The one with the versatile hat...

I finished the WG's hat today, made with spotlights DK (8 Ply) Shepherd very crafty pure wool, left over from the granny stripe I made her.  It takes less than a ball and only a few hours to make these berets, they are simple.

To make hers larger than the red one in the previous post, I changed the pattern considerably so I don't think I am infringing on the authors pattern because of the changes so here is how I did it.

The basics are as follows: To make a flat circle -

chain 4, join the last chain to the first chain to form a circle.

Row 1:  Chain 3, counts as first treble.  11 tr into the centre to create a circle of 12 tr.

Row 2:  Ch 3, 1 tr into the same stitch, 2 tr into every ch = 24 tr.

Row 3:  Ch 3, *1 tr into the next stitch, 2 tr into the next stitch rpt from * to end.

Row 4:  Ch 3, *1 tr into the next 2 stitches , 2 tr into the next stitch rpt from * to end.

Carry on increasing the number of single stitches between the 2 tr into 1 stitch until you have 7 single trs between 2 tr into 1 stitch. This should be row 8.

This is a standard flat circle pattern used for many different objects from bags, pot holders and hats to  mats and simple doilies.  Lucy from Attic 24 has a good step by step flat circle tutorial, you'll find her site in the sidebar to the right.

When you have 8 rows as above:

Row 9: Ch 3, tr into each stitch to the end.

Row 10 & 11 As per Row 9 .

so that is 3 rows of plain trebles no increases.

Row 12:  (This is where you start a standard decrease click to see how) Ch 3, 1 tr into each stitch 7 times. Then tr decrease into the next two stitches to turn two into one.  The result will be an upside down V

Row 13:  Ch 3, 1 tr into each stitch 6 times then tr decrease into next two stitches as above.

Rows 14-18:  SC into each stitch join at the beginning with a slip stitch OR if you prefer, keep going to crochet in a spiral and avoid a seam on the band which is what I did, that part is at your discretion.

Row 19:  Crab Stitch to end. Tie off and weave or sew in your ends.

Note crab stitch gives a pretty edge but it's kind of fiddly at first, it's almost backward sc.  Here is a video tutorial that will help.

The crab stitch also firms up the edge slightly.

If you prefer a small picot edging would look pretty too.

I did this in a solid colour but there is no reason why you can't do stripes or blocks of colour.  It's entirely up to you.  The hat can be worn in a variety of ways, as above the WG has it like a beret but you can pull the front forward to form a peak like a cheese cutter cap or wear it further back with hair tucked into it kind of like a snood.  The WG is well pleased with hers.

This hat fits me too.  For a larger head, I am guessing you should add another row of increase as required and the decrease rows should be adjusted accordingly e.g. 8 tr between incr then 8 tr between decr.  I haven't tried it out.  Or you could try a larger hook for a looser stitch.

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For my next quick project, before I get back to my squares, I am making a V stitch scarf for P, my niece who arrived at lunch time from Tauranga to stay for the holidays.

Here is the wool although the colour is kind of off under the lights.  It's Shepherd 8 ply lambswool felted from spotlight. $7.99 a ball which is more than I usually pay but I wanted to see how it went.

In real life it's more a reddish purple, almost a raspberry colour and it will look fantastic on P with her dark hair and peaches and cream complexion.

The V stitch looks pretty good with this wool.   I wanted a stitch that would use the yarn to best advantage but still be warm and cosy.

I found the pattern on Ravelry it's the Rosey-Posey Scarf Pattern.

The yarn helps the stitches look nice and defined although it is a little uneven in thickness some bits being thicker and others thinner as you crochet through the ball.

I am using a 5mm hook.  Even though this is basically a DK wool, I felt that a smaller hook would make the felted wool quite thick and solid feeling, too stiff for a nice scarf.  I could of course be wrong.

Lazy Good Friday

I slept in till 9am this morning, when I got up leaving the hubs in bed to take advantage of the holiday, the Wee Girl was already well awake and watching TV.

We sat for a while watching the Disney channel in companionable silence while I had a cuppa and finished another rabbit.

When the boys got up I toasted up the hot cross buns and made more coffee.  Everyone munched happily.

I wish I could say that we went to church and did good things but we didn't.  We just blobbed out chatting and watching movies.  The hubs bbq'd bacon and eggs for lunch because we have a lot of bacon and eggs left over from last weekend.  The bacon will keep but I brought back a couple of trays of 30 eggs that I will have to use over the next couple of weeks.

This afternoon sick of making rabbits, I grabbed a ball of red wool and made a hat.  I found this pattern on Pintrest but a lot of the comments indicated it wasn't going to turn out as pictured.  So I played with it.

I used a 4.5mm hook and double knit.

I started off following the pattern as written until I got to the bit where you stop increasing.  I did 3 rows instead of 2.

Then I only did 2 rows of decrease.

The 5 rows of sc.

Finally for a pretty edge I crocheted a row of crab stitch.

It's turned out too small for the WG and too big for her dolly.  I will give it to a friend who has two little girls.  I'll try a bigger hook and make another for the WG.

Diversions

Happy Good Friday!

The fruits of yesterdays labours, an Easter bunny to go with my eggs.  The Wee Girl loves the egg cozy I made her and when she sees her new egg cup she's going to be in heaven.

I got the bunny from ravelry kind of.  When I say kind of, I adapted it.  The pattern does the bunny in two parts, but I was on a roll, so I carried on just like Kate does with the Easter eggs, I increased another row and then decreased to the bottom.

He's a cutie for sure and the WG is going to love him.  My first stuffed toy.

I'm dead chuffed with myself.

Hopefully the Wee Girl will be in a better mood in the morning.  She was fearfully grumpy with her father tonight, she's usually a total Daddy's Girl but tonight she and her Daddy were at odds and I became the somewhat unwilling recipient of her attentions.

She wouldn't talk to her Dad, she sat on the arm of my chair and gave all her attention to me.

Nice as it was to have all the cuddles and kisses, the foot massage was to die for and she was so into me that she actually considered learning to crochet for a nano second. Unfortunately it made me feel as if I was in the middle of her argument and I had to tell her it isn't nice to use people that way.  She denied it, but I saw the understanding and the flash of guilt so it's a lesson well learned for her.

So now I totally need to get my butt to bed so that I can get up and make hot cross buns and do all the family things.

If it's not Good Friday quite yet for you, have a wonderful day when it arrives.

Update to Easter Prep...

Buying Easter eggs was time consuming, look at the choices I am confronted with! And that is just the top of the aisle!

After much wandering I settled on a medium sized dark chocolate hollow egg with chocolate strawberries inside, a marshmallow egg and a small hollow milk chocolate egg for each child.  With the bag of marshmallow eggs they each got from my parents my two will have enough chocolate to last them until the school holidays are over.

Then down to the supermarket for hot cross buns. Now I was always taught that the reason we had hot cross buns on Good Friday was that in days gone by, when bread was baked in the home daily, it was a sin to bake on Good Friday and so these small buns were made the day before and were toasted (because they were baked a day prior) on Good Friday morning to feed the family.  I don't know that that is true, it's just what I was told when I took cooking at school and we made hot cross buns.

I had just over an hour before picking up the WG and her friend from school.  I was thinking about eggs and egg cozies and that is what I came up with.

I've got to play with it some more, I'm not over keen on the scalloped edge, I also need to make a boy version.  Considering I made it in an hour  I am relatively pleased with it.  I'll make a couple more, sort out the stitch count and put up a tutorial.  I wish I'd thought of it before the gala, they'd have been awesome on the home craft stall.

The only eggs I have at the moment are grade 6 so it's a little large for the egg on purpose.  It fits well otherwise and was a simple little project.

I'd really like to do one with the Wee Girls name on it.

Preparing for Easter

I've never been much of an Easter person.  As a child at Sunday school I learned all about the various religious festivals on the Anglican calendar, Easter being a major one of course.  Really though, truth be told, it's all about the chocolate and hot cross buns these days.

I have lots of Christmas decorations but nothing for other holidays.  So when I cam across this nice easy crochet Easter Egg pattern by Kate at Greedy for Colour I just had to have a go.

I have some very cheap acrylic that I picked up at a dollar store on a whim.  It's quite stiff and not very nice to crochet, it actually feels a bit like industrial carpet, stiff and scratchy.  But for a small project that needs some solidity, it's pretty awesome.

The past two hours have thus been spent making eggs.  I'd like to make a few more, but I have things to do outside the house, like buy Easter Eggs for the children and purchase hot cross buns for tomorrows breakfast.  So I have reluctantly put it down for now at a grand total of 4.

I'm going to be a busy girl tonight!

I'm also planning to make 3 egg cozies.  One for each of the children.  Wait...did I say 3? It's because by Sunday when the Easter Bunny makes his appearance, I shall have another teenager in the house.  Niece Paige is coming to visit for the school holidays.

So it's off to the shops now to get some real chocolate eggs.  I intend to try and get some in egg cups so the budding adults have a permanent reminder of Easter past.  I generally get the kids a mug or something to keep when all the chocolate is gone.  We have Barbie egg cups, Clowns and Thomas the tank engine in our collection.  Most prized by me is an egg cup made just for me by my Standard 3 teacher, Mr Chambers.  It has my name on it and I have cherished and used it, since it was presented to me on the last day of the 1977 school term.

Meanwhile my stack of alternative granny squares continues to grow.  There's over 40 in those two piles.

I shall have to put some thought into joining them soon...

The last (almost) week of peace

Can you believe it's April already? This is the last week of the first school term and on Thursday, children all over the country will pack away their pencil cases, shut their books and skip all the way home in happy anticipation of their two week holiday.

This shortened week is my last bit of peace.  The hubs was on holiday last week and yesterday.  I find it difficult to accomplish much of anything with him distracting me but we did get some cleaning done, I still have the bathroom walls and ceiling to wash down, the windows to wash and the bedrooms to set right.  Unexpectedly the WG has a half day today, a forgotten (by her) school notice from Friday was revealed yesterday, it's put a considerable damper on my plan for today. With the hubs going back to work I had intended to really knuckle down and get some cleaning done.  That will have to wait till tomorrow and just a vacuum and dusting for today.

As you can see the dogs and I are just having our morning coffee and the tidying up will begin imminently.

LB and his fiancé have returned safely to their home and children in Australia.  The serious business of saving for his wedding will begin in earnest as we've now got official invitations and he has asked the hubs to be a groomsman...again!  I've been to many weddings since the hubs and I got together, very few of them with the hubs, he's a popular choice for a position in the wedding party and I usually get to be by myself at these things while he eats at the bridal table and gads about with bridesmaids.  At least this time the bridesmaids are 7 and 10 year old nieces!

I haven't crocheted in a few days and my fingers are beginning to itch to feel the wool slip through them.  I have over 30 squares of various colours sitting in my basket with more to come.  Alas my coffee cup is nearly empty and I have leftover lamb from the spit to turn into stew and stock as well as the cleaning.  Sad face because my crochet will have to wait a few hours yet.

Big Weekend up North!

We left Auckland around 4:30-5ish on Friday night.  6 adults, 4 children, 1 dog and 3 cars traveling in convoy.  Considering the sheer logistics and that we left in the middle of Auckland's notorious rush hour, we made good time and arrived in Kaitaia at 10pm having stopped for dinner in Kawakawa.

Because Little Brother didn't really remember how to get there, he insisted that he maintain middle position.  To facilitate communication we had walkie talkie radios.  The communications between cars was nothing short of hilarious!  We rolled out of Auckland blasting that old song "convoy" on the stereo and arrived at the parents home blasting it as we rolled through the gate.

Party day was Saturday, we were up at sparrow fart, bacon and eggs for 18 people cooked by the hubs on the bbq.  Oldest brother (that's him on the far right with the grey hair) lives up there across the road from the 'rents, he'd sacrificed a hogget (older than a lamb, smaller than full grown cutting it's 2nd set of teeth) for the spit.  First the fire was built on a couple of sheets of corrugated iron, while it burned down to coals, he and his other half C went into Pukepoto to retrieve the hogget from the chiller where it had been hanging.  

The Hubs (2nd from right), middle brother (on the far left) little brother (not shown) and the boys (the man child and my nephews) stoked the fire and rebuilt it until they got back.  We ladies watched and critiqued their technique.  That's the man child in bright blue, hanging with the men.

Just before lunch, the coals were deemed coaly enough, the beast was spitted and the spit moved over the hot coals.  It was laced with huge branches of rosemary, basted and seasoned.  The spit motor was plugged in and the turning began.

We had lunch, cold meats, salads and fresh bread.  Then we made preparations for ladies punch, oh what a punch we made! Lots of ice, fruit juices and a judicious amount of spirit.  The men had their beer, the stereo was on and we sat chatting while the menfolk kept an eye on the main course.  We ladies noted that had we roasted a leg of lamb in the oven, we wouldn't have sat around the oven window watching it cook, but the menfolk pooh poohed us.

Bored with watching the round and round action of our dinner, we decided it was time to give the Patriarch his gift.  Toasts made, speeches spoken and gift unwrapped, we made preparations to serve the dinner which had cooked to a turn!

Having primed ourselves with 3 very good meals, we settled in for a convivial evening of song, conversation and mirth.  A wonderful evening followed with lots of fun and we all went to bed at 1am having set our clocks back for daylight saving ending Sunday 3am, making it midnight again.