And We're Back in Autumn Mode

The crochet hooks and yarn have come back from their summer holidays (back of the sofa more likely) 

New projects have been started and the ladies who crochet have had their first get-together yesterday.

Lovely, as ever.

Patricia xxx...x

PS Have a great weekend.

The Ladies who Crochet

On Thursdays some of my friends and I get together for a bit of crochet. We each take it in turns to host at our respective homes. Yesterday it was my turn.
It starts at 11 am and we stop between 1 and 1.30 pm. We have biscuits and coffee or tea.
We only do this during the winter months as in the summer most are very busy (except me, perhaps).
Sophie and Sue both have a smallholding with farm animals and veggies.
Sophie sells loads of lettuce to the local restaurants, coffee shops and has her market stall on Tuesday Sneem market in the summer. Derryquin Farm
Sue runs her own holiday let, Bridget's Cottage, beside her farm.
Maggie is an artist and has plenty of work with her pets, ducks, chickens and husband (haha !). Anneke (Sophie's mum) is retired and has crocheted most of her life and spends her days crafting all sorts. Her crochet is as delicate as lace and she's been known to sell pieces at the Kenmare Lace center. She surrounds herself with cats, dogs, chickens and all sorts.

Best not to crochet anything too complicated where counting stitches is important. Lots of chatter, giggles and laughter will make you lose count.

 Sue

Maggie 

Sophie 

Anneke

They are so gonna love me for this. ;-)

Is it Friday again already ?  Have a glorious weekend all !

Patricia xxx...

Resolutions and Lists

I don't do New Year resolutions, or any other resolutions. I don't have the discipline and get go mentality. In other words : I am too lazy to be bothered.

The only thing that I promised myself, 4 years ago after Christmas and makes me feel slightly proud, was to stop drinking. Alcohol, that is. Never thought I could do it, but here I am, sober ever since.
Oh, I do use wine in cooking where appropriate, you know for depth of flavour. But it doesn't touch my lips from a glass (or bottle).

Enough of that already.
What I do do, is make plans for projects, and lists. In my head. And when it gets too crowded in there I put things down on paper.
Lists ! I have notebooks full of lists. When it's written down, it's out of my head. Sometimes I go back to  them, but more often I don't.
I've got this picture below of our garden last summer. It somehow epitomises what my brain must look like. Lots of beautiful thoughts, plans and ideas, but way too crowded. Make no mistake. There is plenty of weeds growing in between. Ha !

I've made my list in my head for the next three months. It'll still be winter and a good time to start and finish off some projects.
Let's put it to paper.

That is not a definite list. I might add to it, or start a new one if I feel I have to put my thoughts back into order.

• The first item is a given and I'll start with that today. It feels as if I've just put them up yesterday. 
• The craft room and laundry go hand in hand as the clean stuff spills over into my crafty space considerably.
• Yeah, the bed- and bathroom. What can I say ?  When we bought the place the room came with godawful glitzy (footballers' wives' style) wallpaper. Luckily only on one wall. But it has to go ! And look here ! I found a photo.

 Actually, the wallpaper doesn't look half as bad as in real life in this pic. Probably because it was being upstaged by the furniture and bed linen. Not our furniture, but it came with the house. We've put it to good use someplace else. Not our taste, I'm afraid. 

The wall to wall carpeting isn't to my liking either and I would like it to disappear. It collects dust that is almost invisible and doesn't look or feel fresh to me.

The en-suite bathroom has the same highly polished, extremely lethal white porcelain floor tiles as the kitchen used to have. Every time I clean the floor, I release some of the grouting. Arrgh ! I hate it!

I would be happy with a cheap vinyl floor covering the whole mess up. A floorboard design maybe.

Still, these are projects I need to be conferring with Bert about. Read : twist his arm.

• I've got plenty of ideas in my head for sewing projects. Maybe I should make a list specifically for them. I've been cutting squares from left over fabrics, old duvet covers and curtains with the intention of making a couple of quilts. High time I made at least one of them.

• And then there is the armchair. I've got the chair. I've got the fabric. It's a scary project.

•  How many granny squares make a throw ? 

I hope I haven't scared anyone off by showing you what my brain looks like and how it works (or not). 

Anything I should add to my list ?

Patricia xxx...x

Something different - The Pea Pod Crochet Project

I'm not your typical crochet person. Whatever that is. I learnt crochet in primary school, way back when.  Let's just say it went out of fashion for several decades and I never picked up on it.

While living in France we had a few volunteers from the US, young people in their early twenties, who were very much into crochet and crafty things like knitting and quilting.

It was Emily, sitting next to me in the sitting room crocheting to her heart's content, who made me think it was something I could do on a cold winter's eve.

So, off we went. Bought a crochet hook and some cheapo yarn. 

I started crocheting squares in my 45 th year, as you do, nothing too difficult, haha.  It took me a couple of years before I ended up with enough squares to make a small-ish throw. 

Size doesn't matter and the time frame in which you finish a crochet project doesn't either.

Every now and then I pick up some yarn and crochet hook and off I go.

This last spring I came upon a picture on Pinterest of a baby in a pea pod cocoon. Unfortunately, I cannot credit this picture as the source was not very clear. I have seen it advertised on aliexpress as a prop for photography.

I fell head over heals with this picture and I desperately wanted to crochet this pea pod. 

Firstly, I had no pattern or description. It wouldn't be of any use for me as I can't make head or tails from any pattern or description. Hence the crocheting of squares - granny squares.

Secondly, who was I going to make this for ? Hmm. Then I realised this find came just in time for the first grandchild of our very good friends, Sigi and Yvonne.  Their daughter, Mara was going to give birth a month or so away.

I set to work. Don't ask me for a description or pattern as I made it up as I went along - that is my usual modus operandi.

And here is the result.

It is nothing like the example, but cute nonetheless.

Even cuter with baby Kaemon in it.

What a buzz it gave me, being able to crochet something so sweet for a lovely baby boy.  I'll probably call him Sweetpea for the rest of my life.

Patricia  xxx...x