Zeens and Roger

A Super Quick Granny Square Blanket.

January 18, 2016March 1, 2026blanket, crochet23 Comments

This is my Itchy Fingers granny blanket. Between more purposeful crafting projects, I still want to have some crochet on the go. Otherwise, I get itchy fingers. Also, I want to experiment with what yarn I’ve got and see if clashy colours go together, stuff like that.

Crochet Granny Square Blanket for Itchy Fingers.

I’ve got a ridiculous amount of Stylecraft Special DK hidden in the cupboard under the stairs. I am determined to get my yarn stash down to whatever might be seen as an acceptable minimum. Just enough so I don’t get totally embarrassed when people see the mounds of yarn stuffed in that small space.

Clashing Colours For Granny Squares

I’ve no idea why I had half these colours in my yarn stash. Some of the shades are particularly lurid. Or maybe it’s just the specific combo I’ve forced them into. Denim and Plum look lovely most of the time, but I have managed to recreate the colour palette of a 1970’s vomitty shag pile. Actually, I quite like it.

Turn Your Granny Squares

I turned the granny square after each round to prevent the twist that sometimes occurs in granny squares.

I am not sure how I feel about mixing wrong sides with right. I am quite discriminating about the wrong side of crochet being on display, but people who don’t crochet don’t seem to notice that there are right/wrong sides. I guess I should let that particular misgiving go. It didn’t look so bad.

The full list of yarn colours, should you wish to make your own version of this granny blanket (not sure why you would) are as follows:

Pomegranate, Aspen, Spice, Denim, Apricot, Plum and Gold.

It has gone back in the cupboard under the stairs, where it takes up more room than the yarn did.

Next up, I’m crocheting a basic granny triangle shawl. I finished it on Friday, but I need to sort out the crochet pattern and write it down.

A wool shawl is super duper warm in this freezing weather. This morning I woke up to a flurry of “likes” on Instagram for the finished granny shawl. It brought a smile to my tired 5.40 am face.

Playing with My New Canon 600D!

January 14, 2016March 1, 2026crochet15 Comments

New Camera For Christmas

I got a new camera for Christmas! It is a Canon 600D SLR. I was exceedingly happy to receive it; it was a complete surprise and also something I really wanted. I had talked about it all year, but I didn’t think I’d actually get one! It’s not brand new, but whoever owned it before must have really looked after it because it’s so lovely and spanky.

So I’ve been playing around with my new (to me) DSLR. At this stage, I still haven’t plucked up the courage to read the manual. I’m using the excuse that it’ll be full of gobbledegook that I don’t get. I know nothing about real cameras.

I have managed to turn it on, and Husband has pointed out what a couple of the dials and buttons do (he did a photography module at university). When I first got it, I didn’t even know how to put the lens cap on, and I still don’t know what “aperture” means.

Learning To Use My Camera

I’ve been playing with the manual settings because the auto function flashes at everything. I’ll find out how to switch that off. What a twonk, it sounds pathetic. Before the end of the year, I will be a super expert, and then I’ll stamp down on my current self in great shame and anger.

I find the lighting confusing, too. I know the dial which lets more light in or reduces it, and that’s helped for some of the macro shots I’ve tried. The two pictures above were taken about an hour apart. By the time I’d taken the second picture, the sun had started to come round to the front of the house, and whilst neither of the photos is anywhere near perfect, you can see the sun’s glow changes the image. Anyway, I shan’t discuss it more for fear of sounding like a fool. Practice practice blah blah.

Ladybird Books. The collection so far...

Trying To Learn How To Use a DSLR

Excitedly, I went round the house taking pictures of things (whilst Toddler was at his very first pre-school session!). The Ladybird books are on the other side of the house, so I twiddled the dial to let in more light, but the picture is still not crispy. I can’t work out how to get it done right. Is it the light or my trouble with the focus? Or something else? Er, I dunno. Yet. But I will find out.

Lego Close Ups

Another place in the house. Lego. Lots of Lego.

The first weekend of the year was spent playing with all the Lego. The eldest boy and Daddy found some X-Wing instructions online and spent hours and hours building a hotchpotch Star Wars starfighter! I know with absolute certainty that Eldest is very pleased with it. I know this because it is still intact. No Lego builds ever stay together for this long.

Anyway, that is what I got up to yesterday. Onwards and upwards and all that. Now to understand the instructions, more about composition, and how to basically take a good photograph with my DSLR!

January Crochet

January 8, 2016February 28, 2026blanket, crochet13 Comments

New Start For January

As soon as I’d completed all my Christmas gift makes, I thought maybe I should take a crafty break. I wanted to read all the books I haven’t read because I’ve been doing crochet or sewing. Well, I couldn’t just stop, that would be daft. But I read a book last week and finished one the week before, so at least I’ve managed to mix it up a bit.

I got a new bag for Christmas! I’ve been saying it’s a jelly bag. I think that’s what they’re called. It’s no good for crochet hooks, but it looks good. I had one when I was little. My new jelly bag is holding my latest project. It’s a bog standard granny square blanket. It’s one of many recent baby blankets that are helping to use up my yarn stash. The colours are an odd mix, but hopefully someone will like them together.

Using Up Yarn, Old & New

Once I’ve finished the big granny square blanket, I will be moving on to a crochet shawl. Nothing fancy, I’m thinking a plain granny triangle. I’ve got Drops Lima, which I think is the DK version of Drops Nepal. The colours and feel are very similar. I bought it because it was on sale.

I’ve also gathered what I need to make a Spice of Life blanket. I’m going to use Stylecraft Special, and I’ve tried to match the colours of the Rico stuff that is used in the original pattern. Mostly, I had this hidden in the cupboard already. I’m getting concerned about how much surplus wool I have (at least I’m trying to reduce it).

Corner-to-Corner Blanket

I finished another blanket at some point after Christmas. A corner-to-corner blanket. I just googled Corner to Corner crochet blanket and chose a free Ravelry download.

I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK in Pixie green and a mustard colour, which doesn’t have a name on the label. This stuff does not go far, so once the green was gone, I needed to add the big mustard border to get it to a decent size. Originally, it was going to be two baby blankets, but now it’s one! I had enough green to add (UK) dc’s all the way around the edge to create a neat foundation for the border.

The border is just a load of (UK) trebles and a scalloped edge. Each scallop has 5 UK tr stitches with 7 tr stitches for the corners. It’s very drapey and has a good weight to it. I really quite like it.

Lastly, for the rest of this week, there is a chance that I might also try and remember how to knit. It hasn’t gone well so far. I can’t remember if I ever knew how to actually cast on. I think Nanna always did that for me, and then would pass me the needles to do the rest. I should sort that out.

Things I Made in December

January 4, 2016February 28, 2026amigurumi, crochet, sewing32 Comments

Better late than never, here are some of the Christmas gifts I made. Not all of them, I didn’t take pictures of everything. These are the handmade things I thought I should record as they’re all firsts.

Amigurumi Zebra

This stripey zebra was finished on Christmas Eve. I spent a long time on him, mostly in little bursts because, like an old lady, I couldn’t work with the black yarn in the dark. And it was always dark in December.

Many hours later…. I think I did an acceptable job.

Little toddler fingers had smudged the camera lense and I didn’t notice until much later.

I followed Elisabeth Doherty’s pattern from her Amigurumi book. The pattern is for a fawn which is surrounded by other ami patterns (although I don’t fancy making a crochet burger really). However, I know that the fawn pattern can be bought on its own on Etsy and maybe Ravelry as a pdf. I’m sure it was the last time I looked.

The back legs twisted too much so that the knees are wrongly placed. I didn’t say anything, and I don’t think the recipient will notice. She’s only two.

Little Crochet Cardigan

I made a little crochet cardi. Super speedy it was. The pattern is from Simply Crochet Magazine, issue 32. I was very good and bought the recommended wool, Drops Nepal. I chose slightly different colours, but mostly I stuck to the recipe.

I had pink yarn leftover, so instead of a ribbon tie, I made a crochet one. It might be a bit bulky, which is probably the reason why the pattern goes for actual ribbon.

It’s worked from the top down with granny clusters, and it’s for my niece.

I’m not sure what to do with the leftovers; only a small amount of the yoke colours are needed. Ohh, pompoms?!

Crochet Doily For Nanna

Nanna and Grandad got a doily for Christmas. I used DMC Natura Just Cotton in Dk. The pattern is from Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Lacy Crochet. I didn’t do a particularly neat job of blocking it as I ran out of ironing board. My Nanna was pleased as she said it can replace the doily her mother had made her (it is falling apart). I don’t know how old that one is, but she told me that her mother died in 1976.

Handmade Coraline

And here is Coraline. She’s quite a big doll. Whilst not perfect, I am proud of her as I made her up totally from my head. All of it. Including the pattern for the coat, which only bloody well fit the first time! Dead pleased. But not completely over the moon. I want to make her again to sort out all the tweaks that are required.

Her head and neck shape is wrong, which in turn has messed up her face. And I was afraid to press her clothes in case the felt fabric melted. Neatness has been sacrificed.

She also needed an emergency operation on her ears because they were dreadful. I so know what I’d do to make them better, but I ran out of fabric and time.

They are supposed to poke through her hair, and that, they do

It is a huge relief to have ticked these handmade Christmas gifts off my list. I have a perkier list for January, which pretty much includes making stuff solely for me!

Rushiest Blog Post Ever.

December 23, 2015February 28, 2026crochet9 Comments

Tomorrow, I estimate that I have about four hours to finish two incomplete craft projects and begin two new ones. I am not sure that I can do it. Sadly, this probably means my Walking Dead crochet blanket won’t get a look in. We only have three episodes of season 4 left to go, and I could so finish it, but alas, I must prioritise.

Doily for Nanna, unfinished. I’m on the last round and it needs blocking.

Very special dolly. Mostly done. Just need to sort out her hair.

The “I hate you zebra”. I managed to put off making this for approximately three years. Its time is now. Fiddly, piddly, and it just takes too blinkin long.

And there are two other things I haven’t even started!Swear words ensue.

Nevertheless, I am mega excited that Christmas is here and I am looking forward to all of it. Happy Christmas. x

Ho Ho Ho! It’s Nearly Christmas…

December 16, 2015February 28, 2026crochet11 Comments

Handmade Christmas

Unfortunately, there are some things I can’t show as they will be Christmas gifts, and then there is also the loss of any crafty oomph. I just can’t be bothered. Meh. However, I have decked the halls in greenery, which is something. It feels lovely and festive.

Christmas Tree Decorations

For the first time in twelve years, we have a real Christmas tree!! We were sick to death of the stupid plastic one. Didn’t like it to begin with. The smell of this year’s choice is totally awesome. We went to Cotley Farm in Whimple and within minutes, had picked out this one. We got it home and found that it was too tall, so off with its head. We didn’t mean to get such a big tree, but it obviously wanted to get in our car and come back home with us.

I bought some teeny painted toadstools. They are my delightful decorations for this year. I like to get something new every year, but we are becoming overloaded with Christmas decorations and are having to be more selective about what goes on the branches. Not such a bad thing. And it didn’t stop me from buying some cute little robins on sale yesterday.

We finished Eldest boy’s felt gingerbread man, too. He got bored after a few minutes, so I helped. He tried very hard.

His effort last year is what inspired my felt elf boot decorations this year. He randomly cut a boot shape, and we stitched it together. The other boy is being naughty, riding his bike indoors. With wellies on!

More Christmas Crafts

I still need to write out my Christmas cards. Not sure if I’ve made enough. I might have to print some more. Stamping with gold paint was satisfying yet messy. I got a lino cutting kit last Christmas and am putting it to use this Christmas.

Sewing A Coraline Doll

A glimpse of one of the bigger crafting projects of the week. I’ve been doing little bits of many projects rather than sticking to one and completing it. Therefore, this lady has no face and has only just gained blue hair and a yellow coat. I am a big procrastinator. I know what I should be doing, but I’d rather read my book. Or fart about online.

So, the general mood of the week is, pffft. I’ll stick my face in the Christmas tree in a minute, to give myself a boost. I might be around next week, I’m not sure. I guess it depends on whether I get my craft on good and proper.

The Rush of December

December 9, 2015February 28, 2026blanket, crochet, sewing12 Comments

Crocheting & Crafting For Christmas

It’s properly December now, and the time I thought I had is pretty much gone. I had lots of ideas for Christmas makes, but I have gradually knocked certain things off the list as time disappears. I’ve narrowed it down, and there are three main things still left to finish. Anything else I make after that is a bonus. The first is the crochet above. I started yesterday, and it was fun to get cracking.

I love the colours of the yarn. It is Drops Nepal, an alpaca mix aran. I will be sure to take some more pictures of this little crochet cardigan when it’s finished. I think I will finish it quite quickly. It’s enjoyable to crochet.

This is the crafty stuff that I made, thinking I would try and sell it at the craft fair last month. I also knew that if I didn’t sell it then I would be giving some of it away as Christmas presents. Is that wrong? Feel marginally guilty but can’t put my finger on why.

This is my first Corner 2 Corner crochet and my first Walking Dead blanket. It’s called the Walking Dead blanket because I needed somewhere to look when the zombies/walkers/biters are on screen. When frightened, take solace in crochet!

It’s only a small blanket and made from scrappy yarn leftovers, hence the odd colour choices. They are not my fave colours, but I think they have some appeal. Autumnal.

Another C2C Blanket

This is the second Walking Dead C2C blanket, started when we began watching season three. It’s still not finished, but we have three episodes left, so the two should be finished together. The yarn is made from bamboo fibres. I bought it for £1.39 a ball, reduced from £4. Unfortunately, it smells rank. I’m not sure if it’s the yarn or the cardboard inner wotsit. It has a very specific wet chopping board smell. Hopefully, a good wash will sort it out. It’s very silky feeling even if it is stinky. And it is not the bogey green depicted either, but a beautiful emerald green. The camera does not do green.

Sewing a Coraline Doll

I’m also about to embark on the final version of a doll I’ve been working on. This is a special request from my niece. I worked up a prototype yesterday. After making some tweaks, it is probably what I should finish off first. I don’t take the easy road; I have drafted the pattern myself, which is something I have no real experience in. I make stuff up as I go along. We shall see.

I have another crochet project that I’m putting off, as I know it’ll be tricky. It’s an amigurumi job, and it’ll be in black and white. But that is the third and final thing.

This crookedly cut gingerbread man is what Eldest and I are working on after school. He traced around one of my gingerbread man templates and cut it out. He chose the buttons and stitched on the nose and rosey cheeks himself. I expect him to stitch the two parts together, too. I’m looking forward to seeing it on the tree.

Sooo, that is where I am, and I am getting further behind by tippytappying here. I’m off to see what I can do in the next 45 minutes before I have to wake up Toddler and rush off to the school Nativity!

Homemade Advent Calendars

December 2, 2015February 28, 2026crochet4 Comments

Making My Own Advent Calendars

Dweeb that I am, I have, on three occasions over the years, taken the time to make my own advent calendars. It can take a while to make one, as I have to use scary things like “maths” to work out how to align images and where to cut the little Advent doors. Not to mention coming up with 24 weeny, and different Christmassy pictures.

I don’t remember when I made my first Advent calendar, but it was definitely pre-babies. There is a way I can date them all; each one has a “family” picture inside that represents where I was at that time. (Above is last year’s Christmas scene calendar)

First advent calendar. Have improved since.

My First Handmade Advent Calendar

This wintery design makes me laugh, it’s so bad. I’m still fond of that cute ice skater, and at least I can see I’ve improved.

Embarrassingly, inside has bad pictures, too. But you gotta start somewhere. See, pre-babies, it was just Husband and me. I don’t even know if we were married when I made this. Maybe it’s around 2006/2007?

The Second Handmade Advent Calendar

I made the second Advent calendar to represent the fact that we now had a baby. So it’s 2009. And I’ve tried harder with the drawing of the festive scene, too. I was very proud at the time. I’m not the best at drawing, but I have my own silly illustrative style. I went for a fairy tale inspired scene this time.

Insides from the second advent calendar.

We’re looking a bit tired in this picture. I like my attempt at Mary on a donkey ha!

The Third Advent Calendar!

And then, because I had shown the addition to our family, I had to make a third Advent Calendar to show that Baby now had a brother. I quite like it in the above pic, before I finished it. Right at the end, I added the dark blue for sky, and I stopped liking it as much. I think I ran out of steam.

The Christmassy illustrations have definitely improved over time, but I am not often satisfied, so maybe next year I’ll make another one and include the cat.

One good thing about these Advent Calendars is that I can reuse them if I want to. The doors have been closed again, and after a year has passed, I’ve forgotten what’s behind the doors!

My Eldest had a go at his own festive picture too, but I didn’t want to slice into it, it’s too lovely as it is.

And, just before I go. This is a picture of my stall on Saturday! It was lovely to have a go. The PTA made lots of money for the school. The felt Christmas decorations I made were my most popular items. I sold all of them apart from four lonesome doves. I guess they just weren’t festive enough. I have lots of things leftover, but that isn’t a problem. I have plans for them…

HO HO HO.

Playing With Felt For Christmas.

November 25, 2015February 28, 2026crochet22 Comments

Making Felt Christmas Decorations

For the last two weeks, I have been crazy busy cutting and stitching felt to make Christmas decorations. I’ve been pretty much knee deep in the stuff. Amazingly, I’ve really enjoyed it; I’ve not once become fed up with the cutting or the stitching.

Most of the time, when it comes to handmade crafting, I make something once and then get immensely bored if I have to do it again. Something must be wrong with me because I had this little production line going and got addicted to seeing how many felt decorations I could churn out. I’ve had fun!

I made brooches that are not really my cup of tea, but I think others might like them.

I made Christmas trees.

Boots for elves.

Peaceful little doves.

I came up with a new robin design.

And I improved upon a prancing reindeer pattern that I originally made two years ago (can’t photograph the old one as that fella is in the loft with all the other Christmas stuff).

These cute reindeer decorations might be my favourites. They’re so fancy!

And more felt gingerbread men!

On Saturday, I’m taking all of my new handmade felt Christmas decorations to the school Christmas Fayre. I hope people like them. I do! I am very glad I’ve finished them, really, because little, near-invisible stuffing fibres kept trying to live in my eyes.

Sewing and crochet this week. Hopefully, I will feel like getting the sewing machine out once the kids have gone to bed, but I’m well behind on Dr Who episodes and everyone is talking about Clara!

The Petal Patch Harmony Blanket

November 11, 2015February 28, 2026blanket, crochet17 Comments

My New Crochet Blanket

If I decide to get out a woolly blanket, the cat will appear from nowhere. Guaranteed! Trying to take pictures of a crochet blanket is even worse. 70% of the pictures I took of this blanket had a cat in them. I eventually gave up.

I’ve put it somewhere safe in case she tries it on again. She has claimed too many of my blankets.

Anyway, I’m pleased to say that I’ve finished the petal patch blanket and it looks lovely. I’m quite tempted to keep it as another blanket for the living room, but it isn’t really big enough. I stopped making squares for it when I realised it wouldn’t go with the rest of the room. It turns out that, actually, it probably would look quite nice. I’m taking it to a Christmas/craft fayre at the end of the month to see if someone buys it…

I really enjoyed making the granny squares. They are the Petal Patch Motif by Betsy Makes and the colour scheme is basically nicked from Attic 24’s Harmony blanket plus a few balls of Parchment and a smattering of the shade, Grape (it’s all Stylecraft Special DK). To give a nod to both of these pilferings, I am calling the blanket Petal Patch Harmony. Blankets have names these days.

It’s now a slightly squashed blanket where the cat sat on it. I should probably wash it before trying to put it up for sale.

Many of these pictures are very samey but it takes too much time, dithering about which ones to use. May as well use them all.

Once again, I used the Continuous Join As You Go. Next time, I’ll move on to a new technique. Not because I don’t like this one (I actually really like it), but because I want to learn some new crochet techniques. I’ve seen a few different ones about that I want to try. Just need to decide which to do first.

It’s a good size for the sofa or maybe a toddler bed. It also works well draped, with nonchalance, over a chair. Perhaps I should aim for one blanket per item of furniture; I can casually arrange crochet blankets everywhere. You’ll never find the cat again.

The border is from Edie Eckman’s Around the Corner, Crochet Borders. Number 27. I cheated and skipped every two stitches, not every other. I did it that way so I wouldn’t have to make as many stitches. I can see that it is ever so slightly stretched, but that’s the punishment I get for being cheaty. I did the same thing on the Fireplace blanket and got away with it more because I tinkered with the pattern. I get told off a lot for not following the recipe.

This granny square blanket measures 95x125cm and it has 63 petal patch squares.

The main colour is Parchment, and I can’t remember if I used three or four balls. The rest of the colours are most definitely less than a ball each. I used: clematis, lavender, lime, meadow, plum, sage, storm, pale rose, turquoise, violet, cloud, petrol, grape, raspberry, parma and aster. Hope I haven’t missed any out… Right, onto the next project!