwasher on, the dogs walked, one side of the kitchen completely cleaned and I'd painted a wall!  Funny how much you get done when the other half isn't around.  No doubt he would say exactly the same about me...Once I'd done the necessary for work I cleaned the small sitting room.  Now I ache, in a good way, and I'm exhausted, so I'm sitting down with a glass of white Zinfandel writing this journal entry. 
Tomorrow I plan to do the second coat of paint on the wall, finish the kitchen, clean the big sitting room and the bedroom and sort out the last of my yarn stash.  This is the yarn hiding behind the rocking chair in the small sitting room.  On Wednesday I shall be a lady of leisure.  *chuckles*After last week it is so nice to get back to domesticity.  I really am not cut out for this high flying career lark, I'd much rather stay home and keep house.  *sigh*  However, the mortgage has to be paid and sadly there is no wage for housekeeping in one's own house.  Anyway, time to play EQ II for a while, then I shall go crochet while I watch TV.

Off again!!

Stash sorting.  Getting there slowly...

So long time no update.  Life has been very busy and there just hasn't been time to write about everything.  I'm off to 'The Smoke' again tomorrow for work for a whole week.  *le sigh*  All good fun and all that and it's nice to see friends and colleagues from far away.  Last week I went up to the folks for a few days.  Father had a couple of large trout given to him by a fishing friend and they needed to be skinned and boned and turned into something the parents can eat.  So I made trout in cream, mustard and tarragon sauce.  We ate some and froze the rest. It was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.

The combination of sunshine and rain means that the garden is growing out of control so after my trip to London we are going to try and get back on top of it again.  Sadly I am not one of life's natural little gardeners so it all tends to go in fits and starts when I'm in the mood.

Apart from work life is pretty good right now, so why am I waiting for the other shoe to drop?  No idea, but I definitely am. 

Anyway Phaolin is having an incredible moult right now.  I suspect it's the heat, but he's shedding clumps of white fur all over everywhere.  In the end I took to finger stripping him.  He doesn't really like it, but will tolerate it for a short while.  I managed a patch on his side about six inches square and, well you can see the result here...

Enough fur to make a mini Phaolin!  Anyone thinking of owning a pulling dog, you have been warned.

Being away next week means that work will have to stop on the 'granny stripe blanket.'  I amanged to get a fair bit done while I was up with the folks.

 

I'm liking it a lot, but I'm glad I got a second colour pack of the yarn.  I thought initially I was going to be able to complete using the one pack but I'm not so sure now.  Having the second pack already in the stash means I can either stop or keep going as I please.

I think I have finally got all the colours I want from "The Natural Dye Studio " for the triangle blanket and also they had some packs of mini skeins for sale on their site the other week and I bought enough to be able to get started on that fancy scarf pattern I got at Wonderwool.

So many projects and so little time. I also need to invest in a "ball winder" (stop sniggering!) I have over thrity sekins of yarn to wind before I can start the triangle blanket, and that isn't the only yarn I have that comes in skeins.  All the Welsh Yarn Company mohair for this year's christmas hats is in skeins too.

This week I have been rediscovering music that I haven't listened to for years, too.  A friend of my on LJ posted a video link to Jon and Vangelis' "Find My Way Home" and I realised I'd forgotten how much I liked their music so I did an iTunes trawl and found a load of great songs that I hadn't heard for years.  It dawned on me that it was probably because so much of that music was associated with my marriage but it shows kust how far I've come, when none of it brought back even remotely maudlin memories.  I am now able to view that part of my life with positive equanimity.  Fascinating how time softens things and memories that were once bitter-sweet become simply 'old memories.'  Guess it's me age :)

Anyway, I have everything ready to put into my suitcase tomorrow so I'm going to go have a relaxing Saturday.  Have a good weekend all, O. xxxxx

  

 
  

 

 

Summer Solstice

An excellent sunrise with Black Mountain, clove scented candles, sweetgrass and a peace pipe.  Pink Champagne poured over fresh stawberries.  Full English breakfast, served al fresco at the new picnic table. Probably the best solstice weather we've had for at least ten years.

I have the day off to enjoy at my leisure and Wimbledon starts this afternoon.  I ordered two new packs of yarn yesterday from two of my favourite suppliers and the granny stripe blanket is coming along nicely.  Progress slowed a little when I got back to work full time, but there's no rush.

The spare room is sorted for now.  I can finally get at all my stash and the yarn I bought at Wonderwool is now safely boxed and out of the big sitting room much to the relief of himself, and me to be honest.  I am still short of some pale green variegated from the Natural Dye Studio for the triangle blanket and they just don't seem to be doing any, but I have plenty to keep me going with the granny stripe and then the blanket for the mock Lloyed Loom chair I bought for the bedroom.

 
Well it is now far too hot for me to sit outside and we got a free trial for week against our old EverQuest accounts so I will leave you with a couple more pics.

Brothers lying in the yard in the sun...

 

The grand old man, he's fifteen now, if he were human he'd be a hundred!

 

MERRY SOLSTICE ALL

O. xxxxxx

Sunday...

Began with a bagel and cream cheese!  Yum!  I really should never be allowed to visit New York, bagels and cream cheese for breakfast will do nothing to assist with any kind of diet.

After that I took myself off to Dunelm to buy cushion innards.  I love love love that shop. Besides the cushion innards I also bought two new tape measures while I was there.  My capacity to lose tape measures is tuly extraordinary.  I have no idea where they vanish to.  Personally I think they disappear through wormholes in space to some weird alien tape measureland.  Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Also in the shipping was the new yarn basket pictured above for the Stylecraft Special DK, some lemon yarn, because I thought it might make nice doll hair, some wooden coathangers that I intend to make covers for, 2 cintronella candles in little pink buckets and two pink tea light lanterns and this...

I have wanted a chair like this for ages.  My Mother has a 'real one' in their bedroom but steadfastly refuses to get all my hints about wanting to bring it home with me so when I saw this chair I had to have it.  I will probably do it up a la Lucy at Attic24 of course.  (That is if I ever find the still missing sewing machine.)  And then it can reside in the bedroom where I will enjoy using it.  So, so happy with it especially for less than twenty quid.

I made a wonderful and so easy lemon sauce to go with my Sunday chicken which I ate whilst watching Rafael Nadal give Robin Soderling a lesson in how to play tennis at the French Open final.  That young man really is such a delicious guilty pleasure.  :)

And of course there is this...

My granny stripe blanket is coming along nicely and I am loving the colours.  They aren't easy and I don't have the greatest colour sense in the world so there have been one or two hiccups along the way but I am very happy with it so far.  It is also decidedly snuggly, much to my surprise.

In other crochet news I decided to call a halt to my Rowan Handknit Cotton ripple.  I loved that yarn so much when I bought it and I had such great plans for it, but knowing that so many of the really vibrant colours are no longer available seem to have really taken the delight out of using it.  Silly I know, but I can't help the way I feel. However, when I put it over the back of the leather couch in the big sitting room I couldn't help but smile.

It seems I have stopped at exactly the right size and it brightens up the leather couch and protcects the wall behind.  It is also big enough to be a lap-ghan if needed.  Now, seeing it in situ so to speak, it makes me very happy.  I just wish the light in the big sitting room was better so I could get better pictures.

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend and I think it is time for a glass of wine and some more crochet.  Love O. xx   

Yarn!!!!

Aren't they gorgeous?

Don't you just love it when there's a scrumptious yarn delivery with everything you ordered.  Over at the Attic24 Ravelry group the wonderful Lucy and other group members have been discussing the merits or otherwise of acrylic yarn.  Natrual fibre yarns are truly wonderful in both look and feel and absolutely lovely to work with, but the maintenance and more improtantly the cost can make them difficult to justify when we all have other calls on our hard earned cash.  Eg the yarn I have been buying from The Natural Dye Studio comes in at £12.50 per 100g skein which makes the cost of my intended afghan £260.00 for yarn alone.  And... the Biggan Merino for the monster rainbow ripple has already cost over £300.00 in yarn.  This makes crocheting afghans and blankets an expensive hobby to say the least.  So we have been discussing the pros and cons of using the cheaper acrylic yarns, especially for more practical blanketsd for camping and caravaning.  Over in the US they have the most fabulous acrylics, lovely and soft and 'non-squeaky' Microspun is one of my favourites and of course there is Cascade 220, which I have never used but which I intend to try.  But the problem here is that by the time an acrylic yarn has been shipped over one way or another it is no longer cheap!  So what do we have here at home in the UK, well we have this...

 
Isn't it just wonderful... Stylecraft Special DK with a really lovely range or colours that aren't quite as neon as the Robin and the yarn itself is much softer than other acrylics.

Now I just have to get my riple finished so I can get started on using this!!

Love O. xxxx