Crochet Skills

Well I have the Granny square crochet well and truly under my skills belt.  In fact I can whip up a Granny square stitch blanket blindfolded LOL!

With lots of babies due I've been kept busy creating in one form or another and what I think I love most about crochet is that I can do it whilst watching the TV (although there seems to be very little worth watching of late) or whilst we;re out and about driving in the car.  Obviously I'm not the one doing the driving!  I don't drive so I get to sit and enjoy the scenery.  And I love that I can take it even when I go visit my mother and sit quite happily chatting and crocheting at the same time.

 

In the background of this shot you can see the brightly coloured blanket I crocheted which is going to a lovely gal at church who just might've had her baby by this weekend if memeory serves me right.  I knew when I started it that I had just 4 weeks to complete it.  She knew she was having a girl and wanted bright colours and not all pink.

 

Thanks to making that one I learned a new skill - how to add a simple but really effective scalloped edge to my blankets.  I should point out that I ma self taught thanks to U Tube video tutorials.  This is my favourite use of the Hudl 2 (from Tesco's) that we got free when we doubled up our store vouchers

.  I can happily sit watching a tutorial and crocheting with head phones on whilst sitting with hubby in the evening and not even disturb his telly time.

 

 

I used my new found scallop making skills around the edge of my next blanket and 'lovie'.

 

I wouldn't usually have chosen these bright yellows but this blanket was for ojnhe of the gals at work and I asked what colour she wanted and she asked for yellows and lemon.  It's a beaustiful colour combo once the blanket is opened up.

 

 

And since I was learning new crochet skills I decided to have a go at crocheting a little bunny 'lovie' to match.  Okay so I'm not gonna pretend and say the bunny was easy or anything - the head was pretty easy, the ears were okay (although I threw my first one away) but the arms were so super fiddly, especially when it got to just a small opening and you had to do another couple of rows!

 

But it really is tghe best 'lovie' out of all the ones I've made so far and I love that I don't have to go sit in another room or at a machine to make it.  I could be really tempted to make up a bunch of bunny parts to keep on hand for when I whip up the little blanket to make it up.

 

My 'lovie' square is about 10 - 11" square and he is stitched onto the middle on the diagonal, facing one of the points of the square which creates his body.

 

 

And as with all my crocheted creations I like to wrap it up in a clear cellophane wrap to keep it clean and present it so all the details can be seen without having to open it up and tie it all together with a big length of ribbon tied in a bow.

 

 

Then to complete the look and finish it off beautifully I was able to use my WMS stamps and dies to whip up a super quick handmade tag in a matching colour scheme.  I wanted to add a persoanl message because this is going to a baby that has been a long time coming - 12 years in fact!  That makes it especially precious and even though baby's not here yet I made the mummy to be cry with this gift. 

 

As for me - well I'm just feeling incredibly blessed to have learnt new skills, to be able to do something nice for someone and to keep my hands busy.  I must be getting better at crochet because I made up this blanket in a week and the lovie in 2-3 days.  Now I have a blanket to start for my colleague's daughter who had a baby girl on Wednesday this week.  I just can't get enough of Granny square crochet!!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Suezie