Birthday Bunny

it was my nieces birthday last week, she was 6 and as I have a house full of boys I always enjoy making something a little bit more girly for her.

So in this issue of Simply Crochet they had a pattern for a gorgeous bunny

So I decided to give it a go.

It is crocheted in a spiral and is all piece work

I dug out a stitch marker and away I went, first the body...

It's starting to look like a bowl

This really shows the spiral pattern

It looks more like a pear now...

The ear

2 arms and 2 legs, legs have more stuffing but the pattern is exactly the same

I have already attached the ears and have started to embroider the face (not my strong point)

pink nose

attaching the head to the body

 Ta Dah!

But to take her out of the clutches of my son, I had to add a flower

So My bunny v magazine bunny...can you tell them apart??

   

I was very pleased with it and so it would seem was my little niece 

house warming gift

A friend moved house recently so I made a quick gift for her daughters new room. I bought a cardboard letter just like the one I decorated in cartoons for the boys last year but this time covered it in wool...

Wool and glue gun on the ends

then just wrap the wool round

2nd end

don't forget the middle

other ends

finished.

A great way to use up odds and ends of wool and Holly loved it.

Where has the time gone?

Well I can't believe today is November 1st. I really don't know where this year has gone.

Last time I wrote we were heading off to Dorset for a few weeks & I was looking forward to starting Hilo, the beautiful crochet shawl by Joanne Scrace.

I used the same as the pattern Fyberspates Scrumptious a 4ply sport 55% superwash merino 45% silk

in the shade Water and a 4mm hook.

It really is gorgeous and feels so soft definitely worth the £15 a skein price tag.

But I wasn't very careful when I came to unravel the yarn

This gave me a headache before I even started but my children weren't very keen to hold the wool as I had been for my mother.

I did a gauge

And was ready to go

Although it looks complicated its actually quite simple and has a lovely rhythm to it that makes it quite meditative.

A closer look at the pattern

The pattern naturally decreased as you went

I finished it quite quickly but it seemed a bit small so I took it apart and started again with a 5mm hook as I know I knit/crochet on the smaller side. It didn't take long to finish

up close

So now I need to 'aggressively block' according to the pattern so I tweeted Joanne who very kindly replied straight away

Joanne has a blog called Not so Granny and the next day a blog appeared all about blocking. It looked like I was going to need a blocking kit so I sent away for a set of non rusting wires and pins. However I am yet to block this as I need space to leave the shawl out to dry flat and at the moment I don't have the space which is a shame as I really want to wear my shawl.

Left unfinished

So what else have I left unfinished?

I also took on holiday the knitted and crocheted jumper that I took to the finishing course back in February.

As I had already sewn the body together I decided to have a go at the crochet pattern.

It looks ok to me so I carry on

3 rows in

looking alright!

I'm rather pleased with this so I do the other sleeve.

However I need now to do the neckline which requires time and concentration so I'm afraid the jumper is back in the bag......