yes I have been a bit absent, it’s been busy, as life tends to be.

I went to a wedding and a funeral in the one week, a surreal experience going through the happiest and saddest of emotions in such a short space of time.

But I also managed a bit of crochet therapy.

Firstly I have been making these super cute baby beanies!

The idea originally was to make one for my soon to be niece or nephew but the pattern (which can be found here) is for preemie babies and does not increase well to a newborn size, so there was a lot of experimenting.

This is how i did the pattern (Aussie/UK terms):

Using 8ply and a 6mm hook, I started with the stem – in the above pattern this is made separately and joined later.

Magic circle, 2 chains, 5 DC into the magic circle. join

rows 2-5: 1 chain, DC around and join (5)

row 6: 1 chain, 4 DC into first 4 stitichs, 2 DC into next stitch, join (6)

row 7: 1 chain, 2DC into each stitch, join (12)

row 8: 2 chain, 2 Treble into each stitch, join (24)

row 9: 2 chain, *2 treble, 1 treble* repeat around and join (36)

row 10: 1 chain, *2DC, 1DC into next 8* repeat around and join (40)

row 11: 2 chain, puff stitch into every second stitch – please youtube or google this

row 12-18: 2 chain, puff stitch into each space around and join.

row 19-20: 1 chain, DC around and join.

Tie off – I prefer to leave all ends long and use a darning needle to weave the ends in.

I also made this…

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This was a lovely jumper that had a couple of tears starting in the seams

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I cut off the sleeves as that is where the worse rips were

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and I took in the side seams, partly to help with the seam integrity and partly because it always was a bit of a floppy jumper

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a bit of hemming on the arm holes too

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very happy with the result and wore it to work a couple of times.

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It’s lovely quality, cotton and a little bit of glitter through the edges

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I also joined a crochet block swapping group!

I had been turned off by another I joined before I even started thanks to all the negative comments with people stating they had send heaps and only received a few back. No I don’t have time to make and send heaps and this group had nothing to control who sent to who for an even swap.

so I joined a once a month swap where you do not even need to participate each month and you are designated a partner. You can also suggest colour choices.

I chose blue, orange, silver and purple for my girl and was very happy with my squares!!

I made a pink and purple and a rainbow square for my partners and have eagerly joined up for a third! I also made one square myself so the resulting blanket has one square from Mummy (bottom right)

I’m worried my crocheting days are number.. well until next winter. today we had a 29C day, not bad for the 2nd week of spring! but I will soldier along! In fact I have purchased some cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills to stretch out my crocheting days for as long as possible!

Happy hooking!