I can't believe it!!

....... it where has the past 11 months gone??

I started my little blog in August 2013 and that was it!?!? The End!! It wasn't I'd just lost myself in all the wonderful blogs out there - seriously how amazing are they?  A great community spirit providing everything you could need ....'how to' guides  for novices like myself - learning about UK/USA terminology, hooks, patterns, stitches, blocking.... the list was endless.  Ok I've knitted for years but crochet is a whole new experience.  During my journey I felt the warmth of the bloggers sharing their lives their loves and passions and you know what?  I envied their  harmonious lives and a little niggle popped up in my heart...I can't do this - I'm not like this - I bounce from one disaster to another - nothing is ever straight forward I can't even mail a letter without tripping up an inch high kerb and spraining my ankle so how can I fit in?  Then.... it happened .... slowly as addiction took hold and I eagerly awaiting all the 'tah-dahs' moments - new yarns - new patterns - vibrant colours - absorbing every detail with each word and picture, the more I saw the more I wanted.  I felt totally inspired and in awe wanting to push the barriers of creativity and not note to self.... "do not beat yourself up when you undo yet another row" ...because it was after-all... normal... Practice makes Perfect.

I could be part of the blogging community because I wasn't alone there are others that have off days they've killed off their prize plant, pranged their car, tripped up and yes.... undid row after row of their latest project to get it 'just right'  other people  have 'my clumsy days' I'm not alone when my 'new mop' doesn't spray out that fine mist so my floor doesn't shine like the TV advert - who cares - it's real life - it's who we are and there are people out there who will laugh and cry with me - it really does happen to others- it's not just me ....

I think the wordle image below just summarises it all....

Now I will endeavour to take those pictures and share my personal tah-dahs .... until next time

Take care

Summer Cushion

 

Following my first blog post yesterday I was inspired to put the finishing touches to my cushion that I had painstakingly worked on so that I could share with you and apart from that my blog looked bare without pictures!

After visiting a local store I made a selection from the Sirdar Calico range then I just couldn't wait to get home that new wool was just burning a hole in my bag to get out and be used. Eager to create but not wanting to embark on another basic granny square for my creation, I searched online for different variations and found a tutorial by Priscilla Hewitt that appealed to me for a  Sunburst Granny Square ... result!!  Off I went initially creating a practise square or two! I loved creating that puff stitch and by adding a few extra rows to the square it was easy to whip up 4 large squares for a cushion.  The back is one huge granny square in white as it was easy to watch Law & Order on TV while crocheting something relatively easy.

Now to assemble.... carefully sewn up, I would add that sewing is not my forte and my next venture definitely will entail using the chain stitch method!!  I then found an Easy Shell Stitch Edging  which I felt would add that little something extra and sat the cushion on the settee.... for a few days I looked at the cushion feeling something was missing - does anyone else do that, I mean is it normal to have a cushion sitting there that you gaze at daily thinking 'less is more' or ?????  but no it still felt  as though it needed an extra something to complete it.... as I love flowers I thought a white rose!! This really was trial and error which seems to have worked but then I needed a leaf!!! More searching required, I'm sure Google stats must've increased ten-fold based on my learning needs alone... but I found it a fab leaf tutorial by Attic24 and although my leaf did resemble that in the tutorial I did a little scrunching and pulling to give it a more 'rounded' shape..... I think it works!!

First Introduction

Hello!! I've done it! After much deliberation and confusion I am well and truly in the land of blogging!

So to tell you a little bit more about myself I enjoy lots of things including reading, photography, cooking, holidays and over the last few years have found myself wanting to be more creative!  I've always been able to knit from a very young age I can remember french knitting followed by 'grown up' knitting but that was where it stopped I was one of these people who said I can't do that or I would love to be able to do that but I never did!!  Until recently that is when I decided I needed a hobby so a few years ago I turned my hand to card making, loved it but found I 'lacked' in creativity I had the ideas but putting the colours together just didn't seem to work for me, I was surround by scraps of lovely bright coloured paper, stamping sets, glitter, bows and beads but something was oh so apparent!!  I could not produce a straight edge on anything no matter how hard I tried - expensive scissors, guillotines, metal rulers even the card mats with all the grid lines prominently on display would still result in the all famous 'wonky edge'!! I still dip into the 'carding' from time to time but got waylaid baking cakes but that wasn't something you could just sit and do while watching TV with the family so I've turned my hand to crochet!!

I have admired crochet for so long feared I couldn't do it but after much research and reading have found so much useful information on the internet with step-by-step guides and video tutorials that I have managed to master the basic granny square and made my first cushion, it's not perfect but I did it!!  I haven't yet mastered how to hold the hook no matter how many picture guides I view, read 'how to' I cannot tame my 'knitters hands' to hold the hook in any other way than as if I'm knitting!! I'm sure one day I'll get there but until then I'm going to join the crochet blogging community and learn until I master that blanket!

Thanks for stopping by and taking time to 'read me' and I look forward to reading you along the way too :-)

K x