Progress

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

 

Comments

[Chryssanthi Stellatou]

Hi Lucy,
you are really funny. I see that you spent a very interesting and productive Thursday. Your "audience" must have been very helpful.
Chryssanthi (Greece)

[tovepia]

I really like your colours, this blanket makes me in a good mood:O)

Have a nice week!

[Shelley in SC]

Oooh, I am loving this. Just adorable having Little B's hand grabbing, pulling, scrunching. I remember those days. It's a wonder you can get a whole row done . . . ever! So sweet.

[Annemieke]

your 'blanket to be' looks beautiful! I tried some of your summer garden granny squares. I love making them and especially the way to join them while I'm am crocheting. Thanks for the tutorial with all the very clear photo's. And you made some very beautiful pictures of all those houses too. Like houses as an object for quilts etc.too.
Groetjes
Annemieke

[Blissful Mum]

I just wanted to leave a quick note to say what an inspirational blog! I'm new to this but love your writing and the photographs are beautiful. The blanket looks lovely! Would it be ok to add you to my friend list? I love the Knit & Natter idea - I'm going to see if there's anything like that near me in Hertfordshire. I'll definitely be popping by again, Helen x

[Lisa Ferguson]

Love the stripes!!! I am working on a baby blanket at the moment, but in the back of my mind I am planning my granny strips!!!

[MamaLezlie]

It's great that you went ahead and had tea instead of just giving up. Fight for the bright spots in your day. I pray that Little Lady is feeling better and that next week you can go and natter to your heart's content. We all need friend time.

[Louise]

Beautiful colours for your granny stripe, it's looking really lovely. I have been inspired by you to start one too, but it's slow going. Have a lovely week.

[Gen]

Hello !! Kind wave from France ! talking about your blog today on mine. I love your colours and way of life. I LOVE the british countryside......

[Tic Tac To]

Dear Lucy,
I discovered your blog on ravelry through some dutch crocheters last month, and I fell in love immediately! You are so positive and loving and creative, that you are really inspiring a lot of people. It's a joy to read your story's. Meanwhile I had the chance to snuggle into your crochet patterns, that I truly adore, and I made some of your famous cookies for the little ones. I live in Belgium and I'm as well a mother of 3 children, 2 young lady's (8 en 5) en 1 little boy from almost 2, and I love to crochet and care for my little family.
Thank you for all those lovely images!

[louise]

Granny Stripes are coming on a treat! Hope Little Lady is on the mend x

[AnnieElf]

I can not get over the richness of the colors you use. What yarn is this?

[Minty Mandy]

I just love reading your blog and i am currently working on my own blanket. My hooky hands are not as fast as yours so progress is a bit slow, but thankyou for your great instructions i can crochet at last thanks to you.
Minty Mandy

[Sabine]

Hello from Austria!
You are a great artist! The colours are so brightly, everything looks so brightly. Your baby (the little foot and hand) seems so sweet. We are grandparents for a short time of a 4 months Little Milo. I often visit your blog, thank you for all your instructions. The "granny fever" has also caught me.
Kind regard, Sabine

[Alice C]

Is this the perfect post? Colour, cakes and chubby little fingers and toes! Well, it gets my vote because it made me smile and be glad for you.
Alicex

[The Garden Bell - Kate]

Late Saturday night and I finally have a minute to breathe. I don't know how you do it. Baked goodies and star in you cafe, come on. Can you bottle it up and send me some of your energy. I always get a little recharged after a visit here. Still waiting for my Lucy Pack, I'm glad I'm not still sitting on the stoop having a beer or two. I'm be smashed. I think they got way more orders than they imagined they were going to get. Didn't they know the following you have over here in HobbitLand.

Just finished a Rose Pillow with my dyed yarn. Should have up by Monday. Just was informed a surprise day with the MIL all day tomorrow. Doesn't she know I have better things to do like post and read blogs on a Sunday. I also have to figure out my next project. Oh, me, Oh my. What to do next?

Off to slumberland,
Toodles,
Katester

[Sharon]

Hi Lucy,
I'm marveling at yet another inspiring post...everything looks so yummy, especially the baby hands and feet. Now I'm on the hunt for a fairy cake recipe. How do you get the star pattern in your coffee?

[Virginie]

Hi Lucy! I'm another of your French fans, your blog is pure bliss! I just love it!

[mahek]

hi
I am a very very regular reader of your blog , i open it everyday and have it on my side bar too , so whenever you have a new post i know it immediately.
You really write so well, keep up the good work and also inspiring bloggers like me...

[bambuc]

It's beautiful! I like the colour!

[Jackie]

Hi Lucy
Love your blog. Did I miss the instructions for the Granny stripe blanket.
It looks lovely cant wait to start one. Thanks for always making my day...Jackie

[Leslie]

I re-taught myself how to crochet after discovering your blog ... I had six ball of yarn stashed away to make some granny squares (my second love) but started your granny stripes instead. In this morning's paper that same yarn is on sale at Michael's , so this is my lucky day. Thanks so much for the picture on what to do with all of those pesky ends ... I look forward to the next step - finishing this lovely blanket.

P.S. you should see the looks I get from everyone while I crochet this to and from work on the BUS! good fun!

[Gaynor]

I love the Granny Stripe blanket. My little lad saw me looking at it, and has decided he'd like one for his bed. I taught myself to crochet after discovering your blog, so a huge thank you to you!

[Kathy (Sweet Up-North Mornings...)]

Charming blog...
Love your yarn colors..
Your baby's toes...
and the beautiful area you live in!!!!
I had a wonderful visit...
just a joy!
xoxo~Kathy @
Sweet Up-North Mornings...

Stop in when time allows ...Love to have you!

[Saigon & Baygon Inc.]

I decided to respond to your request for a 'Crochet Along' and so, here I am, making a Granny Stripes blanket as a gift for a good friend of mine who is having her third baby in July!
Mine is all-white, done in a fantastic soft angora yarn (chain of 120). I've completed 32 rows so far, and I'm planning to crochet at least twice as much!

Saigon,
Greece