Poncho Finito

Well, my poncho is finished and I've been wearing it too. I'm really pleased with how it turned it. The husband and I were going for coffee one Saturday morning recently and I asked him to take a few photos of me wearing my poncho. Here's the first one.

I really don't know what he was thinking of! Anyway, he took a few more and I'm actually in them. See how swollen the Bannn river is; we've had so much rain.

You can look back here, here and here to see some more details about the poncho. It took a lot of work as, if you spread it out, it would be almost as big as a single bed blanket.

The green yarn is from New Lanark Mills and is 90% wool and 10% silk. It smells like real wool should and has a lovely crisp feeling (if you know what I mean!). I was a bit worried that it would be itchy but it's fine. The collar is knit using a full ball of James C Brett Faux Fur in colour H2. That doesn't convey much about the colour, does it? It's a silvery grey with a slight tinge of green.

Ha, ha!! I've just noticed how long my cardigan sleeves look! Actually, it was only because my cardigan was falling off underneath the poncho.

Let me know what you think of my poncho. I hope you like it as much as I do. Sorry about not being able to do much commenting recently. My shoulders and arms are sore so I'm trying to reduce the amount of typing I do. I didn't even realise, for a while, that apart from not having much time, this pain was putting me off using a keyboard except when absolutely necessary.

By the way, have a look back here if you want to read why I say finito.

All the best for now and I hope to get reading and commenting on your blogs soon.

Autumn and Winter Crochet Plans

Thank you all for your comments on my cardigan. I was very pleased to read that almost all of you concur that cardigans are great.

I wonder do you remember me telling you about knitting an Aran coat? I think this was the last of the pictures I posted about it because when it was finished I discovered that it was huge; so huge that there was no way to correct it without ripping out and starting again.

Since then I've been looking at patterns, on and off, to try and decide what to make. Eventually I've decided to make a poncho. On a recent visit to the Avoca Mill in Wicklow (I hope to post about that soon) I saw one that I really like. Coincidentally, I had also seen an item in a recent Inside Crochet magazine giving details about a poncho kit that is to be available soon.

This is it. It looks quite easy to make so I've decided to just try and work out a pattern myself.

Well, sort of. In the same Inside Crochet magazine there's a pattern for this lovely jumper. I'm going to use the cable section in my poncho design. I've already made a start on it! It took a few attempts at understanding how the pattern was worded and should be executed but I've got it sussed now.

It is easier on my hands to make the cables in crochet rather than knitting. Hopefully it works out as I don't want to end up with another disaster!

That's one of the projects I'll be working on this Autumn and probably into the Winter. I also am working on a rug and a blanket with plans for far too many other items.

I'm joining with Jennifer's Winter Project Link Party. Go and have a look at the projects that everyone else will be working on. This is the first link up that I've been involved in so I hope I do it right!

All the best for now. Hope you're enjoying the lovely Autumn weather we're having (or that you're getting lovely Spring weather). I have lots of pictures from when we were away at the beginning of September and again at the end but just don't seem to get time to post them. Maybe soon.

How's it Going?

I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the fact that we're now into February. I have a few projects to show you, in case you were thinking I haven't been doing anything. Here's the scarf I crocheted for my sister. She liked the hat I made her so much that she asked for a matching scarf.

It is made using James C Brett marble DK and an 8mm hook, working trebles into the back loop only. (UK treble or US double crochet stitches). It turned out lovely and soft and squishy, long enough to wrap round twice.

Do you remember my crocheted chillis? I had a bit of a problem with how to display them. Some of your comments suggested joining them together to make a ristra. I tried that - had tried even before I posted about the chillis. There's only one way to describe what the chillis looked like. A cow's udder. Enough said.

Another solution had to be found for the chillis and I favoured a crocheted bowl. It has taken me all this time to finally get round to it. The yarn has been sitting in my bag all these months just waiting to be made into this useful little bowl. It's made using Stylecraft Special DK in Denim. I used a strand of Claret to work a little running stitch 

round the top of the bowl. I'm extremely pleased with the result!

Another project that I'm working on is my Aran coat, started back here. It keeps being left to one side to get something else done; like my crocheted socks. But, even with all the interruptions, the coat is progressing quite well. One of the fronts is finished.

And the back is now up to the waist. When I get the back finished I want to check that I am going to have enough wool to finish. I'm using wool from New Lanark Mill - well, it's 90% wool and 10% silk.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly the coat is making up. Though I'm sure by the time it's finished it will be too warm to wear it!

Let me know what you think of my makes. I love to read your comments. Bye!

Mount Usher Gardens and Finnstown Castle Hotel

Last Thursday and Friday we took ourselves down to Dublin for a wee break. We got a very good deal at the hotel using a scheme run by one of our local supermarkets. Before going to check-in to the hotel we paid a visit to Mount Usher Gardens where we had a nice walk round.

 

We had to cross this bridge over the river. You can see the warning notices that were at both ends of the bridge; no jumping allowed on the bridge! Just walking across the bridge made it bounce so I didn't spend too long on it.

I didn't photograph everything; just a few of the trees and plants that I thought looked unusual.

This cherry tree was blossoming in early December.

We came across this little pet cemetery.

There were quite a few plants flowering. This one was very striking.

After our walk we just had to visit the Avoca Garden Cafe for some refreshments. The carrot cake and coffee were delicious.

We did a bit of shopping though mainly just looking round some lovely shops such as the Avoca shop at Kilmacanogue. Then we headed to our hotel, the Finnstown Castle Hotel, just outside the picturesque village of Lucan, to the west of Dublin. We were very impressed with this place!

There were several peacocks and peahens strutting around the grounds. Sorry it's not a very good picture.

While we were there I took the opportunity to start knitting my Aran coat. The wool is from New Lanark Mill shop; actually 90% wool and 10% silk; the colour is Forest. It's the same yarn I used for my bag (see here and here). My still-hasn't-been-lined-or-got-handles-attached bag! Anyway, back to the coat. I knit the first six rows in garter stitch and then I was supposed to change from 5mm to 5.5mm needles. Arrrghhhh!! I hadn't brought any 5.5mm needles with me. Fortunately I had brought some of the King Cole tinsel yarn and owl pattern with me. So I started an owl. To be honest though, I was totally loaded with the cold and didn't feel much like knitting anything. By the way, since coming home, I accidentally pulled the needle out of what I'd managed to knit of the owl and had to rip it all out. There's no way you can pick up stitches with the tinsel yarn! On the bright side though, I've managed to knit quite a bit of my coat.

On the Friday we drove to the Dundrum Centre where we parked and took the Luas light rail/tram to St. Stephen's Green in Dublin. We wandered round the shops and really enjoyed looking in Brown Thomas especially. Gorgeous but extremely pricey! We ended up in the lovely Powerscourt Centre to have coffee. Oh look. We must have had some biscuit cake as well. You won't believe it, but we were seated right outside a yarn shop for our coffee!! They had needles too, so I bought a pair of 5.5mm wooden ones.

We then returned to Dundrum on the Luas and browsed some of the shops there. Hamleys is a favourite of the husband's. Just a very relaxed day. That evening we had a fantastic four course dinner in the hotel. Free! It was part of the deal we had. The food was really, really good.

So that was our wee pre-Christmas treat. Thoroughly enjoyable. I hope you enjoyed it too. It's great to see I have another few followers and I'm still delighted to read your comments. I've also found some our your lovely blogs to follow too! All the best for now.

Mini Finitos

Welcome to my new followers - another few have joined us - and many thanks for your lovely comments. I've really enjoyed reading them all.

 

This post is just to let you see some of the mini projects I've finished since coming back from my holidays. Do you remember the Hebridean wool I bought on Skye? You can read about it here if you don't or this is the first you've heard of it! I used the wool to knit the husband a new hat for the winter. Here it is. Just a simple cabled beanie but he likes it. It isn't cold enough to wear it yet; he has that pleasure to look forward to. I probably only used half the ball, so when he either loses the hat or pulls it to bits in the thorn hedge, I'll be able to knit him another one.

 

This next project was actually crocheted while I was on Skye (started here and completed here). I started making a bowl thinking I would use it to store odd balls of yarn. But while I was crocheting I thought it would be nice to use the bowl to display some heather. So, since coming home, I've put heather in the crocheted bowl and here it is. The heather is set straight into the bowl without anything else inside. I'm really pleased with the results. I like the way the bowl isn't completely rigid and sort of slumps a bit.

Now here is something really, really strange. When I made the heather bowl I thought I was doing something reasonably unique. Certainly not following a pattern or even replicating something I'd seen and liked. The book below is one I got about four months ago and think it has lots of gorgeous patterns in it. I flicked through it a few times when it was new and started a cardigan (which has been left to one side for now).

After coming home from my holiday, I was looking through the book again to find a pattern for a hat, and look what I found!! A crocheted bowl with, admittedly not heather, but similar looking flowers in it. Is it just a coincidence? Or did I see this picture months ago and make my heather bowl because this image was stored somewhere deep in my subconscious?

Anyway, I found a pattern for a tam that I thought would be nice for making myself a hat with the alpaca yarn I bought on Skye (read about it here). I worked a strand of King Cole Cosmos yarn along with the alpaca to achieve the sparkly effect.

Here I am modelling the hat. I wear it even though it isn't really all that cold yet. It's not just about being warm, is it? I love this wee tam and I've had many compliments on it.

These squares are finished and blocked though not joined yet to make a bag. While loading the photos for this post I went off and ordered leather handles. Susan, who writes Simple Cozy Living, suggested that I try bittersweetbasketsandsupply.com for leather handles and I was very impressed with what they have to offer. Thanks you Susan for pointing me in the right direction.

My peg loom arrived while I was away so it was great to unpack it and get weaving as soon as possible. I did a few small pieces first to practise; I'll show you them another time as I'm going to use them for small wall hangings. Here is my first proper woven scarf. What do you think? It's made using Stylecraft Swift Knit Super Chunky in Wedgewood. I'll show you more about the peg loom another time. I posted about wanting to get one way back here and Ingrid of My Funky Crochet let me know that I could get a loom from Jenny's Crafts and Soft Furnishings. Thanks Ingrid!

I think that will do for now. For those of you interested in the cotton blanket - I've had to put it aside for awhile as I want to make lots of things for Christmas. I want to make so many things!! All the best. Leave me a comment please about my mini finitos and let me know if you like them.

Last Stop Wetheral

So we only had one night left of our holiday after visiting Yarndale. We headed to our last stopover (via Chesters for coffee!), the Crown Hotel in Wetheral. This is a lovely village in Cumbria, just a few miles from Carlisle, on the River Eden. The husband decided to go for a swim and I walked into the village to try and get something to ease my sting. After dinner the previous evening I had been stung on the left arm by, I think, a wasp. The area around the sting was gradually getting redder, swollen and more irritated. Unfortunately the village shop didn't stock anything suitable. I optimistically thought it would improve but I was wrong. Thankfully I was able to get cream and anti-allergy medication the next day (when the reaction had got even worse).

 

Back to Wetheral on the Saturday afternoon. When I came out of the village shop I decided to go for a walk as the village is very picturesque. First I walked down a steep hill and found myself at the river. This is the Wetheral Railway Viaduct.

 

 

It was really lovely but I didn't stay. Instead I started to retrace my steps back up the hill. Coming near the top I saw a sign for the Priory Gatehouse and decided to investigate. This road was more or less level and I had a lovely walk through the countryside. Before long I came across the Wetheral Parish Church called Saint Trinity. This picture is taken from the road, through the gateway. I should have taken a picture of the gateway itself but you can see it here if you want.

This is the church from the side.

Further along the road I came to the Priory Gatehouse.

 There was a stone spiral staircase up the inside of the tower.

 

I was very tempted to walk up all those steps but, according to the sign, the place was going to be closed in about five minutes time. I certainly didn't want to end up being locked in the tower! Years ago I got locked into the School of Music one Saturday morning. The following Monday was a bank holiday so the building wasn't going to be opened again until the following Tuesday. I banged the door as loudly as possible and, thankfully, the caretaker hadn't left so was able to let me out.

Sorry, I digressed there. I was still wearing my Yarndale Skirt, as you can see. It was very comfortable and easy to wear.

It was time to head back to the hotel as I reckoned the husband would have finished his swim. When I got back to our room he was already there. Doesn't sound unusual, does it? The thing was, I had the key! It turned out the he hadn't been able to get into the pool and, after waiting and waiting for me to return, had finally got the spare key from reception. Anyway, by this stage he knew he'd be able to get swimming so we both headed over to the leisure suite. I was worried about irritating my arm further with the chlorinated water so I sat at one of the poolside tables and crocheted. The wool I'd bought a few days previously at the New Lanark Mill was calling to me to be made into a bag. It's very difficult to refuse pure wool in gorgeous colours calling to be made into something useful with a crochet hook! I gave in and made Fudge squares from my 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans book. Each square is made using five colours so I changed the order of the colours so no two of the five squares I needed were the same.

All the squares are crocheted and blocked now but I still need to join them to make into a bag. Then line it as well. The reason I'm hesitating with finishing is that I can't make up my mind about the handles. When I get there, I'll let you see it.

Well that was the end of our holiday and we sailed home again the following day. Planning has started for next year's holiday!

All the best for now. I should be able to show you some of my finished projects soon. I'm looking forward to it.