Crochet blanket - finished!

This one was hard to give away! Luckily the recipients were really delighted with it, otherwise I may well have changed my mind and snatched it back from them!

I started it at the end of March and finished it in July. I love the bright, cheerful colours. Had time permitted, I would have put more of a border on it, but as it was, the 'deadline' (i.e. us meeting our friends' baby for the first time) was looming, and so I decided to leave it like this. I think it was enough!

All credit must go to Little Tin Bird whose pattern I used and whose colours I copied! I just liked hers so much. The yarn is Stylecraft Special dk.

I felt a bit bereft without any crochet on the go, so I have another project on the hook now, which I'll show you next time. This time it's something for me!

Springtime wreath

I'm on a roll! Two finished projects in one weekend! The PJs were finished on Saturday morning and on Sunday morning I finished this:

It's an Attic24 design. I'm actually slightly embarrassed at just how long it's taken me to finish this! Lucy put up her lovely tutorial in March 2010 and I started it in August that year, so... ahem, almost two years later, here it is! Once I actually put my mind to it, it really didn't take very long - this is where I was when I picked it up again on Sunday:

... so all I had to do was sew on those last three flowers and buttons and then join the back and front together around the cardboard ring. It probably took less than an hour! Oh, procrastination, what a terrible thing you are! Anyway, I'm really pleased with how bright and cheerful it looks on my kitchen door and am delighted that I finished it at last!

You did say this was a craft blog?

Yes, yes I did. There's one more post on Tuscany to come, but first, I think some crafting updates are in order. First - I finished the log cabin cushion!

On the whole I'm very pleased with this. In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess I messed up one of the buttonholes on the back, but I don't think it's too noticeable - I just need more practice! I really like the fabrics and red and white look, and it was quite satisfying to put together.

I've made some progress on the crocheted squares too - by yesterday I had done forty-four, which means I'm halfway.

I also piled them all up, just to see how they looked!

Hard to photograph! I think it's looking good though, and I'm enjoying making them - and they are very portable, so I'm managing to get a lot done on the train to and from work. I like that each square is just one colour, so I'm getting the multi-coloured effect but without having so many ends to weave in. Definitely a good thing.

Finally, I have joined in Karen's Pyjama Party sewalong - my first sewalong and my first attempt at following a pattern for an item of clothing without a teacher standing next to me! I have my pattern, and am waiting for my fabric to arrive. I've gone for a brushed cotton for the cosy feel!

I'll show you as soon as it arrives and I've plucked up the courage to cut into it! Back soon!

Countdown Crochet

Three things you should know:

1. I start projects with great enthusiasm.
2. I am rubbish at finishing them.
3. I hope this blog will help to cure me of this affliction!

Seriously, my house is littered with unfinished works-in-progress. I am always too keen to start the next project on my list, or I suddenly realise that the baby blanket I've been planning to make is actually needed fairly soon, so I'd better put whatever I'm currently working on to one side, and move onto that instead - which is what has happened now. Ever since I saw Heather's beautiful blanket I knew I had to make one for my friends' first baby, due in May. So now we're at the end of March - hmmm, May isn't that far away! I have a plan though - 88 squares in total: 3 squares a day will do it, with a bit of time at the end to sew them all together and do a border. Having said that, I'm a bit behind already, but we'll just gloss over that! Here's where I'd got to this morning:

Seven down, eighty-one to go! Wish me luck for this one...