Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 27 January 2013

Silence is golden


Hello and welcome to my new follower Kathy at Kathyinozarks,Thank you so much for visiting and following my blog.

Silence is golden .....right....so they say.......
thats all very well but in my case it has been forced on me and I'd rather have a good chinwag here on my blog then spend a week of lurking and not being able to get a post together....ok enough whining!

Yippee! yippee! I have finally finished my zillion threads make and here it is :

This was a request from one of my sisters for her first future grandchild.A very near future babe as he/she is due late February and baby isn't obliging at all by showing his/her gender. Hence the cot cover had to be made in mint green.
Now I have to say I did not like this project at all.....the pattern was purchased by my sister and not really what I would have chosen.



I'm a bit finicky where having to crochet something I don't like is concerned. I will usually give up on a project if I don't like what I am doing,but well I had to make the exception this time. It has weighed heavy with me because of this. 
I had troubles from the start with it as the pattern called for Tunisian Hooks which I didn't have and couldn't find in my local yarn store so I ordered them online. There was a mix up with the order and I received something else so I had to send the parcel back and reorder tch!









As all this was time consuming I decided to tweak the pattern and use another stitch and I chose Alison's blanket stitch which you can find on her blog Modern Grace.  I really do like that stitch as it just flows and gives a very nice finish to the whole blanket .
Alison's baby blanket

It adapted quite well to the pattern until I got to the lamb...oh that lamb.......for a while now I am going to detest lambs....at least the crochet type!  I also had to embroidery the eyes and nose on the lamb. The eyes because the pattern indicated buttons for the eyes....BUTTONS...on a baby's blanket....no way was I going to put buttons on a baby's blanket far too risky. I was quite surprised that was included in the pattern. I embroidered the nose because it just didn't look like a nose.




That lamb was hard work and the stitch needed a lot of tweaking to get it right. I got there though! As for the zillion threads I have that sorted as I shall line the back of the cot cover with fine white polarfleece.

I just have to work out how to mitre corners on the sewing machine this evening and I'll get a seam done in a jiffy ,then hand sew the lining to the cover and bobs your uncle I'll get it off to my sister in Westbury UK this coming week. There is a also a matching cushion cover but that is easy peasy compared to that b****** lamb but the main thing is to get the cot cover to my sister before baby makes an appearance so I'll do that a bit more in my own time.
I used a Nº 5 Hook for the cover and a No 3,50 hook for the flowers. The yarn used was SMC Bravo from Coats in Mint Green ,Blue,White and Pink, Blue DMC Nº 798 embroidery floss and some white ribbon.
 I haven't washed the cover as yet but I will have to and the lining too before I sew it to the cover in case of shrinkage.  I'm crossing fingers there is no shrinkage as I have just the one piece of polarfleece.



Have a great Sunday!


Amanda :-)



27 comments:

  1. A lot of hard work but it looks really lovely and I bet it will be thoroughly appreciated, I love the lamb - so cute

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  2. A true labour of love Amanda it has turned out beautifully, clever you on doing that lamb it's lovely and quite makes the blanket. Your sister is going to love it, Have a great Sunday. xx

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  3. Well done, that looks so complicated! :) x

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  4. You're so talented, the lamb is so sweet (though you did make me laugh when you compared it to the cushion). It looks so soft and I'm sure your sister will feel so good when she sees her grandchild wrapped under it fast asleep :) xx

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  5. Amanda...you sure do amaze me! It's precious....great job on the lamb....I would have given up for sure! Good job for continuing on....just darling!
    Happy Sunday, Shari

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  6. I love this! But can see your frustration!!! Well done - i bet it was a relieved ending!

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    1. Hello Lisa
      How goes Ambrosia? Did you finally make changes?
      It certainly was a relief to finish this cover I don't like it when my crochet gets to be a chore.

      Many thanks for your comments!

      A xx

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  7. Despite all of the setbacks,you did a great job. I have seen this pattern and would like to attempt it. I have just recently started doing the Tunisian crochet stitch and have fallen in love with it. Lucky little baby!

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  8. OMG! Your lamb set is the cutest thing! Very lovely work, I love it. I am going to be making a baby quilt set for a friend of mine whose daughter is having a little girl soon- you have really given me some inspiration here!

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  9. Well done you, it really isn't that easy to craft something you are no that keen on, but you have done a great job, how strange having buttons on a baby blanket that's just plain silly.

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  10. You may not have had a good time making it but it really is adorable. I love it, but totally understand your frustration. It is so different when a non crocheter/knitter picks a project out isn't it? I think it looks fantastic,
    Hugs to you Amanda,
    Meredith

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  11. Well, you did a great job and I'm impressed since Tunisian stitch is on my list this year to try. However, I'm definitely like you and don't like someone dictating what I should make:-D

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  12. WOW, Amanda....I doubt that I will ever make anything so complicated, and am so impressed by your wonderful work!!! And I am especially impressed with your perseverance over many obstacles!!! Bravo!!!
    Happy week to you :)
    Gracie

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  13. You did a great job even if it was a bear. I would have given up. It really is a cute blanket and I'm sure the baby will be warm and cuddly in it.

    Have a great week!

    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  14. Now isn't that funny, I've just done a post on Tunisian stitch. I haven't got the appropriate hook but I didn't have very many stitches. Your cot cover looks great. I'm sure you'll forget all about the trouble you had and the stitch that you did it in looks very pretty.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  15. After all this hard work it turned out absolutely adorable! It surprises me too when they put buttons on baby's patterns!

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  16. Like the pattern or not, you have done an amazing job, it is fantastic, so well done you (and so quick)
    xx Sandi

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  17. Hi Amanda - I am your swap partner in Bobo Bun's Four Happy Things swap. Could you email me at kimberley@atkinson.org.nz to get us started. :)
    Thanks - Kimberley

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    1. Hello Kimberley
      Great to hear I have a swap partner over in NZ. I've already emailed you. thanks for connecting up first.

      keep well

      Amanda :-)

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  18. Despite all the trouble (tunisian crochet? I wouldn't have a clue), it turned out just adorable! Now make something YOU like : )

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  19. You are clearly made of sterner stuff than me Amanda ... if I'm not enjoying making a thing I just can't carry on with it. So kudos m'dear :)

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  22. For changing the stitch completely I think it came out great! Awesome job! Yea you gotta have the right hook for tunisian. I have done a couple projects with it but don't like to do blankets because the backs look bad when you change colors. I use it for pillows and such. For patterns with graphs i use a single crochet. I am actually making the modern grace blanket right now for a cousin's baby.

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    1. I hate commenting from my phone. It used the wrong account. Ablanket2keep.blogspot.com

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  23. Un trabajo muy bonito y super original . Enhorabuena por tu blog , está lleno de arte .Un saludo

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Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)