not your nana’s doilies

So a while back, I posted about my adventures in doily making. Despite my husband think I was ready for the nursing home, I had a grand plan in mind. You see, Butterfly has two big brothers. All three children have their birthdays within 3 weeks of each other. So I have this massive stash of boys clothes in the right size, but wrong gender. A few bits and pieces are neutral enough though, like jeans. But after two active little boys learning to crawl in them, the knees were pretty dodgy. Cue the inspiration wave – darning with doilies. Mended pants, and girling them up at the same time? Perfect!

 

(I do have another mini doily to add to the other side, just haven’t gotten that far yet!) I also thought the back could do with some tizziness, so I added some little pocket embroidery.

 

I was quite pleased with the end result!

 

Monday has rolled around, and with the second weekend away in a row under my belt, today is all about catching up. Butterfly is snoozing in a loungeroom cubby house, so I’m going to race around and hopefully even squeeze in a spot of sewing!

Doily fever {plus pattern}

Hi. I’m Little White Dove, and I’m a doily-a-holic. I’ve blogged before about my adventures in crocheting doilies, and the project I have in mind, I needed a couple of smaller ones. I first tried just doing a couple of rounds (the little one on the left), but it didn’t really work, so using the original pattern as a starting point, I made up my own, and I think it matches in quite well! The two on the right are using my adjusted pattern, and the original is in the top left corner. The original pattern was a freebie, so I thought I’d pay it forward, and share my adjusted mini version pattern.

Chain 6, join with a slip st to form a ring.

Round 1)Ch 3, dc in next dc, ch3; *2 dc in ring, ch3; repeat from * three times, join with slip st. 8dc, 4 sps.

Round 2) Ch3, dc in joining, dc in next dc, ch2, dc in space, ch 2; *2dc in next dc, dc in next dc, ch2, dc in space, ch2; repeat from * around, slip st to join.

Round 3) Ch3, (dc, ch1, dc) in next dc, dc in next dc, ch2, (dc, ch1,dc) in next dc, ch 2; *dc in next dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next dc, dc in next dc, ch 2, (dc,ch1,dc) in next dc, ch2; repeat from * around, slip st to join.

Round 4) Ch3, 2dc in next dc, ch 1, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc, ch2, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, 2dc in next dc, ch2; * dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch1, 2dc in next dc, dc in next dc, ch2, 2dc in next dc, ch1, 2dc in nexy dc, ch2; repeat from * around, slip st to join.

Round 5) ch2, 2dc cluster over next 4 dc, dc in next dc, ch2, sc in space, ch2, 2 dc cluster in each dc, ch 2, sc in space, ch2; *dc in next dc, 2 dc cluster in next 4 dc, dc in next dc, ch2, sc in space, ch2, 2dc cluster in next 4 dc, ch 2, sc, ch2; repeat from * around, slip st to join. {2 dc cluster :: (yo, insert hook in next dc, draw up loop, yo,draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, yo, draw through three last loops on hook to complete}

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And that’s it! I think this creates something that ties in better with the larger one, than just using the first few rounds. What do you think?

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All systems go here – fabric shipping out, shop update coming, a couple of mug rugs to sew, a couple of bags to sew, some wrap wraps to make. First on the list – finding the housework fairy and kicking her butt for not turning up to work in, what is it, five years now? I had friends over for Bible study this morning to give me a boost, now to find the rest of my mojo and keep rolling. So much I want to blog, so little time to photograph and write! Have an awesome Tuesday!

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when I’m 70.

I had this ball of gorgeous pink cotton. And my mum’s teeny tiny steel 2.5mm crochet hook. So I went nuts on Ravelry and Pinterest, pinning a heap of crochet doilies. (yeah yeah, I know). The last couple of days, I thought of the perfect use for some pink doilies, so out came the cotton and hook, printed off the pattern, and away we went. I stopped at round 10, for two reasons. One, the doily was big enough for what I have in mind for it, and two, I was a bit confused how the pattern expected me to start the next round. End result. 10 round doily.

So anyway, I worked on it over a couple of days, and somewhere around round 7 or 8, I say to the husband “what do you think of my doily?” “Yeah, it’s nice” he replied, without looking, “you’ve very clever sweetheart.” So of course I get my back up. “Don’t patronise me!” “I wasn’t!! I didn’t have a smile or anything!” “yes, but you had that ‘what the face* are you making a doily for’ tone!” “I know what you’re making it for” “oh yeah?” “yeah. You’re practicing for when you are 70!”. And walked away chuckling. Funny chap, that husband of mine.

I hope I have enough cotton left, I want to make two mini ones, altering the pattern slightly to shrink the scale of the whole thing. There could be an awful lot of frogging going on. But I’ll worry about that when it happens. Before I do that, I want to finish this journal I’m binding (sneak peek tomorrow, promise), and finish knitting Butterfly’s beanie. They are the two most pressing WIPs at the minute. But crafty time is limited today – I’m babysitting for a friend, so instead of crafting, we’ve played and swung and chatted out way through the morning. I raked up a massive pile of leaves while they played happily outside, and I’m tempted to have a min-bonfire this weekend. mmmm… burnt marshmallows…. The clouds are clearing, so I might even chuck the toddler seat on the pram and walk around to school. See what kind of mood they wake up in first I guess. Time to tick some more jobs on the list before that though, have a great Wednesday all.

 

{*side note – we love Modern Family, and Why The Face is a Phil classic. Please tell me we aren’t the only ones to adopt it into out vocabulary?}

I came, I saw, I conquered…

There once was a keyboard, who was injured in the pursuit of crafty goodness. With callous disregard for my keyboard’s safety, I was attempting to crochet & drink tea at the same time. The crochet attempt wasn’t so hot, either. Frustration reigned supreme. But a trip to Spotlight yesterday solved my problems. I picked up a crochet book recommended by Car, and whaddayaknow? First attempt, and it looks like a granny square! Dear Internet, you are good to me, but on this occassion, the printed media kicks your butt all over the park.

With two boys & their daddy slumbering peacefully, I flicked on a girly movie, and in moments was lost in a trance of chains, trebles & slip-stitches. The methodical movement of the hook through wool had me mesmerised as I counted stitches, and as round after round was completed, I marveled as the long-pursued granny rug appeared beneath my fingers.

And that boogeyman was following again yesterday, and an extra ball of wool just happened to fall into my basket. Oops, however did that get in there? Can’t let it go to waste now, so may have to make myself a pair of gloves – good thing the pattern only calls for one ball!

 

A glance out the window first thing this morning confirmed my plans for the day. A miserable day is perfect for lots of snuggly crafts in the studio. Sewing, quilting, another round or two of crochet. Finish my latest novel. The toddler is helping me make a Thomas the Tank Engine quilt cover (the reason for the Spotlight trip, the crochet was a side diversion!) – originally he asked for a green blanket, but we ended up with a Thomas panel & a couple of co-ordinating fabrics. Not my taste at all – who said almost-three-year-olds were allowed an opinion? It’s a fun, creative, messy type of Saturday here, lots of fun and family time. Let’s do this!

getting’ granny wit it…

So, prior to the ill-fated meeting of Lap Top & Tea Cup, I was being productive. Of the creative variety, that is, rather than the boring, everyday-crap-which-must-be-done kind of productive. All fired up by Car’s crocheted granny blankie, I was keen to have a go myself. I placed my rather lofty ambitions in the somewhat capable hands of Google, and had a bit of a search for an easy to understand tutorial whilst enjoying a nice, quiet cup of tea (unspilt at that stage).

 

I think I have tension issues. The end result was a square, true, but not of the granny variety. There are holes at somewhat regular intervals, and it looks ok, until I compared it with the picture of what itw as suppoed to look like. *sigh*

 

Once my poor sore fingers return to normal I may have another try.

 

Monday has been picking on me so far. A certain small boy decided he wanted breakfast at soem unholy hour of the morning, so I found myself standing in the kitchen making Weetbix before five this morning – not a good start to the week! But I plan to turn that around. Teaching the crochet hook who’s boss. Finishing D9P - so close, I’m just in the process of sewing in the ends & stitching down the binding, so hopfeully will be able to show it off sometime this week. Trying to find a painting groove. Lots of books & couddles & swings & outdoor play before winter really sets in. It’s going to be a good week. Let’s do this!

Something old, something new…

Tutorials borrowed and wool that’s blue!

 

We went to visit some friends over the weekend, and whilst there, I managed to fit in a trip to Spotlight, where, somehow, unbeknownst to me, a set of knitting looms managed to find their way into my hands, along with two balls of yarn & a crochet hook. Imagined how surprised I was when I got to the register, and found these items in my hand! Unfortunately, I couldn’t be bothered waddling my 8 months pregnant self back to where such items may belong, and I was tragically forced to hand over the credit card, and adopt these poor desperate items.

 

The knitting loom is just like the little finger knitting dolls I used to play with as a kid, but on a larger scale. This will become (hopefully) a baby cocoon:

 

I think I’ve used the wrong-sized loom, and I’m pretty sure the two balls of yarn I purchased will yield me a cocoon that is too small, but that’s just a good excuse to make another! I also plan on using these as photography props.

 

Something blue, is wool that I already had, and which found itself attached to a crochet hook this afternoon. My first attempts at crochet are nothing brilliant, but it’s always fun to try something new!

 

And a sneak peek of my something old, which should be revealed in the next couple of days!

 

I’ve also been tagged again, so will be back tomorrow to post that!