Wednesday 29 February 2012

Beautiful Squares from Beautiful Cornwall for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012!

At the end of last week a package arrived for me from Judy of Vintage HomespunJudy is lucky enough to live in beautiful Cornwall in the UK.  

Every Sunday Judy posts a track of music on her blog with a link to the video...and she hasn't yet posted one which I don't love! It's a treat for me every Sunday! 

Judy has sent us 3 lovely large squares for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012. All were beautifully labelled so I can tell you about them easily..


This first one is the largest and is #92, 'Victorian Lace',  from Jan Eaton's book, '200 Crochet Blocks'.  

Judy used Sirdar Luxury Soft Cotton DK in a beautiful teal-blue.

Judy's second square from the same book is # 89 -'Spinner', also using Sirdar Luxury Soft Cotton DK in sage green, blue and white.


This third square has been made using the same cotton in sage green and white.  The pattern is # 26 - 'Snowflake' from the same book.  

This pattern would make a beautiful Christmas blanket or cushion.

Thanks so much Judy.. for these lovely squares... and for the great music every Sunday! You now have 3 
chances to win the whole Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012 (winner to be drawn announced on Sunday 4th March at 1pm). GOOD LUCK!



Special request square for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012!


Happy Birthday Prince Charles! What a beautiful sunny day for a birthday... I grabbed my camera a couple of hours ago and took loads of photos that I have been trying to take for a week....

I have been thwarted at every turn from blogging this last week... my computer is slowly giving up the ghost, we have been in Suffolk where the connection is scatty, and I have been busy, busy, busy sewing the Beautiful Blogger Blanket together...


Having postponed the finishing date for the blanket from 31st January, the last day to get squares to me has finally arrived! I can't thank you all enough for being so generous and sending in such lovely squares... there is a huge amount of crochet talent in the world... and it is truly amazing that one little craft can be shared by so many people world wide.

I will be doing the draw for the winner of the whole blanket on Sunday 4th March and will publish the result at 1pm UK time.!

I was aiming to do a post each day about one person's squares, but as that hasn't been possible, I am going to (with luck, an internet connection and the wind in the right direction), post lots of posts about the squares this week...  at the same time I will be sewing the last ones in!

Do you remember this post when I asked you for a 'wishlist' of lovely crocheters who I might approach to see if they would like to contribute a square for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012?  Here is one of our 'Invited Contributors'! 

The lovely Penny from Planet Penny was put forward by Beberouge and has sent us the most wonderful square....




It is Penny's own pattern and she has now posted a fantastic tutorial about it on Planet Penny - it is called, The Planet Penny Beautiful Blogger Blanket Square and the tutorial is HERE.  Penny blogged about the square here too.

There is a Planet Penny Facebook Page and Penny sells the most wonderful felted and crochet creations and much more in her shop on Folksy.

I love the colours, the textures and the cotton Penny has used to make her square, she hasn't revealed which cotton it is yet...(When Penny lets us know which yarn she used I will update this  post).Whatever it is, the colours are gorgeous and it is a nice light yarn...a little close-up...



Penny - Thank you so much for sending us this square for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2012..You now have a chance to win the whole blanket! GOOD LUCK! 




Wednesday 22 February 2012

A crafty day out at Make IT and Serendipity Patch's Squares...

Guess where I'm going on Friday? My dear, long suffering hubby is taking me to  'Make It' in Farnborough.  Make It is a huge craft event, full name -

Make it Craft and Make it Homemade - the total Craft Event

Make It starts this Friday 24th Feb and continues until Sunday 26th Feb...
You can read more about it HERE.


For those of you who haven't been before, Make It is a kind of inspiration .... Oooo ahh... WOW.....inspiration and shopping event! If you want to try new crafts, or move on further with those you are already involved in...then you have to go....

Some of the crafts covered will be... card making, paper-crafting, beading, jewellery making, stamping, felting, decoupage, knitting and sewing...and there will be opportunities to buy equipment and materials for all of those... also cooking, demonstrations... oh my goodness, it will be a right old crafty inspiration-fest! Did I mention that there will be food there? I'm going to be making a bee-line for the Fin Taw Studio stall which is all about felting which I have always wanted to try...also Superlovely who specialise in 'Washi Tape'...(did you see Attic24's Washi Tape bunting here?) 

Anyway...f you want to see the complete list of Exhibitors peak HERE, and if you want to know how to get to FIVE in Farnborough look HERE.  It costs £9.50 on the day.

I'm only going as a visitor, not an exhibitor...but if you see a short chubby woman with a mass of unruly blonde fuzz  curls... say hello...it will probably be me! I'll have a tall, bald, bespectacled man with me who will be looking completely bored by the whole thing...bless! 

Do you remember that I blogged about this beautiful blanket by Debbie at Serendipity Patch...


Well Debbie from sent me a square for our blanket... a few days later Debbie wrote me an email asking if her square had arrived yet.. 

It hadn't, so Debbie sent me another one.. and then, just the next day... 
....the first one arrived! 

So here they are... two beautifully made crochet squares using Wendy 
Supreme 100% cotton DK yarn in 3 colours.. a baby pink, lemon and lilac.. 



The pattern is from '200 Crochet Blocks' by Jan Eaton...  It is # 16 - 'Waterlilly'

These are gorgeous Debbie... Thank you for joining in...you now have TWO chances to win the whole blanket....

GOOD LUCK!




Tuesday 21 February 2012

Le monde de Sucrette... squares all the way from Beirut!

If you don't know Angie from Le Monde de Sucrette you have a treat and a half to come discovering her gorgeous crochet work in colours that force the sun out even in the depths of winter.. and her own crochet projects that are an absolute delight! 

Angie's name was one of those put forward in the 'Wish list' postbut Angie had already decided to join in!

Look what Angie sent to us for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket... 


 These squares are all made using the pattern called, 'Flower in a Square' which is on Angie's blog...


Angie's squares have come all the way from Beirut... I may plot the origins of all our squares on a map if I can work out how!


 Angie did a lovely a blog post about making her squares here...


The colours Angie chose are purple, white, green, orange, blue, pink and red...


Angie is also a great artist... have a look at her happy, happy art HERE.

Angie does great graphic patterns for her crochet projects... squares, flowers, cushions, throws... so many more beautiful things...

Thank you so much for joining in with the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012 Angie!

You now have 4 chances to win the whole blanket...

GOOD LUCK!


Monday 20 February 2012

The Beautiful Blogger Blanket - Squares from Hamilton, New Zealand!

When I first had the idea of The Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012 I was a bit worried that not many of you would want to join in... 

I thought maybe I would be sewing a cushion cover together and hoping for more in 2013, then maybe building up into a throw by 2014... but all you
lovely crocheters from all over the world have been so kind and generous... 

Our current tally is over 100 squares...

This post is about squares from Hamilton, New Zealand... from Janette of The Green Dragonfly

Janette's lovely blog tells of her life in NZ with her beautiful children and her husband.  Janette crochets, sews, draws, paints, cooks - and she has a second
blog called, 'Telling a Story With My Lenswhich showcases her beautiful photography.


Janette's package was so pretty...


A sneaky peak inside the packaging revealed something strange...


Lots of tiny little Green Dragonflies!  That made me smile Janette! :)


The first square is in deep aqua and pink cotton...


 Janette didn't say which patterns she used, but this is a pretty one..can you let me know Janette?


The second square is a traditional granny square I   think... in deep pink, blue, aqua and pale pink... 


The third square is a circle within a granny square in green, pale pink, deep pink and purple.


All three together...scrumptious!

Thank you so much for joining in with the Beautiful Blogger Blanket Janette you now have 3 chances to win the whole blanket...GOOD LUCK!

This morning Elisabeth of About Crochet suggested I show you some photos of all the squares....Hmmm.... I'm onto it Elisabeth.. I'll see what sunshine the morning brings...

Sunday 19 February 2012

The BBB 2012 - Squares from Clicky Needles in the Cotswolds...


It is a small world in bloggy-land, but I think these squares for the Beautiful
Blogger Blanket have come the shortest distance so far.....Have you found Cath at Clicky Needles yet? If not have a look at this blog post about the stunning squares that will very soon become a Ta-Dah! I can't wait to see it finished!

Here come the squares - all wrapped up beautifully with a cheerful card...


Thank you Cath of Clicky Needles!



A sneaky peak inside the paper....


The colours are cheerful and beautifully bright...


Here are the squares that Clicky Needles has sent us...


Salmony pink with lemon and blue cotton...


Lemon, orange and pink...all in basic granny squares..


Aqua and peachy pink...


Lemon, orange and peach....

Almost edible don't you think...can 
you tell I haven't eaten yet?

Thank you for joining in with the 
Beautiful Blogger Blanket Cath....

You now have 5 chances to win the 
whole blanket...

GOOD LUCK! 

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Blenheim Palace and The Beautiful Blogger Blanket now has squares from Kashi's Corner in Iowa, USA!


It snowed here at the end of last week... just in time for me to pick my hubby up from Luton on Thursday...I cursed it then, but on Saturday all was forgiven when we went for a walk in Blenheim Palace estates.  It was one of those rare days when the sun shone, the sky was icy blue and it wasn't too cold at all.... idyllic!


Blenheim Palace is just outside Oxford, Oxfordshire.  The main entrance is in the town of Woodstock. I spent a lot of time there when I was a teenager, because my family lived in Woodstock, and for a few years my bedroom window looked out over the park..ah bliss... 


This bridge is near the town of Bladon where Sir Winston Churchill is buried (he was born in the palace when his Mum was visiting)...


 Why don't the swans freeze in that water? It was ICY!


Lots of people were sledging down the hill on the other side of the river... the teenagers made the most noise... screams echoing around the park as they almost ended their runs in the river.. throwing themselves off of the sledge sideways to avoid a dunking...


Fred would like to live there.. (so would I )! 


This is Combe - a small village on the edge of the park... in the Cotswolds...



We had a beautiful day...
Kashi of Kashi's Corner sent us some amazing squares for the Beautiful 
Blogger Blanket, and they got to me safely all the way from Iowa, USA! 

Four lovely squares.. can you see the little tiny one.. I am needing 
some of that size to fill in gaps!


          Each square was beautifully labelled with the pattern used....


 This one is the biggest and most intricate.. Absolutely beautiful blues, teals and greens...Kashi made this pattern  up herself!


 Kashi says this second square, which she has made in pale teal green, deep pink. dark green, pale green and white, was inspired by a square in Jan Eaton's book - '200 Crochet Squares'.  


The third square was also inspired by the same book.. and made in dark green, pale green, purple and pink...



Finally the little one..in pale green and deep pink... aww very sweet! 

Thanks so much Kashi... Beautiful contributions to the Beautiful Blogger Blanket 0f 2012. You now have 4 chances to win the whole blanket....

GOOD LUCK!