New Hex Blanket

There's a gorgeous blanket by Lutter Idyl that I've had saved in my Pinterest folder for ages now. I've loved it forever :) So, when searching for ideas for a new project, I decided to have a go at making my own version... and here it is! I won't be putting it in the shop because it's not my design. It'll just rest in the presents drawer now until needed :)

The long road...

Have you ever started a project that just went on forever? There are no deadlines, you just 
do little bits here and there when you can, and the days turn to months... and then one day, 
you've actually finished and you can't quite believe it?

It's been a long road - I think I started this blanket at the end of the last summer (!) and here 
it is the beginning of this summer and it's ready for moth-ball storage until next winter ;)







Such a difficult colour to capture - even though it looks like graphite it really is a beautiful 
dark navy... Jo Sharp Mulberry Silk Georgette in Pebble (about a millions balls)... I had to 
pop out to the shops to buy more so often I've actually lost count of how many ;) 
64 panels in various patterns of about 15cms square, joined together with ladder stitch to 
form a queen bed-sized blanket.

This one's for my bed :)

Creative Space: Matching Blankets

There's a lot going on at the moment and I haven't been a good blogger, or IGer or 

anything-er really. One thing I do have to show though is a work in progress. My 

sister-in-law is having a baby really really soon and I've been steadily working on 

matching mumma-bubba blankets for them both... and this is what I've come up with...

As you can guess, she loves blues. The trick was to come up with matching designs 

that were nonetheless distinctly adult and child versions. I'm a big fan of Lucy's ripple, 

so I went for an ombré effect for the adult one and candy stripes for the child.

(The ombré blanket has been folded up which is why those ridges are there)

I haven't finished the baby blanket yet (have to get more of the navy wool today) but 

I'm hoping that they'll both be done and ready for posting as soon as the baby arrives.

I've just realised this photo is the back of the work, but you get the idea ;)

I'm so nervous about whether she'll like it or not... here's hoping...

I've also made her a portable change mat out of Marimekko oilcloth, that 

fabulous big flower design of theirs, again in the blues. You might have

seen this pic on my IG a couple of weeks ago...

(night photos... sorry!)

Hope you've had a wonderfully creative week. It's such a busy time of year, 

isn't it? You can see more creative spaces here.

Creative Space: Ombre Blanket

I've been steadily working on a ripple ombre blanket for a few weeks now.

First photo at two colours...

It progressed nicely through three colours...

and then four colours...

I'm up to the fifth and final colour now...

Desperately hoping the intended recipient will like it and starting to have misgivings 

about the second colour... what do you think? To me, it suddenly dulls the whole blanket.

Wondering if I can somehow take out the second colour and invisible stitch the natural 

and the light turquoise together... has anyone ever tried this? 

Risky business ;)

See more creative spaces on Instagram here and join in yourself here.

Also, there's a giveaway a-happening from the crafty collaboration between 

myself and Pippa from Ouchflower if you'd like to enter :)

Creative Space: a MoF and a Blanket

Feels like Thursday has come around very quickly this week... Only one 

MoF (Month of Finishing) project has been completed this week – the 

Isometric Cushion in Summersky...

I've also been without a computer and have taken the opportunity to do 

some more rows on the ombré ripple blanket... 

There's also been a development on the Ouchflower / Paravent collaboration 

too... we have a first born! Pippa has finished the macramé fringe on the first

panel and we're very excited about it :)

What have you been up to? You can see more spaces here.

Poised on the edge...

It's been a long time coming, but yes, I've finally finished the Isometric Blanket.

It hasn't been washed or blocked yet so it's still a tad bumpy... but I have a question... 

Is the fine edging enough?

I didn't want to distract from the 3D patterning by boxing it in... that was my thinking 

anyway, but does this thin edging make it look somehow not finished properly...? 

What do you think?

All thoughts gratefully received :)

UPDATE: Thanks for your lovely comments! I've gone with the majority and 
have left it with a fine black border. It's all washed and blocked and finished now.... 
and it's in my shop :)

Creative Space: Homemade or handmade?

Remember the Isometric Blanket? Well, I've spent this week pulling it apart 

and re-assembling it... I know, it's mad but I just had to do it... 

It actually came about because of The Gap... realising that what I'd made 

wasn't good enough and wanting to do things better; to evolve. 

Basically, all my pieces are crocheted together and that's been fine when I made

them into cushions (and no-one could see the back), but this latest spate of

blanket-making has made me realise it's just not cutting the mustard anymore.

I don't mean to sound snooty but it just looked so hokey at the back and it was really 

irritating me. Surely just because it's handmade doesn't mean it has to look all clunky 

and awkward?

Chunky back

So, I toddled on down to Tangled Yarns where the lovely Kelly showed me how to 

do it properly... Blanket Stitch! Am I the only one who didn't know about this miracle? 

Maybe it's because I don't knit? Whatever it is I am amazed and delighted.

Flat-join Blanket Stitch Method

Who knew the front and back could look virtually the same!

Kelly and I were chatting about the difference it makes to finished pieces and 

she suggested it's the difference between home-made and hand-made...

I think she's right though I don't actually want to sound disparaging towards 

homemade... I mean, that's kind of nice too :) 

What do you think? Nothing's nicer than a blanket your granny made you whatever 

it looks like on the back... but if you were trying to sell these blankets in a shop the 

tyranny of the 'finished piece' is about a professional job even if it is made by hand...

at least that's how it seems to me.


During the sun-shiny days here, I've been experimenting with a new block 
design too... you can see that on the Paravent facebook page.

Hope you've had a great week. You can find more creative spaces here.

Finished Harlequin

The Harlequin Blanket is finally finished... yah!

I haven't washed or blocked it yet so it's still a bit bumpy...

but it's such a nice feeling to have something actually finished :)
Ravelled here.

The sun has come out here and, as always, it makes me feel like screen printing. 

I still have some crochet projects on the go but I may just have some prints to 

show you before the week's done :)

Hope you have a lovely week.

Deliverance: Fine Little Porcelain, Necklace + Print

Some happy postal treats have been arriving on my lucky doorstep...

Porcelain from Elisabeth at Fine Little Day (my saucers with the cups).

A Tin Tin thank you necklace from Katherine (the printer ink recipient).

A gorgeous Superb Blue Wren print from Kristina and Jason of Inaluxe 

(lucky giveaway).

I've also been working away at new blankets and cushions... in fact I've 

become a woman obsessed. I have a picture in my mind of my shop filled

with strong graphic crochet designs happily waiting for the right person/buyer

to come along :) Ha! Yes, dreams and fantasies. Anyway, this is an update 

photo for the harlequin blanket...

Thank you to Elisabeth, Katherine, Kristina and Jason for my lucky goodies!

Rainy weekend

... oh it was so lovely! Driving up the mountains and going through the rainforest 

was just beautiful.

Do you remember previous posts of this view? This time we were living in a cloud :)

There was a lot of crocheting by the fire... 

I've started on a new design (even though the last one isn't finished!) 

Yes, I've gone diamond-crazy these days and the latest design is a classic 

harlequin pattern...

Love the rain :) Hope you had a lovely long weekend too!

Creative Space: Pin Cushion + blanket update

Playing along with Kirsty's My Creative Space meme today. 

Pop over to Kidspot to join in or see other spaces.

I've made a pin cushion. It's my very first and in honour of an old 

friend who has taken up sewing (and doing some cracker pieces too!).

Happy birthday Anita! and yah to having sewing friends too! :)

Isometric blanket update... I've been diligently diamonding and I would 

estimate I'm about 75% finished. The blanket has been ravelled.

I'm dreaming of a fluorescent orange border on this one but do you think I 

can find fluoro yarn anywhere? I would have thought it'd be so easy!

Let me know if you've seen any in your neck of the woods?

(every time I write an expression like that these days I giggle to imagine what 

the auto-translator would make of it! Obviously I'm reading a lot of foreign 

language blogs lately! :))

Hope you've had a wonderful week.