Oran's Place

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

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.

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   

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Makes me happy

 
I just love the way the sun sparkles on the water!

This morning we got up early and went down to the sea

It was a lovely bright sunny Spring morning. The first real chance we have had to get out early and get a good walk all holiday. We went to our usual favourite spot - the lighthouse at Burry Port, where the walking is easy for Cloud (the 14 year old husky) and Phaolin and I can go off and run along the beach...

 

 
And get very wet

 
We had a splendid time, great fun!

The marina was looking very pretty...

 
With all the different coloured cottages in the background. Sadly the only thing I had with me to take pictures with was my iPhone so the pretty coloured cottages aren't all that visible. Nonetheless they are there and they did look very pretty in the early morning sun.

It was a grand morning, I guess living 10 minutes from seven miles of some of the best award winning beaches in Europe has its advantages... especially when those seven miles of beach are all but empty

 
Anyway after all our exertions on the beach Mum needed a sit down... and Phaolin looks an absolutely gorgeous colour in the sunshine.

 
This morning reminded me why John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is one of my favourite songs.

 Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

 

If I had a day that I could give you

I'd give to you a day just like today

If I had a song that I could sing for you

I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

 

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

 

If I had a tale that I could tell you

BR>I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile

If I had a wish that I could wish for you

I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while

 

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always makes me high

Sunshine almost all the time makes me high

 

Well now I have to run away and make my special lamb curry for dinner. It needs a good while to cook slowly so I want to get started now. *hugs all* O. xxxxxxx

Home again, home again jiggetty jig...

So, it's been a while.  Too long, considering I was supposed to be updating this blog at least once a week.  Ho hum.  Anyway, I've been away.  Work, of the kind that I do for money to pay the mortgage and buy the yarn suddenly got kinda hectic and I had to go to New York for the week last week and it required a fair bit of preparation so sadly the blog got neglected.  Still I'm back now and just becasue I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been creating.  Oh no! 

Remember this?  My Mini Mochi hat.  Well I decided that it was the perfect thing to take to New York with me provided it had a...

Matching scarf and hand warmers...

 

I love it, I really do.  So have another picture of it.

  

The ensemble got worn in NYC and complimented especially when I visited the lovely lovely ladies at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio on West 15th.  I had a wonderful couple of hours in there and bought a lot of lovely lovely yarn.  So much I had to go and buy an additional hold all for travelling home!

Anyway I will take pictures of all my NYC fibre booty later...

For now I have started work on a bit of stash busting, kinda...

I am calling this my Purple Haze Sunset Blanket

Thirty five identical squares with a four row border.  I am aiming for at leat five squares a day then the thing will be complete in a week or so.  Sadly I have to visit the smoke again next week which will put paid to a couple of days hooking.

 
 
 So there we have it, all the recent hooky goodness.  If the baby blanket ever gets finished I post pictures of that too.

Love O. xxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

Little crochet afghan complete...

Okay so it took me a bit longer than a week but I finally got the little afghan for the back of the rocking chair done and I love it.  it looks so bright and cheery.

In situ on the back of the rocking chair.

 

And finally with cushion

 

The next two projects are already in progress as you can see.

A Quiet Evening In...

Leicester City were playing Newcastle on the telly last night so himself had taken over the small sitting room where the TV is for a few hours of football and his terriblre feeble attempts at larger loutishness I tipped the almost full can down the sink this morning) and football hooliganism (the occasional bit of shouting can be heard).  So I retreated into the big sitting room wth everything I needed for a few happy hours to myself.

Red wine, well actually it was rose, my new Katherine Jenkins CD, my new Medieval Music CD, my lovely new buttons and of course...

 
Some lovely yarn and a hook.

Pretty soon there was a steadily growing pile of squares made from my stash of Rowan pure wool DK

I love the colours of the Rowan yarn.  I know pure wool is not to everyone's liking and Rowan don't have the best of reputation with some knitters because they do silly things like make up a ball from 'ends' which is therefore full of knots, and totally useless to work with, or they make up the ball weight by tucking an  extra mini call into the ball band, again totally useless.  These practises are irritating, expecially when the yarn is rather pricey, in the £3-£4 a ball range usually.  Anyway, less of the yarn ranting.  

The 'Hat' is finished and will be posted next week \o/ which makes me feel much better.  I do like it when commissions are completed and ready to go.  Now I just have to hope the person I made it for, likes it.

So why the squares?  Well my old upholstered rocker is looking very grubby, wearing a tad thin, well very thin actually and Phaolin decided to eat the skirt when he was a puppy so I decided it needed some hooky goodness to brighten it up and cover up the worn bits.  I am trying to make an afghan in a week.  I won't manage it because I have already increased the size but two weeks maybe?  We shall see.  Anyway there are now a dozen pretty squares and today there will be more.  The thing will probably grow out of all proportion and take way longer than it should but I'm having fun doing it and that's the main thing.  Also it makes a nice change from the monster ripple.

So that's my happy weekend.  It snowed here yesterday and it's snowing again as a type so more hooking for me today.

And in lieu of the snow.  Have some snow dogs.  The 'old man'...

Please don't point that thing at me Mother!

And 'the Baby'...  Not looking, not looking, just resting my head here on this convenient chair part and ignoring you.

 

Love O. xxxxxxx
   
 
 
  

Buttons!!

Just look what arrived today!!!  Yummy, scrummy buttons in lots of bright cheerful colours.  I think I need another button tin to accomodate all the pretty.

Maybe like one of these here at Country Cottage Chic.  I love that website, it's so nostalgic but full of useful things too.

Well I have to go finish a hat for a friend...