Zeens and Roger

The Blanket That Took a Very Long Time to Make

June 24, 2015February 24, 2026blanket, crochet10 Comments

At last, I have finished this green crochet blanket, and it turns out it’s not that big. I had thought it was going to be just a bit smaller than a single bed size, but it’s probably a third of that. I also thought I’d made somewhere over 100 circles, but when it came to getting them all together, there weren’t as many as I thought.

I think some circles went missing, or I completely miscounted. It is only 8×11 squares, which is rubbish. Seriously, I was expecting more. But there is that feeling of having completed a job that means when you are wrong, you really don’t want to keep on going. So I gave up on doing any more, and I’m glad I did because as I wrote in this post, I had do redo some anyway. In the end, it turned out I only had to make two extra circles as I forced the other ones to fit with some jiggery pokery (they were on the edge where it wouldn’t make such a difference). If you look closely, you can spot some really bad crochet.

I’ve taken a ridiculous amount of photographs of this crochet blanket, but none of them show the actual colours. I’m not sure how to rectify this, so I’ve given up chasing the perfect photo. The pictures I’ve taken on my phone do it more justice. I think I’ll put those on my Facebook page, which is over there on the right!

I was originally inspired the colours of Meg and Mog books. I’d been reading the books to my youngest [2], and I kept thinking that the colours would make a nice bright blanket. I remember drawing Meg and Mog pictures when I was at primary school.

I had a surplus of green yarn in my stash from some abandoned idea. That ended up being the main colour just because. I then got started, which was in April or thereabouts.

I didn’t really pay close attention when I was actually picking out the balls of wool so the end product doesn’t really look like it has anything to do with Meg or Mog.

It’s incredibly bright in real life. It’s all Stylecraft Special DK, as that is what they sell in the shop down the road. The pattern for the circles comes via Tiny Tin Bird. It is by Priscilla Hewit, and I printed out the PDF a couple of years ago with the intention of doing something blankety with it then. I didn’t get around to it until this year.

It’s the slowest crochet project I’ve worked on, probably ever. I think it’s due to not liking it very much! It’s the colours, not the pattern. I’m not sure. It’ll come camping with us in a couple of weeks, and I won’t mind if it gets scuffed up.

For the crochet edging, I gave up on finding something new and used one I have used quite a lot; Attic 24’s bobble shell edging, but with three slip stitches between each bobble to have a little gap between them.

In the meantime, I’ve got a couple of small things on the go and another blanket I want to make.

A Little Bit of Crochet in the Garden.

June 20, 2015February 25, 2026crochet4 Comments

Crochet in The Garden

I’ve spent two days enjoying a proper sunny day in the garden! Although I’m prone to burning, the sun heals my rubbish skin, so I jumped outside to try and get mending. One of the things I like about crochet is that you can do it anywhere, so I took my granny square blanket with me.

It felt mightily hot (compared to what I’m used to), but it was lovely. I’m nearly finished with this crochet blanket now. These photos were taken on Thursday, and I was stitching together the last row of puff stitch circles. I’m now on the border.

Will I finish the granny square blanket this weekend? I dunno. It’s been a stop/starty crochet project that has been interrupted by many other projects, photos of which I will probably post next week.

I discovered that I had company whilst I was sat on the bench. Poor Emmet. He’s obviously been playing in the sand pit because he’s covered in the stuff.

When I’m not crocheting, I’m thinking about the garden.

The courgette plants seem to have doubled in size in the last few days. Looking forward to eating those. I also got around to putting out the lettuce, which the pigeons seem to be enjoying. There are a few of us who think about pigeon pie sometimes.

This is a nice looking corner of the garden. Hidden in there somewhere are some cute little geraniums. The peach rose was in a pot that sat in the dark behind a crumbling old shed when we moved into our house. When we sorted out the garden the following spring, I chucked it in the ground, and it is doing very well.

These little geraniums are very cute, but I’m not sure I’ve put them in the right place. They were too far back and getting swamped, so I dug them up and moved them forward. I’m still not sure they’re in the right place, and the trauma of moving them might have disrupted their growth. I need to think more about where to place things.

These Rozanne geraniums are crazy and have had no worries at all. This is their third year, and I should probably split this plant. I think I’m supposed to do that in the spring. Anyway, I should probably go and help a two year old make a Father’s Day card. We’ve been painting this morning and it’s only 7.40am. He thinks mornings are great.

A Quick Sewing Project and Garden Changes

June 16, 2015February 24, 2026sewingLeave a Comment

I enjoy little sewing projects. Usually, they’re easy and don’t take that long to make up. Just before the weekend, I made two identical purses to give out as presents for two birthday girls.

I didn’t do so well with pressing, meaning I didn’t really do it. And I should have. They would have looked really tidy if I’d been more careful with the iron. I didn’t not get the iron out, but neither did I use it every time I needed to. Rush rush and being lazy. Also, with a good press, both bags would have opened without the lining repeatedly getting stuck in the zip. One did, one didn’t.

The tutorial is by Skip to My Lou, and it is really easy to follow. I think it looks a bit more special than a plain purse. The only problem was that the zips I had were too short, so I added a small strip of extra fabric to each end of the zips to make up the length. I got the idea from here at fishsticksdesigns.com, and I’m really pleased with the effect. Also, in that tutorial, the zip is top-stitched, which would help to stop the lining from getting stuck in the zip. And, don’t sew too close to the zip teeth, that helps.

The garden is in a lull. I think it is a common occurrence in June. All the spring flowers have gone or are looking sadly scruffy, but the true summer flowers are not yet at full gusto.

I’ve got straggly areas that I don’t know what to do with, and they could look much better with some planning. Next year I would like some sweet william and centaurea, please. The erysimum is a new addition, and I like it, hope it’s happy too.

The lupins are now tired; however, the bees think they’re awesome and have been buzzing around them constantly. I will take pictures of other plants from now on; these have had their moment.

It’s time to move on to the veg patch. Things are beginning to appear! I’m as excited as I can be about courgettes coming. I’ve also got flowers on the sugar snap peas and runner beans. I’ve had a couple of batches of spinach for dinner, too. It’s all a bit behind other years, I’m sure, but I’m starting to feel relief that production has begun.

And, I am so pleased about the apple tree. This is only the second time that fruit has decided to turn up to the party. I bet they get some hideous disease and wither from their branches.

I love my garden. I hate chunky, plastic garden toys. I do like these wooden blocks, though. There is an old baby walker they belong to. I’m not sure where it is at the moment, but the blocks have been sitting outside for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, this was a bit of a mish mash of garden pics that I’m not really happy with. I think it’s disappointment that the thrill of spring flowers has passed and I don’t know what is going to happen next…. Apart from some crochet, I know that that is going to happen next. I’m going to get a move on with turning some circles into a blanket.

Sewing Machine Adventures

June 11, 2015February 24, 2026crochet, sewing2 Comments

This is my cranky old sewing machine (it’s not mine, it’s my Mum’s). It likes to be used a certain way and it has taken me over two decades for me to really understand it. I reckon it’s been that long anyway. I’m sure this was the machine I was allowed to use when I was little.

Here are the pieces of my toadstool bag. Hmm, I was going to try and add a magnetic clasp to this to make it proper snazzy. It’s not something I’ve done before. Sadly, I’ve lost my recent purchase of said magnetic clasp. Shame.

I didn’t get very far with the toadstool bag before I realised that birthday presents had to be made for the weekend. Two small purses are being made from a really good online tutorial at skiptomylou. I’ve used the pattern before, about a month ago and I really liked it. Deffo a go-to recipe for a nice present.

I’ve also been working on a crochet pattern this week. I’m excited by it. Way more than I thought I’d be. These are the prototypes that I’ve been working on. I typed up the pattern and handed it out to my crochet friends for testing. It turns out that pattern writing is tricksy. And because it’s so tricksy, it is far from being ready to release into the wild. Soon.

I had a lovely time on Tuesday evening. I went for a walk along the river Otter. These are the chimney tops of Salston Manor, I can’t believe it is sitting empty! Absolutely bonkers.

There’s a group of people who meet regularly to walk around nearby places. Nice places, obviously. And no dawdling allowed. This time, we managed to squeeze in a quick drink at the pub too!

I took a ridiculous amount of photographs but never really stood still to take them. Therefore, I have a huge selection of blurry pictures and only a few that managed to refuse the blur .

The first time I joined the Weekly Walk I didn’t take my camera. Then when I did, I didn’t make an effort to use it properly. Tsk.

I don’t really mind cows. They’re OK. Moo.

Deciding What to Blog About

June 7, 2015February 24, 2026sewing7 Comments

I can’t decide what to blog about today. I fancy having some random pictures is the thing. I bought some fabric a couple of weeks ago from a shop in Exmouth. Gorgeous fabric, expensive fabric, birthday money fabric. I have no clue what I will be making with it. Every now and then I stare at it, then I put it away in the fabric drawer.

Last Thursday I went to Exeter for car mending and lunch. There is a bookcycle place down the bottom of the high street. The books are free but you give a donation (however much you feel the books are worth). Three per person, but I stole Husband’s allowance too. I found Ladybird books!!

More Ladybird books to add to my collection! I love Ladybird books. I love jumbling for them, car booting for them and finding them in charity shops. They’re getting pricey these days though and hard to find.

I’ve been rooting through my basket of tricks this week. It’s a massive mess in there but it’s full of all things awesome.

I got the basket out to make some felt eyes for a project I’m working on. It’s mostly a crochet thing. A new pattern I’ve invented all by myself! A friend is going to help me design a PDF thingummy so that, I can maybe put them on here to download and ultimately (one day) sell stuff on Etsy. Or some such thing. Maybe. It’s alien to me at the moment but it’s important to learn new skills I suppose.

Here, more gardens pictures, ha! Next door is like a building site, I pretend it’s not there.

The peonies are out but I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. They’re not that great. The clematis is on its last legs.

The best thing about the lupins is the leaves. A fantastic contrast to boring roundy leaves. There are loads of colourful spires on this one too.

Anyway, I think I’m going to go and sit in the garden now (after I’ve done the washing up and hung out some laundry).

And lastly, in this random collection of pictures, I would like to say Thank You to Joyful Solitude for nominating me for a blogging award. Wow! Such a fabulous thing to happen so soon. Must be doing something right! I googled it and haven’t found where the specific award comes from. My gut feeling tells me not to accept because I don’t know what it is.

Well, actually, I’d love to accept, but there are conditions of acceptance which, to me, defeat the purpose of this space, which is that it is mine and I want to do my own thing. To accept the award, you’re supposed to tell seven things about yourself and nominate ten others for the award. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but maybe I can defer for a while instead?

I’m being a pooper at a party about such a nice, thoughtful thing. Eh, I’m still thinking. Also, I’m still adjusting to blogging. It takes me ages to do anything. For five years, I said, “I’m gonna start a blog tomorrow.”

Sorry, one more thing. My eldest (6) requested that I post this picture of his Hot Wheels car. Here it is sat on a dusty shelf.

crafting projects await.

June 4, 2015June 24, 2015blanket, crochet, sewing5 Comments

These are things that I am supposed to be working on but really, they’re just sitting on the shelf waiting. I will finish them soon. Other things I’m more interested in have taken over.

I’ve completed the worst bit of the latest blanket; sewing in the ends. I am useless at crocheting over them as I go and sometimes you can see them in the finished product anyway.

It’s enormously satisfying to see them in a nice pile once the nasty bit is over.

I laid out the circles in an order that would do (there’s no point in overly fussing about this) and got started. I use the photo to make sure I keep on track. I also have a stack of each row high up on a book shelf, out of reach of the kids.

I’ve only used this technique once before. Crocheting in a continuous join. I found a great tutorial at babylovebrand.net via Pinterest. I couldn’t work it out on my own. I gave a half hearted attempt to design a method myself but meh, it was too much hard work. It’s fabulous that people share this kind of thing. It’s been a huge help.

I got about two rows in when I realised my mistake. I had made what I thought was all of the centre circles when I decided I wanted some green too. So, I quickly worked up about 10 green centres and went on my merry way with the rest of the rounds. When I came across the first of the green centred circles I thought it was one off, but no. It turns out, all the green centred circles have only 15 spoke thingies, not 16. Bum. I’m going to have to make them again. Don’t want to.

This is a sewing project I have waiting. It’s all cut out but I haven’t started it yet because I want to put a magnetic clasp doodah on it and I never have before. New things wait until I find the patience to give them my full attention. I know that it’ll be wonky. I know. I’m a slapdash sewer. Anyway, it looks like a lovely project and it’s another Pinterest find from thinkliz.com. I’m making the big version.

This is a project that has been waiting a long time. I bought the pattern about two years ago. Last month I found some fabric and finally cut out the pattern pieces. Once again, It’s waiting, sitting on the shelf waiting to be made because I should probably try to adjust the pieces so it’ll fit me. I love sewing but I don’t remember the last time I made an actual dress. It was probably when I was a teenager. The fabric is from Fabricland, I bought it when I went to Southampton.

You can follow me on Pinterest if you want to! And Facebook, which is over there on the right!

A cottage garden in spring.

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015crochet9 Comments

It’s not really a cottage garden, it’s my garden made to (kind of) look like one. This is totally self indulgent but I want to record what the garden looks like at the moment because I think it’s pretty. Apart from round the side to the left, that’s a mess (mostly leftover stuff from the fancy pants new patio and kids stuff).

It’s frequently changing and next week it probably won’t look the same at all. And then I’ll take more pictures and do another post…and I’ll become obsessed. I’m already a tiny bit obsessed.

We did the garden five years ago and it’s my job to keep the plants maintained. I kill quite a lot of plants but thankfully, most seem happy. The plants that die are most likely to have have poisoned by me because I was too liberal with fertiliser. Some of them definitely don’t enjoy overdosing on it. And other stuff just doesn’t like the soil, I guess. I don’t know what kind I have.

I am just getting into container planting at the moment. Pots look great in number but they do get thirsty. I’ve got a lupin in a pot and he seems to be enjoying it. Loads of flowers are going to pop up soon. The lupin in the bottom bed is already in flower, this guy is behind. If it’s got flowers, I suppose he is really a she. Whatever.

This yellow rose is the first of what will be many on the rambler. Last year in a February storm, we chopped it back to a foot high because it was torn from its moorings. It spent the rest of last year recovering and growing. This year I reckon it’ll be fabulous. That’s If the green fly don’t attack it too much. And it does have a little bit of black spot and a touch of mildew too. I keep forgetting to spray it. Oops.

The alliums aren’t happy with me. They’re being drowned by a japanese anemone. I’ve pulled up some of the anemone to give them room but a few have given up and decided not to bother growing anymore. Fingers crossed I get at least five. Mind you, it’s not as if I planted any bulbs last autumn, they’re from the year before. More will have to go in this year.

Crikey, I never thought I’d geek out about gardening. I’ve started young. This is what old people do. harrumph.

Still using my doily too!

In a few days I’ll put up some crochet pictures. I’m working on a blanket that’s not behaving itself.

Crochet Granny Shawl Number Two!

May 17, 2015February 24, 2026crochet2 Comments

I have finally finished and blocked my second crochet granny shawl. I like it a lot. So far neither of my shawls have made it out the front door, I am not quite brave enough to go out wearing one yet. Maybe up to school and back? I’m not sure. The farthest I have ventured is into the back garden, floating about around the flowers pretending that I am not in a terrace of houses and that the neighbours aren’t there wondering what I’m up to.

It looked a bit iffy before I blocked it because I went rogue with the pattern. It’s the second time I’ve used Made by Leen‘s April Flower Shawl pattern and I will probably be tempted to make it again. But not any time soon because I have a very long list of other things to make besides crochet granny shawls.

Once again I went for a different crochet edging. That way, you know no one else has the same. I used Edie Eckman’s Crochet Borders book again (pattern no. 22) but changed the pointy bit. In retrospect I’m not sure I should have tinkered with it so much, but I did and once I’d done it, I wasn’t going to unravel it all!

These colours are much more me than the first crochet shawl although I do love them both. It’s the same stuff; Stylecraft Life DK yarn. It has wool in it so it is nice and warm. I have loads left over which will go towards making a flowery blanket, that is somewhere on my to do list but nowhere near the top.

This is the garden that I’ve been floating about in. Actually, we have all been in the garden this weekend and no one did much floating about. The grown ups did digging, planting and building whilst the children played and partially destroyed the grown up’s hard work.

That clematis is only a few years old and looks pretty awesome already.

Look at the awesome!

Crocheting Shawls

May 6, 2015February 24, 2026crochet4 Comments

I have seen loads of crochet shawls about in the last year, some really nice ones. It’s the ultimate Granny accessory. Naturally, I wanted one, so I made one! And now I’m making another.

Here is my first crochet shawl. I found a lovely free pattern, the April Flower shawl on Made by Leen.

I changed the border as I fancied something a bit pointier. I used Edie Eckman’s book, Crochet Borders, to choose which alternative crochet border I wanted. I also swapped to a different colour in the middle of the broad stripe, but for the most part, I have stuck to the original crochet pattern. I think it’s great! It was very quick to make, and now I am nearing the end of my next shawl using the same pattern.

I love the colours. They’re much better than the first one I did, where I grabbed colours without thinking. I’ve tinkered with the stripe on this one, just to make it different from the first one I made. I have no idea which border I’ll choose next, but I have a couple of ideas. I might also stick to the original pattern for this one; it’ll make it softer.

I have used Stylecraft Life DK yarn for both of these. I got it on sale in my local shop. I bought more than I know what to do with, but that’s OK!

I’ve got loads of crochet projects in, my head but I should probably finish off the granny square blanket, which I started before the shawls. There are 100 crochet circles in a bag, hiding in the cupboard under the stairs. They are waiting to have their ends sewn in. Booo.

Sewing With Felt – Handmade Felt Needlecase

May 6, 2015February 24, 2026crochet3 Comments

a needlecase made from felt. Handmade felt needlecase

For years I didn’t really get why people made stuff out of felt. I never really liked it as an artistic medium. Then I realised it was because the things I’d seen were cheap and nasty and probably had glue blobbed over them.

I think it was last year when I decided to give playing with felt a try. I don’t recall what it was that made me want to try. I do remember thinking that the interest would wear off quite quickly, though. But, what happened was I got more into it and more interested in adding details and seeing how small I could get things before the stitches frayed the teeny tiny pieces.

I’ve been trying to find examples of things I made first. This is the latest make:

It’s a needle case. It’s a present to myself but I haven’t swapped over any pins and needles yet because then, I might ruin it. It’s all hand-sewn and made up from my head. I’ve made a few needle cases over the last year. They make nice little presents.

Mostly, they’ve had different designs stitched on the front, too. Here is one I made for my sister about six months ago:

This little mermaid was so lovely, I made her twice. But because they’re handmade, the same design always looks different.

I think this badger brooch was made early, about two years ago. I still like him. I gave him to a little boy whose mum hangs it on her Christmas tree! He wasn’t the first felt thing I made, but for now, I’ve given up trying to remember what was.