Blogger blogging block

February 1st   

So already month 2 and this is my first post of 2017.  May I wish you all a belated happy healthy and prosperous year ahead.

Why the silence?  Well... I could list a multitude of reasons but that would bore you half to death, so needlessly I won't list my excuses suffice to say I am back, maybe not with a vengeance but I am back.

All has been it's usual hectic time here in the eclectichome, nothing new to report on my state of crafting except to inform you I still suffer badly from beginning way too many projects and failing to complete many of them, anyone else the same? Here is my shameful list of those projects I have begun in 2017 and as yet not completed:

3D knitted and felted chicken:  used the wrong wool and did not felt as it should and now I've lost all desire

Failure 1, but I am still tempted to give it another try

2D knitted and felted chicken: again wrong wool, will I not ever learn

Failure 2, again love the idea of this chicken, so will try again

Attic 24 Moorland CAL: it's an on going current online CAL so I am on track, yay!

At least I am on track with this blanket and
I love the gentle rhythm of it

3 crocheted cati all in various stages of incompleteness, need to source mini terracotta pots so at a standstill

These were such fun to make and are going to be used
on a crochet class I will be teaching, so
must get a move on and complete them

Knitted mittens, on the second one, it's nearly done: must get a wriggle on

The easiest ever mitten pattern, am 3/4 way
through mitt number 2

Small doll crocheted  amigurami: not looking as good as I had hoped so a little 'off' this project

Am totally out of love with this and
may just abandon it

Now that I have publicly shamed myself for too many WIPs and failures, I better hop along and try to rectify the situation, I had said I would not have any resolutions this year, but this post is making me think that I should really sort out this syndrome of mine and finish SOMETHING...ANYTHING...

until next time, stay well and safe... ♥

Crochet creations

April 11th   


We are now into week two of the sharing a photo a day of crochet and below I present to you my entries.  It is such fun choosing what to share and how best to display it.  Some people are incredibly clever and inventive with their photography styling, I can but wish I could learn and have the eye.

Here are my latest five:

Day 6   CROCHET SPACE

My 'crochet space' choice was where I keep
my inspirational books and patterns

 
Day 7:  FAV HOOK

My favourite hook is this plain and simple grey size 4mm. 
It belonged and was used first by my grandmother,
then mamma and now I use it. 

 Day 8:  BLANKET

I chose this blanket as I made it
whilst teaching my first crochet class

Day 9:  PRETTY IN PINK

Pretty in pink had to be my scrap busting granny stripe vase

Day 10:  FLOWERS

For flowers I chose to share one of the many
crochet rings I have made over the years, I wear this one a lot.

♥  What would your entries look like?  ♥

Attic 24 inspired Scandinavian cosy CAL

14th December

Hurrah! All 90 colour stripes are complete. I am elated. Now for the border. Lucy over at Attic 24 has given us sneak peaks this week on various social media sites to her completed blanket, border and all and I must say it looks divine. Looking forward to cracking on with that.

I am really pleased with how my version has turned out and it suits the room I intended it for perfectly. I am chuffed.

So without further ado. Here are the photos and the last 15 colour stripes:

Spare bedroom beginning it's makeover The blanket fits in well

The Scandinavian influenced cosy CAL in situ

The last 15 colours are:

Rows 149 & 150  White
Rows 151 & 152  Cream
Rows 153 & 154  Silver
Rows 155 & 156  Parchment
Rows 157 & 158  Stone
Rows 159 & 160  Cream
Rows 161 & 162  Stone
Rows 163 & 164  Silver
Rows 165 & 166  White
Rows 167 & 168  Parchment
Rows 169 & 170  Cream
Rows 171 & 172  Silver
Rows 173 & 174  Stone
Rows 175 & 176  Cream
Rows 177 & 178  White
Rows 179 & 180  Stone

Do not forget that today is also the third Sunday in Advent. Christmas is ever drawing nearer, I am excited but a little on edge as I still have presents to buy, cookies to make and to complete my two December challenges. That if posting on the blog every day leading up to Christmas and taking a home crafted photo a day!  Wish me luck, I'm half way there...

Week 2 in December looked a lot like this!

Third Sunday in Advent

♥  Happy Sunday everyone ♥

Cosy Cal based on Attic 24 Part 5 Scandinavian style

Cosy cal on a frosty morning

7th December  



The Lucy blanket is growing and looking good.  It's keeping my lap warm as I crochet and I am still finding it therapeutic.  Have you seen Lucy's?  She has completed all 90 stripes and it is looking gorgeous, her colours really are stunning, I am very tempted to make another in her colour choice too...


This week the colours are:

121 & 122  Parchment
123 &124   Stone
125 &126   White
127 & 128  Silver
129 & 130  Stone

Week 5 colours of the Cosy Cal Scandinavian style

131 & 132  White
133 & 134  Parchment   
135 &136   Silver
137 & 138  Cream
139 &140   Stone
141 &142   Cream
143 & 144  Silver
145 & 146  Stone
147 & 148  Parchment





The blanket is really a great size already and now covers the coffee table and then some...

Second Sunday in Advent,
so two candles are lit

I love the stripes
in black & white too



I just loved the frosted blades of grass
and dashed out to photograph with the blanket

 

I have set myself a challenge of taking a photo a day in December and thought you may like to see the first weeks efforts! Not only is the challenge to take a photo a day, but that everything should be home crafted and not commercialised, fingers crossed I manage it.  To follow this on a daily basis, head over to my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/eclectichomelife
Like the page and you see the daily photographs!

Knitted Christmas baubles

Kitchen utensils given the painted red treatment

Norwegian nisse made from toilet rolls!

Crocheted brooch with cinnamon for seasonal effect

Pepperkake, a Christmas must in our household

A nod to British tradition, cloves and oranges, Christingle style

Felt covered match boxes to sit by the fireplace

♥  Hope your seasonal preparations

are going well, have a great week ♥

Attic 24 Cosy CAL Part 4 Scandinavian style

30th November

I am sooooo excited the blanket is
growing but even more so Advent begins.  I am such a lover of Christmas. I make no apologies for it. I am excited. But onto this post and the growing blanket. It looks and feels like a blanket and my spare room is crying out for it to be finished. My MIL arrives on Wednesday and I had hoped to have had this completed but that is not now looking likely. Never mind I will have it folded on a chair in the room looking lovely instead. Are you still in love with your blanket? How are you getting on?

This week I have yet again been in awe of mother nature, we have had a mixed bag of frost and blue skies, each bringing with it a new view, thought I would share it with you before I reveal the next set of 15 colours for the blanket...

Look at the cloud formation in London this week

The same London cloud formation as the sun was setting

Early morning frost along our road
at the beginning of the last week in November

Just breath taking, a frosty morning

Of course now that we have had two fairly deep frosts in our neck of the woods the colour has disappeared in our garden, but we have just a tad of orange left...

BUT, you are wanting this weeks colours, so here they are: 

Colour order on photo is from right to left!

Cream rows 91 & 92

Stone rows 93 & 94

Silver rows 95 & 96

Cream rows 97 & 98
Parchment rows 99 & 100

White rows 101 & 102

Cream rows 103 & 104
Stone rows 105 & 106
Parchment rows 107 & 108
White rows 109 & 110
Silver rows 111 & 112
Stone rows 113 & 114
Parchment rows 115 & 116
Cream rows 117 & 118
Silver rows 119 & 120

Those of you who have been following the blankets progress know that it is for the spare room and I was after a Scandinavian feel to it, I think it still does that, but I really think it comes into it's own when out with nature, what do you think?  It matches well with the outside...

 

The blanket is now so cosy on my lap when crocheting and I must confess too large to cart around with me whilst out and about, but I still manage to drag it from room to room.  Where do you craft and crochet?

In bed, although I cannot do this if the other
 half is around
as he has decreed it as very 'unsexy'!!!!

Yes, that is a real cat
and no that is not a real deer?!!?

Whilst cooking dinner

Whilst the children complete their homework

♥  Check back later today for my first of Advent post ♥

 

Last year I posted every day in December and this year will be the same.  It all began here last year... 

 Advent begins 2013

First Sunday in Advent 2013


This year's advent post can be found here

Attic 24 Cosy CAL Part 3 Scandinavian style

23rd November

It's beginning to look a lot like a blanket

This blanket is almost making itself. In three weeks of hooking it up with I feel very little effort I am now half way to completion. Any one making this great blanket? Do you feel the same?

Those of you who maybe interested the previous posts relating to what colours I use, where they can be purchased from and colour order to date can be found on the following links: 
here
here
and here

This weeks 15 colour order is as follows:  

This week I  began and ended with white rows

White rows 61 & 62

Cream rows 63 & 64

Silver rows 65 & 66

White rows 67 & 68

Cream rows 69 & 70

Stone rows 71 & 72

White rows 73 & 74

Silver rows 75  & 76

White rows 77 & 78

Parchment rows 79 & 80

Cream rows 81 & 82

Stone rows 83 & 84

Parchment rows 85 & 86

Silver rows 87 & 88

White rows 89 & 90

I think the blanket is coming alive and growing well.
A few pics of it in situ around the house ...

A sea of neutral

Wherever I laid the blanket the cat found it!

 

I love the contrast of the calming blanket
colours with the hot pink bench

 

I am also beavering away with Christmas decorations and gifts to make and thought you maybe interested in making incredibly quick felted slippers, just in case follow this link and enjoy! felted-slippers

♥ Enjoy your week and I will post

the next colours next Sunday, the last Sunday of November! ♥