one for the boys...

*J* is very complimentary about my crochet blankets but I have yet to make one especially for him. In the meantime I spotted a pattern for baby play balls in an old knitting magazine and realised how utterly simple they would be to make. In fact I just had to try it out to prove to myself that a mere 12 little crocheted pentagons would really make a spherical shape. My maths 'A' level was a very long time ago!

He is well past the baby stage but when he is not playing football or cricket for real he is hitting or kicking soft balls around the house (a few vases have been written off this way!)

In Manchester United colours I rustled him up a soft ball which he is really impressed with and kicking around the house as we speak.

simple, natural, handmade...

Nope I just can't summon up enough enthusiasm for another crochet blanket or anything requiring major commitment and concentration. Must be the weather; very changeable here, sunny one minute and torrential rain the next.

Yesterday I dug out some cotton napkins I picked up for next to nothing (£1 for four!) and started jazzing them up a bit with a simple crochet edging. I think I originally had embroidery in mind for these but the crochet is probably just as cheerful and a tad quicker. I've got eight napkins and more than eight cotton colours to choose from so I shall do them all in a different colour.

To be honest we don't always bother with napkins at home but we do often have a bit of kitchen roll handy if something is a bit messy. Once I've finished these I'm hoping they will get used.

I'm sewing blanket stitch all round the squares of fabric first, fairly close together. This is ideal for one foundation stitch for each blanket stitch (ie. 1dc in each). After the foundation row I can finally do the simple edging: three trebles, miss 2 st, 1 dc, repeat to end.

2 down, 6 to go!

random crochet moments...

Loving my wool winder! I have wound a few scruffy balls from my granny stripe blanket stash. I started this earlier in the year and am only just able to cope with looking at it and working on it again. It'll be something of a memory blanket as most of the wools in it were given to me by my Nan and the colours were chosen with her in mind.

For now I'm not rushing into another big project so I shall just have this basket of wool and the blanket by the sofa for those random crochet moments...

Like those in front of the tv when your husband is in charge of the remote and has chosen yet another cookery programme to watch. Yawn! Or the odd ten minutes in between cooking various bits of the dinner. Or waiting for a large pot of tea to brew! Or whilst waiting for a heavy shower to abate before taking the dog out for a swim, oops I meant 'walk'.

crochet for dogs...

Yikes, the dog has been crocheted! Well not quite, but he has benefitted from a sudden urge to crochet up some of my superchunky leftovers! A size 9mm hook and two evenings later...

Harvey would normally be modelling the new rug/blanket but he is currently covered from head to toe in thick mud. Thank you Mr Farmer for ploughing our field, it makes a small dog very happy!

bargain book...

I do love The Works for selling quite random books, because every now and then a crochet book turns up and good ones seem few and far between.

I bought this one yesterday for £3 and it contains more than 30 projects. Lots are quick and simple. I think it's one of those books you need to apply your own imagination and yarn tastes to. The patterns provide a good starting point and negate the need for guesswork.

The zigzag bag looks appealing if only to have a go at a stitch pattern I've not tried before.

The beanie and mitts in chunky yarn look like they might be a good stash buster and a nice quick evening project.

The ruffle throw caught my eye in natural aran weight wool and they've suggested it would make a good shawl too.

There's probably something for everyone; scarves, corsages, jewellery, bags, pillows. Christmas presents?

thrifty finds...

I've always wanted a wool winder and today I finally found one. Not a wooden beauty but a nice little retro number which certainly does the job. I've only wound one of my untidy little skeins into a ball so far but it was pretty exciting stuff!

The newly wound ball (the brown yarn) can be seen in the little wooden pot I picked up in a charity shop today for next to nothing. I know you can't see it properly with a 'lomo'd' pic but its made of ash. Thankfully no varnish or stain has been used so it's wonderfully tactile. I love wood.

I can see whole mornings being spent winding all my wool leftovers into nice tidy balls.

off the hook...aran afghan

So much easier taking a blanket photo with a willing model. *J* has been itching to get underneath this one since I started it. He liked the red wool of the last one but says this one is thicker, warmer and slightly bigger.

I still have several balls of aran left over but decided to do a discrete border in the end. I tend to introduce too many stitches when I do borders and they end up puckering the blanket. Two rounds of dc and I feel I have just about got away without puckering the edges so I thought I'd quit whilst ahead!

The decorative stitches have given it a nice substantial thick feel. It is incredibly warm, and the size is more generous this time, so all in all it is good timing for the chilly winter evenings.