<title> 2011 November</title> > the Craftorialist

Another baby blanket

Blanket block view 1

People will keep having babies! Not that I mind; it's given me an excuse to crochet something nice in this super soft 4 ply cotton. It's in lovely soft colours, too. I spent ages working out how I wanted the block to look, but here's the final version, pressed flat. Getting the stitches to line up, instead of being slightly offset, is rather more time-consuming than ideal, but necessary if you want the the holes to emerge in a straight line, forming a kind of star. You have to insert the crochet hook right in the centre of the stitch, rather than in the gap between stitches, which would be so much easier. So I'm thinking this will take a lot longer to complete than originally planned. I've made five; only an estimated 30 or so to go! Joined together, they'll form a blanket to wrap my brand new baby cousin in. Do you know, I don't think I've made crochet squares since I … [Read more...]

Cosy winter coat

Winter coat: front

It's been a rather long blogging hiatus. My mother, who has multiple myeloma, has been undergoing chemo and a stem cell transplant, and caring for her has been one of the things taking up my time (somewhat) and energy (a lot). The cancer won't be cured, but she's on the mend from the chemo now and looking at several more years of health, thanks to some cutting edge treatment. Amazing stuff. So: as I've not stopped making things, I'd better catch you up. I was travelling to and from Melbourne in the last days of winter. I was determined not to be cold; I had a week or so before I left: a new coat was in order. The thing about Melbourne cold is its relentlessness and its piercing wind—a 'skinny' wind, my cousin used to call it—one that's skinny enough to get through the thickest knits. I decided pure wool and a quilted lining were called for. Of course, since unusual is the … [Read more...]

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