Crochet extravaganza 2011

Throughout 2011, whenever I had a spare moment, the chances are that I was sat, hook in hand, crocheting up a storm just like in this picture. Here is a summary of sorts, in glorious multi-colour, of some of the things that I made over the last 12 months, as a fair few of them were created pre-blog and haven't had a chance to shine online......

I began the year with a rather ambitious project - my first giant blanket. I picked out the colours in nice calming shades of blue and purple and got the wool for my birthday and then began hooking up giant squares of half double crochet to make a warm and sturdy patch-workish blanket. This has kept us nice and warm all year and I can confirm that it is the perfect blanket for keeping warm at nap time...

In February I hooked up a pretty flower shawl for my mum...

made a string of crochet hearts for my lovely man for a valentine's day surprise (like pretty much everything else that gets put up in this flat it's stayed up ever since, hehe)...

and I started my granny coat (a project that kept me busy well into March)...

In April, I whipped up a wee crochet purse for a present...

and then got going on this rather bright granny lap blanket for my nan as a little easter present...

At the start of May I spent a week in the Welsh mountains, climbing hills, spotting butterflies and birds, drinking around bonfires, and crocheting up a multicolour flower shawl for myself....

I made a steady stream of crochet slippers throughout the year for various people. These are a pair that I made for myself in June...

In July, I finally thought of a use for the leftover wool from my flower shawl and hooked and stitched up this granny square bag (used everyday since)...

In August, I got busy with bobbles and hooked up my bobble berry cardigan in time for autumn, although it's only just got cold enough to appreciate its cosyness...

In September I began this diamond patchwork blanket (documenting my progress regularly throug October and November, but failing to show you the finished item. The edge is long since finished and even all the pesky ends are well on their way to being tucked neatly away now, so expect a final ta-da anytime soon)...

In November, I hooked up a happy yellow birthday hat (I've also made a fair few others of these in various shades of the rainbow over the year. It's a happy, easy pattern)...

In November, I gave into my scarf addiction and whipped up this circle shawl...

And seeing as the gifts have all been given, here's a few other projects I completed in December. A ripply, bright, happy blanket...

And a granny circle scarf....

Phew, that was fun! I can't wait to get started on some new projects for 2012!
x

A haiku a day....

I'm still busy hibernating so I'll let the haikus do the talking...

Friday
It's still night time when
we awake, as I drift off,
you fly far away.

Saturday
Presentation's all,
Fold up the pretty paper,
Wrap it all in ribbons.

Sunday
It's Christmas once again,
A day like no other day,
Magic fills the air.

Monday
Mad starlings flock here,
as day meets it end they swoop
and circle like one.

Tuesday
Up above the clouds...
(Landscapes of condensation,
That make my ears pop).

Wednesday
Gale force winds ruffle
Feathers on the blue tit's head,
As he pecks his lunch.

Thursday
Twilight cloaks the world,
A deer peers out, silent, still,
Disguised as a tree.

x

A haiku a day...

We're deep in mid winter now, so it's high time for hibernating. I've swapped London's busy streets for quiet hills and forests deep in the Devon countryside. Days are spent sleeping late, reading Murakami's latest offering, IQ84 (it's a real page turner!) eating a lot, and walking off the food on long walks. Some new discoveries have been made including deer in the woods and a kingfisher flying past by the river. Here are these tales and more in haiku form...

Friday
Cold air fills my lungs,
Muddy puddles soak my feet.
Winter seeps inside.

Saturday
I blaze a path through
bustling crowds busy buying
Christmas bits and bobs.

Sunday
A nostalgic song,
a sepia coloured sky,
visions of the past.

Monday
Two deer bound away
on the strangely green carpet,
magic mossy scene.

Tuesday
Cobble stones, twinkling
lights, a little town bursting
with countryside charm.

Wednesday
Elusive vision,
a turquoise arrow darts past,
Shy kingfisher bird.

Thursday

A river so long,
flows over gnarly tree roots,
a fleeting meeting.

Season's greetings. May you have a very merry Christmas :)

x

Badger of the week (3)

This week I bring you..... a Christmas themed badger! It's a charming children's story book called 'Grumpy Badger's Christmas' which is written by Paul Bright with illustrations by Jane Chapman.

(Front cover of the book, published by Little Tiger Press: London, 2009)

This book tells the tale of a grumpy badger who just wants to hibernate alone for Christmas, but can't get any sleep because all the other woodland creatures are busy decorating the woods and getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Needless to say, badger gets very grumpy indeed! The pictures are absolutely gorgeous - I would love some of them as artworks to hang on the wall. Here's a peek at Badger trying to get some sleep...

Illustration by Jane Chapman

I love the attention to detail throughout which is evident in this picture - badger's bushy eyebrows, the mismatched patch on his quilt that matches the inside of the book cover, his cute whiskers and furry face :)

Badger has a habit of exclaiming funny things like piffle and triple piffle! as he gets more and more annoyed...

Illustration by Jane Chapman

The words are set out thoughtfully on the pages, so that they become almost part of the scene. It's well written and funny, even to this very overgrown child (haha) and I highly recommend it whether or not you are a badger fan (and you sure will be - it's impossible not to fall in love with his grumpy ways by the last page).

You can buy the book here!
Merry Christmas Badger!
x

A haiku a day...

Friday
Jazz singer lady,
climbs tables, curls up small: love,
pain - she sings it all.

Saturday
Amidst all the noise,
we hold hands in the darkness,
awaiting our dreams.

Sunday
Dark hours of night
linger all day, fairy lights
are happy relief.

Monday
Paper everywhere,
notes typed neatly/scrawled madly,
debris of my mind.

Tuesday
Suddenly darkness,
clouds converge, exposed to the
elements I melt.

Wednesday
Black bile gurgles up
meets the dark cloud; a haze forms,
I cower inside.

Thursday
Windows fog over,
condensation fills this house,
like a dark, damp cave.

x

happy little moments... festive times

Happy moments were spent this weekend (in no particular order)...

• Watching the Nutcracker and being totally enthralled by the amazing music and production. Times like that, I wish I was a ballerina...

• Enjoying the tastiest mojitoes in all the land whilst listening to the most amazing jazz singer in a local bar (ahhhh hidden treasures)...

• Basking in the glow of fairy lights on the tree. It is the happiest Christmas tree, with a ho ho ho and a he he he...

• Christmas shopping at Camden market finding treats galore for lots of people. Now I get to wrap them, which is almost the best part of the whole thing...

• Crocheting along to some of my favourite films. Secret project finished :) ...

• Writing Christmas cards. I'll be keeping the Jolly Christmas postman busy...

• Sleeping in, dreaming in technicolour...

• Taking some moments to breathe and just be in the midst of these hectic busy days. Inspirational quotation of the moment:

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."

~Omar Khayyán~

Still, no point pretending that I can't wait for it to be the holidays. Just one more week.... x

A haiku a day...

Sunrise/sunset moments have cropped up quite a lot in my haikus this week, which is symptomatic of the short days of winter I suppose - I'm much more likely to witness these displays and experience the strange betwixt times when it's not quite day or night when they happen later in the morning and mid-afternoon. I've spotted lots of birds this week too which is nice and I've managed to squeeze some of these little moments into my daily 17 syllable quota. Thank goodness for the birds singing and fluttering on through these cold and greyish days, bringing some beauty to the newly-barren tree branches. Not mentioned here is the flock of goldfinches that flew over me one day when I was out for a run. The sight of their little red faces and yellow bellies bobbing above me spurred me on on a very a cold day. It's worth getting outside for a sight like that :) Anyway, enough rambling, here are the haikus....

Friday
Birdsong, tired eyes,
Cold puffs of breath, glowing sky:

Morning impressions.

Saturday
Duckpond kerfuffle,
Breadcrumb feast 'neath yellow skies,
as day fades to night.

Sunday
My feet are heavy
When I start, a few miles on,
I'm almost flying.

Monday
Hop-a-pied-wagtail
flutters at my feet, what a
Charming encounter!

Tuesday
Grandeur, opulence,
we play at being fancy,
at the opera house.

Wednesday
A raging rabble,
squashed in, we zoom through London,
deep beneath the streets.

Thursday
Grey winter light weighs
heavy on me, outside the
storm is raging on.

x