Weeks 48 to 51 - Christmas Special!

Hi Blog Followers & Readers

This my be my last blog before Christmas, so I will take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Christmas & a GREAT New Year

Here's what's been happening in my crochet world over the last few weeks....

I had a stall at the Shillingstone Christmas Fayre on the 6th December

It was a gret day & there were even Alpaca's there with Reindeer ears & tinsel!

Here's some Rowan Tweed that I had to colour swatch for a client

And here's my yarn stash all neat - well as neat as it will ever be!

In Sherborne now for my last class of the year

They all bought a copy of my book!

I am lucky enough to walk my 2 dogs with views like this in the morning

This is me in my Pom Pom Hat which I love wearing

And this is my Christmas tree that is entirely decorated with Crochet Decorations

I volunteer for Age Concern & so I took the tree that I used for my stall at the fayre to the old lady I visit, to brighten up her living room as she doesn't bother with decorations

And here is my Triangle a Day Blanket which has 364 triangles on it.  I am now working on the border.

Some of my tree decorations......

These are my mitts - they are in the latest issue of Lets Get Crafting Knitting & Crochet which is on sale tomorrow (Friday) so do get out to your newsagents & buy a copy.  I have another pattern in there too!

Weeks 45 to 47 - Christmas & more

I have been mega busy these last few weeks:
In no particular order, here is some of my Crochet World to share with you....

I had to make swatches for a book publishers - this is now all done and dusted pre deadline!

Thankfully I am now up to date with all my commissions for customers, books & magazines!

PHEW

My desk earlier this week - lots of Christmas Decorations being made for the Shillingstone Fayre on the 6th December.

When I went to teach at Sparrow UK this week

I was shown the joined blankets made from the squares that were crocheted on the trip to the London Knit & Stitch in October

One is going to Julia's House & the other to Weldmar - both charities based in Dorset.

In class I started to make a hat with a pupil & got hooked - I have now finished this one & started another (more later)

This is the lovely MK, my old lady friend that I visit weekly via Age Concern

I made her this hat from Merino Aran - she loves it.

Below is Jan who learns Crochet at Sparrow UK

She's thrilled that she can now crochet with straight edges

And here's HS joining her granny squares

She has loads to join & I can't wait to see her finished blanket.

I found this old Crochet stitch & pattern book at a "Curiosity" place

Some very interesting patterns in there - one for "ladies knickers"

I started to teach a new beginners class at The Slipped Stitch in Sherborne last Monday

Here they all are with straight edges, thanks to my tuition & stitch markers!!

Lots to show you - Weeks 42 to 44

I have been teaching lots of classes / workshops over the last few weeks, plus I have lots of commissions to work on for books & magazines too!

 Here are  some of the photo's that I took along the way, either of my pupils work or even some of my own crochet!

I have been a busy bee with a hook!

Here's DM crocheting my blanket from the fantastic DK Crochet book

And this is a cute lion that BP made, in fact that's a very cute lion!

From my Shaftesbury Class, L made this lovely tissue box cover

And this is a neckerchief that I made from my cotton tape bought at the London Knit & Stitch Show.  I liked it so much that I made....

...a second one with the other skein that I bought!

Back to class now & KPK wanted to learn a new stitch called star stitch

So we both added star stitch to our multi stripe blankets!

SC has made a cat basket using Boobles T-Shirt Yarn - again this is a pattern from the DK crochet book.

And at the end of my 4 week beginners class ET made her first Granny Square

I got this lovely DMC Natura & Petra in the post this week.

It's for a commission so I can't tell you what I am making with it - sorry

Now take a look at this amazing blanket - do you remember the Coach Trip to the London Knit & Stitch?  Well, these are just SOME of the squares joined together by the marvelous AR who volunteered.  This blanket will be going to Julia's House a local charity, so that they can raffle it or auction it off to raise funds.

This is just one of two blankets.  I simply love the colourway chosen.  Well done AR.

And here she is again - now a blanket junkie!

Considering she nearly threw her hook out of the window when she first started to try this pattern - didn't she do well????? YAY amazing.

Here is the lovely B with her scarf made in shell stitch with wool bought from the London Knit & Stitch.

Oh! Another postal treat - my new book.

Yesterday (Saturday 1st November) I took a Christmas Crochet Decorations Workshop

We had fairy lights, tinsel yarn, the music of the season & mince pies!

Here is one of my students showing off her Halloween costume - a Ninja Turtle, which she made in one night! 

And here are some of the baubles

We all made

I love them all

Beautifully worked!

We also made Stars, Christmas Trees, Christmas Wreaths & more!

The London Knitting & Stitching Show - Alexander Palace - 10th October 2014

The London Knitting & Stitching Show

Get Hooked on Crochet Coach Trip

We set off as planned from the designated pick up points in North Dorset

We had a woolly quiz, a woolly personality test, 2 sing songs & lots of fun!

Many of the ladies, crocheted granny squares on the journey as we planned to make a little blanket for a local charity, so that they could raffle or auction it to raise funds.

I think, at the last count it was over 190 squares

And these two lovely ladies have offered to join them together, into not one but two blankets as there were so many squares made

The ID badges made of yellow measuring tape were greatly admired by not only all who wore them, but by people at the show too!

Even our lovely driver Jeff of JFS travel wore one

He did a marvelous job of driving us there safely & on time too!

Here are some of the exhibits at the show

Above is Jenni by the Flower Garden & that's me below

Even though we got stuck in LOADS of traffic on the way home

Our coach load of 44 were all happy hookers, knitters & stitchers & all want to go again next year!!

I have had loads of emails of thanks for organising the trip.  Here are a few of them:

Many thanks for organizing our awayday to the Knit & Stitch on Friday - loved every minute especially the 'in-flight' entertainment.  Nobody does it better!

Kindest regards,

Sandra  

A email to thank you for a brilliant day that you arranged for us yesterday. The show was great and I look forward to going again next year. Helen B

Thank you for a great day out Ali. I had a lovely time. Also nice to meet you in person.  Penny 

Hi Ali, just wanted to say what a lovely day Denise and myself had yesterday, and to thank you for making it such an enjoyable trip. Hope to see you soon. 

Audrey