WOYWW 762 Cowl crochet and colours

Hi all, I hope you’re keeping well and warm. It’s freezing in Kent this week (not on a North American scale but cold for us.)

I’m re-reading Bill Bryson’s wonderful Notes from a Small Island at the moment and he reminded me: “A blizzard is when you can’t get your front door open. Drifts are things that make you lose your car till spring. Cold weather is when you leave part of your flesh on doorknobs.” 

I know, Bill, but I feel cold, apart from when I’m helpless with laughter at your antics in a Dover guesthouse or at you drunkenly trying to get back through a revolving door into the Adelphi in Liverpool. 

My cowl is progressing and I like the variegated purple against the green, as well as the lighter border. 

Bella is helping me, here, while Gracie practices radiator worship. 

I’m getting ready for my watercolour class, which starts on Thursday. 

I’ve had a list of which colours and brushes to bring, but there are a few extras in the tin of tubes, just in case!

And finally…

Stay well and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

 

WOYWW 761 Happy New Year!

Hi all, I wish you all an amazing new year, full of good health, wellbeing and great creativity, as Neil Gaiman says:

Well, I struggled and struggled with that horrible sorry cowl pattern and eventually decided I just wasn’t enjoying it so I’ve learned a new stitch, and have started a different one an American pattern from:Crocheted simplicity

I’ll get round to undoing all these dotty cowl bits at some point. 

There are more important things to do than struggle with such badly written patterns. 

Gracie and Bella send you purrs but they’re virtually hibernating at the mo!

And finally…

Take care all and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xxx

WOYWW 760 Brain twisters and Christmas

Hi all, I hope you had a great Christmas. It was just us two and the cats, a haunch of wild boar, some good French wine, B’s mince pies and my Christmas cake. 

 I finished B’s slipover so it became a Christmas present, switched with his birthday present for the end of January. 

I had some excellent crafty presents:

Crochet hooks from Henryetta’s Hooks

An alpaca wool bag

And a curious but useful wool holder, as well as jewellery and clothes. 

I set myself a right brain twister for Twixtmas. 

This cowl looks so pretty. It’s a double sided crochet, worked on both sides alternately. I thought it would be nicely intricate. 

I treated myself to some fancy Uruguayan 4ply yarn ( my annual present to myself in memory of my Mum) and set to. The trick I’d learned for not twisting a long chain came in handy:

avoid twisting crochet chains 

Rows 1 and 2 were ok, but then came the dreaded row 3. There are even blogs about how horrendous it is. https://cup-of-stitches.blogspot.com/2019/07/dotty-cowl-free-pattern-and-tutorial.html?m=1.  It is quite the worst-written pattern I’ve ever tried. 

I think I eventually got through row 3 and am now on my um 5th try at row 4! The trouble is that those who’ve succeeded have made a beautiful cowl. It’s not going to beat me 😡.  Bella’s helping 😻

Bella and Gracie had catnip mice for Crispmouse and really like them. 

I haven’t managed to snap Gracie with one yet, but they both wish you all happy Crispmouse and all the best for the new year. 

And finally…

A happy and healthy new year to you all, 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 759 Happy Christmas

Hi all, I hope you’re warm and well. I’d like to wish you all a merry Christmas and all the best for a happy and healthy new year. 

Brian’s slipover is nearly done. It’s for his birthday in January. This is the front. I’ve just the neck and arm borders to do. He’s not keen on having his photo taken 😘

My Christmas tree is up and it’s like welcoming old friends back. The fairy is as old as I am:

Our LLJ made the Christmas puddings for me

This lovely cracker was made by my friend Paula

This bird came from our friend, Liz with our card this year. 

We had a nice Xmas party with my writing group and partners, plenty of food and drink, with Xmas themed stories. 

Bella and Gracie send purrs to you all and hope you have many crunchy mice in your midwinter feasts. 😻😻

And finally…

See…😹😹

Merry Xmas and happy WOYWW 

Hugs 

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 758 books, logs and crochet.

Hi all, 

I hope you’re all well? I’m coughing still but I’m ok. On Sunday we had a good day selling my book, A Sense for Silver at Elham Christmas fair. I shared a stall with my friend, Kate, from my writing group. Her book is about our village and is a time slip novel between Saxon times and now, called the Garnet brooch. 

There have been some nice wreaths about, this year. I bought these two from our local farm shop:

My rusty jumper is growing, with Gracie’s help. 

And with Bella’s help, showing my zebrano crochet hook. 

Bella and Gracie send purrs to you all! 

On Monday we had a 3m cube log delivery. The lorry can only tip the logs into the middle of the drive so we then have to move it over to the logstore. It took us about 3 hours - our muscles are still complaining!

Here, we’d nearly finished. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xxx

WOYWW 757 Nostepinnes and old WIPs

Hi, I haven’t a lot of craft to show this week. I unearthed another forgotten WIP and had to do detective work to find which stitch and hook size I’d used. 

The colour of this is much brighter and nicer in daylight!

I’ve bought some stitch counters with hook sizes and stitches since from Jessies Crafty Hands on Facebook to help in the future with picking up older WIPs: 

A few people asked about my Nostepinne last week. It’s a traditional Norwegian tool (now, now LLJ, no sniggering at the back!) used for winding wool. Traditionally, a young man would make one for his beloved to show his woodworking skills. I get them from Les Smith who turns short ones for me. Details in http://lynnecrafts.blogspot.com/2022/08/woyww-689-tizzy-home.html?m=1

 We had a good day at Wye craft market on Sunday but I presume it’s there or a supermarket in Maidstone where caught my rotten cold, sniff, sniff, atchoo!🤧

I was so glad to see Lindart and Susan Renshaw saying they’d bought my book last week. I’m fascinated to understand how sales outside the UK work. Did you buy the ebook or paperback, and from where please?

Remember, all (good 😉) Amazon reviews of A Sense for Silver are welcome! Here’s the UK link: A Sense for Silver: 1 (The Ellyn Boswell Paris silversmith series)
A Sense for Silver

Gracie and Bella send purrs to you all and ask if you can stop their Hoomum from making these nasty sneezy noises that make them jump off her lap. 

I’ll be commenting late tomorrow as I’ve a hospital appointment and then B has the dentist, all in Canterbury.  In the meantime, I hope you all stay safe, well and warm. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx