Blankets for babies

As some of you may remember a little while ago, one of my friends asked for my help in making some baby blankets for the neonatal unit at our local hospital. I did make one and really enjoyed doing it but unfortunately wasn't able to keep purchasing lots of wool to continue making them.

This being said I decided this week that I really should try to make some more as this is such a fantastic cause. I know how much these little blankets can mean to people. I had a thought earlier this week to see if any of my colleagues at work would be able to help me out with this. Obviously the best outcome would be if anyone was able to make a blanket themselves, however having spoken to a lot of people that I work with, I knew that it could be quite likely that some of them would have a stash of wool buried somewhere at the bottom of a cupboard that they would either never find the time or never be bothered enough to actually do anything with themselves.

I put a notice up on the board at work yesterday and already today one of my colleagues had found this amazing stash somewhere at home (probably like I said buried at the bottom of a cupboard unlikely to ever see the light of day again).

I will try to make a couple of blankets out of this and will post again once I have done. I love the colours - proper traditional baby colours. I think if I add some white to the blue then this will be perfect for a little boy and the pink and yellow together could be really pretty. Something flower-y maybe... we'll see. I'll post again once these are made.

If anyone would like to donate a blanket or the wool to make one to me then any donations will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you need any more information.

Blanket almost finished and my first attempt at blocking

Ok so this week has again been pretty busy - I have an exam tomorrow so I have been panicking about that and trying to frantically revise/learn what I need to know for that. I am on a revision/study day from work today and have just attempted my first practice exam for the day so I thought I'd have a few minutes break and write to you.

It's amazing how much you get done when you're trying to avoid revision (joking!!!) although revising during a bank holiday weekend does make you appreciate the moments that you have that aren't filled with working still. This means that I actually finally got around to blocking my first garment. This is it all pinned out and sprayed with water.

I'm not sure how well it worked really because it really doesn't look a lot different now that it has dried but hey I tried. Not too sure what I've done wrong really - any suggestions anyone? I will try to sew it together sometime soon and see what it looks like - I'm sure that it will be fine.

The avoidance of revision does also mean that I have cracked on quite nicely with my blanket for the living room.

 This is from when I had finished my final row with the red colour - I didn't do too badly - this is what remains from one ball of the red. There should be similar amounts of the other colours used in the blanket (apart from the beige of course as this has far more repeats I have used a few balls of this).

 Looking good - almost the right length for the sofa - it will definitely be the right length with once the final rainbow is complete.

Very snuggly - this was my this morning before I started revising. I have finished the orange now and almost the yellow. I really want to go and do some more now and get it done but I must crack on with my revision.

I have been speaking with my hubby over the weekend and have been thinking about setting up a little shop online selling bits that I make - I would love to make more crocheted and knitted items for people. I would love to make another of these blankets (in the same ripple design, granny squares or any other design really) but don't have the need or space for lots of blankets everywhere - maybe one more for myself in my crafty room but that's about it so if anyone would like me to make them anything then as long as I can find (or make up) a pattern for the design you want then please let me know. Blankets can be made in any size, any colours and pretty much any pattern that you would like so please let me know. If you have any specific requests or would like a price for anything then please email me: happyhenlowcrafts@gmail.com. I will be making some things and setting up a website shortly to start selling them (maybe towards the end of the year) but if anyone would like anything custom before then then please let me know. I would much rather make things to order than make things to sell and them never be in quite the right colours or styles for anyone.

2 rainbows, 2 Birthday cards and 2 Crafty Creatives boxes

It's a blog of 2's today.

I've had an absolutely lovely weekend with family - yesterday we went to my hubby's Aunt and Uncle's house who have a hot tup. It was amazingly relaxing - I don't remember the last time I've felt that  chilled out. We had a lovely BBQ for lunch - eaten inside as it wasn't too warm but lovely all the same. Then we got to use their hot tub that they have in their garden. It's lovely - so relaxing I was almost asleep on the way home.

This has meant that I didn't really want to do anything last night or today for that matter so as there was very little that HAD to be done today - I really haven't done anything. I've spent most of my day on the sofa crocheting and catching up on Saturday night TV that we had recorded over the last few weeks. This has meant that last night I got as far as finishing 2 rainbows of my blanket and it covering half way along the sofa:

And today I have spent most of my time sewing in the loose ends to neaten it up a bit. I have also got a few more rows done.

The only thing that I'm not too sure about with this is how's best to finish it. If anyone has any ideas of edging's that would look good then please let me know. Otherwise I think this will be a hunt the internet kind of a job at some point when the blanket is finished (apart from the edge).

I have also got two more Birthday cards to show you today. The first is one of the recycled ones that I made a few weeks ago - unfortunately this was found by my husband in the bedroom decorating and therefore I had to own up to the fact that it was going to be for him. It has now gone to a good home instead - my hubby's Nanna who's birthday it is shortly.

This one was also made in the last week - one for my hubby's friend. It's one of the classic design that you have seen before with one of the flippin' men images on it. There is a funny story behind the reason why this one was made and given but we won't go into that today!

I have also gotten really behind with showing you my latest deliveries from Crafty Creative - one of the two most recent boxes I absolutely love and the other I'm a lot less bothered about as it really isn't very me but maybe one day I will be able to make a gift for someone with the things I received.

Last month the theme of the box was Blue. No prizes for guessing that this was the box that I really liked. This box came as always with the art card that tells you the contents of the box. I love the wintery scene.

 This also included: Felt balls form Nepal, two bluebird pendants - one day I will attempt to make some jewellery, glitter and seed beads (the tall tubes in the middle of the next picture), a mini blank canvas - oh so sweet but I am not sure if I will ever pluck up the courage to put brush to canvas as I have never been known for my arty abilities, 3 pot of acrylic paint - the colours you can see below in varying shades of blue. Again I love these and when I get the courage it will be great to have a play but I have never really enjoyed the whole painting thing. A selection of tiny blue glass beads and a few A5 sheets of blue card and paper - these will definitely come in handy for a card of two at some point.

There were also almost two kits this week as well. One was a started pack of jumping clay as seen below - this comes again with 2 shades of blue clay and a tutorial on how to use it and how to make a little butterfly keyring. I'm not sure about the butterfly but this definitely looks like a fun one to have a play with. I have seen an idea on the internet where someone had used the samples that came in this pack to make buttons in a few shades of blue/purple. This sounds like an amazing idea to me so I am hoping to do the same at some point and make some buttons for maybe a cushion cover, bag of even perhaps a cardigan if/when I get around to making myself one.

 The actual kit that came in this pack was one to make a bluebird mobile. This may either be made at some time for a present perhaps or just for fun to put up in my craft room. I think I will have a go at making it and see how it turns out before any final decisions are made.

Oooh and finally the sheet of material that the bluebird kit is displayed on also came in the box. I have had a few ideas for this - perhaps some decoration on the bag that I was bought for my birthday or maybe the lining to another bag when i get around to making myself one for some of my wool stash. I'd love to make a crocheted bag with a circular base for storing my yarn in. I don't really know if this kind of thing would need a lining but if I make it well enough this might have to turn into a casual handbag and therefore would need a lining.

This months box was very much not me and therefore I think my least favourite of all of the boxes that I have received. This was on a glamour theme. The art card looks like this:

And the box contained a variety of things, a lot of which I cannot imagine me using. Slightly disappointing this one unfortunately. This month's kit was to make a decorative beaded hair clasp. There was some beaded fluffy trim and a red rose pendant, both of which I cannot imagine ever using.

There was however also some swarovski crystals in a black velvet pounch - not sure what I will use these for at all but they are pretty, stardust beads - maybe good for something snowy around Christmas time, a stamp - can't complain really as this will be useful for cards and some silver ink - I don already have some but love it's effect so again I really shouldn't complain. There was some photo glue that will be really useful. The bag near the front of the photo is "metallic star dust"- kind of like glitter - could go everywhere when I try to use this but looks like amazing fun. There is also a fat quarter of black velvet (that all of the other items are photographed on), a pair of rhinestone faceted teardrops and finally a set of hook earings to attach your own pendants to - maybe a pair with the teardrops could be pretty and some of the beads from previous boxes.

Ok so I made that box sound really bad at the beginning and then talked myself into most of it. Most of the box is either really pretty or really useful so I think I was a little harsh to start with. I think the darkness of the box when I opened it and the fact that the first things I found in it were the rose and the beaded fluffy trim kind of put me off a little to begin with but like I said most of the rest will be useful. I take back my negativity - another good selection of ideas from Crafty Creatives.

I look forward to being able to put some of ideas into practice and create some of the things that i have said I will make. I definitely need to re-read these posts whenever I am out of inspiration and see what I have thought of in the past. There should never be a day of boredom in my house really with all of these goodies around me.

Last weeks project - Bedroom

And the reason that I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks - well that and the massive amount of college work that I have to do recently.

The story goes like this - a couple of weeks ago we had a long weekend here in England - bank holiday Monday is always a good idea and one that should happen a lot more often in my opinion. As we don't get these too often and with the fact that my husband had to work on the Saturday means that this seemed to be as good a time as any (Saturday evening) to go out and buy some paint samples from the DIY store so that we could paint little patches on our bedroom wall and leave the colours there for a few weeks while we decided which ones we liked best...

...ok so that really didn't happen. We painted the patches on the wall on the Saturday night, left them to dry until morning and woke up with the decision firmly made. Let project bedroom begin!

A few pots of paint, lots of filler and decorators calk, paint brushes, rollers and sandpaper later and we were ready to start. The first day of decorating is always pretty rubbish (from what everyone else seems to say as we've never decorated before!) and involved a lot of filling and sanding, filling and sanding and I swear the holes and dimples and mini cracks just keep appearing because there are still a few that we missed. We were most impressed with the out-y corners of the walls where there seemed to be some chunks missing when you started looking.

The ceiling was the next job but so difficult to tell if you had missed any bits.

I was shattered at the end of that first day and it’s just so frustrating because nothing really looked any different. The ceiling didn’t really change colour much when we went over it with the white and the walls just looked slightly flatter but worse than they did before. A good night’s sleep would do me good though.

What we had both sort-of-conveniently-(in some cases)-forgotten was that my husband also had to go out to work on the Monday as well for the full day.

Oh well, at least that meant that I could just be left to get on with it by myself. As we had decided that actually neither of the brown’s we had tested were actually the right brown I randomly found another burst of energy from somewhere in the evening and decided to go slightly mad and paint the brown wall with the final colour that we had chosen. No tester for this one – it was the only choice. I didn’t really want my husband to come back from work the following day and decide that the hated the colour I had just put all over the wall in our bedroom.

And a second coat went on the ceiling.

Then came the fun bit – painting the walls. As I was left to my own devices all day (besides a visit from my Mum and Dad to make me a cup of tea and provide moral support and sawing assistance – that part was from my Dad - for half an hour) there aren’t really too many pictures of the next stages. There was generally just a lot of paining went on. I was quite impressed with my straight line on this wall – as I have never done it before then beware it is a lot more difficult than it looks. I don’t think I’ll be choosing another feature wall anytime soon!

The cream walls still looked a little patchy even after 2 coats but one more should do the trick. 

Getting rid of those horrible windows above the door was definitely something that couldn’t happen quickly enough for me. I’m so glad that Dad came to cut the wood for me on the Monday. 

Everything was finally starting to come together and I think it was Tuesday/Wednesday night when the bed went back down and the wardrobe back in place. This couldn’t happen quickly enough for either of us I don’t think.

We had been sleeping amongst this: 

This is the entire contents of our bedroom and the spare bedroom all crammed into the one room.

And then everything suddenly started to come back together – it felt so good to get the bed back down and mattress back in place. 

The finishing touches – these were the bits that my husband was most proud of I think – this is the manly bit. The light switch works and everything! 

Ta-dah!!!! Yey! Well worth it. I love it now that it’s done. I sent the photos to my Mum and Dad in the evening when we had finished and she cried! They got home and Mum looked at my email whilst Dad was still sorting other things out – he came in to find my Mum in tears in the living room. I’m hoping that this was proud parent crying and not crying at the hideous-ness of it. They have said that they love it since so we are all very pleased. 

My cuddlies from when I was a baby are still allowed in here by my bed - my husband thought about not letting me keep them in here but then said that they are allowed as they are the right colours to match the rest of the room.

Lovely and cozy.