Nearly done!

My stripey blanket is nearly finished - and I've decided to call it the Tooty Stripey blanket, seeing as it contains all the colours of the Tooty Fruity Blanket, with a few extras. It hasn't taken long to make at all - I'm rather enjoying making baby size blankets!! It would have been quicker but I kept stopping to take a MILLION  photos!  Well it seemed like a million. But they're all on my phone and after a recent update I'm having trouble transferring them to the pc. I'll have to sit and download the software again. ..

I have one or two I can show you now - and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen some already. (I've become somewhat addicted to Instagram...)

I've changed my mind about the border, having already made the bottom edge of it... I was going to do five rows of granny trebles, with 2 colours per row but carrying the non-working yarn across the row without it showing made the tension a bit on the tight side. So I decided to chop it off and start again. A few rows of trebles with each row in one colour. Much more sensible! 

It doesn't take too long to whiz round the edge with grannies so I should get it done tonight. A quick wash and block and it will be done. I must admit, I did do a bit of steam blocking this morning (very carefully as the yarn I'm using says do not iron...), as the edges were a bit wibbly wobbly. This wasn't due to the stitch count going up and down - I was very careful to count regularly. No, it was because some of the stitches I used were things like "2tr cluster in next st, ch1, skip next st". My chain stitches were a bit tight, so when you did 2 or 3 rows like that they did pull the blanket in a bit. Then I'd do a looser stitch combination on the next row. So a little blocking was called for,  a little blocking was done and  a little blocking worked. And the border already is lying beautifully flat! Woo Hoo!!

I will be writing up just what I did from start to finish as soon as I get time, and sharing it with you. As soon as I get time... Where have I heard that before?? Watch this space as they say.

In the meantime, would you like another quick look at the Tooty Fruity Blanket? Here it is on display in the shop window, with a few balls of wool and some patterns.

Can you see that green kitted square pinned to the back wall?? That was made by Miriam and was the first time she had ever knitted anything. It doesn't look much like this but if you could see it you'd be able to see just how beautiful and even her tension is. Amazing.

I had a look at the crochet magazines yesterday and bought this one - Crochet Now. I've never seen this one before, and this issue had a free Stylecraft pattern magazine with it - I rather like the blanket on the cover!! It's quite a good magazine and I might be buying it again.

As I flicked through, I saw this -

A little design competition to make a tea cosie for Marie Curie. Well my heart just sang!!! I made the blue and yellow confection below a few years ago (way back in the summer of 2013) and gave it to the Winchester branch of Marie Curie for the annual launch of that year's Blooming Great Tea Party. 

I'd quite like to make them another, especially one I've designed myself. I've never made a crocheted tea cosie before but I think I know what I'd like to do. The winner will have their pattern printed in the magazine and a goody bag from Sirdar. Gotta be worth a try hasn't it??

I'll need to magic up some time to make it though!!

I also saw this pretty little shoulder bag pattern. It's so sweet and simple and I can just imagine it in Tooty Fruity colours... Hmmm...maybe. One day!!

Right  - I'm off to work the last 2 or 3 rows of grannies. Have a good week!  T  xXx