Makings - Two new projects for the new year

The first of my current makes is, of course, a crochet one.

It has a little back story too. Don't worry, just a little one.

You see, my husband's sister does not like to go shopping very much at all. When birthdays and Christmas come around she likes us to send her a link with what we would like and then all she has to do is click on it, pay for it and wait for it to be delivered!

I like to be surprised by presents though, and am not too keen on just asking for something. Since there was nothing I really needed anyway, I decided to ask for some yarn. I discovered that the Wool Warehouse sell yarn in the different colour combinations used by Lucy from Attic 24. I emailed the link to my three favourite colour packs and told my sister in law that she could choose which one. Then I still got the surprise.

She chose well as it was actually my favourite option that she bought - the colours for Lucy's Cosy Crochet Along that she did in November/December.

There is a really detailed tutorial here if anyone is interested in making one of these blankets, full of pictures that would really help a beginner out.

It's such a simple pattern and has an almost soothing rhythm to it as you work along the rows. Once the first couple of colours are done you don't really need to think about what you are doing any more and so it's the perfect sort of project to work on when your attention is also needed elsewhere - as mine almost always is!

The colours in it are so beautiful too. I love the richness of them and can see why it was called the 'cosy' blanket.

Here it is alongside an assortment of Alasdair's superheroes and Fraser, who was just waiting to crawl right over the blanket!

See?

Hi mam!

Aren't these colours such a delight? 

Perfect to work on and add some cheer to the greyness of midwinter. 

I'm planning to keep this blanket in the living room for us all to snuggle under on cold days and evenings while watching a movie or reading together.

My second project that I have on the go at the moment is one that will last all year.

Across on Instagram I came across the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, who design cute cross stitch patterns. Last year they had a year long 'Once upon a Time Sampler' which was how I first heard about them. Each month they released a new part of the sampler, a new nursery rhyme for each month of the year, and I loved seeing everyone's samplers grow.

This year their year long sampler is based on Classic books and I knew I wanted to join in.

Long before I began to crochet, in fact when I was about the age James is now, cross stitch was my big craft love. 

This month's book is Alice in Wonderland and this is my progress so far, although this is only a couple of days worth and I haven't worked on it nearly as long as I have on my blanket!

I didn't trust my counting from the middle to the top right where the first month is so i worked my way up by stitching the parts of the frames that go up from the middle, if that makes sense!

Unlike my crochet blanket, this is not the sort of project I can work on when there are distractions around!

Still, it's going to look so pretty when it's finished. 

And the fact that it is only a month at a time makes it so much more manageable than getting the whole pattern at once!

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