Project 18: Purple Lace Scarf

Did I tell you that we were renovating our kitchen and dining room? Yes? Well, given that I was juggling 2 jobs, a business, a family and depression it was, in hindsight, a marvellous decision to add a little more stress and aggrevation to the mix - not. I am thrilled with progress, although we've still a long way to go and we've been working on it since February.

Anyway, I wanted to challenge myself to have a go at a knitted lace pattern, and it was a welcome distraction from the decorating. It was dead simple - knit one, yarn over, knit two together. I love scarves, they're just like a secret hug during the day, aren't they?

Cost: 1 skein of Rowan DK Cotton £1.39from www.kempswools.com

Time taken: 2 days

Satisfaction Rating: 7/10. It was nice to learn a new skill, but the simplicity of the pattern eventually became a little tedious.

Project 17: Hot Water Bottle

When I was a child, I have fond memories of our "poorly blanket." It was a crochet blanket, dominantly black, that got brought out every time my brother or I were ill. We were allowed to sleep on the sofa underneath it - the only time this was allowed - with the pillows from our bed and usually a glass of Ribena.

We also had a hot water bottle with a pink crochet cover - and a rather tatty, fuzzy well loved thing it was too. But it had a sort of dignity, it felt as though it had been there forever, waiting to dispense comfort when we were feeling under the weather.

I have been overwhelmed by a desire to create something similar for my little family - a few items that give comfort when we are at our most vulnerable. We had a hot water bottle with no cover that was transparent with plastic fishes that floated inside when it was filled with water. It was cute but impractical - who looks at a hot water bottle when it's empty and not needed? And when it was filled with hot water, it was too hot to hold. So I took pity on it.

The crocheted body started off life as a tea cosy - it's just strips of double crochet. However I just made it far too large, so needed to frog it. In the end I decided to join it together at the side and bottom and make this cover. The polo neck was knitted from a rib pattern adapted from a polo neck jumper, but with a few yarn overs to allow space for the pom pom tie.

It's not been used yet, but just knowing it's there in the cupboard, just in case, is comfort enough for me at the moment.

Cost: about £10 in various yarns

Time taken: 4 days approx

Satisfaction rating: 8/10. Quick and relatively easy. If i did it again, I would shape the sides so there's not so much bulk.

Project 16

Project 16: crochet cosmetic bag

It was Aunty Pauline's birthday and I wanted to make her a present as she was the person who helped teach me to crochet. I have had these greens and browns in my stash since starting the Seaside Blanket, and I was really tempted to put them together in a mint choc-chip colour scheme. I love the results.

I am also giddy with delight at the cabbage rose. It started life as a frill, but it was too... errrm... frilly for me. I rolled it up in disappointment, and then realised with some wangling it would make a good flower. And it's perfect as some of the holes reduce the general bulk, and the scalloped edge make lovely petal shapes.

Now I realise that this cabbage rose might not be to Aunty Pauline's taste as she's rather more traditional in her taste than me. So, following Betz White's excellent felted broach tutorial I made the rose and attached it to a badge pin, so it can be taken off it preferred (or indeed used as a corsage if it's loved)

The bag itself is just some double crochet in different stripes

Cost: £9 if yarn bought from scratch, although this didn't cost me anything as it was purchased for another project.

Time taken: one evening

Satisfaction rating: it's up there. 9/10 as I love the end result and it was quick and easy.

  

Project 14 Taa-Daa

God how I love this blanket. Inspired by the seaside, I tried really hard to get lots of different textures in as well as colours of the sea. I designed it to go on our bed, but it's a bit too small! I *may* have to invest in a chair to go in our bedroom, ideally a Lloyd Loom one. Which (oh bum!) means I will also have to crochet a cushion to go with it.

I have learned several things: weaving in the ends is a complete pain the arse. Next time I will weave as I go. I still haven't weaved them all in, I aim to do a few every now and then to spread the pain. Blocking really helped. As I used several different type of yarn (merino wool, acrylic, bamboo, cotton and mixes of various sorts) the tension was not the same in all the squares. However, I wet blocked the blanket and it really, really helped. I do love the fact that I used different textures though, it really works. I think I am motivated by texture more than by colour.

Cost: blimey, I didn't keep track. Approximately £50 I think.

Time: 16 weeks approximately

Satisfaction rating: 8/10 - those ends downmarked it.

About Me

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the internet. I am Claire, Mum to two sons, aged 12 and 4, and wife to Dominic. We live in a cottage in East Yorkshire surrounded by farms and agricultural land and I absolutely love the changing colour and texture of the landscape.

I have always classed myself as a happy-go-lucky sort of person. However, four years ago after the birth of Charlie, my world was seriously rocked by Post Natal Depression which suprised me by its randomness, as I had the most lovely life. I didn't cope very well and didn't get the treatment I should have done. We moved house, and I started a business which I loved and took every second of my time. 2 years later I was working 60 hours a week and fighting against a global recession and, not surprisingly, the depression returned. This week I reluctantly took the decision to close my business because my sanity had to come first.

So, thing thing is now I don't really know who I am. I am in my 30s (eep!) I love my family to bits, I love where I live and I love crafting. I could happily spend my life hidden away from the world doing my own crafting thang. And, for now, that is what I intend to do. I will literally knit (crochet, paint, stitch and sew) myself back together.

I would love to see your crafting work for inspiration and hear your stories of how you got over the dreaded depression. Please do email me, I'd love to hear your stories.

Project 15: Dotty Bird Coasters

Did I mention we're having a new kitchen?! Well, it's far from finished yet. Poor old Dom has just completed the fourth coat of caulking on the wood panelling, and he's made the funky white leather chairs for our breakfast bar, but otherwise progress is slow. I thought I would cheer myself up with some coasters, inspired by Emma Bridgwater, that I completed again at Langlands. They took an hour or so, but I enjoyed myself painting them and they make me smile just hanging around the place. I especially like the texture on the bird tile, and will try to replicate this in future.

Project 14: updated

             

Project 14 is a long old one! I have made and edged 57 squares to date, at a total of 40 mins per square - that's an impressive 38 hours so far! Still to do:

• 11 more squares to crochet and edge (7.5 hours)
  


• I have all the sewing in of ends to do (10 per square x 68 squares = 680 ends to sew in!)
  


• Joining the squares (I am scared to read this far ahead in the pattern for fear of demotivation)
  


• Edging the blanket (still not sure whether to do the wet sand colour, or something else)

I thought I would post some pics to prove I have been keeping busy and not bunking off ;)