Monday 7 September 2015

Bloggy chums

Happy Monday dear friends and readers!
And how happy and cheerful are these beautiful bright flowers - just a supermarket bunch - purchased mainly because I loved the colours but also as there is a decorative (if slightly out of focus) strawberry in there. Well, why not I suppose, ekeing out the last remnants of summer :) 


Today I am counting myself very lucky as one of my "readers" now most definitely falls into the "friends" category, not that she wasn't a friend before, but today we managed to meet up In Real Life :) The gorgeous Amy from lovemademyhome (http://lovemademyhome.blogspot.co.uk) and I spent a very very lovely couple of hours this morning drinking coffee and chatting about craft pursuits and life in general. Oh the joy of talking to a fellow crafty soul who understands the need to buy yarn on a frequent basis. Amy, you are a woman after my own heart, and I hope we have lots of coffee yet to drink together :)


We both wore crochet brooches so we'd recognise each other and because, well, that's how we crocheters like to rock. Amazingly I didn't possess a crochet brooch (I know!! Shocker!!) so I whipped up a little flower last night, its a combo of the Twirl Center Rose from Suzann Thompson's "Crochet Garden" (divine book, highly recommend) and the leaf from the originally titled "Brooch" pattern in Nicki Trench's "Cute and Easy Crochet With Flowers (again divine, again highly recommend).


Yes I know there are probably similar patterns all over Ravelry, Pinterest and the rest of the internet, but I have to justify having the books somehow! I do like crocheting flowers, never mind cute and easy, I like the fact they are quick and easy.

The backdrop (that's stretching a bit really, it's just what was next to me on the sofa) to the book photo above is my current manic crochet project. As you probably know I'm a last-minute kinda gal, I work best to a deadline. (Actually I work best after a deadline.)



Anyway, my current manic project is a blanket for my neighbour's baby. I've known since about May that the baby was due in August and that it was a girl, but of course the blanket isn't quite finished and the baby is now 10 days old. She is scrumptious by the way, I went round to meet her on the weekend, and she is mostly laying on Mum's tummy still feeding 24/7 so I don't suppose there's any urgency for the blanket.



My colour choices were inspired by this image:



It's the title bar from a blog and irritatingly I can't remember which blog, but whichever blog it is - thankyou thankyou - I love the colour combo and I unashamedly totally copied it, and I hope you don't mind!

As you can see it's a ripple, my first ripple, and I'm loving it :) I'm using the "Wave Stitch Chair Runner" wave/ripple pattern from the Mollie Makes Crochet book (whoop - getting lots of value out of the crochet books at the minute).


Why have I not rippled before (or waved come to that)?? It's super easy and gives such a lovely textured effect. I see a huge big massive ripple blanket in my not too distant future for ourselves at home :) Can't wait to choose colours for that!

Bye for now,
Jillxxxx

23 comments:

  1. What a delightful post.. meeting blog friends in "real life" and crochet flowers and ripple and new babies! I can't wait to see you baby blanket finished.. might you wrap it around it's baby and take a photo to share? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  2. Your ripple is so pretty. What a lucky baby girl!

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  3. it is always wonderful to meet up with bloggers...........people that get what you do.........understand fabric and yarn addictions.........I hope you enjoy many more coffee times together..........

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  4. So glad you had a good visit with Amy, Jill! Your flowers and stitching are inspiring! Thanks for posting :) xx

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  5. Oooh lucky you, you've met Amy !! I follow her blog, she seems such a sweet person - and a very interesting one !!
    Haha, I can imagine the two of you, each wearing a crocheted brooch, looking around anxiously to find eachother :-). Almost sounds like a blind date (well, it was, wasn't it :-))))
    Ps the brooch is cute - and so is the blanky !!

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  6. How wonderful to meet a fellow blogger, I am a fan of her blog too. Love the ripple baby blanket I did my first one a couple of weeks ago and plan to make a throw for the sofa when I am not so busy with other things.

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  7. That's great for a first ripple. I made my first ripple scarf recently and can see how it could become addictive.

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  8. I don't own a crochet brooche! There's me thinking. The baby blanket looks lovely, I am sure it will be well loved. x

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  9. It was so great to meet you finally Jill!!! I loved it, you are so lovely and I hope that we will do it again. You are so right that it is so nice to talk to someone who gets yarny things isn't it!!! I loved the blanket and I can confirm everyone that it just as gorgeous in person as it appears in these photos!!! Thank you for a great time yesterday!!! xx

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  10. Lovely ripple and nice to meet a fellow yarnie:)

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  11. Ripple is gorgeous! I am desperate for a good afternoon free from interruptions to photograph mine and post it. You will tell us when you choose the colours for your big blanket, won't you?

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  12. Oh I'm so jealous Jill! I would love to meet both of you - and how fun to be in proximity enough to get the change to see each other. It just made my day to read this and think about such a lovely pow wow together.

    One day I hope to "speak" crochet and knitting. ::sigh:: Too many things I'd like to learn and too little time! The ripple is so pretty! I'm amazed by the talents of both of you Gals.

    Blessings xoxo

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  13. Finally meeting blog friends is wonderful! It is so good to put a face to a blog if you know what I mean :-) Great idea about crochet flowers to identify each other . The baby blanket is gorgeous and like yourself I so love rippling. They just flow!

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  14. I love meeting my blog friends! I'm so glad you were able to meet with Amy. Wouldn't it be nice to have all of us together in one space? Can you just imagine what passersby would think? Your blanket is lovely and will be so welcome by a new little one.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  15. I am so happy for you and Amy! It is so wonderful to meet yarn loving friends! I was lucky enough to meet one of my blogging friends in Canada last year and we had such a great time!

    The new blanket looks stunning - the color combo is awesome!

    Take care
    Anne
    Crochet Between Worlds

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  16. How lovely you got to meet up with Amy. She is one of my fave bloggers. Great blanket, you have done well to get it almost done. It looks lovely. Our friends are having their first child in about 4 weeks time and I haven't even started making anything yet. Really got to get my skates on big time.

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  17. How wonderful to meet the lovely Amy and being able to talk the language of craft and other things. Your ripple is gorgeous and that is what got me back into crocheting after "many" years of not touching a hook. I made 2 and now like to have something 'hooky' on the go that is easy as I'm watching TV at night. Take care.

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  18. How great to meet up with another blogger Jill .... & a likeminded one at that. Your crochet brooch that you made is just beautiful. As are your cowls you have been doing. I am SO envious of your beautiful crochet ... one day - when my head is clearer - I hope to try to learn to crochet, Have a great week Jill x x x

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  19. How great to meet up with another blogger Jill .... & a likeminded one at that. Your crochet brooch that you made is just beautiful. As are your cowls you have been doing. I am SO envious of your beautiful crochet ... one day - when my head is clearer - I hope to try to learn to crochet, Have a great week Jill x x x

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  20. Two of my very favorite bloggers meeting up! I can hardly believe it, you must have had the best time. So excited for both of you. Love your blanket, very fun.

    Enjoy your week,
    Meredith

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  21. What fun to meet a fellow blogger! Love your crochet brooch as a means of identification! X

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  22. How lovely to be able to meet up in person. And I think you should be making some of those crochet flower brooches to sell as well as the sewing jars.

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  23. How lovely to be able to meet up in person. And I think you should be making some of those crochet flower brooches to sell as well as the sewing jars.

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Thankyou so much for visiting, and for taking the time to leave me a comment :) I really really love getting little messages, I read and value every single one, so thankyou again, and have a great day :)
Jillxxxxx