I was so excited to participate in the 'Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2013' project. 

I haven’t used a lot of cotton in my crocheting except for using some bright green and yellow/gold to make my grand daughter some head bands she needed.  Soo I set out to buy some balls of 100% cotton which  was much more difficult than you would think as it is winter and cotton is considered a summer yarn.  I could only find four different colours, luckily they were lovely pinks and purple.   I had so much  fun making  the squares.  I  spent ages looking at different squares on the Internet and ended up making the first square

 that I found on The Lazy Hobby Hoppers blog  

For Square two I used a pattern  that I found on Pricilla’sCrochet 

I loved the beautifully flowery granny square on Rosehip’s Blog,  so much, I made 150 of them (still to be joined together), but  I added a row of petals 

and so this  pattern was used for square three and the fourth square I used my own pattern.   

  

I found a lovely pattern for coasters  which cried out to be made using the left over cotton from the Beautiful  Blanket's squares. 

 I am thrilled with how they have turned out and I am sure i will be making more in the future. 

Maybe I will have to label a storage box Christmas 2013 and start stashing potential  Christmas presents.

Have a fantastic day
Hiugs
Cheryl
xxx

Snow, snow and more snow

I have been house bound with all the snow and ice we had over the last week and a nasty dose of sinus.  This has not been all bad though, it has meant that I have had quiet a lot of time on my hands.  When I woke up to snow

 

 I spent about 20 minutes wondering what to do with an entire day at home.  I decided to do some of the more practical things like sorting some stuff in the storage cupboard that has been in bags since we moved here.  I got out the first bag and found a few a lot of yarn (I have a bit of a yarn obsession)  I also discovered three coat hangers that I had  crocheted covers for, but not finished.  

Gathered up some supplies threw all the other stuff back into the bag, put it back in the cupboard, nice and neatly J and have spent the last few days in crochet heaven, sheer bliss.  I have finished a bunch of coat hangers 

crocheted roses by the dozen. 

Crocheting roses is a very, satisfying .  I originally found a picture of a rose and wanted to make one so badly so I sat for hours with the picture enlarged by about 400% and crocheted and pulled out till I had a reasonable looking rose, but since then

 I have found loads of patterns for roses and have used them with my own interpretation, till I have a rose that I like to make.  

 Here is a pattern that is very much like mine and I like this pattern here for a smaller flatter rose.

I love Pinterest when the light is going and my hands are aching from too much crocheting, I like nothing more than to make a cup of nice tea and browse Pinterest.  I saw a picture of a lovely crocheted heart on Pinterest and it turned out to be on

  Attic 24’s blog – love her work so much - found the heart pattern here.  I just had to make one, immediately, it was so easy and so pretty I ended up making three. 

I filled the hearts with beautiful smelling Lavender 

 Had to quickly make  three more covers for hangers to hang the hearts on. 

Hope you are all making the most of whatever weather you are having!

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Happy, Happy New Year

 

I wish you all 365 days of happiness,  health and prosperity.

Happy New Year!

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Christmas Wishes to you all .....

Santa's work is done, all that is  left for him to do is deliver all the  Christmas gifts and I have been tracking Santa and his progress.  He has just left St Petersburg in Russia and  will eventually make his way to my family in South African,  then he will stop over here in the United Kingdom and  later he will visit my children in the United States. 

 Have you been good, I hope Santa has some surprises in store for you.  

 My wish is  for you to have a blessed peaceful Christmas,   I would like to wish you happiness peace and blessings beyond your wildest imaginations and I hold the families who lost love ones especially  in the recent shootings in the USA the homeless and lonely,  in prayer and love, always, but especially at this time of the year.

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Wherwell

I am on a two week assignment in a tiny little village in Hampshire called Wherwell. 

 It is a quaint village built along the  banks of the river Test.

 It really is tiny, not much more that a primary school, a Pub, a Hairdresser

 and a  couple of other official looking businesses, some  stunning thatched cottages

and some really large houses.

 It has been so beautiful the last three mornings with ice on the ground and the sun shinning.  There are still  some trees with autumn leaves on, but the scenery is changing by the day.

 With all the  rain the last few weeks  the normally sedate Test River is running much faster and is quiet wide at parts.

 

 It is  such a treat  to go  for a walk down to the river and cross the foot bridge

 

feed the ducks

and the fish, look at the size of them, and walk a short way along the common

 to Chilbolton, which is the next village and is a bit bigger as it  even has village shop!

 

When I have some down time or a break I like to knit or crochet.  I brought along a knitting  project this time.  

   I am  trying to get two pullovers done  double quikc for my twin grandsons.  I seem to be gettign on betterr than I  thought I would, maybe I should have brought  some more wool.

It is such a nice pattern to knit!

 

Have a  good week!

Hugs Cxxx

 

 

Life's little bumps ....

Life has a way of knocking you down and picking you up again. The downs are bad, you feel like you are never going to get through, but then things change and there is light at the end of the tunnel and it starts to gets bright and brighter and all of a sudden you feel better, feel like you can go on and cope. We have had our fair share of these relentless downs over the last couple of years, it has sapped me of energy and the will to do anything, but things have got brighter and better and all of a sudden I feel like I can smile and get on with life again. We have an address for the first time in a long, long time, a tiny little space which is home and ours for as long as we like.

 It has taken over a month for me to feel like I belong there and to gather all our stuff together from various storage locations and now I am even feeling like perhaps I can start to do some of my crafts again or just sit and savour the fact that I have a lazy boy chair that I can just sit in and watch TV if I like or not, it is amazing.

I was driving home yesterday and the sun was setting as only an autumn sun can set!  Leaves were blowing around in the wind the sun was shining through what had been a heavy downpour and my classical music was playing and I had an overwhelming feeling of contentment, it brought tears to my eyes because it is a feeling that has been missing for so long.

 

 

 

I even feel like blogging again. 

Even though I have visited you all regularly I have not felt any inspiration to blog, but I think I am back and would like to thank you who have left a comment on a very dormant blog, it made me feel connected to the world, thank you!

 

Hugs

Cxxx

I really wanted to share this with you ...

I was doing my usual  Pinterest browsing thing (I am slightly addicted to Pinterest) and I found a pin about pre-packing crock pot (slow cooker) meals!  I double clicked onto this site

here

and found this amazing  idea. 

Be sure to go over and have a look!

I am going to make sure that I leave a few of these in my daughters  freezer before I leave,  Brilliant idea!

Hope you are all having a fantastic day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Here's wishing you all a very, very blessed Easter!!

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Getting the hang of things ...

I surprised  myself this morning, I managed to open the  cupboard door without a struggle.  It has taken me all of two weeks to remember that  everything  works  opposite here in the USA.   Door knobs turn anti- clockwise, light switches are different,  cars drive on the right hand side of the road instead of the left my brain is continually challenged. 

I have this issue every time I visit here, you would think I would  get it quicker huh?  
I tell you what though, the one thing I do get,  is how to shop in some of the wonderful craft stores (insert huge smiley face here).   I have been to Hancock's, Michaels and AC Moore. 

 I have a problem though, I actually start to feel quite ill when I am in these stores.  I get dizzy at the sheer choice that  I have and cannot actually concentrate on any one thing.  I start thinking ..... maybe I can make this  or  should I do that .... or  maybe I will crochet this, or  scrap that ..... really it is too much for me,  but wow,  it makes me happy, I just wish I had a few million dollars ..... wouldn't that be nice.

My granddaughter told me on Saturday morning that she would love to decorate her initial to hang on her newly painted bedroom wall.  So off we went to buy some supplies and alphabet letters for both of them.  My granddaughters have very  distinct tastes and I was a bit dubious at the choice of embellishments, stickers and papers that were being chosen, but excited to see what  the end results were.  We spent  most of the afternoon playing.  I decorated a letters that I had bought  to give the girls  some ideas  - that is my excuse and I am sticking to it,  I just couldn't resist  

 and with just a little guidance from Granny and help with the glue gun they created the most  amazing Altered Alphabet letters! 

 Emilee loves music and wanted hers to look 'old worldly', her  description of her E

Olivia wanted hers to be 'pretty' 

I  think they achieved their  goals.  We ended up going back to the stores and buying some  alphabet hooks to decorate and I bought another letter to decorate for a gift! 

 My time here as been so cathartic, I am so unstressed and my days are quiet and peaceful and I sooo love being with my girls it is amazing!

Hope you are all having  a happy and  peaceful a day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Totes and tins......

Ta..Da.... I did it ... made myself a tote out of the sale fabric that I bought on Sunday from          Wal-Mart. 

I love it!  It is only 12 x 10", but is just big enough for me to carry the essential around with me while I am visiting!

  It has pockets on the inside and outside too for bits and bobs. 

 I can see me making  another three now - I had little faces light up last night when my granddaughters came home from school and saw my bag and Mom is eyeing out some funky bright fabric for hers......

We had these cookies over the St Patrick weekend

 I just  love the tins, they have a little bit of a  vintage look,  so I will be keeping them. 

I am sure they will be great to store a bit of ribbon or lace.... I am quiet sure I will find some good use for them

Have a wonderful day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx