It's been a lovely Winters day here in my patch, bright, sharp, and blinkin' cold. Sunshine and shadows, but oh it has been chilly! It's felt like the very middle of my bones have been cold today.
It's been an odd kind of a day, sort of stressful and sweet, calm and anxious all at once. I've had Little Lady home from school, snuggled on the sofa the whole day doing silent battle with a nasty virus. Poor love. She is very rarely unwell and it has wiped her out, leaving the both of us feeling totally drained. I really don't like it one little bit when the germs take hold.
Little B has been great this afternoon, happily entertaining himself and supplying us all with lots of feel-good cuddles.
There was a request to get The Beads out, it's been a while since we did these and I was more than happy to oblige.
We made a heart together, heavy with turquoise blue as Little B knows this to be my bestest most favourite colour and kept picking them out for me.
I have these gorgeously girly-pink tulips in the house, a gift from my wonderful, kind mother-in-law. They are such a pretty colour, I can't stop gazing at them. Just so perfectly pink.
Usually when one of the Little Peeps is ill, I fill my stay-home time with baking. Germs = Baking, but not so today. Today the crisp winter light was perfect for photography so I seized the unexpected quiet daylight hours and made a tutorial. You just can't beat a bit of concentrated creative activity to combat unease.
I was lucky to have my official Health and Safety officer on hand (dressed as Spiderman) to make sure my scissors were kept safe. He is obsessed with putting the little protective leather cover back on them, telling me I need to take care cos they are veeeery sharp.
So I made the photography part of my tutorial for my new stitch, after a shocking amount of upset with Wrong Numbers. Jeez, my poor brain. I got there in the end (multiples of 4, plus an extra 3!).
I made the photo tutorial using the Stylecraft Special Chunky yarn and a 6mm hook, as that's what I'm using to make my cushion. But once I had finished it, I had an urge to try out the pattern using Stylecraft Special DK and a 4mm hook so that I could compare the two.
Stylecraft Special comes in 3 weights :: a Double Knit (DK), an aran and a chunky. In the above picture you can see the difference between the DK and the Chunky. There is quite a bit of difference both in the way it feels to work these two weights (much more physical with the chunky), and the way the finished crochet turns out.
This is my sample worked up in DK, I love it SO MUCH!!! It turns out that this is a super-satisfying pattern to work and I think in the DK weight it would make a terrific blanket. It's quite a dense stitch, so would make a very substantial, warm blanket and I would love to try it out.
You can see the difference in scale here, but essentially the lovely texture and neat rows of colour are equally effective in both weights.
You may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with anything (Raindrops? Eh?) Well it's what I've decided to call this stitch. It was named by one of my lovely readers who said the stitch pattern reminded her of raindrops running down a window pane. It seemed very apt to say how drenched we have been here of late, with day after day of the wet stuff.
So with raindrops in mind, I also made a small sample using just shades of blue. I love the simplicity of it, and again I thought what a lovely, soothing blanket this would be to make.
My cushion is coming along nicely, I'm just in the process of crocheting the button flap bit, then trying to decide on the neatest way to pull it all together. I'm calling it the Rainbow Raindrops cushion.
Also, I just wanted to say that I am not in any way claiming that I have "invented" a new stitch here. It's actually very hard to invent anything new in crochet as it's an ancient craft and you can bet that pretty much everything has already been done at one time or another. This stitch technique already exists, and is called a Spike Stitch. It's where you work some of the stitches down into the rows below, pulling a long stitch up to the level of the current row (I used this technique when making my Christmas baubles). What I have done with Raindrops is to use a variation of the spike stitch to create my own particular pattern/texture. It's my interpretation if you like.
I'm looking forward to sharing the pattern with you, to see what you make of it and what ideas start to fly....I am wondering whether I have time to make a Raindrops blanket?! I would love to, it's been a while since I started on an exciting new blanket journey. Right, I'm going to start work on the tutorial now (after I've had a quick cuppa tea), I'll let you know when it's ready.
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Edit :: I wrote this post yesterday (Friday) but towards the end of writing I began to feel veeery unwell. Turns out that the "cold through to my bones" feeling was the onset of this virus, and I've spent the past day battling chills and a fever. Feeling marginally better this afternoon, but still pretty pants. So I am a day late getting this post out, and I haven't quite got the energy to tutorial write today either...but hoping tomorrow I'll be feeling much better and can do it then. Much love xxxxx
Lovely work, as always. Can't wait to try this out! Hope you feel better soon
Posted by: Susann | March 01, 2014 at 05:32 PM
Hope you'll be feeling better soon Lucy!! Love the colours on the new cushion and the stitch.
It made me smile seeing Little B in his Spiderman outfit - when my son was young he was always dressed up as something, Spiderman, Power Ranger - even a Hobbit complete with bare feet lol!
Posted by: Kathy, FRANCE | March 01, 2014 at 05:20 PM
Hope you are all feeling better soon Lucy. Now these are my kind of raindrops after all that dreadful rain we've had, I'm just loving all the colour and the little bead heart also tones in perfectly, I'm very fond of those rainy blues in the sample square. Hope you are all lurgy free soon
Clare x
Posted by: Clare | March 01, 2014 at 05:10 PM
Hi Hope you and J and the little peeps all start feeling much better soon. I just LOVE the new stitch and the name is SO very apt! I am waiting for payday to get a bit of some nice chunky yarn and get started on one myself! Thank you so much for giving us this one, and I have been enjoying your blog from here in Washington State, USA for several years now.
Posted by: Kathie Salter | March 01, 2014 at 05:01 PM
Feel better, Lucy! I'm on the tail end of a two-week cold. This winter has been a harsh one. I love your interpretation, and the Raindrop stitch is one I look forward to trying. I create my own interpretations all the time, too, as I did in my Flowers in Bloom scrapbuster afghan at http://gocrochetcrazy.blogspot.com/2014/02/scrapbuster-project-free-crochet-afghan.html. Keep drinking lots of tea; it helps! Hugs, Mary
Posted by: Mary Ylisela | March 01, 2014 at 04:59 PM
Love your colours. Thank you for taking time to post, despite the germs.I truly hope you all feel tip top very soon :)
Posted by: janjan | March 01, 2014 at 04:57 PM
Hope you are all better soon! We often fight bugs during the winter, and it is te-dee-ous!!
Much as we all can't wait for a new tutorial, take your time to get better first.
Posted by: Lise | March 01, 2014 at 04:50 PM
It is so lovely to see all those bright, brilliant hues from your lovely home...here in the North, the wind and the snow is still with us. Spring is long ways away :) m.
Posted by: mari | March 01, 2014 at 04:33 PM
Get well soon....I have only recently discovered your blog and am totally loving it. I bought the simply crochet mag. because I loved the heart you had made. My granddaughter has given me some of the long pipe cleaners so I am all ready to get started. She is 8 year old and got her first crochet lesson yesterday......I think she is going to be good as she had no problem with tension.
I crochet blankets to send out to Africa .....I am on my 30th one since Jan 2013. It has become quite an obsession.
Posted by: Linda Mitchell | March 01, 2014 at 04:33 PM
Hope you bot feel much better very soon, but take plenty of time to rest, viruses are nasty little blighters! Love the stitch, love your work. X
Posted by: Ann Hughes | March 01, 2014 at 04:27 PM
Being sick is the worst, hope you feel better soon. The colours and stitch look so beautiful!
Posted by: Pops de Milk | March 01, 2014 at 04:12 PM
What an amazing view you have. Hope you all feel better soon. A bit more sun should help ..hopefully.
Here in Somerset, we to have had a beautiful sunny, cold day & feels like its getting colder. But l have 3 woollen projects on the go!! as well as dabbling into a friends family tree. Hot choccy time ...take care.
Posted by: Julie simmons | March 01, 2014 at 04:11 PM
Dear Lucy,
Just rest and get well. We can wait for your tutorial, no rush :)
Lots of love
Susie
Posted by: Suzana Behmer | March 01, 2014 at 04:10 PM
Get well soon Lucy and Little Lady! Looking forweard to trying out your new stitch. xx
Posted by: Debbie | March 01, 2014 at 04:10 PM
Hope you are both feeling better soon. Looking forward to tutorial for raindrops. I love the pics of this stitch
Posted by: Denise Clennell | March 01, 2014 at 04:09 PM
Sending warm, squishy get well hugs for you & Little Lady!!! Bah humbug to the bug!!
Thanks for the lovely feast of colors from the yarn to the flowers. I'm sure to get some tulips today myself, as I'm out and about doing my errands. You've inspired me to get new Jammies. Also part of my excursion.
Take THE very best care.
Posted by: Jeanette in Illinois | March 01, 2014 at 04:01 PM
Wishing you well, and hope you feel better veeeeeeeery soon. I have just finished the ripple blanket using Deramores kit as a present for my mum in law, it's gorgeous. I love your blog Lucy. X
Posted by: Lynn Hull | March 01, 2014 at 03:53 PM
I hope you get well soon!! The stitch/cushion is really beautifull
Posted by: Marbada | March 01, 2014 at 03:52 PM
Sending you and Little Lady get well wishes! Do take care, and just rest. Love the raindrops pattern and a perfect name. Little B is the sweetest, and what beautiful tulips, love that shade.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | March 01, 2014 at 03:50 PM
Hope you all feel well soon. Sick children and a sick mama is a bad situation! The stitch, and as always your color choice, is lovely. You may convince me to try crocheting, yet. I've never heard the phrase "pretty pants" used in that way. Must be one of those British phrases like "pootling about" (my new favorite) that you use now and then. As a previous poster put it, don't worry about your blog, we'll still be here. Get healthy!
Posted by: Jill | March 01, 2014 at 03:47 PM
lovely rainbow post from all angles. Sorry you and Little Lady aren't feeling too good. Let the tutorial wait until you are fully well and bright again - just chill. Lucy's raindrop stitch is awesome and the samples look gorgeous ... get well soon you all xx lots of love Joy xx
Posted by: Joy | March 01, 2014 at 03:40 PM
Get well soon Lucy. I wish I could send you these colorful tissues I found to help with the sniffles. You would love them. I think a new blanket is what we all need! A crochet a long would be perfect for this time of year.
Cindy Bee
Posted by: Cindy bee | March 01, 2014 at 03:29 PM
HI Lucy, I am just recovering from a very nasty virus that has floored me for a week. Lots of 'resting' post this week on my FB page to keep me attached to the outside world, including time to compete and restart projects. But OH Boy! Did it wipe me out! Rest, hot drinks, sleep and something sweet and tempting to eat (I made a lemon drizzle cake and it did just the job). You'll feel right as 'raindrops' in no time! Much love Karen xx
Posted by: Karen@Mix•Ture43 | March 01, 2014 at 03:26 PM
Hej!
I think you are going to be better really soon. I wish you a very merry sunday.
xxx
Annika Gustad
Posted by: Annika Gustad | March 01, 2014 at 03:21 PM
Gorgeous photographs as always Lucy, so cheerful. The samples look lovely. Get well soon xx
Posted by: Anne H. | March 01, 2014 at 03:21 PM