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So we're 4 days in to the half term, the littlest beast allegedly has chicken pox (although I've never seen them like this before), so he's full of beans but forbidden from playing with anyone.  I'm crocheting like a lunatic to meet a deadline, the house looks like we've been burgaled, and the big beast has been incessantly peeping about getting Halloween things ready all day.  To placate him, give us an indoor activity, and satiate the small beasts addiction with smarties we've baked smartie muffins, iced with Nutella.  I'm sure the truck or treaters will be thrilled tomorrow if they make it that far!

I think I feel an Early Boys Bedtime coming on, and then a 'world of interiors' and a yogi tea?  Don't mind if I do.




As I sit watching my roast potatoes turn a golden brown in the oven (true story) I thought I'd share with you a couple of the supersize makes that have come forth so far.

A lot of these makes are requested by my evil twin (another true story), so the crochet bike saddle and handle bar warmers are for her, but I've been using them, just to test them you understand, and will definitely be making some for myself.  The 'string bag' was  an experiment, but such a success I shall be making more - one of these tucked in my bag will be perfect for forgotten groceries.

All made with a 25mm hook and off the shelf chunky yarns (cygnet and Zpagetti in this case), and they work up really quick which is fantastic.




Just walking around my home town of Brighton today and this little gallery caught my eye.  I nearly just walked on by, there are plenty of little galleries all over Brighton, but something tugged at my curiosity, and after doubling back to see what it was, THIS is what was in there!








 
Pictures can't convey the bonkers amount of work that Lucy Sparrow (the artist) has clearly put into this, it's literally mind boggling.  Every bit of this corner shop including the magazines, posters and till have been hand sewn and made of felt.  It's completely extraordinary and will only be there until October 27th, so if your're in Brighton go and see it at the no walls gallery on Church Street and be amazed.
Been doing some research and building inspiration boards over on Pinterest, and something that I covet beyond words is a blanket by anthropologie - chunky grey knit, yellow blanket stitch edging, swoooon.  Also saw dottieangle's basket weave scarf and loved the texture and pattern, so decided to put the 2 together.  This is a super chunky, basket weave, crochet cushion cover with a yellow blanket stitch edging, and I love it!

Basket weave stitch is just where you alternate between a few fpdc's followed by the same number of bpdc's, and you get this lovely, alternating stitch pattern.

Oh, and I'm still obsessing about my choco chilli tea, gotta love a Yogi Tea message, listen to the tea....



In my old(er) age I've developed what is now bordering on an obsession, with tea.  I'm British so I did have a head start, but as the hedonistic party years of youth are now drifting off into the horizon, and the relentless early starts of having 2 small beasts take their toll, tea is FAR more appealing in the evening than a glass o' something.  So the tea tasting began, there was a Clipper tea called snoozy time which was a lavender mix and I practically became addicted to but to my utter distress I can't find it stocked anywhere.  Yesterday I stumbled across a new tea.  An enticing and exotic tea.  And I think I might be in love.... It's Choco Chilli Yogi tea.  It's spicy, and warming and cuddly and sooooothing and I think I may have found my new, autumn addiction.

Tucked up with my new tea and a pile of super chunky real yarn, I set to work on an oversize shrug in an open scallop pattern, and in the coolest way, once it was finished it put me in mind of a 1970's bed jacket!  Honestly, what more could you ask for?


The GORGEOUS Cara at DMC has sent a sample of some new chunky yarns over  so I can see how they work up, and lure me into buying an enormous pile.  

There's 'Mia' from the neo-vintage range (which is my fave) but also some really beautiful coloured yarns from their 'Nordic Spirit' range.  Going to play with them later and see what happens, whoop whoop!




Dear everyone,

I can finally announce that my first crochet book will be published in March 2015.  GAAAAAHHHH!  IT'S SO EXCITING!!  It's a collection of crochet costumes, you'll have seen them on here where ever I mention The Book, all for kids to dress up in and play around.

My lovely publishers are CICO and this pic is of The Book from their new catalogue...  I'M IN A CATALOGUE! GAAAAHHHH!!! Gosh, honestly this week has been exhausting :)


So I've been beavering away with the gorgeous giant hooks Mr.Steel&Stitch has made and finally got some pics of the initials accessories ideas I've made.  It's a bit of an exploration of how to work with different, inexpensive yarns to make up super chunky crochet, and is very much a work in progress, but here they are...

Same 25mm hook, different yarns

Oversize shrug detail

Mustard infinity scarf

Body warmer snood - this is one of the most fantastically useful things I've ever made



I'm carrying on with my homage to autumn.  I can't get enough of it.  Made paella using sage from a friends garden and a squash plucked from ours, brilliant. We've just had apple and rhubarb crumble for tea, cosies up round the kitchen table with the dark closing in.  There is almost nothing in the world better than that feeling.

Everywhere you look there's gorgeous colours, I'm obsessed with the idea of making something using the palette of a stick of rhubarb - on every level it would awesome.  Also completely delighted with the mustard colour that's all over the high street at the moment, it complements the season sooooo perfectly.

So here's more autumn colour devotion - sage, paprika and tumeric, and my mustard brogues and cardy...




My extremely clever and adorable husband, forwith known as Big Beast, has whipped me up another supersize crochet hook.  The last one was 28mm, this one is 25mm, and he broke a grandfather's garden fork today, so it looks like I'll be getting a 30mm one soon and the heirloom can live on.

Decided to make an oversize shrug, something to throw on in this still quite warm, but definitely beginning to cool off time of year, and in dark chocolate. Mmmm...

And to accompany all this on a cosy Saturday evening?  A new recipe from the Sarah Wilson Cook book of peanut butter hot chocolate, double mmmmm....  Life's pretty good x


A friend of a friend has just opened a new, online haberdashers and gift store.  Think all soft blues and natural materials (although there are other colours too!  And some uber cool prints) it's called Poppies & Polka Dots, is very pretty and I just thought I'd share it with you...

 DIY KitsKids Organic ClothingPretty & PracticalNovelty Sewing AccessoriesScissors etc.Buttons

Ric RacSatin RibbonApple of my eye - Stripe BlueCountry Girls Main AquaLittle Ark - Ark Friends AquaMedium Chevron Royal Blue & White