3 years old!

What a busy busy four weeks we've had here! Robyn turned 3 this week, can you believe it!?! The pictures of her parties (she had 3!) are all on OH's phone and he's currently in Singapore so I'll have to share them later. The above pic was taken a couple of weeks ago when she actually asked me to take one of her (a real rarity!!)

I do have a rather cute picture to share with you that was taken the day after Robyn's Birthday and I think it's probably her favourite "present" - a picture of her little sister!

We had our 20 week scan and all is well, it's hard to believe we're already half-way through! At least I now know that I can start making some girlie themed blankets etc but they will have to wait until after Christmas as I have 2 blankets to make for Robyn and a fair few other things to sew and crochet in the next 5 weeks or so!

It's about to chuck it down with rain here so we're snuggling down with the Wishing Chair DVD and I'm going to get on with blanket stitching some applique for Robyn's Christmas quilt, I'll share some pics soon!

2 months!

Really, it's been 2 months since I posted?! Wow....

Well I guess I do really have an excuse, I've been really busy and worn out making this little bean:

We're all very excited, none more so than Robyn who wants her baby brother or sister to come out *soon*!!! So the fatigue has really hit my creativity, although now I'm 15 weeks along the tiredness seems to be fading and I have finally finished my crochet along shawl:

I really enjoyed making this, especially as it's the most complex pattern I've tried and I did it by following the chart rather than the written pattern! It's called the Elise Shawl and you can find it on Ravelry

I have a few festive makes to turn my attention to now, then once Christmas has been I'll be making baby things! We have our second scan in about a month and we hope to be able to find out baby's gender, so I should be able to colour co-ordinate my new makes! I'll have until Easter as my due date is Saturday 7th, which is Easter Weekend.... and no we won't be calling baby "Jesus"!

I hope to be in a much more creative mood now and get back into visiting my bloggy friends, I've missed you all but have been too pooped to pop by!

Crochet catch up

Wow, 4 weeks and no blogging feels like longer to be honest!

It's the summer holidays here which doesn't effect us too much to be honest, the local sure start centre runs a summer programme for toddlers so we have things to keep us busy. Some sessions are better than others... Robyn particularly loves the crafty fun ones, the messier the better!

I've been crocheting up a storm, 2 friends have had babies so I've made 2 ripple blankets:

I'm also very nearly finished a wrap in soft grey for me to wear at a wedding we're going to next month. This is an early WIP picture, it's much, much bigger now!!

My other crochet project is an Elise Shawl which I'm doing as part of a CAL (crochet along) on Ravelry. For the first time *ever* I'm following a crochet chart and for this particular pattern it's much easier for me to follow than the text pattern! As above this has grown significantly since I took this picture (you'll have to excuse the shoddy quality of this shot it was taken on my phone!)

OH and I are off to the Olympic Park in Stratford this week for the test Basketball games! Will be great to see the Park up close rather than in passing on the train, can't wait! Other than that not much planned here other than keeping Robyn occupied which is easier said than done let me tell you.. in September she will be starting playschool twice a week and I really think she's ready for it now!!

Crochet creations

I've taken this rare opportunity afforded to me by Robyn having a nap (not something she's done regularly since November 2010) to create a photo mosaic of my crochet creations. I just wanted to be able to see them altogether in a Pinterest* stylee to see if I had a specific style or colour fondness. I'm not sure that I do! As with most of my life I seem to be rather eclectic in my tastes! For example a playlist I created on my ipod recently feature David Bowie, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, Take That, Robbie Williams (well th

at had to happen seeing as I was lucky enough to get a ticket for their recent Wembley gig!), the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, songs from the Glee soundtracks, Michael Jackson, Guns n Roses... etc etc etc!!

I should be trying to finish this crochet ripple blanket, as I started it last week for a friend who was rather heavily pregnant, now she's a Mummy to a little baby girl so I'd like to get it finished asap. I'm still a little worried that it seems a bit "boy-ish" in colour, despite the lovely peeps on Ravelry saying otherwise. I'm thinking that a yellow shell border or a crocheted daisy may girly-fy it a bit!!! But first I think I need to wake Sleeping Beauty so we can have some lunch, it's almost 2pm!!

*Pinterest - a great web/mobile app to create virtual pinboa

rds of all the great inspiration you find around the net. I've already made a couple of foodie items found there and employed a couple of household tips too. It's fab!!

Fellow yarn lovers can find me on Ravlery under the user name traceychorley, I look forward to seeing you there!

Poncho reveal!

So last night I finished off Robyn's poncho and I couldn't be more chuffed with it! She was a bit stand-offish about this morning but did give in an model it a bit earlier for me. I'll have to get better pictures of that tomorrow as a) she was shattered after 2 hours in the park and looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, and b) the picture is on my ipod and I can't figure out how to add it here!!

Anyway all I can say is that this pattern was a doddle to follow, the first time I've used just a chart and I think I may well make some more as gifts. I added a cord on my mum's advice as the head opening was a little big (I made it that way as I knew Robyn wouldn't wear it if it were too tight and also want the poncho to last!!!) and I think I'll crochet up a couple of flowers to add to the end of the cord, once that's done I'll post a few pics of Robyn wearing it!
Unfortunately I now have to spend this evening ironing as I've done nothing all week as I've been hooking up a storm! Oh well, no rest for the wicked!

Thanks again to Le Monde de Sucrette for the pattern.

Poncho love

I know it may seem crazy, it's the hottest day of the year by a long long way yet I've been crocheting a poncho for Robyn! Oh well, it will probably be freezing cold again next week!

I think we only need 3 or 4 more rounds and a shell border before it's done. I've loved it from the first round and thankfully so has Robyn. The neck is a little wide than it probably normal but I know Robyn will hate it if it's too tight, also we should get more wear out of it this way.

I found the pattern on ravelry, it's from Le Monde de Sucrette

Granny lap blanket

Just before I settle down to watch the Monaco Grand Prix and carry on hooking up a sun hat for Robyn I thought I'd share this blanket that I finished earlier this week as a present for a friend's birthday:I made it using yarn I had in my stash, 16 5-round granny squares and 4 larger squares called Willow which I got from 200 Crochet Blocks. It's a truly fabulous book and I urge anyone who loves crocheting blocks to look into it, I borrowed it from my sister when I started crocheting earlier this year and when she asked for it back I really missed it!