Halloween crochet

We don’t go in for Halloween much in this house, although the boys have started talking about dressing up this year so that might change. We do love Lego though and there seems to be a theme at the moment of monsters, skeletons and zombies so I thought I would crochet some skulls using this fantastic pattern from kirstinskrazyknits.

The great thing about these skulls is that they are so versatile. I made some up in Halloween colours and then laid them out…

…in a circle (table decoration?)

…in a line (scarf?)

..grouped together  (blanket?)

The way these skulls tessellated appealed to the mathematician in me! In the end I decided on bunting (quick and easy). I really dislike photographing bunting so have had to settle for these ones.

I also made two more skulls and as I love all things Mexican, even though I’ve never been there, I decorated them using embroidery threads, buttons and beads.

These are my favourite. The boys saw them and said they were ‘for girls’, so I guess we are all happy! Are you doing any crochet for Halloween? I’d love to hear what you are making.

x

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Beach trip

As I mentioned in my last post, we went to North Devon for the weekend. I am pleased  to report that the break had the desired effect and we all came back rejuvenated and full of energy. It helped a lot that the sun shone all weekend and that the caravan park I had chosen was just 200 yards from the beach!

We stayed in Combe Martin and spent our first day in Ilfracombe and Combe Martin itself. It is a while since I have been to this part of Devon and wondered if it would have changed much. It hadn’t. Even with Damien Hirst’s interest in the area it still felt very much a Victorian seaside resort. We did start by seeing Hirst’s Verity first (you can’t miss her, she’s 20m tall). Now, I am interested in art even if I don’t always understand it and  I know what I like, and I’m not sure about Verity. Google her and make up your own mind if you haven’t seen her before.

We went to the aquarium, ate ice cream, went to the Tunnel Beaches (Victorian beaches accessed through … a tunnel), ate fish and chips, played on the 2p machines in the arcade and ate more ice cream. The beach was windy and gave me the perfect excuse to wear my most recently finished crochet project (first seen here). Many thanks to my husband who took this picture under the strictest of instructions. Please ignore me.

What do you think? It is a pattern I bought on Craftsy called X-stitch Shrug. I bought the pattern at the end of the summer holidays, anticipating cooler weather (which I am pleased to say, has stayed away) and decided I would use Drops Nepal (Deep Ocean) for extra warmth. It has been a start, stop project, mainly because I ran out of wool, then it was out of stock. I have certainly learnt my lesson when it comes to patterns and yardage. It would not have taken long otherwise as it is very straight forward.

Here it is hanging up.

You will notice I have added a button to the front, which was not part of the original pattern. The shrug just didn’t suit me without it and it is so heavy (15 balls of 50g aran wool) that I didn’t want to be hoiking it up every 5 seconds. To be honest I think the shrug has had its only trip out. For me, this is a wear-at-home-snuggled-on-the-sofa sort of shrug, it is so warm and soft.

I might try a short poncho-type thing next time, although I do worry about looking like a sack of potatoes. Even when the sun is out I like to layer up. My sons were knee deep in the sea at the weekend, with nothing but t-shirts on and I was quite comfortable in jeans, long sleeves, boots and shrug!

Yesterday we stopped in at Lynton and Lynmouth, two towns connected by the most amazing cliff railway. A real feat of Victorian engineering.

 

 

Of course, no trip to the seaside is complete without searching for sea treasure.

Despite my improved energy levels after the weekend I am a little tired today after waking up in the middle of the night to see the supermoon lunar eclipse. I didn’t bother with photos but have been admiring some amazing ones today. Did anyone else watch it?

x

 

Hi Ho Silver!

Hooray for Fridays. We are off to the seaside later for a weekend break that I booked months ago with a view to reviving us after a month back at school. Beach walks, coastal town browsing and warm café treats. Small pleasures.

Talking of small things, my crochet this week has been very small scale and surprise, surprise…yarn-free.

Can you believe that this was little heart was crocheted with sterling silver wire? It’s really diddy, about the size of a penny.

I used a 2.5mm hook and 2 strands of 30 gauge wire. The silver wire isn’t cheap but it was a fun experiment and something new.

I also made this flower.

For the flower I followed these instructions which were very helpful. It is about 4cm in diameter.

In total I used just under 10m of wire which cost about £10. The heart is going to be added to my charm bracelet and the flower… I think I will buy a bit more silver wire and make a pair of earrings. It is a bit delicate for a pendant.

What is the strangest material that you have ever crocheted or knitted with?

x

That’s better

Some of you may remember my first post about a blanket I made for a friend’s daughter. Well, to cut a long story short, I never actually gave the blanket to my friend. For one, we didn’t meet up for ages, then I moved house and then…it just didn’t feel right. Something was niggling me about the lack of border on the blanket. It just felt too plain. So I left it and continued with other projects and then finally last week I made a decision.

First of all, I decided that the blanket needed to be squared off with some half hexagons on the top and bottom (I kept the zigzag edge on the sides). I used this post to make the half hexagons.

Then I had to decide on a border. To be honest this was more trial and error than anything. I completed a few stripes first and then, in my mind I pictured pompoms on the zigzag edges. I went out and bought a tiny pompom maker, rushed home and made my first pompom. Hmmmm. To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement. My pompom certainly didn’t feel safe enough for a baby blanket and it didn’t look great either. Then I remembered seeing crocheted pompom edging. Phew! I used this tutorial by Bella Coco and after a bit of playing around with spacing this was the final result. Ta da!

What do you think?

Here are some close ups of the border.

 

It was lovely and sunny when I took these pictures. The Stylecraft Special colours are so bright and cheerful. This blanket is ready to go to its new home.

As it was sunny, I couldn’t resist taking a picture of a tablecloth that I bought at a local charity shop. Please excuse the creases.

Whilst I was in the shop I also spied this pristine piece of 70’s history.

I couldn’t resist!

Maybe I was indulging in a bit of retail therapy as we took our eldest son to University this weekend. I am excited for him on his new journey (Dr Seuss’s ‘Oh, the places you’ll go!’) and so proud of the young man he has become. He isn’t far away at all. I miss him heaps though.

x

 

 

Keeping busy

After the emotional rollercoaster that was last week, it was decided that this weekend would be a chilled, relaxed time with the family. No jobs, no rushing to the shops, no stressing. It was just what we all needed.

I spent Saturday afternoon in the kitchen making runner bean chutney which I can’t wait to try. The problem with making chutneys is I want to eat them straight away! This was a recipe I used years back and my husband has been asking me to make again every Autumn. He is a very patient man.

The best thing about making this chutney is that I get to use my Spong bean cutter which I inherited from my husband’s late grandmother.

We lazed about a lot this weekend, played games and went for walks but I still managed to start a new crochet project. I have never worked with yarn this fine before (2ply) and it took a while to get used to but I love it. Full details when I actually finish it.

This is the last week before my eldest starts university so I am going to be busy getting him ready and enjoying his company whilst I can. He might be 18 but he’s still my baby!

x

 

All change

September is definitely a month of change for us here.

The weather can’t make up its mind. Each day brings its own clothing dilemma… boots of flip flops? Jumper or t-shirt? I find myself changing outfits at least once a day!

We have been so busy with the start of the school year. My little boy has just joined reception and we have a staggered settling in period so there has been a lot of diary checking for drop off and pick up times. My eldest goes off to university in a few weeks so there will be even more change then, but I am really trying not to think too much about that now.

The new school year has brought with it some time where I find myself without children as little one goes to preschool now too. To be honest, I am not completely comfortable with it all yet. I miss my boys.

Still, I will have to get used to it and I am sure I will soon enough. On Monday, I made myself come home and sit in the garden in the sunshine rather than wandering aimlessly about the house feeling guilty about the housework that never seems to get done. Time rather to catch up on my current WIP and to enjoy working with wool for a change.

Hopefully I will finish this project off in a week or so and I share it with you properly then.

Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments about my orange rug. It is great to have feedback about a finished project and to know that the rug made so many of you smile too!

x

 

Crochet rug

For one reason or the other I haven’t made much this Summer and my crochet seems to have been put on the back burner. My wish list of projects, on the other hand, just keeps growing.

With moving home, I have spent a lot of time thinking about interiors and what I want our house to look like. Some things we are not changing, the magnolia walls, for example. They are newly painted so there doesn’t seem much point. Instead, I have been thinking about adding colour in in different ways.

Take our bedroom. We bought the Malm Ikea furniture from the previous owners, it’s pretty inoffensive and the walls are magnolia. Together this provides a backdrop for crochet blankets and complimentary accessories.

My husband doesn’t say much when it comes to our house but he has always said he would prefer no flowers in the bedroom. Fair enough. So I have bought white bedding and white curtains and some fab orange lamps from Habitat. I love the retro look of them and they go well with all of my blankets. Anyway, this is all leading to my crochet rug! Actually it is more mat size but it fits just between the bed and the wardrobe. Here it is..

 

I made it with Tek-Tek fabric yarn (bought on Ebay UK for £8.40 per large roll) and a 9mm crochet hook. This rug took less than two rolls. The rug measures  70cm across and is densely crocheted. A larger hook and a more doily like pattern and the yarn would go much further. I made this rug in an evening so it is super quick too.

I followed a basic circle pattern until I had reached the size I wanted (10 rounds) and then I crocheted a round of double crochets.

My last two rounds were made as follows;

Penultimate round: Chain 6, miss next two stitches, slip stitch in next stitch, repeat to end, slip stitch to first ch6

Last round: Slip stitch to centre of first ch6 from last round, chain 6, join to the centre of the next ch6 space with a slip stitch, repeat to end, join with a slipstitch and fasten off. Your rug is finished!

The rug may turn up at the edges a bit but I found sitting on it whilst I was making it helped and at the end, I went round and manipulated the edges to lay flat. The yarn is really easy to work with but here are a few tips you might find useful:

1. The yarn is recycled and it does state on the packaging that the colours can vary and it is not one continuous strand. I only found one short section which was a different colour to the rest and I cut that section out.
2. I found the knots where the strands had been joined to be thinner than the rest of the yarn so I cut the knots out and just joined as if I was joining a new colour.
3. One section of yarn was really thin compared to the rest, it was noticeable when I was crocheting, so I just cut it out. I don’t think I cut more than about 80cm out in total including knots and the discoloured section.
4. The yarn is heavy so after a few rounds I lay it on the floor and crocheted from above. After a while I was able to sit on it as I crocheted. Take regular breaks as this can be sore on the back and hands.
5. Ends are really easy to ‘sew’ in on the back. The stretchy nature of the fabric means that you can just tuck them in by hand.

Please ask if you have any questions about my rug. I’d love to hear about any similar projects you have made or other uses for fabric yarn.

On a completely different note, I had a return nomination from Zeens and Roger for a Liebster Award. I don’t really have anyone else to nominate but here are my responses to the questions. I love reading the answers from other bloggers to questions like these as it feels like you are getting to know the person behind the craft.  Anyway, here goes..

1. What did you have for tea last night? Sweet and sour chicken and rice, wish I could say I made it all from scratch but I can’t!
2. What are you having for tea tonight? Prawn curry, friends are coming over and cooking for us. My kind of cooking.
3. What are you doing at the weekend? Walks and pubs.
4. As a child, what did you want to be when you were a grown up? A teacher and that’s exactly what I became.
5. What was your first job? Working in a garage when I was 16 for £1 an hour!
6. Name a book you read again and again. Jane Eyre, about twice a year.
7. What do you collect? Ladybird books, enamel badges, pressed glass.
8. Mastermind subject? The Tudors.

School starts back next week which means we will all be getting back into a routine of some sort. Hopefully when things settle down I will have more craft time. Here’s hoping.

x

Liebster Award Love

Wow! I am so lucky to have been nominated for a Liebster Award by Tanya at Yarnya. THANK YOU!

A Liebster Award (Google it to find out more) is an award for new bloggers (with less than 200 followers), as a way to get to know each other and introduce some fresh and exciting blogs,

Here’s how it works:

1. Make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
   Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.
2. Nominate 5 -10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
3. Ensure all of these bloggers have fewer than 200 followers.
4. Answer the eleven questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make eleven questions of your own for your nominees or you may use the same questions.
5. Lastly, COPY these rules in your post.

Here’s who I’m nominating:

1. Zeens and Roger
2. Bernadettes Vintage Rose
3. Mixture43
4. That Girl Who Crochets
5. It’s all in a Nutshell

These were the 11 questions I had to answer:

1. What’s the origin of your blog name?

Buttercup and Bee because I love nature and take a lot of inspiration from it. And it makes me smile.

2. What’s your craft of choice?

Crochet every time. I also make silver  jewellery. I keep trying to sew and knit but never seem to get beyond the basics!

3. If you could have any craft item in the world (yarn, storage, accessory, etc) what would it be?

Give me brightly coloured cotton yarn (and a crochet hook) and I am happy.

4. What are your favourite colours to work with?

Rainbow or cottage garden palettes.

5. What is your favourite way to relax other than crafting?

I love reading. I am an Agatha Christie nut!

6. If you had a superpower, which one would it be?

Good question. Something that enabled me to complete more of my ‘to do’ list, it just keeps growing!

7.What is the favourite project you have completed?

Oh that’s difficult. I think it would have to be my first crochet piece which was a blanket for one of my boys. I was hooked from that point on.

8. Where would your ideal holiday be?

I have never been to Mexico and have always wanted to go for the crafts and the food. Yum.

9. What TV show would you recommend as a must watch?

Not really a must watch but I am currently enjoying Bear Grylls Born Survivor. It certainly helps that he is so easy on the eye.

10. What was your worst crafting disaster?

Anything to do with quilting always ends in a disaster for me.

11. Do you have pets? If so, please post a photo! If not, what pet would you like to have if time, money, allergies didn’t come into play?

We have a Leopard Ghecko called Izzie (sorry, no photo as she is incredibly shy). We used to have a snake but then the nightmares began and it had to go!

Right, here are my 11 questions…

1. What do you do to relax and wind down?
2. Do you collect anything? If so, what?
3. Where would you most like to travel to?
4. What is your favourite meal to cook?
5. Name the last book you read. Was it any good?
6. What is your favourite crafting project to date?
7. What was your worst crafting disaster?
8. What would you most like to learn?
9. Name a person that has inspired you in your life.
10. Where do you take inspiration from for your crafting?
11. Describe yourself in 3 words.

Enjoy x

Things making me smile this week…

 

… little crochet touches making a house into my home. The heart pattern and the basket pattern are both very easy and quick.

 

… learning where our food comes from. We went to Bibury trout farm when we were away camping at the weekend and the boys fed, caught and cooked their dinner.

 

 

…rainy day activities. Loving the fact that my boys’ number one request is to do craft. Wonder where they get that from?

x

 

 

Tapestry crochet (part 2)

Hello again. It has been a little while as we were away on holiday and have been busy with new house stuff. Oh, and 18th Birthdays 🙂

I have been missing my crochet though. I have realised that my WIP (the circle blanket here) just doesn’t do it for me some evenings (the only time I get to crochet) and that another project is needed. So the tapestry crochet that I tried way back beckoned and I gave it another go this week and here is the result.

 

What I have discovered about tapestry crochet is that there are lots of different definitions of what it is and therefore lots of methods of how to do it! The previous method I tried involved reverse crocheting on the back rows (I used this very clear video tutorial) but I had seen other posts where this method had not been used so I decided to give them a go too. Julie at little woolie makes the most gorgeous washcloths and blankets using tapestry crochet and explains it very well and Elizabeth (Mrs Thomasina Tittlemouse) provides some great tips here.

What you see above was my third attempt and I need to practice this lots now. I used a 4.5mm hook and Rico creative cotton (aran) but the stitches were too loose and you can see the carried colour. I also need to work on my turning as the carried colour is very obvious but I am so pleased to have learned a new crochet technique that I can work on.

I have treated myself to lots of lovely bright colours to make cushions for my boys’ bedroom and will use tapestry crochet to make them. Watch this space!

x