Blanket Update

Hello All!

I've been spending lots of time on the Wedding Blanket, I've got over 100 circles now.  I got them all out the other day to see how the colours are working.

The yellow and the two new pinks have really jazzed it up.  Even though I'm a pinky/purply/blue sort of girl, I'm loving the really bright colour combinations.

 I have end sewing-in sessions every few days.  I'm enjoying this as well, because I'm making mini pom-poms with the ends, no matter how small.

 The exciting new I told you about the other week is an extension on the back of our house.  The kitchen and living room will both increase in size and the old dining room will become my craft room.  Yippee!  

We cleared the garden as much as we could, I've saved all the precious plants, 

and the builder started digging.  Any grass that was visible soon disappeared.

The dog wasn't too happy about the 'muck' removal lorry ~ a massive grab truck and let us all know it was there by constantly barking.

 Trenches complete, three lorry loads of concrete were pumped over our wall.

 The dog and I went out to check the next morning it had set.  Looking good.

I will update you from time to time and try my very best not be become an extension bore.

That's me for now, I'm baking brownies for the builder.    

Have a great week..............Clicky Needles.

Crochet Progress

Hello Folks!

I am totally absorbed in crochet at the moment.  Progress on our godson's wedding blanket is coming along nicely.  So far I have 80 ish and I think I will need 300 ish, so I'm getting there.  When I looked at these circles I realised the colours were all a bit blues and greens so I popped into Stroud and bought colours way out of my comfort zone,

namely baby pink and yellow.  Not colours I'd usually go for but they really zing things up a bit.  I also got navy blue and another shade of pink, which I have yet to use.

The temperature blanket continues, one square a day.  

Yesterday I went to the optician to try out new contact lenses.  I've worn lenses for 30 odd years but my near vision has deteriorated, so I'm now wearing lenses that have one eye correction for distance and one for near vision.  This sounds a bit weird and I was sceptical, but your brain sorts out what you are seeing, what an amazing thing.   I'm getting on really well with them so far, and I can crochet and sew ends in without having to find my reading glasses, so at the moment I'm pleased.  I'll see how I get on at school tomorrow.

There are some other exciting things happening at Clicky Needles towers but I'll share that with you next time.

Until then have a wonderful week.

Bye for now................Clicky Needles.

Ta-Dah!

Hello Folks!

I have at last got round to blocking my Stripy Scarf of Happiness.   Why it should take so long to block a scarf I'm not sure, but there we are.  It has made me so happy whilst knitting it.  Made from 2 balls of both Drops Delight and Drops Alpaca I cast on 60 stitches and knitted in the round.  I 'Magic Looped' it instead of using double pointed needles and I am now a complete convert.  I loved Magic Loop and I think I may even try socks with it next.  The amount of pictures show you how much I like it.

I've started a spot of crochet.  Well, more than a spot, I'm making a Circle in A Square blanket for our godson who is getting married in May.  It's a surprise for the bride and groom although his mum knows.   I am consequently crocheting in my lunch time and I carry my bag around so if I get a spare moment I can whip it out a get another circle done.  They will be edged with white, but I'm a long way off that yet! I'm sewing in the ends from time to time, there will be 300 odd circles in the finished blanket ~ not a job to do at the end.

I also came across a temperature blanket somewhere, and the idea grabbed me.  If you don't know you what this is, you crochet/knit  a square or stripe for the temperature of each day of the year.   I'm going for squares but the striped blankets look great too ~ have a google. The idea of recording the year's weather really appeals to me. I'm using the BBC Weather app for the temperature.

 I have chosen 13 colours of yarn ~ for me Marriner Double Knit ~ each one with a range of degrees.  It will all be recorded in a notebook and just because I can, I've got out my Sharpie pens and will use them to have a nice time colouring dots too.  I've added two more colours, blue for rain and white for snow, which will appear in the centre.  I've decided not to include sunshine as the colours for summery days are quite bright anyway.   You'll see I've optimistically gone all the way up to 32 degrees plus, I'm not sure there will be much of that in the U.K. but we can always hope.  I think I shall use the temperature wherever I am so if I'm away on holiday.....you never know.

The squares I'm using are simple 3 round granny squares, and I'm intending to sew the ends in and sew them together every day/time I make them.  Even after 3 days I am becoming temperature obsessed.  Today's square will be another turquoise and it looks like 8 degrees ~ green ~ tomorrow.  Sometimes I worry about myself.

That's me for now, have a wonderful week.
Have fun.................................Clicky Needles.

Twelve Days of Christmas Swap

Hello Folks!

Firstly I must say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  Ours was quiet in places but pretty loud in others.

I took part in the Twelve Days of Christmas swap organised by the lovely Jo at Through the Keyhole.  The first present gets opened on Christmas day and you have a present until Twelfth Night.

Jo is master at swaps, I, less so.  She gave me a wonderful parcel full of lovely things.  The first thing I opened was the book called appropriately enough, Twelve Days of Christmas.  I love reading but I don't do it enough, mainly because when I read I want to finish the whole book there and then.  Nobody gets food, things aren't cleaned, you get the picture.  I started this book the day after Boxing Day and finished it the day after.  What a wonderfully indulgent way to spend Christmas holidays.  (My Mum also bought me a book ~ The Great Christmas Knit Off ~ I am trying to get a free weekend so I can indulge.)  

Also included in the parcel were:- 

Green and Blacks chocolate ~ yum.

Bath bombs.

A writing set.

Magnetic To Do List ~ that's on my fridge already.

Lip Balm.

Nail varnish.

Two balls of Drops recycled cotton ~ lovely and soft.

Clicky row counter and Made With Love heart charms in a notions bag.

Heart broach kit.

Fluffy slipper socks.

Truffle Praline Tea ~ tastes nicer than it sounds!

I've known Jo through blogging for quite a few years now, in fact I used to read her blog before I started myself and she was one of the people who inspired me to give it a go. A MASSIVE thank you Jo, I've loved opening those presents every day and I am feeling very spoilt.

Well, that's Christmas over then, the decorations are taken down and they have been packed away carefully for another year.

I almost enjoy packing away decorations as much as I do putting them up, wrapping delicate things in tissue paper and colour coding them.  Too much?

The new year has started a bit damp and foggy so it's a bit hard to get motivated, I'd like a good frost and a cold snap.  I've got a quiet week ahead, Mr Clicky has gone to Beijing with work, it looks that he'll need to stay inside as the smog is particularly bad.  

That's me for now, I'll see you soon with a few things I've finished and my current project.

Have fun.....................Clicky Needles.

Happy Christmas

It's nearly Christmas.

I know this because Master Clicky ate microwave popcorn as his first meal of the day.  "It's lunchtime," he said, "anyway it's Christmas so you can eat whatever, whenever."  This apparently IS TRUE.  Maybe I shall try strange things for breakfast.

Getting Christmassy this year has been hard for me for most of December I've been wiped out, not gone to shops, not looked at beautiful wrapping paper and ribbons, not just wandered getting excited.  The decorations went up very late but they are now up.  This is one of my favourite decorations this year.  A cute little sheep with knitted face and soft wool.

My other favourite, named Sheepdeer by Master Clicky.

I have tried a little crafting, clay decorations made with baking soda and cornflour.  This has not worked out as planned.  I spent lots of time on Pinterest looking at other people's creations and how lovely they were.

Mine were not so lovely.  They cracked and curled and I was disappointed.  

Next year I shall buy air drying white clay instead.

We will be having a quiet Christmas Day, Mr Clicky, me and Master Clicky.  Miss Clicky is with her boyfriend.  Boxing day will be a big family gathering at my brother's house.  

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with the people you love.

Happy Christmas.

Clicky Needles x x 

P.S. Don't forget to Track Santa with Norad.

Back Again

Hello Folks.  

I'm back after a bit of a break.  I have had The Lurgy, one of the problems of working with children.  I've been feeling really rotten, with a blocked up nose,  headache type of lurgy.  It has left me with a blocked eustachian tube in one of my ears which is horrible.  I can't hear very well and I sound like Darth Vader when I breathe.  

Because of this I haven't done much knitting as my mojo has deserted me but I have a few other things to show you.

A little felt reindeer made from a free kit on Prima Christmas Makes magazine.  There is a white one too not done him yet.

A Christmas tree cushion, very simple, triangles and rectangles sewn onto some cheap calico.

An elf hat made for our reception teacher, so she can jingle her way around school.

I have also been melting down the bottoms of scented candle jars to make a new one.  Now, I'm not some old scrooge but there is always quite a lot of wax left at the bottom when you burn a scented candle.  I have been saving them and found some candle wicks on Amazon (very cheap).

After a bit of research I melted the wax in a bain marie, using an old plastic pot, apparently if you use a microwave you can catch it on fire if you're not careful.  

I poured it into the jar, let it cool and then added another colour.  I have mulled wine, vanilla and Christmas Tree in this one.

Because I've had two weeks lying low, I'm behind on the present buying and starting to panic a bit.   Hopefully I'll feel a bit more lively soon!

Right, I'll see you soon, have fun .......Clicky Needles.

A Jeans Bag

Hello Folks.

For the past few months I have been squirrelling away old worn out jeans, with the idea of using them to make a bag.  I have a Pinterest Board with lots of other people's wonderful examples and decided to have a go too.  I changed my needle to a denim one and was surprised how easily it went through the fabric.  It was the Purl Bee 40 Minute Tote pattern again.  

I had two pairs of jeans in this, and used the fabric from the bottom of the legs.  Needless to say the bag took more than 40 minutes ~ I had to faff around sewing the two legs together in the same place for both sides.  I unpicked the waistbands from both pairs and used them as the straps, I didn't alter the length as it was just perfect.  I'm only showing this picture so you can see my lovely nails ~ an unexpected treat when I had my hair cut, I cheekily asked if they could be done and ended up with a manicure and hair cut at the same time!  The girls told me not to get used to it!

I found some beautiful fabric for lining in the sewing shop in Stroud and even put a pocket in.

I lined the straps as well so they won't stretch.

I tried a bit of appliqué too ~ this is the better side ~ something I need to practise.

I've also finished my Aventine Shawl.  Actually I finished it a while ago, but kept forgetting to photograph it, when I remember it's usually too late and the light has gone, autumn, huh.

The pattern is here.  

I really like the buttons on the neck.

Lastly I have carried on with my Stripy Scarf of Happiness.  It was supposed to be emergency knitting ~ so on the back burner but I have been enjoying it so much, it has become No1 priority.  I'll knit to the end of the coloured yarn but I will be sad to see it end.

That's me for now.
Have a great week............Clicky Needles