Three owl keyrings and a cake

Hello there!

As I told you all in my last post, I've been making owl keyrings for family and friends when I go over at the end of May. Here are the first three, all a bit different. It was fun experimenting with the different wings and embellishments. The yarn was a bargain I found on our local market, it's Egyptian cotton and a very nice variegated blue/grey/turquoise. There was just one ball and I thought it was an ideal yarn for owls- I've got enough left for another two owls, I think (hope).

I've also been busy baking:

This chocolate banana cake is extremely delicious with its chunks of chocolate and caramelised banana pieces... but I need to write up the recipe before I can give it to you. Believe me, it's worth waiting for.

Bye for now!

Just passing by...

Hello there!

Sorry I've not been on here for a while. I seem to say that more often than I'd like to, so please do forgive me for neglecting my blog somewhat.

I will soon have lots of things to show you - despite my lack of blogging I'm still crocheting like crazy.

I had told you in a couple of posts a while back that at the end of May I planned to take part in our local organic market and sell some of my crochet toys and accessories. Well, there's been a change of plan. At the end of May I'll be travelling to the UK to visit family and friends, so I won't be here for the market. Instead, I had the good idea of taking my works into my workplace and offering them for sale to my friends and colleagues.

And here's what I sold:

Bunny doudou
Grey/blue baby shoes
Marcel the mallard
Pink/purple owl
Elly elephant
A felt chick brooch
and several felt owl brooches

I was pleased to sell them but I'm wondering when, if ever, I'll built up enough stock for the organic market.

I do have quite a lot of works in progress, so before I paste up any photos (anyone know where I've put my camera?), here's another list:

Several hats
Several owl keyrings to give as gifts to family and friends when I go to visit next month
An owl cushion
and a new secret pattern that I'm working on.

And... last week I went to my first car boot sale for a long time and even though I didn't find much they really were good bargains. More about all this very soon, I promise.

Bye bye for now.

Spring Bunny

Hello there!  Here in this part of the world it IS Spring, even though we've had another sprinkling of snow on the mountains and it's cold and raining. To cheer us all up, what better than a Spring Bunny? Find the pattern here.

Chloe's bag a free pattern

Here's a very simple pattern to make a little bag for a little person. This one is a gift for Chloe, aged 18 months and who is very fond of bags. If you make the handle longer it would also suit for someone rather bigger. You might want to line it and add a zipper, but I'm just offering the basic pattern, then it's up to you to make any changes.You could embellish it with buttons and beads, I'm sure you have lots of ideas. I'd love to see what you come up with!

The bag is made in one piece, with the handle crocheted in so there's no sewing involved. I used aran type yarn and a 4 mm hook, and the bag is 14cm wide and 15cm high, but it's a very adaptable pattern so you can choose the yarn and hook of your choice. Just alter the number of starting chain stiches and the number of rows to obtain the size you want.

Chloe's bag

With main colour, ch 25

Rnd 1 - 1 sc in third ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch, and 3sc in last ch, then sc back up the other side of the ch, finishing with 3sc in the ch sp. ss in first sc

Rnd 2 - 2ch, 1 dc in each st to end, ss in top of 2ch

Rnd 3 - 1ch, 1 sc in each st to end, ss in first ch

Continue rnds 2 and 3 until you reach the size desired. If you want to add a contrasting stripe, do no cut off the main colour yarn. Add the contrast yarn and work rnds 2 and 3 again. Then take up the main colour again for the final rnd:

Final rnd and handle/strap - ch 2, 1htr in each st to end, ss to top of 2 ch. Do not fasten off. Make enough ch for the required length of the handle, attach with a sc to the opposite side of the bag, then ss back up the ch handle, and attach it securely with a sc back at the beginning. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

To embellish Chloe's bag, I made a crochet doodle flower with contrasting yarn, leaving a long tail that I then used to attach it to the front of the bag.

Happy crocheting!