Little B and I have quite a busy out-and-about schedule these days, it's not all idle cuddling and sofa snuggling for us you know. Mondays we go to Messy Hands, Tuesdays it's baby Move 'n' Groove, Wednesday mornings we meet with my out of town friend for coffee, then in the afternoon it's Baby Massage class. And Thursdays, my favourite and bestest day of the working week, is as it always has been :: Knit and Natter at the cafe. Love my Thursdays, I very rarely miss K&N cos I love it so so much.
So you can imagine how antsy I get when something prevents me from enjoying the deliciousness of Thursday cafe mornings, and I'm glad to say it doesn't happen often. I had my bag all ready to go this morning look :: there's granny stripe (xx mwah xx, I love you Granny Stripe), with the next 3 colours already selected and ready to hook. And then it transpired that really Little Lady was not well enough to go to school after all. I mean, I did feel sorry for her looking so pale and washed out and suffering with a tummy bug but it was terribly inconsiderate of her to be ill on a Thursday. I've told the little Peeps, time and time again, that they simply cannot fall ill on a Thursday, it's just not on. Tsk tsk harrumph.
Little Lady is an extremely good ill-person though it has to be said, she is very self contained and low maintenance. She either spends all day horizontal on the sofa watching films (if she is really poorly) or pootling about in her own very special Land Of Make-believe (if she is mildly poorly). Today she mostly spent her time drawing pictures and immersing herself in the land of My Little Pony.
To relieve the antsy feeling of missing K&N, I did some baking this morning. Made these rather fancy-pants Fairy Cakes with real butter cream icing. I always, always instinctively bake when the Little Peeps are poorly, I have no idea why. But today I did have a very specific reason to bake cos I had this idea......
......my idea was to have my very own Knit and Natter morning at no.24! Ta-dah!! Genius!!!
I thought that if I can't get to the cafe, then I shall try and recreate the feelings of Cafe Goodness within my own home. Yeah! So I set a tray with a mug of frothy coffee and a plate of homemade sweetness and set about enjoying some morning hooky time.
The natter was a bit limited as Little Lady was away in the Land of Pony and Little B is not quite up to saying much yet, but we did our best.
Little Lady may be low maintenance, but Little B certainly is not. He's at a stage where he doesn't enjoy being put down for long, dislikes to be left alone. he's happiest when he's got full on one-to-one attention, preferably with lots of silly noises/singing/chatting/raspberry blowing etc. So it wasn't long before I needed to have him up on my knee, much the same as in the cafe then really, he was just being thursday-ish wasn't he?
Little B spends a good part of each day practicing how to use his hands. Grab grab grab, he will get a hold of anything that comes close enough. Toys, clothes, cloth, hair, grab grab grab. Oooooo a metal sticky thing, that looks interesting, grab grab grab. It doesn't make for easy granny striping. Progress is slow at my K&N.
But who am I to complain, I am in good company, I get to drink my coffee and eat my fancypants fairy cake, and somehow I do manage to get one whole granny row completed. It feels like a major achievement.
I'm being very very good with my tail ends here. With the granny stripe it's not possible to crochet over the ends as you go which is what I normally like to do, no, you have to weave them in afterwards. I don't find it too much of a pain so long as I do it at the end of each colour change. I go forwards with the needle one way, then darn the end back on itself the other way for good measure. Job done.
I'm really, truly in SO much love with making this blankie, it's such an utter pleasure. I'm particularly finding the play with colour hugely exciting, it's giving me plenty of heart-skippy happy moments of joy.
I've made 26 stripes so far, all randomly selected colours. I like to pick out maybe 3 or 4 colours at a time so that at the end of each stripe I pretty much have the next couple already sorted out.
Ahhhhhh such joyfulness!!!!! I feel all smoochy looking at these pictures, my fingers are itching to get back to it......
My Little People are tucked up in bed and it's my happy hooky time now, so I'll love you and leave you and see you all soon
Toodle-oo!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Lucy ,just wanted to tell you about my granny square blanket,that I am making to be raffled for charity in November. I have used lots of my remaining bits and bobs of yarn. I then bought Parma violet a royal purple to do alternate rows 4&5 and sew together and border. Love granny pattern can almost do it with your eyes shut and it reminds me of my nan who taught me and who I miss. X
Posted by: Linda Young | August 05, 2019 at 10:59 PM
Oh my, I'm working on my own Granny Stripe and I'm totally addicted! Thanks for the pattern sooooo much! But what made me go ohhh and ahhhh were Little B's chubby little hands and feet! I miss those from babydom! Adorable!
Posted by: Bonnie | April 30, 2013 at 08:13 AM
Aww very sweet little B pics!
Posted by: Rachel | February 14, 2012 at 01:28 PM
Charming post and lovely comments. What a joy to read.
I've just started crochet after a 45yr hiatus and you've given me the impetus to give it a wholehearted go.
Posted by: KiwiEllie (Rav) | March 11, 2011 at 09:06 PM
Hy Lucy
I love your cupcakes.
Kisses
Gisele (Brazil)
Posted by: Gisele Montenegro | July 19, 2010 at 01:55 AM
This blanket is so incredibly cheerful, can’t believe it, so harmonious despite all those colours from all around the colour wheel, cold and warm. Love it! Can see myself making something similar…
Posted by: Tina | July 04, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Haven't been on your blog for ages as my life is hectic. But I have loved catching up on your progress with the fabo Granny Stripe, this afternoon. Thank you you gave me a laugh with your Home K&N. Take care x x
Posted by: Kathy Baratta | June 26, 2010 at 08:28 AM
I love that photo of both of your hands! Hope the little lady wasn't sick for too long :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 16, 2010 at 12:18 PM
I love that photo of both of your hands! Hope the little lady wasn't sick for too long :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 16, 2010 at 12:18 PM
I love that photo of both of your hands! Hope the little lady wasn't sick for too long :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 16, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Hi There!
Absolutely love your blog. Since you ended this post with dealing with loose ends(!) a subject that is actually preventing me to attempt multi color granny squares and that lovely african flower of yours! How on earth do I deal with all those loose ends on multi colored squares! Please point me anywhere for the answer! TQ very much and HUGS!
Posted by: emily | June 16, 2010 at 02:29 AM
stunning as ever x
Posted by: rach | June 15, 2010 at 08:38 PM
I love your blog, Lucy! It is my guilty little pleasure I allow myself when the wee ones are napping. Beautiful blanket!
Posted by: Ann | June 15, 2010 at 08:23 PM
Hi Lucy, Ive got some pictures of my caravan ive just shabby chic ed!Thick you will love them, tried to send email but was bounced back where can i send them to you?
Regards
Audrey
Posted by: audrey | June 15, 2010 at 07:16 PM
The blanket is very nice. The edges are like picture perfect.Is there any trick to keep each row the same size as the previous one? I usually got challenged on that part.
Posted by: Bindu | June 15, 2010 at 05:57 PM
Lucy, My daughter and I so enjoy reading your blog. We like to quote you at especially happy moments- "heart-skippy goodness"! Thankyou for posting pictures of your beautiful countryside and vacations, along with your happy crochet. We also bought a Japanese crochet book. We have a market in Portland, Oregon, that sells Japanese books & food.
Every time we read a new update on your blog it feels like we are on a vacation in England with you! You have become a dear friend to us! xx
Posted by: Janine & Ellen, Portland, OR, USA | June 15, 2010 at 05:53 PM
LOVE your granny stripes!
Just started my own, and love it so far! SO quick and easy after the first 2 rows!
Thank you for the inspiration!
Posted by: Natty | June 15, 2010 at 05:24 PM
Your blog just makes me smile and smile, and smile again. Your world of color is delightful and your excitement at life itself is uplifting. Would love to have the recipe for your "Fairy Cakes" or where to get it if it's already posted somewhere. Definitely my kind of taste delight! :-)
Posted by: Judi A. | June 15, 2010 at 04:34 PM
With all your busyness I'm surprised you even manage to make a stitch let alone as many as you do! You put an idle woman to shame.
Posted by: greedy nan | June 15, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Gorgeous! Looks good enough to eat.
Posted by: Linda Ashworth | June 15, 2010 at 08:14 AM
Dear Lucy,
I've been failing monstrously with ripply patterns in books and things that I liked, I really don't know why I didn't try yours first. I've been reading your blog for over a year now and I just wanted to say thank you. Thanks a million! Your step by step photo tutorials and tips and drawings and bits are really truly helpful. I started making my ripply practice blanket with a disgusting variegated yarn, but I have the hang of it now. I think I might even be ready to shop for colours.
Thank you again for your amazingly awesome crocheting magic =D
You're bloggy bits have even inspired me to start making a baby granny for my first nephew who will be joining the land of the breathing sometime in October. Hopefully I finish it by then.
Posted by: Elise | June 15, 2010 at 05:38 AM
http://www.anthropologie.eu/EXPLORE/in-june-home/icat/homecollection
this is the web..the living green wall was great ..it smelled very lush and tropical..the recycled chandeliers were fab-u-lous..but hey i think our lifestyle is pretty cool too!
Posted by: Jeannette..aka..Bonzogirl | June 14, 2010 at 10:22 PM
good on you for creating your own knit n natter..i created my own knit in public day on sat 12.6.10..however it was a tad early..6.30am on the train to london!!!by hey i enjoyed it guilt free knitting for 2 hours..the sox are well on the way!!!
should ever you be down that way a shop i know you would love ..ANTHROPOLOGIE...quirkie and colourful...recycled goods crafted goods..lots of art-iness..delicious..just on Regent street..
Posted by: Jeannette..aka..Bonzogirl | June 14, 2010 at 10:10 PM
Love your work. Beautiful colors and design, so uplifting.
I just finished my first granny blanket and now I don't know what to do...but found your beautiful blog and inspired to continue crocheting something pretty.
Have a lovely monday.
Posted by: camilla | June 14, 2010 at 09:07 PM
So lovely! Have you ever made a blanket like this out of cotton yarn? I just got a bunch of lovely cotton stuff from someone and haven't crocheted in a while. This makes me want to give knitting a rest and make a granny strip blanket of my own but I dearly love the cotton.
Posted by: Katy S | June 14, 2010 at 07:57 PM