Delayed TaDa......

So I have finished the blanket and have actually managed to get one or two photos to show.  (There were many others but they weren't viewable). That side of things still needs work!!
I was really pleased with how it came out.  The colours are lovely and I think it has just enough different coloured centres to bring it to life.  Loving the blending of the browns as well.

 

I used Bendigo Woolen Mills for the main body of the throw and some of the coloured centres.  The rest came from my stash built up from the 70's.  It was a bit sad to see how low I was getting on some of the old colours as I can't replace them.  The brights just don't seem to be around at the moment.

Anyway that led to my new obsession - but more on that later.

I've also completed a couple of short but satisfying projects since the blanket,

and yes I know everyones first reaction is "oh my grandma used to make them" or something similar, but its amazing how many people want one when you have finished them.  I love the covered coathangers as they don't leave that bump in the shoulder of your knitted things when you hang them.

The other project was courtesy of my darling daughter Holly of Two Cheese Please. She sent me a copy of a pattern for a dragon. I love dragons. So even though I have a million other projects begging to be finished/started I just had to make this one.  You understand don't you.  I'm glad I did; he is really lovely.  Probably would have looked better in a better yarn, but thats what I had in my stash.  Now I have to decide what I'm going to do with him. I suspect he will go with the other stuffed toys I've made and eventually they will be donated to a charity.

I couldn't resist posing him on that book.  Its Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb.

I guess I need to find a name for the dragon - any suggestions?

The Granny Blanket.......
I really should have called this blog "Procrastination Central".

I've been busy crocheting my new granny blanket but I've put off blogging about it (except in my head - and you call all read that can't you!!) until I worked out how to use the sons' camera a bit better.  I also need to work out how to fix the lousy photos I do take. Photoshop is like a whole new thing with such a different language and too many ways to tweak.  I get lost and never know which is the best thing to do to fix the photo.

Anywho I do know how to crop the photos so I've got a couple that I'll put up as is.

Brown colour way

Varigated Centre with pink and white

As you can see they aren't the traditional granny squares.  Yes my old old ones from my stash are still sitting there waiting to be used. I have sorted them and gotten rid of the colour combos I just couldn't live with, so some progress has been made.

I was seduced by the lure of something new.  I found the pattern for these great squares and just got swept away in the excitement of "NEW".  Did anyway just think "easily distracted"?

I've decided to go with the brown colour way and leave the variegated centres for another day.  The pattern for the block is from the leaflet "Amazing Star Afghans" which is out of print but you can buy it from the daughter of the designer as an electronic download from www.stores.ebay.com/QueenOfAllCrafts  - Look for JAO patterns.

A Granny a Day.......

I grabbed out my bag full of granny squares that I had started back in the seventies for this granny - a - long and not sure if I will use any of them.

Some are very sad!
I cut the ends of the knots in some of the early ones-no going back from there.  I did weave in the ends on some later ones, but its obvious that I used 2 different size hooks to make them.  I think.... that I used a 3.75mm for the early ones and used the 3.75mm and a 4.0mm for the later ones; some of the colour combos are in the category of "what was I thinking". I also raided my 8ply stash to add to the bundle.  No shortage of wool there, but you can notice a distinct colour preference and not many brights in the lot, so although I swore I was only going to use up the stash I feel a visit to the Bendigo Woolen Mill coming up.  (you can't have too much wool can you)???

A begining......

Everything has to start somewhere and after waffling about starting a blog. Here it is! Trouble was I was trying to be too clever and come up with a catchy name like all those fantastic blogs I see on the web.  Thats not me, I don't do clever very well.  So ... its simply Cate, the name my friends and family have called me for years.  It fits. What you see is what you get with me, don't do drama or artifice and really appreciate honesty in people.

The final catalyst for me getting off my bum and starting this is that I wanted to join the "granny a day" at http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/granny-day-2012.html and I need a blog address.  So a thank you for the requirement to have this address.  I'll take whatever prod is necessary to get moving.

So now to sign up for the group and start looking at how to do more than just put words up on this site.

Catch you all next time