Playing!

 The printer deadline for the book is looming so while I am keeping very busy with that for most of the time, there are still odd quiet moments when I can do very non-booky things. This little spotted guinea tailed squirrel is an example of a stolen few minutes here and there spent with Gypsona plaster bandages. So much fun.

And of course, who wouldn't want to spare another ten minutes experimenting with tulle and glitter. 

I hope you are managing to find the odd minute of creative freedom here and there. Sometimes it's good to remember that regular snippets of time add up!

Lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx

Caravan Progress...

 I am making very slow progress with this new caravan. I think it might be because the boys have only just gone back to school and and the week has been inundated with school excursions and 12 year old boys staying over, basketball, etc. This week is going to be the week of furiously happy crochet. It has been decided.

Have a happy Sunday!
Love Kate. xx

Caravanning...

 I love this stage when I am making a caravan - so many possibilities.

Lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Circus Friends

 Just starting to assemble a new menagerie of friends. I don't know that much about them yet but I do know that they perform at the same circus.

They haven't even told me their names yet. 

Lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Hungry!!!

Do you ever get to that point in the day where you are so hungry, you find yourself trapped at the computer unable to move. Lucky I have this ice cream on hand. It is full of fibre.

Love Kate. xxooxx.

Crochet Caravan Pattern News!

Thank you so much for all of your queries on the caravan pattern! Your comments have been so lovely and I am very happy to say that I have a book coming out in September which contains not only a pattern for the caravan, but also things like ice cream trucks, lakeside cabins, tents, teepees and canal boats! I have been lucky enough to have Kyle Books publish the book and at this stage it is provisionally called, "Camp Crochet: From Cabins to Caravans, Create Your Own Camping Scenes in Crochet".

 It is all very exciting but also exhausting. Yesterday was my deadline and wahoo, I made it!!!!!!

I was given the green light mid January so as you can imagine, crocheting and writing took place all hours of the day and night to get it finished. I have to admit that whenever anybody offered me any sympathy, I did have to say that it was secretly the most wonderful thing ever as it meant that I had to crochet my heart out. Things like dirty dishes and socks could slide into the periphery!

I can't wait to show you a few more sneaky peeks!

Lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx.
p.s. These photos are not official photos from the book - just ones I took from home before sending them off to the UK.

Yarny Days.

 Time is moving swiftly at the moment. Summer is quickly changing to Autumn and my big little Archie grew 1cm in 1 week. How does this happen? The roses are onto their last flush and the apples are plumping up in the orchard. 

This is actually my favourite time of the year, both boys were born in Autumn and the sudden cold mornings and clear skies fill me with such a nostalgia... of course it also means that two birthdays are looming and no presents have been purchased!

My days have been filled with endless crocheting and stitching (more on that another day) so I have been getting up early each morning for a walk. Some mornings the boys come with me - these mornings are the ones where I have to remind myself to walk slowly and enjoy the conversation. Other mornings it's just Bertie (our Border Collie) and myself enjoying/avoiding the fresh dairy farm smells that crop up here and there, barking at pheasants (just Bertie I swear) and trying to get a little bit of a pace up.

My ergonomically adjusted chair.

I've also been having a bit of a book festival. Lovely, easy reads have been making their way to my bedside table. I adored 'Garden Spells' by Sarah Addison Allen which was her first book written in 2007. 'First Frost' is a sequel and has only just been released - I loved it, truly a case of catching up with old friends. 

Susan Wiggs has also kept me very happy with her Bella Vista Chronicles. The first in the series is called 'The Apple Orchard' and the second, 'The Beekeeper's Ball'. Add a little bit of Tess Gerristsen to the mix and you have a nice balance!

And finally, some roses.

Lots and lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Hooked! - a Blog Hop Book Review.

Hurrah for today because I get to review 'Hooked! 40 whimsical crochet motifs from weird to wonderful' by Michelle Cecile and Sylvie Delprat. I am over the moon at being given this opportunity because I have been wanting to appliqué with crochet forever. 

 As you may know, I have a rating system where I count how many patterns I would make from the book. The number required for me to buy the book is variable. If the patterns are amazing then 3 projects would make it worthwhile. I also look at whether it would compliment my collection - this one would as I don't have anything on crochet motifs -the books available on this subject haven't been to my taste...... this one however breaks the drought. The styling alone with baby's breath, washi tape  and roses dotted with crochet, makes it a visual feast. And the projects are truly adorable as you can see from the photos.

I'm mad on the little hedghog. I can't wait to make bunting for Hugo with little hedgehogs along it. 

 And the rabbit patch is perfect for Easter.

 Wahoo - a project that Archie will want to make!

 I couldn't resist crocheting a cupcake. The pattern was simply written and very easy to do - always a good thing.

So here is what I made - perfect for the kitchen!

And now for the score, 30/44 which is fantastic. I am sure that when Archie comes home from school camp the score will go up when he chooses his favourites! 
And here are two more wonderful things.
 1. 'Hooked!' is on a book hop which means you can see other reviews and projects made from the book here.
2. There is a competition going on over at Stitch Craft Create where you can win a copy of the book and a lovely bundle of yarn!
Lots and lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

New Adventures.

 I think that I was a bit premature in my last post, announcing that I was back from holidays.... Back in the country yes, but about to head off to the beach for a couple of weeks. I really thought I would be able to fit in some blogging but I do find the whole process to be very difficult on my phone.

During that time I started on a couple of new projects which I will show you more of over the next couple of weeks. Let's just say that my vintage Playmobil collection is finally coming into its own.

The boys are back at school. Would you believe that school camps have also begun. Archie is away for the first couple of nights this week followed by Hugo at the end. It is quite nice to temporarily downsize the family after longish holidays isn't it. Cooking is that weeny bit easier and halving school lunch requirements - bliss.

Goodness me it is so good to be back.

See you tomorrow.

Love Kate. xxooxx.

Dipped Crochet Christmas Baubles!

 I've been meaning to play around with dipping crochet baubles in paint for a while but this year seems to be rapidly crawling away from me. Luckily this morning I've been working on some crafts to do with Hugo's class tomorrow and had some paint out to play with. I love how they have turned out - the pink one was actually made with spray paint and had some glad wrap masking taped around the top. I just wish that they were dry enough when I took the photo to squeeze them back into shape...

 I will definitely be doing some more of this!

Lots and lots of love,

Kate. 

p.s. Find my Christmas bauble pattern here!

My Little Friends.

We are a restless, relentless bunch of creative people aren't we - always shooting off in different directions and finding inspiration in the most unlikely of places. I feel so blessed to have a community of likeminded people meeting through our blogs. Can you imagine if we were all still isolated in our little spaces without having this connection together! 

I've recently started a new project, crocheting little costumes for vintage Playmobil people and photographing them as they go about their daily lives (they are very busy). I popped a couple of photos onto Instagram and would you believe that there is a whole universe doing similar things (but without the crochet)!

 "What's new pussycat...."

 I am so enjoying this project and the boys are too.

 Even the little figurines are getting into it - this guy went a bit overboard with his posing though....

 All the possibilities - it really is one of my favourite things to do.

These littlies are so excited about decorating the tree, hopefully the snow will subside long enough for them to get started.

Lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx.

How to Crochet an Advent Christmas Caravan!

 Welcome to the caravan park where things aren't quite as they seem......

Thank you so much to Black Sheep Wools for sponsoring this project with yarn and offering a discount on the yarns used to all Greedy for Colour readers (the code will be at the end). I've loved developing this pattern but it has involved a lot of work and time so I thank you for your patience! Still, there's plenty of weeks until Christmas so get your hooks out.

Who needs a new advent calendar when these Airstream caravans can hang from your Christmas tree? This is such an appropriate Christmas decoration in the southern hemisphere as our summer break happens during the festive season. The roads are choked with people tootling off to their holiday destinations towing campers, camper vans and caravans.

These caravans can also be filled to the brim with goodies. Up for it? Let's go.

Materials

1 x DMC Natura Just Cotton Bleu Layette 05

1 x DMC Natura Just Cotton Noir 11

1 x Twilley's Goldfingering Silver 5
2.5mm hook
1 small back bead
stuffing
1 button

1 x ice-cream container lid or similar flat plastic

Abbreviations
For this tutorial, all terms are U.K.
ch = chain
ss = slip stitch
dc = double crochet (single crochet in U.S. terms)
st/sts = stitch/stitches
yarn a = Bleu Layette
yarn b = Silver

yarn c = Noir

For the body

Make 2. 

Refer to the photos above.

This section is worked from side to side.

Row 1. Using yarn a, ch 2 then work 3dc into the 2nd ch from the hook (top left photo). Ch1, turn. (3)

Row 2. 2dc into each of the next 3sts. Ch1, turn. (6)

Row 3. *1dc into the first st then 2dc into the next st*. Repeat ** twice. Ch1, turn. (9)

Row 4. *1dc into each of the next 2sts then 2dc into the following st*. Repeat** twice. Ch1, turn. (12)

Row 5. *1dc into each of the next 3sts then 2dc into the following st*. Repeat** twice. Ch1, turn. (15)

Row 6. *1dc into each of the next 4sts then 2dc into the following st*. Repeat** twice. Ch1 but don’t turn. (18)

Row 7. Work 12dc across the semi-circle’s flat base. Ch1, turn (right photo). (12)

Rows 8-9. 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch1, turn. (12)

Row 10. 1dc into the first st, skip the next stitch. 1dc into each of the following 8sts then skip the next st. 1dc into the last st. Ch1, turn. (10)

Rows 11-12. 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch1, turn. (10)

Row 13. 1dc into the first st, skip the next stitch. 1dc into each of the following 6sts then skip the next st. 1dc into the last st. Ch1, but do not turn. (8)

Row 14. Work 30dc around the sides and arch (top photo). Do not include the flat base. Ch1, turn (middle left photo).

Rows 15-30 (16 rows). 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch1, turn.

Cut off yarn. 

Row 31. Count 7sts along the previous row worked. Reattach yarn and pull through the 7th st. Ch1, 1dc back into the same st (middle right photo). Work 1dc into each of the next 4sts then skip the following st. 1dc into each of the next 5 sts, then skip the 6th st. 1dc into each of the next 4sts then skip the following st. 1dc into the next st. Ch1, turn. (15)

Row 32. *1dc into each of the next 4sts then skip the following st*. Repeat** once more then 1dc into each of the following 3 sts. Skip the next st then 1dc into the following st. Ch1, turn. (12)

Row 33. *1dc into each of the next 3sts then skip the following st*. Repeat** once more then 1dc into each of the following 2 sts. Skip the next st then 1dc into the following st. Ch1, turn. (9)

Row 34. *1dc into each of the next 2sts then skip the following st*. Repeat** once more then 1dc into the next st. Skip the following st then 1dc into the following st. Ch1, turn. (6)

Row 35. *Skip the first st, then 1dc into the following st*. Repeat** twice. Ch1, turn. (3)

Row 36. Ss into the last st. 

Cut yarn. 

Row 37. Return to the first st of the last row and reattach yarn. Ch1 and work 1dc back into the same st (bottom right photo). Work 11dc across the base of the semi-circle. Ch1, turn. (12)

Rows 38-39. 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch1, turn. (12)

Row 40. Work 1dc into the first st, skip the next stitch. 1dc into each of the following 8sts then skip the next st. 1dc into the last st. Ch1, turn. (10)

Rows 41-42. 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch1, turn. (10)

Row 43. Work 1dc into the first st, skip the next stitch. 1dc into each of the following 6sts then skip the next st. 1dc into the last st.  (8)

 Cut yarn leaving a long tail to stitch down the 2 sides.

For the Door
The door is worked from side to side until the final round.
Row 1. Using yarn a, ch 2 then work 3dc into the 2nd ch from the hook. Ch1, turn. (3)
Row 2. Work 2dc into each of the next 3sts. Ch1, but do not turn. (6)
Row 3. Work 4dc across the semi-circle’s flat base (top right photo). Ch1, turn. (4)
Rows 4-6 (3rows). 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Ch 1, turn. (4)
Row 7. 1dc into every st until the end of the row. Bind off. (4)
Round 1. Using yarn b and starting at the bottom right hand corner of the flat base, ch1 then 1dc back into the same st (top right photo). Work 1dc into each of the next 2sts then 1dc into the corner st. Ch1 then work 1dc back into the same st. Work 4dc up the side until the arch is reached. *1dc into the next st, then 2dc into the following st*. Repeat** twice. Work 4dc down the side then 1dc into the corner. Ch1, then ss back into the first dc of the round.
Bind off.
Stitch a small black bead on for a door handle (bottom left photo).

For the Window

Using yarn b, ch2 then work 3dc into the 2nd ch form the hook. Continuing to work into the 2nd ch, ch1, then 3dc, ch1 then 3dc, ch1 then another 3dc (top left photo). Ch1 then ss back into the first dc made (bottom left photo). Cut yarn. Pull on the tail leftover from the primary ch to tighten the central hole (top right photo). Tie the 2 tails together then snip one very short, leaving the other to stitch the window to the caravan.

For the Wheels

Make 3. 

The wheels are made in continuous, spiraling rounds.

Round 1. Using yarn b, ch2 then work 4dc into the 2nd ch from the hook. Ss back into the first dc. (4) Cut yarn

Round 2. Change to yarn c. Ch1 then 1dc into the same st. 2dc into the next 4sts then ss back into the first dc. (9)

Bind off.

To Assemble

Stuff one of the bodies to give the caravan a temporary shape. Pin on the window, door and wheels then un-stuff and stitch on. 

For the Numbers

Cut a 60cm length of yarn c and then gently separate out 3 strands to crochet with. Leaving a 22cm tail, ch15 then bind off. Pin to the caravan in the number's shape and stitch on. n.b. Some numbers such as '1' may need less then 15ch.

To Assemble

Carefully insert the inner body into the outer body so that they line up and then pin. This stage requires a bit of jiggling and stretching (think of a pair jeans one size too small), stay strong - they will come together. Stitch around the base of the two bodies.

For the Base
The base is worked in continuous, spiraling rounds.
Round 1. Using yarn a, ch 2 then work 6dc into the 2nd ch from the hook. Ss back into the first dc. (6)
Round 2. 2dc into every st until the end of the round. (12)
Round 3. *1dc into the first st, then 2dc into the next st*. Repeat ** until the end of the round. (18)
Rounds 4-18 (15 rounds). 1dc into every st until the end of the round. (18)

Pressing the base flat, trace around the shape made onto a piece of paper. 2 more rounds will be crocheted on the base so flip it around on your template to mirror the shape on the other end. Cut out the paper template shaving off an approximate 2-3mm so that it will fit inside the base. Place paper on plastic and cut out the plastic base Insert the plastic base into the crochet base then complete the following two rounds.

Round 19. *1dc into each of the next 2sts then skip the following st*. Repeat ** until the end of the round. (12)
Round 20. *1dc into the first st then skip the next st*. Repeat ** until the end of the round. (6). 
Bind off.

To Assemble

Stuff the body then insert the base making sure it rests just below the lip of the body (top photo). Pin into place then sew one side of the base and the body together (bottom photo). 

For the Button Loop

Using yarn a, ch14. Bind off leaving a decent tail at either end and stitch it to the open edge of the body. With a pin, mark out the best spot for a button (left photo) and then stitch the button on. 

For the Draw Bar

Using yarn a, ch10. Bind off leaving a decent tail at either end and stitch it to the front of the caravan (bottom right photo).

Thread a 15cm loop of yarn c through both layers of the roof. 

Fill with stuffing, spray liberally and leave in a warm place to dry overnight. 

Fill with the most wonderful goodies and dot them about the tree to be found each day throughout Advent.

 The boys are quite keen on this project..... hmmmmm.

Or you could make an apartment building of caravans. Imagine the tiny ladders reaching up to the top story. Even more fun than a caravan park!

I hope you are braver than me and begin with a caravan marked '1'. I'm making mine backwards this year so I know that there will be something on Christmas morning!

Black Sheep Wools have been amazing as they gave me carte blanche to choose my materials. I have an absolute passion for DMC Natura Just Cotton and Twilley's Goldfingering, so it was an absolute joy to discover that they stocked them. The cotton gives a natural stiffness to the project and comes in the most wonderful colours and the Twilley's Goldfingering has long been a favourite since I first used it for making the Christmas bauble pattern. 

Here are some other colours I used in this project: 

Twilley's Goldfingering Antique Gold 4

DM Naura Just Cotton in the following colours -

Geranium 52

Aguamarina 25

Golden Lemon 43

Thank you so much Black Sheep Wools, it has been so much fun to work with you and an especially big thank you to Lesley whose idea it was to embroider numbers onto the caravans' side.

And now for the code!!! Type GREEDY14 at Black Sheep Wool's check out and it will give you a 10% discount on all shades of DMC Natura Just Cotton and Twilley's Goldfingering from today until the 24th November. 

Have fun, love Kate xxooxx.