How to block acrylic

I remembered!! The crafty thing I wanted to mention last week but couldn't remember was that I'd seen a post on one of the lovely blogs I read (sorry, can't actually remember who shared the link...) on how to block acrylic properly.
Most people, myself included, don't think acrylic can be blocked effectively. You wet it down, pin it to shape and allow to dry naturally but as soon as you unpin it starts to go back to the shape it wanted to be before you started. Well not any more!!
Have a look at this from Every Trick on the Hook. Polly gives detailed instructions on how to go about blocking and steaming acrylic in such a way that it will hold it's shape once dry. And it works!!
The wet heat softens the plastic fibres just enough that when they then cool and dry they hold their new shape. It's supposed to be permanent so that when it's washed and dried again, the blanket will retain it's blocked shape. But I haven't tried that bit.

As soon as I read it I knew I wanted to use the method to reshape my Rippling Clusters Blanket. You know, the one that took me so long to make I forgot how many chain stitches to work in the pattern part way through, so one end of the blanket was wider than the other... I immediately took it off the bed and laid it on the floor - smoothing it down so it gripped the carpet so I wouldn't need to pin it - measured it carefully so the narrower end was the right width and got steaming with the iron. You have to be very careful not to touch the yarn with the iron, or to over steam - it would be very easy to destroy all your hard work! - but you can actually see it working! I left it to dry then tentatively put it back on the bed and O - M - G it lay so much better!! I couldn't believe it!! It needs a little more work in the middle section which I might do later today but WOW, what a technique!!

I wish I'd known about it when I was making the Springtime Baby Blanket and I tried to block the squares before joining them. Remember when I blocked them like this?? Never again...

In fact, I tried the technique out yesterday on another baby blanket. I saw a lovely one with lots of texture on a charity stall at the market and bought it, knowing I could block it properly as the edge was a bit "wibbly". It isn't any more! If it had occurred to me I would have taken before and after photos. Sorry. I'll try and take an "after" photo later and pop back and add it.

I'm wondering whether this is the right method to use on the star blanket that's put away waiting to be finished. I was making it for my Mum before she died and it's been put away since then. The edges were going to curl terribly but maybe now, with a little steam blocking, they won't...

That's it for today. Til next time, T xxx

A hat to skate in?

My hat is finished! It didn't take too long to make once I got going - I even managed to work the last few rows on some old double pointed needles. It was a bit too long, so I unpicked back to the start of the shaping and did bigger decreases over fewer rows. I blocked it over a pudding bowl and made a big shaggy pom pom to top it off. I just need a cold day to wear it now. ..

The ice rink and Christmas Market are in full swing at work. Which means more work than I can actually keep up with and crowds of people to battle through every time I leave the building. And the smells. I'm right above the food court and we've had burger and fries drifting in the windows all day! Very expensive burgers...

This is my tenth Christmas and there have been a lot of changes over the years. This next photo is from 2007.

And this is 2016! What a difference. 

It's quite funny listening to new staff who are looking forward to the market. I tell them the novelty wears off by year 3 and you'll be counting the days until it closes! (There are 13 in case you are counting!)

If you're planning to visit, take my advice and come on a week day. If you must come at the weekend, get parked early, go for breakfast in town and go to the market when it opens at 10am. If you come later, you may have to queue to get in then be swept along on a tide of sardines!

And no I won't be skating - not even in my new hat! Knowing my luck I'd fall over - or be pushed over, and break something... Don't want that really. 

You know, I'm sure there was something crafty I was going to tell you but it escapes me right now. Ah well, there's always next time. 

Once we get Christmas out of the way, I'll try and start a new project - although I don't know what it will be yet! There isn't time for anything before then. I won't even get the allium bargello cushion cover finished - so clearly it won't be a present! That means I need to think of another present and I haven't really done any shopping yet. I blame the curse of the Christmas Market - I get Christmas all year round, so when it finally arrives I don't want it! At least not until it's really too late to do anything, then I feel guilty for being such a scrooge! I can't win...

Hope your Christmas preparations are going better than mine! 

Til next time,  T 😆😆😆

Ooh I love a craft fair

It's been a funny two weeks of up and downs. Not helped by being stupidly busy in the office trying to get everything done in time for the Christmas Market and Ice Rink - but they're open now so the next 4 1/2 weeks will be full of Christmas music and fried onion smells... joy...
But there are lots of lovely traders with all sorts of amazing things that will make perfect Christmas gifts. That's if I can stop myself from buying lots of things for me !

I finally managed to get back out to Hilliers yesterday for a final bit of autumn colour, only to find they had a little craft fair on. I Love a little craft fair!
I went round the gardens first while the sky was relatively bright - photos in a minute - then I got stuck in to all the goodies for sale !
I asked if I could take photos and was told no. But I did anyway !

I love note books and was sorely tempted by these little cuties!

I really liked the seaside scene picture in this photo - you can't see it but the sea was stitched with silver thread that looked just like sunlight on water. It was called Solent and made me think of my walks at Weston Shore. If I'd had wall space it would have come home with me!

But now for the things I did buy. I opted mostly for crafting supplies and some cards.

And now for some autumn colour ! The leaves are dropping fast now - pity I couldn't get here last week - and there's lots of yellow and gold tones. Makes a change from all the reds we've come to expect now. 

Is that enough for now ? Back to crafting then! The last week or so I've had the urge to knit something. Yes KNIT! Not crochet or sew but knit.

I blame my niece. She requested knitted romper suits for her baby girl and I found a fab pattern on Ravelry - 

So.... am I going to be knitting this ? No chance ! My lovely friend Diana will be doing it . But I really wanted to knit for a change and found a new super soft wool and hunted out this pattern -

The Link will take you to a page with some free patterns designed to be made for cancer patients undergoing treatment. They're all free, so maybe think about giving a donation if you download it. The hat pattern is on pages 3 and 4.))
It's been a LONG time since I knitted any aran. And that was a tiny teddy bear jumper! By row 3 of this cable pattern I was asking why I wanted to knit again. But I've got into it now and I'm looking forward to wearing it on a Cold day. This wool really is soft - I've not seen it before, it's Pixile by Wendy.

And I had a little help. This isn't Fluffy, this is Blackie - although he's actually mahogany brown. And he also decided he'd had enough of living with the neighbours and has moved in too!

I do of course have a long list of things I should be crocheting or sewing. The small purple and pink crochet bag - it has progressed a bit - finish the Dress a Girl dresses, make some more pencil cases.
And use my new craft supplies!

But for now, I shall knit and I shall enjoy it. I hope you have something enjoyable planned too. Bye for now!

Rubbish week ...

My week off has turned out to be a bit rubbish really. The weather was reasonable, I managed to meet up with friends for lunch, walking, shopping and more lunching. I did some sewing but couldn't really get into it and do as much as I wanted. And I definitely didn't unwind and relax. Bummer.

I did make a couple of little dresses using the fabric the lovely Sheena of the Fat Lady Sews sent me. It was the sort of fabric you could actually use either side, so I did one of each to start with - plus there are two more all cut ready to go. But I haven't cut out the teenage size dress yet, never mind start sewing it... sorry Sheena... 😔

I hardly did any crochet this week. I made up a sample of the Circle of Friends Square which I've admired for a while but that was all. The pattern was in US terms so I had to translate as I went - grrr - but I got there eventually. There was a fair bit of unpicking amongst the translating though. Not sure if I will make a blanket with this block - it would be very good for using up scraps though.

Well that's all for now. I'm off for a glass of wine with friends...